Dog breeds?

Question

I am looking for a dog that is relatively long lived, (10-12 years), likes the outdoors, is good around children, but is also protective. I read all these descriptions of dog breeds, and either it says "not to be kept around children", or "these dogs have no homing instinct and will run forever, so owners must always keep them on a leash." I don't know whether to believe them or not. Actually, protective is less important than having it not run away forever, because the most fun my dog and I can have is running around the old strip mines, down game trails or prairies, off a leash. I hate to keep him on a leash, but so many breeds either have disclaimers saying they're bad with kids, not protective, or will run away. Is there any that is all three, and is'nt so big he will only live 8-10 years?

Answer 1

As for not running away from you, for most breeds, this is just something that a good amount of obedience training will be useful. Teaching your dog to come on recall is the most important thing anyone can teach, IMO. If your dog is headed for the road and a car is coming, you want that dog to turn on a dime when you call. Contact a local training club (or agility club or obedience club) in your area for trainer referrals. This is a great way to find a really good trainer.

There are a lot of breeds that have varying specifics when it comes to children and protectiveness of the family. For us, we got a Border Collie this past summer, which is strongly discouraged in homes with young children as ours (3 and 5), due to the herding instinct and the tendancy to nip heels in order to attempt to herd the children. We went into this knowing this fact and addressed it from day one as well as worked on other training. We have not yet regretted bringing this breed into our home. She gets on great with our children and is a wonderful companion for all of us.

You've obviously researched some breeds you are interested in getting on the net. Now I would suggest contacting some reputable breeders, in your area, of some of the breeds you are thinking about and get to learn a little more from that breeder. The breeder will be able to help you decide if their breed is a good match for you and your family. If the breeder isn't able to help you, go on to find one who can. I wouldn't work with a breeder who didn't know the breed well enuf to assist you in your decision process, because that is likely a byb.

Answer 2

A dog running away is a training issue. Any dog can run and run and not look back - only a trained dog will do so. The majority of dogs have a life span of 10-12 years - the larger, giant breeds have less of a life expectency. Giant breed dogs (irish wolf hounds, danes, st. bernards) have an expectancy of 5-7 years.
The life expectancy of ANY breed of dog goes UP if you house that dog indoors.

As for the issue of good with kids - that too can be a traing issue...true some breeds are better than others...but any dog can be socialized to be better.

I do hope that you are joking about allowing a dog to roam freely - especially in an area with old mines, active hunting and around other wild animals....needless to say, you don't need to worry about how long a dog would live wandering alone in such an enviroment - NOT LONG.

If you want protection - buy a security system, not a dog.
If you want to teach kids "responsibility" - give them chores.
Don't buy a dog as a play toy for your other dog - play with your dog...he wants your attention!
If you don't want a dog that sheds DONT GET A DOG - they all shed....just some more than others :)

Answer 3

Based on your description of what you want I would suggest a Doberman, based on my experience. I currently own one, she is mildly protective, but loves meeting new people and will do anything for a kid. I go hiking and camping quite frequently. She goes with me, and is off leash the majority of the time. She got away once while chasing a deer, but was back at the campsite the next morning. And I bet if I had stayed in the same place long enough rather than walking away, she would have been back sooner. The only caution I would give you is to make sure you get one from a good breeder. Dobies really shouldn't be large dogs, females will be slightly smaller than the males, my female is 65lbs and full grown. Make sure they do the health tests in addition to their dogs being temperment tested. Hope you'll at least consider a doberman.

Answer 4

Whoever said laborador, needs to go and get one and see for themselves how much those things run away. I have one, and so do most of my neighbors, and that is usually the dog that gets loose most often. People see a lab loose, and immediately start checking their back yards to see if it is theirs or not. That is the biggest problem that i have had with my lab. As far as your little doggy issue, i would say that a mutt would be the best breed. They usually live a VERY long time. My dad had one that lived for over 18 years, and then he only died because he was poisoned. He was great with me ( i knew him all my life) and my brother. He had plenty of patience even when i was like 1 or 2 years old and used to chase him around the house. He never even nipped at me! And trust me, that dog was plenty protective, of anybody that was in the house. Once, my aunts ex-husband was yelling at my mom, and before my dad could get to him, the dog was between my ex-uncle and my mom! He wasn't all that big either, maybe about 35 or so pounds. But he was a great dog. and to this day, that has to be one of my favorite dogs. You should try it.

Answer 5

How about collies? They seem to show up well for your criteria, as do Labradors. I've known four Labs pretty well - two were ok, one is pretty sweet, and one is kind of psycho, but basically a friendly dog.

My best two dogs were both beagle/shepherd mixes.

The first link below will let you answer a series of pertinent questions about your needs in a dog and provide a ranked list of possibilities. The second link gives good breed descriptions. If you haven't tried those, they might be useful to you.

If you have some idea of the breeds you might like, try to find a mutt at the local shelter that seems like it might be a mix of those. It's a gamble, but not too much worse than just picking one breed.

Answer 6

Dogs like rottweilers and mastiffs, while fearsome in appearance can actually be excellent family pets. Also, a dog like a mastiff, while large, don't tend to be roaming dogs (as long as you spay/neuter!) but probably will be shorter lived than many smaller dogs. Two other thoughts - livestock guardian dogs like Great Pyrenese are gentle giants but use their voice to warn off strangers. We have one that is currently 9 yrs old and still guarding her flock of sheep every day. Another thought is a smaller sporting breed (like a spaniel) which are longer lived and will enjoy the outdoors with you.

Descriptions you'll want to look for include dogs that have been bred to work with people in a cooperative way (sporting, etc) rather than a dog that is intended to do their work alone (many guarding dogs are more solitary along with terriers who were bred to work on their own without guidance from a person). I would not recommend any herding breed with young children as they often get turned in to rescue for various issues (i own a herding breed). The work the dog was bred for has a distinct impression on the desire of the dog to be with you and to protect you so keep reading about the breeds. Also, it would be helpful for you to attend a dog show where you could actually see the dogs, talk to the breeders and get a better feeling for the dogs.
You can find one by going to AKC.org and clicking on 'events' and then do an event search for your state.
good luck!

Answer 7

Border Collie or Irish Setter. Fits the bill. Golden Retrievers are what I would concider the best breed right now but you could be looking at about only 9 to 12 years of life, but able to live longer. If your willing to have a high energy outdoor dog a Border Collie would be in heaven out there. So smart they require training, but sounds like this breed would be good for you.

Answer 8

We have just lost our 2 english springer spaniels in the last 2 1/2 years! They were 15 and 13 yrs old.
In my opinion they are wonderful dogs! They love people, LOVE children, will protect you(as almost any dog will), fairly easy to train, love the outdoors, so good for an active family! My girls were awesome! I would get another but my bf is allergic to dogs. He almost died when I moved in with all of my dogs! I had 5 then!!!

Any dog is going to take time and patience! You are going to have to go to obedience training and work your dog all of the time!

I would really suggest a rescue and or a shelter! You can find purebred dogs and pups all of the time!!!

Answer 9

I have two australian shepherds. Ones a miniture and the second is a full size. Both of them are trained to walk with me without leashes. I have a six year old and they are wonderful with her. They are protective of her and will walk with her as well. They are very smart dogs and learn very quickly. I wouldn't choose any other dog.

Answer 10

Labs or golden retrivers. Golden retrivers are especially good with children and very loyal.

Although, I must say it really depends on the dog. We adopted a black lab puppy from a shelter. Labs are typically very friendly and love the outdoors. Ours growls and barks at other dogs and people, she hates getting in the water, and she gets sick in the car everytime we go somewhere. We think she might have been abused by her previous owners. So it really depends on the dog, it's past, and how you raise it.