question about 3 breeds?

Question

Was looking for a puppy, contacted a breeder/trainer about my individual situation. I am hung up on getting a large dog, but live in an apartment, though I am active I am not like a jogger or anything but love daily walks and occasional camping trips, she suggested 3 breeds but I don't know much about these individually and akc doesn't tell much other than over all strucuture so some info would be great..

The breeds were a great dane, english mastiff, or the larger schnauzer variety, she also mentioned a bull mastiff, I have to say I dont like heavy shedding so that is a concern but everything else sounded good and I like the looks of all of them, please help with any info you can think of..

Answer 1

Hi! I work with these three breeds very often. They are all wonderful dogs! In starting to filter out choices, I would have to ask u to choose against a great dane. I absolutely LOVE these dogs and will definately have one when I live in a bigger house. great danes need at least 3 walks a day with running to. they are very large and incredibly active.

english mastiff's are wonderful, but they do shed alot of hair and can often take quite a long time to come out of thier "puppy stage" and are often not so easy to train. I once had one who i loved and adored and was wonderful, but he was rather thick. many of the mastiffs i see at the shelter and dog house are like this too. a wonderful dog though if this nature suits u. they also drool a LOT, can be totally lazy, snore and are much, much bigger than many people think. they r huge, solid dogs!

my recommendation for the needs and wants stated would be a standard schnauzer. they are intelligent dogs, low shedding, require less exercise (although definitely need a daily walk) and are less temperamental and tend to mature rather quickly. they are a very loyal companion dog.

Here is a quote about their temperament:
"Temperament:
The Standard Schnauzer has highly developed senses, intelligence, aptitude for training, fearlessness, endurance and resistance against weather and illness. His nature combines high-spirited temperament with extreme reliability."

if i were u, this would be my choice. in any case, which ever pup u choose, good luck with him/her. dogs are so wonderful to have in ur life!!

i hope i was able to make the choice a little easier for u!! =)

check these sites out!

http://www.standardschnauzer.org/staging/index.html

http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Meadows/8549/rescuecontacts.html

Answer 2

As silly as it sounds, a great dane is a great apartment dog. Most people think b/c of their size, they need acres and acres to romp in. I am the proud owner of my second great dane, the first lived to be 7 and my current dane is almost 5 months. They love couches and laps. They sleep a lot. They are cuddle buddies. They do need exercise, but a good walk 2-3 times a day should be more than enough. You could find a local dog park, or a friend with a dog for interaction and such. They do not shed a lot, but what they do shed is a small hair. I also have a lab that sheds constantly. In fact, i find lab hair on my dane ! They have great personalities and are easy go lucky. I have also heard similiar things about mastiffs. Both breeds can be a little stubborn, (for instance, they will not willingly jump off the bed just b/c you say to. They look at you with a queer little "oh yea? you and what army?" look. Good luck

Answer 3

The Great Dane and English Mastiff both shed, but the hair is so short that with a little brushing, once a week or so, with a soft brush, you can really minimize the shed. The big problem with these 2 breeds, as well as the English Mastiff is so many communities have BSL (Breed Specific Legislation), so you will want to check with your local government about bans or special licensing fees. Also be sure to check with you landlord about how large a dog you can have.

The large Schnauzer, either the standard or giant, are very nice and I don't think they shed, but grooming costs can be prohibitive.

Have you thought about going to your local shelter and seeing what they have? Did you know that most large dogs, especially large black dogs, are never adopted out and most are euthanized or spend their lives in a no kill shelter. Not a good thing either way!!

Hopes this helps!

Answer 4

Ahhh, dont listen to them about greyhounds, they are too hyper when stuck in apartments...remember they were bred to run.
Ive done extensive research on the English Mastiff, Bullmastiff, and Mollosser type dogs in general.
Here are the ups and downs of the mastiff: lazy, requires little exercise, is happy lying at your feet most of the time. Good with children, guards the house well, good with cats, etc.
Huge, much bigger than you think, and they can end up being a big nuisance in a smaller apartment since they weigh about 200lbs on average. They drool a LOT, dont expect a clean pair of pants to stay that way... they snore, fart and are LOUD at night.

Great Dane- beautiful, very tall, but not huge like a mastiff... doesnt drool, requires more exercise, and a yard... unless you want to walk it often...Danes get rambunctuous if left unexercised.

Giant Schnauzer is a great dog... but I dont like schnauzers.I much prefer the Airdale Terrier, or Bouvier De Flandres.

Check out South American Boerbol, or American Bulldog, or Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldogs. I think youll be pleasantly suprised at these dogs. They are prefect apartment dogs.

Answer 5

All three are actually ok for apts based on their temperment as is the Greyhound. The Greyhound is NOT a hyper breed. Retired Greyhounds are listed as one of the top dogs recommended for apts as in fact the do just lay around so long as you provide them with a bed. They are very reserved and quiet dogs so not to bring much attention or complaints from neighbors.

Answer 6

Dont know about those 3 breeds in particular, but if you are interested in a larger dog, but one who doesnt require alot of excercise and one which is light, a Greyhound is a perfect candidate. They are very calm and quiet, and though they are an athletic breed, they are happy to just lay around. They dont seem to be big chewers and are one of the most laid back dog breeds I have ever seen.
Hope this helps.

Answer 7

i would recommend a dane. they are awesome and only want to be constantly beside you. whatever large breed you get.. do your research. lot of hip problems but they are great animals. also maybe its my imagination but it seems with all my dogs including my danes, the darker colors shed less than the lighter ones.

Answer 8

the mum would were two distinct breeds, like say, German Shepherd and Pitbull, and the daddy would were a husky. A puppy would also be four breeds if the mom and dad had been mixes of distinct breeds.

Answer 9

I have a miniature schnauzer. He's not that miniature. I just love him. I would go with the schnauzer as they are easy train, very smart. Full of personality.

Answer 10

I agree with the greyhound suggestion...although you cannot just go get a pup from a breeder, they are only available through adoption and rescue agencies.