Large dog owners advice please!?

Question

Our dog for 14 years recently died and my family and I are thinking of getting a new one, much larger like Saint Bernard or Great Dane size. We have a medium sized yard, and we took our old dog walking 5 days a week so he got pleanty of exercise, and we would be willing to do the same for a new one. All of the kids in our family are 9 and up. Do you think a large dog in our household would be healthy, safe, and happy? Do you have any breed suggestions?

Answer 1

Large dogs are great, however a few things to think about...
Large dogs require TONS of offleash exercise. Much more so than smaller dogs. It doesn't sound like your yard is huge, so you're going to have to be willing to take him/her to a park where you can run him offleash.
Large dogs are more prone to medical problems. The size you're talking about only has a life span of 8 to 10 years.
The giant dogs (thats the real name) that you're referring to are generally extremely good with kids. They definitely can knock items and kids over, but it sounds like you're kids are old enough they will be fine.
So here is the deal, if you are willing to accept that the pet will be taken from you relatively early in life, and walk them sufficiently you can't go wrong with a giant. Great Danes generally need a bit more exercise than Bernards, but they also shed less. I'm partial to the danes, but you can't go wrong with either.
You also have the large dog lines of golden retrievers, labradors, shepards, etc. which are great as well.
The last bit of advice is to adopt a "previously loved" dog. There are just too many unwanted animals in the world today. Please do your part. Good Luck!

Answer 2

I own Saints and they don't require a lot of walking in fact until they are over a year old you don't want to stress those large fast growing joints. If you have a yard and walk the dog once or twice a day that's plenty for them. They are my favorite dog and GREAT with the kids. They do require a firm hand and training very early. It is a lot easier to deal with a pup than a very large grown dog. Get the rules down right away. They also need a job. They like to be useful and right in the middle of family activity. Be prepared to do a lot of brushing and carry a towel. Drool is what turns a lot of people off so get used to it. There is no such thing as a dry mouthed Saint and don't let a breeder or seller tell you any different. Their mere size make them excellent guard dogs while in reality they are all so and no go. They will bark but rarely back it up. They only eat more than other dogs when young and growing. After age one they eat about the same as any medium sized dog. Feed them three times a day small meals until age one and then two meals per day to prevent bloat. Keep the water dish away for a half hour before and after meals. This may sound like a lot but once it becomes routine it isn't. Good Luck with what ever you choose but, Saints are the best in my opinion. The only other dog I would consider would be a Newf.

Answer 3

This may seem like a strange question, but does she only react with growling and snapping when she's being held (especially if she's being held by someone who is standing or walking)? If so, she may just be insecure about being held that way. Happens a lot with small dogs as so many people seem to be unable to resist picking them up every 5 seconds. I'm not suggesting that you should ignore the snapping. I'm suggesting that if it only happens in a specific circumstance, the dog may truly be fearful and or greatly stressed. the dog is trapped in someone's arms and your head is moving towards it--very stressful situation for the dog. I'm not big on physical corrections even with large dogs (I don't think I've ever made a secret of that), so I'd treat the problem the same way as I would in a large dog. Strong verbal correction and an ignore. My dog was good about not nipping skin, but she had a hard time realizing that there was skin under clothing as a pup. Once she nipped me hard enough to draw blood through a sweatshirt and I pulled her miserable, rotten face up to mine and yelled at her and then I walked away. She never nipped again. I don't think I'd do that with such a young puppy in most circumstances--I did it with Jess because I was SURE she wasn't going to go for my face. But with the demon pup, you can hold her face and chew her out from a safe distance as she can't lunge that far.

Answer 4

Al arge dog sounds perfect for you and a great dane would be the best because despite their size they do well in a small environment provided they are exercised. Your kids are old enough to cope with a large clumsy thing. Just do a little research on whatever breed you decide on as there are a lot of potential health problems that can be prevented by proper care (eg great dane pups shouldnt be fed a high protien diet as they grow quick enough already and faster growth can cause bone problems.) Or strange as it may seem i suggest a doberman. They are great family pets, easy to train, and great guard dogs. My 2 love my children and are very patient with them, more than i am i am afraid.

Answer 5

Seems from your question your dog that passed was NOT large and you have a small yard, you also have an undetermined number of children over the age of 9 in your family.I would think based on the above a large or very large dog would NOT be a good idea.
You might want to consider a medium dog like a Cocker Spaniel or adopt a dog that weighs in the 30 lb. range from your local animal shelter.

Answer 6

Well, it's sounds like there are plenty enough people in the house to take the dog out for exercise. I'm partial to German Shepards, but the best dog I've ever owned was my lab/chow mix that i adopted from the SPCA. I would recommend that you take your family to the local shelter and see which pup or dog your family falls in love with. Not only will it provide a great family outing, but you'll be rescuing a life long friend. =)

Answer 7

I am partial to labs. I have two of them. They are very mild mannered, good with kids, and very energetic. They of course need the exercise you are willing to do. They are not as big as a Saint Bernard or Great Dane, but I think that one would be quite big enough.

Answer 8

Although they both would make a great dog you will not have them for 14 years. They are geriatric at about age 5. I just get to attached to only have a dog for a short time. I would do a little research and look for one with a longer lifespan. I will not suggest a breed because I would only suggest one and everyone likes different attributes in their dogs. The decision of breed should be yours and yours alone.Good Luck and sorry to hear of your loss.

Answer 9

A very good dog for family and kids is the Bull Mastiff. If you have time read up on these dogs. We have had 2. These dogs are the most wonderful animals I have ever had!! But they are VERY large!! mine is 1 year old and weighs almost 120lbs!!! This a very loyal animal, easy to train and very smart. dont bark alot.

Answer 10

large dogs are wonderful pets but with small kids you have to remember will they have the strength to hold on to a large dog when walking especially a very energetic pup. A lab or a golden retriever make wonderful pets for kids and are generally more docile and easier to handle. Good luck!