What is the perfect dog for me?

Question

I am a single mid-20's girl. I am purchasing my first house in a semi-nice neighboorhood, however there is still a little crime. I have owned dogs before so I am familiar with a lot of breeds.

What kind of dog would you suggest I get?
It must be protective, and eventually a good dog to have around children. I would like a dog with low maintence (brushing/grooming) I run daily so the dog will get plenty of exercise.
I would prefer a larger breed, however without medical problems (my rottweiler had hip dysplasia)

Thanks

Answer 1

All dog breeds will have some health issues specific to their breed. Most of the larger breeds are prone to hip problems as you know. A great choice for you may be the lab or a boxer. There are tons of labs in local pounds that would love to have a good home and a running buddy. Check out your local animal shelter and I'm sure there will be a dog there that you can't say no to.

Answer 2

Standard Poodle.
SPs are extremely smart animals. Originaly bread to be hunting (water) dogs. Nothing frufru about them. They do require SOME grooming, thought not alot. They shed less than "low maintinance" dogs. Poodles are good guard dogs, and if socialized properly can be exelent with children. I have a 5 month old SP in my begining obedience class, and she is THE smartest most well behaved puppy i've worked with. Be carefull not to mistake a breed though. Toys and other smaller poodle breeds are NOT the same. Toy breeds tend to be snapish, especially towards children. good luck!

EDIT: I do not and never will recomend Labs or golden retreivers. Cotnrary to popular beleif they ARE NOT gentle, well behaved dogs.People have this idea that labs and goldens are the "ideal family dog" I'll admit, once in a blue moon you'll find a lab with a good temperment but it's extremely rare. And though capable of it, to get good behavior from a lab is more work than it's worth. Labs do tend to be agressive, they have extremely poor spacial awareness, are very high energy, and shed to kingdom come. Labs are just as high or higher on the bite list than breeds like pit bulls and other bully breeds. I'm not saying I hate labs, I own one myself. I'm just saying, start off with an easier breed.

Answer 3

I'd suggest a doberman, but if you do consider the breed be sure to research it thoroughly, they need a strong leader that they can't push over and they aren't for everyone. Also they have a low maintenance coat, mild shedding throughout the year, no brushing required and should only be bathed 3-4 times a year. Whatever dog you decide to get, unless adopting from a shelter, be sure to get it from a reputable breeder, this will lessen the likelyhood that the dog will develop health problems.

Answer 4

I would go to you're local animal shelter to find a dog. That way you can get a full grown dog in need of a home and you won't have to mess with raising a puppy. Shelter dogs need homes too and mix breed dog are less likely to have medical problem as full blooded dogs do.


"Don't breed or buy why shelter animals die"

Answer 5

I would suggest a boxer! I mean, they aren't a guard breed, but they are large and powerful looking enough to deter criminals. they've also got a strong bark. they are active (would love to run with you), have a short, easy to maintain coat, and are fantastic with kids. meidcal problems can be an issue though, so you'd want to go for a carefully bred line. mixed breeds are often less likely to have genetic health problems, so maybe look into adopting a boxer mix (or other type of mix) from a shelter. congrats on the house, i'm jealous!

Answer 6

I would suggest a Labrador these are gentle and protective dogs i am after one myself but i prefer the chocolate variety as they can be a little more naughty than the blacks and creams. I hope you find the right dog your looking for.

Answer 7

you can teach most dogs to be good with kids and to bark when someone is around your house. I don't know what breed is best for you but I am sure if you let your dog know to mind you at first it will do good with kids when they are around. I would go to a humane society and get one and they will let you know if the dog cant be around kids by its personality. and at the same time you will rescue a dog.

Answer 8

You might want to take this quiz:

http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/search.htm

I filled out the answers guessing at the way you might answer some, and it came up with these 3 breeds:

Airedale Terrier
Bergamasco
Doodleman Pinscher

But if you complete it yourself, you can tweak some of the questions where your preferences aren't strong and see what else it comes up with.

Answer 9

Go to this link from the Eukanuba website
http://us.eukanuba.com/eukanuba/en_US/jsp/Euk_Page.jsp?pageID=BS
It is a breed selector quiz. You answer questions about your home, the things that are important to you in a dog, your time constraints, etc and it will provide a ranked list of dogs that would suit you best.

Answer 10

Airdale or Akita.

Labs are over rated in my opinion however they are sweet dogs and the #1 family dog.