dog help!!!!!!!?

Question

for some reason I am really having trouble with finding a good breed of dog for my family, so i want to know if anyone can give me some ideas!!! (i know it is kind of long....)
i want the dog to be medium to large but not over 100 pounds:)
and to be a loving breed that will not kill my cats, i do not mind if the dog is not overly affectionate just a bit at least. i do not want a vicious dog but i do want a dog that will protect me if necessary. i can give it at least 1 hour of exercise a day and will be home from 3 pm onward everyday. i live in a medium sized house with 2 kids ( 10 and 13) and in a subrural area. i have no allergys and dont mind shedding:)

Thanks for the answers

Answer 1

Go to your local shelter and adopt one in need if you have no plans of breeding or showing. Dogs when loved will be affectionate and it is natural for them to defend the pack. Your dog should be well socialized with other people and animals after you get it. Dogs that are well socialized are still protective (they sense when someone or something means its family harm) but they will not be aggressive for no reason. As for the cats slowly introduce the cats to the dogs so that they get to know each other (my suggestion is to have your new puppy under your control leased so that your cats feel more at ease, because if the cat runs puppy will want to chase it). Your needs can be filled by most any dog, what you want is a loving family member. Although with the limited amount of exercise and time you may want to steer clear of dogs in the working/sporting group. They require more exercise and training.

Answer 2

I have a weimaraner and think this breed may fit your needs. They weigh about 70lbs, and love people more than other dogs.

These beautiful dogs are extremely friendly and are couch potatoes after they get some exercise. If you have an hour to give then you'll be fine.

They are extremely smart dogs and therefore can be hard to train. I'm still trying to train ours : > The other disadvantage to this breed of dog is that they can suffer from separation anxiety if you are away from them too long. If you have kids and people around this shouldn't be an issue for you.

Here's a link for Weims on the American Kennel Club and a link for a Weim Rescue Website to give you some background.

http://www.weimrescue.org/
http://www.akc.org/breeds/weimaraner/

Good Luck

Answer 3

The best dogs I have ever had are mixed breeds. I recommend going to your local animal shelter and adopting a young adult between 5-10 months. You can tell a dog's personality at this age and you don't have to worry about training a puppy or about leaving it alone all day. We currently have two mixed breed dogs from the same litter. We adopted them from the humane society when they were 7 months old. They are two of the best dogs we have ever had. Pure bred dogs have a tendency to have health problems and are a little more temperamental than mixed breeds. I have had both and would go with a " pound puppy" any day. Go rescue a dog or two!

Answer 4

I have worked at a vet for many years and seen and experienced many breeds of dogs. People would typically answer your question with a lab or golden. What they don't know is both those breeds are severely in bred and are getting many health and behavioral problems. My personal opinion that are great dogs are German Shepherds. I have germ shep mix that I got as a pup at the pound, and with a little training, is a perfect dog. She is very protective of our house, yet is very friendly when she is with me and meets friendly people. We have a 6 year old that rides her around, harasses her to death, and she loves it! We never taught her to be protective, it is natural for her. She is a cuddler and loves to please. This breed is not over bred and pure bred or not, they are great dogs.

Answer 5

I have two dogs:a pomeranian and a lab/rottweiler mix. the mix is a year and a half old and is sweet as anything. she also growls when she does not know what is goingon outside. my best fiend has a mutt with just about every type of dog in him. he is very sweet and is very protective. but a golden retriever or a lab is a very good choice, especially a fairly young one from a good home.

Answer 6

well, get a non-sporting dog then, like the shiba inu, you can find millions of dogs for sale that are shipped worldwide, so come take a look, go to: www.puppyfind.com
and find the breed that right 4 u!

Answer 7

Labrador
golden retriever

Answer 8

A blood hound or a lab.I have both and cats. You would want to them is puppy so they can get to know the cats

Good luck

Answer 9

try a cocker spaniel. they are a smallish dog, most are great with kids, most won't kill cats, and most are very affectionate, depending on how you treat them. i had a cocker spaniel at one time and he was very affectionate and loved some of our cats. he was also very playful, but he protected us when necessary.

Answer 10

If you want the best buy a siberian husky . Its a good dog to have around kids.