Which breed designations should I be careful of when searching to adopt a puppy?

Question

As my puppy search continues, I've been perusing various humane society and rescue group websites. There are certain breeds (pits, rotts) that I'm not interested in at all, and I'm worried about how these groups label their pets in order to move them easier.

So my basic question(s) is this: what are the rules for such labels? Do these groups try to err on the side of adoptability when calculating and advertising breeds? And if so, what are the typical substitutions just so I can be aware?

Here's an example: http://www.bvhumane.org/listman/listings/images/21_1.jpg

Not just interested in this wee one (more the general practice), but she's advertised as a lab/chow mix.

What do you think?

Thanks, in advance, for your consideration.

Answer 1

You are so wise to be searching selectively for the right breed!

My bet is that this puppy has some black on her tongue. That often gets the "chow" label. However, many retrievers have black spots on their tongues, so that's not a sure thing. This pup could be either a lab mix or a pit mix ... it's adorable whatever it is.

Yes, most rescues really promote their breeds. However, as someone who works with aggressive dogs, I must say that pit bulls and Rottweilers can be very sweet and affectionate dogs who are not at all aggressive, while cocker spaniels and golden retrievers can sometimes be aggressive. There is no breed that is 100% non-aggressive. I have a Greyhound and while Greyhounds are among the gentlest dogs around, once in a while there is an aggressive Greyhound. EVERY breed has aggressive individuals in it. There is no breed that is immuned to behavioral problems.

I know of a dachshund and a Pomeranian who killed infants. I know of a Mastiff that killed an infant while trying to carry her like a puppy- this was a very sweet dog who loved the baby.

There is no way to look at a breed and say with any confidence that it is going to be a problem because of its breed. There is likewise no way to look at a breed and say with any confidence that it will never have a behavioral problem.

The vast majority of dogs of all breeds do just fine as pets. But every single breed has members with problems.

One of the very nicest dogs I have ever met is a Staffordshire terrier- one of the breeds called the pit bull. Pit bull isn't an official breed name, it is just a general look a dog can have. They are sometimes bred for fighting but in years past they were a common and beloved family dog.

The very nicest dog I ever knew, bar none, was a Chow mix. She was mine. She never did an aggressive thing in her life, she was easily trained, and perfectly lovable. Chows are supposed to be aggressive dogs.

You just can't go by breed. You have to raise the dog with care, avoiding punishment based training techniques and learning good positive reinforcement techniques, and you'l have the best possible outcome for life with your dog.

Answer 2

Choosing a dog is a very personal experience and not one that should be done hastily. You need to take into account what sort of space you have, what kind of time you can put into your dog or puppy and how much experience you have. There's nothing wrong in getting a young adult dog who's had some basic obedience training and is past the puppy potty training stage. Good breeds are labs, shepherds and some goldens. Be aware that every breed has it's problems. Labs and goldens can be hyper but if you find a mellow one they are worth their weight in gold. Golden retrievers went thru a lot of breeding popularity and as a result, some became quite aggressive and flighty in temperament. They also require constant grooming. Are you going to be able to train your dog? Will you be able to walk it daily and train it daily during it's obedience training period? Is your house and yard large enough to accomodate a dog that may be high energy. If you are a laid back personality, you need to stay away from the high energy, dominant personality or you'll be in trouble. Take time to look beyond the cuteness and do some testing of puppy personality. If you can, find an experienced dog owner or trainer to go with you to assess the personality of the dog you choose. These animals are not expendable, yet most have ended up in the pound and rescues for a reason. Part of the reason is that people don't go to the trouble to research the needs of the dog or don't find the time to care for it properly. Good luck in your search.

Answer 3

They are all different. Some will be more interested in you (they will do a home visit) and determine if you are the best one for their puppy. At the other end of the scale will be the ones that don't care about you other than if you can pay the adoption fee. Usually in advertising they will be very generous with the good qualities and very brief with the bad qualities. They will say things like, must be an only dog, or dog is afraid of children. With a puppy though you have a better chance because the dog is young enough not to have learned any bad behavior. To keep it a good dog you need to enroll in puppy classes, followed up with obedience classes. Socialize the puppy and allow it to experience a wide range of experiences, such as different people, different animals, different out of doors, grass, concrete, street traffic etc. The purpose here is the the dog learns that everything is fun and there isn't anything to fear. You don't want the dog to grow up fearing children just because it was not exposed to them as a puppy and learned.

Answer 4

Regardless of where you obtain a puppy or adult dog from, it is good to understand the personality of each breed of dog first, plus consider your own lifestyle before committing to a dog. This means considering whether the dog is good with children if children are in the picture, what size the dog will be when fully grown, what kind of exercise it requires, how much food it will need and what kind of medical problems it is prone to because of its particular breed. A good place to find out a lot of the personality and breed specific information is at the following website:
http://dog-breeds.xlnse.com/finding-the-right-dog-breed.php
Once you look over the information you can make a more educated decision as to the type puppy you want, then go to the shelter (which by the way is a great place to find a puppy instead of buying one from a puppy mill) to find the perfect match for you and your family. Play with the ones there, interact with them and more or less "let the puppy choose you"! You will be amazed how some puppies will do just that :-) Once you get your new puppy home PLEASE BE SURE TO START TRAINING IT IMMEDIATELY! Sign up for beginner's training in the basic commands for "sit, stay", etc.! This will be a very wise investment in your new family addition. Good Luck!

Answer 5

Choosing a dog by breed is fine, but I think it's more important to ensure that the dog you select matches your lifestyle. For example, are you gone from home long hours every day? Then a smaller dog that can be paper-trained may be better. Do you plan to take your dog with you places? If so, then you want one that's not so big that riding in a car is difficult and you want one who is social. How big is your home? Do you have a yard? Can you walk your dog? Is there a dog park nearby? Are you active? Do you prefer to relax at home? All of these should play a role in your decision.

After you answer them, then select a dog that you think will match your personality and lifestyle best. You don't want to fall in love with a tiny pup only to have it grow so big that you can't care for it.

In my opinion, all dogs are great, including the breeds often ruled "bad". It all revolves around training. If you and the dog receive proper training (and note, I said YOU and the dog, not just the dog), you will have an obedient, social, loving, respectful dog that listens around you and others.

With that said, certain breeds will appeal to you. So choose a breed that you may feel is what you want (for example, friendly and loving - Golden Retrievers are best; good watchdog that is still playful - Dalmatians are great, a dog that is small and and easily paper-trained - Chihauhua's are good, etc.). But in general, I do not feel any label is appropriate. All dogs have similar traits, but different personalities (like humans). How you train and teach the dog is more crucial.

The picture you linked is of an adorable pup. Just make sure he won't grow too big for your home (unless you want a big dog).

Good luck!

Answer 6

Instead of searching by breed, my best suggestion to you is to actually visit the shelter and play with some of the puppies that they have. You should select a dog based on personality instead of breed. Besides, young puppies are not likely to be aggressive at such young age. If you get him when he is very young then he or she should be OK.

FYI, my sister has a rottweiler and she is the nicest dog I've ever met. She is even afraid of my sister's cat. She did have a sister who was pretty aggressive. My sister got both of them when they were puppies but one was nice and quiet and the other one was loud and aggressive for some reason. My sister ended up giving her to a friend of hers. With dogs just like with people is difficult to guess how they will behave when they grow older. You just have to make sure they receive proper training and attention while they are young so that they grow up to be nice dogs.

Answer 7

The shelters & rescues take their best guess, but many times, it's nothing more than a guess.
That puppy may very well have Labrador in her. Plus, if the mother was that mix, and father was unknown, they're going to list the breeds they have available via information. Looks like father may have been a beagle, or a hound breed.
They do not purposely mislabel the breed(s), but sometimes, they just have to take a guess.

Answer 8

I adopted a "pit" from a shelter and he is the calmest, best dog I have ever had. Please don't label a whole breed as bad. Golden retrievers attack more people every year than pits and rotts. My trainer told me that. I did get my dog professionally trained as a precaution. Getting them trained no matter their breed is a good idea. If you are certain you don't want one then be aware of the use of terrier in their name since pits real name is the American Stratfordshire Terrier. Shelters use terrier alot. Good luck.

Answer 9

In general, shelters and rescue orgs are honest and up front. I help run a dog rescue and we have to disclose EVERYTHING about the dog and it's bahavior to potential owners because if there is ever a problem with the dog, we could be sued for not disclosing info.
If you are adopting through a state run or a reputable private rescue, chance are 99.9% sure that they are being totally honest with everything that they know or may even suspect about the dog.
For instance, we have to disclose if we even think the dog may be a biter, so do your homework about who you are adopting from and if they are reputable, they will be upfront.

Answer 10

You know I dont see any Chow in that pup at all. I do see a lot of Lab. Maybe its just the angle they took the picture at.

I think the rescues and shelter do the best they can. You just have to be careful when choosing the right pup for you.