Which Is A Better Family Pet? Terrier/Spaniel, Great Pyrenees/ Shepherd Mix, Husky Shepherd Mix?

Question

Our family is looking for a puppy (about 12 months & younger) of any of the listed breeds. We currently have 2 adult cats and we are also looking for an adult Australian Shepherd/Border Collie mix. We are planning to move into a house with a rather large amount of land for these animals BEFORE we get any of the animals.

We have researched on this many times, but no helpful information has come up

If anyone can answer how these dogs behave, your response will be greatly appreciated.

Any other information is welcomed too

Answer 1

the amount of land you have makes no difference because you cannot allow them to run loose.

you really need to do a LOT more research on breeds. there is absolutely no similarities among most of the breeds you have listed other than the herding

huskies are hot recommended with cats as they are killers of small animals. pyrs are flock guardians & not terribly social.

the BC/aussie are highly intelligent dogs needing tons of exercise & jobs to do. if you do not provide them with something to herd, they will herd the kids or the furniture. they herd by nipping. ditto GSD's

Answer 2

First of all, a good website to check out: http://www.virtualimpax.com/a_dog_for_the_family/index.html
If you have cats, I wouldn't go for a husky mix. While each dog is different, the breed does tend to be prey driven and will kill cats.
Alright, next - the terrier/spaniel mix - a lot of this spends on what kind of terrier and what kind of spaniel. Spaniels are hunting dogs, so some may not be good for the cats. I have heard that cocker spaniels are not good with kids, however the website listed above differs on that opinion.
The biggest different between a terrier/spaniel mix and a Great Pyrenees/Shepard mix will be the energy level (and probably the size). Terrier/Spaniel mix will have a lot of energy and will be on the smaller side. They also may chase your cats a lot. Generally I don't recommend small dogs to people with kids becuase they tend to be too much energy and persnippity sometimes. Still, with lots of exercise they can be a lot of fun for kids. While a Great Pyenees/Shepard mix will be a ton more calm and bigger. With a shepard though you may need to be aware of herding behavior. They also tend to need more mental stimulation, such as training and so forth.
My friend has a great pyrenees mix who is the best ever with her three kids. Just lets them love all over her. But get her outside with the other dog and she's great.
Australian Shepard/Border Collies are great for some families. Lots of energy, but with lots of exercise and training, they can make a great family dog. More playful then the other mixes, so depends a lot of what you want from a dog. The one thing that keeps them off of most top ten family dog lists is that they may herd your children. This may mean just running around them, or it may end up being nipping at their heals.
Like a lot of people have Probably mentioned, breed in and of itself doesn't make a dog, so make sure you take the time to get to know any dog you choose. I highly suggest not going with a breeder, but find a great dog in a shelter or something. Ask the shelter if you can do a trial. Many places will let you. Also make sure the whole family meets the dog before you take him/her home.
Hope that helps!

Answer 3

This is sort of a trick question in my opinion. You have mixed up some very interesting breeds. The Terrier/Spaniel mix would be your best bet if you have lots of running room, other animals, and last but NOT least, children. Based on personal experience of some very close family and friends, the most unpredictable mix is the Great Pyrenees/Shepherd mix. The reason for this is NOT because they wouldn't be good with your family, but would it be good with you friends and family? They (especially the Great Pyrenees) are VERY territorial (i.e. protective of the family w/ which they live). Everything "out of routine" then is viewed as a potential threat/challenge. It may prove to be more of a chore and worry rather than joy and reward if you chose the wrong dog, so I hope you have the best of luck and really want to commend you in taking the time to carefully select prior your purchase!!!

Answer 4

Great Pyrenese is a wonderful guard dog and family companion. They are used on farms to protect livestock. We adopted an older one. She was great with the baby ducks and cats and the other dogs. She sat with her head inside the little dog kennel, at night, protecting the ducklings. If you have coyotes, foxes or mountain lions, none of them will bother any of your pets or livestock as long as you have a Great Pyrenese. They are great house dogs too but in cold weather, we could not keep ours inside. She wanted to lay on the back porch, no matter how cold. In the summer, we had someone trim her with sheep shearers. About 1" of fur must remain or the dog will become sunburned. They live to be about 10 yrs old. You may be able to find one for adoption at petfinder.org
Spaniels are very laid back dogs and loyal. There are smaller and bigger breeds. They seem to like cats also.
Huskys are very active, cold weather dogs, if you live in a hot climate, it will not be able to tolerate being outside. The fur is very thick. If raised from a puppy, they will get along with a cat. Be careful about purchasing or adopting as they are somewhat unpredictable.
Shepherds are wonderful guard and family dogs and like to be inside or out but you should know a little about the family line if you are purchasing one. If adopting one, go through the Humane Society and make sure it has been tested for food aggression or biting (small children, Cats).
Terriers come in all shapes and sizes but are usually mixed mutts. The mutts are the best to have as pets. You can probably easily find one of them for adoption too. They are great in the car to take on trips, lots of them are wonderful with children.
If you want to know what kind of dog not to get, look on petfinder.org to see how many of which breed are for adoption. Breeds that have a lot available are a good clue for not getting that breed or doing a lot of research first.
Spell check is not working at present.

Answer 5

Well, dogs are like people - no matter what breed they are, they will all have different personalities. You have children? You want a dog that gets on well with cats - you can't order a dog by selecting a breed!

The "better" pet depends on your family - your habits, the time you have to spend with it - and how well your current pets adapt to it. What, exactly, are you researching?

Go to the pound and spend time with the breeds you're interested in. Visit homes where they live. But don't expect carbon copies ...

Answer 6

Husky/GSD is one of my favorite mixes. I also like Great Pyrs too. And I love border collies and Aussies. Love working and herding breeds, can't you tell? :-) However, it depends on what *you* can take care of exercise wise. The backyard is not the dog's babysitter and/or treadmill and needs regular walks with you as well as running on fenced *secure* acreage. Please don't assume that because you're planning on moving to the country that you can let your dogs run loose. I shadowed a rural vet before I started vet school and literally EVERY DAY there would be at least one dog that came in that was shot, hit by a car, or had injuries from a dog fight because it was allowed to run loose. Please keep them contained.

Answer 7

Any dog at all is a fantastic pet as long as the owner has time to spend with it and train it and play with and they can be trained from a young age to get along with cats and some dogs just naturally do anyway

Answer 8

I think the Great Pyrenees/ shepherd mix would make the best family dog. Especially if you have a lot of land.

Answer 9

husky/shepherd mix. terriers are overexcitable so therefore a terrier/spaniel dogs will not be best. great pyrenees are quite aloof and therefore not suitable as a family pet, particularly if there are kids. huskies are friendly, so are shepherds; it's great that you get a big amount of land, as they need plenty of room to exercise.

Answer 10

border collies and austrailian shepherds are very active dogs so they will need lots of exercise otherwise they may become destructive also they are excellent candidates for agilty training. They are very smart dogs but they need something to do or will become very bored.