which dog do you like best?

Question

Please help me decide the best dog to get..
I have a 5 month old jack russell/beagle female spayed
and cats
my choices are:
1. "Cockapoo" puppy from a breeder
2. Siberian husky from a rescue (less than a year old) male
3. lab/border collie mix from rescue
4. spaniel/lab mix from rescue

I love the lab/collie. But I never owned a border collie before, i know they need a job to do but I dont know what job to give them. I have lots of times for long walks and play and parks on weekends.

What are your favorite dogs out of those choices?? THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HELP!!

the lab/collie is 10 months old, the spaniel/lab is 12 weeks old

I really want an affectionate dog too

Wow thank you all so much for your answers! You've given me alot of help.

So far I narrowed down my choices to the lab/collie or the husky.
I only didn't pick the spaniel/lab because I have read that spaniels will have epilepsy.
And the cockapoos are adorable but no I don't want to contribute to the overpopulation of dogs already.And thx for the little info about crossbreeding.

I filled out the applications for rescue and hopefully will get to meet the dogs soon!

Answer 1

Siberian husky is the perfect dog for my family because I work from home, I am with him at all times. He loves to walk and if I try to skip a day he tries to run off on his own because he wants his exercise. My house is spotless becuase if there is anything in his reach (he is 18 months) he will eat or destroy it. He plays well with my 3 yr old and is very gentle with him and yet he tends to beat the heck out of my 16 yr old daughter. He is so smart like all dogs in the breed if you let him get away with something once he will do it forever.

He is a couch potato and thinks nothing of trying to climb on my husbands lap when my 3 yr old does, he has an amazing sense of humor and loves schedules. I have a 50 ft lead for when we go to the park because he is a husky which makes him a forever flight risk. Sometimes I yell at him and my son and daughter because they are rough housing inside my house and that isn't allowed and he is getting big.

The weather is changing so instead of the every day brushing which we do from April until now we are doing it every few days. I vaccuume daily now but in the summer usually twice a day and give him a bath every other week.

He is great but he is a lot of work, he like the cat we have but some huskies want to snack on cats for life.

If this is a husky rescue organization they will make sure that you are well aware of who you are adopting but I suggest that you go to www.patriotrescue.com and look up who husky's are before you decide on one.

Mine, 1 at a time have all been blessings but the latest has been the most work.

Answer 2

Wow, I think I would go with the lab/border collie mix, dependng on the age and the circumstances of the rescue. Since you have a young dog and cats already, it's important to make sure the dog will fit in well with temperments of the other pets.

Labs are all about loyalty, and can be very rambunctious - they take a long time to grow up. Border collies are also very loyal, but do require a job, or they will make one on their own. I had a border collie for almost 15 years, and his job was herding everyone in the house if I didn't give him some other outlet.

I hope whatever choice you end up making turns into a very happy and rewarding experience for you.

~

Answer 3

1. NO! Cockapoos are mutts, plain and simple; and since they're crossbreeds, they're more likely to infect bad traits from their parents. Also, you'd be supporting the pet industry--helping to produce more overpopulation in animals, meaning more death for felines and canines in rescues and shelters.

2. Better than cockapoo, but not really a good choice. See, huskies need a ton of exercise--they were bred to pull sleds constantly, and it would not do if you could not exercise him.

3. Lab/Border mix is definitely better than the husky one and the cockapoo. Labs are very nice dogs, however because of the border collie part you shouldn't adopt if you can't meet huge exercise needs. Border collies are high energy dogs.

4. In my opinion, definitely best choice! Spaniels tend to be smaller and more docile; the lab is a bit of a higher energy dog, but mixed with spaniel you will get an even-tempered, medium-size (easier to feed and exercise) dog.

So, the order in which I prefer is:
4
3
2
1

Answer 4

I think that personalitywise, the colli/lab would be best and their energy level would probably come closest to your dogs. Collies do best when they are kept busy, this doesnt mean they have to have a job, per se. They need to be kept busy, which could mean agility, obedience, or teach it to catch frisbees. It could also inherit more of the lab traits, you wont know til you get it. Same goes for any mix, it's a surprise! It is definitely up to you, but I do give the cock-a-poo a thumbs down for reasons related to our over-population problem. Either way, I hope you have alot of fun with your new dog! Oh, as far as the husky goes, read this from a husky site (one of many) ; "It is very important to remember that the Siberian Husky is a working breed. His heritage has endowed him with the desire to run and his conformation has given him the ability to enjoy it effortlessly. Because of this, it is important that no Siberian ever be allowed unrestrained freedom. In addition, most Siberians have a strong predator drive that can translate into trouble. This is usually directed toward neighborhood cats, birds, rodents, and other small animals. For his own protection, he should be confined and under control at all times." I only included this because you said the husky would be a 1 year old dog, not a puppy. I dont mean to discourage you in any way, but please choose carefully.

Answer 5

Okay, I wouldn't put any money into a "cockapoo" breeder, ever. It's not a real breed and good breeders don't breed mixes intentionally.

As for the Border Collie/lab mix, you'll very likely need to give it a job to do. But that can be a lot of things. I would personally suggest going for some basic obedience training and the getting into agility when the dog is old enuf. Agility and other dog sports are great ways to keep a dog mentally and physically challenged.

Depending on what of that mix the dog tends to favor, I can tell you that a bored border collie WILL redecorate your home in ways you probably won't like. So I would never have one personally, without persuing training. We do obedience, agility and herding at the moment, 3 classes a week. All are fun for me and my Border Collie.

Answer 6

Well Border Collie has been deemed the smartest dog. Labs are also incredibly smart. I have a lab and she is very smart, yet full of energy. Both labs and border collies are bred to be working dogs, so you will have to take them for walks or high energy activities everyday so that they are calm when you have them indoors. Labradors were bred to be water fowl retrieving dogs, so playing "fetch" is a good job for them, as a matter of fact, they will insist on it.

Also this would be a great affection dog. Mine cant get enough. Here is what Wikipedia has to say about it:

"They are considerably "food and fun" oriented, very trainable, and open-minded to new things, and thrive on human attention, affection and interaction, of which they find it difficult to get enough. Reflecting their retrieving bloodlines, almost every Lab loves playing in water or swimming."

Answer 7

I would definitely choose either the lab/collie mix or the spaniel/lab mix. The husky may tend to be really dominant and there is no reason to over pay from a breeder. I highly recommend a rescue dog. They all deserve a second chance.

Answer 8

Well, I'm a lab lover so I'd go with either the lab/border collie or the spaniel/lab mix. Border collies I imagine are very energetic and would require A LOT of exercise. I think I'd go with the spaniel/lab mix personally.

Either way, good luck to you and thanks for considering adoption! :)

Answer 9

It depends. I LOVE lab/collies and huskies, but I don't know. Lab/collies are SUPER active and need a ton of exercise or they'll develop behavior disorders. Even if you have a big yard (a necessity for a big dog) it wont exercise itself! You have to devote up to an hour a day. If you don't have that time, i would recommend getting the smaller breed. cockapi are sooo cute!!

Answer 10

Lab/collie mix from a rescue! Dogs Rule!