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#1652637 - 01/19/12 02:03 PM What kind of dog would you suggest?
E.E.G.B Offline
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the sandy shore
My kids reallllly want a dog. I'm more of a cat person. While we won't be getting a dog in the next few months, it is something I'm kind of thinking about for down the road.

Someone suggested a Yorkie, but I *really* don't like small yappy dogs. At. All. (So no Chihuahuas either, or Pomeranians, etc.)

And being that we live in Texas, the dog can't stay outside in the summer either - at least not during the day. So maybe something medium sized - ish that could handle being inside a lot?

I like Corgis, but we have stairs to the second level - would that be a problem for Corgis?

And obviously, the dog would need to be good with kids. smile
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#1652639 - 01/19/12 02:05 PM Re: What kind of dog would you suggest? E.E.G.B
manimal Offline
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The first question I would ask is how active is your family? Some breeds are high energy and need daily exercise (i.e. Huskies), while some are more sedentry by nature (i.e. Great Danes).
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#1652642 - 01/19/12 02:08 PM Re: What kind of dog would you suggest? E.E.G.B
E.E.G.B Offline
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Not really looking for something that needs a lot of running around. (Plus wouldn't a Husky melt into a puddle along about May here? By June we're usually 90+ every day.)
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#1652644 - 01/19/12 02:09 PM Re: What kind of dog would you suggest? E.E.G.B
Hrothgar Geiger Offline
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I have a Cairn terrier and a Westie. The Cairn is great with kids and other dogs.

Part of the local dog drama in my neighborhood has been the arrival of a Yorkie named "Chase Mutley". The Yorkie likes to patrol our neighborhood and has become smitten with the Westie.

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#1652649 - 01/19/12 02:17 PM Re: What kind of dog would you suggest? E.E.G.B
manimal Offline
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A Corgi would do fine in your household... also a pug or even a miniature schnauzer.

A husky might struggle in your warmer climate, although I do have a friend in Florida whose neighbor has a husky-shepherd and he does just okay as long as his walks are early or late in the day. I am partial to larger breeds, so they are the first I think of.
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#1652652 - 01/19/12 02:20 PM Re: What kind of dog would you suggest? E.E.G.B
edAudit Offline
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We had a Cairn and she was great with kids and other dogs (as mentioned) except for the yorkie next door (for some reason she just hated that dog. She did not do to will with the rabbits but she just wanted to play with them (not her fault that rabbits do not bounce).
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#1652653 - 01/19/12 02:20 PM Re: What kind of dog would you suggest? E.E.G.B
B_F Offline
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I personally recommend one of two breeds to someone like you. First is the Mutt. Find a dog at a shelter and adopt it because it seems to mesh with you and your family. The downside here is that sometimes the dog is more active when it comes home than at the sheleter.

The other option I recommend is a greyhound. No, they are not hyper. No they do not require "extra" care. Greyhounds may look larget than you want, but they take up less space than most small dogs. Give them a bed and they will sleep in it most of the day. They shed a lot once a year but the rest of the year don't shed much at all. They are extremely easy to train, because they have already been trained to obey their trainer at the track in most cases, and they just have a personality of wanting to serve.

With either option, you are saving a life.

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#1652654 - 01/19/12 02:21 PM Re: What kind of dog would you suggest? E.E.G.B
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PS: With a greyhound in the heat, you can have lots of fun with a kiddie pool. They'll lay in it and love it.

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#1652655 - 01/19/12 02:22 PM Re: What kind of dog would you suggest? E.E.G.B
Hrothgar Geiger Offline
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Agree with B_F on getting your dog from a shelter!

All of our dogs have been rescues.

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#1652656 - 01/19/12 02:22 PM Re: What kind of dog would you suggest? E.E.G.B
Skittles Offline
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I also love shelties. While they have a lot of hair and need brushing, they should be fine in the heat. The fur actually keeps their skin cooler. They are also protective of their people. One of ours went after a rotweiller that barked at us. Their other negative trait is that they are barkers - and can be shy around strangers if not 'raised' properly. While we adore our greyhound, I believe we're shelties all the way from here on out.
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#1652659 - 01/19/12 02:38 PM Re: What kind of dog would you suggest? E.E.G.B
Phoenix Offline
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the American Kennel Club has truly a encyclopedia's worth of information: http://www.akc.org/future_dog_owner/index.cfm?nav_area=future_dog_owners
Several websites can help you narrow breed choices: http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/search.htm and http://animal.discovery.com/breed-selector/dog-breeds.html are 2 of several
And - once you've figured out some breed choices, my bias is still to go to local pet shelters for the actual adoption. Unfortunately many purebreds have wound up available for adoption because of the mortgage and job mess, and well-run shelters have generally worked with the available animals enough to have a decent sense of their personalities. Those same well-run shelters will insist that the whole family play with the potential pet enough to determine whether the pet is likely to be a good fit.
enough of my soap box! all the best!
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#1652660 - 01/19/12 02:25 PM Re: What kind of dog would you suggest? E.E.G.B
Bankbb1, PITA Offline
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The Sovereign State Of Oklahom...
From a pratical point of view, I suggest a basic mutt from the pound. My dad is a Veterinarian and I can tell you that he see's way fewer health problems in mutts. They are mother nature at work. She keeps what works and shed's what doesn't. Please dont anybody take this wrong, but big long pedigrees just mean a lot of human interference, and that usually does not bode well. Mutts are smarter as a whole. Find a puppy. if they have no idea of the parentage, look at the feet and head, it will give you an idea of the potential size of the animal.
But when it comes down to it, pick one that you can love, because it will love you without condition. smile
Last edited by Bankbb1; 01/19/12 02:25 PM.
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#1652662 - 01/19/12 02:27 PM Re: What kind of dog would you suggest? E.E.G.B
E.E.G.B Offline
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I do like greyhounds and had thought about doing that - I know some people with the rescue group here. Obviously I'd rather get a dog from a shelter or rescue group rather than a puppy mill.

Do not care for pugs. We had a Scottie when I was a kid, but I know they aren't always good with kids.

I'll admit I would reallllly like a bloodhound or a bulldog, just because I think they are so cute, but I know I would hate dealing with all the drool in real life, and choosing a dog because of the cute factor isn't really a good idea.
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#1652664 - 01/19/12 02:28 PM Re: What kind of dog would you suggest? E.E.G.B
HappyGilmore Offline
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Pulling people out of the ditc...
we have friends with a basset hound, very low key. also with jack russell terriers. growing up, we always seemed to have a dog, always a mutt. once we had a dalmation, very wild, ate a tree once in our backyard...
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#1652666 - 01/19/12 02:30 PM Re: What kind of dog would you suggest? E.E.G.B
E.E.G.B Offline
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The dalmatian *ate* a tree?! How did THAT happen?!

Skittles - shelties are ADORABLE. And just the size I was thinking of too.
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#1652676 - 01/19/12 02:52 PM Re: What kind of dog would you suggest? E.E.G.B
Y'all Comply Offline
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2 of our 3 dogs are beagles, the 3rd is a mutt! All are small, under 25 lbs. Sweetest dogs ever.
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#1652678 - 01/19/12 02:39 PM Re: What kind of dog would you suggest? E.E.G.B
WreckEmTech Offline
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I have a Yorkie & he's great. We are outside a lot, so we he goes out and plays with the neighborhood dogs in the evenings. That has made him a bit whiney...he thinks he needs to go outside if anyone in our house does. But he doesn't really bark unless something freaks him out (rarely) or if he sees the neighbor's cat. He's a great lap dog and loves to cuddle. He's also really good with my 4 year old. He's never chewed anything up either. Nor does he shed...ever. We keep him cut short in the summer (Texas heat) and let his hair grow out in the winter. He is crate trained and stays in it during the day and at night. They are really good inside dogs.
Buuuuttt...since you don't want a Yorkie, I'd go to the animal shelter & see what they have. Most of them are already housebroken too, so you wouldn't have to mess with that!

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#1652680 - 01/19/12 02:42 PM Re: What kind of dog would you suggest? E.E.G.B
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I have a 10 year old golden retirever, weighs approximately 70 pounds, and he is as hyper as he was when he was a puppy. I was always told he would calm down after he got past the age of two... They lied to me. I love him, don't get me wrong, but he "demands" lots of attention. He just gets so excited to see us. The heat doesn't seem to bother him too bad.

My other dog is a "muttley" dog we found sitting in a mud puddle in front of the local school. She will still cower if you raise your voice, and we have had her over 6 years. However, she is alot of fun and she will "talk" to you. She will stand back and let the golden eat until he is full, and then she eats what is left over. I do believe she was severely mis-treated as a puppy, but she seems to have recovered well.

I had a Rottweiler puppy eat a tree as well.... He just walked over a grabbed a low branch and pulled it off the tree....
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#1652697 - 01/19/12 02:55 PM Re: What kind of dog would you suggest? E.E.G.B
A_G Offline
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A lab (preferably yellow)...

They are great with kids and loyal to a T! grin

Oh and not small or yappy! wink
Last edited by Mr. A_G-DDD™; 01/19/12 02:56 PM.
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#1652698 - 01/19/12 03:09 PM Re: What kind of dog would you suggest? E.E.G.B
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I'm partial to mutts. The four I've had were great with few health issues. Medium size dogs are great if you're more of a cat person. You won't be overwhelmed by their size and you won't have to deal with the yappy factor of smaller dogs. I think whether they're long or short hair, they all shed.

Speaking from experience, make sure the whole family is on the same page before bringing in a new pet and that your other pets are ready for a sibling. Good Luck!!
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#1652702 - 01/19/12 03:10 PM Re: What kind of dog would you suggest? E.E.G.B
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Ditto Tim Tebow.
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#1652704 - 01/19/12 02:58 PM Re: What kind of dog would you suggest? E.E.G.B
manimal Offline
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ditto on rescue groups and shelters smile
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#1652721 - 01/19/12 03:23 PM Re: What kind of dog would you suggest? manimal
hmdagal Offline
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Originally Posted By: manimal82
ditto on rescue groups and shelters smile


Double ditto that!

Unless you really want to deal with housebreaking, teething, etc... you may be better off with a young adult than a puppy. It's also easier to get a feel for their personalty.

My personal experience with shedding is that dogs with shorter fur shed at least as much as those with longer fur and it's harder to clean up.

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#1652732 - 01/19/12 03:30 PM Re: What kind of dog would you suggest? hmdagal
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There are some non-shedding (or minimal shedding) breeds out there. My miniature schnauzer nor my dad's ever shed. Big bonus. The downside was that they were both kind of yappy. My dad's more so than mine. Fiercely loyal and protective though.

I currently have a mutt. I call her a black lab but in reality she is probably a cross between a lab and a german sheperd (100lb female labs are almost unheard of). I could follow her around with the vacuum cleaner and STILL find dog hair. I adore her though so I just deal with the hair. She's the best dog I've ever had. If I ever get another I would most likely get another mutt.
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#1652734 - 01/19/12 03:19 PM Re: What kind of dog would you suggest? E.E.G.B
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EGB - do you currently have cats?

Growing up, all our labs actually slept with the cats! laugh
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