Siberian Husky.

harrise

I can only speak from my single experience, but my Saint is more like furniture than dog. I have left him alone indoors for up to 10 hours with no problems. From things I've read about them they seem to be fairly calm dogs. However, he goes with the sled dogs for daily runs so I'd expect him to sleep most the day. He does need days off from running though. Unklike the others who need it every day (not to mention they are conditioned to it now), Bubba lets me know when he has no intention of walking that day. You must be ok with dripping strings of drool and bubbly foamy slime too.

wolfsong442

I don't care about drool. If anything I think it's adorable. Does that make me weird?

I feel in love with a Saint Bernard over at someone's home. The dog just flopped down on top of me and if I ignored the hair that plastered my jeans afterwards, I was all, " This is EXACTLY what I want", a large dog that think it's a lap dog and will lay all over you. XD

harrise

Well, that sums Bubba up pretty good. I really don't have a hair problem with him, he's a long-hair too. Just a weekly brushing with him works fine, and every four months or so he gets his feet trimmed. The hair between the toes can be a mess sometimes. He cleans up quite well.



... and I don't think you can call yourself wierd until you name the drool, and have multiple songs and jingles about it...

wolfsong442

Zomg, he's adorable!

I love those spots on his face.

I adore how even when Saints are puppies they look like horses XD

RBark

Fostering Huskies before you decide to adopt is a GREAT idea. Not all Huskies are the same, I know some that are not much more than as harrise puts it, "more furniture than dog". But they are the exception.

I think a commonly recommended dog is Greyhounds. If I recall correctly, one of our members "lovemygreys" has fourteen greyhounds. The reason she stated for this being possible is that they mostly just want to stretch their body out and sprint. You'd think that a Greyhound is a high-maintenance dog like Huskies, but it's quite the contrary. They are a sprinting dog, so just a few sprints will tire them out. Huskies have endurance out the wazoo, so they go on all day.

I can't speak for most of the breeds you listed, but I'll talk about the ones I do know.

German Shepherds are intensely loyal and intelligent. They don't have the Husky's natural physical endurance, but they more than make up for it in intelligence. They need jobs, work, etc. Intelligent and working breeds are not good for most people because if they are bored, they amuse themselves (at the expense of your wallet). So when you have time to devote, they are great companions.

The same goes for Australian Shepherds. Herding breeds drive people crazy when bored.

I can't speak for the other dogs such as Pitts Rotts Dobermans etc.

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Goggie

It takes a lot of strength to resist getting a dog even if you have the slightest bit of a hesitance... I commend you for doing your research and stepping back to think about this. You wouldn't be doing only a disservice to yourself, but to the dog as well by getting one at a time in your life when you are a little unsure of how much time you can commit to it.

There aren't enough people in the world that would step back and look at it from another perspective besides an 'I want, I want, I want' view. That's a problem with our society that has lead to pet overpopulation getting to be like it is. It's a sad, sad fact.

When I first started looking for my first dog, what I wanted most in the world was a Basenji. I wanted one because they were so unique, such beautiful dogs. I mean, how many people could actually say they have an African Barkless Dog? After I did my research, I got in contact with one of only like 3 breeders in the country (that I knew of). She asked me questions. The more I answered, the more I realized that I wasn't ready for this dog. This would be my first dog, I wasn't an experienced trainer and nor was I very active-- I had been injured while in the military. To top it all off, I didn't have a backyard and I lived near a busy street and a school next door. Basenji are very intelligent dogs. They thrive on competition, are very fiery dogs. They also have a bad habit of stalking children like prey if not trained well (and it was obvious, I was not in the position to train such a high strung dog).

It's not an easy decision to make, after putting all your heart into finding this perfect breed. I've had my hand training two dogs, I have a big beautiful backyard that's all fenced in. I live away from schools, busy roads and although I still want a Basenji, I know I'm not ready to try my hand at one yet. You'll know... after refusing the temptation to get a breed that isn't right for your lifestyle, you'll know when the right time to get that dog is.

4dogs3cats

Personally speaking, my german shepherd was not a good apartment dog. I am now living in a house, and he is better, but he just dug up all the sprinklers in the backyard and dug a hole 2 feet deep by my barbeque. He was bored. he does get crated at night because again he wakes up bored, and goes and causes trouble. he has eaten my couch. He has barked at other dogs and people trying to protect me.

That being said, he has cuddled with me. He plays in the water with me. he goes for runs with me. And he worships the ground that I walk on. GSD's are great dogs, but I had never owned one before, and didnt realize what i got into at first. But now with more research here and books and trainers, I have come to have a good balance with Chance, as long as I keep him busy

wolfsong442

I'd really rather be able to rent a house anyway. It just depends on whether I can get a job that pays enough for me to afford one.

At the moment, I still live at home and I am waiting to see if I got accepted to the college I applied to. If I have been accepted, I will either take out a sizeable loan and go to move to where the college is, or I will wait here and work a bit longer to save up the money. Of course I work at a Kennel, where I only work maybe ten hours a week for only 5.85 and hour XD

britishbandit

Well I can speak for the Rotties. And again, not a breed that does well left alone. People dogs to the core, not to mention highly destructive as puppies (and puppyhood don't forget, seems to last much longer in the larger breeds), they also aren't happy not having a "job" to do, and most definately need to be well trained.

They are fairly inactive indoors, but that tends to only be true if they've had adequate amounts of physical and mental stimulation.

My honest opinion, I'd not take on a working or sporting breed at this point. At least not until your schedule clears up a bit. That's not to say the breeds you love wouldn't be a good fit for you, just not at the present time.

Xeph

Now THAT is a good idea, and I wish more people would try it! Helping with Rescue of a breed you're interested #1 Helps out dogs (obviously) and #2 it can help you decide on a breed without foricing you to me committed for the next 13 years of your life xD

Depends on the mix and personality of the dog xD

Unless you go the rescue route, you must be VERY careful where you purchase from. There are several BYB GSD breeders out there that will swindle you. If you want to find breeders of whites though, I can recommend a couple for you.

wolfsong442

I'm actually looking more towards the Saint Bernards as my first dog.

Can anyone fill me in on the temperments/behaviors of their own Saints?

harrise

90% of the time mine is sleeping, and the other 10% is a mix of eating, pooping, and watching the front yard through the door. Basic obedience stuff is a must, as is socializing. All it takes is one well planted launch to render that whole side of your body useless for a week. They are not guard dogs but my guy is protective, especially when it's dark. I have to watch for people on their own porch in the shadows, if he sees them first it's on! Oh, and little dogs too. They seem to hate him in general, must be that Napoleon thing...

wolfsong442

If you were to take him to a dog park, hypothetically, what would he do? Would he romp and play with the other dogs, or would he hang close to you the entire time?

Dakota Spirit

Most of the Saints I've worked with have been rather mellow. They get excited and interested in new things - but I don't commonly find one that wants to romp around and wrestle with a group of dogs. I wouldn't necessarily say that he'd stay next to you the entire time, but I wouldn't expect him to go tearing around the park either.

harrise

We go about once a month. He mostly spends the entire time pacing the perimeter and marking every vertical object there is. He never initiates play, but he is more than willing to accept an invitation. I usually take him to an adjacent 10 acre school field here and let him run some hot-laps.

rosemaryninja

I was merely trying to point out that it's not much harder for a dog to bond with a new owner after several years. Plus, my older dog Spunky (10 in July) still bounces around play-bowing and aroo-ing when the mood strikes her.

Between the ages of 8 and 12 weeks old is a critical age to socialise a puppy. This is the age when the most rapid learning occurs to shape their social behaviour in the future. After this, the dog can continue to learn to accept novelty, but not with as much ease. They also undergo a 'fear imprint period' during this time whereby they figure out what is scary and what is not - any traumatic experiences that occur during this time could elicit avoidance responses in the future or cause psychological trauma.

My point was that you are most likely not going to experience this period of time with your dog-to-be anyway, so it would be in your best interests to look out for a well-balanced, well-socialised adolescent dog.


Of course not, and no one here is doing that. Believe me, I think I can speak for everyone else in this thread when I say that we thrive on helping new (OR old, for that matter) dog owners out and discussing dogs in general. It's when people don't ask the questions they should be asking, get a dog they can't handle and then surrender it, that bugs us. Everyone loses in that case, including the dog. The fact that you haven't just upped and left saying "I DUN CARE WAT U ALL SAY I WANT A HUSKY TOO BAD", and are willing to consider the advice you've been given, is already testament to your level of responsibility and commitment to caring for your dog.

I'm sorry if I came across as one of those people who is trying to dissuade you, saying you're not responsible enough or you can't handle the work. I had no intention at all of doing this.

About the Saint - can't speak from experience, but they really are gentle giants. As with all huge breeds you MUST get some solid obedience and a good temperament down before he is an adult. This is something you should look out for if you intend to rescue. An out-of-control Saint is much more dangerous and unwieldy than, say, an out-of-control Papillon.

wolfsong442

I'm afraid that If I get an older dog, even 2 to 3 years old, that they will never develop the bond with me that, say, a puppy that I have from birth or very soon afterwards.

JenTN

I understand exactly what you are going through! I thought I wanted a husky myself. I read a lot on the internet, and really thought they were the breed for us- everything I read was sunshine and roses. ( I have a 2 year old and a 6 year old, and cats, btw). I talked to one breeder and was really wanting his 4 month old husky puppy- he told me I didn't even have to have a fence, that I could walk him a few times on his leash to the end of our property (I had informed him we live on a fairly busy street) and within a few days he would know his boundaries and would stay in our yard

That last part seemed a bit fishy, so I called another lady, who is very active in Husky clubs/showing. She was very nice and helpful, but after her honest descriptions of huskies I knew this gorgeous breed was not for us. She even finished her description by "do you still think you want a husky"? and laughed.

I ended up with a Lab/Dane mix and he is perfect for us. He is a puppy, but has waaaay less energy than I had anticipated. He is always up for play, but when we are done he's ready for yet another nap. I like big dogs as well, and Bo's mix, IMO is a great one. We thought at first he might be all lab, but as he gets older, his looks and temperment lead me to believe he's Dane with a bit of lab in him. LOL.

Dakota Spirit

This is a complete fallacy - most dogs will bond with their owners regardless of their age. Some of the most loving and loyal animals I've encountered have been dogs I started working with at later ages (5+ years). You do not need to have a newborn puppy in order to create this link between the two of you.

JenTN

I lived with my best friend for a year, shortly after I had met her. I was, at the time, afraid of dogs because of a dog bite when I was a teenager. She has a pit/shepherd mix whom she adopted at 8 weeks from the pound. Bella was about 2 years old when I first met her.

A few weeks after I met her, she bonded with me like you would not believe. She would much rather hang out with me than her "owner" and became extremely protective of me. You would have thought I was the one who was with her the whole time.

My point is, I know lots of older dogs who bonded instantly. In fact, many older dogs in shelters are so happy to have a warm loving home they bond stronger than puppies do.

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