good first time breeds

iamcool1109 · 05-30-2006, 09:49 PM

there seem to be people here that get dogs just because they're handsome, or a frend had a well-behaved, beautiful specimen of the breed. but most of the time, the most beautiful ones are he most ill-tempered and stubborn.

of course, its also great to get mixes and dogs from the shelter, but do your research of the breeds of the dog you want first. it saves you from a lot of work.

here is a list of a few breeds that make the best first-time breeds, with their AVERAGE price:
golden retriever ($450-700)
labrador retriever ($500-800)
cavalier king charles spaniel ($1200-2000)
AMERICAN cocker spaniel (not english, especially the tan ones) ($500-1000)
bichon frise ($800-1200)
poodle, all sizes ($900 and up)
pug ($750-1000)

of course, there are many more, but these are the easiest, reliable to be left alone for long times, with kids, easy to train, reasonable sizes, and other.

hope this helped!

iamcool1109 · 05-30-2006, 09:50 PM

hah. and i put this in the wrong place.

BUFFY · 05-30-2006, 09:53 PM

Ha Ha...those Arew Good Breeds, I Agree...hm...what Else Is There.

BUFFY · 05-30-2006, 11:56 PM

also, i dont know why, but some people have an easier time if they get a mixed breed as their first dog. i know i did...except...well, they are easier to take care, for health problems, ect.

Curbside Prophet · 05-30-2006, 11:59 PM

How does that make sense Buffy? How is a mixed breed easier to take care of?

Cheetah · 05-31-2006, 12:15 AM

Yeah, I would think it would depend on what the dog is mixed with. Dogs mixed with herding breeds for example (especially border collies) tend to have high herding drive and are more energetic than other mixes. >^^;<

GSD lover · 05-31-2006, 09:00 AM

As long as people look into what class they are in they will know if that dog is for them or not. Working, Sporting, Non-Sporting and so on. Each has different temperaments and exercise needs as you all know.

bigdawgs · 05-31-2006, 02:02 PM

Personally, I don't think there are any particular breeds best suited for a first time owner. What I think needs to happen more is to look at what the prospective owner is looking for in a dog and steer towards breeds with those tendencies.
Labs are wonderful dogs. They are relatively easy to train, good with children. BUT they require A LOT of exercise and mental stimulation to keep them happy, so not a good choice if you have no yard or the inclination to give them 30+ minutes a day in vigerous exercise.
Beagles and bassets, well any of the hounds, really, are great dogs too, but they can be very stubborn and hard to train. Sled dog breeds are required to disobey the musher if the feel it necessary, not such a good thing for a first time owner. Some dogs require more grooming, some exercise, some vet care. Some do better in a "pack' and some are better as a single dog. You really need to figure out what you want, can tolerate or can't before you decide what breed. I think if more people did this there would be fewer dogs surrendered to rescues and shelters because the owners didn't know what they were getting into.

eley · 05-31-2006, 02:09 PM

I'm not sure there's such a thing as a "good first breed", however, I do belive there are breeds that are a BAD idea for the first time dog owner.

Talk to any Fila fan/owner and that's the first thing they tell you. But at the end of the day I think it's more about the temperament of each individual dog and how it's matched to the owner, of course, most first time owners don't look at temperament at all. I remember a client (I'm not in the dog business by any far stretch of the imagination) telling me that she was thinking about getting a dog, a basenji to be more specific, cuz she thought they have a cute "eyebrow" thing going on. When I asked her about how active they were, what they were bred for etc, she just stared at me.

BUFFY · 05-31-2006, 07:46 PM

i agree with both eley and iamcool1109 (funny name) and what i mean about the mixed breed be easier to take care,"How does that make sense Buffy? How is a mixed breed easier to take care of?" is health issues, they arent as prone to diseases specific to certain breeds, as a pure bred dog is...not always, but its more likely.

iamcool1109 · 06-03-2006, 03:54 PM

ok, i guess what i mean was, "the IDEAL first time dog", but maybe not the best.

bigdawgs: i am a vetrinarian, and i know about these things. also, the reason why i didn't put beagles and bassets on is because i know they can be stubborn.

i guess it really depends who the dog is. and who the prospective owner is, and how much time their have.

**iamcool1109 is in fact not a vet**

Curbside Prophet · 06-03-2006, 04:09 PM

Where's your practice iamcool1109? What's the name of the hospital?

BUFFY · 06-04-2006, 01:22 PM

peoples, there are better first time dogs than others. some dogs require the handleing of someone who is an experienced owner, so iamcool1109 is right.

BUFFY · 06-04-2006, 01:22 PM

peoples, there are better first time dogs than others. some dogs require the handleing of someone who is an experienced owner, so iamcool1109 is right.

BUFFY · 06-04-2006, 01:23 PM

peoples, there are better first time dogs than others. some dogs require the handleing of someone who is an experienced owner, so iamcool1109 is right.

ThxForNothing · 06-04-2006, 05:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Curbside Prophet

Where's your practice iamcool1109? What's the name of the hospital?

I'm curious to know as well.

Personally, I don't think there should be a list of breeds that are good for first time owners. You have to take into consideration where you live, how much time you are going to be willing to spend on exercising, should you get a puppy who needs alot of attention/work, or an older dog who already knows how to behaive (spelt that one wrong..lol) for the most part..), what you can afford to feed (larger dog = more food.. obviouslyl), wether you have kids or not, how old they are.. how active they are, how their manners around pets are, etc... I could go on and on.

My point is... there are ALOT of things to consider when getting a new dog. More than most people realize, i'd say..

Research is the key.
Not everyone can own a Lab and have a good experience. A little old lady would probably not benifit from having a hyper lab pup running about.

bigdawgs · 06-04-2006, 07:08 PM

As long as you asked, Curbside, although it is directed elsewhere, The practice I work for is the Louisa Veterinary Clinic, located in Columbus Junction, Iowa. I am a veterinary assistant, not a certified tech, as this is a rural community in a rural county. All of my training has been on the job, and I have owned dogs for 30 years. Our practice is about 50/50 large farm animals and small pets.

Curbside Prophet · 06-04-2006, 07:17 PM

Understood bigdawgs. I'm completely comfortable with how you present yourself in this forum. However, iamcool1109 is a fraud who claims to be a vet. Thus, the line of questioning.

ThxForNothing · 06-04-2006, 07:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by iamcool1109

AMERICAN cocker spaniel (not english, especially the tan ones) ($500-1000)

What the hell does the color have to do with? Why especially the tan ones?

BUFFY · 06-06-2006, 08:41 PM

color actually does have a lot to do with it. chocolate labs are more aggressive than yellow and black ones. long haired dachsuonds have a different personallity than short haired ones. i know it sounds crazy, but it does make a difference....and why was my reply posted three times...huh, that really weird, cuz i only posted it once...