Need Help finding a suitable dog breed, Already few picked.

4151 Views 50 Replies 26 Participants Last post by cshellenberger, Apr 9, 2012

sailormoon

Discussion Starter · Apr 6, 2012

Can anybody out there think of a breed with these traits:

- Minimal grooming (smooth or short coat much preferred.)
- Minimal exercise requirements ( but able to get up and go for a jog, and able to go for hike_
- Not known for DA or SSA
- Friendly and happy with people and other dogs ( or tolerable to other dogs, provective is aloud)
- Eager to learn and willing to please
- Large (50lbs and over)
- Relatively healthy and known to live generally at least 10 years
- Not too noisy (doesn't want a dog that will bark at every little thing, but warning)
- Ability to be off leash reliably (no hounds)

I have been checking out these breeds.

- Dogue De Bordeaux
-Bullmastiff
- Korean Mastiff
- Tosa Inu
-Neopolitan Mastiff.

I am basically looking for a LARGE cuddly lapdog, with guard dog tendencies, I have done so much research, but some sites say good jogging partners to all the above dogs, other sites say, not good for jogging.

I love hiking, and would love a 4 legged preferably "mastiff, of above dogs open to your opinions" I am a small woman, and I like to be able to go out for a long night walk, and not worry about anything, or watch my back. I would love to go out with friends and know my house is secure.

I love DDB's and Bull mastiff's and Tosa's. I have many personal experience with the first two breeds. PLEASE HELP <3

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Avie

· #2 · Apr 6, 2012

Don't know much about the other ones, but I think of these breeds you named, at least the Tosa Inu needs more than just 'minimal exercise'.

Never heard of a Korean Mastiff by the way, so I looked it up. And my god, talk about excessive wrinkling. I didn't think there was a dog in existence that could match the Neapolitan in the loose skin department.

prntmkr

· #3 · Apr 6, 2012 (Edited)

sailormoon said:
Can anybody out there think of a breed with these traits:

- Minimal grooming (smooth or short coat much preferred.)
- Minimal exercise requirements ( but able to get up and go for a jog, and able to go for hike_
- Not known for DA or SSA
- Friendly and happy with people and other dogs ( or tolerable to other dogs, provective is aloud)
- Eager to learn and willing to please
- Large (50lbs and over)
- Relatively healthy and known to live generally at least 10 years
- Not too noisy (doesn't want a dog that will bark at every little thing, but warning)
- Ability to be off leash reliably (no hounds)

I have been checking out these breeds.

- Dogue De Bordeaux
-Bullmastiff
- Korean Mastiff
- Tosa Inu
-Neopolitan Mastiff.

I am basically looking for a LARGE cuddly lapdog, with guard dog tendencies, I have done so much research, but some sites say good jogging partners to all the above dogs, other sites say, not good for jogging.

I love hiking, and would love a 4 legged preferably "mastiff, of above dogs open to your opinions" I am a small woman, and I like to be able to go out for a long night walk, and not worry about anything, or watch my back. I would love to go out with friends and know my house is secure.

I love DDB's and Bull mastiff's and Tosa's. I have many personal experience with the first two breeds. PLEASE HELP <3

Wow ... "interesting" choices?!? :doh:

I see we've graduated from a Rottie,
which didn't sound like the best of ideas,
to the next batch of cream puffs ...

Although it's all relative,
none of these is particularly
"eager to learn and willing to please" .

Also, considering you seem to be concerned about DA or SSA,
would like "friendly and happy with people and other dogs",
are looking for an off-lead jogging partner,
and not to mention the "relatively healthy" part ...
you seem to be barking up the wrong tree!!!

Unless you're willing to severely compromise what you want,
you may want to think about expanding your list.

Good luck!

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jenz

· #4 · Apr 6, 2012

I'm a runner, and personally I would NEVER run with a mastiff or mastiff-type dog... I would be way too afraid of joint/orthopedic issues. They're so big and heavily-boned, and the shorter muzzles could lead to breathing problems if you're going longer distances.

From what I've heard about Tosas, they are incredibly dog aggressive. They aren't an established breed in the US or Canada either (from what I know) so you'd be looking at several thousand dollars getting a dog imported.

Is your father allowing you to get a dog now? Have you thought about the local animal shelter? They have so many dogs that need homes!

Jen

Laurelin

· #5 · Apr 6, 2012

Also, most these breeds fail on the 'healthy and live an average of 10 years' especially the dogues.

Spook82

· #6 · Apr 6, 2012

I agree with everyone else who has posted, the breeds you have singled out don't really match what you're looking for. They're not good jogging partners, they're not traditionally willing to please and they don't have the longest life spans going either. I echo the shelter idea. You can check out a few shelters and talk to the adoption counselors about what you're looking for and they should be able to help match a dog to what you're looking for.

grey

· #7 · Apr 6, 2012

Spook, you are right on, but you forgot to mention the DROOL and skin problems associated with some of these breeds. Not my idea of 'cuddly.'

Rowdy

· #8 · Apr 6, 2012

I think you're going to find a lot better match in a "watch dog" over a "guard dog". A watch dog will alert you to someone or something but isn't going to attack. If you search previous threads where people have asked about guard or protection dogs you'll see that in order to have a dog that will truly protect you it will need a LOT of training... generally professional training. A dog that barks and sounds fierce is a good enough deterent for most people.

2 breeds that come to mind that might fit your needs are the Rhodesian Ridgeback and the smooth collie. The Ridgeback will GENERALLY be the more protective of the 2. The collie will be the more sociable. Both are smart, trainable breeds. Collies can be barky, but not all of them are. My smoothie will notify me of any people, dogs, deer or squirrels that approach the house. My rough guy keeps his barking for people, dogs and deer.

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Roloni

· #9 · Apr 6, 2012

I actually know a woman that jogs around Manhattan with a Rottie .
The dog is always leashed when they go out...(and thats a good idea no matter what dog you get.)
Her reasons for getting a Rottie are very similar to your requirements.
She lives alone and wanted a gaurd dog.
She jogs very early in the morning ,and also very late at night.
She wanted a dog that didnt bark all day long when she was at work..
and Rotties are very loving and playfull companions..etc etc

Im not saying the Rottweiler is the perfect dog for you...nor am I recommending that you get one.
Im just telling you about a woman I know...and her Rottie.

Shell

· #10 · Apr 7, 2012

Rowdy said:
2 breeds that come to mind that might fit your needs are the Rhodesian Ridgeback and the smooth collie. The Ridgeback will GENERALLY be the more protective of the 2. The collie will be the more sociable. Both are smart, trainable breeds. Collies can be barky, but not all of them are. My smoothie will notify me of any people, dogs, deer or squirrels that approach the house. My rough guy keeps his barking for people, dogs and deer.

Ridgebacks are NOT "minimal exercise" dogs - 1 full hour of hard exercise minimal daily for an adult Ridgeback and most will happily go for 2-3 hours of exercise daily. Yes, they are quiet in the house and tend to be well behaved indoors but you do have to give them plenty of exercise when outdoors. Chester will be 5 this year, and this afternoon we ran 3.5 miles on serious hills and Luna (the 2 yr old "high energy Pit Bull") is napping and he just finished racing sprints around the yard....

They are NOT "eager to learn and willing to please"- they are very smart, but are not biddable in the least. The independent hound brain is at work instead.

And while off-leash is trainable, the hound nose and eyes (they can be considered both sighthounds and scenthounds) make recall a constant training issue.

I agree though that a WATCH dog is a far better choice for 99% of people than a GUARD dog.

To the OP: go to a shelter, meet a bunch of dogs. Talk to a rescue group with dogs in foster, tell them what you are looking for, meet some dogs. There are tons of individual dogs that fit your requirements for the most part, but many of them aren't any particular breed.

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JohnnyBandit

· #11 · Apr 7, 2012

sailormoon said:
Can anybody out there think of a breed with these traits:

- Minimal grooming (smooth or short coat much preferred.)
- Minimal exercise requirements ( but able to get up and go for a jog, and able to go for hike_
- Not known for DA or SSA
- Friendly and happy with people and other dogs ( or tolerable to other dogs, provective is aloud)
- Eager to learn and willing to please
- Large (50lbs and over)
- Relatively healthy and known to live generally at least 10 years
- Not too noisy (doesn't want a dog that will bark at every little thing, but warning)
- Ability to be off leash reliably (no hounds)

I have been checking out these breeds.

- Dogue De Bordeaux
-Bullmastiff
- Korean Mastiff
- Tosa Inu
-Neopolitan Mastiff.

I am basically looking for a LARGE cuddly lapdog, with guard dog tendencies, I have done so much research, but some sites say good jogging partners to all the above dogs, other sites say, not good for jogging.

I love hiking, and would love a 4 legged preferably "mastiff, of above dogs open to your opinions" I am a small woman, and I like to be able to go out for a long night walk, and not worry about anything, or watch my back. I would love to go out with friends and know my house is secure.

I love DDB's and Bull mastiff's and Tosa's. I have many personal experience with the first two breeds. PLEASE HELP <3

- Dogue De Bordeaux
-Bullmastiff
- Korean Mastiff
- Tosa Inu
-Neopolitan Mastiff.

All of these are potentially dog and human aggressive, none will average over ten years lifespan, all have significant health issues, none are joggers, none are willing to please......

You need to be looking at sporting breeds, Labs, GSPs, etc for your requirements. Those dogs are all opposite of what you say you want.

sailormoon

Discussion Starter · #12 · Apr 7, 2012

hey guys,

Thanks for all your answers.

But yes I am looking for a Low energy dog that needs at most a good walk or two a day. Not one that will need vigorous exercise daily. I have one, I guess you could say shelter dog. I would much prefer registered pure bred this go round.

one of my close friends suggested the Saint Bernard. I have always enjoyed the temperaments and looks of the Saint Bernard.

Eager to please and learn is not necessarily a big pick for me, just eager to please like cuddly and docile. I hike a lot, and would love a hiking 4 legged partner. But not one that needs vigorous exercise. So that rules out "ridgebacks, amstaffs, and so on"

Please any other information would be appreciated. I really dont want to adopt, I have a small child, I baby sit, not worth the risk. I rather raise a puppy, around children, and socialize it myself.

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Hambonez

· #13 · Apr 7, 2012

You can adopt a puppy from the shelter! I did and he's awesome! Here's how he compares to your checkboxes....

- Minimal grooming (smooth or short coat much preferred.)

He is short haired and doesn't shed at all. I'm brushing him to get used to grooming but the only hair I get off this dog is cat hair he picked up from the cats!

- Minimal exercise requirements ( but able to get up and go for a jog, and able to go for hike_

At this point... we do about an hour of outside exercise a day, weather permitting, and non-stop fun party in the house!! But he's only 16 weeks old. He does like to run!

- Not known for DA or SSA

He's not known for anything since we don't know what he is exactly!

- Friendly and happy with people and other dogs ( or tolerable to other dogs, provective is aloud)

He is the new best friend of every person he meets. We're working on the dog socialization, he's a little nervous in large groups and with large dogs.

- Eager to learn and willing to please

He does six commands and loves learning new commands and is very responsive to praise!

- Large (50lbs and over)

Fail here. He'll probably top out around 20.

- Relatively healthy and known to live generally at least 10 years

So far so good! Estimated life span 12-15 yrs.

- Not too noisy (doesn't want a dog that will b-ark at every little thing, but warning)

He barked once today when the doorbell rang.

- Ability to be off leash reliably (no hounds)

He's my velcro dog! I don't know if he'll ever be able to be out in public off lead though, and I don't think I ever want him to be. I'd be too nervous.

Based on my highly scientific comparison of your desires to my shelter pup, I conclude that you should be able to find what you want at a shelter.

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sailormoon

Discussion Starter · #14 · Apr 7, 2012

Hambonez said:
You can adopt a puppy from the shelter! I did and he's awesome! Here's how he compares to your checkboxes....

- Minimal grooming (smooth or short coat much preferred.)

He is short haired and doesn't shed at all. I'm brushing him to get used to grooming but the only hair I get off this dog is cat hair he picked up from the cats!

- Minimal exercise requirements ( but able to get up and go for a jog, and able to go for hike_

At this point... we do about an hour of outside exercise a day, weather permitting, and non-stop fun party in the house!! But he's only 16 weeks old. He does like to run!

- Not known for DA or SSA

He's not known for anything since we don't know what he is exactly!

- Friendly and happy with people and other dogs ( or tolerable to other dogs, provective is aloud)

He is the new best friend of every person he meets. We're working on the dog socialization, he's a little nervous in large groups and with large dogs.

- Eager to learn and willing to please

He does six commands and loves learning new commands and is very responsive to praise!

- Large (50lbs and over)

Fail here. He'll probably top out around 20.

- Relatively healthy and known to live generally at least 10 years

So far so good! Estimated life span 12-15 yrs.

- Not too noisy (doesn't want a dog that will b-ark at every little thing, but warning)

He barked once today when the doorbell rang.

- Ability to be off leash reliably (no hounds)

He's my velcro dog! I don't know if he'll ever be able to be out in public off lead though, and I don't think I ever want him to be. I'd be too nervous.

Based on my highly scientific comparison of your desires to my shelter pup, I conclude that you should be able to find what you want at a shelter.

Hey, Yeah, but I was planning on showing, that was one of the only reasons why I wont adopt currently. Your pup is pretty adorable, if thats him in your dp. I do this intense call back training for the first 5 months, then I slow down use a lunge line "horse tack leash thingy" to see if I made progress with the call back training, then ill work with that. Trying to win with a lazy breed that is able to hike is hard. The flat faces cause issues for such work outs.

Loki Love

· #15 · Apr 7, 2012

sailormoon said:
I really dont want to adopt, I have a small child, I baby sit, not worth the risk. I rather raise a puppy, around children, and socialize it myself.

That's a pretty ignorant statement. If everyone were to believe that, rescues would have a VERY hard time adopting out any of their dogs, wouldn't they.

sailormoon said:
Hey, Yeah, but I was planning on showing, that was one of the only reasons why I wont adopt currently

I thought it wasn't worth the risk to adopt... or is it because you are showing? If you plan on getting into the showing world, you better at least know what kind of dog interests you and work with the club to find a mentor. No reputable breeder is going to hand over a show quality pup to a newbie.

cshellenberger

· #16 · Apr 7, 2012

sailormoon said:
hey guys,

Thanks for all your answers.

But yes I am looking for a Low energy dog that needs at most a good walk or two a day. Not one that will need vigorous exercise daily. I have one, I guess you could say shelter dog. I would much prefer registered pure bred this go round.

one of my close friends suggested the Saint Bernard. I have always enjoyed the temperaments and looks of the Saint Bernard.

Eager to please and learn is not necessarily a big pick for me, just eager to please like cuddly and docile. I hike a lot, and would love a hiking 4 legged partner. But not one that needs vigorous exercise. So that rules out "ridgebacks, amstaffs, and so on"

Please any other information would be appreciated. I really dont want to adopt, I have a small child, I baby sit, not worth the risk. I rather raise a puppy, around children, and socialize it myself.

A Saint will NOT be any more biddable that any of the other Mastiff (Molossor) breeds you're mentioned and they have LONG HAIR. A Bench (show) line Labrador, Standard Poodle (though you'll have a lot more grooming requirements) or Golden Retriever sound far more like what you want, if you could do without the 'off leash' part, I'd say a Greyhound would be EXACTLY a match.

If you MUST have a giant breed, well honestly I can't think of any that would meet yoru requirements due to biddability and short life spans. Nearly all the Giants are independent thinkers, making them harder to train and few have long life spans.

stacey101

· #17 · Apr 7, 2012

Please re-think you choices. Your asking something from these breeds that in my opinion wont fit your life style.

Rowdy

· #18 · Apr 7, 2012

Shell said:
Ridgebacks are NOT "minimal exercise" dogs - 1 full hour of hard exercise minimal daily for an adult Ridgeback and most will happily go for 2-3 hours of exercise daily. Yes, they are quiet in the house and tend to be well behaved indoors but you do have to give them plenty of exercise when outdoors. Chester will be 5 this year, and this afternoon we ran 3.5 miles on serious hills and Luna (the 2 yr old "high energy Pit Bull") is napping and he just finished racing sprints around the yard....

They are NOT "eager to learn and willing to please"- they are very smart, but are not biddable in the least. The independent hound brain is at work instead.

And while off-leash is trainable, the hound nose and eyes (they can be considered both sighthounds and scenthounds) make recall a constant training issue.

I agree though that a WATCH dog is a far better choice for 99% of people than a GUARD dog.

To the OP: go to a shelter, meet a bunch of dogs. Talk to a rescue group with dogs in foster, tell them what you are looking for, meet some dogs. There are tons of individual dogs that fit your requirements for the most part, but many of them aren't any particular breed.

I didn't realize that Rhodesians were that high energy.

sheltiemom

· #19 · Apr 7, 2012

I think you are going to have to compromise somewhat....my first thought for you was a lab, but a lab could potentially need more exercise than you want to provide. One problem is going to be that dog breeds that will jog and hike off leash are in general going to be a higher energy dog. How often do you actually jog, weekly, daily? If you can commit to a daily jog you will have alot more breed choices, but the ones you listed are not joggers.

On the showing...there is nothing wrong with wanting a purebred dog or wanting to show, but you are working backwards. Most people who show/breed (the good ones) start out with a love for a particular breed and want to promote and improve it. Decide on a breed, own it, live with it, become an expert on it, and then think about showing.

Spook82

· #20 · Apr 7, 2012

LollyP said:
What about a German Shepherd. They would cover most of your wish list.

Have you tried a "what dog is right for me" questionaire like http://selectadog.pedigree.com.au ?

The OP is looking for a low energy dog, that is NOT a GSD.

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