[foxthegoldfish]

ive always dreamed of a dog, my perfect dog, but i have no idea what breed he/she would be. it will probably be years until i can have another dog (im dogless at the moment) but when i do i want to get the right breed.

size is not an issue, i realize training will be required for most of the things i want and im willing to work as hard as i have to to get this dog.

i dream of having a dog who is good with kids, trainable, has an off switch, focused on me, and friendly.

i imagine being able to walk through the park, which is full of people and off leash dogs with my dog at heel off leash and fully under my control (this all after a lot of training of course) but the dog will need to resist the distractions and focus on me.

the dog will need to like the water, enough to go in when were swimming.

the dog MUST be good with other pets, cats, birds etc. preferably other peoples as well as mine.

and the dog will need to be fun/playful, i want to play fetch etc.

the only other thing is the dog cant need hours of hard exercise daily, no huskies, border collies etc. they have a too high drive for me. im active and the dog will go everywhere it can with me but it needs to have an off switch.

any ideas for my perfect breed?
like i said size, shedding etc don't really matter
though i would prefer a larger dog, im open to everything.

also feel free to share your dreams for your dog/ future perfect dogs

 

[rosborn]

golden retriever to me seems the perfect pooch!!! I had one but has passed on to doggy heaven now ... I have 2 labs ~ but, i felt the golden was easier to train!!! 'Snickers' my 12 year old lab/collie mix, 'Nika' my lab puppy & 'Jazz' my golden retriever (RIP)

 

[foxthegoldfish]

yea goldens are defiantly my first choice at the moment but i was also interested in what other breeds would fit.

thanks for your reply, Jazz looked like a beautiful dog

 

[rosborn]

Yes he was, and so smart!! in that picture we were doing a community walk-a-thon and he got the most sponsors ....

 

[MonicaBH]

I'm fairly biased, but my opinion is that rottweilers are the perfect breed. They are so versatile and absolutely gorgeous.

My rottie, Clyde, is the coolest dog ever.

• He loves "his" cats and dog housemates.
• He has gotten along with almost every other dog he's ever met.
• He LOVES people. He's a registered therapy dog.
• He has the drive to do more "work", but he has a slightly lazy mommy.
• He's big, but not so big that I can't pick him up if need be.
• He's the happiest, goofiest, sweetest cuddlebug ever.
• I don't know if he likes swimming, but he sure does love baths...
• His focus is amazing, and again, he's got drive and tons of heart.
• He picks up on stuff rather quickly (if I am training it correctly). I feel like he's smarter than both my golden retriever and my GSD.
• Clyde will fetch a ball/Frisee/stick forever. When we go to my dad's property, he will run like the wind until I am exhausted watching him.
• He's also perfectly content laying around being a couch potato or a bed hog.

Again, I am totally biased, but I can't think of another breed of dog I'd rather own.

 

[ThoseWordsAtBest]

If you're open to every thing and size, coat, etc isn't an issue, and you're willing to train the dog to get it to the ideals you want, then uh, ANY dog?

 

[chriley58]

My australian shepherd fits your bill. She's sleeping at my feet as I type. She LOVES the kids - we call her the "nanny" as she loves to take care of everyone. She loves to swim in the brook behind our house, she can be off leash at any time. She was a breeze to train. She's great with other dogs, cats, our rabbit. She is focused but not with the intensity of a border collie. She is energetic but able to be quiet when desired. She doesn't require a ton of grooming, but regular brushing and vacuuming keeps the hair down to a minimum.

Have fun looking for your perfect dog.

Heather

 

[RonE]

I wouldn't be thinking about breeds. I'd be out "interviewing" individual dogs.

Some of the best and worst dogs I've ever known have been labs. I'd say the same about Goldens, huskies or just about any popular breeds. You'll find extremes within nearly any breed.

 

[rosborn]

I think it really depends ... how willing you are of training ~ and if you have time to spend with him/her .....

 

[foxthegoldfish]

thanks for your replies, i had never thought of australian shepherds, if i got one from show lines rather than working lines do you think it would have less drive?
rottweilers seem interesting to me also, esp cause me SO likes their build, but its not his choice lol, i worry with breeds like rottweilers and goldens that they may love people little too much.
i want a dog who loves his family and is happy to meet new people but is very loyal to me and my family over anyone else. eg if were out walking they wont really care about going to meet new people but if people come upto us they will enjoy being petted.

 

[hulkamaniac]

I wouldn't be thinking about breeds. I'd be out "interviewing" individual dogs.

I agree with this. I was shocked while touring the local humane society to find out that my perfect dog was a cocker spaniel. I'd ruled them out long ago as I'm a very laid back guy who prefers doing nothing and laying around. I thought a Spaniel would be too active of a breed for me. Instead I stumbled across a guy who also likes to lay around and do nothing. If he's in house he will always be found sleeping somewhere I think. He's a smart guy who loves everyone. Yeah, he's got his issues. He does like to jump on people, he's obsessed with cats and squirrels and has the attention span of a gnat when we're in public but always will turn to me after a long stair at something he finds interesting. He's a very cool dog, but if I'd dismissed spaniel's altogether I'd have never picked him.

 

[foxthegoldfish]

i am willing to put in as much training as i need to get what i want out of my dog.

i know that it varied within breeds but i would be defiantly going through a reputable breeder, who would know what to expect from their pups and could pick the pup that would suit me. i would also be doing a lot of research into any breed i consider.

i will rescue dogs in my time but for this particular dog i want to get a young puppy from a breeder. so first i need to decide on a breed/ breeds i am interested in so i can go research breeders and meet their dogs

 

[Xie]

Check out Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs. I think one might be up your ally. Not super easy to train but certainly can be, very devoted to their families, and not to prey driven depending on the line.

 

[Leroy&Lucy'sMom]

To tell you the truth any dog breed would make a great family dog that can "turn off" and love to be with you.

The biggest thing I would look for is a well bred dog. Ones that have been bred terribly no matter what the breed will be difficult to train and may have a lot of health/mental issues.
Rescues are obviously different altogether...

Good luck with your search and have fun!

 

[rosemaryninja]

I was thinking of a well-bred Lab.

 

[foxthegoldfish]

Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs do really interest me, i would have to look at them morethough as i dont know much about them.

no offence to lab owners but i think they are a it to spastic for me, too high energy, and also even though i dont really mind shedding i hear labs she a TON. im still open to the idea though.

just a note, i dont need a dog that loves water i just don't really want a dog who hates water. if that makes sense.

 

[Max'sHuman]

Portuguese Water Dog comes to mind....or a Mini or Standard Poodle.

 

[foxthegoldfish]

i hear nothing but great things about both the portuguese water dog and poodles, they shall both be added to my list

the only other thing i can think of to add is that it gets quite cold here in winterand hot in summer, 95 is hot and 14 being cold

 

[123fraggle]

English Springer Spaniels are very devoted family dogs. They are very good off leash and they will play fetch all day. We had one that we did flyball with and she would catch a frisbee all day if you let her. She also loved to meet other people. Like any other breed they do need to be socialized well, so no matter what breed you choose you should find a reputable breeder who emphasises socialization and breeds for temperment and health. If you have the dog as a puppy you can continue socializing to the things that you want, like having the puppy around small children, cats, other dogs etc.

 

[Dogstar]

To be honest, I think nearly any of the sporting breeds and a great many of the herding breeds could fit your requirements. Some of the terriers and working dogs too (I'd rule out the really hard-headed terriers and the northern breeds) but essentially every characteristic you've described is a function of training, not innate disposition.