[jmae]

Hi all just joined to try to figure out which breed would fit best into our home.
We had to put our boy to sleep from two horrible diseases and we'd really love to have another pup like him.
We feel he was a mix even though we were told he was a pure bred .And I am sure he came from a back yard breeder or even possibly a puppy mill as we got him when he was just under a year old
We only had him for 4 short years.
He was an awesome pup. Very sweet , easy going, loving , wasn't noisy , was well mannered, smart, learned pretty quickly, listened very well, loved to cuddle and he was my constant companion followed me every where which makes it very lonely now.
I am looking for a smaller breed that I can pee pad train due to weather and would rather not deal with fleas and poisons of any type as I prefer to stay as natural as possible and with kitties that kind of restricts a lot of options for even natural things.
I am home all day so have plenty of time and love to share with my pup.
I am just not sure which breed .
I have been looking at all the different breed descriptions on line and most contradict each other from one site to the next so its gotten very confusing.
So I thought maybe I could get some first hand suggestions from all of y'all who have experience with different breeds.
I know that in each litter there are different personalities and I plan on trying to see if breeder can help me get the one that is most people oriented as I felt this will be a good place to start.
But I'd really like to hear y'allls input on which breeds to check out , any good informative site about different breeds etc.
Thank you all very much
jmae

 

[TropicalWinds]

Look for a breeder who does health screening for genetic diseases. A well informed breeder who knows their bloodlines and breeds to standard would be your best option, if you don't want "health issue surprises" down the road. Start with AKC Marketplace. But, please do your research on the breed you like, and the breeder. Don't buy on impulse. Take your time.

 

[storyist]

I'm so sorry you lost your boy so young. My recommendation is whether you decide on adopting another needy dog or going for a pup this time, force yourself to let go of notions like, "I want one just like Old Boy." You'll never succeed with that, and it's not fair to the new dog. Among other things, we tend to remember our last dog as he/she was when older, settled, and trained, and then we get a new dog who is none of those things. Don't be like that parent always saying to the younger child, "Why can't you be like your brother [sister]?" Yes, choose carefully, but don't set impossible expectations.

The reason for the contradictions in breed descriptions are, I think, because dogs are such individuals. For instance, I have two Rottweiler bitches right now. Both are outgoing and friendly to all people, far more so than I'd like. One is a high prey drive, intense dog, aggressive with other female dogs, probably dangerous to small dogs and animals like cats, but I work hard to make sure she'll never get near small dogs or other animals to prove me right about that. The other is a Golden Retreiver in a black and tan suit. In purebred dogs you can get big differences within a breed from breeders who have different goals or different opinions as to what is the "correct" type or temperament.

 

[pandora]

Everyone of those breed selector sites says I should get a lab... Sadly its one of the few breeds I feel no attraction to.
So much for online selectors.

I agree that every dog is different even in pure breeds you find some similarities ie most beagles hate water.. But some will swim... most BC are hyper active and love to play ball but some are lazy house bodies.
You cannot duplicate a dog even if you take a pup from the same nest let alone a look a like,,

Many of the popular toy breeds come with a huge list of health issues so please do the background reserch on any breeder and dont be tempted to go via a thrid party ie, puppy broker or shop.
Give yourself some time

This is going to be your companion for the next (hopefully 10-15 years) so taking a few months to find the right dog/pup is well worth the time.

 

[jmae]

Thank you all for your advice. Y'all opened my eyes to somethings that I hadn't even realized or thought about. I really appreciate that. I go back and forth with getting a purebreed vs adopting a pup that needs a good home. I kind of feel like I might get a pup that has less chance of having lots or major health issues if I buy from a reputable breeder but then I'm not even sure about that anymore. I guess I'll just keep researching breeds and breeders and check the shelter and rescue sites ever so often and see where I end up. I am in no hurry although it is awfuly quite and empty here but I do want to try really hard not to have to put another beloved pup down so young. So I am willing to take my time and try not to be in a hurry. And with everything going on right now its probably better to wait anyway.
One quick question can y'all help me with AKC and CKC. I have always heard most talk about AKC and from what I gather its a better registery . Don't know much about CKC so is there a difference? Should I be aware of anything about these two registeries?
Thank you all again

 

[lad20050620]

I would look into Golden Retrievers. I might be bias since I have a Golden boy. But they are a great breed, and very people oriented. To be honest though to help you out with looking for the right breed of dog. I would need a list of necessity and wants with the dog. Then I could give you accurate breed suggestions. To help solve your breed info problems I would rely on AKC websites. They give excellent info on all the registered pure breeds.

 

[jmae]

I would look into Golden Retrievers. I might be bias since I have a Golden boy. But they are a great breed, and very people oriented. To be honest though to help you out with looking for the right breed of dog. I would need a list of necessity and wants with the dog. Then I could give you accurate breed suggestions. To help solve your breed info problems I would rely on AKC websites. They give excellent info on all the registered pure breeds.

Hi well we prefer a more laid back easy going dog thats fairly easy to train. I really want one that is really people oriented that will follow me around as I think I miss this the most, always having them there. its just so weird always feels like somethings missing and the house seems so empty anymore.
One that loves pretty much everyone.
Also in a couple years we plan on moving to a much much much smaller place so we are thinking a small dog would work better.
I do love to take walks if its not to hot which is alot where we are at so its not an everyday thing usually depends on weather lots of times.
I do not work so would be home all the time with them.
Have no kids at home but when we do move there might be kids around from other relatives at times.
I love to have my pup snuggle up on the sofa at night and watch tv with me and or fall asleep and take a nap lol.
I am reallly just looking for a sweet loving constant companion.
Plan to go through classes if possible. But with all this crap going on right now not sure how that will work out. But at the very least I am willing to train them myself but do really enjoy classes.
Also I would like to know where you find a breeder that waits til pups are older and places them by personalities and not by everyone just picking one out because of color or sex etc.
Can't think of much else just wanted to reply to your post
Thank you

 

[DaySleepers]

I honestly think an adult dog (3+) from a rehome or rescue/shelter situation might be your best bet. Very few puppies and adolescents are 'laid back' or (in the adolescent's case) satisfied with a walk every few days if the weather's nice. You'll have a better idea of their adult personality (because it's already developed!) and many older dogs have some basic training already on board, or at least don't have the potty training challenges of a young puppy who hasn't developed bladder control yet. They're also way more compatible with a working schedule than a puppy in many cases. As a bonus, mature dogs are often harder to place, so you'll definitely be providing a home to a dog in need.

This is coming from someone with a purebred from a breeder and a purebred rehome we got as a ~12 week old puppy. I love them both dearly, but the baby stages can be challenging and the adolescent behavior and energy can be a lot to handle. My youngest is an adolescent right now and it's been a huge learning curve keeping him mentally and physically stimulated while dealing with the common "where has their brain gone" teenage problems. He's a slow maturing boy, too, especially for a small breed, so I'm not expecting to see his more grown up side until he's past two.

I will say that, if we're talking purebreds, poodles are absolutely lovely dogs, though some of the miniature and toy lines especially can tend more towards nervous than laid back. That's something to look out for if you're choosing a breeder or looking to adopt a puppy with an unknown background. But they're overall bright, trainable, people-social little guys with tons of personality. Yes you have to take care of the hair, but if you keep it trimmed short (either with regular groomer visits or if you learn to do it yourself) it's very manageable and a much more rugged, practical look than the show cuts most people think of when they think poodle. I'm biased; my eldest is a poodle. But I figure I'd throw them out there because they're such nice family dogs and come in a range of sizes.

 

[LeoRose]

As an FYI, Goldens are very prone to cancer.

 

[storyist]

One quick question can y'all help me with AKC and CKC. I have always heard most talk about AKC and from what I gather its a better registery . Don't know much about CKC so is there a difference? Should I be aware of anything about these two registeries?

Did anyone answer this question? If by CKC you mean the Canadian Kennel Club, it's the Canadian equivalent to AKC and first rate. If you mean the Continental Kennel Club, as far as I know it's one of those third rate registries that gives papers to dogs AKC won't register so that less than great breeders can say their puppies have "papers."

 

[LeoRose]

If you mean Continental Kennel Club, that was set up so that high volume commercial or backyard breeders could get around the AKC's DNA requirements for frequently used sires (more than three litters in a calendar year or seven litters in his lifetime) and Limited Registration. They will also register mixed breeds and dogs of no known ancestry.

If you mean Canadian Kennel Club, that is the Canadian equivalent of the AKC.

 

[lad20050620]

@jmae I think I would agree with @DaySleepers if you want a laid back companion. You are gonna want to get a dog past adolescence which is normally 3 years old. I would agree with you that a smaller dog would work better if you are living in a small area and not taking walks every day. Plus small dogs are just as much as cuddle bugs as big dogs.

@LeoRose Yes Goldens are prone to cancer but all breeds have their negatives in their health. So I don't really see why that would affect a persons dog choice. Other breeds are very prone to certain diseases, Goldens happen to be cancer but not every Golden gets cancer. Plus you can have them screened for preventative purposes such as cancer.

 

[Utop1st]

I advise you to take a closer look at the French bulldogs. This breed of dog is very playful and at the same time calm. You won't have any problems raising this breed. However, this breed of dog requires a lot of attention to health, because they often have allergies. In addition, you can take a closer look at schnoodle. I love this breed of dog because they look like stuffed animals In addition, if you say that you want a small breed of dog that you will train at home, then schnoodle is exactly the most suitable option for you.