Help Me Choose A Dog Breed

For loyalty and intelligence, I love AmStaffs and American Bulldogs. I have one of each breed currently, and when they're not intently guarding us from the cars going by, they're the most loving and sweet dogs I've ever had.

If you're going for protection and balls-out intimidation, I'd have to say Tosa Inu, hands down. Sweet, cuddly (to a fault, a 220 pound lapdog only really works for people my size and larger) and ready to defend it's pack to the death. Silently, no less.

"Did the bookcase upstairs just fall over?"
"No, my dog just got off the bed. Don't scream when he starts licking. It just gets him more worked up."
"Wait, what?"
"I told you not to scream. Stop squirming. He'll be done in a minute."

i presently have three dogs (all rescues)
- St. Bernard, She's stuborn and lazy. But loves loves loves. Huge eater and pooper, as she's extremely large (170lbs)...
- Australian Shepard, She is attentive and very bright, a tad hyper, listens very well but easily distracted by squirrels, cats and other small animals and motor cycles. She has somewhat a Diva or Princess demeanor (but that might be because she is spoiled) Size is about 35 or 40 lbs.
- The best dog i have ever had (had dogs for 50 years) is a Doberman/Lab mix, he is probably the smartest dog i have ever had. It is almost as if he understands language (he actually seems like he tries to understand). He is loyal to the nth degree, doesn't do anything unless it is okayed by me first and watches for comands. Pretty large (about 100lbs.) and athletic and will fetch his ball 'til he drops, also swims well. He's never has shown agression unless someone comes in the house who is unknown, then the aggression is all show (as far as i know, as i don't know what he'd do if someone came in when nobody was home). He will quickly adjust to unknown folks once i tell him it's okay. Like i said, the smartest dog i've ever had and extremely loyal. Short hair so grooming is easy. No health problems and he is going on 9 years old (still acts like a baby though). So i would suggest a Dobie/Lab...

i used to have an Australian cattle dog (blue heeler)/Shepard mix who was just as smart and loyal as my Dobie/Lab but he was very aggressive and sometimes hard to control or calm down.

Any rescue dog is gonna be a good dog...

For your enjoyment i am linking a very nice video about who's gonna save the world...

I have a Wolf Hybrid named mishka and she is probably the best dog I have ever owned. She is 1/2 Wolf, 1/4 Husky, and 1/4 GSD. She is only about 60 pounds, but she is probably one of the most athletic dogs I have ever owned, and by far the smartest. My best friend has a full blood female GSD and mine is light years ahead of his without the thousands in training he has spent. My other pup is a Catahoula/Australian Shepherd Mix and she is super protective, very intelligent, and also very mild tempered. The only time she shows her teeth is if another male dog that is larger than her or Mishka comes to close to me, she will then proceed to make that dog regret it. She weighed 55 pounds at 6 months, and I watched her put a 100 pound male doberman on his back like he was a pom. Mishka is my second Wolf Husky mix, and I have been extremely pleased with both dogs. You will hear bad things from alot of wolf hybrid owners, but in all honesty, if you do right by the dog, nuture it, train it, and demand its respect while showing respect for the power it possesses, they will be the best dog you will ever own.

You should get a Blue Heeler like Mad Max/Road Warrior has in Mad Max 2.A blue heeler is the quintessential post apocalyptic breed of dog.

get a small dog.

Wolf (well not a dog but who can deny the choice aye).

Had 7 in a compound once.

i would suggest Berger de brie (Briard), Friendly,loyal, intelligent but still fierce watchdog ,especially dont like anything that resembles wolf ,my ex used to breed them so i have been involved training them a lot, oh and i have 1 of them too at the moment!



www.canadasguidetodogs.com...

Originally posted by 5StarOracle
From what you are looking for in your future dog I would have to say the choice for you is clear to me, that is unless you plan on leaving him alone in your house all day. Border Collie is what you want, unsurpassed in the attributes you seek especially intelligence wise...

Unless you have something for the border collie to do all day, don't get one. They are wonderful dogs but need to be kept really busy - otherwise they tear up the garden and chew on everything and catch birds etc.

If you have fur shedding issues, I would suggest a dog with medium length fur - my in-laws boerbul and rescued midget English bull terrier (both with short fur) shed more fur than all 8 of my family's German Shepherds. The boerbul and midget bull terrier are also very dense - they are hard to train, its been 3 years and the dogs still don't know basic obedience training. Also, took a whole year to get the rescue bull terrier to walk to the park and not try to get out of the harness.

BTW - From what I have seen, German Shepherds are easy to "re-train"
- we have a rescue GSD who was scared of everything including her own shadow (the previous owners were going to put her down); we put her in with our lot and she got the same training as the puppy we also had at the time and she is now doing normal GSD stuff like eating pot plants, digging holes, chasing soap bubbles, playing with water from hosepipe, swimming and attack training (from the ridiculous amount of tail wagging going on, the dogs think this is a fun game to play).
-my uncle has had two rescue GSDs and says its the best thing he has ever done. Much better than the other dogs he has owned.

My parents had a doberman when they first got married - he thought he was human and sat on the couch human fashion.

Also, I wouldn't recommend a husky if you live in a very hot climate as they overheat very quickly. Not fair to put a snow loving dog into a sauna.

I think whatever dog you choose to get just needs some love, attention, decent training and something to keep it entertained when you are not around (at least until it gets older).

Sorry for all the rambling - I love my collection of dogs.

Sheperds are probably the best out of your choices there, just be prepared for the exercise, ours would walk us to death on a daily basis. They are also very loyal and easy to train. The downside is they do tend shed quite a bit, and I would advise against it if you have a small yard, as I had seen ours in both larger and smaller yards across his life, and he definetely needed room to move.
Otherwise, a bitzer (I think you call them mutts overseas), would be a good choice, generally just as loyal and easy to train, and often come with a lot of good traits from their respective breeds. I've had a few over the years, and couldn't fault them

reply to post by Domo1


Parsons Jack-Russell


Fast sprinter and hunter - after making eye contact, once a rabbit moves its dead. Will bring back rabbits and keep down vermin.
Intelligent - If you have small livestock chickens etc and you tell the dog not to harm them it will understand them as friendlies and protect them too from foxes etc.
Loyal - Very loyal but only to the family unit, this dog wont go to any old stranger wagging its tail.
Protective - These dogs think they are invincible and will fight to the death for a family member. Three dogs attacked mine a few weeks ago, an Alsation, and two mongrels and she saw them all off.
Hunting - they are always hunting and guarding the property, they never switch off. Also will naturally flush game/wildlife from bushes when out shooting. will also dig a rabbit out of its hole and into your cooking pot.
affectionate/empathic - always knows when someone is down or something is wrong, can take messages to other family members, "go and tell..." will result in her going and pawing and barking the message at said person Lassie style.

Without a doubt the Dobermans I have owned brought me more joy than any other breed I have experienced.... They are the gentlest breed with children, have the ability to discern whether a person is a threat or not, both noble and silly... German Shepherds are wonderful dogs that can be trained to do more things any breed I have owned but they are also the quickest to misread a strangers intentions and do them serious harm.. Border Collies are amazingly agile, intelligent and deviant breed I have had... They are a full time job to keep out of trouble and don't calm down until they are 2 years old.. They are worthless as protection dogs and can escape from any kind of confinement that isn't covered and have a concrete floor... They are very entertaining though.... I have a Blue Healer Border Collie mix at this time and his personality is very much like a Doberman but he is a lot tougher breed that stays close to the house, doesn't get torn to pieces out running through the woods and can handle temperature extremes that a Doberman can't.. He hasn't been around children but he plays a bit rough with me and I would be nervous until I see how he is with them....I am pretty sure you know that you won't be satisfied with any breed other than a Doberman.. If I wasn't living in the woods and could handle losing another Doberman, I would have one now...I always had one or more of them for 30 years or I was looking for one I could either adopt or buy..

reply to post by Domo1


its simple for me staffordshire bull terrier every time

cons there are none just pros if trained properly

and it sounds as if you know your dogs



and yes i do have one male 3 years old
and as never been aggressive to anything other
than his toys and the odd feral cat
but very good with other dogs
hes big but soft

We have 4 dogs. 2 daschunds and 2 labs.

The daschund is extremely intelligent and curious. They investigate everything and they're always the first to know if anything happens on the yard. They don't shed and don't have health problems (unless they're overweight). They're not the best "attack dogs" () but they're great for "early warning". Be warned that they do have a mind of their own - but that's just because they are so intelligent.

The labs... I can go on and on for pages at end about how great they are. First a warning - they are extremely destructive as young pups. If you can keep them occupied for the first 2 years then you're home free. They're loyal to the extreme and they'll do anything you ask of them. (I'm sure if my girl, Coco, had thumbs she'd make me coffee.) And I know if the situation would ever arrive - God forbid - that they would gladly die protecting me. And for hours of fun - mix one swimming pool and two Labradors.

Apart from the first two problem years the only other real con is the fact that they shed. These dogs give more love than you will ever be able to use up.

I'll never get any other dog again.

reply to post by Domo1


I have an attack pug but have trained him to be so docile he will only chase his tail when agitated.

Everyone has their favorite breed. German shepards are the go to breed for protection and home defense. I have had three of them over the years. Every one was a different personality,but each one was naturally protective of the family and property. All were very affectionate and loved to play ball.

That said,these days I have changed to gordon setters. They are a black and brown bird dog from scotland. they were bred for endurance and the ability to hunt all day. They are a very smart breed and will try to outsmart you every chance that you give them. Mine is very protective of me and my lady. He even will protect the cat. They do shed but not very much. They have a natural instinct to hunt and will freeze on point even while still a puppy. The one I have now is my second one . The first I got from the local SPCA shelter. They can be a handfull but when properly trained are a joy to have.

I think you should get a Bichon Frise. They are really cute and are good with cats like yourself.

reply to post by isitjustme


I have had so many breeds I couldn't name them all since a young boy but maybe only five pure breed registered & out of all of them our latest Lab is the sweetest , protective , loving , smartest I've ever had the pleasure of having & she picked us when we stopped by our local shelter looking for a small dog for our son four years ago . The way she acted not only toward & with my son & us at the time meant we just had to have her even though we where looking for a small pet at the time , it was a decision we never regretted either .
John

How can you not like GS?
I haven't met a dog lover who doesn't like GS.
'Prince' is our guard dog and the best dog we have ever had.
We've had other GS before but this guy right here is the BEST!
I have friends who have Rottweilers and Dobermans.
The Dobermans he has them outdoor and they are great, but inside the house he has the Rottweilers.

I myself like Hounds.

Prince

Originally posted by noisren
reply to post by Domo1

 

As a companion , Siberian Huskies are great, I own male and female, female is very protective. Highly intelligent dogs. But if you do not like hair, then it is not for you.

If you want loyalty and protection I would not suggest a Siberian Husky.

I also have two, male and female. While they are wonderful companions and highly intelligent, they are not easily trained and tend to be extremely independent. They are runners, by nature (obviously), and are excellent at tracking, hunting, etc. They refuse to fetch and can be really mischevious!

Originally posted by AnimositisominA
Boxer
Extremely intelligent, tough, territorial, fearless, loyal, dependable, low maintenance, easy to train, great with kids, and full of personality and energy. Best dog I ever had.

I too am a boxer lover and have one as my companion!

you are right in every aspect and more!

If you don't want a boxer, a ridgeback would be my next choice!