I was thinking...

[zoomer]

I was thinking about my next dog, which is coming up soon. I was thinking

-Rottweiler
-Weirmeraner
-Chesapeake Bay Retriever
-APBT

I'm aware that they're all totally different breeds, but I've been researching a lot and like all of the breeds. I need help choosing out of the 4 though. Here's my profile.

-I like to swim, and would like a dog to swim with
-I want a friendly dog but a dog that will like me the most.
-I have a 1/4 of an acre, but we're moving and will have 2 acres
-Don't have much time for grooming... so short haired dogs are best.

[luvofallhorses]

I would say Chesapeake Bay Retriever. they love to swim, I think they are dog friendly..you never if the dog is going to like you the most. ;) unless you get a puppy and you bond with it.

I don't know how much research you have done on pit bulls, but they are friendly if raised properly. you have other dogs and you'd have to be very educated on the breed since some don't like other dogs, but if you adopted a puppy..you could have it with your dogs..still if you adopted a puppy they were bred to fight but I think they are the best dogs in the world if raised properly.
I don't know if they like to swim as I want a pit bull someday and I need to be more educated before I adopt one. that is my dream dog. I LOVE LOVE the breed!

rotties are great dogs, friendly..not sure if they like to swim. (I have a mix but she HATES water with a passion!) they DO shed a lot. I don't think you can get a dog that doesn't shed at all unless it's a chinese crested or like a jack russel terrier.

not sure about weimaraners. they are cute, not sure how friendly. I don't think they shed much and I have NO idea if they like to swim!

all these dogs that you are interested in need lots of exercise! are you planning on getting a fourth dog??

I hope I made sense here. :o

[Tralee]

Get a mutt from the shelter

[lute]

aren't you wanting to show dogs? i would get a dog you can show. unfortinatly out of your listed breeds the pit bull can't be shown at AKC events.

[Flatcoatluver]

Get a mutt from the shelter
I agree, there are so many animals right now that need to be adopted.

[Jadapit]

Since I own a pit bull I do know quite a bit about them, also I have done a lot of research on the breed. They are an amazing breed, Ebony loves to swim, she doesn't take grooming a bath is about it they dont have much fur at all. They do have a very high engery level I walk her everyday. You must be the top dog with them they are very smart but also very hard headed at times.

When you own a pit with multiple dogs you can NEVER leave them alone together. It takes someone that is willing to watch them with your other dogs at all times. I dont allow my three to play together unless I'm watching them, I even take Ebony with me when I use the bathroom. I crate her when we leave the house. A pit bull is a wonderful dog, but you have to have the time to do all your supposed to when you own them. Check out this site. If you ever do decide to get a pit bull please rescue one and do lots of research on them. My next one is going to be rescued.

Look at the number of American Staffordshire Terrier's, scroll down look at the number of Pit Bull Terrier's. The numbers are unreal and so heartbreaking. :(

http://www.petfinder.com/pet.cgi?action=3&type=Dog

[k9krazee]

Your criteria - likes to swim, like you the most, friendly...is all based upon the indivial dog and its personality, in my opinion. Go to the shelter, the perfect dog will find you.


I don't think you can get a dog that doesn't shed at all unless it's a chinese crested or like a jack russel terrier.
Jack Russells shed like crazy! I can no longer wear black pants because they ALWAYS get covered with little white hairs! :p

[luvofallhorses]

Your criteria - likes to swim, like you the most, friendly...is all based upon the indivial dog and its personality, in my opinion. Go to the shelter, the perfect dog will find you.


Jack Russells shed like crazy! I can no longer wear black pants because they ALWAYS get covered with little white hairs! :p

I should have said mostly ALL dogs shed. :o

I can't copy this but look at the top and that'll be your answer for a dog that sheds little-none. ;)

http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/lightshedders.htm

[Karen]

-I like to swim, and would like a dog to swim with
-I want a friendly dog but a dog that will like me the most.
-I have a 1/4 of an acre, but we're moving and will have 2 acres
-Don't have much time for grooming... so short haired dogs are best.

If you're not planning on showing the dog, so wouldn't need a purebred, I'd go to the shelter and get yourself the rarely adopted Big Black Dog - a young Lab mix would fit all of those criteria, except for the rare individual. And no one can tell you whether any breed, never mind even any individual dog, is going to bond with you more than your other dogs, that is completely up to how you raise it.

[Suki Wingy]

I agree with the shelter but since you said you want to show, how about weims. They are hunting breeds, I don't know too much about them but I'm pretty sure they'd fit the criteria nicley, you might want to do a bit more research on them though, go to some shows and talk to breeders, etc.

[zoomer]

Thank you everyone. I am planning on showing, so I won't be adopting a mutt from the shelter, althoguh I'd like to, my dream has been to own a show dog, so that's what I'm going to do. We won't be getting a 4th dog, our limit is 3, the reason I made this thread is because Alaska is reaching the age limit and he's not the kind of Boxer that's always healthy. He's always got some kind of problem. He's got 3 tumors right now that have a chance of growing back if they're removed, and sadly, we cannot afford to remove the tumors, because we're moving shortly, he's got a ways to go, but not long.

I was considering another dog, a Portugese Water Dog, I've researched quite a bit of the breed in the past and heard that they don't shed and LOVE to swim.

I've been thinking over the APBT, too, and have decided they're not the perfect dog for me because they need special socializing and training, and cannot be left alone with other dogs, BUT I still will be reading about the breed.

Also, just for some extra knowledge, a pit bull is not the same as an APBT, although I have called the APBT a pit bull in the past, I've learned myself that a pit bull can be a Staffy, APBT, a pit mix, and so on. So now I call them APBTs or AmStaffs or... whatever breed they really are. Not just a 'pit bull'.

My TOP choice right now is a Portugese Water Dog.

[luvofallhorses]

yes, an APBT is the SAME thing as a pit bull. ;)

APBT = american pit bull terrier :)

[zoomer]

yes, an APBT is the SAME thing as a pit bull. ;)

APBT = american pit bull terrier :)

I still call APBTs pit bulls since I'm stuck with it but still...

[luvofallhorses]

btw amstaffs and pit bulls are completely 2 different breeds. :)

[Suki Wingy]

Krista, I think she meants the legal term "pit bull" means all those breeds. I avoid calling American Pit Bull Terriers pit bulls for that reason.

Porties DO require a lot of grooming though.

[zoomer]

What kind of grooming do Porties require?

[bckrazy]

Porties require similar/same grooming as Poodles. They must be brushed daily, and preferably clipped every 4-6 weeks. I know a reallllly nice lady who breeds Porties (by "breeds", I mean, she has 5 showing/working dogs and has had 2 litters in 5 years). They are higher priced than most show breeds because of their rarity and difficulty to find quality studs ($1000+ in my experience), it IS difficult to find good show & working breeders (I know one in the state... and she has taken in 4 bitches from across the country to breed to her stud), they do have high maintenance grooming & exercise requirements, and they are a dog that needs a job besides conformation. I know this lady well because my sister's husbands Mom is getting a puppy from them this fall, after talking to her and visiting back & fourth for 2 years. They are GREAT dogs, and just adorable! Temperament-wise, I find them too aloof for my taste, and a bit too bouncy & head strong.

Chessies are head strong dogs. They need a firm handler, a job, and lots of Obedience/socialization/exercise/stimulation.

Weims are a handfull + moooore! If you think Buddy is handful (and I don't know Buddy, but I'm just judging by his breeds & what you've said about him), you should think twice about this breed. They are gorgeous & intelligent, but can be extremely high-strung and destructive if their exercise & mental needs are not met (which varies of course on the dog, but my Aunt's Weim is pretty laid back for the breed and requires 2 hours of jogging per day to stay sane.) I have neighbors with a Weim that I know they take on "walks" and to the lake occasionally, but the dog bolts out of the front door and digs out of the yard and comes to my Dad's house weekly. My Dad & stepmom love the dog, and will hang out with him and keep him at the house for a few hours until the owner gets home from work frequently. He usually is kept in a secure outdoor pen, because he would just go ballistic when his owners were gone. Weims, IMO, are a smaller, super-charged version of a Lab.

Rotties are another SUPER headstrong breed. There are individuals who are much more relaxed, but my Rottie and the Rotties I've met have all been ready to challenge dominance at any sign of weakness in their owners. This breed is powerful and I feel they need a mature, experienced handler. Some Rotties require the same dog-to-dog precautions as APBT's.

I might have missed something, but I thought you wanted a show quality Boxer? =/ The best thing would be to get out to shows and meet breeders and their dogs one-on-one. Almost any dog can be taught to swim, and there are lots of dogs who don't shed much (Rotties not included!). Personality and your ability to handle them should be a much, much higher priority than looks, coat, swimming, etc. Even with 2 acres, you don't want to get a dog that is bred to work all day long (Weims) if you don't have hours per day to dedicate to spending time outside playing, jogging, biking, working, etc.

[zoomer]

Okay, well, according to my profile in my first post, what breed(s) would you suggest?

[bckrazy]

It's definitely up to you, as you know yourself better than any of us. I suggest going to shows as often as possible and meeting the breeders and asking questions about their dogs. =0)

[king2005]

I like the Rottie. They do enjoy water if you train them too (they do swim slow, but they will swim lol), & I found they will pick one owner over the other, like if you were the only one to give it the bestest attention, then he'll bond to you faster.. However its still an individual & it can make up its own mind & not choose you lol However Rotties still shed like mad.. its thinner shorter hairs, but they are still falling off like no tomorrow lol

[buttercup132]

By your first post I would DEFINATLY say Chesapeak Bay. They are perfect for you. Not to mention unbelivably adorable.

[wolfsoul]

All great breeds, but remember the downsides to all of them -- that should help you make your decision. :)

Porties are quite expensive to groom. We charge from 55-90 (depending on the cut and how matted it is) for a portie, and most come in about once a month. They also need to be brushed so that they don't get matted --- Because this is a breed that usually takes a long time to groom, therefore needing to stand and be polite for a long period of time, it is detrimental that it is never matted. Dematting a dog is uncomfortable and sometimes painful. It can ruin a good dog's grooming manners for it's entire life. I'm not sure what a show portie requires as far as grooming, but I'd imagine it would need to be hand scissored all over, in which case you can expect a hefty price. Most shops will charge $200+ for such a job,

Chessies are not like the other retrievers in some ways -- they are more aggressive, with good guard instincts, a hard head, and more drive and assertiveness. They do require just as much exercise, but I'd say they require more training.

I find that a weim's temperment ranges from one extreme to the other, but in general they are crazy LOL. They just have so much energy that they practically bounce off the walls. Takes them a long time to grow up, so they require alot of patience and ALOT of exercise.

Rotties are definatly a one-person (sometimes few-person) breed. I had a rottie. Definatly hard headed dogs that require TONS of training and socialisation. APBTs I don't find to be like rotties at all, but I feel that they also require tons of training and socialisation, because if anything WERE to happen, the media would catch hold of it and it would just be another strike against pit bulls.

[zoomer]

Thank you. I'm definetley going to start researching a lot more on Rotties. I was also reading about Staffordsire Bull Terriers this morning... does anyone know some stuff about SBTs?

Also, my mom wants either a Mastiff or a Great Dane. They get so big I doubt I would be able to show one, after all, most are bigger than ME, lol. Mastiffs are really stubborn and don't like to swim, and Great Danes don't like to swim and they get so big, I couldn't control one...