What breed of dog should I get?

[Palomino21]

Hi, my husband and I have finally decided to get a puppy. This wil be our first pet together. I am excited but I am not sure what breed I should get. I live in a 3 bedroom duplex with a small yard. I walk every day so walking would be no problem. I have never trained a dog, nor have I ever had an indoor dog before. I am leaning more torwards a German Shepherd breed since I have heard they are easy to train as well as great temperment. We plan on having children in the future so I would like a dog that is good with kids. What kind of dog do you have? Also, what breed do you think I should get?

Annie

[binka_nugget]

Originally posted by Palomino21
I am leaning more torwards a German Shepherd breed since I have heard they are easy to train as well as great temperment.

Oh.. they're such great dogs. I'd love to have one one day. Although, if you do decide to buy one from a breeder, make sure that they are of the highest quality available. Gsds are extremely popular now and often I see more badly bred ones than well bred ones.

I have Shetland Sheepdogs. They're wonderful little dogs to have around. Easy to train, small/medium sized, loyal and an overall great family dog (the only down side I can think of is the herding instinct).

However, I do recommend checking Petfinder.org and any other shelters/rescues around you. With puppies, it's hard to say whether or not they'll turn out into the perfect family dog but with adults, you'll know whether or not the dog will fit in the family. And what's better than saving a life? :D

[bckrazy]

hey Annie! welcome! Good luck on your dog search. personally, I think you should look around *all* of the animals shelters in your area before you decide on anything. There are plenty of amazingly sweet mixed breed, and even purebred puppies in there needing good homes, if you are not particular about breeds. http://petfinder.org has a nation-wide listing of dogs in shelters, it can be very helpful ;D

hm... I'm not sure if a German Shepherd would best fit your lifestyle, just by what you've said. Especially if you have a small yard. Large, energetic dogs like GSD's need more than a walk a day, they usually need atleast one hour of vigorous off-leash exercise every day. Especially puppies! They can be very demanding dogs, just like any of the herding breeds and large breeds, though they *are* awesome dogs. There are GSD owners on these boards that know a lot more than me, though.

[jcsperson]

Annie,

I would strongly consider a greyhound. They are generally not barkers, which should please your neighbors, and are sedentary, laid-back dogs. They have terrific, affectionate temperaments.

Unlike many larger breeds, hip dysplasia is unknown in greyhounds and they typically live to be 12-14 years of age. They have a very velvety, soft, petable coat. Greyhounds are very clean----they don't have oil glands in their coat like a Lab or other breeds that give them that "doggie" smell, especially when wet. They need only a good 20 minute walk every day to keep them in shape. Greyhounds are professionally trained. Nearly every one I've ever known walks nicely on a lead. They are kennel trained at the track which means they know that outside is where to go---most are housebroken the minute they realize that house=kennel.

Puppies are not generally available, but track greyhounds retire at 2-5 years of age depending upon their ability so you can get a very young dog without having to go through the trials and tribulations of puppy rearing, as "fun" as that might appear!

We have had 5 greyhounds over the years and all have been outstanding pets. I can't recommend them highly enough. There isa tremendous amount of literature and support out there, too.

Good luck in your search!

Martin


Originally posted by Palomino21
Hi, my husband and I have finally decided to get a puppy. This wil be our first pet together. I am excited but I am not sure what breed I should get. I live in a 3 bedroom duplex with a small yard. I walk every day so walking would be no problem. I have never trained a dog, nor have I ever had an indoor dog before. I am leaning more torwards a German Shepherd breed since I have heard they are easy to train as well as great temperment. We plan on having children in the future so I would like a dog that is good with kids. What kind of dog do you have? Also, what breed do you think I should get?

Annie

[Karen]

Do check out shelters and breed rescues. A 6-month-old dog of any breed is still a puppy, but is past that roly-poly stage and so less "adoptable." German Shepherds are great, but prepare to enroll in an obedience course with him or her, and do a lot of training. They are very smart (in general) and quick to learn, but also quick to test your limits, or get bored, which leads to "bad dog" behavior. Read a good dog training book, and be very sure of yourself, and prepare to be really consistent - doggedly so. As this is your first pup, the more you know beforehand the better!

Consider the following factors:
What size dog do you generally like?
How much grooming do you want to do? Are you willing to take a dog to a groomer regularly?
How many hours per day would the dog be home alone?
Are there parks nearby where the dog could get exercise?
Do "barky" dogs annoy you?
How much time are you willing to spend training a dog?

It doesn't hurt to choose a few breeds whose characteristics you particularly like, and then go on petfinder.org or to your local shelters or both ...

[swimma253]

I owned a great German Shepard named Jed and he was a pleasure to train... the only bad thing was his barking. Since he was probably adused... he was very protective of us, which was ulikely to change. But if you are looking into getting a puppy, I think a German Shepard would be great.

[sammy101]

German Shepherd is a wonderful breed!:) MY godparents used to have two,a male and female.I used to go over and play with them almost everyday.i was around 8 years old and they were so gently with me.I loved them.
I would recommend looking on Pet Finder,im sure that they have some GSD puppies for you,if your looking for a puppy.:)

[Aspen and Misty]

German Shepherds are wonderful dogs!

Have you ever thought about a mutt though? I have 2 of my own and I just LOVE them. You can always look for a GSD mix.

Good luck, and I know you two must be so exited!!

Ashley

[Tina]

I agree going to a shelter and visit with pups there. You may just be suprised who you come home with.

I think German Shepherds are great dogs but there are tons of Shepherd mix puppies that need homes also.

Good luck what ever breed you decide on.:)

[dog'n'goatgal21]

i think that you should get a Miniature schnauzer. they are so cute and cuddly, they seem to bark though but they are small and entertain themselves so that should work! good luck

[Palomino21]

Thanks for all of your replies. I work at hoem so grooming, playing, and training should be no problem to me. I have thought about it, I may want a smaller breed. A house dog more like. I have this small yard, seems like the people who lived here before had a dog, so it's already set up for a small one. I have had a German Shepherd before and she was the sweetest dog, but she was an outdoor dog. She was protective of us, my sister and me. She was around Beagles, so instead of barking, she would howl. It's a crazy sound! What is your opinion on a Pomaranian?

Annie

[Aspen and Misty]

Palomino21 - My sister has a POm named Honey who is the most adorable dog. She is wonderful.

However. I think you should sit down with your husband and make a list of all the things you want in a dog. Short hair, long hair, tall, small, barker, non barker etc. etc. It will help you choose the dog perfect for you.

If you really truly have no prefrences, which everyone does. For instance, I do not like Barky dogs. I will never have a barky dog because it would drive me up the walls. So, I tend to stay away from barky, loud breeds. But, if you do not, I say go to the shelter.

Honestly, wonderful dog's come from shelters you will be amazed!

Ashley

[zaylagrey]

Speaking for myself --I would'nt have any other breed but a Greyhound. I've had small dogs all my life and my Greys are the first large dogs I've ever had. And I owe it to my husband because he likes big dogs and that was meeting in the middle for us, since I've seen them and thought they were beautiful and I'm giving a dog a home that needs it. I could never be happier with my choice. But good luck to you on your search. I think there's a website that you answer some questions and they find the breed that goes with your personality and lifestyle. One of my co-workers used it to fgure out what kind of dog they wanted. I'll have to ask her the name of the site. They ended up with a Doxie.

[DogLover9501]

I grew up with a Pom, and unfortatly, it wasn't that fun lol

Muffin was our Pom, we got her when she was 6 weeks old, and I was 6 months old, and she lived until we were both 13 years old.

She was really yappy and also growled alot, and bit me several times, breaking the skin.

It also took my parents over a year to train her, but I think that was because THEY were doing it wrong, nothing on her part.

I am 100% sure that all/most Poms are NOT like this, but this is my own experience ;)

Good Luck with your search :)

[Aspen and Misty]

Acctually, Poms can be a hard breed to train. My sister had a hard time with her Pom Honey.

Ashley

[Tiah]

Check out Papillons, they seem to fit what you want just about to a t :)

[stacwase]

Jake was the first dog my husband and I ever had (other than childhood dogs, but that's another story altogether). We researched everything very thoroughly before getting him, and chose a reputable breeder. You would have thought that would have guaranteed an excellent match, but it really didn't. We loved Jake and he was a member of the family, but he did not match our personalities and lifestyle.

We got Max at a shelter. He was 2 1/2 years old. He chose us, basically, and he has been the best dog we could ever have hoped for. He matches our personalities and lifestyle in every way.

I think that the major lesson we learned was that meeting an adult dog and finding a personality match is the best way of getting the right dog for us. The personality of the individual dog can be so much different than the breed description.

That's just our personal story and you can take it with a grain of salt, but I know for sure that if we ever get another dog in the future we'll go with an adult again.

Good luck finding your perfect match, whichever way you decide to go!

[GraciesMommy]

I have had pekingnese, schnauzer, and now yorkiepoo..so I have always had toys...which are my favs..and grew up with a poodle..My son has a Great Pyrenese (sp?) which is HUGE and eats too much..lol...but he is gorgeous..

Before getting Gracie I researched toys....and I made a list...no shedding/less than 10 pounds/little barking/not hyper..etc..
I originally planned on a yorkshire terrier but fell in love with gracie before finding one..and glad I did!

Research and be sure cuz you want a happy dog and you want a happy mommy and daddy too!

[Becki]

We have a Westie, Scottie, grey cross and a grey. For a low maintenance, well behaved house dog, I would take the grey any day over the terriers. I don't have a lot of experience with small house dogs, other then the terriers, so I am sorry I can't help with that part.

Oh, and greys, while not as small as some dogs, curl up into pretty small spots ;)