Which Breed Would Be Best for Me?

[zman99]

I recently bought a new house and I've decided that I'd love to have a dog. I work all day so he/she would be home 8-9 hrs per day alon. I have a modest sized fully fenced backyard that will be great for playing and exercising. I'd like a medium sized breed that is relatively easy to housebreak and train. I'm also looking for a breed that gets along well with cats. Ive done alot of reading and I am leaning toward a Boston Terrier based on their temperment and personality. I've also considered adopting a mixed-breed at the local humane society but I'd really like a pure breed (just a personal preference). If any of you have any suggestions I would greatly appreciate it.

[delidog]

first a big WELCOME to Pet Talk!!!!!!
we hope you'll enjoy it here!!!!! as we all do!!!!!
you can try going to petrescue.com...you can manipulate by tsate,zip...you can be breed specific and even search breed rescues if you like...also, there is a link out there where you can actually complete a question and answer session and it will choose the most suitable dog for your lifestyle.....i wish i could remember the name of it....maybe someone else here does.....
you could probably find it by going to dogrescue.com and then follow some links...i'll see if i can find...
theres' alot of great info out there while you are deciding...it is good to research......also...you could call your local shelter and/or veterinarian.....they usually have good advice...where are you in florida....i might know someone that is near you that could help....

But Anyway....Glad you found Pet Talk!!!!

[zman99]

Thanks for the response. I am actually in Jacksonville FL. My biggest concern in getting a dog is the amount of time he/she would be alone during the day. I know some breeds have higher anxiety being left alone for a full day.

[angelpuppy]

My parents have a Boston Terrier named Millie. She is very well crate trained, and does fine being alone in there all day. HOWEVER...do not be fooled by the Boston Terrier's small size!! Millie is an absolute BRUTE at times, and packs a whole lot of power into a fifteen pound frame!! Millie barks a lot, jumps a lot, and can be very possessive. She is also a very dominant dog who bullies all the other dogs in the family (mine included); on the other hand, she is also a "paper tiger" of sorts, afraid of cars, windows, plastic bags, and other miscellaneous silly things......she is a VERY active dog, though, and a real handful for my parents to deal with!!

Of course, it would be foolish for me to generalize that all Boston Terriers act this way, based on having known only one. But if you are looking for a docile and mild-mannered dog, you might want to consider other breeds!! Just my opinion; no offense to anyone here who owns a Boston!!

[Karen]

Use petfinder.com or a "breed rescue" site - if you go to the AKC site, they have a list of rescue organizations by breed here.

My recommendation would be an adult dog because of the time alone he or she would be spending. There are so many dogs out there, of all shapes and sizes, and a shelter or a rescue group will be prepared to tell you if the dog gets along with cats, his or her "staying power" etc.

Good luck and keep us posted!

[strass]

Congrats on making the decision to get a dog! We just adopted ours, Murphy, a few months ago. We found him at the city shelter by using www.petfinder.com, a truly great resource.

Murphy is a mixed breed, although we just discovered he's mostly basenji. We were really surprised by the amount of beautiful dogs at the shelter, some even purebred. It's such a great feeling to rescue a dog; I can't even describe it.

If you're going to go the purebred route, definitely do your homework, and remember that you're still taking a chance--not all dogs match their breed descriptions. Our friends spent $700 for a Viszla (sp) because they read about the dogs' docility and gentleness. Their dog Nico doesn't quite fill the bill in that department!

I would definitely recommend getting an older dog, maybe 1 or 2 years old. My husband and I both work all day, and by adopting a 2-year-old dog who's already housetrained, we saved ourselves a lot of time and trouble, and Murphy wasn't shortchanged in his training. He's home alone all day, but we have a dogwalker who walks him for half-hour at lunchtime. We live in the city and don't have a yard that he can just go out in whenever he wants (I'm assuming you'll have doggie door put in for during the day?)

Anyway, good luck and have fun finding your dog!!

[robinh]

We have four dogs - 3 purebreds and one mixed. So I've gone both ways. Sounds crazy, but the mixed (rescued from old neighbors) was the easiest to train and is the healthiest.

My son found his mixed breed through petfinder.com. He said he would rather give a home to a rescued dog. And she dearly loves him.

[Kfamr]

If i was you, i'd look at your local humane society, spca, or whatever type of adoption place you have near you. You're bound to find something that will fit your schedual. They normally come on their info sheet how muhc they are used to being left alone on an average day. You can find mixed breed dogs, as well as pure breed. Just look at it this way, you'll save a life at the same time you're getting a life-long companion.

[aly]

Both of my little mutts fit all of your qualifications and I got them at the humane society I really would just take a trip down to the shelter and look around. They have pure breeds there too if that's what you're wanting. Rescued dogs have this gratitude and I personally believe that they have more love to give because of that (no one get mad at me please, thats just my opinion). The look they give you when you wake up every morning is almost like they are saying "Thanks for saving my life, I love you". Or maybe I'm just a whacko

[mugsy]

Heinz 57s all the way!!! Mix breeds are absolutely awesome. We have 17 dogs of all shapes and sizes. Some are full breeds and some are mixes. Our mixes are far healthier than our pure breeds. Please go to a shelter and save a life. It's an awesome feeling. Good luck and let us know what you decide and, of course, we want PICTURES!! lol

[harleychicken]

Just about every breed of dog has a rescue...I happen to volunteer with siberian husky rescue in florida. You can also find purebreds in the humane societies, shelters, etc. I adopted a 7 year old and a 5 year old and they have been the absolute best. Don't let their ages bother you. There are benefits to getting an older dog...they are more calm, trained, etc. Rescued and shelter dogs seem to "know" when they've been given a second chance at life.

[Cookiebaker]

Originally posted by aly
The look they give you when you wake up every morning is almost like they are saying "Thanks for saving my life, I love you".

At first when I read this, I didn't think a whole lot about it. But later on after I had left the computer, I was thinking about what you said, and I really agree with you. We rescued our cat, and you know how a lot of older cats become aloof and don't like you holding them?? Everyday our cat is snuggly as if to say "Thanks for saving my life, I love you". And I think that after spending almost a year in a cage if she knows that we saved her. So thanks for your insight, it gave me something to think about.

[aly]

Originally posted by Cookiebaker


We rescued our cat, and you know how a lot of older cats become aloof and don't like you holding them?? Everyday our cat is snuggly as if to say "Thanks for saving my life, I love you". And I think that after spending almost a year in a cage if she knows that we saved her.

Awwwwwwwww!! That brings tears to my eyes!!

[bnormal]

zman, the breed that answers all of your criteria (drumroll):


Doberman Pinscher

(you will never look back)

[robinh]

I knew there was an interactive site that would suggest a type of dog and I finally found it. Try this:
http://www.ivillage.com/pets/tools/breedselector/

It will walk you through size, commitment, compatibility, health, and protection. It will then suggest different types of dogs that may best suit you. It will also give links to more in depty information on each of the dogs it suggests.

Hope this will help.