As tattsxxx11 pointed out, I finally found someone who has Schnauzers, and She has not found many who have Labs. I noticed most people on this Post are in the East and it seems not many Schnauzers in that area. However they are very popular here in the West. I'm wondering do people tend to get a breed that is popular in their area or is it an individual preference?
I recently moved back down(deep)South after an absence of about 14 years and one thing still holds true: Southerners love their hounds. Blood Hounds, Beagles, Black and Tan Coon Hound....Partly because hunting remains a popular sport and partly tradition. My father owned Black and Tans. My grandfather a Blood Hound. I would like to have a Blood Hound one day.
Genia is right about the hounds, but I would add the retrievers (especially labs) to the Southern mix. Around here, they do a lot of bird and duck hunting too, so the retrievers are very necessary.
Obviously, I think my Honey would make an excellent hunting dog. She is so intense and fast, but she'll never get the chance as long as she lives with me.
I have them for LOVE and companionship only! http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/biggrin.gif
Jackie, you think of some of the best topics. Around my neighborhood, people love their labradors. I would say Goldens are the second in popularity. It is not unusual to spot a Rottweiler or a Bichon. After that it is just a real mix of different breeds. Even more interesting is what you don't see. Not many Poodles, Cockers or German Shepards, which I had always thought were some of the more popular breeds.
Out here in the West, there are a lot of mini Schnauzers, Boxers, Rottweilers, Spaniels, and unfortunately Pit Bulls which are not kept for loving companions, but for other purposes. Not many Poodles, Pugs, Great Danes, Labs, Retrivers or German Shepards ( they are mostly police dogs here)
I help out with a national dog rescue group here in Australia...which is a large island continent. The group keeps contact with all the breed rescue group & all the animal refuges & pounds.
It's really clear that different types of dogs are more popular in different parts of the country. This seems to be partly due to the different lifestyles people live. For example, refuges in the big cities & in areas where there are many retired people, find that people want the smaller to middle-sized breeds. But the working-dog breeds are not so popular in these areas. They tend to be kept by people living on the fringes of the cities or in the rural areas.
Along the coast of SC there seem to be a lot of Labs., Retrievers, and Spaniels. Mostly because they are all water dogs and make good duck hunting dogs. The Boykin Spaniel is our state dog and MANY people have those. Jack Russells are also popular because there is a big horse community along the coast and all over SC. Jack Russells seem to go with Horses.
The Nova Scotia duck tolling retriever(as it's name says is the national dog of Nova Scotia.theres a lot of these playful critters there!
Here on the northeast coast, I must say I see a lot of EVERYTHING!! All of the more popular (for now!!) breeds are seen in full force, including the retrievers, sheps, cockers, beagles, poodles, daschunds, rotties, (lots of rotties, especially with females as their humans) "toys" of all kinds AND schnauzer's! Oh, Jackie! Did I think of you today. We had the most adorable little 7 month old mini schnauzer named Koset (after the girl in Les Mis) enroll in puppy kindergarten! What a little doll. Soooo smart! She already knew sit, stay, paw. Just adorable. But we have several other schnauzers that board regularly. Since there is a lot of water around here (duh!) lots of retrievers of all kinds, espec. goldens and labs. But, I am happy to report that I get a daily smorgasboard of many, many breeds to savor! http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/biggrin.gif
Dogs that I have seen prevalent in shelters and what not have mostly been guard breeds. I see a lot of Pit Bulls, Pit mixes, Rotties, Dobes, etc. There are lots of Labs too.
tatxxx11, I didn't even think you New England people knew what a Schnauzer was. ha ha. They are cute o.k., smart o.k. but really have a mind of their own, I do believe they feel they are smarter than their guardians, and most of the time they are. How are you doing on your website?
Jackie
In my immediate neighborhood there is an adorable Yorkie, a black lab, a miniature poodle and the little mutt next door! http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/biggrin.gif When I am in PetsMart I see lots of Rottweilers and Golden Retrievers. They seem to be popular everywhere now.
Rotties seem to getting more and more popular. There are two in my immediate neigborhood and I see more around town. Labs and Golden retrievers are popular too.
In Hawaii I see a great deal of Labs or Lab mixes but mostly mixed breeds of all sorts at the two dog parks with a sprinkling of every type of pure breed. I often see people carrying around Chihuahuas. When first trying to decide what breed of dog to get, I visited a pet store every Sunday for months for their "Puppy Swap Meet" where breeders came selling their puppies. Lots of small dog breeds. Quite a few litters of Pit Bull and PB mixes. Daily ads in the paper for PB pups. At the Humane Society I see a large percentage of Pit Bull mixes. I was told uncontrolled breeding for fighting, the mentality of some people, resulting in many abandoned.
Here in Canada, and in particular Nova Scotia where I live, there are every type of breed you can imagine. Some, of course are more popular than others. I see a great deal of labs and retrievers, as well as Rotties, dobermans, shepards and pit bulls. There are a number of smaller dogs as well, such as the schnauzer, shih t'zu and poodles. I own a Wheaton Terrier and they are just now starting to become popular. Does anyone else out there own a Wheaton? http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/smile.gif I'd love to talk to someone who does.