What's the “Best” Dog Breed?

Discussion in 'Animals & Pets' started by longknife, Nov 15, 2014.

  1. South Pole Resident

    South Pole Resident New Member

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    From the CDC. Probably the part you skipped, if you even read the report in the first place.

    "There is currently NO ACCURATE WAY to identify the number of dogs of a particular breed, and consequently no measure to determine which breeds are more likely to bite or kill."
    Source: http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/duip/biteprevention.htm

    "Although fatal attacks on humans appear to be a breed-specific problem (pit bull-type dogs and Rottweilers), other breeds may bite and cause fatalities at higher rates. Because of difficulties inherent in determining a dog's breed with certainty, enforcement of breed specific ordinances raises constitutional and practical issues...Many practical alternatives to breed specific ordinances exist and hold promise for prevention of dog bites." Source: http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/duip/dogbreeds.pdf

    They also found that, "...to the extent that attacks by 1 breed ["pit bulls"] are more newsworthy than those by other breeds, our methods may have resulted in differential ascertainment of fatalities by breed"
    Source: http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/duip/dogbreeds.pdf
     
  2. junius. fils

    junius. fils New Member

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    I'd like to get another dog, but my health is such that I couldn't take good enough care of it. It wouldn't be fair to the animal. My cats are low maintenance.
     
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  3. Wrathful_Buddha

    Wrathful_Buddha Well-Known Member

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    I agree. Chihuahuas rule.
     
  4. dannbarbery

    dannbarbery New Member

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    My boxers were terribly afraid of thunder. If a storm happened while they were outside, they would go nuts trying to get into the house even though they had a huge double walled insulated dog house on our covered back patio. They were great in the house, but we had to leave them outside when nobody was home.
     
  5. MrNick

    MrNick Banned

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    Yea they're yappy... My aunt breeds those dogs and goes to that big dog show "Westminenster" or whatever it's called and shows her dogs and sell them...

    I love dogs but I hate little dogs (well not hate because I love all dogs), but Golden Retrievers are my dog of choice.

    Rots are nice dogs too, bit aggressive but nice.... They just get too big...
     
  6. longknife

    longknife New Member

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    Best breed? ALL OF THEM!

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
  7. MySy

    MySy New Member

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  8. longknife

    longknife New Member

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    The best breed of dog is simple to define - the one you have now.

    As a baby, I remember my parents have three Cocker Spaniels I can still see today - and remember how protective of me they were.

    We then had a high-strung, deaf Dalmation that was trained to obey hand signals. When we reached a corner, she would sit and wait until I got to the middle and, sure it was clear, would motion for her to come. One day, I was walking with a friend and was so busy swapping tales that I forgot to signal her. I was three blocks later that I realized she wasn't there. Ran all the way back to where she was waiting, shivering at being left like that. I got lots and lots of licks.

    There were other dogs along the way. Lived on a ranch and had two of them.

    In my last years in the army, on a cold winter day, I found a shivering white German Shepherd seeming lost and hungry. She had no tags or ID so I took her home where she wolfed down food like she hadn't eaten in a long time. Put a notice in the local paper and put up posters in the neighborhood. No one claimed her, so when we moved to Vegas, brought Gretta with us. Kept her until I had to put her down as she couldn't walk any more.

    Had a mutt that could jump 7' fences that got out one night and never came home.

    My current love is our little Chihuahua and I spend every day wondering what I would do without her.

    DSC00259.jpg
     
  9. willburroughs

    willburroughs Well-Known Member

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    I believe German Shepherds are the most popular world wide. Labs are most popular in the U.S.
     
  10. Wehrwolfen

    Wehrwolfen Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    longknife likes this.
  11. Wehrwolfen

    Wehrwolfen Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    I don't know, I've had pure breed dogs and mixed bred dogs. Some of the mixed bred dogs were good hunters and protective of the kids when they were growing up. Then I've had pure bred dogs that were just plain sooners. That is until I got my first Standard Schnauzer. I'm on my third dog and she's three years old. Good in the house, very protective of the grand kids, loving, loyal and a bit of a clown when she wants to be. When needed
    she'll herd the geese off the property. Maybe it's how I train my pups, I don't know.



    [​IMG]
     
  12. greatdanechick

    greatdanechick Well-Known Member

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    The rescue kind. There are millions of homeless dogs, many euthanized because there simply isn't room. The best dog is rescued. You can rescue a mix breed, or if you're really particular there is a breed specific rescue out there for every breed. My personal pure bred favorites are Great Danes. I volunteer with a rescue and am on my third one. I've also had a few mutts and currently have a little puppy mill momma a local rescue saved.
     
  13. Wehrwolfen

    Wehrwolfen Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    I just read that PETA euthanizes healthy puppies.

    http://hotair.com/archives/2016/03/...s-healthy-puppies-but-dont-ask-them-about-it/
     
  14. Phoebe Bump

    Phoebe Bump New Member

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    My s-i-l adopts rescued greyhounds. They are terrific dogs as long as you don't ask 'em to do anything, and they are dumber'n the day is long. Mellow and loving in the extreme.
     
  15. perdidochas

    perdidochas Well-Known Member

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    It's all a matter of taste and personality. I can't stand most bird dogs (like Labradors). We just don't get along. I get along well with shepherd type dogs. Best dog I ever owned was an Australian Cattle Dog/Australian Shepherd mix. Currently, I own the goofiest dog I've ever owned--a Boxer (we get along well, they are just goofy as a breed).
     
  16. Ddyad

    Ddyad Well-Known Member

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    Airedales are very good. Did not eat any of my children Not inclined to be aggressive - ferocious when appropriate.
     
  17. cerberus

    cerberus Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    Here's a question for you doggy people: supposing you bought a puppy and when it matured, not only would it not stop barking, but the bark turned out to sound like the equalvalent of fingernails on slate, and causing you to reach the conclusion that you really can't stand it any longer. Would you have it de-barked, or put down?

    NB: I've given up waiting for an answer to my question earlier in his forum about when irresponsible doggy people step in some doo-doo, do they get as irritated as the rest of us, or just put it down to karma. :mrgreen:
     
  18. greatdanechick

    greatdanechick Well-Known Member

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    Neither. It's your responsibility to either seek out professional training or get it re-homed.

    People that do that make me NUTS! If someone doesn't like barking, fur, drool, digging or running... Don't get a dog. Dogs are not decorations to add to our homes. They are living breathing thinking creatures with personality. When you get a dog you can never guarantee it will behave in the exact way you dreamed up in your head. Sigh, but if a person already made the mistake of getting a dog when they shouldn't have, I would tell them to find a behaviorist and do some professional training. The dog will never not bark, but you can train it to stop at least.

    As a rescue volunteer what I tell people is to NOT buy a puppy if they have these concerns. But rather , if they are determined to get a dog anyway, adopt an older dog who is fairly trained up and needs little work. If you can go through a rescue that fosters that would be best because you get a lot more information about their behavior and personality.

    De-barking is cruel and euthanizing a dog for barking is like euthanizing a person for being an idiot. Don't like barking, don't get a dog. If someone already did, then do the dog a favor and find him a nice rescue who can place him with someone who understands dogs better.

    If this is a real situation, what breed of dog is it?
     
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  19. Shangrila

    Shangrila staff Past Donor

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    Being someone who rescued dogs, I must agree with GDC.
    Not all breeds and dog temperaments match up with all people and responsible dogs owners must know that before making a life long commitment. What looks cute on TV or in the pet store is not an ornament. It is a life. Takes responsibility for it. If you can't do that, don't get a dog.
    Too many dogs/pets are hurting, neglected, starving, breeding, sick, lonely, because of irresponsible people.
    When you do take the step to adopt a dog into your family, know that it needs food, love, training and discipline. Dog behavior is a direct reflection of the pet owner, not the dog.
    No one will blame a person for not wanting a dog/pet if he/she can't commit. But please don't blame an innocent animal for a person's mistakes.
     
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  20. cerberus

    cerberus Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    No, it isn't a real situation: the thought occurred to me when I was being barked at (honestly the crap I have to put up with from doggy people as I go about my peaceful way! Often it ends in contretemps. 'Can't you see your dog jumped up at me and now my trousers are covered in mud?' 'Oh but he's only a puppy.' Jesus effing wept! That kind of thing.) in such a way as I can only describe as the dog's vocals needing some lubricant.

    Your reply is an interesting and thoughtful one, and while I agree that it's a bad idea to spontaneously buy 'a cuddly little bundle of fur' (they don't seem to understand it won't stay that way!! :roll: ), I don't really understand why you think debarking is 'cruel'? At least the owner, who in all likelihood has become fond of the dog, would be able to keep it, and I understand the procedure is perfectly painless.
     
  21. greatdanechick

    greatdanechick Well-Known Member

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    How do you know it's not painful? How does anyone really? You can't ask them. I think it's cruel because barking, howling, yelping etc are part of normal dog communication and natural behavior. I certainly would rather someone get the dog de-barked than euthanize it for barking. However, the perfect scenario would be that people stop choosing dogs based on their looks and cuteness and rely solely on their typical breed behavior. Example, I had a neighbor growing up who had three Pomeranians he left outside for hours. These dogs NEVER stopped barking. After enough complaints they had two de-barked. Anyone who has ever read anything about dog breeds knows that Pomeranians are well known barkers and yappers. Certainly there are exceptions, but if you have to leave them unattended for hours on end... that is about the worst breed to get. So why did those idiot neighbors keep buying them? They liked their look, they're cute. STUPID.

    People need to research what they are getting into before getting the dog. Getting a hound then being irritated it howls is totally the owner's fault. Hounds are bred to bellow, and to expect it not to is setting the dog up for failure. Again, there are exceptions but when researching breed behavior, go with the statistics.

    As to the jumping and getting your dirty example, that drives me nuts too and I'm a dog person. Dogs need to know manners, and if they don't then they shouldn't be in public. If someone doesn't want to spend time training and socializing their dog that's their choice, but then it needs to stay home.
     
  22. cerberus

    cerberus Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    Ah well, that's doggy people for you. I find doggy people are inherently a bit er, flaky; indeed I'm totally unable to get on the same 'wave length' as they're on. That's not to say they aren't nice people though. I mean you seem reasonable enough by admitting that those Pomeranians needed to be de-barked. I don't think a typical dog lover would agree with you; in fact I think they'd bash you on the head at the very idea. Actually, as a sidebar, I reckon that when those Poms first opened up to bark post-op but nothing came out, they probably all thought they'd gone deaf? :mrgreen:

    I personally don't believe that a dog would develop any psychoses if it were de-barked, but then using your own words above, 'how does anyone really know? You can't ask them.'; although I'd qualify that by paraphrasing it to 'You can ask them but don't expect them to tell you.'

    At last I've encountered one - a reasonable and rational dog lover. Well met, greatdanechick. [​IMG]
     
  23. LiveUninhibited

    LiveUninhibited Well-Known Member

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    There are a few veterinarians in my family and my mom showed/bred a few different breeds of dogs, but mostly small hounds. I think each breed has its own challenges, and while breeds have tendencies each dog is an individual. I had a chiweenie who was very smart and social, nothing like the chihuahua/dachshund stereotypes except she was very hard to house train. I think yellow labs are, on average, the best in terms of being friendly companions and having mostly good traits with few disadvantages. As far as small dogs go, I'd go with a french bulldog or boston terrier. My mom did show pugs a little, so I like them, but they're often really hyper.

    I don't currently have a dog, and it eats at me but I feel I don't have time for one. My fiancee has a cat, and he's a very sweet cat, but I just don't get the same kind of comfort from cats. Particularly when they show their affection by gently poking their claws into your lap.
     
  24. cerberus

    cerberus Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    I find that really strange. I like dogs in their place, but I'm not obsessed with them. Genetic I suppose. My sister's obsessed with them; in fact most women are, for some reason.

    Yes, now I think about it, in my walking pastime I notice that for every 1 male dog walker there are 10 females.
     
  25. greatdanechick

    greatdanechick Well-Known Member

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    I don't think the dogs should have been de-barked, I think the idiot people should quit buying yappy dogs or keep them indoors. They still make noise after being de-barked, it's just quieter and more like coughing or hacking.

    Haha high five to you too ;) It really is ridiculous when people let their dogs be rude to other people or dogs. It seems to usually be because "they're just so friendly" or because "that's how they say hi." Screw that. If your dog is out in public it better be well behaved, or leave it home! Biggest pet peeve is dogs off leash in leash-only areas! Ahhhh!
     

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