Expanding my doggy search *advise needed

[jaded]

ouch, thats a pretty good vet bill!!!

[CD]

Dog breeds I've owned, and comments:

Poodle - smart dogs, but seem to be apt to "mounting" anything with 4 legs...or a bi-ped that isn't moving fast enough. :roll :lol Ours lost his life to the German Shepard after launching himself off patio furniture to reach the Shepard's back...Shepard didn't care for that too much needless to say. :(

German Shepard - very faithful dog - very protective dog. Smart as could be, and would protect me from any perceived harm at all costs. Sheds a lot in the Spring (fairly thick winter coats). Full breeds are prone to degenerative back problems from being bred to have their hindquarters lower than their shoulders.

Irish Setter - pretty and sweet, but dumb as a doorknob.

Cocker Spaniel - (I had an English cocker, not an American...same basic size and shape, but with a bit less hair) One of the most loving dogs I have owned. Smart too. The hair/coat upkeep can seem intimidating, but if you buy yourself a good pair of shears, you will quickly become an expert doggie hairdresser - seriously - it's easy! Even if you mess up once or twice, the hair will grow back LOL. It's just like giving a human a burr haircut, only NEVER go against the growth direction of the hair, and you'll do just fine! These dogs are SO loving, and will follow you anywhere...great lap-dogs and wonderful with children.

English Bulldog - generally great dogs (ours went rogue/Alpha on us, and had to be put to sleep, but before he reached full maturity, he was a great dog). If you plan on spending the money for a bully, make SURE you buy from a reputable breeder, and view BOTH parents before buying...I think this is where we messed up...never got to see the father, and the female was friendly but VERY rambunctious. Be ready to plunk down some serious bucks for a quality family dog. Bullies are VERY suseptible to overheating, and let me tell you - it's scary when it happens. They are also prone to skin irritations due to moisture in the folds of their skin, and you HAVE to stay on top of regularly wiping out the folds with a drying agent and a soft cloth or cotton balls. These are indoor dogs in the South during the warm/hot months - NO exceptions. We let ours out long enough to do his business, then RIGHT back into the air conditioning. Walks were only for days when the temps dropped below 70 degrees. They also drool a lot, and snore quite loudly - LOL - don't even get me started on the puddles of water from the drinking bowl to wherever they trundle off to afterwards. GREAT dogs, but rather high upkeep.

Brussles Griffon - amazing little dog of the terrier family. Quite smart, easy upkeep, loving. Males are harder to potty train than females. Very sensitive, in that they get their feelings hurt easily. Love to be with their human 24/7 and are so cute, they make you want to spoil them rotten (LOL - mine is SO spoiled). Will keep you laughing with their quirky personalities, and they are "talkers" - IOW, love to comment in doggie language when they have an opinion - which is often. Fur is easy to take care of - I keep Blix (my Griffy) trimmed rather short in the summer with the shears, and brush him about three times a week. They are short snouted dogs, but don't seem to have the problems with heat like Bullies do.

Pug - totally AWESOME doggie!! Loving, sweet disposition, smart, etc....all the good things you would want in a dog. They do shed quite a bit, but their total devotion and sweet disposition TOTALLY make up for having to vacuum a lot. The folds in the skin around their face have to be wiped out (just like a bully), and some are prone to problems with their eyes - although we've never had any problems with our pug's eyes. Also, have to watch out with overheating on especially hot summer days, but not NEARLY as suseptible as a bulldog. I've been told by breeders that the fawn pugs generally seem to have a sweeter disposition than the black pugs FWIW.

Good luck in your search!

W.

[M.A. Smith]

Pug - totally AWESOME doggie!! Loving, sweet disposition, smart, etc....all the good things you would want in a dog. They do shed quite a bit, but their total devotion and sweet disposition TOTALLY make up for having to vacuum a lot. The folds in the skin around their face have to be wiped out (just like a bully), and some are prone to problems with their eyes - although we've never had any problems with our pug's eyes. Also, have to watch out with overheating on especially hot summer days, but not NEARLY as suseptible as a bulldog. I've been told by breeders that the fawn pugs generally seem to have a sweeter disposition than the black pugs FWIW.

Seconded. I've been through many dogs growing up and as an adult, and I have finally become a Pug convert. Just can't say enough about their disposition. Mine tend to sleep 20 hours out of the day, but they're also getting a litter older. :(

Negatives: Snore like chainsaws and the aforementioned shedding.

Positives: Fairly easy to train, great around children, cute as bugs.

[jaded]

I've been around pugs for most of my life too but I think Im going to go with a slightly bigger breed this time around

[wkopplin]

A friend of mine adopted a lab/beagle mix. You talk about a cool dog, about 2/3 the size of a normal lab, all yellow like a lab with the white streak on the forehead and a beagle head. Absolutely the nicest dogs I have ever seen. Very sweet, not hyper. Not sure where exactly you would find one though. Maybe we should start a new breed.


I personally like Mastiffs, but that might be a little big. Mine is only around 203 lbs. As far as demeanor, they do not like crowds, but love their family. They are very protective, but not dangerously so, very loyal and very calm after about 18 months of age. Vet bills really suck, I mean REALLY. Mine is 10 years old, which is ancient for a Mastiff. Did mention that the vet bills are not fun?

Rhodesian Ridgebacks are great dogs too.