What kind of dog is the best

sevsmom

My friend is a top quality (read champion quality) breeder of Labradors. Blacks, yellows, browns. . . even reds (I'd never heard of red before). A lot of my friends have purchased a dog from her and LOVE them. Health, temperment, conformity. All top notch. As she backs every single dog wtih a guarantee.

We got a rescue dog. . .beagle-bassett mix. He's loud, smelly, rude and well, rescued anyway. We won't be having another dog again, but if I would've thought about it long & hard. . .I'd have gotten one of my friend's labs!!

ironanimal

Labradors or a softmouth crossbreed.

gobraves47

Golden Retrievers have great dispositions and are adorable in every way. :happy:

taunto

used to own rot and doberman. Loved them both to death. However if you got little kids and stuff, I would say go with german shepherd. Don't get one of those tiny poodle type dogs, they're no fun! (biased opinion ofcourse

CoderGal

Meet my friend Bruno, the italian greyhound:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkI-jqyT2qQ

Try not to fall inlove

spoonful

Believe it or not, any dog that I got from a shelter or other nightmarish place has always been fantastic with everyone.

BOOKNHAND

I had a miniature schnauzer. He was the best.

Woodmangler

A rescued mutt makes you feel like hero

awill1122

A lab or golden retriever would be great. I have a lab-husky mix and she gets along great with other people and animals. There is a survey on animal planet's website that says which dog would be the best match for your lifestyle.

alarae

We have a two year old weimaraner. He is the best. We have three kids 11 and under and he has always been great with them. Our dog is a trained therapy dog too! He loves to run and my 11 year old often takes him with him.

lucky2too

I have had many different breeds of dogs, but my black lab was the sweetest, smartest and most social dog ever. She was not a "pure" lab and we got her at the shelter. My daughter rescued a shi zhu and Bella is a darling lap dog. I would love a dog like Bella, but since I retired I'm traveling too much...and much too busy. No room on the Harley for a puppy!

ALW65

Looking to a rescue group is an excellent idea - often the dogs are in a foster home and the fostering family can tell you much about the dog's personality.

I have two greyhounds (greyt hounds) now, and they're my first of this breed. The resuce group in my state (teamgreyhound.com) rescues the dogs from race tracks and then they go to a prison. The dog is paired up with an inmate who's gone through training in working with these dogs. They get the dog used to socializing and teach some basic commands. It's a wonderful program for both the dogs and the inmates, I think. Once they've 'graduated' they move to a foster home. They're checked to see if they're cat-safe and how they do with other dogs, children, etc.

Greyhounds are generally very calm dogs and are easy to be with. You will need a fenced yard as they're bred/trained to run and will usually takeoff like a bullet if given the opportunity. Mine were both completely accident free as they're used to keeping their home (their crate) clean. They need to go for walks on a leash, but don't require super long walks, tons of exercise, or running as many people assume.

No matter what breed you chose, or even a mutt, please do rescue - less cost for you, and so wonderful for the animal :flowerforyou:

chezileigh

Hi there, I run a pet dog training business with my husband, so see a lot of breeds, some with issues, many who are just pups starting out. It's right to say that any breed can be trained and socialised to be good with dogs and people (and other species) however there are some breeds who are particularly good for families definitely. Labs, always a favourite with kids, springer or cocker spaniels tend to be very good.

Any dog whether a puppy or rescue, needs a lot of stimulation to limit bad behaviours, physical stimulation is good, mental stimulation is equally as important (if not more).

Also breeding and early development is a very important factor in temperament. Puppies should be bred for a variety of qualities with temperament being at the top of the list, they should not be separated from the litter until 8 weeks at the very earliest, and as soon as they are fully vaccinated their socialisation and basic training should begin.

Good luck, enjoy your dog.

LisaEileen

Chows yeah what we've all heard about them. All the above breeds I have heard before are as described. I do know unless you exercise some dogs A LOT they'll go nutz. ie: Border Collies.... Irish Setters are said to be super good family dogs but anything I've ever read about them says they are well...... to be politically incorrect...... stupid. WoW. What a decision. Let us know what you end up with. I love the guy who said the best dog is "My Dog"

I'm laughing over here...It took 20 years to talk my husband into letting me have a dog. He insisted that the only dog he would want would be a Border Collie. We found a rescue place that had a Bordie Collie/Chow mix. We went to look at all the dogs they had and he was the dog that stood out to us the best. We could tell right then he was going to be awesome with our 6 year old who has autism. I knew what I was getting myself into with a Border Collie after doing the research. You're definitely right. He goes insane if I don't get him out for a daily walk. We had a few weeks of intense heat and there was no way I was going to take him out in that. He was not fun to live with. Very antsy and jumpy. But, he is the most loving dog I've ever met. He hardly ever barks. My 6 year old can be kind of rough with him at times and he has never snapped at her or anything. We're working on teaching her to be more gentle.

I agree with others who said to go to a rescue place and meet the dogs they have to see which one you think would fit your family.

ezrela21

I have a gs/akita mix. She's amazing, she loves my daugther, is very protective of her. She's not friendly to strangers, neither is she aggressive. She just ignores them, unless they get too close to the baby.
She loves to be active but doesn't go nuts if we end up just hanging around home for the day

McBully4

Corgi if that's not the cutest thing you've ever seen you don't have a soul.

KyliAnnHobson

You need a dog to match your lifestyle/energy level. I have a husky/boxer mix and a pitbull. I love them to pieces and they fit my lifestyle. Which is VERY ACTIVE. I bike my husky mix around the neighborhood and teach her new tricks and things all the time and I walk my pitbull and we cuddle in the evening.

Do your research and take your time. Rescue and love endlessly. My advice is to borrow/buy some books on how to decide what you are looking for in a fur baby and go from there. Think about what you can offer them and if it is good enough, what they deserve/want. You will find your match

This!

Heyyleigh

We have 5. 3 are resues. The one I will always have is a great dane! Its their personalities. People are right, you have to decide what you like, do your research, There are NO bad dogs, just bad humans that own the dogs. Good luck.

Musikelektronik

Boxer. You will not find another breed that is better with children and other animals. Ours is a joy, and so loving. They are also total clowns, and will have you laughing from day one. He's in my avatar, sitting still, wearing my sunglasses. He is amazing, and when he passes my wife and I are going to be inconsolable.

Agreed. We have a Boxer/American Bulldog mix, and she's really, really wonderful. She is sweet, loving, and has excellent house manners. We also have an English Bulldog that's really fun, too. But she hasn't been very good when it comes to house training.

txlissa62

I strongly recommend rescue. There are thousands of homeless dogs that need someone to love them. If you have a good rescue organization in your area, they can match you with a dog that meets your needs. You can also look on petfinder.com for rescue dogs in your area.