Doggie style.................

[Pete]

:doh: What were you expecting you dog

Are you a dog lover ? What’s your favorite breed. I’m thinking about getting another dog in the next month or so. I’ve never owned a pure bread dog. I’ve had two mutts, which I had outstanding luck with. My first when I was four, Bugle, a Beagle, American Pit Bull mix that lived nineteen years. Then came Delilah. A German Shepherd, Malamute mix who was with me for thirteen years. They both had exceptional temperaments, and were very active into their later years.

There’s a few breeds I like. I haven’t hunted in years, but love hound dogs. Weimaraner’s and German short hair pointers are high on my list, just below Black & Tan Coon hounds, Blue Tic hounds, and my all time favorite hounds, the Blood hound. A big, wrinkly, floppy eared, slobbering critter named "Putty Dog" would be cool. :cool:

After having the mix breed, I wouldn’t mind a Malamute or German Shepherd, but the heat down here is rough on the Malamute’s. Beagle’s are good dogs, but to small for my taste. I’ve heard that pure bread dogs don’t live as long as mutts. Don’t know if that’s a myth or not but it does stick in the back of my mind. I’m also a proponent of adopting from shelters or other agencies. Both of my dogs were pound puppies. I would never even think of a pet store.

The prices are off the wall on most of the common breeds, never mind the less common ones. English Bulldogs, and Dogue De Bordeaux (Turner & Hooch) start at fifteen hundred duckets. Blood Hounds start at about seven hundred, Shepherds, Black & Tan’s, and Blue Tic’s around five.

You don’t hunt down here without dogs, and I’ve found an animal rescuer in my area who mainly deals with Blood hounds. I don’t intend to get back into the sport, but have seriously considered joining a volunteer search team if I get a hound or Shepherd.

If your a dog lover, and want to check out some rare breeds.

http://www.rarebreed.com/

[Brave]

Talk about having to switch gear. Rarely have I been so disappointed when getting to a post after seeing such an appetizing title.

I am a dog lover even though I haven't had many. Had a Beagle (Tim) as a youth and a Schnauzer (Maximillion) as a teen.

Hate cats, though.

[RiggoRanger]

I have a Keeshond, my first dog (I was always a cat person, our family when I was younger always had a cat), and they are the smartest, sweetest, funniest and most gentle breed of dog. I am so glad I got him, a truer companion can't be found.

Kesshonden are more suited for cold weather, they have two layers of fur, and they don't do well in the heat. I did live in Myrtle Beach for a year with him, and he was OK, but he didn't spend much time outside! They are very athletic dogs and place well in obstacle course contests and frisbee catching, but they are not a hunting dog (they would rather play with the rabbits than hunt them!). Oh yea, they are great with kids too, and actually can be used as seeing eye dogs (their intelligence level is quite high).

[CounterTre]

I'm a Rottweiler fan. I've owned Hunting dogs and mutts as well, but never had a dog as loyal and enjoyable to be around as my Rott. I've also made my share off of breeding as well so the breed has been good to me Here's my pride and joy Ramble ...

[Pete]

That's a fine looking dog Riggo. A friend up north has a Keeshond, and it was a very enjoyable animal to be around. That dog would chase a frisbee all day,and then want more.

Counter, your pic isn't up. I like Rotties, but I do worry about temperment a little with them. We wind up with a slew of kids in the yard on a regular basis, and from what I've read in more then one place, they can snap with out reason with kids. I have been around them a bit with out any problems. I do feel that temperment has a great deal to do with it's enviroment and upbringing.

[OrangeSkin]

I have a Cairn Terrier. Moreso the family dog, but he's a cute little fellow.

[Terry]

I had an English Sheepdog a while back - Zeke. It was probably the most intelligent, independent, and laid back dog I've ever known.

It didn't seem to need attention from people, in fact, too much made him cranky. He could take or leave most people and he found most kids annoying.

At the barn where we kept our horse, he took on a doberman and german sheperd pair that thought they ran the place, and kicked their asses without getting a scratch on himself. It was like he knew doggy kung fu. Whenever they saw him coming they would slink away.

Yet he was completely non-aggressive. He never went looking for trouble, and he ignored people and other animals.

I talked to other sheepdog owners and basically they experienced pretty much the same thing. If you want a dog that worhips the ground you walk on, don't get a sheepdog. But if you like an intelligent dog that can find his own entertainment, then you should check them out.

They do require a lot opportunity to exercise, and they never seem to wear out. And they like cold weather. Zeke didn't like being in the house most of the time, and even preferred sleeping in the snow.

They're babe magnets, but they don't want that kind of attention, so you gotta act fast

[Tommy-the-Greek]

I was thinking about starting a dog thread last night watching the dog show. I am glad you did. I am a big German shepherd nut. I have had one every year of my life and usually in pairs. I am on my 5th and 6th now. My female is a 4yr. old all german line German Shepherd. She was born in Austria. She is registered in 4 countries. I had to go thru the NY kennel club to get her. My male is an american line German shepherd. American line is bigger and more aggressive and more prone to hip displasia and stomach problems then the German line. After WW2 germany bred the breed for intelligence and workmanship while america bred for size and aggressiveness. My male weighs 116 lbs and the female weighs 84lbs. The female is much smarter then the male, but the male is one hell of watchdog.

[Pete]

I also watched the show last night Tommy. Ya wanna talk Shepherd nut. The woman who did my second dogs training took out an equity loan on her house to by her dog Bill (Willhelm) for around fifty five grand, if I remember correctly. He was one of the top stud dogs in the US if not the top. Her name was Lynn something, out of Danbury CT, and she trained most of the dogs for Fairfield County police. She had three dogs, that were the most impressive dogs I’ve ever been around. If I could get my nine year old to behave as well as her dogs, I’d be ahead of the game. What caught me off guard at first was the size of the dogs. The largest tipped the scales at about seventy five pounds. Bill nailed a prowler in their yard one night. The guy must have swung at the dog with something. The dogs were trained not to grab or bite a cornered person unless threatened. Needless to say, when the cops showed, they knew she wouldn’t be happy, but informed her the dog would have to be impounded being it bit the guy. They didn’t impound the dog after she asked them if they really wanted to take full responsibility for a dog of that value.

My Shepherd, Malamute mix looked like a Shepherd pretty much. Good enough to show according to the trainer. I love watching the shows to see the dogs, but not into that end of dog ownership personally. Companionship, and security is all I look for from a dog. When I was a kid in Catholic School, a penguin told me that dogs have no soul, and didn’t go to heaven, and I told her it wouldn’t be heaven without dogs there. Of course, she pounded the shlitz out of my knuckles with a pointer in front of the class, and put me in the coat closet for what seemed like half the day. Didn’t like Catholic School much, but I do love German Shepherds.

[baralufficus]

i am a pit bull fan

[gbear]

My girlfriend just had a beagle from the SPCA. The dog was a total Dr. Jeckle and MR. Hide case. It appeared to be the most affectionate creature on earth most of the time, but the moment it got into something it shouldn't or didn't want to do something, it would bite and snarl at whoever tried to get it back. It bit a 6 year old girl as she tried to get her toy back. After numerous bites while trying to get the dog to go to its cage, it finally just out and out attacked my girlfriend. We ended up having to give it back to the SPCA just 2 months after she got it :-( Personally, I think the dog was abused before we got it. I have to say that giving up a dog that is loving most of the time after 2 months was really difficult.

We've decided the next dog should be a Boston Terrier. They're ugly to the core, but their temerment is supposed to be awesome. I'm hopeful. My girlfriend really needs a dog. Because she works nights, she often wants to sleeep the entire day away, but having a dog gets her up and moving every day to say nothing of the joy of having a loving companion. Anyway, we're checking out the local rescue league.

[Pete]

That’s to bad gbear. Beagles are normally known to have great temperament’s, and very good with kids. Sounds like a dog my sister once had. Nicest dog you could meet, but he would get wound up playing, and would snap. She had gotten him at about eight months. He had distemper as a pup, and the vet said that was the cause of his vicious behavior. The vet actually suggested putting him down, but my sister wouldn’t even consider it. We dealt with our "Jeckle Hyde" dog for almost a year, and countless attacks. He was about a fifty pound mutt, and he attacked me one day. Four nice holes in my calf, and one big lump on his head where the broom handle cracked him. You never knew what to expect. Between that, and the fact that he and my dog were constantly fighting for the title of dominant male, my parents insisted the dog go.

When training my second dog, I was very careful to make sure she knew who was boss. It’s much easier with young puppies. In thirteen years, she growled at me twice. I would regularly take her food bowl away while eating. She was about ten months old when she decided to growl at me, which I replied with a swift smack in the snout, and the problem was solved. After that, I could open her mouth and take food from it if I wanted. The other time, she was doing her job. I came into the house in full cammo, and grease paint. When she spotted me, she thought I was an intruder, and if I hadn’t said her name real quick, she would have been on me. She never struck me as an intimidating dog till that night, even though she weighed in at about ninety five pounds, I guess I took it for granted being she was so gentle, and well tempered.

I understand the pain of giving them up. I had to have her put down about three weeks ago. Heartbroken is an understatement. The single hardest decision I have ever had to make, and one of the worst days of my life. She was about four years old in the pic above, and nothing but a pleasure from the day I got her.

I like Pit Bulls Baralufficus, but my wife would never even give one the slightest consideration, and she’s right to be honest. There not suited for groups of kids IMO. It’s a shame that they have such a bad rep. I been around many that are great pets, but have also seen the other side. Depends on how you train them I guess. There extremely common down here. They use them for hog hunting a lot. There was a big to do here a few months back, when two pits got loose and tore through the screen on a house to get at a small dog on the lani. They literally tore the dog apart. That could have been a kid on the lani.

[Die Hard]

I've always purchased purebreds. I usually scout kennels before purchasing so I kind of know what I'm getting into.

I owned a Siberian Husky "Spirit". Absolutely GREAT dog. Unfortunately, that breed can chew threw steel and he was too strong for his own good. Escaped and got hit by a car.

My next dog was a Golden Retriever named Jenny. Absolutely positively the best dog any owner could ever wish for. One pitfall... boy did she love attention. When she was around me... the most behaved and well-mannered dog. But god forbid there's someone else within sight... she HAD to command their attention and I was an afterthought. Try apologizing to parents of young kids and the elderly when you're 100 lb Golden comes rushing at them at full bore jumping into their chest. She was being playful mind you... but strangers don't see it that way.

Unfortunately, my fiance and I moved to a city that made it virtually impossible to own pets... and we had to give her away to a family. Miss that dog every day though.

And finally... I purchased a black American ****er Spaniel named Tucker. By far the dumbest dog I've ever known. The friggin dog loved eating it's own sh!t. Never listened or learned any commands; he did his own thing. And timid as all hell... didn't like to be touched. And Jesus H. Christ when we left him at home in the apartment within minutes you could hear him in the parking lot howling the most awful screech you could ever imagine. I detested that dog and was exhilarated the day I actually had somebody offer to take the creature from me.

We use to keep him in a kennel overnight... and once he was up... he do this whole tasmanian devil in a wooden cargo box thing and rattle that thing until you got up to let him out. You couldn't sleep through it if you tried.

And when I lived at my inlaws when we were in transition... I sweat to God all he did was lodge on to the back of their family log and start thrusting his hips against a dog 3x his size. That's all he did 24/7 for 3 weeks until we were given an ultimatum to have him fixed. He was one dog I'd hunt for sport.

We'll own a dog again. Without a doubt it'll be another Golden Retriever.

[Pete]

Golden Retrievers, black, brown, or yellow Lab's are my fall back dogs. There in the top five for family pets for good reasons. Because of price, I have a feeling I'll wind up with Lab. There the perfect dogs for FL. Love the water, great temperament, and good tracking ability for search dogs or hunting.

My dog was a jumper when she was younger, and I was lucky to break her of it. The first time my parents met the dog, she launched herself from a full gallop, and shot my dad across the room. With him flat on his back, she stood on his chest with her front paws licking his face. In her prime, she would jump a five foot retaining wall without touching it, and was one of the biggest frisbee dog you'd ever see.

[Om]

I'm here to defend beagles. Actually, Beagle Harriers. Ours is a pound pup we picked up when he was around 3 or 4 (he's pushing 15 now). At first, I just though he was an unusually large beagle, but happened upon a pic of a Beagle Harrier (semi-rare breed from the UK - don't ask me how he ended up in Woodbridge, VA in a pound) at one point – and it's him.

He's a 45 lb. chunk with broad shoulders and a bit bigger head than purebreds. Unfortunately, his brain did not apparently take advantage of the extra space. Loyal and faithful and loving he is ... quick-witted he is not. He's stubborn, slow to learn new parameters, and a remorseless scavenger (smell the food, eat the food) ... BUT ... he is also, by far, the most gentle and tolerant animal I've ever known.

He's let each our 3 kids do things unto him for the last 10 years that you would figure would have him chewing their brain pans long ago. His patience and willingness to be ridden, rolled, dressed up, slid, spun, wrapped, soaked, poked, awoken, de-boned (as in "look Daddy I have Major's bone!") and otherwise abused apparently knows no bounds.

The old guy is deteriorating fast at this point, having all kinds of physical problems ... but through it all, he remains gentle and willing to be manipulated endlessly by my wife and I and the vets. His demeanor and behavior towards the children has not been affected one bit by the pain he's often in from his arthritis and disc problems ... and for that I hold him in high regard.

It won't be long now before we have to put him down, both for his own comfort and fear that his personality may change because of pain and make him a danger to the kids. Fact is, it'll be one of the hardest things I've ever done. He's been a rock.

*

This isn't actually him, but it's his spitting image:

[fansince62]

i like the kind you dash with mustard and ketchup, pile onions on, as you're rounding through the ninth hole!

[TheKurp]

I'm a Golden Retriever guy thru and thru. There are basically, and unofficially, two types of goldens bred by professional breeders; field and show. Field-bred goldens are typically smaller, darker in color, and highly driven with a lot of energy. These dogs are good for hunting and competing in the agility ring. Show-bred goldens tend to be larger, lighter in color with a heavier coat, and pretty much couch potatoes after the age of 5. They're basically bred for the show ring, or conformation if you will. All professionally bred goldens have excellent temperaments and are great with kids. They also tend to have fewer health problems such as hip displaysia, OCD (elbow problems), and heart disease.

Sadly, given the popularity of goldens, most goldens today come from backyard breeders. These are the one's you'll find advertised in newspapers and sold in pet stores. Backyard breeders and puppy mills are the sole reason for the widespread health problems associated with goldens today.

Professionally bred goldens don't come cheap. I have a 9 year old that I paid $800 for. I also have a 1 1/2 year old that I paid $1000 for. Both come from conformation lines. The picture is about a year old so the little one, Shaggy, is about 55 lbs now. The older one, Irie, weighs 75 lbs.

[TheKurp]

Admins: If you're reading this contact me. I think I've found a bug in the software.

As a result I've had to include the image on a separate post.