We are looking for a puppy. I made a comment recently that may have put some people off. I don't want a puppy with any Pit Bull in it. I know that lots of people have Pits and they think that they are great. I know I sound closed minded when I say that I'm avoiding that breed.
The fact is that I have two small children and I'm not willing to risk them in any way. I know that the vast majority of Pit Bulls are perfectly fine but whenever you hear a story about a sweet dog that turned on his owner and ate half his face off, that dog was a Pit Bull. That is a risk I'm unwilling to take with my children. Period.
On the subject of adult dogs. I'm a big believer of adoption from Rescues and the Humane Society. If I didn't have a baby in the house, I'd consider an adult dog. Really and truly I would. I'm not going to right now because I want a dog that doesn't have any "issues" that could come out if my kid pulls his tail a bit hard. I want a pup that I know has a natural affinity for children. I want to raise him myself because I'm damn good at raising well behaved and well loved dogs.
If our kids were older or grown, I'd definitely be looking for an adult dog because housebreaking is a pain in the ass.
R.I.P. Steven Malcolm Anderson
As for pits, I just don't trust the breed. I am sure that there are any number of owners that have never had a problem, but the risk of being one of the lucky ones is just not worth it.
I vote for a rott!
Tell me again -- how big a dog do you want?
Rose, as for your reasons, I didn't mean to sound like I was attacking you for them. I was just giving my opinion - you need to do what's best for your family. All the reasons you listed are great reasons, just not what we used. :D
My dad was a German shepard and husky guy, but kept them outside. Too big for indoors. Pointers like to roam, but are indespensible if the guys like to hunt. Labs, setters and retievers are just about as big as I'd go for house dogs. If you don't mind wearing out your vacuum, spitz and mini collies are lovely, cuddly and just the right size. Rots, pits and dobermans are ideal for protection, but while decent trainable animals, they simply weren't bred to be the family pet.
Stay away from poodles, big or small, or anything with "toy" in the name, anything hairless or yippy, and forget about a Jack Russel terrier getting along with any other animal you might get/have. Most terriers are pretty smart, a little small for my taste, but don't hold a candle to a good retriever when it comes to fetching frisbees or golf balls.
I had a champion schnauser, great little dog, smartest animal I ever knew, doesn't shed; and I had a grand champion vizsla (Hungarian pointer), huge dog, very interesting short haired breed, but I wouldn't trade either for the mutt I've had for the last 15 years -- white lab/terrier mix -- for sheer loyalty, obedience and his great attitude (and fetching golf balls). We got him as a puppy before my daughter was born, and because they grew up together he has the best disposition with kids, including my grandson who can just plain abuse the dog without us fearing for the boy's safety.
Ted's right, though. Labs shed like crazy, even if you cut their hair for the summer. I'm on my sixth vacuum cleaner since we got him and if we go one day in spring without running it, it looks like we didn't clean for a week.
My last dog was 110 lbs, that seems like a good size to me. I'm looking at 50-100lb range.
Ted,
We went today and found a Lab/Shep mix that the boys just loved. Dean and I are still trying to decide if we are truly ready for the commitment.
Rhianna,
I know you weren't attacking me, I just felt the need to clarify for all the Pit lovers out there. I'm really protective of my pets and I assume everyone else is too. I didn't want to seem like I was crapping on the breed.
Hey, that could be why I like Shep (even though he has BDS)....
That made me pause for a second while I thought "Mark's dad was a dog?" Then for another second while I thought "Funny, I didn't know that Adams was a German name. But how cool that his dad looked after sheep?"
Then I read on.
This post is also a sad reminder for me. Yesterday I just gave my dog (Lab/Border Collie mix) back to her previous owner. It just wasn't fair for me to keep her as I am gone a lot during the day and she is gets terribly lonely.
Every time I come in from outside I forget and expect to see her on the other side of the door. When I rustle dishes or put something in the micro, I wonder for a moment why she isn't behind me looking to see if I am making food. When I got up this morning I caught myself going to the door to let her out.
I know I will get over it because as much as I loved her, I am one who conciders a pet a lovable companion, not one who concider them a member of the family. Still living alone it's lonely. The best part is she is only three blocks away and I can visit her anytime.
Dude, you've been cracking me up something fierce lately.
Animal Planet also has several subsites with information on how to pick, where to adopt and such. :D
Hey, I was serious, I had one of those slightly "am I hallucinating?" moments.
A few years back, I was driving with my daughter, age about 9 at the time, when I noticed that the woman driving the car ahead of us was wearing a headscarf worn in a way that made her silhouette appear to be a German Shepherd, ears and all. I said to my daughter "Hey look," (pointing), "they're letting dogs drive cars now."
She still guilts me out with this as one of the most terrifying moments of her childhood.
Hey, that could be why I like Shep (even though he has BDS)....”
Well, I’m not that into dogs (so to speak). At least not recently – beauty being in the eye of the beholder and all.
Mark is right on mixed breeds – they generally make the best pets – and (somewhat) wrong on poodles; standard poodles are one of the smartest and most loyal purebreds and are not known as biters.
Just remember, regardless of whether it’s a Pit, Rotti, Shep, or a Chihuahua, all dogs will bite under certain circumstances. It’s the number one cause of childhood injury and boys are bitten more frequently than girls.
Look for a dog that is submissive but not fearful and start your social hierarchy and obedience training immediately. And have fun. Despite all the hassle, I don’t want to not have a dog in my life and all children should have the experience of caring for a pet.
http://www.perfectpaws.com/whytr.html
Better Democratic Sensibilities?
My last dog was a lab mutt and he was smarter than most people. He also was the coolest dog you ever met. 10 years after he died I still meet people who remember him and have no idea who I am. "I had that black dog." "I remember Max, who are you again?"
When I had him my sister had a 3 year old and a 6 year old. Max put up with everything they did. Heck, I used to tell the 3 yr old, "Meggie, go kick Max." He would give me a dirty look, let her kick him and then lick her face or walk away or just lay there and sigh.
Two kids hurt him bad. One was a roommate's kid who stayed with him on weekends. He was a horrible, mean kid. He bit Max and pulled on his hair and was generally mean. Max's revenge? One week he crapped in the kid's room the whole week. I mean, his toys were covered in crap and the room smelled horribly. It was hard to get angry at the dog because I knew the kid deserved it. He had a different tactic with the other kid who hurt him. Whenever the adults left the room he ate whatever food she had. That was absolutely hysterical.
Lab mutts are the way to go. They won't hurt you, they have a great bark and they are absolutely wonderful with kids.
Of course as puppies they are a tail, tongue and teeth so hide your shoes.