Breed of dog

[hatman]

What breed of dog do you like best and what dog would you get if you could have any you wanted

I love JRT and have had 2 in the past. I also love Labrador's i have a chocolate lab called Bonnie who is the most wonderful dog.
If my OH would let me i would have a Bassett Hound i just love them and had one when i was a child. My OH thinks they are ridiculous and wont let me have one.

[brindlerainbow]

I havent been without a Boxer for 28 years!!! Absolutely love them, they are hyper,disobedient,very affectionate and so cuddly!! I would aslo like English Pointer,German short haired pointer,deerhound,saluki,pharoh hound,hungarian vizla

[suzee]

Love our labradors, would love a Pug or a French Bulldog

[FF]

I have always had german shepards. Lovely, intelligent and loyal dogs. I would love a english bull dog. Just because I feel sorry for them. lol There ugly but not if you get me.

[amumwithapony]

Have a whippet Hats. My maggie dog is the best dog I have ever had! Shes funny, affectionate, very clever, energetic enough to play with the kids but equally happy curled up on OH having a snooze. Shes just naughty enough to keep us on our toes (apart from the fridgegate/poogate incident ) and very much part of the family now.

Shes also not very hairy either which is a bonus for my housekeeping skills! No inherent breed problems, big enough to satisfy OH's need to walk a 'proper dog' but small enough for the kids to hold on the lead without being pulled about. Shes also very, very pretty and attracts lots of attention when we go out and loves her friday nights as a pub dog with us. But if you leave your drink within sniffing distance she'll have it in a flash!

Also a bit partial to porkpies in the local 'old mans' pub where she has quite a following.

[viking]

I would rather like a Whippet, but also fancy a Border terrier. Always had terriers in the past.

[maudie]

French Bulldogs (I have three) I had a bernese mountain dog who was gorgeous, so thats my second choice

[maudie]

oh and pugs, got one of those to

[B_31]

weve had collies and now have a springer x collie


I love the cross (wasnt intentional - she was an accident off the neighbour lol) but shes a cracking little mutt


she does come with her problems tho (hip displasica and bad wrists)


I do intend to get a mini poodle next year and one day when i have the time... another merle BC

[kayjayem]

Standard Poodles. Fabulous dogs, extremely intelligent(second only to border collies according to one university study) lively, loyal, boisterous and very lovable. Fantastic house/guard dogs and brilliant with children. The only downside is that they are pretty high maintenance coatwise so after 3 standards I have now got a small labradoodle who is every bit as intelligent etc but has a lower maintenance coat and is more handy sized for my smallish cottage. Both of them are fit, lively, intelligent, loyal bouncy family members but maybe wouldn't suit anyone who didn't have "dog time" as they do need their excercise. You are never alone with a poodle/doodle!

[Milliesmum]

A c0ckerpoo. Bought for every reason APART from the name!!! She is affectionate, has huge personality, outgoing and friendly, brilliant with the kids and other dogs, great at communication (you always know EXACTLY what she wants), and is adored by everyone who meets her! Likewise she just knows how cute she is and uses it to her advantage!

[Milliesmum]

Oh and forgot to say I'd recommend one to anyone wanting a loyal friendly intelligent affectionate family pet - I'd have another one tomorrow except my OH won't let me!

[sarahp]

The trouble with a cross is that you can't guarantee which bits of each parent they will inherit - a pure breed will be much more consistent.

For example - a friend's elderly mother bought (yes a mistake) a lab x collie puppy, the type she'd had all her life, but this one turned out to be basically an energetic, intelligent collie brain in a large bouncing lab body, hardly ideal for her. A placid lab temperament in a smaller, lighter collie body would have been OK but it's difficult to tell which way they'll go at the small puppy stage unless you're into the special tests that I know collie trialling people use to assess them accurately.

[Milliesmum]

Unless it's a cross that's been popular over a good few years both here and in the US? Then you CAN research size/health/temperament etc. and be fairly sure of what you're going to get. I actually met a c0ckerpoo at a horse show when I wasn't looking for a dog, who was everything I liked in a dog, which then got me interested and looking for information on this particular cross. And she was and still is everything I expected her to be.

[sarahp]

A first cross is a first cross, regardless of how long it has been popular for. Of course if both parent breeds are very similar in many ways there is less room for variation. Or are you talking about a type that is many generations down the line, as labradoodles are now getting to be? And still those are very varied with many different coats - I met one yesterday which looked like a stolid lab with a wiry coat and different head, and we have friends with one that people who meet her thing is a lurcher, very lightweight.

We've done this one before Mm! The original question was about breeds, which was why I picked up on you. I have no doubt Millie is delightful and everything you want, but arguing from the particular to the general is not really a valid technique.

[nia2311]

Labradors - the most loyal, friendly and silly dogs in the world!

[Milliesmum]

Ever wish you'd just not bothered?

[brindlerainbow]

This thread isn't an argument about cross breed dogs. Its a thread about peoples favourite breed/type of dog which they like for whatever reason............

[Milliesmum]

I shall now retire gracefully from this thread, I don't feel the need to justify my personal choice to anyone.

[auntiebarb]

Border collies for me. I was born into a household with a hairy, escape artist collie who told you in good time if a storm was coming, he hated storms. Then in my teenage, I acquired a dumped border collie who became the toast of our village, escorting the post lady on her rounds, looking after her post bag whilst she visited the bookies, waited outside the post office for his payment of two chunks of chocolate and then came home. He went to Bloxwich on Wednesdays on the bus to visit a friend who accompanied his owner around the course, returning on the bus travelling to pick up the school children. How he managed to train the bus driver and conductor (remember those) I never found out, I just happened to find him waiting for a bus until the right one came along for him. I had to follow the bus until I could find out the above story. Laddie died at the ripe old age of 22, even then I had to take him to the vets (only second time) because he lost the use of his back half, but the front half was still working!

Then I had Patch, a Corries collie, the most wonderful companion, much loved in Staffordshire, Derbyshire and everywhere he ever went, with perfect manners and loving nature to all people, children, other dogs but especially horses.

[vikki85]

I've always thought the dog on your avatar is well cute milliesmum! I assume that's your c0ckapoo?

I have a Siberian Husky and she is the first husky I've had, although as a family we always had several large, energetic types of dogs at any one time. Huskies aren't the easiest of breeds, but when you've done your research and can give them the time and exercise they need they are fantastic dogs. Mine has such a good temeparent, she loves all people and absolutely adores kids. She is great with other dogs, very playful, however cannot be let of the lead around livestock as they have a high prey drive and she just loves to chase!

I think some people think they are impossible to train but given the right time and energy (like any other breed) they can be very obedient and great companions. I'm currently trying to persuade the OH to let me get a husky friend for her from a rescue but currently he's not having any of it

[nia2311]

We also had a welsh Rough Collie - he was a fab dog, but also liked to chase so we had to be careful with him in the open countryside. Gwyn was my Mum's dog though. Our Labrador, Sam, was my dog. I couldn't get another dog after he died because it just wouldn't be the same. He died 12 years ago now but I still have a photo of him on my dressing table. Labradors all the way for me

[Tywood]

I've got a lovely, loyal Border terrier, I love Old English Sheepdogs and if I didn't have a bad back I would still have them (used to breed,show & judge them) they have wonderful temperaments, love children and are real 'nanny' dogs, they need a lot of grooming due to their flamboyant coats and that's what my back can't take anymore, hence not owning any now,IMO I don't see the point in having one of these beautiful dogs if you are going to keep their coats clipped.

On the 'cockerpoo' issue, I have a Friend who breeds F1 cockerpoo's who are all breeding to a 'type'. She is very knowledgeable about the bloodlines used and has a waiting list for her puppies.

[sarahp]

It did say breed brindlerainbow, not type. It's usually me that's guilty of not sticking to the original topic of the thread and I quite rightly have been told off for it but not guilty this time!

We always had collies for working the sheep and cocker spaniels for cuddling but then changed tack and one of our current dogs is a rescue saluki - or what appears to be a pure saluki, as he was a stray we have no history. A really beautiful, elegant, gentle and loving dog but I must admit not easy to own as he jumps 6' fences, chases anything that moves, not just rabbits and squirrels but ponies and sheep and doubtless deer.... and doesn't come back when called if he has something better to do - like chasing something. Not that bright though! Lots of other issues too, I think many adopters would have sent him back but I couldn't have done. One very lucky dog!

[vikki85]

Mar 19, 2012 12:11:35 GMT sarahp said:

chases anything that moves, not just rabbits and squirrels but ponies and sheep and doubtless deer.... and doesn't come back when called if he has something better to do - like chasing something.

This sounds very familiar! lol. I said in my previous post that huskies can be obedient but forgot to add have to be very careful when letting off the lead as if something else far more interesting than me catches her attention I may as well not exist! Sounds like saluki's have similar traits!

[sarahp]

Being sighthounds though they don't actually need as much exercise as huskies but are very happy kipping on the sofa - or a bed will do, they're very bony so need their comforts! We took him to puppy training classes and the teacher loved him - as a challenge I think! He was a very damaged dog, thin, scarred, terrified of most things and obviously been both kicked and hit with something held in a hand, you could tell from his reactions, and one reason we took him was to widen his experience. He did learn everything at the classes - but very much in his own time. The only thing he would not do is go through a tunnel, we did a bit of agility for fun. But said she didn't think he'd ever lose the prey instinct enough to be reliable out loose so has to be walked on a long lead. He responds well to whistle in the house but I wouldn't count on it outside.

If you had another husky perhaps you could do that sled/trolley racing with them - OH might enjoy that! Or do you need about 12 rather than 2?

[vikki85]

No you can easily do it with 2! Yes, he might rather like that, it's a manly enough sport to catch his interest I think! Lol. He loves Maya now but would never have chosen to have a dog as unlike me he grew up in a pet free house. Unfortunately for him, me and Maya came as a package lol. But he's very good with her considering he's not a dog person. He likes to wrestle with her on the floor lol

[CarolineNelson]

Minature Smooth haired Dachshund. No contest!

[sarahp]

I grew up in a pet free household too - but once I got the chance I took it and haven't been without two, sometimes three dogs ever since. Wouldn't be without one. Eventually I will have a Caroline's choice though, since getting to know one belonging to a friend - well actually his mother but she had to go into a home - and hearing about the wonderful Teazle I've learned to appreciate them. No positions vacant currently though, and I'm just a bit worried rescue saluki might think lunch at something that small - he has nearly had a couple of terriers that shot under his nose, I'm sure he thought they were rabbits and the prey drive kicked in. He hasn't tried it with Slinky yet though, best name for a mini dachshund I've heard, love it.

[dazycutter]

silly setters every time for me .... ;D ;D ;D