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Finding a family-friendly dog - UPDATE Pics First Post

The Menagerie
#1

She is getting spayed today and then she gets to come home Monday. We’re still up in the air about the name… I want to name her Kipper but Little FG is set on Daisy Rainbow. Oy.

Thanks again to everyone for the insight, information, and advice. I had a lot of people contact me about some really AWESOME dogs all over the country… if hubby hadn’t needed to meet the dog prior to coming home I would have jumped on quite a few of them!

Thanks again everybody!

I know there is a huge contingent of Dog People here on COTH so maybe you guys can give me some insight.

We are currently dog-less. We’ve started looking for a medium/large adult dog to add to our family. Live in the 'burbs, have a fenced in yard, and lots of opportunity for the dog to get out and about.

Of course I’ve tried Petfinder, local rescue websites, the local pounds. Lots of emails/calls but not often a response. I’m usually upfront about what we are looking for, what we can offer, and what kind of dog would suit our lifestule.

I’ve also tried contacting breeders (specifically Retriever breeds) to see if they have any older dogs that might need re-homing.

Not had much luck with pound puppies/rescues… Seems hard to find a dog that is a known quantity in terms of kids. Plus my hubby (all 6’3 and 250lbs of him) is quite timid around dogs, having been bit badly once, so we need something docile. Not had much luck with breeders… few have adults, some have puppies but want upwards of $1500-2000 for one (hubby won’t go for a dog that cost as much as my horse.)

Any ideas? I think we have a lot to offer… we’d like an adult, maybe we should just go the puppy route…?

Places to look that we haven’t yet thought of?

Maybe breeds I haven’t thought of that might be good with kids? (“off” beeds so to speak, beyond the typical Retriever…)

TIA!

#2

how much training are you willing to put into the dog? If you are willing to work through issues, Craigslist is another place to look. Like Petfinder, it’s chancy though.

Where are you? What exactly is your criteria?

#3

Boxer, Boxer, Boxer!

A medium sized dog, short haired, endless good humour, friendly, good with kids, energetic and fun. Adorable liquid eyes, a gaze to melt a heart of stone and very very intelligent and willing. Quick learners. Bred with typical German thoroughness!

There are poor examples of Boxers: hyper-active, rambunctious, etc.

We had two when I was young. My Mum adored her dog.

My daughter and her BF has one, exactly a year old. They adore her. They live in an apartment and she is very quiet and does not bark. Strangers are for loving. They are a young active couple and give her lots of exercise and we dog-sit her through the work day where we have tons of runabout space. But she is also good in the condo after her walk. In the off-leash park she is outward going and loves every dog out there.

Since she was a pup she’s never been allowed to do the Boxer thing of jumping up, so she doesn’t even try. She is adorable and everybody stops to pet her when out and about. She came at seven weeks and was housetrained almost immediately, as long as we picked up on her messages to go out.

Do I give the impression we love her? Even her snoring is cute!

#4

Have you tried contacting a rescue and giving them a specific list of the personality traits you are looking for (docile, great with kids, non-reactive, potty trained, healthy, etc.)? Even if they don’t have a good match they can keep your information on file and notify you when a good dog comes in. If you are willing to look at other breeds you might find a larger pool of potential dogs.

Unless you are buying a dog from a breeder I wouldn’t let a specific breed be an immediate red or green light. There are plenty of a-maz-ing pit or shepard mixes and plenty of unsuitable retrievers. Look for the individual over the breed and I’m sure y’all will find the perfect family member.

Keep us updated!

#5

Actually, Foxtrot, I would love a Boxer! It is a breed I am starting to consider, as I’ve yet to meet one I haven’t liked! I was concerned maybe they were too “hyper” but it seems many of them make wonderful family dogs. Been trying to find a breeder that is somewhat local but not much luck thus far.

Threedogpack, I’m in Western NY and basically temperament is the biggest thing. We want a dog that will be part of the family. We are willing to work on training providing the general kind disposition is there. There are several doggy daycares and good dog trainers nearby so we’ll definitely do some classes with any dog we bring home.

We are pretty active and like to walk, camp, and spend time in the yard. I’d love a dog I could take to the barn. We also get quite a lot of snow here, so there are times when outdoor activities are limited (as in, 3’ of lake effect snow in the yard and frigid temps so we don’t hang around outside for hours at a time.)

I’m home pretty much all the time, as I work out of my home office and we have two young kids, one 5 and one 18 months. So the dog would essentially be my constant companion.

I’m most used to Retriever types but like I said, would love other ideas. We had pound puppies growing up, most were Lab or Golden type crosses. Hubby and I had two Goldens when we got married. We lost the male to cancer and re-homed the female to a good friend, as she was desperately sad being an only dog.

Doggy would NOT be a toy for the kids… but it is imperative doggy likes the kids and everyone can get along nicely! :slight_smile:

#6

You are so right, and thanks for the reminder!!! :slight_smile:

#7

You’ve actually gone to your local shelter and tried a meet and greet with dogs you liked? If the dog isn’t an owner surrender (or even if they are) and their suitability with children is unknown, I can understand why the shelter may be unwilling to vouch for the dog, but certainly you can spend time with a likely candidate or two. Bring the baby in the stroller, see if the dog is nervous around it. If so, you don’t have to go any further. But if the dog isn’t bothered by it, go further. See if the shelters would let you take the dog home for a couple of days.

Nowadays, shelters are usually so full, they’re having to euthanize regularly, meaning you could go almost every week and see new faces. With the number of dogs being turned in EVERYWHERE your dog is out there.

#8

Absolutely what Foxtrot said. I could go on and on and on about our boxer but I’ll spare you all that, suffice to say they are a very good family dog. :slight_smile:

#9

I wish you were closer to me, I’m in Massachusetts. I am fostering a lovely adult female Rhodesian Ridgeback. There is absolutely NOTHING wrong with her, she’s just perfect in every way. Great with my kids, cats, other dogs…horses… I keep waiting for the shoe to drop. I have a sinking feeling if I don’t find her a home quickly, I’ll be having three dogs instead of two.

#10

Chism, RR’s are another breed I have been looking into! I’ve corresponded with the local rep of the RR rescue - Mid Atlantic and she has been wonderfully helpful. She was fostering a 1 year old Female that would have been a great fit for us, but she has a home pending. I contacted a local RR breeder but not heard back yet.

Where in MA are you? It’s only 8 hours… (did I REALLY just say that?!)

Kryswyn, I haven’t taken the kids with me to the shelter. Not a bad idea tho. I like to screen on my own first but maybe having the kids + apparatus (stroller) along will give me a better idea right off the bat of which dogs are going to be tweaked by the kids and which might be ok!

#11

I have Ridgebacks, and I love Ridgebacks. There are some very nice individuals out there, and it sounds like chism has a good one :slight_smile: There are also some VERY difficult dogs out there. I would caution you to evaluate each dog on it’s own and be especially guarded with this particular breed. I would absolutely NOT recommend a puppy for anyone who is not ready to do a lot of work and be 100% consistent across ALL members of the family when handling the dog. And if you are looking for a puppy, please be extremely careful and select a breeder who is experienced, selecting for temperament and screening for all genetic issues. (This ain’t going to come cheap, and you can expect to spend well over $1000 for a dog.)

Ridgebacks also really, really want to belong to one person and may not be the best fit if the dog is to be a communal “family” dog, as it can be frustrating for the dog and the people in that situation when the dog will only listen and respond to one person.

#12

[QUOTE=Simkie;5902379]
I have Ridgebacks, and I love Ridgebacks. There are some very nice individuals out there, and it sounds like chism has a good one :slight_smile: There are also some VERY difficult dogs out there. I would caution you to evaluate each dog on it’s own and be especially guarded with this particular breed. I would absolutely NOT recommend a puppy for anyone who is not ready to do a lot of work and be 100% consistent across ALL members of the family when handling the dog. And if you are looking for a puppy, please be extremely careful and select a breeder who is experienced, selecting for temperament and screening for all genetic issues. (This ain’t going to come cheap, and you can expect to spend well over $1000 for a dog.)

Ridgebacks also really, really want to belong to one person and may not be the best fit if the dog is to be a communal “family” dog, as it can be frustrating for the dog and the people in that situation when the dog will only listen and respond to one person.[/QUOTE]

Simkie, thanks so much for the additional information! I greatly appreciate it. The fact that it is a breed that may do better for a single owner is very good to know. Especially since my husband is rather inexperienced-- though very good hearted. He didn’t grow up with dogs and thus kind of lets a dog take the lead… if you know what I mean.

#13

I am the vp of a rescue called The London Sanctuary. go to petfinder, and put in zip code 32040.
If you are interested in any of the dogs let me know and i can get you more information on any of them. They are all great dogs being fostered in family homes.
I also have 2 Walker Hounds now that I am fostering, very sweet girls, great wit kids.

Dont think you are too far away either, we have set up transports as far away as Arizona.

#14

Since you mentioned Winter weather, Samoyeds love snow! They are friendly, cope well with extremes of temperature (both cold and hot) due to the double coat, and as a working breed, definitely are up for long walks/hikes.
http://www.samoyed-rescue.com/

http://www.samoyedrescue.org/public-cgi/atl.cgi

http://www.samoyed.org/rescue_org.html

http://www.doghows.org/flash/mscr/

ETA, I recently learned that Boxers tend toward epilepsy, and the RRs have some wonky health issues also. There was a horrifying YouTube video that another CoTHer shared the link for recently, that although was set in the UK probably applies here as well.

#15

Ah epilepsy scares the crap out of me… as we had a dog that had severe epilepsy and would have grand mal seizures multiple times a day. Despite extensive treatment and evals we never could get it under control. It was heart breaking. :frowning:

#16

This might be okay with an adult Ridgeback, but that sort of “not wanting to take charge” type will totally SCREW you with a baby Ridgeback :slight_smile:

I use this comparison for horse people: if you can take a rank stallion and make him a solid citizen, you can take a baby Ridgeback and turn it into a nice grown up dog.

Really understanding what the breed was bred to do has helped me understand what these dogs are all about: they would go out, in a small pack of dogs, with their person (either the hunter or the servant who handled the dogs) on safari, potentially for months at a time. The pack of dogs would go find a lion, and then keep it busy, until the hunter arrived to shoot the lion.

And, given that, it all sort of fits: Ridgebacks are mentally tough dogs that need very clear limits and expectations, and are really primed to listen to one person and only one person. As puppies, they are tough tough tough, and they will get really confused and act out if the rules and regulations are not 100% consistent all the time, across everyone. They’re really pretty willing to take the alpha role if the person doesn’t step up into that space, and they can take a LONG time to mature.

My Ridgebacks, once grown, will respond to commands given by someone else, but ONLY if I’m not around. If I’m there, they wait for an okay from me, or for the actual command from me. They’ve always been MY dogs. They are a really, really cool breed–super loyal and responsive and dedicated, and I will probably always have a pair of females–but they’re not easy.

#17

Yes! Samoyeds were my breed before I moved to Ridgebacks, and they are really neat dogs. And they are AWESOME family dogs–they were bred to work Reindeer in Siberia and be family dogs, living with all the people in tight quarters. I switched breeds because I did not want to deal with the HAIR anymore! :lol:

#18

I’m in NW Pa, zip is 16407. Are you anywhere near me? I’ve got rescue contacts,some that will transport, some that can do temperament evals. If you are on FB, I’ll send you a link from a friend who has contacts as well.

Weight range? Hair coat? Do you want purebred or mix?

#19

Here’s a list of the dog breeds I have personally owned in my lifetime:

Black Belgian shepard, male - got him from the pound, good family dog, protective, but did not like small dogs or cats, and got loose a lot.

Purebred german shepard female - good family dog, not good with strangers.

Beagles - one male, not a good family dog (he was bred to hunt). Two females, good family dogs, but a bit destructive in the house as puppies (I was not smart enough to crate them, my own fault).

Brittany Spaniels - two females - best family dogs ever. Easy to train, very people oriented, wonderful with small children.

Aussie mix - good family dogs, but timid around strangers.

Rhodesian Ridgback/Boxer cross pound rescue female - as others have said, she has the Rhody stubborn/one-person thing going on. Not good with strangers, known to nip. Very protective.

German shorthair pointer female - (not my dog, came with the in-laws), dumbest dog on the planet. Maybe it was just her, or her upbringing (or lack thereof), but I really did not like that dog.

As to the best around the farm? None of the above for me, because I don’t take the dogs to the barn. The best that I have known around the barn were usually either mixed breeds or herding dogs, all that were raised from puppyhood around the horses and the farm.

#20

FYI - I have a good friend that does foster work for this organization, and they seem to have an interesting list of animals available for adoption:

http://www.newenglandallbreedrescue.org/

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