What breed would you choose?

[dressagetraks]

Interesting suggestion. I have several friends with small Schnauzers who are big fans of them, but I’ve never seen a larger one. Will look it up.

[Lizrd]

@dressagetraks

Dark. I am a woman living alone in the country, so part of the reason for a dog is a deterrent. I don’t really want a protection dog per se, but I want something that, if Jack the Ripper comes around casing homes, Jack will take one look at and move on. I’ve read several places that as a general rule, a dark dog is more intimidating in appearance than a light-colored dog of the same weight.

I have a 78 lb male Boxer, dark brindle with very little white. Adopted him as an adult - he was given to rescue from a “macho” owner. He is incredibly reactive to folks coming up my long driveway. While I am working hard to get him less reactive to certain stimuli, that is one that I am not purposefully untraining. Never hurts for someone who doesn’t belong to realize that my dog means business. And I have no doubt he’d deliver if he needed to. Amazon drivers are instructed to leave packages at the gate. My dog is always secured so people are safe but they don’t all need to know that!

[Salty]

True. They’re cold weather dogs. Luckily I’m a cold weather person, too!

[Kemosabe]

@fledermaus

Your blue girl sounds just like my lovely Bonnie, my first Aussie, who taught me how useful a savvy herding dog can be, starting with the chickens when she was 12 weeks old. She too would never leave one hen outside, and would find them no matter where they decided to hide. How I miss her! She saved my butt out in the field many a day. She died two years ago age 19. And it sounds like you have a real keeper with your boy, as well. Treasure them!

Wow your Bonnie was a very long-lived Aussie! None of mine have made it past age 16.

My chicken wrangling blue girl is named Wookie. When she was a pup I had to withdraw from puppy class because she was so ADD. Even today she has the worst recall…you call her and she looks at you and says, “i’ll take it under consideration.”

She is imperious, stubborn, aloof with strangers, proudly applies perfume de dead animal or fresh horse manure liberally to her neck and body on a fairly regular basis, hates having her royal paws get wet from rain or snow (however mud is fine). Dog beds are not suitably “high enough” for Her Majesty; she prefers couches or my bed where she can peer down at the other dogs from above.

She makes me laugh every day.

[Mosey_2003]

I’ve been pondering this question off and on for awhile. I have a few different options for after my current dog either settles way down or passes. He’s a nightmare, and I’ve well and thoroughly learned my lesson about buying “farm dogs” from farmers I don’t know really, really well

It’s hard for me because I work full time and I don’t have someone at home that can take care of/monitor/let outside a dog or puppy, so I’m thinking it might have to be either when I retire or if/when the BF moves in someday.

I do think I would like to have a big dog/small dog team. Something like a GSD and a Jack Russell. I’m a little undecided on the larger dog, because while I know I like GSDs, I could also go for something like a Rottweiler or a Doberman. I want something that looks intimidating but has a high drive to please me and also will want to stay home. A Bouvier or a Giant Schnauzer wouldn’t be out of the question either. I do also really like Poodles, I could go for a Standard, except it is a fair amount of grooming.
I’m just really unsure. It’s a good thing I have a long time to ponder it

[Alex_and_Bodie_s_Mom]

@Texarkana

’ve wanted a greyhound my entire life.

Unfortunately, it has never worked out, even as an adult: living in rentals, no fenced yard, etc.

Now that I’m finally a homeowner, it still hasn’t worked out due to having a small child and cats plus the decline in available dogs. I’ve also found a lot of the remaining rehoming organizations kind of difficult to work with.

One of my best dogs was a greyhound who just showed up randomly one day, after a thunderstorm. We ran ads; no one ever claimed her. So she stayed. She was tattooed for racing, but also had several scars on her face that made me think she’d been a coyote runner (sadly, pretty common where I live).

She never bothered the cats at all; she knew they belonged to the farm. The only thing she did do was kill possums - well, and the one porcupine that wandered into my barn. Totally loyal to me, followed me everywhere, well-behaved in the car. I would absolutely have another.

[JanM]

I just saw a video of a man who uses the Oneisall Dog Hair vacuum on his GSDs (he has two, and a Great Pyrennes) . He spent 10 minutes on one dog, and had a pile of hair that was so big it looked like another dog.

[Texarkana]

Very cool. Both you and @Pico_Banana mentioned the cat thing: oh I believe many can be ok with cats. But the rehoming organizations are the problem. Many of them won’t adopt to people with young children or cats. Or, you are limited to only their cat-tested dogs, which are few and far between these days since there is more demand for greyhounds than there are greyhounds available.

A lot of the organizations have started importing them from other countries. While it’s wonderful they are still hooking people up with greyhounds, it doesn’t appeal to me to import a dog from overseas when there are so many needy dogs (albeit non-greyhounds) here.

[Pico_Banana]

@Texarkana

A lot of the organizations have started importing them from other countries. While it’s wonderful they are still hooking people up with greyhounds, it doesn’t appeal to me to import a dog from overseas when there are so many needy dogs (albeit non-greyhounds) here.

I totally understand. Our newest girl is from Ireland. But for us, greyhounds are one of our few options because my husband is allergic to most dogs. And as I understand it, they don’t get adopted out in Ireland because they are not usually considered to be pets so . . . what happens to them if they aren’t being exported?