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School me on dogs

eclark53520

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Thinking about getting a dog...

I refuse to get anything other than a 'working' dog. Labs, retrievers, Shepherds, etc, no crapzu's, pugs, or anything shorter than my knee. Will most likely be a puppy from a reputable breeder. I want a dog that is obedient, will execute commands, and is for the most part quiet unless they need to be loud(i understand puppies will probably be loud). For the most part, i think those things come out of good training and not so much the breed. I may be wrong.

Right now, number one choice is a GSD(German Shepherd), while my second choice would be a Black lab. I am open to others...

I really like the looks of the GSD's and i like the possibility of having a real guard dog on the premises. Do they have any inherent hunting ability? I know they can track(like a lot of dogs)....but any natural hunting abilities? Can i train one to be a guard dog and still play nice with kids and other dogs? I have seen some dogs that have a command to 'turn on' and become more aggressive but are calm and easy going when 'turned off'...is that true?

Black lab pluses are shorter hair, inherent hunting dogs, but i just haven't seen any labs that would make good guard dogs. They all pretty much roll over and want to be petted by pretty much any stranger.

Any other breeds i should look into? Anything i should look out for in the GSD or Lab?

Advice of any kind would be appreciated. I don't know much(this is probably obvious from this post).
 

Rockford35

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Get a hound. Beagle, bloodhound, basset, coon, Harrier, whatever. They all work hard as hell, are good with kids (for the most part), keep people out of your hard, aren't too big and don't develop a lot of the hip and ear issues that other bigger dogs do.

Of course, I'm biased...

R35
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limpalong

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My experience and the experience of others I know....

I love German Shepherds. Very smart. Extremely protective. Can be taught to do most anything you ask. Beautiful. But, can be dangerous around anyone invading the "territory" of their owner. That is good until the neighbor's kids come to play with your kids. They can have difficulty discerning acceptable play behaviour and will instantly react with deadly force if one of their family is threatened... even if that threat comes from children in play.
If you are an adult family with no children... the German Shepherd can be a marvelous and protective pet. If you have children or may have children in the future, I would not recommend the Shepherd.
Labs make really good family pets. Have been around families who have had both yellow labs and black labs. The black labs seem more docile. I've been around two with yellow labs that are very protective. Our daughter and son-in-law had to put down a 15 year old yellow lab last year. They would know if a stranger was anywhere within a 1/4 mile. His growl and bark would make you think he could take on anyone and any thing. Yet, their 3 kids could romp and wrestly and ride and tackle that dog and he would never even whine in pain. They just got a black lab to replace the yellow. This yahoo has zero defensive mind. All this black lab wants to do is play.
I am working near a residence that has a yellow lab. You see that family out playing with their dog on a daily basis. Yet, I would be very cautious even walking past their home if no one was around. That lab wouldn't let anyone near the house.
Also working close to a home that has two beautiful large boxers. This family has an "invisible" fence and these two dogs will run that fence and never cross the line. They have two small kids. However, I've never seen the kids playing with the dogs. If interested in boxers, I can inquire of this resident his experience.

As you can tell, most of my experience with the larger dogs has been with labs. If we were looking for a large dog today, that's the way I'd go. I'd give anything to have a German Shepherd, but with grandkids would not feel comfortable.
 

anonymous golfaholic

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Labs are phenomenal dogs. Labs are so incredibly smart, it will blow you away. You can train them to do pretty much anything, they learn so fast. As far as being guard dogs, that will come natural. They are very protective, but not stupid about it either. They are great with kids. I highly recommend a lab and nothing else. Just my opinion, but I feel very strongly about it. You just can't go wrong.
 

LyleG

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smelly, hairy, shit up your yard, useless, all I can add.
 

TheTrueReview

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smelly, hairy, shit up your yard, useless, all I can add.

+ 1.

I wish people could think of something other than a dog or a cat when it comes to the word 'pet'. I got a lot more enjoyment as a kid out of my pet bantam rooster and my pet tortoise than I ever did out of a dog or a cat.
 
OP
eclark53520

eclark53520

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+ 1.

I wish people could think of something other than a dog or a cat when it comes to the word 'pet'. I got a lot more enjoyment as a kid out of my pet bantam rooster and my pet tortoise than I ever did out of a dog or a cat.

Roosters and turtles don't hunt or protect. This dog is not going to be primarily for 'fun' of having a pet...it will have a job, it will be more of a tool than anything. Putting food on the table as well as an alarm/security system.
 
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eclark53520

eclark53520

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Get a hound. Beagle, bloodhound, basset, coon, Harrier, whatever. They all work hard as hell, are good with kids (for the most part), keep people out of your hard, aren't too big and don't develop a lot of the hip and ear issues that other bigger dogs do.

Of course, I'm biased...

R35

Love beagles, but they're just not big enough for what i'm looking for. The rest of the hounds just don't tickle my fancy.
 
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eclark53520

eclark53520

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smelly, hairy, shit up your yard, useless, all I can add.

I'll agree with hairy and shit up your yard...useless i don't agree with considering i'm looking at working dogs.

Keep you're dog clean, and they do not smell. Lots of people don't make enough time to keep their dog clean.
 
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eclark53520

eclark53520

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Labs are phenomenal dogs. Labs are so incredibly smart, it will blow you away. You can train them to do pretty much anything, they learn so fast. As far as being guard dogs, that will come natural. They are very protective, but not stupid about it either. They are great with kids. I highly recommend a lab and nothing else. Just my opinion, but I feel very strongly about it. You just can't go wrong.

My parents had a yellow when i was growing up and i had a great time with him. I really like them...but i really like the GSD too.
 

zaphod

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Lots of breeds to fit your criteria of a working protective dog. I've had a Collie, Husky, Black Lab/Doberman mix, Golden Retriever, Weimaranar, and Cocker Spaniel at various times.

All were great dogs. A lot depends on how you train them. However there is some hard wiring that separates them. The Golden and Lab mix wanted to be your best friend and would lay down their life for you and family. The Weimaranar is in that category too but was by far the most athletic dog I've had. Not only would it chase squirrels but it would catch em and EAT em too. Right on the spot. High energy breed that requires lots of exercise and mind games. But the potential is the greatest. His name Caesar fit him well.

Our current Husky is 14 y.o. this is probably his last winter---hip issues.

What would I replace him with? A Weimaranar/Lab mix. I'm shying away from pure breeds now. Too many genetic issues. The dog created from a single or double cross of pure breeds seems to have more vigor and you still can choose some of the hard wiring. Also I need to look at the litter at 11 weeks or so. You can recognize individual traits at the this stage. Curiosity, Alpha tendencies, attention spans, timidness, responsiveness to human body language etc.

That Lab/Doberman mix was not half bad also.
The Golden was the best family pooch hands down. An Alpha female ---Named her" Xena The Warrior Princess" and she lived up to her mantle. Shed gobs of hair for a downside. She died too young. Cancer which strikes down many Goldens in midlife

The German would be a possible choice---be care of hip issues. Also I agree with Limp. Your shaking the dice with very young children. GS are not so tolerant if they feel they have been wronged. An eye poked and tail pulled by a critter they feel is subordinate to them. Once the bond dominance pattern is formed your safe but until then you've got to supervise the kids/dog.

Also check out Weimaranar if you have the commitment. No better dog if you can stay Alpha to him/her. The dog will look for any edge. But that's the fun. This breed is truly a dynamic best buddy and equal if handled correctly. Very young children may be an issue as the " chase and catch prey" hard wiring is strong in this one.

hope this helps.
 

SiberianDVM

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smelly, hairy, shit up your yard, useless, all I can add.

Way to shit up a thread. Haven't you got a baby seal to club, or something similarly useful to do?

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

To get back to the original point, even though I still think of eclark as a chihuahua in a purse kind of guy, he was on the right track when he talking about training. No matter the breed, good training is essential, and start early. Enroll the pup and yourself in puppy obedience classes, and keep going from there.

I have seen terribly behaved Labs as well as well behaved GSDs and Dobies: it's 90% in the training of the dog and the owner.
 

limpalong

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zaph... some years ago, our next door neighbor had a Wiemareiner (sp). It was a beautiful dog. The owner, however, was a dolt! Left the poor dog tied to the garage 365/7. Would turn it loose on weekends for a little exercise. The first thing that dog would do, when turned loose, was come over to our yard... squat... and plant a pile that you would imagine an elephant left behind. If the weather was cool enough, you would think something was on fire for all the steam coming off that huge turd pile. And, of course, the neighbor would never come over and clean up after the dog. He's just watch the dog run a while and then chain it back to the garage.

Much of a dog's demeanor is dependent upon the owner/owners. There are some breeds, however, that just are apt to have genetic issues that make them an explosive device waiting for the right situation to light the fuse. That's what I hope eclark keeps in mind if the dog is ever to be around children. Should your dog attack a neighbor's cat or chew up a roaming poodle... it's a bad day and can prove costly. If that same dog does snap and hurt a child, that child can be scarred for life... or worse.
We've been "stuck" with to Poms for the past 12 years. Both are aged. One is getting quite senile. Every couple weeks, or so, he just loses complete bearings of where he is. Can't even find his way back into the house. Takes about 24 hours for him to snap out of it. Both are showing signs that indicate neither are long for this earth.
Growing up on a small farm, I've had dogs for pets since before I can remember. In 44 years of marriage, we have never been without a dog or dogs. When these two are gone, there will be no more. There are boarding issues when traveling. There are exercise issues that become less attractive as I, too, age. Wife and I have decided she can put me on a leash, I'll get on my hands and knees and raise my leg and pee on the mailbox post at the end of the driveway, if she needs that "fix" now and then!!! :>)
 

Wi-Golfer

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Love my dog and have had a few over the years, but this will be my last one. Tired of cleaning up after him and going on vacation is always $$ since we have to put him in a kennel. It's like having a perpetual 2 yr old at home. He's a beagle/Jack Russel mix and is a great dog, doesn't bark unless someone comes up to the house, would make an excellent hunting dog too.

Labs, never again would I have one of those. had a female lab for about 9 yrs and don't think she stopped barking for more than 5 minutes ever. Damn thing would bark at everything & anything, butterflies, leaves, clouds, cars in the next town, etc.
 

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