Pet Lovers

[Marienkaefer2]

Australian Labradoodle. 

They are a nice medium size when grown, about 35-40 lbs.  They don't shed.  They are very friendly, easy to train, love people and other pets.

For some reason I can't paste pics here.  Just google "Australian Labradoodle."

[tends2dogs]

I have to throw this suggestion in here.  DH and I took our walk yesterday morning and struck up a conversation with a gentleman walking two greyhounds.  They were rescues from the racetrack.  Terrible, horror stories that I won't go into here, but talk about dogs with a calm and gentle demeanor.  The man said they were basically couch potatoes, meaning they didn't require a lot of exercise.  There would be little to no grooming.  I am sure that one of these babies would be forever grateful for a loving home.  I have never owned one or even thought about owning one, but after talking to this man, it gave food for thought about a breed I knew little about. 

It would be worth your time to look into this breed. 

As a side note, they both had scars on their backs in around the same area.  I didn't ask about it, but it made me wonder.  Also, their ears are tattooed with their birth order.  Hideous practice all around.

[missy1]

Mixed breed, 50-60 pound range.

[Princesswife]

My hubby and I watch dogs 101 and they are very informative they have a website. We were watching one day and they showed a cavallier King Charles which we never heard  of. I guess we don't get out much lol. So we learned all about them and all of the sudden I found myself at a place that my husband and son took me to. Of course they had one so i found my self sitting in a car with a cavalier King Charles. Can't figure out how that happened one minute we were taking a ride as a family next minute I have this sweet little pup in my arms. But I wouldn't change a thing I love my little boy and they love everyone and everything big love bugs.

[CrazyDaisy]

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@cerb wrote:

My DD is a veterinary technician and is currently attending veterinary school.  She says that certain purebreds are prone to specific diseases or adverse conditions.  I would do my research online if I was going to choose a purebred.  One thing that is common, for example, is that large heavy dogs are prone to hip dysplasia, and small breed dogs can be prone to dental disease (in part because their owners are more apt to feed them canned food).  

I saw a vet on t.v. once saying that the "healthiest" dog tends to be an "average" looking dog.  Not excessively large or small, nor built like a dachsund or a bulldog which have extreme body shapes.  That vet said that mixed breeds are often the healthiest.

Our previous dog was a chocolate labrador retriever.  Loved that sweet dog so much.  Our current dog is an "average" looking mutt that we adopted from the shelter as a puppy.  I wish you the best in finding a dog that is a good fit for your family.  There are been lots of good tips on this thread about personalities, energy levels, etc.  

P.S. - Our local shelter has a bad reputation for lying, I'm sorry to say.  They will lie about an animal's health and age (stating an animal is healthy when it has a bad heart murmer, or saying a dog is 2 years old when it's 10 year's old).  They also will tell people that a dog is a "lab mix" when it's actually a pitbull mix.  That said, it's not the dog's fault that the shelter lies, just use your common sense, or maybe bring along a friend who knows a lot about animal health and behavior.  Good luck!

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Think you have to differentiate between private and public shelters.  Private shelters will typically have more funds available to provide medical evaluations.  They also spend more time  with the dogs to get their personality.  Owners will usually surrender dogs at these places so there is a history that come with them.  Public shelter usually have a very tight budget and dogs usually never see a vet.  These dogs are usually strays with a 3 day hold then up for adoption.  Without an examination by a vet it is difficult to determine age.  And it is usually a guess when determining the breed in any mixed dog.

[KingstonsMom]

I'll fess up.....I love them all!

[Sunshine Kate]

I would suggest going to the AKC site online.  (Doesn't matter if you're buying a registered dog).

All the recognized dog breeds are listed and you can easily read all about them, good and bad.  

The site gives you info if a certain breed is hard to housetrain, barks too much, sheds, easy to train, etc. 

It's very helpful in selecting a dog breed.

Good luck in finding the right family pet.  

[geezerette]

Over my lifetime I've had big dogs, little dogs, purebreds and mutts.  For about forty years we've had Lhasa Apsos, sometimes along with other breeds, sometimes alone.  More than one at a time, and one-dog-household at other times.  We had two Lhasas that we considered to be once-in-a-lifetime soul mates, both of them.  We also had a couple of the same breed that weren't so wonderful.  Now we have a Rottweiler--totally the opposite end of the spectrum.  And we love her dearly.

So what is my favorite?  Doesn't matter the breed, the size, the gender, whatever.  What matters is the dog (or animal) itself.  It's personality and how it relates to you and your lifestyle, and vice versa.  One of the sweetest dogs we've ever had was one that walked up our driveway and just fit right into our lives.  Same thing happened with a cat we've now had for six years.

[YorkieonmyPillow]

  <=====my Yorkie. She is so cute....

[BornToShop]

My favorite is my two adorable Chihuahua's; Lolita & Carlita.  They are hopelessly devoted and the ultimate companion for me (as well as DH, lol!)