where are the dog experts at?

[LastKnight]

my family is dogshopping... and we dont know whats what when it comes to breed, we are looking for a mid sized dog... good with kids, cause i got a brother and a sister, ones 6 and the other 15... so it cant be intollerant of children. so far we are thinking a Golden Retriever... we live smack dab in the middle of suburbia... so this will be an inside dog...

any suggestions or any site that you guys have that i can do a bunch of at a glance overviews on breeds?

[BattyDem]

1. Westminster Kennel Club

http://www.westminsterkennelclub.org/

Click on "Dogs & Dog Shows"

You'll find advice on finding the right breed as well as info each breed. :-)

[LastKnight]

2. awesome, thanks.

[BattyDem]

3. Self-delete ... silly me ...

I responded to myself instead of you :silly:

[In_The_Wind]

4. I honestly believe that Golden Retrievers are the most loving and obedient

I'm prejudiced ~

>
>

[BattyDem]

5. I just found a few more links in my bookmarks

"Choosing the Right Dog"
http://www.canismajor.com/dog/tchoose.html

"Finding the Right Dog" (Purina's web site)
http://www.dogchow.com/New_Pet/Finding_the_Right_Dog.aspx

The site also has a "Dog Breed Selector" (scroll down to "Step 2: Choosing a Breed" and you'll see the link). You answer questions based upon your lifestyle and expectations, and it will recommend a breed. :-)

[marzipanni]

7. LOL- I was just going to look up the Purina Dog Breed Selector

A few years ago I discovered it and tried the questionnaire- I was impressed when the results came up with Cattle dog and Standard Poodle. When I was a kid my family included two dear standard poodles. Then my husband and I had a sweet and gentle male retriever (like a golden, but black) . For the last 16 years we have enjoyed the company of two (successive) cattle dog mix girls, the present one from the SPCA.

[Rowdyboy]

6. English springer spaniels are very loving, gorgeous dogs but they

need attention and exercise. They're worth it!

[marzipanni]

8. Go straight to the shelter

the right dog will pick you....(my husband wrote this after he read my post, and I agree wholeheartedly!)

[Neshanic]

9. I think someone needs to look at a Bullmastiff.

They are gentle, and very good in apartments. Quiet, and couch lovers.

[Droopy]

10. LOL!

A Bullmastiff is as big as a horse. I think they are as big as it gets as far as dogs go. Unless I am think of a different kind of Mastiff.

[LastKnight]

11. either way sounds fun.

i think im the only one in the house that would like it though.

[radwriter0555]

23. Oh I think the Am-Staff or a full breed pit bull would be an EXCELLENT

choice. After all, it's all about being raised in a good family in nurturing, caring conditions!

Schnauzers are great, cockers are so sweet and pretty; any of the spaniels haven't been bred out too badly... Read your local ads and see who's got what. You want a locally bred critter anyway so you can inspect the kennels and parents. The breeders will be honest with you about character and personality!

[hfojvt]

12. see, you speak a different language

you said mid-sized and then mentioned retreivers, which even I would think is a large dog. I think that is kinda large for an inside dog. I am not sure if any dog is good as an inside dog, although my collie-lab-beagle has gotten fat and lazy. Still with a basement and a nerf-football, you can have alot of fun playing fetch indoors too.

I always get mutts/mixed breeds, and I would never pay for one since there are plenty of free ones, and shelters too. I like to get puppies very young it seems like they imprint to you. At least my oldest did. The rest of them probably imprinted to her.

[LastKnight]

15. maybe im odd...

but i dont classify a dog as big until it reaches like St Bernards, and similar sized breeds. thats just me i guess.

[fleabert]

13. Golden Retrievers are awesome with kids, if they are trained...

just like any other breed.

goldens do tend to to be very very very hyper puppies though, and they chew a lot.

[roguevalley]

14. labs are good but so are blue heelers and border collies. :)

For inside, get poodles, labs or shelties.

[RebelOne]

16. I know they have a bad reputation, but Rottweilers

are wonderful family dogs. They are extremely loyal to their families, easy to train and highly intelligent. I guess I am biased because I have a Rottie. She is the second one that has owned me.

[sbj405]

17. Petfinder - Lots of midsize mutts looking for a home

www.petfinder.com

Find a shelter or rescue group. Actually you're best bet is to find a rescue group where the dog has been fostered in a home. They will have a better assessment of how the dog does with kids, other animals, housebreaking, etc.

[Blue Diadem]

21. That's a great website, lists shelters, rescues, pics of animals up for

adoption all across America. I've done searchs there and was amazed at the number of rescue organizations in my area.

[retread]

18. Here is a link that lists a bunch of places that give quizzes and offer

a list of breeds based on the results.

http://www.wonderpuppy.net/choose.htm

[flvegan]

19. Check your local rescues

Most of those dogs live in foster homes, so their parents can already tell you all about the dog (good with kids, other dogs, digging, etc.). Another poster recommended petfinder.com which is an incredibly resource. If you're set on a Golden, find a Golden rescue in your area.

Stay away from the pet store (puppy mills) and your newspaper advertising breeders. The breeding of Goldens has gone tragically downhill.

Mutts rule.

[Wow]

30. I agree

The best ones are the ones that are so thankful someone loves them.

[B Calm]

20. English Chocolate Lab

[Mizmoon]

22. IMPORTANT SUGGESTION

I'm so damn sick of picking up the shedded fur of our golden retriever. I love her but she sheds like a whole other dog's worth of fur ... It gets stuck to our clothes and furniture - it sucks.


If I had it all to do over again I would get a labradoodle or some other "breed" that doesn't shed. You'll love yourself for doing it later ...

[melv]

24. GO TO AN ANIMAL SHELTER

Mixed breeds can often the best natured dogs, and the most unique. Bonus - you will be saving their lives. At the shetler (unless it's a no kill shelter), they've got 3 days and then they are euthanized.

Why plunk hundreds of dollars down on a "pure bred" when there are so many that need loving homes?

[Mutley]

25. I agree

I have a mutt (pictured in my sig line) and she is the sweetest thing. Plus, shelter dogs seem to understand that you saved their lives and they are eternally grateful to you, and show it!

[Mutley]

26. Once you find your furry friend

check out the Pets Group. You can get lots of good information there, plus it's fun to share pictures and stories.

[peacebuzzard]

27. Please, whatever you do, go for a rescued or abandoned last chance pooch

There are so many in need of homes. It is so sad the amount of extermination that is performed daily on loving pets w/ no chance of a good home. Thank you for considering this plea.

[tenshi816]

28. For one thing, don't get a Border Collie

unless you're prepared to take it out for looooong walks (mine can do 10 miles easy and still want more).

The reason I mention border collies is because they're so damn smart - a dream to train, etc. - so, if you want a smart dog, from what I've read, poodles are just below border collies for brains. Plus there's the added advantage of having a dog that doesn't shed. If you want a big dog that is happy indoors and is also not stupid, a standard poodle might work for you (they're a lot bigger than the little yappy kind of poodle).

My only reservation about golden retrievers comes from personal experience. First, my neighbours two doors away had one, and when they had a child the dog became insanely jealous of the baby, and bit the little boy quite severely when he was about a year old. Also, a friend of mine has one and it snarled and lunged, teeth bared, at my 8-year last week when he tried to pet it (not doing anything out of the ordinary, just petting the dog's head - I was a few feet away when it happened and it really shook me up because the dog had to be pulled off of my son). I have read that this is an increasing problem with golden retrievers because of inbreeding due to their popularity, and I can send you a couple of links if you're interested (the incident with my son upset me so much that I did some reading on the subject).

[melv]

29. yes collies are very smart

they have a history as a working dog - herding, etc. They are extremely smart, amiable dogs, but very active. If you intend to leave one at home for several hours at a time then it is possible their energy level will lead to destructiveness, a byproduct of boredom.

[Scout1071]

31. Please go to a shelter!

I read that 25% of all dogs in shelters are purebreds these days. And you might even get lucky enough to find a dog like this little fella I adopted in January: