Thinking of What Breed I should get.

[Cody Jensen]

I've considered that too. I'm pretty sure I can manage keeping them apart when I'm not watching. Thanks for reassuring me though..

[Muddy]

Hey, no worries.  That's why we have crates, right?

[Sean]

I have considered this. I am not sure about it yet. Because as much as I hate to say there are reasons for me why I should NOT get a rescue dog. One of the main ones being that I want the dog as a pup so I can train it to be used to my Pomeranian. If you get the dog as an adult from the shelter they are pretty much set in there ways and may not do well with small dogs no matter how much you work with them. However, in the future I would like to adopt a shelter dog/or other furry pet so it is not something I am completely tossing aside.

False. There are dogs who are used to small dogs or who have been tested around small dogs who are in shelters or rescue organizations.

Dogs are also not "set in their ways" the way people are. They are extremely adaptable and trainable, if you know what you're doing or have someone who is involved.

[Cody Jensen]

Muddy, yes indeed.

Sean, that's true, but a dog very good and trustworthy with smaller dogs is hard to find and takes a lot of looking, yes? Also when you adopt from a shelter, you have no for sure knowledge of the dogs background (a puppymill dog for example) and the dog could end up being extremely unhealthy whereas if you buy from a good breeder who knows what they're doing, and you will have a healthy dog with less problems in the long run.

[Sean]

I adopted both my dogs from rescue organizations. I knew a lot about them before I ever met them, and one I met before agreeing to adopt.  Some shelters know more about dogs than others. Some dogs are surrendered with more info to go on than others. Most shelters would let you bring your other dog to meet a potential adoptee on neutral ground to see how the meeting goes, if your other dog has proper vaccines and is spayed or neutered. If you know what a dog is like as an adult, you have a BETTER sense of how they will be. A puppy can get along with your dog and then grow up and not get along with your dog due to a clash in temperament that was not foreseeable. Adopting an adult avoids this risk.

As for the health of the animal, many breeds have health risks that even a good breeder can not guarantee against.

You are making excuses for why you want to go to a breeder and not adopt/rescue. I'm not saying that everyone should adopt/rescue. But most people can get what they are looking for via adoption if only they looked, instead of believing misconceptions and refusing to investigate further.

[Cody Jensen]

I adopted both my dogs from rescue organizations. I knew a lot about them before I ever met them, and one I met before agreeing to adopt.  Some shelters know more about dogs than others. Some dogs are surrendered with more info to go on than others. Most shelters would let you bring your other dog to meet a potential adoptee on neutral ground to see how the meeting goes, if your other dog has proper vaccines and is spayed or neutered. If you know what a dog is like as an adult, you have a BETTER sense of how they will be. A puppy can get along with your dog and then grow up and not get along with your dog due to a clash in temperament that was not foreseeable. Adopting an adult avoids this risk.

As for the health of the animal, many breeds have health risks that even a good breeder can not guarantee against.

You are making excuses for why you want to go to a breeder and not adopt/rescue. I'm not saying that everyone should adopt/rescue. But most people can get what they are looking for via adoption if only they looked, instead of believing misconceptions and refusing to investigate further.

There may be truth in what you say, but however it may concern you, I am not planning on adopting my next dog (I can always get a breed that gets along well with any dog, say a Golden if need be. They have wonderful temperments and are pretty much gentle and good with anyone). Also did you not read what I said earlier? I said I WILL adopt eventually when I want to add yet another pet to the family however at the moment I plan on getting a pup. I'm just saying.

[Muddy]

I'm not advocating either way, for or against rescue animals or breeders.

I will say that the "purebred" label generally is worthless where health is concerned.  Hip dysplasia, for example, runs rampant in the GSD breed, especially in showlines.  Generally, the best a breeder can do is give you a guarantee, that basically says, if your animal gets sick, you can give it back, and they'll give you a new one.

Hip dysplasia isn't even detectable under a year of age.  It's unlikely anyone is going to have a puppy until 1-2 years old, and then give it back to the breeder in exchange for a new puppy.  This is what the breeders bank on.

It takes a loooooot of research into different lines, breeding, pairings, etc, to have any idea of what you're getting in a pup, and even then, puppies are always a crapshoot.

That's why people who actively compete in Schutzhund will pay $1,500 for a good workingline puppy [mine was slightly less, owing mostly to the white spot on her chest, which is considered undesirable, although not quite faulty], but upwards of $8,000 for a "green started" dog [a dog around 18 months of age, temperament tested, sometimes alreadywith a BH title, and OFA Prelim Hips/Elbows.]

[Cody Jensen]

Muddy, yeah, I've heard of the Schutzhund titles and considered getting a dog from them too. I have heard that you can only get adults from them though and not puppies. I'm a bit confused as to why that is.

[Shang]

You can get puppies from rescues and pounds.   My local pound constantly has puppies that need adopting, and most you can easily tell the breed(s) that make up that dog.  I got my own JRT/dachshund mix from the pound when she was 7 weeks old.  You can even find some purebred dogs there, too.  My local pound had the sweetest female GSD there and the poor thing had been used to have babies and that's it.  And just because you have a breed that generally is friendly, you can get some terribly aggressive dogs from that line.  Or vice versa.  Most people think APBT are nasty things that will attack anything, but that isn't the truth.  They can show dog aggression, but if raised in a proper environment and with proper training, the dog aggression may never even pop up.  They can also be as sweet as can be.  My friend as a purebred APBT she adopted and the thing is the sweetest dog out there, and even protected her family from robbers.  They have an APBT mix that has some food-aggression due to having been removed from her parents too young, but the dog is getting loads better and isn't aggressive towards people. 

She also breeds Great Danes, who are totally awesome dogs and incredibly sweet.  They also are very healthy for that breed because she's choosy as to who she will breed her Danes with.  So, if you wanted a Great Dane, I'd suggest my friend.

And it's generally not all that hard to find a dog friendly with small dogs.  My own dog is super friendly with small dogs, but not friendly with big dogs.  My deceased dog (medium-large breed) was extremely friend with small dogs and not friendly with big dogs.  It all depends on the dog.

Anyway, that aside, just be careful what breeder you chose and do some thorough research but even then you can wind up with a dog with a whole slew of medical problems and just make sure you're financially secure enough to be able to provide for those medical problems--but that's with any dog.  Good luck with the pet search.

[Cody Jensen]

You can get puppies from rescues and pounds.   My local pound constantly has puppies that need adopting, and most you can easily tell the breed(s) that make up that dog.  I got my own JRT/dachshund mix from the pound when she was 7 weeks old.  You can even find some purebred dogs there, too.  My local pound had the sweetest female GSD there and the poor thing had been used to have babies and that's it.  And just because you have a breed that generally is friendly, you can get some terribly aggressive dogs from that line.  Or vice versa.  Most people think APBT are nasty things that will attack anything, but that isn't the truth.  They can show dog aggression, but if raised in a proper environment and with proper training, the dog aggression may never even pop up.  They can also be as sweet as can be.  My friend as a purebred APBT she adopted and the thing is the sweetest dog out there, and even protected her family from robbers.  They have an APBT mix that has some food-aggression due to having been removed from her parents too young, but the dog is getting loads better and isn't aggressive towards people. 

She also breeds Great Danes, who are totally awesome dogs and incredibly sweet.  They also are very healthy for that breed because she's choosy as to who she will breed her Danes with.  So, if you wanted a Great Dane, I'd suggest my friend.

And it's generally not all that hard to find a dog friendly with small dogs.  My own dog is super friendly with small dogs, but not friendly with big dogs.  My deceased dog (medium-large breed) was extremely friend with small dogs and not friendly with big dogs.  It all depends on the dog.

Anyway, that aside, just be careful what breeder you chose and do some thorough research but even then you can wind up with a dog with a whole slew of medical problems and just make sure you're financially secure enough to be able to provide for those medical problems--but that's with any dog.  Good luck with the pet search.

Thanks! Actually I've considered Great Danes too...could you by any chance give me the link to this breeder friend of yours? Do you know if she ships her puppies by any chance? Would she ship to Canada? Also yes I know you could get puppies from pounds but I thought purebreed pups were pretty hard to find and even if they say they are a purebreed there is no 100% way to tell. Anyways, your friend?

[Miniar]

Our pup's a mutt.
We're lucky enough to know what's in her (1/4 Doberman, 1/4 border collie, 1/2 German pointer) but honestly, it doesn't matter what breed she is because she's happy, healthy, playful, relatively intelligent, and quite pretty.

Personally, I don't really know why people wanna get pure-bred other than the prospect of selling puppies.

[Shang]

Thanks! Actually I've considered Great Danes too...could you by any chance give me the link to this breeder friend of yours? Do you know if she ships her puppies by any chance? Would she ship to Canada? Also yes I know you could get puppies from pounds but I thought purebreed pups were pretty hard to find and even if they say they are a purebreed there is no 100% way to tell. Anyways, your friend?

Do you have facebook?  She's on there.  I don't know if she has any puppies currently, but she might have some next year.  She's the only person I'm going to get a purebred from, and that's only because it's hard to find Great Danes in my area or even Great Dane mixes.  (I've pestered her plenty of times about getting a puppy from her.)  I don't know if she ships to Canada, but she may.

My pound is prone to having purebred dogs or dogs with just two breeds any them.  The last time I went, there was a litter of Jack Russel Terriers there.  We also get purebred APBTs on regular occasions, which sadly don't get adopted because of the stigma surrounding the breed. 

[Cody Jensen]

Yep, I've got Facebook (but it's my female name). Yeah I know Great Danes are a rare breed. Do you mind me asking what her name is? Or can you PM it to me? I actually don't plan on getting a pup until some time next summer..but it's still nice to know for sure who you're buying from, also you have to get on a waiting list with most breeders, so why not now right?

[Shang]

I PMd it to you.  She doesn't breed all of the time because she cares about her dogs' health, but I think she breeds once a year or so.  Her puppies are absolutely amazing and everyone who has gotten one has had nothing but good things to say about them.

[lilacwoman]

Sheltie is too small for protection while only a fool would tackle anyone walking out with an Alsatian.   
They look the business in a way that perhaps only a Great Dane does.
Mind you if you really wanted a pretty dog then a Saluki or Borzoi has it in spades. 

[Shang]

Sheltie is too small for protection while only a fool would tackle anyone walking out with an Alsatian.   
They look the business in a way that perhaps only a Great Dane does.
Mind you if you really wanted a pretty dog then a Saluki or Borzoi has it in spades.

And sheltie's are about as mean as a spoon.    My neighbors have a sheltie who's such a sweetie and wouldn't hurt a fly.  The dog is very trainable and smart, but she always runs over to say hi to people though she's also a big ol' scaredy-cat and runs away if something's too loud. 

Borzoi's are pretty awesome and I'd love one, though I might look for an Irish Wolfhound instead. 

@ Joshy T:  http://www.dogbreedinfo.com is a good site on dog breed information.

[tekla]

The key to having a dog for protection is the level to which it can intimidate without actually attacking.  They have to be medium sized, but they don't have to be huge if they are trained well.

[Shang]

The key to having a dog for protection is the level to which it can intimidate without actually attacking.  They have to be medium sized, but they don't have to be huge if they are trained well.

I don't think size really means much.  My dog is 16 pounds, but when she barks she sounds at least 3 times her size and she's sound like she means business.    Then they see her and go "awww" until they see her hackles raised and they won't come near me unless I pick her up (and her hackles rise easily, even when she's not 'protecting').  She's work for protecting me by keeping people from entering the apartment just because she sounds big and mean.   o.o  The dogs we've had have been able to intimidate regardless of size just because they sound ferocious, which is mainly what I look for in a dog.  Something that sounds mean and possibly will protect me, but is sweet as pie.

[Cody Jensen]

I PMd it to you.  She doesn't breed all of the time because she cares about her dogs' health, but I think she breeds once a year or so.  Her puppies are absolutely amazing and everyone who has gotten one has had nothing but good things to say about them.

I got it, thanks

[Muddy]

Muddy, yeah, I've heard of the Schutzhund titles and considered getting a dog from them too. I have heard that you can only get adults from them though and not puppies. I'm a bit confused as to why that is.

Not at all.
Schutzhund is a sport, open to anyone with a dog suitable for participation.  You can train and title your own dog.
I started training my dog at 4 months old in Schutzhund.

If you're interested, my advice would be to find a local Schutzhund club, go meet them, and solicit their advice about local breeders.