Can you tell me about your dog breed?

@sharra1 (6340)
Australia
January 3, 2008 1:45am CST
I am thinking of getting a new puppy. I lost my little toy dog last year, she was 12, and I have another dog who is a 4 year old bull mastiff cross. He is about the size of a Labrador and very gentle. He seems to get on with any dog who is friendly with him. I thought he might adjust well to a puppy. I know he is missing his companion. My partner wants another boy but I wonder if two boys would be rivals. I just don't know because I have never done this before. In the past I only ever had one dog at a time and have never tried to bring a new puppy into a house with an adult dog. I know I do not want another fluffy dog because we live in bush now and it is too hard to keep the coat clean. I would love to hear what people say about the different breeds.
4 responses
• United States
5 Jan 08
I breed German Shepherds. I know about all different breeds, but the german shepherd is my favorite. They are so easy to train and very loving nature. I have a male lab and a male German shepherd that get along just fine. I also have three females that get along pretty well but there are still fights among the females every now and then. I do agree that females fighting is much more serious then male fights.
1 person likes this
@sharra1 (6340)
• Australia
6 Jan 08
I would love to get a German Shepard but I am not sure we can afford a pure bred as they ask such high prices. I have been watching a show with a German Shepard in it and I had never seen one close up before and I fell in love with his eyes. They are such beautiful dogs. They seem to have long hair though and that would make it harder to find ticks in.
@Seraphine (385)
• Finland
3 Jan 08
There are breed quizzes that you can try and see what breeds would fit you with what you can offer to a dog. Two males can get on perfectly well as long as neither see themselves as the pack leader, but it is easiest if both are neutered. As for my breed, I already suspect it wouldn't fit you well if you want a dog whose coat is easily kept clean but I'll tell some anyway. Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is one of the largest of the toy breeds, very friendly, super-outgoing towards both people, dogs and other pets, and clingy. They need to know where you are. They will follow you from room to room, never leaving you out of their sight. The perfect lapdog but still has a lot of energy to burn off, they will follow you on whatever activities you like to do but can take a day or two off if the weather is bad (once they're grown up, puppies are hyper whenever they're not sleeping). Coat care isn't really that hard but should be brushed daily. Things do get stuck in their coat easily, at the moment mine gets snow stuck in his feet every time he goes out. They're very prone to separation anxiety and shouldn't be left alone for more than a few hours a day (normal 8+ hour workdays is out of the question unless you can bring the dog with you or hire a dogsitter/doggie daycare). They're also prone to several major health issues, in particular heart, eyes and syringomyelia, so one has to be really careful to choose a good breeder that does all the necessary health-testing and be prepared to be on a waiting list for quite some time. It's a great dog but definately not a dog for everyone.
1 person likes this
@sharra1 (6340)
• Australia
4 Jan 08
I agree they are beautiful dogs. I had one many years ago and she was my best friend but she only lived til she was 7 and spent a large part of that time ill. She was queen of the house but she had been line bred and had all the problems the breed can get. If I had known about breeding then I would have checked the pedigree before I bought her. I still have fond memories of her. I was thinking of a bigger dog to keep my boy happy. I may still get a female, I have not decided yet. It is not something I will rush into.
@aries_0325 (3060)
• Philippines
3 Jan 08
I am a dog breeder and I have a lot of kind of big dog here. I have a rotweiller, dalmatian, bull dog and pit bull. I have also a Labrador and I am the who train it for bomb. I love a dog because they are my loyal companion.
1 person likes this
• United States
3 Jan 08
Well as far as having two boys go, it is best to not have two boys(especially if one, or both is not neuterd) now, I have two boys at home so I know its not impossible to own two boys but a lot of people don't reccomend having two dogs of the same gender. Also even though your dog is missing the other one you need to make sure you are ready for a new puppy. You need to be able to have time for the new puppy and your present dog. You also need to make sure you don't rush into buying a new dog just because you want one, you need to think of which breed would be best for your family, which includes the dog you already have.
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