Let's talk about dogs

[Mike682]

We are looking to adopt a dog and after going to the many shelters around we found nothing. (For those who know, yep we just started looking, for those who don't know, we had a break-in when no one was home back in Feb and I wanted to get a dog then but my wife was nine months pregnant at the time so we decided to wait).

The tough part is that shelters are hit and miss and we can only go on the weekends. We saw a nice dog, but she was already adopted. That just missed it feeling is driving me crazy.

Anyway, here is what's important:
1) Cannot be a puppy becuase we both work full time. We are looking for a dog around 8 months to a year or so old

2) MUST be good with children and

3) Have good guard dog ablities.

Does anyone have some tips on how to select a mixed breed dog that will fit our needs? In other words, does the dog take the tempermant of both breeds?

Thanks

[engtaz]

If I was you, go to the AKC site and look for breeds that meet your needs. I think the have a little test to see what breeds fit you. Then contact the local AKC clubs to see if they have any rescue dogs in the breed your looking for. Rescue is what the clubs do when they see there is dog of there breed that are in dog pounds or other places (people don't want them after there not puppy's and such).
Good Luck

PS: I have English Setter breed

[jdhdiggs]

I'd look at a slightly older (2+ years old) labs. They'll be past their high energy stage so they will be content to sleep all day while you're gone. They are good with kids and do protect their "pack". Generally, the "good with kids" and "guard dog" are somewhat exclusive to eachother. To me, poodles and labs are the only ones really good at both (German Shepherds are IF the kid is present from the time it was a pup)

For your mixed breed question, it depends... You have to be around the dog to pick it up.

Just my input/experience.

[carpenter]

This site should get you started, they have a http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/
They have a breed selector quiz, and a lot of information.

[candyliquor35m]

There are too many adoptable dogs around. Don't give up on the shelters, free pet ads in the paper and craigslist. Be patient and let your friends, family, co-workers, etc know that you're looking and one will show up. Do shelters have a waiting list if you know exactly what you want?

edit: I forgot about neighbors. They always to seem to know someone that's wanting to give away a dog.

[wingnut4772]

Here you go..:D :D

[danger boy]

my friend has had three dogs over the years.. all have been German Shepherds.. all have turned out to be good guard dogs. very loyal, very smart and easy to train.

like candyliquor35m said. don't give up on the shelters... you may also want to post a ad on Craigslist looking for a pet..

good luck and sorry about your break in .. that would freak me out..

[Willow]

I think any type of dog will work, it's the barking that scares them away as it draws attention to your house/apt..what ever it may be. Not to say that if some one does come in a bigger dog will be intimidating.

[wingnut4772]

Ok. If you insist on being serious...:p

I have a Chocolate Lab...She is 1.5 years old and pretty but not too bright. The Yellows and Blacks are smarter. Do NOT get a young one as they can be very high maintenance. I like the German Shepherd idea but it's tougher to pick them up later and harder to find.

[MikeC78]

German Shepards are very easy to find and are WAY overbread. Beware of early hip problems, I've seen them start as early as 4 years and seen ones that could not walk after 6.

[Demiurge]

It's not the best idea to get an adult guard dog when children are present.

You're really going to have to give up on one of your requirements unless you want to take a big gamble.

Most guard dogs that are good with kids need to be raised and trained by someone responsible from the time they are a puppy on through adulthood. When you adopt you don't know if that person raised it responsibly or not, which makes them a wild card around kids.

Personally, I'd ditch the guard dog part of it and just get a dog like a Golden Retreiver (or similar), which aren't predisposed to being aggresive dogs.

[Paul in Canada]

Dogs are great but puppy or not they still need and deserve proper attention. It can be difficult to find the time and energy to properly look after a dog and with a baby crawling around on the floor I don't think I would trust an older dog that I found at a shelter. I would suggest waiting until your baby is a little older and get a puppy if you feel you have the time to properly look after it. If your just looking to protect your home install an alarm and purchase a gun. It would be a lot cheaper in the end.

[madmax]

Chocolate labs are better if you feed them almonds.
madmax

[wingnut4772]

German Shepards are very easy to find and are WAY overbread. Beware of early hip problems, I've seen them start as early as 4 years and seen ones that could not walk after 6.

That's what I meant.....The good ones are hard to find.

[markmarc]

We just adopted a 2yr old Lhasa (some poodle) from a rescue organization online. There are groups out there for every breed. Just do some searching.

[candyliquor35m]

On dateline or one of those shows, they had 2 experienced thieves that said dogs and even alarms aren't as much of a deterrent if any to an experienced thief. They said the dogs just get in the way because they follow them around the house wanting to be petted.

[tonyb]

It's not so much the breed as to how the dog spent it's first year and how it came to be in a shelter.Most dogs are protective of their owners.Getting one with a good disposition and great with kids is another story.Paws is a good organization who puts the dogs in foster homes to evaluate them before letting them go out for adoption.All in all,when the right ones come along,you'll know it.Good family breeds,German sheperds,Golden retrievers,Labs,Boxers,to name a few.But heed this warning,if you are a couch potato,and have no intention of spending any time with a dog,his behavior may turn distructive to objects,furniture,shoes,etc,then a dog is not for you.

[Bamadude]

Like others have said, wanting a grown guard dog is going to be tricky especially with the little one in the picture. I simply would not take the chance unless I knew the owners or it had been through a reputable program.

I bread Great Pyreneese so of course I'm biased towards them. They're wonderful with kids, very gentle and laid back, but also great guard dogs. Who can resist one of these guys?

[wingnut4772]

I bread Great Pyreneese so of course I'm biased towards them.

Mmmmmmm...breaded Pyreneese....yum.:D

[Bamadude]

oops, i was eating lunch while I typed that :)

[candyliquor35m]

101 ways to wok your dog?

[cfrizz]

:D WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!! I thought the same thing only YUK!:eek: :D

Mmmmmmm...breaded Pyreneese....yum.:D

[Mike682]

On dateline or one of those shows, they had 2 experienced thieves that said dogs and even alarms aren't as much of a deterrent if any to an experienced thief. They said the dogs just get in the way because they follow them around the house wanting to be petted.

I saw the end of that segment. Those guys are from the show " It takes a thief" which was on discovery channel. On the shows I watched, the dogs they ran into were little, overfriendly dogs. I highly dought they would saying the same thing if they ran a dog like this: http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/americanbulldog.htm.

[Mike682]

great responses guys/gals

Great points about getting a older dog from the shelter.

Getting a family dog is more important than getting a guard dog. Although it would be nice to have that combo

Of course it would be best to get a puppy. We would spend a lot of time with the dog during evenings. However, the days are a concern as I just don't feel comfortable leaving a puppy in a crate all day while we are at work.

[jgido759]

I noticed that you are in Long Island. My wife and I have adopted a total of 3 dogs (not all at once :eek: )from the North Shore Animal League (http://www.nsalamerica.org/) in Port Washington. All were puppies and the first lasted almost 13 years (a male red dobermin mix, very gentle and good with kids). Our current pet of 8 years is a female shepard/rottie mix who is just great. Of course, my kids are grown (26 & 22) but have been around those 2 dogs for all of their toddler/teen years. We currently have 2, the previously mentioned female (8) & a male we adopted from a rescue four years ago. As with all adoptions, YMMV.

Although nowadays, it seems to be harder to adopt a dog than to adopt a child!

[Mike682]

I noticed that you are in Long Island. My wife and I have adopted a total of 3 dogs (not all at once :eek: )from the North Shore Animal League (http://www.nsalamerica.org/) in Port Washington. All were puppies and the first lasted almost 13 years (a male red dobermin mix, very gentle and good with kids). Our current pet of 8 years is a female shepard/rottie mix who is just great. Of course, my kids are grown (26 & 22) but have been around those 2 dogs for all of their toddler/teen years. We currently have 2, the previously mentioned female (8) & a male we adopted from a rescue four years ago. As with all adoptions, YMMV.

Although nowadays, it seems to be harder to adopt a dog than to adopt a child!

North Shore is a great shelter. My in-laws adopted thier dog there. I have been there a few times in the past couple of weeks. Lots of dogs and cats. That was the shelter where I just missed a black lab. I went to show my wife, and someone else got him in the meantime.

[BaggedLancer]

As with others in thread I can only agree that a dog will fail at deterring a thief because they just run around and want to be petted. Not to mention if the thief feeds it then it's all over.

Get yourself a nice 12 gage and if someone breaks in God help them.

[daboyz]

Try a Border Collie mix. Sweet dog but will let you know if somethings amiss.

[McLoki]

Once you find a breed you are interested in - make sure it matches your families disposition or you will learn to drive each other nuts - if you are athletic and like to hike a husky may be a great dog. If you are anal about being neat and clean and like to sit at home and watch movies - a husky will drive you insane (and ruin everything in your house to keep himself occupied).

Worry 1st about getting a dog that fits yours and your famiilies personality - Then get an older dog that gets along well with children. For now don't worry about the guard dog aspect as the better they are at guarding, the more risk you will be putting your child in. Most dogs will bark at an intruder - when you have small children in the house, you do not want a dog that has been bred and trained to do more than that. (you would be better off just keeping a loaded gun on the table and telling your child not to play with it)

When you find the breed that you are interested in - Here is a great place to go to find something in your area. (http://www.petfinder.com//index.html)

Personally I like the giant breeds - Our current great dane fits in really well with our family and young children (we got him from a breeder).

Our St. Bernard we got from a shelter we found through the petfinder link above. While she is a great dog - it was difficult to untrain her from many of her learned bad behaviors. Since we know dogs well and have had some stubborn giants in the past - we consider her ok around our kids, but I am sure she was either not raised with kids or the kids she was raised with abused her, because she tolerates the children more than loves them to death. (not typical for Saints...) Given that - she does not stay alone with them nor do we leave her side when she is fed should the kids get to close to her. She would have been a terrible choice for someone not used to large (she is 172#) strong-willed dogs.

If you dont know what you want, describe what you are looking for (size, temperment, energy level, care level (combing, shedding, grooming, slobbering, etc.) as well as a little about your family (out all the time, active, like to relax when you get home, etc.) and I will make some recommendations.

Saying you want a dog good with kids is kind of like saying you want speakers that sound good. We need a little more info before we can really help. With my preference for larger dogs - that is where most of my knowlege is at, but I am sure someone can help you out if the toy breeds are really what you want.

Michael

[venomclan]

Everyone knows that Bulldogs are the best!

[MSALLA]

I don't really like bringing adult dogs in as pets when kids are involved. It'shard to know how they will react with the kids climbing on them or taking objects out of thier mouth, etc. . Any larger size dog will deter the common small time crook. Unless you live in a 2,000,000 dollar home, I can't see a true pro picking out the average home to rob. Look on line for breeders of dogs you like and see if they have any older dogs for sale. Some buyers get cold feet after they purchase a dog and return them to breeders or they may have a stud dog or a female that they don't want to over breed.
Check out Rotti's. Mine was great with kids and very protective. Very smart dogs but can be stubern.

[fatchowmein]

I recall reading about a professional burgler. He wasn't scared of a homeowner with a gun because most aren't train to use it. He wasn't scared of dogs because he usually carried a weapon. What was he scared of? Two dobermans. They attack in groups and he could only fend off one.

+1 to McLoki's comments. For families, I'd recommend a watch dog, not a guard dog. I'm partial to labs. They're high energy dogs and they want to be around the family all the time. That being said, you may not want one with that much energy. Golden retrievers are generally mellower but will bark at anyone attempting to break in. Personality/temper plays a large part. Just don't get a neurotic one.

I'd start with at least 2 years old. 8 months, especially for large breeds, are still considered puppies.

Good luck.

[shawn474]

We have a Jack Russell Terrier at home who is incredible with my daughter and all other kids she has ever been around. They are notorious for being yippy, but have a "big dog in a small body" attitude. She sounds mean when the doorbell rings or there is an unusual noise, but it doesn't go any further than that with humans. She is pretty indifferent around other dogs, but will protect. A Chocalte Lab mix was off leash in our neighborhood was approaching my wife and daughter growling while they were on a walk and she protected them. She spent the night in the ER with a laceration wound and a pucture wound, got 6 stitches and was ready to go the next day.

Shawn

[Mike682]

Heading back to a few shelters today.

North Shore (http://www.nsalamerica.org/) has 50% adoptions this weekend

fatchowmein: I actually grew up with a doberman/german shepherd mix and he was an excellent dog for us however, was aggressive toward anyone else which made it difficult when we had friends over.

[McLoki]

So Mike - did you end up getting a dog? If so, what did you get and how is it working out for you?