Dog Breeds - Help Pick

[mrs.b]

My family is on the market for a dog, though it's a year or two off. I'm a die-hard planner at heart, so I want to make sure we get the right type of dog for our family, and want to make sure we have the cash put aside not only to get the dog and the necessary dog items, but also have training in mind and the funds to pay for formal training for immediate needs.

Here's our family make-up:
- Dad in mid-30s, somewhat active (normally, is sick right now but that should be back on track once docs get treatment set)
- Mom in mid-30s, somwhat active to active
- 11 year old boy who is Autistic with a lot of ADD tendencies but is put off by animals that are too jumpy/random around him (he's fine if they're that way with other people, just not him)

Here are the mandatory needs and absolutely-nots:
- absolutely must be gentle around my son (deal-breaker)
- should be well-behaved inside the house
- cannot be a cat eater (we have two)
- on flip side, would love it to be active/playful outside (a walking/jogging partner for me, a play friend at parks)
- cannot require a huge yard (have a fully-fenced postage stamp)
- needs to be smart enough for some home security training (without sacrificing gentle demeanor with son)
......- needs to be smart enough to alert to danger but not go after it (neighbors killed a water moccasin in their yard last weekend, we find one or two snakes a year in our yard, though never a moccasin)
- cannot be a drooler (I absolutely cannot stand dog drool)
- some shedding is fine - we have cats and already manage that - but live in south AL so a thinner coat is ideal; do not always want to be at the groomer
- cannot be annoyingly yippie (eliminates most small/toy breeds)
- cannot be a nipper/biter (it scares my son, even in play)
- will be alone (with cats) from 7AM to 5 or 6PM Mon-Thu so tendency for separation anxiety is a no-go

We know some of this will need to be handled with training which is why we want some cash ready for immediate training, but some traits and behaviors are inherent to breeds and can only be managed, not fully trained out, so we want to take that into consideration.

My husband likes the idea of a corgi or golden retriever. I like slightly larger dogs like doberman, rottweiler, chocolate labs, or german/australian shepherds (I'd say boxer, but the only ones I've ever been around leaked drool constantly). So far, my son has a penchant for smaller breeds but that is all he's ever really been around. (Part of why we want to take our time is so we can identify the type of dog we want, then get him around some to measure how he takes to them before we commit.) We suspect if we get a dog from puppyhood and he knows it from tiny until full grown, a dog with some size will be fine, but do not want to go overboard and push our luck that he'll get scared of his own dog as it grows too large, so Great Danes (while amazing and beautiful and usually lovable) would be out.

What breeds might fit our requirements? I'm looking for ideas to research!

[alleycat]

How about going to your local animal shelter and saving a life. There are plenty lovely dogs that need homes and are facing a death penalty. These dogs might not be pure bred or they could be pure bred. But they all have one thing in common, they need a home. I would not get hung up on breds. I would be more concerned with your needs as a family. An adult dog might be best in your situation.

[sanantone]

The small backyard eliminates the best large breeds unless you're willing to walk the dog a lot everyday. You might have to do a 30 min. walk once or twice a day. You do not want a boxer. They are hyper and love to jump. A lab or golden retriever can be trained to be a good alert dog, but they make horrible guard dogs. Maybe that's what you're looking for. They'll bark when they feel it's necessary, but they aren't inclined to bite. They have soft mouths anyway. Labs do shed a lot. Golden retrievers are large dogs, about the same size as Labrador retrievers.

Some of the calmest and sweetest dogs I've been around have actually been the pit bull breeds: American Staffordshire Terrier, American Pitbull Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, and mixes. They have a strong bite, but it's a myth that their jaws lock. Their bite is also not as strong as that of a Rottweiler or German Shepherd. Rottweilers, German Shepherds, Doberman Pinschers, Akitas, Chow Chows, pit bulls, and Huskies are regularly on apartment complexes' and insurance companies' aggressive breeds lists. I don't really believe in aggressive breeds, but when I go to the dog park, the dogs that are usually fighting are Akitas, Huskies, and German Shepherds.

I agree with Alleycat. My dog is a mixed breed picked up off the street, but as a puppy. She is mixed with Labrador, Boxer, German Shepherd, and American Staffordshire Terrier. She is super cute and very people friendly....too friendly. Mixed breeds tend to have less health problems too. There is a lot of overbreeding going on with purebreds. German Shepherds often have problems with their hips because of the ridiculous back slope that is desired.

[mrs.b]

Whatever we get will most likely be a shelter rescue. The shelters around here are not kill shelters (well, there is technically one, but the 4 or 5 other no-kill shelters take in all the animals that make it to day 3). Because of that, they take requests to make sure they home the right dog with the right family so it doesn't end up homeless again, so we can get choosy. I'm mainly asking about breeds because they lend a lot to personality and needs. For instance, I've known a handful of Chihuahuas in my day and every one of them has been a yippy little Napoleon brat. I've known some bassett hounds and they were all fairly lazy once into adulthood and definitely not up for a long run. We are not intending to get a full-breed - mix breeds, I'm told, tend to be healthier and live longer - but if I have a breed or two in preference, it narrows the selection field.

I don't trust myself to just walk into a shelter and not walk out with 1 or 2 (or 4 or 5) dogs, regardless of temperament. I loooove puppies (and when I say puppies, I mean all dogs because they're all puppies at heart with enough love) and have horrible self-restraint unless I have a solid plan, preferably with decision already made before getting in the car. I don't go to pet stores for that same reason. So...to make sure we get the right choice for our family, I want to put in a little forethought and planning. But, my sister-in-law volunteers at a shelter a state over and is keeping her eyes out for the right pup for us, and I'm talking to a nice lady at the shelter nearby who seems to understand the very specific needs of our family. But, yeah, I can't go to the shelter. My lack of in-the-moment self-restraint would prove problematic.

Edited to Add: When we got our cats, my husband took me to the shelter for my birthday. We were just going to get one. By the time we were done, I had five that I was filling out the paperwork for. My husband, bless him, was the voice of reason and insisted we keep it to no more than two (I was so sad!)...but he's not a cat person. He is, however, a dog person and has said he isn't sure he'd have the same self control if we find more than one awesome pup.

[sanantone]

Whatever we get will most likely be a shelter rescue. The shelters around here are not kill shelters (well, there is technically one, but the 4 or 5 other no-kill shelters take in all the animals that make it to day 3). Because of that, they take requests to make sure they home the right dog with the right family so it doesn't end up homeless again, so we can get choosy. I'm mainly asking about breeds because they lend a lot to personality and needs. For instance, I've known a handful of Chihuahuas in my day and every one of them has been a yippy little Napoleon brat. I've known some bassett hounds and they were all fairly lazy once into adulthood and definitely not up for a long run. We are not intending to get a full-breed - mix breeds, I'm told, tend to be healthier and live longer - but if I have a breed or two in preference, it narrows the selection field.

I don't trust myself to just walk into a shelter and not walk out with 1 or 2 (or 4 or 5) dogs, regardless of temperament. I loooove puppies and have horrible self-restraint unless I have a solid plan, preferably with decision already made before getting in the car. I don't go to pet stores for that same reason. So...to make sure we get the right choice for our family, I want to put in a little forethought and planning. But, my sister-in-law volunteers at a shelter a state over and is keeping her eyes out for the right pup for us, and I'm talking to a nice lady at the shelter nearby who seems to understand the very specific needs of our family. But, yeah, I can't go to the shelter. My lack of in-the-moment self-restraint would prove problematic.

If you get a mixed breed puppy from the shelter, you may or may not know what it is. Shelters, and even animal control officers, often misclassify dogs. Animal control officers like to label everything with a large chest a pit bull. Shelter workers will often call pit bull mixes lab mixes. Actually, lab/pit bull crosses are common, but the shelter will focus on the lab part to increase adoptability.

[mrs.b]

The small backyard eliminates the best large breeds unless you're willing to walk the dog a lot everyday. You might have to do a 30 min. walk once or twice a day. You do not want a boxer. They are hyper and love to jump. A lab or golden retriever can be trained to be a good alert dog, but they make horrible guard dogs. Maybe that's what you're looking for. They'll bark when they feel it's necessary, but they aren't inclined to bite. They have soft mouths anyway. Labs do shed a lot. Golden retrievers are large dogs, about the same size as Labrador retrievers.

Yes, an alert dog is more likely what we need. I've not known a lot of dogs trained for guarding, but the few I did were a bit too aggressive (maybe that's not the right word - dominant, perhaps?) for what I think will work around my son. Plus, snakes are not common in our yard but we do find a few a year, and given the moccasin the neighbors caught and killed, I'd rather a dog that sees danger and just alerts than one that tries to get in there and take care of it, and possibly get bit by a poisonous snake. We're taking precautions after last weekend's find to try to deter those yucky critters, but I still want to make sure whatever dog we get is trained not to go after a problem on its own, at least not without a command or similar.

Some of the calmest and sweetest dogs I've been around have actually been the pit bull breeds: American Staffordshire Terrier, American Pitbull Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, and mixes. They have a strong bite, but it's a myth that their jaws lock. Their bite is also not as strong as that of a Rottweiler or German Shepherd. Rottweilers, German Shepherds, Doberman Pinschers, Akitas, Chow Chows, pit bulls, and Huskies are regularly on apartment complexes' and insurance companies' aggressive breeds lists. I don't really believe in aggressive breeds, but when I go to the dog park, the dogs that are usually fighting are Akitas, Huskies, and German Shepherds.

Oh, see, now you're going after my heart. I love pit breeds. I've never met one that wasn't an absolute sweetie. Our HOA has a clause that says no pit breeds, though. Think a mix would qualify? Not like they'll AKC test it, I'm sure, so long as it doesn't look 100% the part. I do not like Akitas, Huskies, and Chow Chows; they're pretty and all, but never met one that wasn't a mean jerk. Plus, their coats are far too thick for hot climates, in my opinion.

[sanantone]

Yes, an alert dog is more likely what we need. I've not known a lot of dogs trained for guarding, but the few I did were a bit too aggressive (maybe that's not the right word - dominant, perhaps?) for what I think will work around my son. Plus, snakes are not common in our yard but we do find a few a year, and given the moccasin the neighbors caught and killed, I'd rather a dog that sees danger and just alerts than one that tries to get in there and take care of it, and possibly get bit by a poisonous snake. We're taking precautions after last weekend's find to try to deter those yucky critters, but I still want to make sure whatever dog we get is trained not to go after a problem on its own, at least not without a command or similar.



Oh, see, now you're going after my heart. I love pit breeds. I've never met one that wasn't an absolute sweetie. Our HOA has a clause that says no pit breeds, though. Think a mix would qualify? Not like they'll AKC test it, I'm sure, so long as it doesn't look 100% the part. I do not like Akitas, Huskies, and Chow Chows; they're pretty and all, but never met one that wasn't a mean jerk. Plus, their coats are far too thick for hot climates, in my opinion.

You might want to cross the Alaskan Malamute off your list too. Well, you'll know which type of dog won't be fit for the climate when you see it. It's a shame that your HOA won't allow pits. I've found that if an apartment or HOA bans just one type of dog, it's the pit bull. They are very misunderstood.

Your HOA might ask for a vet's opinion. Depending on how the dog looks, you can get away with calling it a Boxer or Lab mix. If they don't ban other bully breeds, you could probably get away with bulldog mix and the like.

[mrs.b]

If you get a mixed breed puppy from the shelter, you may or may not know what it is. Shelters, and even animal control officers, often misclassify dogs. Animal control officers like to label everything with a large chest a pit bull. Shelter workers will often call pit bull mixes lab mixes. Actually, lab/pit bull crosses are common, but the shelter will focus on the lab part to increase adoptability.

That's where sis-in-law would be my eyes. She is amazing at classifying, it's a game to her, and while it's often difficult to have any sort of check and measure, she has found original owners to learn of some dog parents before, and in the case of her own pups, went to the trouble of doing the doggie cheek swap for DNA checks. She's always at least within the right family, if not right on the mark.

Temperament is the main consideration, I'm mainly looking at breeds for a starting point to temperament. If a goofy little Chihuahua (or mix) showed up and amazingly had the perfect temperament, I might be able to overlook my deep-seated disdain for them. My kiddo certainly leans towards smaller dogs; I'm the one that likes somewhat larger ones.

You might want to cross the Alaskan Malamute off your list too. Well, you'll know which type of dog won't be fit for the climate when you see it. It's a shame that your HOA won't allow pits. I've found that if an apartment or HOA bans just one type of dog, it's the pit bull. They are very misunderstood.

Your HOA might ask for a vet's opinion. Depending on how the dog looks, you can get away with calling it a Boxer or Lab mix. If they don't ban other bully breeds, you could probably get away with bulldog mix and the like.

Yes, anything with long or overthick fur, I wouldn't consider. Pits are so misunderstood; I've only ever known lovable, gentle, sweet-tempered ones that just want to love and be loved. That said, our HOA has it written in the bylaws but they're pretty lazy in managing most rules. So long as the dog doesn't look like a pure-breed pit, I doubt it would ever be an issue unless the dog showed aggression (and I wouldn't want or keep a dog like that, anyway). The president of the HOA has a collie that regularly jumps its fence (who puts up a 3-ft fence to keep a dog in?) and chases walkers and joggers on the sidewalks and come dangerously close to biting; I have a stick I take with me each day on my outings just for that jerk. If the rest of the HOA won't handle that, I don't see them getting too detailed about a mix breed that isn't clearly a banned breed. Particularly if it appears more lab-like.

OK, will look into pit-lab mixes. Just the sound of it makes me smile, and depending on size (i.e., other breeds mixed in) and attitude, that might be a good one to put on our watch list.

[dfrecore]

I would be careful about getting a dog from a shelter just because of your son's needs. We tried the shelters around us, and all there were were pit bulls, pit mixes, chihuahuas, and chihuahua mixes. Not kidding, every single dog both times we went in. And our HO Insurance has a list of breeds we can't have, including mixes of those breeds. Which is fine, my husband runs, and when he is chased, it is very often a pit bull, so he was not interested in those.

We also get snakes occasionally, and my husband runs where there are snakes, so we actually had our dog take snake avoidance training. There are classes here in southern California for that, not sure where you live, but you can look for that.

We got a golden retriever because we wanted a good friendly family dog. After researching, and figuring out that there were very specific traits we wanted, we went for a pure breed from a very reputable breeder nearby. The good thing was that since the breeder was with the puppies since birth, she was able to give us exactly what we wanted in terms of personality type (CALM was my main requirement). While he is protective of our backyard, especially with the coyotes that come around, he is not what I would call a guard dog. But he's been such a calm, sweet dog with my family that we don't care. As for shedding, we could make a hamster with the amount of hair we collect every few days. It's ridiculous. He does have a "soft" mouth, and you could hold a tiny piece of food right in front of him and he would gently take it from you with his lips and take care not to bite, even when he was little. Definitely a plus with children.

Because of allergies (which I became aware of AFTER we got our dog), but since we so love our Golden, we opted for a Goldendoodle this time around. She is 7 months old, and so sweet, and crazy smart. Virtually no shedding thank goodness. She is also fairly calm. She has just recently started barking at the window if someone comes around - if they ring the bell, or come into the backyard, she's fine, but if it's UPS leaving a package, or the landscaping guy pulling weeds in the front yard, she does not like that. Seems like if someone shows themselves, she's ok, but if she does not know what they're doing, no bueno. Again, not a great guard dog, but better than the golden. She does NOT have a soft mouth, she definitely takes after the poodle side of the family. If you have food, watch your fingers or you could lose a couple!

Since we got both dogs as puppies, that was great for my kids. They were pretty young when we got our first dog, but were very helpful in helping to potty train the dog, and teach him tricks, and take him for walks. Since he was little when we got him, they didn't mind the size he eventually got. They also were pretty good about understanding "he's just a baby" when he did things they didn't like. Like eating their stuffed animals. And shoes. They learned to pick up after themselves better (win-win).

I would research some breeds and find a few that you like, and then work with some breeders to get the personality type that you are looking for. A good breeder will be able to help you get the calmest of the bunch in a litter (we had 3 choices out of a litter of 11 that she considered "calm but not shy"). We were very happy with the whole process and feel like we got EXACTLY what we paid for.

Although I don't think we would go to a shelter for a dog (just because of the insurance situation), we would definitely consider a specific-breed rescue organization to find one at some point in the future. Especially if the dog was in a foster situation, so we could get to know it a bit and talk to someone who had the dog in their home. Because of your situation, that might be a good choice for you as well.

Good luck!

[mrs.b]

I would be careful about getting a dog from a shelter just because of your son's needs. We tried the shelters around us, and all there were were pit bulls, pit mixes, chihuahuas, and chihuahua mixes. Not kidding, every single dog both times we went in. And our HO Insurance has a list of breeds we can't have, including mixes of those breeds. Which is fine, my husband runs, and when he is chased, it is very often a pit bull, so he was not interested in those.

We are definitely being careful, though I am not turned off by a pit mix if the attitude is right (I've never known aggressive pits but there are examples of aggression for every breed). We have only ever taken shelter/rescue animals so it is our default assumption we will do that, but the caveat there is we have had minimal animals since my son came along. (Just two cats, and they are aloof so it works for him.) My SIL is a die-hard shelter advocate, but has cautioned that if we do definitely do a shelter rescue, she is going to foster it for a few months for us to get a good picture of personality quirks and so we can slowly introduce our son and the dog to be 100% sure it is a good match. One thing she has experienced herself is a dog's change in temperament after adoption. She has taken in dogs that were meek, gentle, and incredibly submissive in the shelter and even in foster of a few weeks, but after settling in for a month or more, they turn into aggressive and domineering pack leaders that tried to put her children (who are teens) in place. We cannot have that.

We also get snakes occasionally, and my husband runs where there are snakes, so we actually had our dog take snake avoidance training. There are classes here in southern California for that, not sure where you live, but you can look for that.

I did not know there was such a thing a snake avoidance training. I will definitely look into it! There is a behavior training dog school two blocks over from our house, so I'll be giving them a call about it. Thank you!

We got a golden retriever because we wanted a good friendly family dog. After researching, and figuring out that there were very specific traits we wanted, we went for a pure breed from a very reputable breeder nearby. The good thing was that since the breeder was with the puppies since birth, she was able to give us exactly what we wanted in terms of personality type (CALM was my main requirement). While he is protective of our backyard, especially with the coyotes that come around, he is not what I would call a guard dog. But he's been such a calm, sweet dog with my family that we don't care. As for shedding, we could make a hamster with the amount of hair we collect every few days. It's ridiculous. He does have a "soft" mouth, and you could hold a tiny piece of food right in front of him and he would gently take it from you with his lips and take care not to bite, even when he was little. Definitely a plus with children.

Because of allergies (which I became aware of AFTER we got our dog), but since we so love our Golden, we opted for a Goldendoodle this time around. She is 7 months old, and so sweet, and crazy smart. Virtually no shedding thank goodness. She is also fairly calm. She has just recently started barking at the window if someone comes around - if they ring the bell, or come into the backyard, she's fine, but if it's UPS leaving a package, or the landscaping guy pulling weeds in the front yard, she does not like that. Seems like if someone shows themselves, she's ok, but if she does not know what they're doing, no bueno. Again, not a great guard dog, but better than the golden. She does NOT have a soft mouth, she definitely takes after the poodle side of the family. If you have food, watch your fingers or you could lose a couple!

Since we got both dogs as puppies, that was great for my kids. They were pretty young when we got our first dog, but were very helpful in helping to potty train the dog, and teach him tricks, and take him for walks. Since he was little when we got him, they didn't mind the size he eventually got. They also were pretty good about understanding "he's just a baby" when he did things they didn't like. Like eating their stuffed animals. And shoes. They learned to pick up after themselves better (win-win).

I would research some breeds and find a few that you like, and then work with some breeders to get the personality type that you are looking for. A good breeder will be able to help you get the calmest of the bunch in a litter (we had 3 choices out of a litter of 11 that she considered "calm but not shy"). We were very happy with the whole process and feel like we got EXACTLY what we paid for.

Although I don't think we would go to a shelter for a dog (just because of the insurance situation), we would definitely consider a specific-breed rescue organization to find one at some point in the future. Especially if the dog was in a foster situation, so we could get to know it a bit and talk to someone who had the dog in their home. Because of your situation, that might be a good choice for you as well.

Good luck!

Thank you for that! My husband absolutely loves goldens, and a goldiedoodle might be perfect! Does it have the intelligence of a standard poodle? How hard was it to find? I love the idea of the best of both those amazing breeds. (Standard poodles are so smart, and can be adorable so long as the owner does not groom a goofy show trim.) That mix also sounds up our alley and great for the whole family situation if raised and trained right!

Also now looking into labradoodles. Yay!