Favorite Dog Breeds

[Dave TBG]

For those who insist on purebreds, that's great, too. Just be sure to check your shelters and breed rescues before you buy. You'd be amazed (and saddened) by what people "throw away!"

I agree. Most of my canine companions have been rescues, my favorite looked like a pure bred Flat-coated Retriever. He was an 85 lb teddy bear who never met a person or dog he didn't like. He was picked up as a stray at around 4 months old so it's anybody's guess what he really was, but he looked like a "not show quality" Flat-coat and was found in an area with a breeder with a questionable reputation.
The two I have now are also great dogs and, thanks to DNA testing, I know what they are. One is a mix of American Foxhound, Sharpei and AmStaff, the other is Silver Lab, Weimaraner and AmStaff.
I highly recommend DNA testing. It's a lot of fun guessing what the results might be and can offer insight into breed specific personality traits or potential health issues.

 

[MROO]

Agreed! There are a few breeds that I feel bad for...like ones that can't breathe properly or breed naturally due to joint qualities. I don't think my dog is really that mixed. I think he is almost or fully wire haired jack russel and beagle. And we've been battling ear infections and he is on daily allergy medication. Next time I might try to find a dog that is even more mixed and see what happens. I will still probably end up with something that is small and non-shedding...both qualities that aren't really natural.

I can't walk into a shelter and choose which life to save without worrying about what happens to the others for the rest of my life, so here's my plan ...
The shelter staff knows the animals in their care better than I ever could, and they know who needs rescuing the most. So, my goal and dream is to lay out the parameters of my yard, home and pets-n-people who reside there. I'll tell them that I don't care about age, breed, color or gender. All I really require is a sweet face and a sweeter disposition ... bring me someone who really needs me.

 

[goldysgirl]

I can't walk into a shelter and choose which life to save without worrying about what happens to the others for the rest of my life, so here's my plan ...
The shelter staff knows the animals in their care better than I ever could, and they know who needs rescuing the most. So, my goal and dream is to lay out the parameters of my yard, home and pets-n-people who reside there. I'll tell them that I don't care about age, breed, color or gender. All I really require is a sweet face and a sweeter disposition ... bring me someone who really needs me.

That is the sweetest! Whoever comes home with you will be so lucky!!! My little monster, as I lovingly call him, was not at all what I was looking for at the shelter. He was really scruffy and looked like he had climbed out of a dumpster, but my son loved him. He was an older pup at 5-6 years old and had been at the shelter for a month after owner release (not a no kill shelter either). We filled out the application and went home. When I left the shelter I didn't feel totally sure because he was high energy and not what I pictured, but after I thought a little more I couldn't even sleep thinking of him lying on that concrete floor behind bars in a noisy shelter. Our application was approved and we had to wait several days to pick him up because he was out of state. The shelter held him for us. When we picked him up he practically burst out the door and hopped right into the car. When he got out of the car, my son walked him and he just ran and ran and ran with joy. Adopting him was one of the best decisions of my life and probably the most rewarding thing I have ever done. Nothing beats the good feeling of saving the life of an animal with a rough start and making all of his dreams come true!!!

 

[goldysgirl]

A little love, good food, clean environment and he is as cute as can be!

 

[MROO]

A little love, good food, clean environment and he is as cute as can be!

OhMaGosh ... he's so stinkin' cute i can't stand it!

Our latest rescue isn't what I'd hoped for, either, but she's grown on me. She's (we think) mostly English Setter (according to a breeder/hunter who spotted us in TSC) with some border collie thrown in. She's absolutely gorgeous and very, very smart, but she's stone cold crazy! We've had her over a year (she's 19 mos, now) and she's only JUST started to settle down. It took almost the whole first year for me to decide she could stay. Her one saving grace was that DD, who was having a really rough time with some Dad-divorce issues, had bonded so tightly with her that the two were inseparable ... so I persevered.

Skye has now (for the most part) settled into her role as neighborhood watch coordinator (I swear, this dog barks when a squirrel farts!) and Protector of the People. It's her self-appointed duty to protect us from the "Oooh Shinies" on the ceiling. You know, all the little shadows and reflections that pass overhead. From laser pointers to curtain shadows to reflections off your glass of water,she's on it with an absolutely frenetic barking that'll jar your teeth. We've had to move our fish bowl three times, this week. When the sun comes in at just the right angle, the bubbler drives her insane! If she didn't have such a deafening bark, it'd be funny ... but since she does ... not so much!

 

[Dave TBG]

Barley and Hops, she'll be 3 in December and is just starting to be less nutty. He's 1.5 and still insane.

 

[AllenK RGV]

Mine are mostly all found mutts, I do have one that appears to be a pure bred lab. Regardless, these girls are all trained to keep the neighbor's yippies(FENCE!) out of our yard and I know if a raptor makes it to ground in my yard on a chicken they will either dispatch it or run it off. I have 4 great LGDs. They aren't interested in being outside much unless the chicken feeders are full as they are thieving hungry things for some reason, but when they are outside they are on guard.

Now my cat, he is the real hunter/killer beast. That boy has taken down mature possums and full size jackrabbits. 1000's of rats have also met their end with him as well, so he is the better dog. Plus he spends 99% of his time outside in his sadist playground. Yes he is a sadist, I have personally seen bloody pinkies crawling everywhere after one of his surgeries, and that is impossible to unsee.

One final plus point for the cat is unlike my dogs he doesn't roll in the rotten things he leaves in the yard like the dogs will.

 

[goldysgirl]

OhMaGosh ... he's so stinkin' cute i can't stand it!

Our latest rescue isn't what I'd hoped for, either, but she's grown on me. She's (we think) mostly English Setter (according to a breeder/hunter who spotted us in TSC) with some border collie thrown in. She's absolutely gorgeous and very, very smart, but she's stone cold crazy! We've had her over a year (she's 19 mos, now) and she's only JUST started to settle down. It took almost the whole first year for me to decide she could stay. Her one saving grace was that DD, who was having a really rough time with some Dad-divorce issues, had bonded so tightly with her that the two were inseparable ... so I persevered.

Skye has now (for the most part) settled into her role as neighborhood watch coordinator (I swear, this dog barks when a squirrel farts!) and Protector of the People. It's her self-appointed duty to protect us from the "Oooh Shinies" on the ceiling. You know, all the little shadows and reflections that pass overhead. From laser pointers to curtain shadows to reflections off your glass of water,she's on it with an absolutely frenetic barking that'll jar your teeth. We've had to move our fish bowl three times, this week. When the sun comes in at just the right angle, the bubbler drives her insane! If she didn't have such a deafening bark, it'd be funny ... but since she does ... not so much!
View attachment 1903852

She is adorable! Bowsie came with some challenges, too. We have conquered just about everything but the dislike for other dogs, anxiety attacks where he paces and cries with his toys, and the humping haha!

 

[goldysgirl]

Barley and Hops, she'll be 3 in December and is just starting to be less nutty. He's 1.5 and still insane.

So beautiful!

 

[goldysgirl]

Mine are mostly all found mutts, I do have one that appears to be a pure bred lab. Regardless, these girls are all trained to keep the neighbor's yippies(FENCE!) out of our yard and I know if a raptor makes it to ground in my yard on a chicken they will either dispatch it or run it off. I have 4 great LGDs. They aren't interested in being outside much unless the chicken feeders are full as they are thieving hungry things for some reason, but when they are outside they are on guard.

Now my cat, he is the real hunter/killer beast. That boy has taken down mature possums and full size jackrabbits. 1000's of rats have also met their end with him as well, so he is the better dog. Plus he spends 99% of his time outside in his sadist playground. Yes he is a sadist, I have personally seen bloody pinkies crawling everywhere after one of his surgeries, and that is impossible to unsee.

One final plus point for the cat is unlike my dogs he doesn't roll in the rotten things he leaves in the yard like the dogs will.

Oh...I forgot about that one. Mine lives to roll in disgusting things and he will eat chicken poops like treats if I turn my back. Gross!