Favorite Dog Breeds

[MROO]

I have had all purebreeds (bassett, Rottweiler, poodles) until my recent dog who is a shelter mix. I loved my purebred dogs, but all had breed related health problems...one died at 1 year old from a breed related disorder and its father went to Westminster and was one of the top 20 dogs in the country according to breed standards. All health testing done. Fantastic dog...but became ill. Now it is mutts only and rescues only for me. I think my shelter dog is a jack russell/beagle mix. He is fantastic! Fun, athletic, cuddly, low maintenance and hilarious. It just feels too good to help a dog that has been dumped by his family to go back to buying dogs. I love to watch him curl up in his warm bed next to mine and know that he will never have to lay on a cold shelter floor and watch his family that was supposed to love and take care of him walk away. I am pretty sure they hit him, too. It took some time and training to correct the damage they had done. I am so glad he is mine now. No judgement to purebred lovers though. I still like purebreeds, too.

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!"

 

[goldysgirl]

Poodles are great! Very smart. As a dog groomer though I just feel it’s good to point out the grooming requirements for poodles and poodle mix breeds. If this is a breed you’re interested in make sure to call up some grooming shops to find out the average cost of grooming(varies by area). And realize they will require grooming every 4-12 weeks depending on the style you choose and how much maintenance you’re willing to do at home. A lot of people vastly underestimate this expense with their first poodle.
But they’re great dogs. The only thing I dislike about them is their tendency to have very bad teeth in my experience. Usually very sweet and trainable though.

The most intelligent and loyal dogs I have had have been poodles. I did my own grooming, which was enjoyable at first, but after 15 years and a move into the muddy woods became a chore. Mine had great teeth because I cleaned them regularly, but chronic ear infections, allergies, colitis, and a bleeding disorder were problems we encountered.

 

[goldysgirl]

Standard Poodles are the bomb! LOVE 'em!

Mine were standards. Very protective, too. Very human personalities and smart like a young child. My doorknob is chewed up where my poidle tried to open the door when he was home alone during a storm. I miss him.

 

[KikiDeAnime]

Oh how sad! How did they get ahold of poisoned dog food?

My grandmother(Father's side) gave us a bag of dog food and we didn't put together that it killed her dog too.
I still miss them because we grew up with them. Carl was 15 when we put him to sleep. I forgot how old Sadie and Koda were when they passed.

 

[Halfpasthen]

The most intelligent and loyal dogs I have had have been poodles. I did my own grooming, which was enjoyable at first, but after 15 years and a move into the muddy woods became a chore. Mine had great teeth because I cleaned them regularly, but chronic ear infections, allergies, colitis, and a bleeding disorder were problems we encountered.

Yes! Standards are my favorite too (though I’ve never owned poodles, just trained and groomed for years) and they have fantastic teeth usually. I just meant the toys since that’s what OP was interested in.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Mini Dachshunds!

 

[Halfpasthen]

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!"

Couldn’t agree more. My husbands coworker adopted a purebred Boston terrier puppy this week (from the local shelter) and it had been sitting there for 3 months.
And I’ll be fostering a purebred Doberman pup for a couple months until it’s ready to go up for adoption. My friend at the local humane society if 50 dogs deep at the moment. We have a terrible overpopulation issue in our area. We transport them to other states bc there just aren’t enough homes here.

 

[CJLR]

Australian shepherd

 

[CJLR]

I like Australian shepherds, boxers, rat terriers, and French bulldog Boston terrier mixes. I currently own 2 Australian shepherds, a boxer, a rat Chihuahua mix and 2 of the French bulldog Boston terrier mix. All are females.

I have also owned bassets, coonhounds, a border collie, a German shepherd, and an Alaskan husky. So far I've owned 20 dogs in my life, and hope to fit a few more in yet. . Life without a dog would be sad.

do you have any training tips for a australian shepherd i currently do not own one (i have a German shepherd hound mix i think ) but have researched a lot about the breed and have fallen in love with it

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

do you have any training tips for a australian shepherd i currently do not own one (i have a German shepherd hound mix i think ) but have researched a lot about the breed and have fallen in love with it

They are bred to move livestock, generally cattle, so they can be loud, pushy, dominant dogs, so you have to make sure you set boundaries when they are pups and reaffirm them or else they will test your leadership, and take over. A dominant Aussie can turn aggressive towards people and other dogs. Also be prepared to exercise them daily. They will run for hours when younger. A tired Aussie is a good Aussie.

There are different lines of Aussies. Working lines can be hyper. Show lines are bigger and more easy going. Aussies shed and they bark. Be ready for that. They come in a range of sizes and coat length. The standard doesn't have a weight range, so they can range from 35 pounds to 85 pounds plus.

That's the bad stuff. The good stuff is they are loyal, smart, goofy dogs with a sense of humor. They are clowns. You will definitely laugh, and never be alone as they follow you everywhere. They also are gorgeous. Mine ignore small animals, and get along well with them. They also love to play for most of their lives. They are generally long lived, 12-16 years on average.

I keep saying no more, because they can be challenging, but than I think who am I gonna have conversations with? Aussies can understand full sentences I swear, and are fun to have around.