Thinking about a new dog - need breed help

[Wisher1000]

One of my best dogs was a golden mix. She looked just like a pure bred, as did all her littermates, but her mom was a lab/aussie mix and black as coal! We named her Cashew and raised her form a pup. She was reliable around kids, mine and other's, would bark at anyone coming around, was too smart, and was effortless to train. She would take her time in trusting strangers, but as soon as she felt we were okay with them, so was she.

If you want your pup to be stranger aware (not agressive) then keep her away from adults outside the family for her first 2 years, but let small children play with her. It is hard to do and takes commitment from everyone in the family, but at 2 years plus, she should exclude others from her pack and be wary of strangers. At the same time, nurture her sense of confidence. Take her out to public places on a leash and get her used to people but don't let any one of them touch or talk to her. It's hard, people love dogs, but if you say, "please, don't distract her right now, we're in the middle of a very important training session. Thanks!" most people will respect that. I would sit with mine at the park and when I noticed that she was focused on an adult that was out of earshot I would lean down and massage her ribs and shoulders while saying "Watch um" in a menacing whisper as if that person was some terrible threat. The close contact gave her the security and the tone let her know that that person was not a friend. Later, when someone pulled in the drive or knocked on the door, I again said "watch um"and she would come to me for the security, but would growl deep in her throat. If a dog is really timid, you can get a friend that the dog doesn't know to help by acting scared and retreating from her when the dog gets focused. Caution! If you do this with a confident dog you will be encouraging the attack response, so be carefull. This form of training is the opposite of what you want in a town dog or a naturally agressive breed. You want everyone to pet them so you won't have a lawsuit on a leash! Keep in mind that each dog has a personality and that training has to be constantly modified. What you, your daughter and your husband want in your new dog is not only possible but shoud be fairly simple to obtain from a golden or golden mix.

Goldens can be chicken eaters.

 

[Jamie_Dog_Trainer]

Wow lots of varied responses here. You want a dog that would be alert if you needed it and let you know you have a stranger? Any breed can do that, and be quite effective. You don't need a huge, snarling beast to alert you to something. I have seen many Labs, Lab mixes, and Goldens that were very effective (and scary looking) if you approach their yard without the owner present. Believe me they are convincing, no one in their right mind would choose to go into a house or yard with a larger sized dog barking at them in a serious way.

The thing about chickens and dogs, especially bird dogs such as Goldens or Labs...if you plan on getting a purebred then do your research and go with one of these dogs that are bred for SHOW, not hunting. Its hard enough to train a non-hunting breed to leave your livestock alone. After all a dog is a dog, they ALL have the instincts to be attracted to noisey, flapping, moving, birds and other animals. A dog from show lines and not hunting lines will give you a lesser of a hard time in training. The show bred Goldens and Labs tend to be more calm and less distractable. A puppy from hunting parents is going to LOOK for ways to use its hunting insticts. While its more than possible to train a hunting dog to leave your birds alone, why not stack the odds in your favor?

Please, whatever you do -- do not isolate your dog to be "stranger wary" as someone else suggested. This is all round a bad idea. A dog that is well socialized and used to adults will be a joy to own. A dog that is isolated and unsocialized isnt being "protective" when they react to a stranger they are afraid and dangerous, in addition a dog that is unsocialized that has to make a decision about a stranger is usually going to run and NOT defend, or if it does bite, the bite isn't going to be appropriate because the dog hasnt learned what a threat is. To an unsocialized dog literally anything might look like a threat.

 

[drdoolittle]

Our boxer is a great dog! He's friendly, gets along with other dogs---my chihuahua bosses him-----and is great with cats (our kitten is often snuggled up next to him on the couch. As for being protective, I never thought he would be ultra-protective, but he proved me wrong. My brother and his GF came for Christmas----Andre` had never seen them before, and was outside when they pulled up. They got out, and he sniffed them, his hair standing up and growling softly----but never tried to bite, just let them know he was watching them. Once they came inside, Andre` acted like they were long-lost friends. Oh, he doesn't stray off our 5-acres either.

 

[breezy]

You could check out rescue too. Golden Retriever Rescue of the Rockies here in Colorado often has purebred Golden pups If you dont intend to show and you intend t spay/nueter then rescue is a good way to go as the cost can be less. Temperment test the pups and pick the best middle of the road pup you can find and then do the training to make the puppy successful. Just a thought. Best wishes on your search for a new pup and Congrats on selecting the breed and doing your homework with breeders.

 

[menageriemama]

I vote Greater Swiss Mountain Dog. They are large, gorgeous, protective, kind and mellow. My best friend has one, and she has totally won me over. Otherwise, consider a Rhodesian Ridgeback. They are awesome.

PS I like males, esp if you already have 2 females

And in my experience, Swissys LOVE smaller dogs.

 

[HollywoodHillsHens]

We have two Vizslas, whom we ABSOLUTELY LOVE. Terrific off-leash hiking companions, extremely friendly and affable, and smart. 50-60 pounds, sort of like a leaner, smaller, (and IMHO) smarter weimaraner.

They LOVE other dogs, but as with most dogs who do well with others, they have been very well socialized since they were about 10 weeks old.

Pros: fantastic temperaments (they default to "I love you!"), amazing "off leash" dogs with a close range when off-leash - these are HPRs (hunt/point/retrievers meant for upland game hunting). Ours have been trained not to bother our hens (introduced them to the chicks, supervised them at first, now everyone's OK). A fantastic breed that's incredibly cuddly, affectionate and connected to people. We let them sleep in our bed when one of us is feeling down or has trouble sleeping (they're better than Ambien for relaxation). Some call them "velcro dogs." Very short red hair with no undercoat. One of our dogs is a diligent "ball dog," the other (her full brother) could care less and lives to be "pet."

Cons: need a lot of exercise, must live INSIDE A HOME with people (these dogs do NOT do well left alone for long periods of time, and absolutely NOT a "doghouse dog"), can be hyper if not exercised and a bit "jumpy" if not trained.

Ours have done fine in the snow for an hour or two, but their coat is rather thin for extended periods of cold weather without a jacket or something. On the flip side, they do OK in the heat.

They are great "guard dogs," if by guard you mean "bark loudly when someone (including us) comes to the door / fence" then become instantly friendly when the guest arrives. We live in a part of LA with coyotes, so once or twice they have joined in on a late-night croonfest when they hear their feral cousins calling in a kill. We got a kick out of it.

This is the typical "V in the field" shot:

This is the typical "V at home" shot:

We have had ours for four-five years and could not imagine a day without them.

 

[Wisher1000]

Jamie has a good point. I had in mind one of those "OMG I have to love everybody" personalities that Goldens sometimes have. I knew what I was thinking, just didn't convey it clearly. True that many, if not most, dogs need tons of socialization to be safe and sweet. Thanks for the clarification.

 

[yoie]

Another great breed is an English Shepherd. We have one sweet girl, she is great with our kids, protective of the family and other pets. And she is one gorgeous dog. They are also known as a farm collie. They are the all purpose breed, they can hunt, herd, protect, and cuddle. Plus they are adorable! I'd post a pick of her but still to new to post pics yet. But thier sight has some great information: http://www.englishshepherd.org/

 

[Jamie_Dog_Trainer]

Quote:
Thanks I was hoping no one would take what I said as me being mean at all.

 

[Mak]

Big dog? Hairy Coat? I vote Leonberger. I was never really a fan until friends got 2. Really awesome dogs.