thinking of getting a dog......breed help required?

[Glenmar]

Quote:
Those are 2 VERY different breeds of dogs. An anatolian is bred to be independent; a livestock guardian that stays out alone patroling. A mal is bred to work one onone with their handler.

I don't think either of these would be good with young kids.

 

[drdoolittle]

GSD would be my choice. They are so intelligent, and very family oriented-------there is nowhere they'd rather be than with their owner/family. They are excellant with children----you just need to make sure you get one from a good breeder and that the parents have been tested for any genetic problems such as hip dysplasia. My girl follows me out every morning and evening as I go to do my chores, and stays with me the whole time. Whenever I need her to stay put for some reason (I'm going across the road to the neighbor's, or there is a loose chicken I need to catch), she stays right where I tell her to until I come back and release her. She's even stayed laying down on the trail in our woods while I searched for my barn cat. She's the best dog I have ever owned-----and I've had quite a few throughout my life.

This is our girl, Daisy, cooling off in her wading pool. She's 10 now, and still has great hips-----just a little arthritis in her joints.

The second best dog was a Belgian Shepherd (the groenendael). Sheik was given to a family I lived with when I was 19 and really became my dog. He was so beautiful and also followed me where ever I went.

 

[carolinagirl58]

Quote:
Those are 2 VERY different breeds of dogs. An anatolian is bred to be independent; a livestock guardian that stays out alone patroling. A mal is bred to work one onone with their handler.

I don't think either of these would be good with young kids.

Anatolians are actually really good with little kids. They love and protect whoever is part of their family. And because of their almost non-existent prey drive, they don't enjoy chasing kids down either.

 

[SillyChicken]

Some of the dogs mentioned are highly active dogs.. the mal and wire pointer(bird dog) may not be the best as they need a higher level of activity.

If you love a GSD look for a good European bred dog. One from the more boxy lines, not the slanted back ends like in the US... some of these poor dogs can hardly walk.

 

[turney31]

Do not dismiss bird dogs! We worked on a ranch and rescued a 4mo old English Pointer from the pound. That was the smartest dog ever. She would sleep outside the chicken house at night protecting them. NEVER had to teach her to leave them alone. She just knew what belonged. Never onced attempted to bother our poultry. Was great with the kids. Natural at baying up hogs. Natural point on Field Larks.

Could track a blood trail, Deer and Hogs. Treed coons and bobcats. Great farm dog. Not one negative! I would not have taken a million $ for Candy Lou. We had her 13 years. She is greatly missed! Please consider this breed for your family.

 

[dainerra]

I think that, first, the OP needs to sit down and write out EXACTLY what they are looking for.
How much exercise do they plan to give?
How much training (to what level)?
Do they want to do agility or herding or any dog sports?
Do they want a dog that is more independent or one that is Velcro-ed to his family?
What size?
etc etc

That would make it easier to recommend breeds that would fit their lifestyle. After deciding on a breed, then a good breeder can provide a pup that best fits their individual need. And, even better, a good breeder will be honest about whether or not their breed is right for their home.

That is what I was pointing out by their being a vast difference between Anatolion (spelling?) and a Malinois. If the OP wants a dog that is independent and not always glued to his owner's side, a mal might not be a good fit.

 

[watchdogps]

Quote:
Those are 2 VERY different breeds of dogs. An anatolian is bred to be independent; a livestock guardian that stays out alone patroling. A mal is bred to work one onone with their handler.

I don't think either of these would be good with young kids.

Anatolians are generally amazing with kids. I have placed my pups in homes with up to six kids, one home that had 4 yr old downs syndrome twins, and one that i got returned (due to owner health problems) just got placed with an 18mos old and a 5 yr old. She hadnt been raised with kids, but after only two weeks, she makes the parents open the kids bedrooms so she can check on the kids before she will go to bed. That said, while they are good with kids, they arent exactly "playmates", they kind of see kids as their own "pets" or "stock".

Dainerra is very right in that ASDs and mals are VERY opposite. The word shepherd is something of a misnomer for the Anatolian. They are nothing like a herding breed.

 

[watchdogps]

There are a lot of breeds that fit MOST of what you want, and some individuals within breeds that may fit ALL of what you want. The LGDs fit the low prey drive, good with kids, etc, BUT they generally wont stay close to home without secure fencing and they may be bigger than you want.
Berners, Greater swissies and leonbergers are better at staying home, but again may be bigger and sloppier than you want.
Other breeds may fit the physical traits better but may be more likely to chase the animals.

When considering breeds, look at their original purpose and what that entails. Herding is prey drive, so many herding dogs are going to be very likely to chase animals. Same for gundogs - its controlled prey drive. However, since they were also selected for high trainability, they can often be taught not to chase. BUT, that requires EFFORT on your part.

Other examples - scent hounds - beagles etc, were bred to catch and scent and run. People followed them. So dont wonder why your basset hound won't come when called.

Also, dogs like herding and hunting dogs were bred to have endurance. This translates to needing excercise! Breeds like sighhounds and LGDs who only use energy in short bursts are generally calmer around the house.

I would sit down and make a list of each breed and the traits you are looking for and check the boxes that they meet. You may find you have to adjust your desires alittle.

 

[la dee da]

These breed selecters may help you get started.
http://www.selectsmart.com/dog/
http://www.puppyfinder.com/breedselector.php
As already mentioned the Anatolian has a low prey drive and is known to be excellent with children. They also don't drool

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What kind of "guard the house" are you looking for? There is a big difference between a watchdog and guard dog. Many dogs are not very aggressive but will protect the family when needed. Others are prone to become aggressive to anyone they don't know (the Anatolian is a very serious dog).

I grew up with a smooth coated scotch collie, there were 7 of us kids and the poor dog put up with so much and loved every moment of it. I have and had no doubt that she would protect us from an intruder and she made an excellent watchdog. She was great with every animal that was a member of the family (though she did chase the cat every now and then due to lack of training) and even let the budgies fly on her back and hamsters run under her nose. She would kill any and all varmints that entered our yard and house and yet when intruduced to hamsters, birds, and cats would be oh so gentle (even if it was the bunny rabbit she just caught!). She would not growl at or attack people who came over and would check the house several times a night. She wouldn't have let anyone break in and especially wouldn't have let anyone hurt us kids. She proved she wouldn't let us get hurt or even get scared by other dogs. If you want a dog who won't let someone enter the property or that will growl at someone until you tell them it's ok the collie isn't for you. If you mostly want a watchdog who will protect when needed, then a collie could be perfect (smooth coat, not rough).

For some reason the Curly Coated Retriever keeps going in mind, perhaps you should look into them?

Good luck with your search!

 

[watchdogps]

Quote:
A correctly tempered anatolian (or other LGD) should accept strangers and non family members that the owner accepts. They should only be agressive to threats.