I'm considering getting a dog or two in the future. I like having sharp ears that let me know something is up but worry about leaving them run the property at night and feeding mountain lions and other night critters. Ive considered a chain link kennel where they could see things but stay alive. I also wonder about feeding more than one animal in tough future times. Many posters want giant dogs, which I see as hard to feed. I prefer a medium-sized dog that barks and lets me know something is up so I can deal with it. Maybe a Pitbull from a shelter is what I've considered. Thoughts?
Hard to beat a golden retriever or a lab in my opinion. My female labs on the bigger side for a female, but shes a great guard dog and listens well
Never owned a dog, they always end up owning me. Like a wife, let you think you are in charge and then do as they wish and you think it is your idea. After a lifetime of dogs, come to the conclusion it is what you want. First and foremost is it going to be an indoor dog, sleeps in house and guards house, or an outdoor dog, sleeps outside and guards property. Second is it going to warn you, can be very small, or defend you, German shepherds, pit bulls, etc. Third is it a buddy, a guard dog, or a hunting dog. All have their uses. I have had several different types of dogs over my life. Last one was a Shetland sheepdog. Looks like a very small collie. Didn't bark, kept within 10 feet of me, when I moved he moved, would lay and watch me and check up on this old man ever once in a while. Miss him very much, died at 16 of old age. Wasn't a dog, was a very kind and thoughtful friend and it was a great comfort to have him there. When a car came into the driveway he would come and get me, when there were deer in the garden, he would come and get me, when someone walked into the yard he would come and get me. Never barked, would take his nose and nudge me if I was sleeping. I have had German Shepherds that treated kids like babies and left chickens and rabbits alone, but showed teeth and made such a fuss that UPS truck would set in driveway and blow horn and at times he could even frighten me if I didn't know better. Didn't have to worry about deer in garden, they weren't allowed. Didn't chase them however. Shelter dogs can be a problem, dogs like kids have no sense of right or wrong. They both have to be civilized and taught who the alpha is or they can make your life miserable. If they aren't taught during their formative period it is almost impossible to really change them at a latter time. You don't want a dog that is the canine version of the young man with tats, pants hanging down, bad attitude, and smoking dope. Met shelter dogs, often pit bulls, that are the doggy match to the pair. Dogs are usually pack animals and it really sucks to not be the alpha or at least think you are.
Grew up with Giant Dogs, a small dog for us was a Lab or Golden, and forget those Micro-Dogs, nothing but barking rats as far as we were concerned! That said, I would take any Retriever any day, super smart, easy to train, loyal to a fault, and despite their friendly and playful natures, absolutely Vicious, more so then a lot of other dogs that people fear! A German Sheppard is a great choice, easy to train, but they can also be a real hand full, the main issue with them is their intelligence is so high, and their need for a "Job" make them seem hyper active, when in fact, they are just high energy and need things to occupy their minds and bodies, a happy German is a Tired German! Malinois are NOT for everyone, take everything about a German Sheppard and turn it up to 11, BUT, for those with the energy to keep at it and train them and keep them busy, you will NOT find a harder working, or more intelligent dog then a Malinator! Newfoundland dogs, there's a lot to unpack with them, they are super smart, nearly as smart as the Shepherds and Malinois, super easy to train, but also needing a "Job" to keep them active and engaged, otherwise they can do serious damage. They are Monsters in many ways, super protective of their family, super strong and more then willing to fight bears, cougars, wolves, and Ford F-250's, size isn't an issue to a Newfie, and in fact, the more of a fight, the better in their mind! They are seriously powerful swimmers, and very handy and useful working dogs, mine have drafting carts we use to haul firewood, Christmas tree's and all sorts of other tasks as needed. They are VERY protective, and yet extremely gentil, the younger the kid, the more protective a Newfie is, I would have no issue leaving a newborn in a Newfies care, that kid would have nothing to worry about, EVER! Newfoundland Dogs are world renowned water rescue dogs, they are Powerful swimmers, have incredible endurance, and have a seriously strong sense of danger and the need to save people, even those that are in no danger, which can make for some pretty funny moments, but sometimes it can lead to issues, a Newfie ( like all other dogs,) can sense danger that you and I cannot, what makes a Newfie different is his level of protection, a Great big dog with an even bigger heart, and abilities no other dog has! We We have two Newfoundlands and a Malinois right now, all three are amazing dogs, all three get along wonderfully, the Malinator thinks he is a Retriever, and is a serious lap dog/cuddle buddy, all 77 pounds of him, which is on the large side for the breed, but Not unhealthy. He is all Heart and Teef, everything must be chewed! Actually, all three dogs are mouthy, I never train NOT to bite, I want my dogs to know it's OK to use what nature gave them, even on human threats, so I only teach them the difference in play and real, and they know when to do Real! As bad as the Malinator bite would be, a Newfie would be FAR worse, as in nealy able to remove things like hands or arms, or crush leg bones, Yea, No Joke they are really that powerful! My Guys are seriously fun, not a day goes by I don't laugh till it hurts with at least one of them just being a doggy doing doggy stuff, they are all three clowns, and I swear they know it's funny and do it just to get me to laugh! All three are buddies, I couldn't go anywhere with out them, my constant shadows, and partners in crime! You know who runs the house when there are Two Humans and three dogs in ONE California King Sized Bed, and getting up to go in the middle of the night is going to cause a ruckus, but Absolutely NOTHING is going to threaten us, and no one is going to hurt us with these guys around! Always trust your Dog, and what he is trying to tell you, Dogs can "Read" people instantly, and they are not shy about telling you who is NOT GOOD. Dogs are also super sensitive to danger, being a apex predator means they are able to sense danger far earier then others, and they will warn you! I swear they can even sense danger, not just see it, hear it, smell it, flat out sense it, you cannot buy any sort of tech that can match that, super helpful to have, and besides, dogs are Awesome People!
I've had dogs in years past, but I was never asked about dogs when getting insurance, recently I changed my property insurance carrier, and they asked about dogs.
Had over s dozen dogs in my lifetime, most were rescues and old to start with. 1. know the bitch and the father, Puppies learn and are prone to their parents traits , and learn in vitro (in the womb). so the product is usually all the parents and their environment. Some females are bad mothers because their mothers were bad mothers. Getting the dog as a puppy is advantageous IF you are willing to invest the time in the relationship. Half the training is the owner, and consistency is key. 2. If you are undisciplined so will the dog be. To be Alpha one must accept the responsibility as one. my brothers current dog a labradoodle came to him as a puppy from an undisciplined home, however now the dog responds to simple hand gestures and whisper voice commands and actually sees and understands what he sees on the TV monitor and responds accordingly. the dog sees this as his job and that gives him value in himself. very loving and attentive. I currently have a Yorke that is a 10year old rescue, due to her master having passed away. She has selective hearing and tolerates me, and we are learning to get along. She is learning to trust me and learning to deal with our living arrangement. We have had a wide range of dogs of various challenges but most can be overcome with love.
I've had Goldens for 40 years guess I am biased. Had one --Wheaty could not stand back people she would bark and growl anytime one would walk down our dirt road. Great dogs for kids. My last Golden Elleemae died July 5 day of her birthday from cancer 8 yrs old. My son who lives around the corner has a rescue Golden Murray big male sweetest dog but don't come in the yard if he doesn't know you
Shouldn't need to ask about dogs, need to ask about crookedlawyers, and yes that is one word. Old joke. Bill dies and gets to heaven. Been there a while and he sees St Peter walking around talking very friendly with a man. Asks who is that with St Peter. Was told that it was the Lawyer Jones. A while later he sees Lawyer Jones go by in a car with Jesus. Kind of gets him to wondering what is going on. A year later he is playing golf and a foursome wants to play thru. It is St Peter, Jesus, God, and the Lawyer Jones. Dumbfounded he asks what is so great about the Lawyer Jones. He is told he is a very special man. He is the only Lawyer in heaven.
I had a yellow lab. Big goofy fun dog but always barked when something wasn't normal. Loved people. Until the guy in my driveway started getting sideways with me one day, and Duke came though the storm door and put the asshole back in his car in a hurry. I miss him every day.
My dog warns me, guards me, tells me when my phone is ringing, reminds me that there are other things to do, and has replaced pretty much all of my interations with other people. She makes me laugh, she encourages me to cook good stuff, and she lets me know that I am important. Most of my limited circle of human friends have died or disappeared, Punky brings more when I need them. The age thing? I don't worry about it, if I outlive her, there will be another one.
One thing when choosing a dog, is that pure bread tend to have health issues over time, while mixed breeds are more resilient.
Considered a Newfie but I ended up getting a Maremma Sheepdog. Love my pooch, he lives outside with the livestock and has a "doggie door" of sorts to get into the garage in case of inclimate weather. When I am out on the property he hangs out with me and you can tell he has an always watchful eye. Always alerts me when the UPS guy is here and wouldn't want to be on the wrong side of them jaws. He has chased off the local bear at least twice that I know of. There are vids online of Maremma's defending against bears with no fear and usually winning. The big things for me were 1> I have a friend that has some working Maremmas and have seen them work and knew what they were about. 2> I went to the breeder that my friend had used, they were not a puppy mill and I got to see how they kept and raised the dogs. This was months before I purchased because there was a wait list. I agree with most of what has been posted here. Figure out what place/job/role the dog will play and research the best breeds for those purposes. Learn to train!!!! Youtube is great but so many people have no idea what it takes to train a dog (myself included, I can't believe how much I didn't know) -JW
We have Anatolian Shepherd/Great Pyrenees cross to keep the coyotes at bay. They are super property protectors! At about dusk each night, they walk the perimeter of our property on patrol, and they do this from instinct. They have a great disposition. I wasn't able to keep barn cats around before I got them, and they protect our chickens too!
Black mouth Cur here or a Catahoula Cur, These you get as puppies because only then are they loyal for life.
I had an Australian Shepard cattle dog mix. It was very smart and I trained it well. It would respond to hand signals. It died years ago. I know about pure-breed dogs having problems. My next thought is I live at 6000 ft and wonder if a short-haired dog can make it outside. It would have a good dog house. My daughter has allergies to long-haired animals.
Was hovering around 0 degrees on this morning duck hunt. Lab had a vest on us but was warmer than us humans i think.
Heres one more, we used her for some photo shoots for some work advertisement. (Sorry i like showing her off lol)
