Looking for first dog.... (since I've grown up.)

tiffy

Their freakin' adorable!

I second that on the Corgi's! By far the cutest pups- look corgi puppies up on youtube (beware: you may die of cuteness overload)!!!!

I'm going to ask more questions -

are you OWNING or renting?  If you are renting then honestly you may want to re-define your size criteria.  If you are still somewhat in transition you want to keep this at a size/breed you can handle EVEN IF everything falls apart and you have to live in an apartment (job change?  divorce can do that to you *sigh* btdt!)

Most apartments have size restrictions -- and you may also want to check on what your homeowners insurance will allow as far as breeds.

I would tell you to go get the ASPCA Complete Guide to Dogs - it's got a GREAT little breed snapshot guide where it gives you a darned good thumbnail of breeds, activity levels, grooming needs etc. -- and then later in each section it shows you what a MIX of this and this might look like.  It's a darned handy little book and practical.

Remember -- the rule of thumb tends to be the smaller the dog the longer lived -- and by the time your son graduates and goes on to school lthen you're left with a larger dog who may be bigger than you can transport to the vet alone?  My own personal rule is (and this is borne out of kicking myself after a divorce to be honest) -- I gotta be able to MOVE the dog MYSELF if the dog is sick and no one else can help me get him to the vet.  I have no family nearby -- it can make things complicated.

That's not meant to be harbinger of doom -- that's just practical stuff if you're newly on your own.

I like going with a nearby rescue -- lots of rescues have adoption days at nearby PetSmarts, etc. -- go and MEET them -- let your son help fill water bowls and maybe bathe dogs.  Don't get sucked in the first day -- but rather get to know the people and see what's available and in particular keep your own eyes open when you see someone turn IN a dog ....

But it's a GREAT way to spend a Saturday with your son -- and getting involved in a rescue can really help.  It can also tell you real quick DO YOU want to adopt from *these* folks??  Not all rescues are good!!  Keep your eyes and ears open.

Mostly tho - brainstorm with your own child -- MAKE LISTS --

What do you REALLY want to do with your dog, Son? 

If his idea of FUN is a dog that will go with him on leash while he rides a bike?  You may NEED a bigger dog.  Or ... you may simply need a dog fit enough to keep up.  (and NOT a puppy either -- they need to be fully grown to keep that sort of pace).

However -- if this is a kid involved in 4H who may want to get into training? 

If you have a budding flyball or frisbee trainer on your hands -- you may want to think a different breed. 

Things like Rally don't require a purebred. 

In particular when you're looking at the ASPCA book?  look at health related issues for the breed -- if you're thinking lab then make SURE you get one with good hips if he wants to run the dog.  Sometimes a mix can be a better bet -- often healthier and more well rounded.  Heck -- I'd take Amanda's Brinxx in a heartbeat!! *grin*

calliecritturs

In particular when you're looking at the ASPCA book?  look at health related issues for the breed -- if you're thinking lab then make SURE you get one with good hips if he wants to run the dog.  Sometimes a mix can be a better bet -- often healthier and more well rounded.  Heck -- I'd take Amanda's Brinxx in a heartbeat!! *grin*

  I'm not sure the ASPCA book would be a great source of info on breeds.

 Unless you buy an adult dog who has been xrayed, there really is no way to be SURE any dog you are getting has good hips (or elbows or knees). And it is a total fallacy that mixes are healthier and more well rounded. Mixes and purebreds can and do both suffer the same health and temperament issues. No dog is genetically perfect and every pairing, regardless of breed or mix has the potential to produce any number of genetic issues. My first dog was a pound mixed breed who had temperament issues, a genetic autoimmune issue (hypothyroidism) and had an OCD (blanket sucking, licking until he caused sores). He turned out to be a great dog and was how I got into training but definitely couldn't say he was "healthier and more well rounded" because he was a mix. I see plenty of mixed breeds at my work on a near daily basis who have hip dysplasia, luxating patellas (common in a lot of small dogs, regardless of breed or mix), diabetes, hypothyroidism, allergies, chronic ear infections, epilepsy, etc - not to mention mixed breeds with poor dispositions. I see plenty of healthy mixed breeds too. And plenty of healthy, as well as unhealthy purebreds.

  Your best bet for weighing the odds in your favor of better health and a more certain temperament is actually to buy from a knowledgeable, honest breeder who health tests and "does stuff" with their dogs. That isn't to say that you shouldn't consider a mix or a rescued purebred.

  There are things you can do to lessen the risk of dogs suffering from joint issues and ensure good overall health. Most research on other creatures, including humans definitely points to real, weight bearing exercise during growth to be extremely beneficial in long term physical soundness. Puppies and active kids can go great together because they are both very active - and that activity is good for both of them! And research also shows that early altering causes potentially hazardous physical changes, so waiting until maturity to alter will help ensure proper growth. Keep dogs in a lean, fit weight throughout their lives. Very often dogs can get into old age before showing signs of having hip or joint abnormalities if they are a proper weight and in good physical condition. But other dogs may show signs by 6 months old if they are overweight and poorly muscled. Being overweight will likely cause joint problems, even if the dog is free of hereditary joint diseases. Feeding a proper diet that includes plenty of fresh food and limiting vaccines and pesticides can also help tip the odds in your favor.

Actually that ASPCA book is a darned good one.  It doesn't go into huge depth - it's simply a good practical book for use with a young person.  It's not so detailed you get lost but it can really help identify pretty quickly which breeds are worth more in depth looking. 

I'm simply trying to be practical here -- I don't know the OP at all but it seems like a person who may not have a ton of expendable income and who may simply need a quick down'n'dirty little easy guide to use to sort out the big issues first.

I have never in my life "bought" a dog -- not from a breeder nor anyone else (and likely never ever will).  But I've had many mixes and had many very ill "purebreeds".  you can get an unhealthy dog no matter what breed(s) it is ... but in general the mixes I've had always have been generally healthier. 

AgileGSD, that is a pretty acurate list of traits commonly founds within the breed. But, not all Tollers will exhibit all of those traits. They'll likely have some and not others, although there are certainly Tollers out there will all of those traits. And part of that also boils down to what a breeder is breeding for, too. Some lines are more laid back and lack some of those traits, while others comform almost exactly to that list. :-)

I contacted our local humane society and the lady I spoke with took down what we're looking for and mentioned that there were tons of dogs at the local shelter that would probably fit too...  but she said she'd look around and call me with what she found.

So my son and I talked it over and we decided to stop by the animal shelter yesterday. While we were there we filled out a quesionaire about what we're looking for. The man said they would have several dogs that would fit. So we walked through and looked at the dogs...that was super sad and depressing, if it were up to my son we'd take all of them, and the cats too and the ferret and potbellied pig....  

We scheduled to come back Saturday to meet and play with some of them to see if we click. Most of the dogs we really looked at appeared to be lab mixes (at least that's what they were calling them), one was a border collie and then one they said was an owner surrender springer spaniel. 

I gotta tell you, I really like the springer spaniel. When I asked why the owners turned it in, he said it was because they'd lost their home and were living in an RV.. how sad is that.

So, we're super excited.

 I was going to post a link the pics of the dogs we are looking at but I can't get the website to pull up....sorry.

calliecritturs

Actually that ASPCA book is a darned good one.  It doesn't go into huge depth - it's simply a good practical book for use with a young person.  It's not so detailed you get lost but it can really help identify pretty quickly which breeds are worth more in depth looking.

 I haven't seen it, so I can't say for sure. I just question a book about breeds of dogs that is put out by an organization like ASPCA. 

calliecritturs

I have never in my life "bought" a dog -- not from a breeder nor anyone else (and likely never ever will).  But I've had many mixes and had many very ill "purebreeds".  you can get an unhealthy dog no matter what breed(s) it is ... but in general the mixes I've had always have been generally healthier. 

  That's great that your mixes have all been so healthy and had sound temperaments. Sad that your purebreds have not. I've had lots of purebreds and just one mix. Most of my purebreds have been pretty healthy, one had epilepsy, one with atypical pannus. They have had temperaments fairly true to their breeds. As I said, my one and only mix had some issues. He lived a good, long life but was on daily medication for hypothyroidism, had OCD behaviors and  had some serious fear related behavioral problems as a young dog. Both my experience and your experience don't mean much though, as far as generalizations go though. It's just our handful of dogs, which may or may not be typical of dogs in general. With our choices of dogs we bring into the home, we are at opposite ends of the extreme in many ways.

 I will say though, that seeing hundreds of the general public's dogs through having worked at a doggy daycare/raw feeding place, teaching classes and working at a grooming shop that I just don't see this supposed advantage that mixes have over purebreds with health, longevity and temperament. Most of the oldest dogs we've had at the grooming shop (17-19 years old) have been purebred Bichons, Toy Poodles and Maltese. One was a Cocker/Beagle mix. A surprising number of the little dogs have luxating patellas and that is equal across purebreds and mixes. We have had both purebreds and mixes die at too young of an age due to health issues, which is always very sad. Both purebreds and mixes willingly accept handling and both do not. It is true that there are certain purebreds that have problems specific and widespread in their breed, such as Cavaliers and Dalmatians. And that certain breeds have a greater risk for cancer at a young age than the average dog (purebred or mix). But beyond those things (which are affecting only certain breeds, not purebreds as a whole). I see the same ailments affecting both and both may or may not have "good temperaments" depending on genetics and training.

orangedog

AgileGSD, that is a pretty acurate list of traits commonly founds within the breed. But, not all Tollers will exhibit all of those traits. They'll likely have some and not others, although there are certainly Tollers out there will all of those traits. And part of that also boils down to what a breeder is breeding for, too. Some lines are more laid back and lack some of those traits, while others comform almost exactly to that list. :-)

 Sounds like with any breed, there can be quite a variation on the dog's temperaments depending on line and individual personality. With Belgians, the screaming certainly seems to run in families. 

Lady - glad you found a dog which "clicked" with you :)

Lady623

I contacted our local humane society and the lady I spoke with took down what we're looking for and mentioned that there were tons of dogs at the local shelter that would probably fit too...  but she said she'd look around and call me with what she found.

We scheduled to come back Saturday to meet and play with some of them to see if we click. Most of the dogs we really looked at appeared to be lab mixes (at least that's what they were calling them), one was a border collie and then one they said was an owner surrender springer spaniel. 

I gotta tell you, I really like the springer spaniel. When I asked why the owners turned it in, he said it was because they'd lost their home and were living in an RV.. how sad is that.

I just have to commend you for going about this the right way! I was going to suggest a shelter dog to you, since many would fit your needs and it doesn't sound like you have any real strong breed preference. 

I adore Springer Spaniels. It was actually a breed that was on my short list of considerations, but the pull of the Flat Coat proved far too irresistible to me :)

I am late chiming in but I have had mostly big dogs in my life.  We adopted a Lab mix that was thought to be a Newfoundland mix, lol!  It is just my hubby and I at home now.   Rocky has been awesome!  He is very smart and alert and is just as happy to play as he is to lay around with us watching tv.  He keeps a really good eye on us and we have trained him to do a few little household chores.  He is great with other dogs, kids, people....doesnt slobber alot which was new to us.  He doesnt shed much and is approx 55 lbs.   I am sure you will find a great match at the shelter.  Make sure you get lots of pictures to share with us when you bring your new family member home. 

One thing I will also mention, with a shelter dog, you never really know what that dog has experienced in their lifetime.  It will take some time and lots of love to bring him/her around.  It is soooooo worth it!

JackieG

micksmom

And, although some people might consider them large, you can't beat a good Labrador Retriever. 

 

Ditto! 

English style Lab is my choice, too, but you need to get one from a good breeder who does all the genetic testing on the parents (OFA, CERF, Optigen) and still get pet insurance (on a puppy, not that expensive, and can save you if the dog does develop hip dysplasia or one of the other problems inherent in the breed).  IME, Labs that go to puppy class very early (10-12 weeks of age) and that get lots of socialization and training, are one of the best family dogs in the world.  They are perennial puppies, love everyone (you need that quality if you have young boys around your home) and are great partners for jogging, hanging out on the couch, sports, or camping.

I would suggest a rescue whippet... I know they are not guardy, but they certainly have the activity potential (ONLY ON LEAD) and the couch potato down to a science.  It is always possible to teach a dog to bark on command and then associate that bark with someone outside the home.   Add a coat for cold and a motion detection light system outside,  you may have reason to consider one.

spiritdogs

...IME, Labs that go to puppy class very early (10-12 weeks of age) and that get lots of socialization and training, are one of the best family dogs in the world.  They are perennial puppies, love everyone (you need that quality if you have young boys around your home) and are great partners for jogging, hanging out on the couch, sports, or camping.

Yep- you just described Caleb perfectly.  LOL  Oh, and that obsession to carry things around comes in real handy when you drop something or have cold feet.  LOL

My suggestion would be not to focus so much on breed, but on the individual dog.  Breeds are never a guarantee.  An adult rescue, either purebed or mix, would be the perfect fit for you.  The rescue staff can tell you which dogs would be the best match.  Good luck!