When Curtis and I were growing up, we were both the child that begged (bugged) our parents for a dog. We both always wanted one, but never got one. My mom said that she didn't want to get stuck taking 
care of it, though I always swore to her that I would do everything, apparently a 6 year olds word doesn't count for much :) But once Curtis and I got married we realized we could finally do what WE always wanted to do. So, finally, we got out selves a dog; a little miniature dachshund we named Ziggy. Unfortunately our sweet Ziggy is no longer with us and we have decided that, when we can, we are going to get another dog. And this is where you guys come in!
Our Ziggy was the best dog. So smart, sweet, cuddly, laid-back, but energetic. He was perfect! So, since we felt we had the perfect dog, we are worried that no matter what, any dog will fall short (though I'm sure we are just being silly and protective of our dog). So, I am wanting to know what you all think. What is a breed that you really like or that you know is really good.
We have been doing some research and we have a list of a few, based on the kind of temperament we are looking for and dogs we have always wanted to have. Thus far, we have listed....
PugsBeagles
Great Dane (I have always wanted one)
Miniature Schnauzer - This is my first pick so far
Husky (Curtis's top pick)
Bichon Frise
Are we missing a great breed? What do you have? What new dog should we bring into our home?
Seriously,
ReplyDeleteHOW DO YOU FIND THE TIME? Your blog is amazing. I'm so excited to find you. Keep posting, I've got you on my radar.
Seriously,
ReplyDeleteHOW DO YOU FIND THE TIME? Your blog is amazing. I'm so excited to find you. Keep posting, I've got you on my radar.
Seriously,
ReplyDeleteHOW DO YOU FIND THE TIME? Your blog is amazing. I'm so excited to find you. Keep posting, I've got you on my radar.
oops,
ReplyDeletemy mouse got excited, sorry.
Well I would avoid pugs because they can have breathing issues due to the puggy nose. My first job was working at a vet clinic so I got to see a lot of the breeds in action.
ReplyDeleteI have always loved Boxers. They are athletic and super friendly, plus they do not get huge.
Labs are great family dogs if you take the time to train them, if not they get neurotic and weird.
Poodles are another breed that I would like to have, but not the small ones, I would want a Standard Poodle.
Why not go for a mutt? That way you don't have to worry as much about all the crazy inherited diseases that all purebred breeds are subject to.
We have a Boston terrier and we just love her. She is soooooooo sweet with our children. Our 2 year old son plays with her everyday, hugs her kisses her, tackles her and she lets him and loves him. I was not so sure about getting a dog but am so glad we found her. Although, like you I am doubtful that there is a dog out there as good as she is.
ReplyDeleteBoth my dogs are mutts from the pound. The one with the best temperment is a border collie mix. These are GREAT dogs to run with, as a sidenote.
ReplyDeleteOh - you have to get a Great Dane. What other breed can carry your little princess around on it's back - like her very own pony! You can't tell me that every little toddler wouldn't love that! :)
ReplyDeleteMy husbands family are all Lab crazy, and their lab is a fantastic dog. Maybe not for in the house though.
ReplyDeleteMy aunt and uncle have miniature Australian Shepherds, and they are fantastic. Pretty, cute, playful and gentle.
wish i was in fact a puppy person. but i am not. although i think all the possible puppies in your window are super cute :)
ReplyDeleteGolden Retrievers are by far my favorite kind of dog. They are so loving and they are awesome with kids and families. Out of your list though, I agree with Curtis. I would go with a husky. They are beautiful and playful. They do shed quite a bit though.
ReplyDeleteDogs are a must in our household. Ours (Brinks) is a part of our family. My favorite breed of all time (and the only one I will own) is a German Shepherd. They are so smart, love kids and are just good-hearted animals. Karys crawls on, lays on, and chases Brinks nonstop. They are adorable together.
ReplyDeleteGood Luck!
We have a beagle, and while they're sweet and good tempered dogs, there are a few drawbacks that I wish I had known were common:
ReplyDelete- They have a tendency to have ear and teeth problems. There's also frequency of back problems. Both can get very expensive in veterinary care and the back problems can be fatal.
- While you may appreciate their bay, if you have neighbors, they may not. For a year or so, if our dog so much as growled at a squirrel, Animal Control was knocking on our door.
- They eat everything. Our kitchen was already childproofed because we had to move all of our food out of reach because he figured out how to open the cabinets and get into the food. You will really have to watch a beagle around kids and babies because they will steal their food away. lol.
Not that I'm trying to discourage you. We love our beagle. The reasons above are just why a lot of them end up being rehomed. :)
We absolutely love our mostly beagle - not sure what else she has in her - some kind of hound?! She is so relaxed and quiet and hilarious :) She never howls and rarely barks. I highly recommend them :)
ReplyDeleteWe absolutely love our mostly beagle - not sure what else she has in her - some kind of hound?! She is so relaxed and quiet and hilarious :) She never howls and rarely barks. I highly recommend them :)
ReplyDeleteWe have a mutt shelter dog, he is the best dog we ever had. W also have a Corgi with an attitude, but I love her. I grew up with Huskies they are great dogs.
ReplyDeleteFor a family with kids... I will always go with Golden Retriever. best one out there. :) But since I am already 2 deep in our house... and because I LOVE to say their "breed" may I recommend Chiweenies?! Chihuahua Dachsund Mixes. The first one we got (charlotte) is an angel.. best dog I have ever had. The second (Isabel) well... she is the Devil, literally. So excited for you guys! :)
ReplyDeleteA labrador retriever is the only way to go. Our first one, (Branta - scientific name for Canada goose) which we unfortunately had to put to sleep last year because she was 14 1/2 years old, was THE BEST dog ever. Because she was retired from hunting a couple years prior to her going to doggy heaven, we got another black lab (Brie) which my husband also trained. She will never be a Branta, however, she has her own special personality that makes Brie, Brie. Her biggest problem is that she's a chow hound (Branta was not) and can NOT be trusted around an open bag of dog food, or a birthday cake sitting on the countertop! :-)
ReplyDeleteI grew up with a great dane, and he was the sweetest dog in the world! Great Danes are very protective of their families, yet so gentle and loving. I remember we were on vacation for 2 weeks once, and when we got home every house on our street had been robbed, except for ours. The police had tried to get into our backyard to see if they could find any clues, but our beautiful dog stood guard. He was such a wonderful even tempered dog that would let the little kids play all over him, and even the cats! I say go for a great dane.
ReplyDeleteBeagles are sweet (I've had two) but don't listen AT ALL. They follow their nose to trouble and don't even hear you screaming their name. I will never have another beagle no matter how much I loved my last ones. They are difficult. They bark NONSTOP too.
ReplyDeleteGerman Sheperds are awesome family dogs. Really good with kids.
My mom always says that mutts make the best dogs because they seem to pick up the best traits of whatever mix they are. They are usually sweeter and milder than other dogs. So maybe just try a shelter or humane society??
Good luck!
We love our bassett hound, Boozer. He's cute, sweet, funny, has a ton of personality and is really good with our daughter. I would recommend getting a female though. Labs are awesome family dogs also, but every lab I've ever known was really spastic the first four years of its life.
ReplyDeleteWell you know me from reading my blog! I adore Yorkies. I'll never have another breed. :o)
ReplyDeleteWe have a MinPin, and we love her but she is a rescue and seems like she doesn't have the normal MinPin traits...so I don't know if I'd recomment them...
ReplyDeleteMy family has a Westie that is the best DOG in the world: smart, loyal, cuddly, and smallish.
I would also recommend a girl, if you can.
I like Schipperkes if you're looking for a laid back family dog. I had boxers growing up and they are smart loyal family dogs too but they tend to be hyper. Our last dog was a mini poodle. He was fairly smart for a little dog but not great with kids.
ReplyDeleteOur next dog will be some sort of lab mix mutt from the pound because that's what hubby wants. You should check out pet finder online and see if they are any that fit the bill that need homes.
I know pugs have problems, but I can't help it. They're adorable and they have the most fantastic personalities ever. :)
ReplyDeleteThere's this book on adopting dogs that really helped my husband and I pick out the best dog ever (he's a chow chow mix). You should really consider getting a book on like that because it will help you determine not only if the breed is right but if the actual dog is right. :)
I know people who love pugs... I for one hate the heavy breathing... and slobber. I had a beagle mix growing up and I loved him so much! So that would be my vote! Cute, fun, playful and good with kids (I was five when I had him). I want a dog so bad! But my sweet husband is very against a dog right now.
ReplyDeleteSo glad to see a bichon on your list. They are great dogs, but I should warn you they are hard to potty train. Just ask my carpet....
ReplyDeleteWell, this is a favorite topic of mine. We had a WONDERFUL lab and I think you can't beat them (except maybe with a golden retriever) for being superb with children. However, they do shed A LOT and if you get a quirky one they can be hard to handle.
ReplyDeleteWe have a cavalier king charles spaniel mixed with Japanese chin (3/4 cavalier) She's wonderful. So gentle and sweet. She does shed but because she's little (18 pounds) the overall quantity of hair is manageable. She's very soft.
Personally, I have also been drawn to pugs ever since meeting one that belongs to a close friend of mine. They are so expressive, so ugly they're cute. They're sturdy so it would be hard for a child to hurt it, and I remember they're described on some list I looked at as a dog who "won't bite." They adore children and I have actually read that they like being put in costumes. How fun is that? The breed is several thousand years old!! There must be something VERY good about a breed that has lasted that long.
I believe there are websites with questionnaires to guide you to the right dog for your circumstances. Can't wait to hear what you get.
Golden Retriever. HANDS DOWN. They are awesome. We have two and I love them to bits. Th older one we have ahd for almost 8 years. Got him as a puppy. I thought when I brought Bean home that it was all over. Nope. He loved Bean so much, and was protective over him and so loving. Bean is ROUGH with both of them and they have NEVER growled or snapped.
ReplyDeleteMy 3 year-old is already asking for a dog but I'm just not ready for anything else that eats and poops around here. He has imaginary puppies, 5 of them to be exact, and they go everywhere with him. The funniest is when he has to go open the door for them to go outside and poop!
ReplyDeleteThe dogs we had growing up were shelty collies - a relative of a sheep dog. Good with kids. When my youngest sister was finally able to walk, our dog Pepper would walk with her up and down the sidewalk in front of the house. A shelty isn't as big as a regular collie also a plus with young children
ReplyDeleteI have always loved Cocker Spaniels.
ReplyDeleteWe had one for many years.
She was the best with the kids.
We now have a black Lab.
He is so sweet.
I really do not think they come sweeter.
He is wonderful with my kids.
Terrible digger though.
Otherwise...perfect!
I LOVE big dogs. I just do. I've had German Shepherds, Mastiffs, Great Pyrenese, Labs and a rotweiller.
ReplyDeleteMy sister has had Great Danes and LOVED them.
My personal favorites have been labs (Great family dogs, wonderful with kids) and the mastiff. Both gentle giants. Loving and sweet and wonderful.
Good luck with your choice!
I forgot to ask if you were starting with a puppy or an older rescue dog or what? We went through one of the Lab Rescues to get our sweet Annie, she was 3 yrs old and already house trained and PERFECT.
ReplyDeleteI vote for GOlden retriever. I grew up with 3 different ones and as each one passed on or ran away, we would get another. Very sweet and gentle dogs.
ReplyDeleteOnce I got on my own I thought I would try Cocker Spaniel. I love him to death, but his skin and hair is so oily that it gets upholstry very dirty and stinky. I even wash him often and he swims all the time in our pool.
We also adopted this cute little blond mutt puppy, but alas, he turned out to have beenn abused early on. He's a little aggresive and it ended up that he has fur that you wouldn't believe!!! It sheds like crazy and it is so thick that groomers won't touch it. All that to say that if you opt for a mutt, check out where he came from and also don't get a puppy, since you won't really know what you are getting.
Good luck!
We had a lab we loved like he was our child. He had chronic ear infections but was the sweetest and kindest dog I have ever met. And he came from the Humane Society.
ReplyDeleteCheck out Portuguese Water Dogs, they are great with children, have the closest thing to hypo-allergenic fur for any dog (it's like human hair!).
And, please do some double checking on schnauzers, all that I have known have been biters and have aggressive tendencies!
Best of luck. Thanks for sharing!
Of them all I have had a beagle:
ReplyDeletesmart Y
sweet Y
cuddly ?
laid-back ?
energetic Y
Ours had too much bounce to cuddle properly or ever really be laid back.
Also ours had the expensive habit of chewing "anything" which she finally "grew out of".
That being said she was a great dog for a high energy kid.
Labs, they are the best dogs in the whole wide world.
ReplyDeleteIf however you want a crazy, hyper dog (like us) then pick a Doberman!
okay.... so i have a daschund now, who just turned one. i did a lot of research...and grew up with dogs....
ReplyDeletepugs-good dogs, but breathing issues and they get can stinky. :)
beagle-they bay a lot. we have one down the road-and it is barking/baying alot...and thru my research, and one of the docs i work with, who had one, he said they are difficulut to potty train.
retrievers and labs are always wonderful dogs-but if they get pretty big if you are looking for a mid size or smaller dog-they also SHED a lot....
personally, my house is very small (less than 1000 sq feet) and if it was bigger, i would have gotten a boxer. they are one of the most loyal dogs you could ever have. my parents have one and he was around when emersyn was born and he would curl up around her night and day....and they are sooo very tolerant of children-like the kids climb all over him and he loves it....wonderful dogs.
Beagles are ADORABLE. But our neighbors have two and even though they're adorable they howl.all.night. They might drive you insane. =/ But, they ARE soooooo cute!!!
ReplyDeleteI have a black lab. I heart labs! They're smart, loyal, playful, and great with kids. The downside: There's A LOT of hair everywhere, and they need a lot of excersize or they go nuts. Plus, they're kinda big. But I love our dog!
ReplyDeleteWe had a toy poodle growing up. I am not a big dog person, but I enjoyed our poodle. I think the best thing about it was that it doesn't shed!
ReplyDeleteI've usually had mixes, but our Rottweiler/shepherd mix (140 pounds), our Shepherd/coyote mix (60 pounds) and our terrier something (40 pounds) have all been exceptionally good and patient with my beast of a 2-year-old stepping on them and such. The Mountain Man had a Golden Retriever who died at age 14. She was a WONDERFUL dog, and when we're in the market for another dog we'll look at another Golden. I wouldn't pay for a dog unless it was a golden. MAYBE a lab.
ReplyDeleteWe've just got a puppy too, so check out my blog for amazing pix
ReplyDeleteShe is a English Springer Spaniel
I love Miniature shnauzers too though and would have loved a miniature dachsund. I think you will know the right one when you see it though
xx
I have a BeaglePin...a beagle and miniature pinscher mix. And, she is the SWEETEST and BEST dog ever!! MinPins are usually noted for not having the best dispositions, but with my dog Peanut, I get the personality of a loving beagle with the size of a MinPin. I adopted her from a puppy rescue organization, and unsure of her background, had her DNA tested to find out her true identity!! I am so happy with her mix and the amazing dog she is.
ReplyDeleteShe doesn't howl like a beagle, she sleeps all the time (cuddled up right next to you), but is very playful at the same time. Potty training has been a bit of an issue. She's a little skittish of other dogs and also men, but that's probably b/c she's in a house full of women! She's not prone to being sick, and she's always been healthy. Upkeep is about average of what you'd expect with a "normal" dog. She's also great around babies and kids. The neighborhood kids LOVE her. She's full grown at about 26 pounds, and is about the size of a MinPin. She's got the beagle ears and tail, though! See my blog for pics!
I think that's about it. That's my advice on a great dog!!!
Ok, from my experience working at a vet for two years, don't get a Schnauzer! These can be very difficult and very territorial. Beagles are great, as are Welsh Corgi's. One of our dogs is a lab/dachsund mix and seriously she is the sweetest dog ever. Whatever you get, I would recommend getting a girl, they tend to have sweeter dispositions.
ReplyDeleteWe've got Three dogs! A Mini Schnauzer, Boston Terrier and a Scottie. We've got a thing for Terriers ;) They're all very smart, lovable, loyal and wonderful with kids. And they have amazing personalities.
ReplyDeleteAll of our dogs are also rescues - so that's always a wonderful way to acquire a pet.
I think you can't go wrong with ANY dog as long as they jive with your family. Size and grooming/shedding are always important issues to know about before hand.
Look forward to seeing who becomes your next family addition!
Hi there, I have to say that as a kid growing up I had all kinds of dogs,not all at the same time..
ReplyDeleteAn American Cocker Spaniel
A Newfie
A Boxer
Two Pugs
A Black Lab
A Silkie Terrier
I think that was all...
My Former Employers had a mixed dog,
German Shepherd,Black Lab,Rottweiler, Border Collie he was just the sweetest dog with the children.. Sometimes the fancy breeds are all talk where as the ones that are overlooked are wonderful..