What dog breed is right for us?

And that is what makes them "not good for your family"?

I'd just like to say DITTO on pretty much ALL of the advice given on this thread, there's some really good stuff here.

I agree with BP about dominance, in fact, I much prefer a dominant dog.... dogs that are too submissive usually have fear issues, not to mention the submissive urination.

Well, if someone is going to live with an animal for 10-20 years, it should probably be one they are comfortable with and like. If someone didn't like german shepherds, but they had all the qualities in a dog that person was looking for I wouldn't reccommend they get one when there are other breeds that would work just as well.

Another note about the greyhounds, my husband used to hate greyhounds. Then I finally dragged him out to a meet and greet, and now he LOVES them. If you mom has never met one in person, it is worthwhile to go meet some.

I freely admit to not being an expert on dogs. I wasn't sure which word would apply to the concept I'm speaking of. I really don't want a dog that is naturally dominant, and I DEFINITELY do not want to deal with correcting a lot of aggressive tendencies. I'm just not around the house much, personally, and my mom doesn't have the dog skills to deal with a dog that needed a lot of tough love.

Thanks. That sounds very similar to what our situation will be like.

If my comment was against the ToS on this site, I encourage you to report it to a moderator or administrator. They are the ones who get to decide what is not appropriate here. We all have our own ideas about what is and is not offensive - I personally do not feel that my comment was offensive whatsoever - which is why boards have moderators who make the call.

I don't mean to be harsh, but honestly I find that simply reporting a message instead of making a fuss tends to cut down on a lot of the unnecessary conflict I see on message boards.

Well yes, I would say that finding the breed's behavior annoying would be a good reason not to get one.

If you had said ******* Corgi's, I would have been offended. It's just rude.

I really hope you reconsider getting a dog. I think a cat would fit your needs better. A cat won't need the attention you are planning on taking away from your future dog. Please get a cat.

Don't judge a book by it's cover. Sure, many Shih Tzus I personally have hated with a passion. I have a Shih Tzu cross now and goodness she is the COOLEST little dog. If you are looking at the individual instead of the breed you can find some real little gems. Miley is the type of dog who will sleep all day or go out on a hike. She doesn't require multiple daily walks like my Border Collies but she's up for it if you are. She's not dominant, pocket sized and doesn't cost an arm and a leg to feed.

I'd consider getting another Shih Tzu in the future if it had similar traits to my little lady. They're fun dogs if raised right.

We tend to not over police the board and only step in when the situation really calls for it. Usually it works well because people take the hint from our members first and only call us Mods in if things continue. Your comment was offensive to a board full of dog-lovers. Now we can all move on.

Ok, let me ask you one more thing. It sounds like you are doing research for a family pet that you won't have much contact with? Why not get what your mom wants, since she's going to be the one taking care of it?

I say definately check out some retired greys. The two rescues around here are fantastic - they both do their best to cat-test their dogs so they can place them appropriately. I'd say about a third to half of them are fine with cats.

If you want to PM me your zip code, I could get you in contact with some of the greyhound rescues in your area - I have a lot of rescue contacts.

I agree that you should consider an older dog.

Take a look at the shelter dogs first, please. They need homes, too, and there is likely to be one that fits your needs perfectly.

Sorry you feel that way, but it's your problem if you're offended, not mine.

I still don't comprehend where you're getting the idea that we wouldn't be giving a dog enough attention just because we couldn't take it for long walks. Whatever, I'm rather done with repeating myself to people who seem to believe that there is only one ideal situation for all dogs.

We live in Canada, so I have no zip code. That's okay though, I think I've already located a shelter to check out.

And with that, I think I'm done with this board. Thanks to those of you who have been helpful; it's unfortunate that there are a few too many negative, nitpicking people around here.

Romy, when reading your post, I realized how many poor sighthounds live under poor conditions. Sorry, you recommend to keep another unfortunate sighthound. Those are degenerated sighthounds, perhaps, out of some show strains. A good sighthound needs time and space to run a lot, better to hunt, at least stray cats and rats, if no other game is around. They catch, hares, rabbits , foxes and best of them go after coyotes.
Do you keep a retired Greyhound?

i have to agree and add that scenthounds are not normally good pets. since they have been bred for hunting for so long traditional coon, fox & sighthound breeds rarely are good choices for multi species homes. even though raised together you never know when the switch will go on and the cat becomes a chew toy. if one must have such dogs get them from show breeders who have worked a long time to breed the working instincts out of them like show type foxhound, harriers and afghans.
plenty of sighthounds, including retired racers, won't look twice at a lure will flat kill some cats (and other stuff).

since you "wont be around much" i think you shoudl be less concerend with what YOU want, dont want, like and dislike in a dog and get something your mother will want to spend the next 10-20 yrs with.
if its going to mostly be her dog she should have say and if she wants a shitzu and your only home part of the day why not?!

personally id say theres a couple of memeber of the toy group that could work, a maltese or bichon might work well they tend to be sweet, playfull (but can still get enough excersize form a good roomp round a yard/house when the weathers too bad for walks) keep em trimmed for easy grooming, there bred to be companions, and often, once past the house training, there actually easy to please and quick to train.

just because they look small and froo froo, does not mean there any less dog.
But a smaller dog, so long as trained in the basics properly and socilized well would fit all your requirements!

Well, looks like he's gone. I was going to say that the Shih-Tzus in my obedience class COMPLETELY turned me around on the breed. They aren't my sort of dog, but well brought up ones are nice little dogs.

I'm not sure what the big deal was with the mild profanity, but I think I'll just stay out of it.

I know many EXCELLENT dog owners, who are beyond knowledgable and would do anything to make their dogs happy, and apparently their "poor" sighthounds are living under "poor" conditions. Their dogs are given the freedom to run in safe, open spaces daily, and regularly taken to lure coursing events to do what they're bred to do safely. But, in a couple of hours at the dog park, they might race around for 15 minutes, then just hang out.

I find it a little bit disturbing that you would allow your dog to hunt stray cats. D: More than a little bit, actually.

To the OP... I'm sorry that you're leaving the forum all because of one thread. I don't think anyone was rude to you, but as you said, diff'rent strokes. I hope you find the perfect pet for your family.

ihartgonzo
ufymich was referring to the OP who stated the dog would have a "big backyard" and some occasional walks. that's fine if they do like you said and ensure the dog gets some good running. but if that is all they are going to get that's not good for a sighthound. other than whippets & italians, no sighthound can even stretch it out in a BY 100X100 or even twice that. it would be like being a prisoner, 8X8 cell and in manacles EVERY time you leave the walls. a sighthound w/ true sighthound temperament would have issues NEVER getting to stretch it out. further ufymich is clearly from a country that used to be part of the soviet union and his/her english isn't always perfect and the ideas expressed aren't always clear.
about the stray cat thing, free roaming cats (especially those well fed & cared for) are the second largest threat to threatened & endangered small birds. only habitat loss is a greater concern (thank you rural developers and greenies w/ your ignorant regulation against timber harvest & controlled burns). every cat his/her dogs take saves the lives of thousands of small birds over what would have been the lifetime of the cat. additionally every free roaming cat (not just stray/feral) is subject to being preyed upon by hawks, owls, free roaming dogs, bobcats, foxes, coyotes, raccoons and even large snakes ( think 5' + diamondback here). his/her dogs (and mine) are just one more on the list. the difference is that at least if the cat has a collar or obviously rescently had a collar, i can make the effort to prevent my dog catching it. if it's really tame i'll even take it to the pound (which is miserable for me since i am very allergic). a truly feral cat is also a great test before turning your dog out on something that fights a lot harder like raccoon or a large red fox and eventually coyote & an aggressive whitetail buck in the rut. at one time before & during WWII feral cats were such a pestilence a bounty was placed on them (the furs were also used for winter clothing and to line jackets for high altitude flying). unfortunately for millions of small birds that's no longer politically correct.

Bassett Hounds are VERY hard to house train!

Within urban/suburban environments, this is the largest threat to native songbirds:



In rural areas the biggest threats are a) development, b) non-native species, and c) leaving large amounts of edge on clearcuts which allow raccoons, cowbirds, etc, to get into formerly inaccessible habitat and eat/replace eggs.