1st dog-which breed? i have 3 cats

[ozoro1]

hi everyone im going to get a dog next summer and i am having a lot of trouble trying to find a breed that is right for me ive found a bunch of breeds that i thought were good for me but then i find out something bad about that breed that is saomething that will stop me from being able to get one of the dogs of that breed.could you help me find a breed that is good for me?here is some stuff about me that matters when deciding on a dog breed-my family and i have 3 cats and a beagle and a doberman pinscher,i will be able to provide 1 hour (maybe more maybe less)of exersize in the summertime and on weekends during the school year including walks and running around and playing in the backyard and agility and or flyball.on schol days i will be able to provide 45 minutes (maybe more maybe less) of exersize including walks, running in the backyard,and agility and or flyball.i would like to do junior showmanship,agility and obedience with my dog.i will be able to provide 30-45 minutes of grooming weekly (maybe more or less).the amount of shedding doesnt matter.i am almost 11 years old so i dont want a dog that is huge but it would be ok to possibly have a large dog( like to size of a lab) i would prefer to have a medium sized dog (welsh springer spaniel size dog) or i would be fine with getting a smaller dog so any size dog exept for a huge dog (mastiff sized dog)
thank you so much!!!!!!!!
If I forgot anything please tell me!
oh yeah and my new dog will be kept seperate from the cats
now i'm finking about this dog & pics , looks nice
Thanks!

 

[CrazyDiego]

This is just a suggestion but why dont you try visiting some of your local animal shelters? Somestimes a puppy or dog with catch your eye and you will fall in love. Plus you are saving a dog too

 

[Renee750il]

That's the best suggestion of all, Crazy.

Realistically, Ozoro, the amount of time you've got to spend with a new dog isn't nearly enough for a puppy, when you think about housetraining and all of the other things a puppy needs to be taught, plus all the attention a new puppy needs, and even farther off from being able to train a dog for the sorts of things you're interested in.

You should read some of BigDog's posts and maybe PM. He's got a new German Shepherd pup, Rocky, and can tell you first hand how much work it takes for a new pup!

 

[Renee750il]

Oh, that photo of the Redbone on the chain is so sad. You can tell he spends a great deal of time chained by the way the ground is worn down in the perimeter of the chain . . .

 

[BaileysMom]

You sound very knowledgable about dogs already. It sounds to me like you have been doing quite a bit of research and are aware of and accepting a great amount of responsibility. Good for you!

I agree with what someone said earlier about going to you local animal shelter and seeing if there is a dog that catches your eye and your heart. Often, if you don't plan on breeding and/or showing your dog professionally, there are wonderful mix breeds who are just as intelligent, affectionate, and healthy as purebreed, AKC registered puppies. Plus, you are adopting a puppy who really needs a home. I adopted a mix breed puppy recently (australian shepherd/black lab mix) and he is actually showing higher intelligence than my mother's AKC registered german shepherd. VERY impressive!

You can also train mix breed dogs in agility and they do have agility competition for these dogs. You would just not be able to have them compete in AKC competitions, but does it matter? They can still compete, and it's the bonding you experience with them while training that truely matters.

Just a thought, anyway! For breed information, you can go to www.akc.org to see about what kind of mix breed you might want if you decide to go that route, or to check into purebreed dogs, if you still want to pursue that. You would be able to find a breeder on that website, if you want AKC registered.

Good luck!

Cindy