How did you decide on YOUR breed?

[Hillside]

It's not a secret that most of us here have a set breed. Even a lot of the mixed breed owners prefer a certain type.

When my ex and I got together, about a decade ago, I had originally wanted a Doberman. He wasn't much of a dog person, but didn't like Dobermans because he thought they were "ghetto" and doesn't really care for crops. I had been admiring Malinois for quite a while, because all in all they seemed like a very versatile breed that seemingly could do just about everything, and do it well. But I took the "not for a beginner owner" warnings seriously and we finally decided on an Australian shepherd. While Django, the merle monster, was a good boy, we just never clicked, nor did I click with any Aussies that I met after that. Nice dogs, but just not quite the right fit for me.

Ryan wasn't really interested in most dog sports and since I had always wanted to do a dog sport, I started looking for dog sports that might appeal to him as well. The one sport that interested us both was Schutzhund. Lo and behold, it was also a sport that Malinois do well in.

Fast forwarding a bit, I met a woman who had Malinois and also did Schutzhund. I got to interact a lot with her dog and many other Malinois and finally had the opportunity to adopt Nico after about a year after I met her. I can't even precisely put into words how I just KNOW that it's the right breed, but I can't see myself having anything else (except maybe a Dutch at some point) because they are just such a good fit for me.

 

[Fran101]

Was looking for a laundry list of things in a breeder and potential future dog.
Found a breeder who did all those things and had dogs that perfectly exemplified the health/temperament I was looking for in a dog.
They happened to be a medium size and easy coat and a breed not usually affected by BSL

and they happened to be Australian Shepherds lol so here I am

tl;dr: I found the right breeder first, worried about breed later

 

[Oko]

I can't even remember when I decided I wanted a border collie...lots of years ago! I have looked at other herdy breeds but always felt like they lacked the bc traits I love. So, yes.

 

[Laurelin]

I love paps but I want other breeds.

My dogs are fun as heck and I adore them. It was my mom getting Beau that really set me on the breed for my small dog. He's fantastic. My apartment had a 20 lb weight limit so I couldn't get my Ibizan. I'm glad though as Ibizans wouldn't fit me so well.

The more I train them and the more I watch other breeds train, I love and appreciate them more. They have such infective enthusiasm, are so handler oriented, fun and happy, fast, and I could go on. They have an 'it' factor for me I can't describe. Some other breeds have it but most just don't to me. It doesn't hurt that they also happen to be a pretty popular/successful 'agility breed'.

I definitely want some more 20-40 lb dogs, but I don't imagine I'll ever get a small dog that is not a papillon. I like other small breeds but as far as owning? I think it will only be papillons. And I think I will always have at least one.

 

[*blackrose]

Well, I can't say I'm 100% a Chessie person. I love Abrams, and if all Chessies are like him I have to say I'd never be without one. But I also loved Blackie, and he was a Labrador. And if all Labradors were like him I'd never be without one.

But a good Retriever (aka, one like Blackie and Abrams ) will win me over any day.

 

[skittledoo]

I always thought I would be a mainly border collie person, but I'm definitely finding that Ibizans are a really great fit for me.

When I first started looking into Ibizans I wanted something elegant, even tempered and loyal, but also with somewhat higher energy since I like my dogs fairly bouncy, playful and ready to get up and go at a moments notice. I started looking into the sport of lure coursing and that interested me, but you had to have sighthounds to compete.

I started looking into different sighthound breeds, but was having trouble finding something that fit the energy I like in dogs. I wont say that the energy level is like that of a BC... it's a complete different type of energy... hard to explain. Anyways, I happened to see a photo of an Ibizan and thought they were insanely gorgeous animals. I was even more intrigued when I learned that they fit into the sighthound group even though they do hunt by more than just sight... this meant I could do lure coursing with an Ibizan though.

The more I learned about Ibizans the more I was intrigued. After meeting a few I knew they were for me. They are fun, bouncy, clownish and yet at the same time they are content to lie at your side (ok... moreso in your lap in Joey's case) and completely affectionate dogs.

They completely fit my bill of requirements. I was on a list for a puppy from a breeder who has dogs I absolutely LOVE. But.... Joey popped up on craigslist and I picked him up for Ibizan rescue to try to help out. I ended up falling in love and it was all uphill from there.

He has been an amazing dog. He has quirks and is one of the funniest dogs I've ever met. He's a major goofball, but a total lover boy at the same time. He's super loyal and really enjoys being nearby. He doesn't have to be all up in your grill, but he does like to remain nearby.

I love Ibizans so much I'm already planning for my second one in hopefully 2ish years. I'm also interested in showing them as well as lure coursing and I've met a ton of great people involved in the breed which has only solidified even more that I plan to stick with Ibizan Hounds.

 

[AmberH]

APBTs are my #1 breed of choice. I think I originally felt sorry for them because they were a picked on breed. But once I started researching them, I fell in love with everything else about them. Their temperaments, fun personalities, determination, versatile nature, willingness to please, and they can succeed in pretty much anything. I will never be without at least one in my house.

I did not choose Yorkshire Terriers. I adopted Bayleigh from the shelter I worked at. She was my first and only foster failure. I love her and everything about her. She's a true terrier through and through. I wanted a purebred Yorkie as I think she leans more toward their personality. The new puppy is pretty much a copy of Bayleigh. I'm in love! When my current two dogs are gone, who knows if I'll get another. I have a lot of breeds on my "want list."

I also really love Great Danes. I don't know why I originally fell for them. Probably their looks. But if they are all like my Kaiser, I would have a hundred of them! I miss my boy every day. He was fun and goofy and very lovable. I will have more in my future. Preferably another rescue senior.

 

[Southpaw]

Pretty simple. Got Molly, fell in love. Lol we had been looking for a dog for a long time, and every time we'd go meet one, it just wasn't the right fit. Went to go visit Molly (rescue ad in the newspaper), made a snap decision to just take her home and see how it went, and well... the rest is history. Now we have Juno, my sister has a boxer, my brother has 2... the whole family just fell in love.

Heck, even the neighbors across the street fell in love with boxers because of Molly. They finally just got on of their own.

 

[JacksonsMom]

I'm not sure I have a 'breed' yet. Picking up Jackson required essentially no thought process on my part. I wanted a dog. It had to be small. And non shedding due to step-dads allergies. I really really lucked out with Jackson because he's truly the perfect dog for me and we are an amazing fit. Not sure I'd take that gamble again though without doing more research, finding the right breeder, the right dog, etc. It could've gone horribly wrong.

I teeter totter now with a few other breeds. I really think Border Terriers could be 'my' breed for sure though. But I guess I'll judge once I have one. I also think I could be extremely happy with a Border Collie but I'd be very picky where I got one.

 

[SizzleDog]

By accident.

I originally was looking into Greyhounds, but they just weren't clicking. A co-worker of mine had a Doberman, and I thought he was gorgeous and terrifying. I didn't grow up in the best neighborhood, so I wanted a dog that would be territorial and at least put on a good show if someone broke in. So I got a Doberman.

The breed was perfect for me from the get-go. I like their versatility, their appearance, their temperament... everything. I'm hooked for life.

 

[Red.Apricot]

I was looking for a sheltie and I missed. :rofl1:

Okay, I was looking for a sheltie, and talked to some people at a conformation show. I wasn't impressed with their dogs, and had decided to go to some agility trials and see if the right kind of sheltie was there, and as we were leaving the show, I ran into a terv that just... had something. I talked to her owner, met the owner of her dam, met the dam, and realized that I would happily take either of them home right that second.

I went home, emailed the sheltie breeders I had been talking to and told them I'd decided on a different direction. I put out some feelers, and found Elsie.

Honestly, it was a combination of factors. I see shelties now and my chest still squeezes together, but Elsie's a better size, she's more intimidating and still transportable. She doesn't look like a pure bred dog to the layman, so she isn't as much of a target (I don't live in the best neighborhood). She's smart, and focused, and she's an absolute love. I like that she doesn't like strangers--I like everything about her.

The reason I wasn't looking at tervs in the first place was that everything said they're not for the faint of heart. Sometimes I feel like Elsie is downright boring, though. :lol-sign:

 

[Torch]

Much like Amber, I love bull breeds. I have been around APBTs and mixes since I was a kid, and always wanted one.

A few years ago, I rescued a bull breed mix off the streets and he really opened my eyes to the APBT, AST, SBT, etc. He was a truly amazing dog and I really started researching the bull breeds. I found him a great home but started plotting for one of my own.

I wound up going with an Amstaff because I wanted a little less drive than a gamebred APBT. I also wanted to decrease my chances of dealing with DA.

I wanted a dog that would be nuts about me, super friendly, fairly drivey, athletic, and versatile. I think the AST fits that for me And I love the way they look lol!

 

[joce]

Knew some dobes growing up and liked them. Wanted a breed that wasn't a lab and that's what I got. Now to me its like why would I have anything else?!

I like some other breeds for what they do like herding and guardian breeds, but dobes are just my dog.

 

[meepitsmeagan]

I've wanted an ACD for.. well.. 6-7 years now? When I originally started researching my next dog, I was pretty set on a Pittie. I've always loved Pitties and wanted that very hard dog, but I was also interested in ranching and herding and taking my dog trail riding and they obviously didn't fit the bill for that. I had always known about ACD's, but they had a bad rap for being around kids, biting heels, all the great herder habits. I ended up on dogforums and got to talking to a well known ACD guy on there and was hooked.

I ended up with a BYB Boxer puppy, but ACD's never left my mind. Koolies actually brought me to Chaz, but in the end I couldn't leave MY breed. Now I've finally found a fabulous breeder that fits EVERYTHING I was looking for and it's just a matter of timing now.

Boxers... I don't think we will ever be without one, but I wouldn't want it to be our only dog. They are fabulous house pets, but are very limited in the things they can do especially in the heat. Harlow is fabulous with everything, but I couldn't have JUST her where as I could JUST have a well bred ACD.

 

[iriskai]

I love the special sort of 'independence' of sighthounds, particularly Whippets. Easy to live with, but they definitely have their own minds. Velcro, but not demanding in the sense that I need to entertain them 24/7. Easy to train with the right positive reinforcement, but also okay with solving their own problems (Most recently opening the door to and climbing in the pantry to get a trachea... I'm looking at YOU, Mimi...).

I wanted a healthy breed I could be involved with. With the Whippets, I can show conformation, race, course, do agility, obedience and rally, get involved with therapy work etc. I know plenty of Whippets involved in dock diving and barn hunt, tracking, you name it.

Eventually I'd love to add an Azawakh and maybe a Silken and/or a Cirneco.. I'd like a Dobe as well, but that's an unrelated story.

 

[crazedACD]

As a kid, I wanted an Australian Shepherd. A blue merle with a show coat and a big white collar. I was sort of kind of looking for one, or some type of herding breed in the shelters before I got Romeo. Most of what was available through the shelters were bully breeds, working breed mixes (GSD, Rott, Husky), Lab mixes, etc. So, a friend told me of a friend that had a litter of Aussies, one red male left at 12 weeks, that she didn't know what to do with. I was fully expecting Australian Shepherds, but I walked in and Romeo was there. I was already pretty much a dog person at the point and brought him home without worrying too much about the breed . He has been just totally awesome.

I considered many other breeds before deciding on another ACD, as I'm slightly leery about the possibility of DA. In the end I really wanted another herder, and the ACD just stands out above all of them with what I want to do.

ETA... You know, it may send kind of silly, but I chose against other breeds based on popularity too. I wouldn't want to dock dive with a lab, do obedience or agility with an Aussie, do herding or agility with a BC. I like having a kind of off breed that is still suited to doing these things. And I like having a slightly misunderstood breed that can be an ambassador.

 

[Toller_08]

As a child, I really wanted an Australian Shepherd. I wanted a do it all sport dog that I could have fun with, teach tricks to, and dabble in sports with. He was going to be red merle and his name was going to by Jyro... no idea why haha. But that was my dream, and I even wrote about him for a school paper. But I wasn't allowed to have an Aussie growing up, because my dad had a thing against herding breeds. The only reason we ended up with a Border Collie mix was because she was a mix and therefore, in his mind, probably a nice dog. Either way, that's part of why I sought out a Toller instead and became enthralled with them, because they were a versatile active breed that I also liked the looks of and enjoyed the ones I met, and unlike an Aussie, I was allowed to eventually have a Toller. And then I kind of fell out of love with Aussies a bit too in my Toller obsession. I hadn't really met any that I clicked with or enjoyed very much in real life, and many that I'd met were kind of sketchy, and not really all that pretty even. Then I started working where I do, and got to know some customers' Aussies and they rekindled my love for the breed. I still wasn't sure if I truly wanted one quite yet, because the bad ones still stuck in my mind, but then Fran started posting puppy pictures and they were super cute and I got curious and checked out the breeder and fell in love with her dogs specifically and her breeding program. If not for that, I likely still wouldn't have an Aussie yet (though I know I would have ended up with one someday) and I would have gone through with my Koolie. So getting Journey was a combination of liking the breed, really enjoying a few specimens, and loving the breeder and this particular pairing. And now I'll have an Aussie in my life forever. In fact, I feel like they'll be my main breed, as long as I can find dogs similar to Journ and everything I love about her. I knew once I decided to get an Aussie that I'd enjoy one, but I had no idea just how much. I feel like I've been totally missing out my whole life until now.

With Tollers, as I said, I had to find an alternative breed that had the traits I wanted that wasn't a herding breed. And I knew some Tollers as a kid and loved them. I thought they were super fun, a great size, and once I got over my "that's kind of a weird looking dog. What's wrong with it's nose colour?", I grew to think they were beautiful. Then after I got Tango, my Toller/Border Collie mix, my Toller love grew and I obsessively learned about them and desperately wanted one more than ever. I thought for certain they were my breed, until I ended up with another herding type dog and found out that I mesh slightly better with herder brains. But I still adore Tollers and wouldn't hesitate to have another if I could find a good one. Dance hasn't been the best experience. I love her and I love many things about her (she's mostly quiet/non screamy/non barky, easy to live with, quick and eager learner, adorably talkative and all around endearing), but there are also many things I don't love and don't want again (people reactivity, increasingly super bitchy with other dogs, kind of lazy, gives up on things the older she gets). So we'll see. I'll always love the breed, but now I know there are better matches for me.

And Dobermans I didn't seek out at all. My family collectively had been trying to come up with a breed to replace our Rottweilers (horrid health issues in all of ours was too heartbreaking and we couldn't do it again), but hadn't really decided. My mom happened to work in the same building as my current dogs' breeder, who found out about our sick Rottweiler Echo, and approached my mom and asked if we'd be interested in meeting a foster Doberman she had. Dobes had been a maybe on our list of breeds to look at, but we hadn't really decided. We met Winston and had to have him, but it was mostly fluke that we ended up with the other two. We ended up becoming really good friends with their breeder and she convinced us to take a female puppy from one litter, and then I ended up helping care for the litter Ripley was in and my mom and I got attached, otherwise we probably wouldn't have him. And we'd just lost Winston a few months prior and my mom was grieving and thought another dopey dober-boy would help. But yeah, ending up with the Dobes definitely didn't have much to do with choosing a breed and more to do with just circumstances each time. I love Keira and Ripley very much, but I wish we hadn't gotten either sometimes, just because I know they're not very good dogs for my mom and I can't take them when I move out, and it's stressing me out a lot. I wish my mom had gotten a retired Greyhound or something. That would have been perfect for her.

The next dog I get, years down the road, will be for sure another Aussie or a Koolie for the same reasons I wanted a dog now/when I got Journey. I'll want a medium sized happy, eager, quick learning, versatile sport/activity/family dog with a great off switch and easy to live with. And those just happen to be both of the breeds I like the most and know I would love living with.

 

[MisssAshby]

We made a promise to each other that once we purchased our home we would get a big dog.

After putting together a list of pros/cons we narrowed it down to two dogs, the Rottweiler won. The temperament, looks, and personality of the breed fit flawlessly into our lifestyle.

We are both head over heels in love with this breed.

 

[Equinox]

I wanted to get a dog but couldn't decide what was prettier - a German Shepherd, a Siberian Husky, or a wolfdog :rofl1:

Ultimately decided on a GSD because even Google and Yahoo! Answers was enough to tell me that a wolfdog wouldn't be any good for me. From there I did some more research, joined the forums, and got my devil puppy.

I wasn't really sold on the breed at first, but once I really started to "get" Trent I realized what a fantastic dog I had in my hands. I really love him and all the aspects of the breed, and can't imagine being without one. They really represent my ideal between a close companion and family dog, a take everywhere dog, and a sport dog, with all the instincts and personality I like to see.

Then again, it's true that they're the first and only breed I've ever owned, and the breed that I've had the most exposure to. So maybe it's really just a type of dog that I prefer rather than a breed. I know for sure that I'll have other breeds in my life, too!

 

[Sit Stay]

When I was trying to decide on a breed I was flipping between Aussies and German Shepherds. We owned or fostered numerous Aussies throughout my childhood and they were amazing dogs - however, since then I had met a lot of weird Aussies and wasn't a fan of many I'd seen. A few years prior we'd rescued a stray GSD who was my heart dog and I still miss terribly (we rehomed her) so they were on the table too (and at that point I had been in touch with a breeder for a few years). The downside with the GSDs is they were on the big side.

I found English Shepherds after seeing them on True Blood, lol! The more I looked into them, they sounded more like my childhood Aussies than any Aussie I had seen around recently. A google search revealed Quinn's breeder, who happened to be planning Quinn's litter, and she put us in touch with a local ES owner so we could meet the breed. The dog we met was actually a litter sister to Quinn's sire. We really liked her and were added to the wait list for the litter. When we met Quinn's dam and granddam and the puppies at 6 weeks, both my mom and I totally fell in love and knew without a doubt we'd made the right decision.

I am still just as in love with the breed today - more so, now. I still want a GSD, and would be open to another Aussie but to be honest, the ES has all the great Aussie traits I love and are probably even better suited to me. I can't wait to add another ES to my life. As much as I adore Ned, he is not my type quite as much as Quinn is/was, and he's making me even more excited for an ES puppy!