How do you know if a breed is right for you?

[Bigpoodleperson]

I am planning on getting another dog in a year as i will have my degree and moved out. I have always wanted another dog, and will get one. I am stuck on breeds though. Really, i am only stuck on two breeds though. I have always always always wanted a doberman. I had always planned on getting a doberman the first second i could. Now that that second is aproaching, im not so sure. They are everything i want in a dog, but i dont *know* them. I dont know what actually living with one is like. I would love to eventually have one, and i very well might get one next.

My other choice would be another poodle. I know and love the breed. I am comfortable with them, and it would be an easy fit. I also eventually want another one. My only one hangup is teh grooming. I already have one to do. That would be at teh bottom of my "neg." list though.

The main thing i am looking for in the dog (no matter which breed) is to have a great temperament. I know that wont be hard as i would go with a good breeder to match my needs. I want a compact "little" girl to do agility with. I want to dabble in many other things too.

I am just caught on which breed, and how do i know? I know the best thing would be to go spend time with some dobermans, but i dont know any. I would like to start getting in touch with some breeders in the near future to possibility get on some waiting lists and talk to them. How did you decide?

 

[Dekka]

Start getting in touch with breeders now and start spending time with their dogs. I hung out with a lot of JRTs before I decided I wanted one. (lots of horse farms have JRTs) We spent time with LHW and the club before we got our two.

Personally I am all for branching out I will always have a JRT or two around, but there are other breeds I want too.

 

[Uras Inu]

I agree, you should contact breeders and get to know the breed. For the longest time I thought I wanted an Alaskan Malamute. but I visited the Breeder, and that "spark" didn't happen for me. you know the feeling, an almost "felling in love feeling". The Malamute just wasn't meant to be my breed.

I hope you find the dog that was meant to be yours. Good luck on your search!

 

[lizzybeth727]

I'd also suggest fostering. Sometimes even visiting and spending some time with dogs of a breed still doesn't give you a good idea of what living with one would be like. There was one breed (won't say which) that I always kinda wanted, until I fostered a dog of that breed.... all the breed descriptions were accurate! It works the other way, too - I never really seriously saw myself getting a collie, until I fostered one recently and just fell in love! Now they're high up on my list (in a few years).

Of course, rescue groups would be the first place to look for a dog to foster, but you could also talk to breeders and see if they need someone to petsit for the weekend or whatever.

 

[kaponte]

I'd also suggest fostering.

I definitely agree on fostering a dog that hasn't been so lucky. He/she will say "Thank you-Thank you" for many years to come! Also, make sure you not only adjust the dog to you, but you also adjust to your new pal. This includes making sure you get your new place first (you said you were moving out) and then make the right decision on which breed/mix to get. You wouldn't want to live with a Doberman on a small apartment if that's all you can find...

Good luck!

 

[Toller_08]

I agree with the fostering idea to an extent... but if you do that, keep in mind that rescued Dobermans are often vastly different from well bred dogs. Not that they're bad dogs (I have a fantastic adopted boy), but I've been around enough of both rescues and dogs from breeders to know that they definitely vary (simply because most dogs in rescue aren't from good breeding).

I can't tell you how to decide on which breed to get next. I really wanted a Doberman of my own or a Border Collie as my next dog, but I went with another Toller: 1) because she happened to be the perfect dog for my family, and 2) Because I'm completely comfortable with the breed and was afraid to venture out.

That said, I know a few people who have Standard Poodles and Dobermans and they find that they're temperaments are somewhat similar. They all adore both breeds. Dobermans are wonderful dogs, and I think that if you've been considering one for as long as you have, that you should definitely try to get to know some. Perhaps if you get comfortable enough with a breeder, they'll let you take one of their adults for a little bit so you can see what you think of living with one. Not all breeders will do that, of course, but I know of a few that are willing to with the right person... so it can happen.

 

[Doberluv]

Some thoughts I'll share with you:

If you get a Doberman, be really careful about the breeder. The genetic illnesses they can get are something else again. I guess that's true with lots of breeds though. And temperament. Be really careful. Read as much as you can first. And be prepared to put in lots of time and energy. They are a highly energetic breed and they need extra, extra doses of socialization. Be prepared for a good chance of dog reactivity/aggression. Copious amounts of socialization can help a lot, but they are known for that tendency and I certainly experienced it. They must have good, thorough training. But it sounds like you're into it and agility is a great activity to keep them happy. They are so busy, they need to keep their body and mind exercised.

I have a very small house, as small as lots of apartments. And we did just fine, even with 3 other dogs in the house. But I live on 5 acreas and then tons of forest all around me. But we needed a good hike off leash every day because he didn't self exercise too much...a little bit but he didn't want to go far from me. (another great quality I experienced) So, exercise is imperative....lots of it. Be sure you have lots of patience and are very familiar with training dogs because they can really try your patience as puppies.

They are wonderful dogs who are extremely into their owners and families. Velcro. They are extraordinarily full of life, big goof balls, seem to think everything is hilarious lol...terribly affectionate and so quick to catch onto new things. They are very sensitive and so highly attached to their owner....heavy handedness will ruin them. You never ever want to put a Doberman on the defensive with harshness. They just can't take it. (not that you would...it's just a general comment) Positive methods really worked fantastically with mine.

That said, I hope whatever you decide, everything will work out for you. It is true, I love Dobermans and am also enthralled about Poodles. LOL. Funny. I also have had horses most of my life and they say that Dobe people are often horse people too.

I think fostering is a great idea to get to know one. Of course, they're all individuals and Dobes vary quite a bit in their temperament. And it is true that it may not be a good representation of the breed. You just never know. Probably visiting with some breeders dogs too would be good. good luck with whatever you decide.

 

[BrownFCR]

Do you have any dog shows coming up in your area? That would be a good place to meet up with some breeders, and you could possibly develop a friendship with somebody who would like to have you petsit, or maybe loan you a dog. I had a friend who had a couple of older pups, we both thought it would be a good idea to split them up for a bit just to give them exposure to other people and dogs. So I brought the male home for a few days and just had a ball with him. Anyway, just a thought. Good for you for doing your research and making a decision that's best for both you AND the dog.

 

[Bigpoodleperson]

Thanks everyone for the ideas. I will have to look about dog shows, and breeders in my area. I have decided i need to spend time with some dobermans before i could have one live with me. Fostering is a great idea, but i dont think it would be right for me at teh time. I will be living in an apartment, and knowing me, i would keep the foster (which wouldnt be bad, but its not the "type" of dog i want right now). Even though i will be living in a small place, i realize the energy of these dogs (poodles are no slouches either). I very much plan on socializing the heck out of this puppy (as i did with Riley), and i LOVE training puppies!! Thanks again for the input.

 

[SisMorphine]

Maybe get in good with a local breeder and perhaps take one of their dogs for a long weekend when they're on vacation??

Really there are so many breeds that I adore, but working with them on a daily basis I know that they are definitely not the dogs for me. In reality there are very few breeds I would be able to live with, and even then I would hand pick adults as I am too picky in most cases to take a puppy (though I will ALWAYS take an Alapaha puppy as I've yet to meet an Alapaha that I didn't want to take home).

But perhaps working in dogs has jaded me a tad . . . LOL!

 

[SizzleDog]

I'd recommend you go visit the breeder - please remind me, what part of Illinois are you in? You'll get a really good feel for what they're like, just by spending a day with them and getting to interact with them.

 

[Bigpoodleperson]

Leah, im near Rockford. Northern IL.

 

[Zoom]

Sometimes you just know. I always thought I wanted a Border Collie because I absolutely adored my grandmother's. I did a ton of research on them and then decided to branch off and look at Aussie's as well since I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to handle the full-on intensity of a BC right away. The more I read about Aussies though, the more I realized that was the breed for me. I love everything about them and when I saw Sawyer's pictures for the first time (he's a rescue) I knew without a doubt this was the dog for me.

Now I'd still like to have a BC at some point but I will never be without an Aussie.

 

[adojrts]

I also knew many jrts from the horse industry and had many friends with them. I adored them.
I agree, meet breeders, clubs or breed clubs near you. Make friends with people that have Dobe's and get to know their dogs. Also if you don't want to foster, there are other ways to get to know resuce dogs and help. At the very least, the people involved in the respective breed rescue often have that breed and they will be good contacts etc.