What was your first experience with your favorite breed?

[CrystalGSD]

What the title says

My first experience was with two German Shepherds that my neighbor had, Adolf and Bruno. Adolf (and yes I think of Hitler everytime I say that name ) was very old, I can't remember how old, but he kind of shuffled and his face was all grey, and Bruno was young, maybe one or two and had some sort of digestive issue that kept him really skinny. I would go over to their house often just to pet and play with the dogs. I remember once giving Adolf a treat, and since he was old and partially blind he accidentally nipped at my fingers while taking the food, and I started crying. As soon as I started crying Adolf started licking my face and truly tried to comfort me. He was such a nice dog. The dogs were really well trained, off leash reliable, and really gentle with me despite me being a small kid. I basically fell in love with the breed after that!

 

[straw]

I'm not even sure what my favourite breed is, but I know I have a major love for pit bully things and chihuahuas, so...

My very first experience with a 'pit bull' that I can remember was probably Kibo, who was a little brindle SBT owned by the managers at a hotel we stayed at in Nairobi. I was maybe 13 at the time and totally fell in love with him so his carefree owners just basically let him hang out with me for our stay. He slept in my room and he would wander the property and chase warthogs. I taught him to fetch a stick and hang on to it while I swung him around and his owners thought it was just hilarious. He was a dumb sweety.

I remember actively disliking chihuahuas for a while because I think I thought it was 'cool' to only be into big intense dogs. Then I was just indifferent to them until I started working at a vet clinic where two of the staff members had chis. The one that really changed my mind, I can't even remember her name, but she was being fostered by a staff member and just hung out at the front desk in my lap all day, was super easy going and cuddly and sweet with everyone and not what I expected. That totally changed my mind, but I can't exactly pinpoint when my interest was really piqued in the breed. Sometime in the last two years but I have no clue what the trigger was.

 

[SoCrafty]

When I was little, I was not allowed to have a dog. My Mom used to take me to the pet store all the time so I could play with the Collie puppies. I always hoped that one day we would go and my Mom would tell me that my Dad changed his mind and one of them was mine. I loved getting licked by them and I loved how soft they were. Just beautiful babies.

 

[*blackrose]

I don't really have a "favorite" breed. I'm drawn to retriever types, mainly because of my childhood dog. We adopted him when I was 5? and he was our best bud. Whenever we were outside playing, riding bikes, going down to the creek and catching crawdads, coming home from school...he'd be right there with us. We'd play his version of fetch, which involved him chasing the ball, then us running around the house as fast as we coukd trying to tackle him to get the ball back while he played keep away. LOL We grew up together. He passed away when I was 19. Couldn't have asked for a better dog.

 

[milos_mommy]

I got really interested in owning a JRT after a dog fancy article about them. I also saw them occasionally running agility on television. My first hands on experience was when my dad bought me Milo from a pet store.

Hands on with pit bulls came from grooming and moreso daycare. I got really interested after learning about them on chaz. But the hands on experience came from work and then fostering and working in rescue.

Boxers - I went to a private elementary school and the headmaster had a boxer who he brought and hung out in our classrooms and ran around the playground with us. Then as I got older met more at work. SO grew up with them and his dad still has one.

90% of the breeds im interested in are because of work

 

[Laurelin]

I don't really have a favorite breed... I didn't know anything about papillons or shelties till we were bringing one home. My mom picked both breeds out. At both times I was just excited to have a dog.

BCs/ACDs.... can't remember the first time I met them. Just have always lived in an area where they're both popular!

I did deliberately seek out pyrsheps and met them at AKC nationals. They were adorable and scruffy and cute and not nearly as shy as I'd have imagined.

 

[Cali Mae]

Well, my favourite breed is the Australian Shepherd and sadly, they aren't too common in my area and I haven't really seen many no matter where I've gone. I saw a couple at a flyball practice once and they were super wound up and the owner mentioned one of them having issues settling down, so I'm not too sure they were representative of a typical Aussie.

But I do love papillons as well. Meeting Cali and her breeder's dogs when we picked her up were my first experience with the breed. Aside from Cali, I met one other papillon at an agility event when she was a puppy. They were infatuated with each other and I had to pick her up when he went for his run because his owner was worried he'd get off track and try leaving the ring.