Whats the right breed for me?

[stephie love]

I've been researching and different breeds and was wondering if anyone could help.. I already have a dog (beagle) and cat but my sister is leaving for college in two weeks and we decided that around christmas would be a good time to add a new addition to the family. Other than me [I'm 15 =)] and my mom theres no one (besides the animals) in the house. We have a pretty good size yard its about an acre.. and part of it around the pool is fenced in. I am looking for a big dog.. one that looks elegant, is known to be smart, loves attention, doesn't shed a lot, loves other animals, somewhat easy to train, possibly to be trained as a guard dog, and there is a good chance that the dog will be be competeing in either agility, the show ring, or something else. If you need to know more just ask..

 

[Boemy]

Maybe a standard poodle? They're elegant, don't shed, VERY intelligent, and I imagine they would bark at intruders.

I would recommend waiting until a few weeks after Christmas before getting a new dog . . . the reason being that all the hustle and bustle around Christmas time can be very stressful on a dog. Moving to a new home is stressful enough!

Are you familiar with how to choose a good breeder instead of a backyard breeder? If not, you can learn here. It's especially important if you want to show your dog.

 

[stephie love]

I know all about back yard breeders and puppymills and to never buy from pet stores.. my neighbor used to breed, show, and train dogs.. I've also done my research.. I'm just trying to look for the right breed that will go with my family.. As for christmas.. the only crazy day is the day after and even then its just my cousins coming.. the youngest of the three is almost 10 and they are pretty mature so I don't think stress will be a problem.

 

[Puppy-Raiser]

Hmm, first thought that popped into my head was Great Dane. The only things that wouldn't suit your lifestyle would be a guard dog and agility. I've not yet met a Great Dane that would be good for either of those. But it's intelligent, looks elegant, loves attention, sheds barely at all, loves other animals, and is easy to train.

Another breed would be a Borzoi. It as well matches all of your needs, except for guard dog, and low shedding. (since it has a long coat.)

Here's a Great Dane....

And a borzoi.

 

[stephie love]

Thanks for the pics and info. I think the great dane might be a tad bit too big.. And the Borzoi-- if it sheds it probably won't go well.. I'll google it though and check it outtt.

 

[Charliesmommy]

I would not recommend a Borzoi unless you have a LOT of dog experience. They are very smart but tend to not care a lot about pleasing people so can be difficult to train. They also do not typically do well around cats so you would have to be very very careful to make sure it was well-socialized with cats from puppyhood.

I second the standard poodle. If it weren't for the shedding thing, I would say German Shepherd.

 

[Maxy24]

I agree with standard poodle, low shedding large dogs are hard to find I think...

 

[stephie love]

Thanks, does anyone have a standard poodle? I want to ask some questions and whatever.. I also e-mailed a local breed club and asked if they could refer me to a breeder that I could talk to and probably meet with.

 

[Bahamutt99]

What about something like a Rhodesian Ridgeback or Doberman Pinscher?

I would like to comment on the Christmas thing as well. If you find a good breeder, chances are they wont have a litter right when you're looking for a puppy, so be prepared to wait.

 

[Maxy24]

I know Lizmo and Poodle'smommy have poodles, we probably have more with them but I can't remember who.

 

[stephie love]

I would love a dobe.. but my mom would never go for it.. We know someone who has one and he is a nasty dog.. she is kind of stereotypical.. I'll go look at Rhodesian Ridgebacks and I'll look at dobes see if I can show my mom otherwise.

 

[Toller_08]

My first thought was the Doberman also. They aren't really light shedders, but they aren't too bad.

I think they sound great for you based on what information you gave, and hopefully your mom will give one some consideration. I know tons of Dobes and I also have one. They're wonderful dogs as long as they're raised properly and such. I've never met properly raised Dobe I didn't like.

Ridgebacks are nice too, I also know a few of them. However, they definitely do take quite a bit of work to train. They aren't really people pleasers and most have a "what's in it for me?" attitude. They're very nice dogs though.

 

[stephie love]

I deffinately think that either a dobe or a standard poodle would be good for me.. I'm going to e-mail some breeders and do my research on temperment and such.. if anyone has any input about dobes or standard poodles I'd love to here.. I wanna make sure that the right dog comes in to my family.

 

[Schnauzer Dude]

Standard Schnauzer it meets all of those qualifications