dididog

GSPs, Viszlas and Brittanies have all been mentioned but have you considered an English Pointer (Pointer)? They always seem to get overlooked in the 'large active friendly' breed discussions. IME, a showline (emphasis on the showline) Pointer is a fairly mellow house pet but still with an insane amount of stamina out of the house. My boy could run or trot all day. He can also not leave the house for 3 days and only get slightly antsy. If you have other dogs with good off switches to lead by example with a puppy they get the hint. Generally they are very amicable with all sorts of people and dogs. My boy isn't super outgoing but not a mean bone in his body, so gentle and sweet.

I have an almost 3yr old showline Pointer, my first and only (and likely last). He is a lovely sweet, silly dog. In general they're a great active family dog. He is actually really quite biddable and loves to work with me but my main issue with him is maintaining engagement outside the house, he is so intuned with his environment so that has always been an uphill battle for us. He's not a deep thinker, it's pretty easy to get him to do something. Common issues I was wary of going into the breed were separation anxiety, extreme energy requirements, destructiveness, timidness and hit or miss recall. He doesn't have separation anxiety but he isn't an only dog. His energy requirements aren't extreme, he could go all day if I needed him to but has an amazing off switch and copes well with dry spells without exercise (which from what I've observed is not typical of the breed). Outside of the puppy phase he is great around the house, very few casulaties other than the odd tissue or shopping bag. He is a lot more timid than I'd like but I think that a lot of that is due to faults made by me during early socialisation but they are very sensitive. His recall is really good but their natural tendency to run hard and fast and not stick close gives me so much anxiety that I rarely let him off leash if it's not fenced. That's a me problem though. My favourite things about him are that he is a massive pacifist, never witnessed a shred of aggression from him and will tolerate a lot. Loves to cuddle. Really really loves to cuddle. He's super fun loving and impossible to not feel joy around. I will just never own another because of the shedding. I thought I could handle it but it's just too much for me!

I live in the inner city with a small yard. My english pointer has a good recall but not to the point I trust him in unfenced parks in the city and the only fenced areas that dogs are allowed off leash near me are... dog parks. My pointer is extremely dog social and pretty oblivious to aggression so is generally not phased. You can lower the risk by getting to know the park users, picking a time it's not busy, and being extremely pro active. I follow my dog and make sure I can recall him or within arms reach to intervene. I might talk to other users but always have eyes on my dog. I closely observe the body language of all dogs and generally keep him close when a new dog enters to suss them out. I won't hesitate to leash up and leave the second I get a bad feeling about a dog rather than leaving anything to chance. I intervene and leash up for a time out the moment my dog is being rude or is being bothered by another rude dog to allow tensions to settle. And I'm not afraid to tell someone when their dog's behaviour is inappropriate for the dog park. My dog is large and not likely to react to confrontation so I am rarely confronted with a situation where he may be at risk but I can see why with a smaller dog the risk might not be worth it. For me it gives my dog the freedom to run off leash safely and play with other dogs which he enjoys but it is not the main way I exercise him (we go maybe once a week or fortnight). My other dog I never took to dog parks, just normal parks or beaches that had off leash areas. She has been attacked so many times by other dogs that she is not a fan of being approached by strange dogs and for my own peace of mind is now only walked on leash. I kind of prefer the fenced in dog parks because its easier to have a full handle of your situation. I can see everyone there and keep an eye on the entrance and have as much control as possible over the situation which is a lot harder to do in an expansive off leash park. I do wish they had a ranger pop in more often to some of our local parks and warn people off bringing their dogs. It sucks that some people don't see how inconsiderate it is to bring aggressive dogs to the dog park where they are one of the few places city dog owners exclusively have to utilise. The last time I tried a new park I saw one such owner, brought a massive GSD on an e collar that was on edge and hackles up the entire time it was there and constantly lunging and snarling at any dog that even looked at it funny. It was ultimately not following up on its confrontations because it was getting yelled at and nailed with the collar but if the other dogs had not been so submissive it could have easily boiled over. I leashed up before it enterred because it was snarling on the other side of the fence and left the second it was away from the gate, I don't bother hoping for the best anymore, I always assume the worst as losing out on some park time is not worth losing my dogs lovely disposition to other dogs or his safety.

Had a bit of time on my hands lately and was scrolling through this thread in the lead up to Didi's 5th birthday this week. So many great memories with my girl which seem so long ago. I'm so glad she has fit so much fun and love into those five years. We don't live by the beach anymore (now we are on top of a valley!) She has slowed down a lot and gotten a bit chubby in middle age but we are currently on the path to fitness now that I'm living somewhere I can walk both dogs together easily and my parents aren't around to stuff her full of table scraps and treats. She has been such a good big sister to little brother George who has been with us for over a year now. I love seeing them interact and watching him drag the silly puppy antics out of her. Thought I would share a few photos of Didi (and the pointy interoper!) for any of you still around that remember her when she was but a wee pup and I was new to the whole dog thing and full of questions!

Done but just a suggestion, perhaps clarify what is considered an attack? In my instance the target was my dog who got attacked and I was bitten in the ensuing scuffle but the dogs were not trying to attack me so to speak. I figured the survey was more aimed at attacks directed at humans but it wasn't clear if other situations could be considered.

I am in the municipality over from Brimbank (Hobsons Bay) and am able to have an entire dog no questions asked. I mean he is limited registered but its not like they asked for any proof of that... just went and paid my fee and got my rego tag on the spot. Strange that a neighbouring municipality would take such a strong stance, would just result in a lot more people not regostering their dogs rather than encouraging it if you ask me. Hobsons Bay is a really nice place to own a dog though if you'd consider moving over this....

I started seriously considering breeds for my 2nd dog at least 2 years before I got him but choosing the exact breed and breeder was a quicker process as ideal timing presented itself. I have been fairly opportunistic with both of my dogs (especially the first one). I made sure with the 2nd dog that I had a better idea of what I wanted and made sure I got the important things right. Neither dog has turned out perfectly how I anticipated and while it would've been nice if I could go back and change a few things, I would never change having the dogs I have. Maybe things would've turned out differently had I made different choices or waited longer for the 'perfect' pup both times around... but at the end of the day I have 2 dogs that I love and more or less suit what I want and need in a dog so who's to say they werent the perfect one for me all along? I have seen many people get burnt by being too hasty and settling for 'near enough's good enough' but many more where it all works out just fine, I guess your criteria will end up shaping exactly how long you'll have to wait!

Pointers (the english variety) can be somewhat aloof and in some lines, timid with strangers. My boy could be a bit timid as a pup but with growing confidence is growing into a dog that is mostly indifferent toward strangers. He is friendly and has a soft temperament but is not overtly affectionate or interested in seeking attention from strangers. They tend to be massive clingy sooks with their owners though and normally a breed that gets on well with other dogs. On the higher end energy wise and resort to destruction easily if bored/understimulated. Full grown they make great running companions. Difficulty training recall is a very real concern though as even showlines are very birdy and they are QUICK. So if you are planning offlead bush and beach adventures, potentially not the best match.

Yes one of his many amusing quirks is that he likes to stand up and look over every fence he comes across... even if that fence is see through!

Didi is also doing well! She is four now, slowed down a fair bit in the last year or so but I think George is doing a good job at keeping her young. This whole puppy experience would have been absolute hell without her being so patient and understanding and it is also much easier to manage a two dog household when one of them is such a good girl!

I realised that I kind of just mentioned I was getting a new puppy several months ago and disappeared again It feels like he's been here for ages now but he's only just turned 6 months old! He is a very strange dog! Keeps me endlessly amused with his antics and just how absolutely strange he is but he is turning into a very lovely dog, albeit a bit of a scaredy pants but oh well. I had no idea how Didi would handle a new sibling as we hadn't so much as had a doggy guest in the whole time of owning her. She wasn't the biggest fan during the first couple of months after the initial excitement wore off but they seem to have everything worked out now and are good buds for the most part! Here are some of my least horrible phone photos from my brief time with George

Thanks guys, he's such a lovely puppy, exactly what I was hoping for I hope the next week flies by, I can't wait to bring him home! Yes his face makes me melt every time I see it, he has a perfect little spot between his ears for kisses haha. I'll definitely pop in and update every now and then! I'm hoping he'll turn out a bit like his father who is absolutely stunning

Okay well it's finally confirmed. This is George. He is coming home in a little over a week and I'm already in love! I flew interstate to meet him last week and took a few photos while we were there. He's just shy of 6 weeks in these

Ahhhh okay I wanted to tease it out a bit longer but yes I am getting a Pointer I did spend the last two years seriously considering Pointers, Brittanies and Boxers and a few other contenders came into the mix (like the German Pinscher) but ultimately decided Pointer was going to be the best fit now and long term. I've found a lovely breeder with lovely dogs and will be bringing home a little boy! Breeder is still evaluating litter so I'm not 100% sure which puppy I'm getting yet but I do know it is between two boys at the moment. I might wait till I definitely know which one to share pics.... but rest assured they are both stinking cute!

Bumping this thread because guess who is getting a puppy in two weeks! I forgot I'd even made this thread but was searching my chosen breed to look at past topics regarding them. Wonder if anyone can guess which of the many breeds mentioned I ended up selecting? Can't believe I started preparing for this exactly 2 years ago and now it's all coming together! I think Didi is going to make a very good big sister as well