firebladejr

They were included in my research list.. along with the Airedale, Patterdale, and Jagdterrier... The border is an awesome dog, there's just two things about it that turn me off.. 1/ it's a terrier (although it does sound like a milder version), and 2/ doesn't bother me but I know the wife won't like it.. she'll claim it looks like a cross and won't understand the purchase price haha I love Spriners! (and Field Spaniels, as well as Brittanys).. They're getting slightly on the large side and from what I've heard, have a more difficult time switching off. I've had a couple of people mention "Springer rage" which I don't pay much attention to (after owning APBTs and Staffys), but nonetheless it has come up a few times.

I'll try and keep this short... I'm an experienced dog owner, having owned everything from Chihuahuas to Staffordshire BT's and APBTs, and British Bulldogs. I've got 2 boys under 5 (both are well behaved though, and are good with animals), and a wife that is not overly a 'dog person'. We also have a small yard. I hunt during the hunting season, and was thinking it would be nice to have a hunting companion that could keep me company for some of the long days spent trekking, that may also bring me more success (I'm basically taking my gun for a 10km bush walk on most occasions ). I've looked at the pointer breeds and the HPR dogs (Vizsla, Wei, GWP, GSP, etc) but their energy levels seem a little too high for a small yard, especially if the exercise will be given by me before or after work... so my wife will be left to fend with a large boisterous dog when I'm not home (I can picture the flurry of text messages now). The dog will basically be my shadow, so whenever I head to the shops, work on the cars, the yard, etc I'll be bringing it with me. I've kept away from the terrier breeds as after owning a few staffies and APBTs, I'm well aware of the terrier traits, and I think they might be a bit much for a small yard surrounded by other dogs, etc. Basically I'm looking for something that can switch off a little when at home, but will still work when taken out. It can't be overly big, so medium-small is best, plus small yard + big poos is not a good combination. Given my wife is not a dog person, I've been looking for something that sheds less, as that will help me give the dog frequent access to the house. I've narrowed it down to these 3, but let me know if there's something you think is better suited or whether I've got my pros/cons list wrong; Whippet Pros Can switch off at home, and work all day if required. Ideal energy level. Good size. Tall but still medium/small bodied. (Would seek a bitch to keep the height down a little) Great with kids Good temperament Healthy breed Short hair Cons Wife doesn't like the look of them at all Short hair, but still shed a fair bit from what I've read. Although may be less than others. Being a sight hound, I'm concerned about recall when off lead Thin skinned (physically... not emotionally ) so prone to tears and cuts More of a hunting dog than a gundog. Will seek out it's own prey and chase down itself. Not sure it will assist me in tracking game. English Cocker Spaniel Pros They're pretty. Wife loves the look of them. The English (vs the American) is more of a working breed, so may retain more ability to scent/flush game Shorter than the Whippet so may be easier to manage and not as "in the face" with little kids May work better in the field with me (training dependent), as they're more likely to assist with tracking/flushing rather than chasing/catching game Nice family dog for the 98% of it's life when it's not out hunting with me Whilst I believe that they are high energy.. every Cocker I've met (4 friends had them growing up) seemed to be incredibly relaxed family dogs Cons Not sure how trainable they are. My mum used to own an American Cocker and it was a nightmare. Long coat is pretty, but will require work. Have heard mixed feedback on shedding, some saying despite it being long it appears to shed less Have heard mixed feedback on their tolerance for kids. Whilst the kids are well behaved around dogs (have been raised with a tiny chihuahua and a large British Bulldog), I'm not sure no the Cocker's tolerance for kids Might be hard finding one that hasn't had all of the inherent working ability bred out of them Health wise, they seem to suffer from a range of issues such as glaucoma, cataracts, cancer, etc Beagle Pros They're pretty. Everyone loves a Beagle. Exceptional tracking ability and great for nose work. Will help me a lot when out in the field. Good size Short hair (although I've heard they shed a lot) Will be easier to find one that retains it's working ability Health wise they're a pretty hardy breed Cons I've heard recall is terrible. With some hunters losing theirs in the bush as they would not return once on scent. Then having to visit the same location over a few days until finally relocating the dog. This would be my worst nightmare Per above - recall seems to be an issue once they are on a scent Temperament wise I believe they are great with kids, but may be destructive at home and less able to switch off than the other two breeds BARKING.. I wrote that in caps as I'm well aware of the Beagle's barking volume. I have 3 pugs living behind me and 2 Cavs next door... I'm not sure I'd want a Beagle to join into that barking match, especially with the kids rooms backing onto the backyard Shedding is apparently very high Interestingly, I also looked at the Lagotto, but some really mixed feedback on their temperament stability has turned me off them a little given I've got 2 kids at home. Edit: What about Dachshunds? They're a very versatile hunting breed. Should they be added to the list? What's their energy level like at home?

Hi folks, I've been researching some of the mastiff breeds for a long while now, and have narrowed my choice down to 2 breeds (maybe 3). I've owned dogs for around 20 years and my experience ranges from tiny dogs through to Staffies, and over the last 12+ years, APBT's. I absolutely love APBT's, I think they are a fantastic breed. My reason for moving more toward a mastiff is focussed around 2 main points, stimulus threshold and exercise requirements. I've found that almost anything would've got my APBT's all excited, eg if I click the lock on the back door, the dogs go ballistic and run around the yard super-excited. If we have people over, they do behave, but if a neice or nephew starts playing with a toy then the dogs want to join in almost straight away. APBT's aren't a breed that can do with 30mins of exercise a day either... mine seemed to be happiest when they were exercised to exhaustion. What i'm looking for in a mastiff is a large dog that is a little more docile and not so easy to get excited (the toy example). I also do most of my exercise on my own (gym membership and road cycling) so prefer can't bring the dog with me. I can walk it for half an hr a day, but much more than that will be difficult at times. I also like that the mastiff's are a little more predispositioned towards guarding property and family. My pits would guard the house, but if someone talks to them in a sweet voice, they'll lick them to death. So this brings me to my two preferences... the Bullmastiff or the Dogue De Bordeaux. Both similar, from similar pasts, with similar personalities. If anyone has experience with both, what would you describe as the key differences? Which would you recommend and why? A 3rd contender could possibly be the Boerboel.. I love Boerboels, but feel that the exercise requirements would be greater than the other two breeds. Many thanks.