How Did You Choose Your Breed Or Breed ?

[poochmad]

My first dog was a Cavalier King Charles - fantastic dog. Then my sister didn't want her Sheltie, so I ended up with her as well.

With our current breed, the Field Spaniel, I was actually looking at a Labrador, but the house we bought had stairs and a smaller garden so I didn't want a Lab in that space (or going up and down stairs). 12 years ago we looked at a Field Spaniel, as I really loved the write up of them, but they were only relatively new to Australia and therefore breeders were building up their lines. Once I realised we needed a smaller dog, when we bought this house, I called a breeder for a Field Spaniel and lo and behold, she had a bitch who was due with puppies and put me at the top of the list. The attraction to the breed was the look, soft coat, floppy ears, soft temperament and calm/docile way.

However, the next breed of dog that we will look at will be a Lagotto as I love the look, temperament, and coat (no more hair everywhere) and they are a little bit smaller, but one of them is years and years away.

[MsKatie]

We have had rescue dogs - a staffy x, a blue heeler x and a kelpie x - we now have a kelpie but ---- - OH's dream dog was a Bloodhound - so I started looking into it through DOL and found a great breeder - thinking it would be a couple of years before a pup was available - within a year we welcomed our big boofer Earl and now have have him and the kelpie - Rosie. They are great but so different in temperaments - luckily they get along really well.

Next choice of breed will be a Lappie - although I do love the Greyhounds

[Scarlett Dog]

I grew up with bull terriers so naturally wanted a bull terrier. I know some people think they're not very attractive dogs but I think they're beautiful.

I liked having a breed that I knew what to expect as far as how active they are, any possible health issues, how much training they need. Nothing worse than hearing stories of people getting dogs that end up being more active than is ideal for their lifestyle or bigger than people expect.

I always have people telling me how much work they are but we love them and are happy to put in the hard yards for a clever and loyal dog. I would recommend a BT to someone who is dedicated and has done their research.

Did I mention I think they're beautiful?!

[jase293]

hi everyone,

thanks for taking the time to tell me a bit about your great dogs, and also thanks for the welcome, there shore are some breeds out there , iv been thinking of getting another dog for awhile now, as my staffy is getting on, but i hope he is around for a long while yet, he was very sick last weekend , i thought i was going to lose my old mate, thankfully he seems to be his old self again, the vet couldnt find what was wrong with him, the only thing they think it was that he may of eaten a poisened mice ? as the vet said the vitamin k she gave him seemed to do the trick, and also some antibiotics ,

he is a great old boy and never gives me any trouble, i still cant work out why the guy who had him didnt want him, he had around 20 dogs they were all hungry , the guy use to use them for hunting, thankfully my old boy was saved before he was put down, i only got him because my bro inlaw was there when the guy was going to get rid of him, i have had him for over 8 years now, i found it unreal to read of how many dogs that are in the pounds on this forum, i wonder how many manage to get saved ?

thanks again guys for the kind welcome, i will keep checking out the breeds ,

regards jason

[boxagirl]

My mums partner at the time had a Boxer pup. Mum said I could get my own dog for my 13th birthday, I could choose any medium/large breed. Went to a few shows and fell even more in love with the Boxer. Thankgod, because I nearly ended up with a Labrador!

Boxer has been the perfect match for me, I cannot fault them at all.

I will always have one (or more!) now, and I'm not sure I'd be able to live with another breed after owning the perfect dog!

[B-Q]

We always had mixes growing up, mostly working breed or staffy mixes.

About 6 years ago when I first got interested in dogs I adored Kelpies, I loved their drive and energy. About 4 years ago I relised I was keen on working Border Collies. It took a while for the right time to arrive but I am now the proud owner of a 10 month old smooth coat border collie and couldn't be happier with her. Everything I throw at her she just takes in her stride, she loves to learn and constantly tries her hardest. I am in total awe of her intensity and drive, she's like nothing I've ever experienced and I can't imagine having anything else for quite a while. (Except maybe a kelpie or two.)

Edited April 5, 2011 by B-Q

[huski]

With my Sibe: we saw some in a pet store (went in to buy fish food) and the vast different in temperament between them and the SWFs in all the other cages really stood out. All the SWF puppies were yapping and going nuts and the Sibes were standing their with this real presence watching what was going on. We went and researched the breed and liked everything about them, and of course what breed is more striking to look at than a Siberian Husky?? So we found a good registered breeder and got Mr Mishy. He is so lovely, whilst still having that real spitz independence and drive, he is calm and gentle at the same time and just wonderful.

With Daisy we wanted a smaller breed (well mum did - I would have just had another Sibe) but still wanted something that could keep up with Micha. Beagles appealed to us because they were smaller but still fit, active and compact; they have that merry hound temperament and loads of character. Even though we did a lot of research we definitely got more than we planned for with the evil beagle, she is definitely on the extreme end of the scale for the breed. But it worked out well because she's lots of fun to train and compete with in dog sports and she is the reason I got involved in sports in the first place (out of sheer desperation LOL).

I want a working line English Springer Spaniel for my next dog, which has been a decision that has taken me months and months of research to make. The main thing I like about working line ESS is that they are nice and drivey but have a wonderful soft temperament as well.

[hortfurball]

I grew up with an English shepherd, then a mutt, then a cocker spaniel. Always adored Irish wolfhounds and great danes, somehow very attracted to most of the giant breeds for some reason, perhaps because as a toddler the English shepherd seemed like a huge cuddly bear of a dog.

I researched the breeds that would suit, poring through dog breed books but ended up with crossbreeds in the range I'd been looking at, both lovely dogs but very different to each other, which has taught me that I'm quite flexible when it comes to what kind of dog I can handle energy-wise.

Many, many breeds appeal to me based on looks - borzoi, afghan, siberian husky, Finnish lapphund, aussie shepherd, BC, newfoundland, gordon and Irish setter, pharoah hound and no doubt a few more I've forgotten. The fluffy/silky breeds unfortunately I will never own, much as I love them, I'm just not a dedicated groomer. I also love rotties and pretty much all of the mastiff group but am not sure if I'm the right owner for all of them. I have since gone off wolfhounds and deerhounds slightly since meeting a few and discovering their fur is a bit harsh/wiry to touch - kind of spoils it for me. Still love the look of them though.

One day I will have a big lovable doofus Great Dane, that's an absolute certainty, and after my falling for my nutso kelpie x dobe, would also love a dobe or two. Really adore the sleek glossy coat and the temperament, while a little crazy, is absolutely adorable. I also find black and tan or red and tan dogs very appealing. OH likes black labs so might have to squeeze one of them in somewhere along the line.

Lately I've been finding the greyhound appealing too...maybe my retirement dog? I might be less active by then and suit a grey better.

[Henrietta]

I'm still choosing my 'breed/s'. I currently have my parent's staffy x and my chi x. Both of them have helped me understand what I do/don't want in a dog. The staffy x is an 'easy' dog. Wonderfully sweet nature but not clingy, laid back, enjoys all activities (walks, training, car rides), is sociable and easy to train.

My chi x is independent, not so easy to train but very clever, unsociable, active and quite spunky - sorry there is no other way to describe this dog.

Now, in the future I'd love a dog with the attitude, activity levels of my chi x but with the confident and sociable nature of my staffy x. When I say sociable, I don't mean a dog park dog either, neither of mine go, but just a normal sociable dog. My staffy x has a select group of chosen friends and she adores puppies and takes her 'Aunty' role quite seriously. I could take a little less independence and a little more sweet nature, thank you, but I don't want an overly clingy dog. I don't mind a little training challenge.

I have a few breeds in mind for a future dog. I feel that my lifestyle could suit any of my 'chosen' breeds. I'm starting to meet individuals of those breeds. I think that maybe when the time comes it will depend on the breeder as to what breed I actually get. Compare my current list to a list of dogs I wanted three years ago when I had just acquired my Chi x... Wow, has my outlook on breeds/dog ownership changed. My list fluctuations between 3 and 5 breeds, two of which have been there for a long time since I started seriously considering 'what breed for me' for next time.

Edit - Adding stuff

Edited April 5, 2011 by Henrietta

[minxy]

OH and I had both always wanted a Husky. In doing my Husky research I discovered Akitas for the first time. That it was it for me then. Same attributes I liked about Huskies, but a few more bonuses too.

For OH and I, we wanted a dog that is independant, but still happy to have a cuddle. Perfect balance for us with Kyojin. He generally likes to be in the same room or the one next to us so that he can still keep up with what's going on, but we don't feel like we're constantly having to find things to keep him busy. He entertains himself a lot, or plays with one of our cats.

I like big dogs for lots of reasons, so obviously an Akita fits that very well. I love their coat - the feel of it and also that he doesn't really have much of a doggy smell, and doesn't really shed at all (other than when he will have a huge coat blow). I like that they are very quiet dogs. He won't bark unless he hears someone coming to the front door. And even then, it's never more than say 3 woofs. This is exactly what we wanted. I could never have a dog that barks a lot.

His personality in general suits us very well and even if I wanted to have another breed, it'd definitely be at the same time as having an Akita.

[julesluvscavs]

Hi

I grew up being surrounded by beautiful German Shepherds (my parents used to be registered breeders), but my first dog was a terrier x poodle (from the Animal Welfare Association). I then went on to own a couple of Heeler X's that I did obedience trials with . I was much fitter and active in those days so they suited my lifestyle perfectly.

However my Dad took me to the Adelaide Royal Show when I was about 12 and I remember seeing some Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, and falling in love with them instantly and wanting one ! lol Shortly after is when I got my terrier x poodle.

So years later in my 30's and married and just owning an aging red heeler x (Jenna) I start discussing with my husband whether we should look into getting a Cavalier. I have various health issues and am not overly active these days, so thought a Cav would be an ideal breed for me

Long story cut short, rang some breeders, and organised to chat to them at a upcoming dog show. Found a breeder who had a young Cav she was showing up for sale to the right people, and the rest is history. Eventually our heeler x had to be given her wings due to cancer and months later the same breeder offered us Joey's Mother 'Renae' (after she retired her from showing and breeding):D

They are a perfect breed for us that suit our lifestyles wonderfully. Even my husband who actually wanted a Border Collie originally has fallen for this breed and couldn't imagine us having any other type of breed now .

They also easy to get around with (and manage) when we go out for drives and to cafes etc :D

Edited April 5, 2011 by Jules♥Cavs

[BMAK]

i never really got to choose my breed of dog as it sort of found me, as a xmas gift. (don't worry my family had approved)

My aunty has always had really smart dogs and they were kelpie x border collies i never knew that though, i always knew i wanted a smart dog that i could train for obedience. i wasn't really keen on the colour of kelpies, but that was changed when brandy arrived xmas day and what's better then one, two kelpies so two years later i decided it was time to add another dog to the family and for me to train being able to choose that second dog i knew it would have to fit into brandy's personality so when i went to the beach i would watch for the dogs she would hang around with the most every time i went and it was another herding breed so we knew we couldn't go wrong with another kelpie which we loved anyway, but when they both move on, i am not sure if i will get another one as they are quite high energy dogs which i don't think i will have the time for and it wouldn't be fair on them.

Edited April 6, 2011 by catherine.b

[Esky the husky]

As a kid I had a couple of breeds I really wanted to own; a schipperke a saluki and a husky.

For my tenth birthday my parents bought home a jack russell x minature fox terrier mix from an accidental litter their friends had. I was left to look after and train the two dogs we got from that litter. Of course being ten, I had no idea how to train two terriers so it didn't happen.

Once I'd moved out of home I noticed a few more centimeters on my waist line, thanks to the lack of walkies. My partner and I rented a place with a yard and looked at breeds. I realised I didn't need to get such a typical breed. I started researching huskies and despite all the nightmare stories I read I decided I wanted one. I didn't want an easy going dog I wanted a dog that wouild encourage me to get out and excercise and if I didn't it would punish me by destroying the yard.

So we got our first husky Didge, a beautiful wolf grey girl. She came from a BYB (and it really showed when you compare aspects of her temprament to our pedigree girl) I loved my girl dearly, and she taught me so much, the joys of having dogs inside, the joys of taking dogs places with you. Sadly we lost in an accident and there was a hole in my heart a mile wide.

Then came Esky, boy she's a character Some days I feel like this

Esky has taught me how important it is to let a breeder match you to the right dog.

I want our next dog to be more trainable and more people/ handler focussed. I'd love to have a Lappie and I'm quite partial to Aussies too.

[Monah]

grew up with Patterdales, goldies and wolfhounds..all very different! Adore all breeds but some are not suited to my temperament (bit soft!!!... )

As an adult I have had, wolfhounds, irish water spaniels, lakeland terriers, Giant schnauzers, BCs, cattle dogs, swf (rescue), hungarian vizsla and italian spinone (my current girls)

The two breeds I am really hoping to have before I cark it! are Bracco Italiano (been after this for many years) and Wire viz, which are absolutely lovely, sweet, delicious dogs. and more of what I have.

I also would love (in an ideal world!)

Billy, Porcelaine, Ibizan hound, foxhound, portugese water dog, standard poodle, boston, manchester, welsh, lakeland terriers, affenpincser, english, spanish and several of the french pointers, greyhound, whippet, deerhound , wolfhound,

epagneul Pont-Audemer, Picardy Spaniel, Schillerstovare, foxhound, Grand Bleu de Gascogne, Podenco Canario...

I do not ever see myself with any spitz, bull, mastiff, or toy breeds (maybe a toy poodle... :D I also don't really find short legged dogs appealing enough to own one, but love them all the same.

I feel most suited to gun dogs, cattle dogs and wolfhounds..

[Kaffy Magee]

When we were researching what breed to get we had it narrowed down to Bullmastiff, Rhodesian Ridgeback and Newfoundland. The main criteria being we didnt want something too active. My OH didnt want a newf, thought they were too big and hairy, and we both preferred the look of the Bullmastiff over the Ridgey, so our decision was made and it was the best decision ever

Ive wanted a smaller breed for some time now to show and Ive decided on a boston terrier. I wanted something small, easy care, not yappy, something my daughter can show too and maybe do agility with, and I love their physique. They are a big dog in a small dogs body and I do love my bracchy breeds

I also have a passion for Dobermanns and have had a few in the past. I love love this breed and I am desperate to have another, however now is not the right time. I only want one as I feel I could only handle one dobermaniac at a time,lol, plus I have my bullies that need me too.

I also love a few other breeds, Afghan, Malamutes, Samoyed, Newfs, Griffon, toy poodle all with too much grooming for me at the moment, Boxers, I would like one, one day although Im not sure I can handle the constant bounciness and I love kelpies for their intelligence but I have no time to train one to its full potential right now.

I think getting a breed to suit you is so important. You shouldnt buy a dog because you love the look of it, you need to be honest with yourself and ask is it really suitable for me right now? It may not be suitable right now due to circumstances, but if you wait it could be suitable in the future. Or it may be unsuitable due to breed (temperament, activity levels etc) and that may never be suitable but you just have to do right by yourself and the dog and find a breed that you will gel with. It is so much more important than looks.

Edited April 6, 2011 by Kaffy Magee

[Monah]

Hi Kaffy , I love bostons too, I think there's a breeder in Maryborough but I dont know anything about them.(breeder)

Jaxxs Buddy has a really really lovely boston!!! :D

I'm not sure how they go at agility here in the heat... if that's something your daughter is going to want to do, maybe check it out.xxxx

You'll have to visit me, then you'll soon know how you handlle bounciness :D I love it, love the pure joy of the gundog personality, everything is an opportunity for fun fun fun fun fun....

[Kaffy Magee]

Hi Monah, I contacted a breeder in Vic who has some stunning dogs and also works with a couple of other breeders who has dogs I like. It wont be for a little while yet, probably not until my old girl leaves us likely in the next 12-24months and I also have plans on the horizon for a very exciting mating with Kalais. So no time line set in stone but Im looking at roughly 2 years With any luck we will have moved to a small acreage property by then, or atleast not far off it Would be iteresting to find out who the breeder in Maryborough is though, I'll ahve to do some research

AS for agility, its not a serious thought, I think it might be something my daughter would like to try, so its a possibilty. Winter here wouldnt be too bad though, would it? I dont know how warm it gets here in winter yet, but I thought it would be milder?

I love happy bouncy dogs, just not 24/7,lol. I would love to come and meet your dogs (and you of course, lol). All the troops have just headed home so I have my time back now, we'll have to organise something ;)

[W Sibs]

After growing up with a lot of cross breeds and powerful breeds (GSD, APBT x Rotti) and then owning 2 huskies... I just wanted an easy dog

Like a really easy dog that is just laid backed, very chilled and a complete sweetheart. Another reason is because my boyfriend has never own a dog before either, so he just wanted to start with something small too. So I looked into getting a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel or Shih Tzu. Both sounds like fantastic companion dogs and will suit my lifestyle. Then accidently stumbled across Charlie, who is a CKCS x Shih Tzu. He is everything that I wanted and so much more.

Someone told me once after I got my huskies that 'Once been Spitz.. always going to be Spitz'

That is so true because when I was ready for a second dog, and all I was looking at was Japanese Spitz. I actually wanted a Japanese Spitz before deciding getting a Cavvie or Shih Tzu (and end up with a cross) but I just wanted an easy dog. Although they are small, they are still a spitz. Independent, drivey and is often very busy. I found a girl that was perfect for my family

The next dog will be a big breed dog. Just because I miss having a big dog.

ETA: I can't imagine my life without a Cavvie now.

[Maddy]

We were originally looking for a dobe but we wanted it to be both a rescue and a purebred (which just wasn't possible to find down here).

While looking for dobe rescue groups, I came across GAP and even though it wasn't quite the temperament I was after (I wanted something with a fair bit of work drive), they're great dogs and a lot of fun to have around.

Next time around, it'll probably be a Belgian Tervueren. They have the long nose (something I was never keen on before getting a greyhound- now everything with a shorter nose looks wrong to me), the drive I want and the energy to actually train.

[dancinbcs]

I grew up with a few crossbreds including a very smart Samoyed/Corgi cross (we think), that I loved teaching tricks to. We also had next door's pure bred Labrador move in and stay.

After finally losing the Sammie X in my early 20s I decided I wanted a dog to do obedience trials with. I had recently bought my childhood dream horse that looked like Black Beauty then decided fo find the right dog for me. I started a list of what I wanted and didn't want in a dog and narowed it down from there. I loved the look of giant breeds but knew they didn't suit my situation or wallet.

I wanted high intelligence, faithful, easy to train, medium to large, long but not excessive coat and no dog odour. Preferred colour was black.

My list of what I didn't want was much longer and ruled out most breeds. Not small or giant, didn't want an excessively shedding, doggy smelling dense coat like the Lab. I hate having to worry about keeping a dog warm so no short/smooth coats. I hate the look of any squashed faces, so no brachy breeds and am not fussed on really long heads either. Even though I wanted a long coat I didn't want to spend hours brushing so a huge coat was out. I can't stand drool, hairy faces or ears that dangle in their food so that eliminated a lot more breeds.

At the time I had no plans to breed and even though I would have preferred a breed without a docked tail, I settled on a black male Standard Poodle and started my search. A new work colleague took me to some dog shows to meet some Poodle breeders. I love Poodles in puppy or working clip, do not like the show clips but found the dog shows fascinating. Showing was not something I had not considered before but it looked like fun and I quickly decided that if I wanted to show as well, a Poodle was out of the question. Far too much grooming to get a dog ready for the ring in a show clip, for me.

So back to the drawing board. My next breed of choice was a Border Collie and that proved to be the perfect breed. An ex boyfriend had a working Border from show lines that I had adored so I decided to find a male to do obedience and show if he was good enough. After a 6 month search I found a puppy that went on to gain his Ch and CDX and win BIS at a breed specialty from an entry of 170. The rest as they say is history. 28 years later I still have the same breed, have bred Champions, a Grand Ch, numerous obedience titled dogs, a few workers and many treasured companions.

My retirement breed will be Japanese Spitz because of their smaller size and the fact that they are a lot less demanding to raise than Borders.