How'd You Choose Your Breed?

[OSoSwift]

I have two boys nearly 6 and nearly 4 and trust me they are not quiet!!! I wish!

The kids throw balls for ever and play chase - as in the dog runs around with the ball in their mouth and the kid chases!

The dogs and myself were news one day and the dogs were in the classroom for around 4 hours in total, some of it in their crate (there was the odd child that needed to be told to leave them alone) and also being patted doing obedience etc. Never batted an eyelid.

They can be stand offish with people they don't know (Rommi certainly isn't she will literally throw herself at anyone for a pat) but should not be timid - oh and the tail between the back legs is not because they are timid

[suziwong66]

I grew up with German Shepherd Xs and a poodle that came from next door's pedigree mating, but poor old Dudley looked like a labrador crossed with a poodle. The neighbours were shocked when their bitch whelped Dudley and decided he was a genetic throw back I was about 9 and went next door to see the puppies and managed to convince my parents that we NEEDED a dog. Within a year or two we had two more dogs! This time my much elder brother's GS bitch X got in the family way accidentally. We took 2 of the pups as we were leaving Sydney for a bush property in northern NSW.

When I married, my OH and i decided to get a GSD advertised in the local paper. The sire and dam were there when we went to see the litter, but looking back, they were definitely backyard breeders. I didn't have the understanding regarding BYBs that i do now and we bought Keiran. He was a wonderfully loved and cherished family member til he was 10 when he passed suddenly. Early on when we had Keiran our next door neighbours had a gorgeous black lab called Penny. She was a darling dog.

Two weeks after Keiran died i told OH that i couldn't live without a dog. I was home raising our two daughters and had the time to raise another puppy. So we looked for lab breeders as we'd never forgotten Penny. Our shinning light Casper was with us for 14 years and we said said a heart wrenching goodbye to him at the end of May this year. Penny and Casper (a yellow lab) sealed the deal about breeds for us.

In 12 days time, we pick up Wilbur; a chocolate lab

[Oskar & Zsa Zsa]

To answer your question, rather than pass judgement or 2nd guess you, ending up with a Hungarian Vizsla was for me, pure accident. My OH at the time and I had been discussing requirements for a dog for 12 months. I didn't want anything too large, like a Rotty or a GSD. She would have loved something that big or larger. But, for me, it made no sense with travel etc., to have something so big. On the other hand, neither of us wanted a SWF or anything too small.

Travel is the reason I don't want a huge dog. Though, I do like quite alot of the larger breeds but for the moment at least, it really isn't an option for us. We've been researching breeds for over a year trying to find one that is suitable and that we agree on. We always seem to come back to the corgi.

Well..whatever you do, do not go an meet any Vizslas!!! You will end up with one!! A Vizsla is the most engaging dog I have ever owned. (Mind you, I had a half corgi half lab which was also a brilliant dog! The milkman ran him and nearly me over and he broke his pelvis. In those days it was PTS time unfortunately. But, yeah, he was an amazing dog. We lost him in the bush for 6 weeks and found him again.....a little skinny, but he survived-He jumped off the back of the ute somewhere out the back of Western NSW, probably chasing a roo or a Rabbit.)

Go the to RMS this year and walk through the dog area. You get to see a whole stack of different breeds all in one place and sometimes, when the owners are OK with it, you can interact with the dogs and perhaps gain some insight into a breed you may not previously have considered.

[Stack]

To answer your question, rather than pass judgement or 2nd guess you, ending up with a Hungarian Vizsla was for me, pure accident. My OH at the time and I had been discussing requirements for a dog for 12 months. I didn't want anything too large, like a Rotty or a GSD. She would have loved something that big or larger. But, for me, it made no sense with travel etc., to have something so big. On the other hand, neither of us wanted a SWF or anything too small.

Travel is the reason I don't want a huge dog. Though, I do like quite alot of the larger breeds but for the moment at least, it really isn't an option for us. We've been researching breeds for over a year trying to find one that is suitable and that we agree on. We always seem to come back to the corgi.

Well..whatever you do, do not go an meet any Vizslas!!! You will end up with one!! A Vizsla is the most engaging dog I have ever owned. (Mind you, I had a half corgi half lab which was also a brilliant dog! The milkman ran him and nearly me over and he broke his pelvis. In those days it was PTS time unfortunately. But, yeah, he was an amazing dog. We lost him in the bush for 6 weeks and found him again.....a little skinny, but he survived-He jumped off the back of the ute somewhere out the back of Western NSW, probably chasing a roo or a Rabbit.)

Go the to RMS this year and walk through the dog area. You get to see a whole stack of different breeds all in one place and sometimes, when the owners are OK with it, you can interact with the dogs and perhaps gain some insight into a breed you may not previously have considered.

We were planning on it, with the hope to meet up with some corgi breeders.

[Smartypaws]

This is my fifth dog, and it is early days yet, but if the relationship I have built with this pup in the short time I have had him is anything to go by, then I think I may have finally found "my breed". I had shortlisted 3 medium-large, medium-high drive, loyal, affectionate, smart, active (I run and do dog sports), low shedding, minimal regular grooming (a once/twice a year strip is OK for me) breeds and been researching them over many years...until I was ready to add another dog to the family. The potential for health issues and limited breeder choice in the breed I thought was number one on my list made me pay closer attention to the number two breed, and after meeting a couple of Belgian Laekenois 18 mths ago, and then a number of malinois too, I decided that a Laekenois might be the dog for me. Then the lines/breeder research began.....until I found the 'right' puppy for me....and he couldn't be more right :D . I know, early days, but I couldn't love this pup more if I tried!