Ozone Posted September 14, 2011 Share Posted September 14, 2011 (edited) Hello all, and bear with me I will try to make this short. I have been researching dogs and dog breeds for well over a year now and still can’t find one that would be suitable. I would consider ‘cross breeds’ however the only information pages/sites I can find look very dodgy... I am in my last year of high school (18) and will go to university next year, but I will most likely still be living at home for a good 4-5 years to come. My mother is also home most of the time, she is in her fifties, very very fit, and has trained 3 very well behaved German shepherds in the past. She has owned other dogs but GS are always her favourite. We walk everyday. It is very quiet in the house usually. Another thing to mention is my father, who works in Africa, comes home every 6 weeks. He is a very tall solid man and I think it would upset the peace for a new dog? Mum wants a dog that will give off a warning bark for my sake if I am home alone. We both want a medium to large sized dog, who can survive on our daily 30 minute walk and be quiet with the constant family contact at home. The most important thing is our cat. He is very sooky and vocal, but scares easily. He has reacted well to dogs in the past, but we obviously don’t want strong chase drives from breeds. I am stuck. Ideally I would go for a basset hound (ticks all the boxes), and my father would go for a corgi (he used to show them) but they are too small, and the basset has too many health problems from what I can see. Mum would get a GS obviously, but our yard isn’t exactly a farm and I am a twig who falls over in a strong gust of wind let alone a massive dog on a leash. I have no previous 'dog' experience, and while Mum will assist I wouldn't be able to handle a strong willed dog. I have search the local pounds and all I can find are staffy mixes, while I have nothing against staffies it’s not what we want. And yes, I was kind of put off by that BBC documentary about purebreds. I know it was very biased, but it still sticks in your mind. I am still open to them however I feel none of them are suitable. I need to explore mixes/cross breeds, but there is so much misinformation out there and none of it seems remotely reputable. Can someone point me in the right direction? Thank you for taking the time to read this. Ok...yes I have written a lot. Sorry, was trying to avoid that : ( Edited September 14, 2011 by Ozone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dory the Doted One Posted September 14, 2011 Share Posted September 14, 2011 Rottie? Very trainable, usually quiet and will only alert if there is something of concern. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted September 14, 2011 Share Posted September 14, 2011 (edited) ..and you have come to a purebred dog forum to ask about researching crossbreeds ;) Welcome anyhow . why not have a read on the pages you find when you CLICK HERE all sorts of info and stories on many breeds Feel free to then ask questions on breeds you are interested in - especially on what problems you foresee. If you have NO dog experience, and are unsure of breeds- perhaps you might find benefit in going to some obedience clubs or shows to see the breeds in action? You may also learn from checking out the rescue forums CLICK HERE Lots of dogs seeking homes here- and most are fostered beforehand, and you are provided with support after adoption Edited September 14, 2011 by persephone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozone Posted September 14, 2011 Author Share Posted September 14, 2011 Rottie? Very trainable, usually quiet and will only alert if there is something of concern. Have considerd rotties, my cousin owned one for many years. However all these 'dangerous dog' laws make matters complicated, and they are a bit too heavy and muscular for my liking. But thanks for the suggestion and the quick response Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozone Posted September 14, 2011 Author Share Posted September 14, 2011 ..and you have come to a purebred dog forum to ask about researching crossbreeds ;) Welcome anyhow . why not have a read on the pages you find when you CLICK HERE all sorts of info and stories on many breeds Feel free to then ask questions on breeds you are interested in - especially on what problems you foresee. If you have NO dog experience, and are unsure of breeds- perhaps you might find benefit in going to some obedience clubs or shows to see the breeds in action? You may also learn from checking out the rescue forums CLICK HERE Lots of dogs seeking homes here- and most are fostered beforehand, and you are provided with support after adoption Thank you for the links, will follow them up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmandaJ Posted September 14, 2011 Share Posted September 14, 2011 The BBC documentary didn't tell the whole truth. Some of the problems with cross breeds: Structural integrity can be compromised with the use of phenotypically dissimilar animals, temperament is unpredictable, adult size of the animal is unpredictable, genetic problems of both breeds could exist in the cross breed. Properly bred pure breed dogs, where the breeder has properly researched the blood lines, matched the dog and bitch, tested the breeding animals for known genetic conditions, raised in an appropriate environment, contract and guarantee provided, will give you far more certainty in the health of the animal you buy than those bred purely for profit. Purely for profit bred animals means the animals are provided with a lower quality existance so the profit can be made. It means the testing is not done so the profit can be maximised. By purchasing a cross breed bred for profit you are supporting the income of someone made "off the backs" of the animals. Had you considered a Border Collie or Bearded Collie? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozstar Posted September 14, 2011 Share Posted September 14, 2011 I would suggest rescueing a greyhound. They can survive on your walks (all though they would also love time for free running in an enclosed area) and would love to hang around the house with you. A Basset Hound is a very vocal breed and also very strong willed and a breed I would not recommend for a first timer. Leanne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wuffles Posted September 14, 2011 Share Posted September 14, 2011 Is there a reason behind wanting a medium/large dog? If you are not confident in handling a large dog then maybe you should consider smaller ones. There are many smaller breeds that will alert you to intruders. One of mine is not scary looking at all, but if someone comes into our yard unannounced she can be pretty darn insistent that they leave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atanquin Posted September 14, 2011 Share Posted September 14, 2011 Well I would go for a pure breed over a cross anyway but it comes down to the parents check they have been tested for the HD that dog can get make sure you can view the parents or at least one if them. Pure dog breeder usually do this and most cross breeds will be from a puppy farm or BYB where no health testing is done and most live in horrid conditions. Hope that helps Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fatsofatsoman Posted September 14, 2011 Share Posted September 14, 2011 I would suggest rescueing a greyhound. They can survive on your walks (all though they would also love time for free running in an enclosed area) and would love to hang around the house with you. A Basset Hound is a very vocal breed and also very strong willed and a breed I would not recommend for a first timer. Leanne I was going to suggest this - but wouldn't rescue greys have issues with cats? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tapua Posted September 14, 2011 Share Posted September 14, 2011 (edited) Labrador maybe - sensible after the puppy stage (particularly the females) easy to live with gentle by nature very robust temperament - definately will bark assertively if a stranger was around:)Buy from a responsible breeder who does hips/elbows & DNA. Edited September 14, 2011 by Tapua Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted September 14, 2011 Share Posted September 14, 2011 ..Oh, and being small framed ? provided you and the dog get properly educated together, and you continually practise your skills - this shouldn't be a problem!! After all- people and horses can work together ..look at the size difference there!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozone Posted September 14, 2011 Author Share Posted September 14, 2011 Thank you for all these responses, I thought it was going to be 1 reply a week pace xD Bearded collies have come up a few times, however they seem quite 'boisterous'? I guess the one thing I am really missing is all the information I have has been on paper, I have little 'contact' experience. I just don't know where to go for information on events like dog shows? Maybe agility trials or something? Would it be advertised in the paper or online usually? Thank you again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kavik Posted September 14, 2011 Share Posted September 14, 2011 A Greyhound does sound like a good suggestion. Apart from the alert barking they fit all your other criteria. They are large, don't need a huge amount of exercise, are quiet in the house, and most that have had previous training are already pretty good on lead. You can get ones that are tested with cats. If you get a black one it may deter people on its size and colour (people are more scared of dark coloured dogs). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WreckitWhippet Posted September 14, 2011 Share Posted September 14, 2011 If you can't find the predicability and suitability in a breed, then you certainly aren't going to find it in a cross. You might find what you are looking for in a dog from a pound, but then again you are taking your chances on health and temperament. One breed that comes to mind, is the Whippet. They are as a whole a healthy and robust breed. They will give a warning bark, they will go for a walk and they are certainly happy to lay around and keep someone company. They are not overly demanding and are a reasonable size. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmandaJ Posted September 14, 2011 Share Posted September 14, 2011 Since your in SA - try SACA park this weekend or the Dogs SA open day on December 14. Beardies can be boisterous - but so can any other breed. They are an active dog owing to them being a working dog. The boys are more gentle than the girls. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jade~Harley~Bella Posted September 14, 2011 Share Posted September 14, 2011 Had you considered a Border Collie or Bearded Collie? I think they would require a little more than a half hour walk a day... I was going to suggest this - but wouldn't rescue greys have issues with cats? I use to help walk racing grey hounds and they hated cats... probably not the best idea. What about a Bull Mastiff? from my experience they are pretty laid back dogs (correct me if I am wrong someone ;) ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozone Posted September 14, 2011 Author Share Posted September 14, 2011 Since your in SA - try SACA park this weekend or the Dogs SA open day on December 14. Beardies can be boisterous - but so can any other breed. They are an active dog owing to them being a working dog. The boys are more gentle than the girls. Thank you, could you please give some more information about SACA park this weekend? Day/time/what the event is? My father is home at the moment and he knows about shows so he would be able to 'guide' us a bit better, but that was mostly in vic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WreckitWhippet Posted September 14, 2011 Share Posted September 14, 2011 Had you considered a Border Collie or Bearded Collie? I think they would require a little more than a half hour walk a day... I was going to suggest this - but wouldn't rescue greys have issues with cats? I use to help walk racing grey hounds and they hated cats... probably not the best idea. What about a Bull Mastiff? from my experience they are pretty laid back dogs (correct me if I am wrong someone ;) ) Wrong... they are not all like that and can certainly live in harmony with cats , after race careers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmandaJ Posted September 14, 2011 Share Posted September 14, 2011 Since your in SA - try SACA park this weekend or the Dogs SA open day on December 14. Beardies can be boisterous - but so can any other breed. They are an active dog owing to them being a working dog. The boys are more gentle than the girls. Thank you, could you please give some more information about SACA park this weekend? Day/time/what the event is? My father is home at the moment and he knows about shows so he would be able to 'guide' us a bit better, but that was mostly in vic. Adelaide Districts Working Dog Club Inc All Breeds Champ Show 17th Sept 2011 Adelaide Districts Working Dog Club Inc All Breeds Champ Show 18th Sept 2011 SACA Park - Cromwell Road, Kilburn I'm not entered so I can't tell you the start time - but if you are there at 9am you will get a good look at all the breeds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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