Breed Recomendations

[persephone]

having no fencing makes it almost impossible for me to suggest anything ... other than an older dog who has been well assessed/fostered by rescue ...

[mixeduppup]

having no fencing makes it almost impossible for me to suggest anything ... other than an older dog who has been well assessed/fostered by rescue ...

You'd rarely find a rescue that would adopt to an unfenced yard with a history of a dog being killed by a car. I think they should look at building a secure outside run.

[persephone]

having no fencing makes it almost impossible for me to suggest anything ... other than an older dog who has been well assessed/fostered by rescue ...

You'd rarely find a rescue that would adopt to an unfenced yard with a history of a dog being killed by a car. I think they should look at building a secure outside run.

Yes. I wasn't thinking

[Guest donatella]

Not to get all DOL crazy lady on you here but it's a bit sad that the killed dog wasn't provided with safe boundaries when they knew about his habits and phobias

[Purdie]

having no fencing makes it almost impossible for me to suggest anything ... other than an older dog who has been well assessed/fostered by rescue ...

You'd rarely find a rescue that would adopt to an unfenced yard with a history of a dog being killed by a car. I think they should look at building a secure outside run.

Yes;An outside run /secure yard is a must have;just too risky otherwise.Any breed of dog can wander off and you can't watch them every second.

efs

Edited November 16, 2013 by Purdie

[Crysti_Lei]

They aren't looking rescue at this point and the lack off fencing isn't going to change. With issue that Max has it sounds as if he would scale and fence when he bolted anyway. They have had heaps of dogs down there, some of their own and others from visiting family and wandering was never an issue until after Max's accident. And the issue was handled as well as possible unless you are happy to have a dog on 10 acres and never off lead, which they weren't. They just need a breed that will be happier to stick close to them while out for a walk and working on the garden then go and happily laze on the couch when the are in. A Beagle, for instance, would not be suitable. Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk

Edited November 17, 2013 by Crysti_Lei

[kelpiecuddles]

Ah right, I was under the impression that they were keeping the dog on a line while outside the house. In that case I retract my recommendation of a basset.

[Salukifan]

They aren't looking rescue at this point and the lack off fencing isn't going to change. With issue that Max has it sounds as if he would scale and fence when he bolted anyway. They have had heaps of dogs down there, some of their own and others from visiting family and wandering was never an issue until after Max's accident. And the issue was handled as well as possible unless you are happy to have a dog on 10 acres and never off lead, which they weren't. They just need a breed that will be happier to stick close to them while out for a walk and working on the garden then go and happily laze on the couch when the are in. A Beagle, for instance, would not be suitable. Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk

Then you best prepare them for a fair bit of rejection. No one I know would sell a pup onto an insecure country property. Turn your back and the pup is gone... and I'd be far more worried about my neighbours shooting it than cars. Then there's stock and wildlife chasing.... That's a lot more exciting than hanging out while your owners are in the garden.

It's not the walking your dog offlead bit that worries me but the rest of the time. I think any dog with any kind of prey drive (and that's most of them) would not be ideal in this situation. I rate a Weimeraner as potentially disastrous

Are they really planning to lock the pup in the house every time they go to town? A dog run would be so easy and so much safer.

Edited November 17, 2013 by Haredown Whippets

[dogmatic]

My family had Pembroke Corgi dogs in an unfenced yard when I was very young. Those were the days when the most common cause of dog death was road accidents - greater than 70 percent I believe. I was too young for my parents to explain how the Corgis died - I'll never know, but I'm fairly certain one died of old age, and another "disappeared" when it became too snappy with young children around.

I knew a number of people on rural properties who had Dachshunds as the house dogs. Not sure why. The house yards were not entirely secure.

[sandgrubber]

If they had great luck with a herding dog bitza, why not get another herding dog bitza? You may be able to find a dog from a rural property who has lived unfenced . . . Gumtree?

I agree that Lab or flattie would also go well. If they like wet dogs.

Edited November 17, 2013 by sandgrubber

[blakkjackal]

What about a rough or smooth collie? Or even a sheltie? Some "lower energy" herding breed might be suitable, they tend to stay close to their people.

Edited November 17, 2013 by Hockz

[Steph M]

If they had great luck with a herding dog bitza, why not get another herding dog bitza? You may be able to find a dog from a rural property who has lived unfenced . . . Gumtree?

I agree that Lab or flattie would also go well. If they like wet dogs.

My flattie would be goooooone without a fence. Haha. He does think with his nose and sadly no road sense or sense of boundaries. Plus I'd be way too worried about him getting shot after playing with someones chooks etc.

[BlackJaq]

Hi DOL,

I am getting excited as my MIL is starting to look for a new puppy and we were just discussing what breeds may be ideal for them.

They recently lost their little mix that they got FTGH. An accident left him quite phobic and when he got scared he would bolt up to the road where he'd chase cars, unfortunately he caught one. He was a bitza and not an ideal match for them in their situation. he looked looked like a tall black and tan Jack Russel, given their location and what they knew of his family he was likely some JR X Staffy mix.

their dog before him was a Kelpie/cattle dog/border collie mix from the pound. He was great for them, but he was also very unique and i doubt they ever find another like him. he died of old age last year.

They are retired and live on 10 acres of bush in the south west (cold). The property is unfenced but any dog would be an inside dog with a choice to sleep downstairs next to the fire of upstairs in their room next to the flume. So, basically, very spoilt. a life of left overs, love and leisurely walks around the fire break.

They also travel and any dog would need to be happy to spend time at other peoples houses and possible at a kennel.

So i figure anything terrier or working dog would not work for them. and recommended they look at gun dogs and toy breeds.

I know my MIL has always loved weimaraners and I think they would be a good fit and I have also recommended looking at german short/wire haired pointer and pointers. I also mentioned Clumber Spaniels (i love the look of them, but I am not too sure on their temperament) and Griffons (again because I like them and can't see why they wouldn't fit)

Was my advice sound and can anyone else recommend breeds for them to look at?

and just coz, here is a pic of their old dog Rusty on their property.

from what I've seen Weims wouldn't suit as they tend to get very clingy to their owners. And pointers are FULL ON energetic breeds. Clumbers may suit. I know a couple of older people with them (very hard to get though and very expensive). Know nothing of Griffins. They might want to secure where the other dog was getting out first before they get another.

the property is unfenced. it was never an issue for their dogs until Max became phobic. He was offlead when he got spooked and bolted. They had managed the issue well with limited time outside and off lead and a tether or lead at other times, but it just took the one time that he got away and he got killed. on a residential, no thoroughfare street in the middle of the bush. the only traffic is from the few residents that live their. it was a terrible and improbably accident.

I'd say with some luck a Weimaraner will stay there for about 10 minutes, give or take ten minutes. Seriously, the first butterfly that comes along will lead their pup on an amazing chase right under the next car (regardless of breed I'd guess). A Weimaraner (and GSP for that matter) will have a huge prey drive and not only will it kill any sheep, cat, roo, chicken and rat within about a ten km radius, but it will probably get itself killed by the surrounding roads or farmers in the process. Gun dogs seem like just about one of the worst breed choices for this scenario, other than maybe tracking hounds and sight hounds.....

And these are only the problems surrounding the prey drive. A Weimaraner not only wants to be with his owners as much as possible, it will also destroy everything in its vicinity if left alone for long enough (that includes timber doors and all kinds of furnishings). They also want to work. A lot. A bored Weimaraner is like a spawn from hell. They can have issues with dog and human aggression if bored and lonely enough and unless they have several hours each day to devote to their dog I would not recommend a Weimaraner to anyone.

They will get used to all sorts of things and if trained well from a young age, they can spend a fair bit of time on their own each day, but you probably wouldn't want to leave one alone inside your house until it was around three years old (or older, if ever), unless crated. Not having a safe, fenced in area for the dog to self exercise and play in means that they will probably need to allow for three or more walks a day, preferably 30 mins to an hour each time, with lots of off leash running. This may become a problem in a rural area with stock or wildlife, particularly with a dog that is not well trained.

I could continue but overall, I find a hamster more suitable to their situation and if they should decide on a Weimaraner, GSP or the like, I predict disaster of spectacular proportions.

Personally, I take my Wei almost everywhere. When I leave her home for more than a couple of hours, I leave her in a dog proof pen with my other dog. She is three now and reasonably reliable on her own inside for short periods of time. She gets several hours of free running and exercise alongside the ute, horse or with me on foot every day. She would cover at least 5-6 km with me, as well as whatever distance she covers running about in a fenced in area. She also gets worked every day, including obedience or agility work, retrieving/dummy work and on top of that I take her hunting several times a week on average. She does not stay outside on her own, except in the dog pen, as she can easily scale any of our farm fencing, dig under, squeeze through or "create" a hole for her convenience. She will kill roos, wallabies, foxes, cats and anything else she does not recognize as part of our horde of critters, when unsupervised and not under human guidance. If she got bored outside on her own, she would easily cover several km in a very short time, in search of something to hunt or relieve her boredom.

Anyway, I hope this gives you a vague idea on the management and input of time required to keep a large active gun dog happy. I do not know how my dog would fare in a kennel but I suspect she would pine, but do ok other than that. I think leaving the dog in a kennel while they travel would be their least concern. Handling the dog while they are home might be a bigger issue unless they are very committed and have a lot of time on their hands.

[Steph M]

:clap:

[dogmatic]

She gets several hours of free running and exercise alongside the ute, horse or with me on foot every day

::thumbsdown:: Now that's a pet hate of mine! I'm sure you wouldn't give it several hours alongside the ute...?

I agree that a Weimaraner may not be suitable in the OP's situation. However, one of my reactive dog's best friends at the dog-park was a beautiful pure-bred Weimaraner - in fact, the Weimaraner was a friend to all, dogs and people alike. It's owners were prepared to give up a lot of time to it.

Still, the unfenced yard is the main concern. Maybe that's why the OP has gone silent.

[mixeduppup]

She gets several hours of free running and exercise alongside the ute, horse or with me on foot every day

::thumbsdown:: Now that's a pet hate of mine! I'm sure you wouldn't give it several hours alongside the ute...?

I agree that a Weimaraner may not be suitable in the OP's situation. However, one of my reactive dog's best friends at the dog-park was a beautiful pure-bred Weimaraner - in fact, the Weimaraner was a friend to all, dogs and people alike. It's owners were prepared to give up a lot of time to it.

Still, the unfenced yard is the main concern. Maybe that's why the OP has gone silent.

You obviously don't understand farm life. Many dogs living on large farmland properties spend most of the day following their owners on utes, horses or bikes. Some ride, some prefer to run. I know a kelpie cross that does that every day and he's a very happy, healthy and fit dog.

Edited November 18, 2013 by mixeduppup

[Alibi]

My old boss had a GSP who was running around on their farm while they were on the slasher as he had done many times before, but this time ended up being killed instantly as he ended up under it. Machinery/cars and dogs don't mix IMO.

[mixeduppup]

A slasher is very different to a slow moving ute with a watchful owner.

[dogmatic]

She gets several hours of free running and exercise alongside the ute, horse or with me on foot every day

::thumbsdown:: Now that's a pet hate of mine! I'm sure you wouldn't give it several hours alongside the ute...?

I agree that a Weimaraner may not be suitable in the OP's situation. However, one of my reactive dog's best friends at the dog-park was a beautiful pure-bred Weimaraner - in fact, the Weimaraner was a friend to all, dogs and people alike. It's owners were prepared to give up a lot of time to it.

Still, the unfenced yard is the main concern. Maybe that's why the OP has gone silent.

You obviously don't understand farm life. Many dogs living on large farmland properties spend most of the day following their owners on utes, horses or bikes. Some ride, some prefer to run. I know a kelpie cross that does that every day and he's a very happy, healthy and fit dog.

Still gets a thumbsdown from me unless it's specifically stated that the dog is away from the vehicle and working. Running alongside a vehicle is dangerous in many respects. These days, most farmers I know have quads, and most working dogs I know are trained to ride on the quad which they seem to prefer. I have heard of some terrible accidents between working dogs and farm vehicles.

EDIT: As an example - see above.

Edited November 18, 2013 by dogmatic

[BlackJaq]

She gets several hours of free running and exercise alongside the ute, horse or with me on foot every day

::thumbsdown:: Now that's a pet hate of mine! I'm sure you wouldn't give it several hours alongside the ute...?

I agree that a Weimaraner may not be suitable in the OP's situation. However, one of my reactive dog's best friends at the dog-park was a beautiful pure-bred Weimaraner - in fact, the Weimaraner was a friend to all, dogs and people alike. It's owners were prepared to give up a lot of time to it.

Still, the unfenced yard is the main concern. Maybe that's why the OP has gone silent.

I meant all up, she is running alongside me several hours a day, whether I may be on a horse, on foot, or even in the ute, not several hours beside the ute exclusively. Sometimes she rides on the ute, tied on obviously. Any time somebody enters my property on or in a vehicle, one of the dogs might get run over. So far they haven't. Obviously if I was driving a harvester, slasher or whatever, and not able to concentrate on the dog I would not leave the dog loose. See my statement on the dog being prepared to kill stuff. If I manage to run over my dog going 25 km/h then I will just have to admit to some special kind of retardation I guess.

Nothing stopping the dog getting run over by the horse either, btw. That could end in serious injury to all of us. The dogs are even trained to be lead on a lead off the side of a horse so I can leash them if we encounter a public road. Sounds pretty dangerous, too, actually.

And I cannot see where I said that a Weimaraner can not get along with dogs or people at a dog park.. You seem to not understand my post. They are the perfect dog in my opinion, but if they do not receive enough exercise or stimulation, they are a nightmare. This is a fact of life and anybody familiar with the breed will be able to tell you so. If the owner is not strong willed and a good leader, problems with other dogs and even people can and often do occur. Weimaraners tend to turn on their handlers when not cared for properly as well btw. They are a strong, sharp HPR breed and despite many generations of show breeding, they still possess a lot of their original traits, some individual dogs more, some individual dogs less.

Edited November 18, 2013 by BlackJaq