Which Breed Was Your First Dog?

[Little Gifts]

We always had fancy schmancy purebred cats when I was a kid while all our dogs were bitzers who just decided to move in or who needed a home. When we were on the farm we also had farm dogs of course. But when I was in my teens I got bowled down a hill by an Old English Sheepdog and fell in love. As a reward for good behaviour we drove down to a breeder and purchased an OES puppy for me. When I brought her home my sister thought I had got a panda bear. Phobie was a very funny dog. She did the most ridiculous things and amused us no end. The whole family loved her. We lived on the outskirts of town on a couple of acres. I walked her any day it wasn't raining, she went on regular car drives and because my parents had a business from home she had lots of visitors. She did lack canine buddies but she went leash free to the beach several times a week and just wasn't interested in other dogs. Most people would think a dog with a coat like that would not suit a teenager but I loved brushing and bathing her and her meals were always on time (even if they were scraps and tinned dog food). I had a job through school so made sure she had her vaccinations and heartworm. She never had a season but I got her desexed when she was one because I didn't want some dodgy neighbours dog getting at her (my thinking back then).

I left home as soon as I left high school and Phobes came with me, living in beach front flats. A few years later I met a man and we went off travelling around Australia. I begged and tantied and cried but he refused to let me bring her with me so she moved back with my parents. I was gone a couple of years and as soon as I got back I found a place (without him) and she moved back with me. Unfortunately while I was away my parents ran out of heartworm tablets and not being dog owners didn't appreciate how important they were up here. Phobie had heartworm. She started the treatment but began to fade before my eyes. I had to get her pts but took her home to be buried. It broke my heart and taught me a very valuable lesson about responsible pet ownership. Yes my parents loved my dog and she loved them but she was my responsibility and I let her down.

I didn't get another dog again for many years and by then I was in my own home and it was another dog who needed a place to live. I've gone off galavanting since then too, leaving dogs in the care of my sister for up to three months at a time but have always left enough food, medicine, spare money and instruction so my pets needs are not neglected in my absence. As I get older though and now have a heart dog I have a lot less interest in leaving them at all.

[Dave-o]

A beautiful Golden Retriever called Misty, named after the golden mists of Trevaunance in Cornwall (where I was born). She passed away when I was 15, and since then my parents have had a stone statue of her in their garden where she was buried.

Good memories.

[hippo]

First was a fluffy Maltese x Shih Tzu pup, but he was only with me for a few months before he was stolen from my yard.

A month or three later, I got a greyhound and also took in a staffy whose owner was incarcerated, but ended up rehoming her as I was going to school full-time and she wasn't coping. My beautiful grey stayed with me through five or six address changes, a child and multiple cat/dog fosters and I lost her at the age of 11 to osteosarcoma.

I would only recommend a grey to a first time owner if they were aware of the breed's quirks. She was very easy for me to live with, but I do think people with different expectations of what dogs are like would struggle.

[Aleksandra 157]

Love all the beautiful photos !! Our family dog was a beardie x .He had the sweetest nature and lived to 20 yrs.

My first dog was an neglected R collie that I adopted at one year .He went from a timid ,fearful dog to a fantastic companion .I had three small children at the time ,he was amazing with them ,We often mention him 30 yrs later .He lived to 13 ,and was a complete joy to live with.

He was the reason I bought Jesse ,as some of you will know ,had to be PTS at 18 months with genetic brain disorder. He looked identical to Kym and as a young dog had many similar characteristics .

[Dame Aussie]

First family dog was a purebred Boxer bred by close friends. My first dog as an adult was an Australian Shepherd and I'd recommend either breed as a fantastic family dog :)

[WeimMe]

Our first family dog was a labrador called Stranger, who my Dad brought home from a visit to the vet. He was an escape artist and would jump/dig under the fence and go and visit the all the occupants in our street. When he died my mother bought a doberman, who was quite placid until her later years when she became cranky and a little unpredictable.

My first own dog was my avi girl, a Weimaraner. She was willful, destructive, boisterous and spirited - and completely devoted to me. The whole time I had her, she was rarely more than an arms length away. Even when I was in the bath or the loo! I think the right first time owner would cope, just as we did, but they'd have to be the sort of people who absolutely love dogs and are prepared to see them as a family member, not a backyard decoration.

[Dame Aussie]

I was talking to my mum about her first dog just yesterday, she and my grandmother got him from the vic market when he was 6 weeks old and brought him home in a little crochet bag. He was supposedly a Lab Kelpie cross but turned out looking like a Viszla or a Weim or something :laugh:

He was around till he was 12 and was the best dog ever according to mum :)

My Dad's first dog was a Samoyed, this was in Finland so a very common breed over there.

Edited November 11, 2014 by Dame Aussie

[Daisys Mum]

My first dog as a child was a Poodle :)

He was the most loyal dog we have owned .... My Nana would catch the bus to our place every Wednesday and Marcus would sit waiting at the bottom of our street, he knew what time she got off the bus, he would also wait for us in the same spot waiting for us to finish school :)

He was my heart dog.

[Pretty Miss Emma]

Emma the border collie was my first dog. She turned 9 years old about 5 days after I got her! And she was perfect!!! Oh and she got me hooked on the breed!

[The Spencinator]

My first dog was a BYB cavalier king charles spaniel called Jessy. I reckon I was about 6 when we got her (she was 'my' dog but I obviously had a lot of help). I remember being devastated that I wasn't allowed the train her at the local obedience club (I wasn't old enough!). My family honestly had no idea on how to raise a puppy and she still turned out great and had that completely bomb proof temperament (except for jetties... she could never work them out). I would definitely say CKCS would be a fab breed for a first time owner. Unfortunately Jessy passed away at age 9 due to heart problems (which I now know are one of the things that should be tested for in the breed).

A photo of my beautiful girl is below :)

[Blackdogs]

Great stories, and gorgeous pictures!

My first dog was a terrier cross who was smart, drivey, ball obsessed and dominant. We were obsessed with each other.

I wish I'd known about competition activities back then, as this dog could have done anything with her endless drive and high biddability.

I would recommend her for a first time owner only if they had the time and energy for her. As it happens it's hard to make that recommendation given her indiscriminate breeding!

As it turns out, a lot of us had breeds we wouldn't recommend for first time owners and we turned out to be dog lovers. I wonder if we give novice owners enough credit?

I recently rehomed a high-drive working breed to novice owners and it's the best thing that ever happened to both of them.

[OSoSwift]

Pur family dogs were always Kelpie crosee type farm dogs. My dad was a big believer in having your work dog living as your pet. Many people scoffed at him but the dog slept on my bed or her sheepskin near the fire, then went out and would work all day with the sheep. Sometimes she got kicked out if she had rolled in something disgusting.

I was a mad keen horse kid. So my dog - Snoopy wlaked, trotted and cantered on command on both reins and also jumped "show jumping" courses off ead and in some quite intricate patterns. I used ot make courses out of bit and pieces I found around the place. Looking back she was actually quite a well trained agility pup.

She stayed home when I moved out - and lived well into her 16th year.

My first dog buy myself was Rotti bitch - byb who we adored and had a wonderful temperament, however her body let her down badly. She was extremely well behaved, intellegent and easy to train. I had her PTS at 3 years of age as she was crippled with OCD. She is the reason I am so pro and vocal about health testing where possible and not breeding from animals with known issues. I so wish to have another Rotti one day.

[mr.mister]

My first dog as a child was a miniature poodle. She was a sweet little dog but mum rehomed her 6 weeks later as she had bought her in the middle of moving house and couldn't cope (what was she thinking??). She was from a registered breeder, sold without papers so not to be bred from. Sadly the person we rehomed her to was a backyard breeder : so she had a few litters over her lifetime.

[huga]

As a family, we had Golden Retrievers, who were fabulous with us four kids.

As an adult, my first dog was Harry (pug x GSD). Ball crazy without an off switch, but a very sweet and gentle boy.

[Amben]

The first dog I purchased for myself was a Boxer, after she died I took two more boxers that were being rehomed. They were both with us until they died as well. I had a Greyhound at one point but I had to surrender him to GAP due to my shitty landlord at the time (who also never gave me my bond back ), hindsight says I should have just found somewhere else to live but it is hard to find rentals with land for horses I now have an IG.

[Flippy Dog]

When I moved out of home I spent hours on the phone to breeders and a small fortune on books ordered from America and then finally, I put a deposit on my very first dog, an American Staffordshire Terrier. She was a fantastic first dog for me, she loved people, loved dogs but wasn't real keen on training or showing so she got her Australian title, a Canine Good Companion Certificate and then we dropped out of all that stuff and just enjoyed life until she passed away at nearly twelve. I have had three AmStaffs, a gorgeous rottie, and currently still have a small white fluffy, a sheep dog and the spoiled rotten Obie, whippet of mass destruction, another lunge succumbed today :) I think today's AmStaffs are different to 20 odd years ago and are not perhaps as suitable for first time owners who haven't grown up around dogs.

Here's my first AmStaff, Zoe aged three, she's about four weeks pregnant in this pic, I kept one pup, Bindi, she's the second photo and was probably my heart dog. Excuse the quality, photos of old photos.

[dotdashdot]

The first dog we brought home as a family was Nala, a rotti x lab from the RSPCA (yes, the name inspiration for my current Nala) my memories of her are through rose coloured glasses though, because apparently she wasn't as great as a 5-9 year old remembers. I loved her though, she looked like a rotti but built more like a lab.

She died in a freak accident at a young age, but her body had already started to fall apart with HD/arthritis. Her temperament and health issues are reasons enough to not recommend that mix to people (obviously byb bred)

First dog as an adult was/is Cleo the dalmatian. She's been a challenge at times, but never something I couldn't handle. I suppose some people would struggle with dallies, and I would never want a smaller yard with these two, as the size we have now is perfect and they can have great zoomies, or we can have a good frisbee session.

They are a breed that if they have not had enough walks, will probably leave you a nice hole sized reminder in the backyard but at the same time can have a 20km run and still want more. Insatiable for exercise!

[Rozzie]

Australian Silky Terrier. Lady was a good dog.

[Taliecat]

When I moved out of home I spent hours on the phone to breeders and a small fortune on books ordered from America and then finally, I put a deposit on my very first dog, an American Staffordshire Terrier. She was a fantastic first dog for me, she loved people, loved dogs but wasn't real keen on training or showing so she got her Australian title, a Canine Good Companion Certificate and then we dropped out of all that stuff and just enjoyed life until she passed away at nearly twelve. I have had three AmStaffs, a gorgeous rottie, and currently still have a small white fluffy, a sheep dog and the spoiled rotten Obie, whippet of mass destruction, another lunge succumbed today :) I think today's AmStaffs are different to 20 odd years ago and are not perhaps as suitable for first time owners who haven't grown up around dogs.

Here's my first AmStaff, Zoe aged three, she's about four weeks pregnant in this pic, I kept one pup, Bindi, she's the second photo and was probably my heart dog. Excuse the quality, photos of old photos.

Oh wow! What beautiful dogs!

I had a short haired chi as a child, I remember her getting re homed after a year or so as my mum wasn't really too keen on her.

As an adult we have an am staff boy who is a real handful, but a real loveable boy when he's not going at a million miles an hour.

I'm hoping he mellows a little with age.