Mav Posted June 19, 2015 Share Posted June 19, 2015 I have been reading the posts on this forum for quite a while but decided I would join and get some advice. So hello!! The advice I am after is regarding what breed other owners think would suit our family. I really struggle with this even after spending months on the internet looking at various dog breeds. Once I have an idea of what breeds may be suitable I would look at going to shows and seeing them in person and contacting a few breeders.. Our family is myself, hubby and our 5 year old son. I work from home in my own business and we like to hang out at home, pack a picnic lunch and head on random drives into the quiet country areas on a weekend. We both think a larger dog would suit us better than a small dog. I particularly love the Newfoundland and Bernese Mountain Dog. We do have two cats so a cat friendly breed would be a must. We have a house with a medium sized yard and live in a semi rural area. We enjoy walks as a family and would like a breed we can take walking with us. I have previously owned a dog who passed away in his sleep in 2000 - he was a rotti/cattle cross and was a delight to own. So if anyone has any advice on breeds that could/would suit us I would be forever thankful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tassie Posted June 19, 2015 Share Posted June 19, 2015 Welcome! :D I have known some absolutely gorgeous Newfoundlands and especially Bernese Mountain Dogs. The Berner is one of my favourite breeds - in fact I would consider having one, except that they are not really agility dogs ... and the other downside .. there average life span is less than a medium or smaller dog. But from the lifestyle you describe, I would think a Berner would be ideal. Based on the ones I know, hanging out with their people (and cats) is their mission in life, with the added bonus, that if the dog sports bug does bite, they are happy to try their paw at a bunch of stuff. I know Berners that are really good stock herders, and good obedience and Dances with Dogs competition dogs. You will know the next bit ... just make sure that you get to know who's breeding lovely sound Berners, and make contact with them, even if they don't currently have a litter on the ground. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Purdie Posted June 19, 2015 Share Posted June 19, 2015 Do you want a protective breed ? What amount of shedding and grooming can you manage ? Anyone in the home with allergies.? A few to consider .Labrador- Airedale - German Shepherd- Curly Coated Retriever -Irish Wolfhound . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keshwar Posted June 19, 2015 Share Posted June 19, 2015 Do you want a protective breed ? What amount of shedding and grooming can you manage ? Anyone in the home with allergies.? A few to consider .Labrador- Airedale - German Shepherd- Curly Coated Retriever -Irish Wolfhound . Wouldn't class Irish Wolfhounds as cat friendly - they are a sight hound, if it runs they will chase. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogsfevr Posted June 19, 2015 Share Posted June 19, 2015 Wouldn't class Irish Wolfhounds as cat friendly - they are a sight hound, if it runs they will chase. Rubbish sighthounds doesn't equate to chase everything ,there no different than any breed of dog ,they either get on with cats or they don't & yes i have owned sighthounds. No dog should be classed cat friendly ,just like not all cats are dog friendly. Should also add our friend who has owned Wolfhounds for many years dogs always shared there home with cats & a small dog . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Purdie Posted June 19, 2015 Share Posted June 19, 2015 Do you want a protective breed ? What amount of shedding and grooming can you manage ? Anyone in the home with allergies.? A few to consider .Labrador- Airedale - German Shepherd- Curly Coated Retriever -Irish Wolfhound . Wouldn't class Irish Wolfhounds as cat friendly - they are a sight hound, if it runs they will chase. My Wolfhound x bully loved our 2 cats !....Most breeds can live with cats if raised with them even sighthounds and Terriers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salukifan Posted June 19, 2015 Share Posted June 19, 2015 (edited) Wouldn't class Irish Wolfhounds as cat friendly - they are a sight hound, if it runs they will chase. Rubbish sighthounds doesn't equate to chase everything ,there no different than any breed of dog ,they either get on with cats or they don't & yes i have owned sighthounds. No dog should be classed cat friendly ,just like not all cats are dog friendly. Should also add our friend who has owned Wolfhounds for many years dogs always shared there home with cats & a small dog . Sorry, but a breed specifically bred for generations for sight and movement motivated prey drive is NOT the same as any other breed of dog. For a start, their ability to catch and kill cats is higher due to their speed. Once that drive is triggered, it can be hard to switch off. Some sighthounds will be fine with cats they know.. and kill others they see. But most educated sighthound owners with cats don't ever leave their dogs and cats unsupervised. Too many tragic results. If an IW decides a cat is toast, the cat has no chance. Too many sighthounds end up in rescue because their owners underestimate their prey drive. The rise of urban poultry keeping is seeing more Whippets in rescue now. Dogs aint dogs folks. You need to grasp what they were bred to do and what drives come along with that. Expect them to live a life ignoring those drives at your peril (and theirs). Sighthounds,, quiet country drives and livestock or wildlife can also end up badly if you want the dog to be offlead. Edited June 19, 2015 by Haredown Whippets Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mav Posted June 19, 2015 Author Share Posted June 19, 2015 Welcome! :D I have known some absolutely gorgeous Newfoundlands and especially Bernese Mountain Dogs. The Berner is one of my favourite breeds - in fact I would consider having one, except that they are not really agility dogs ... and the other downside .. there average life span is less than a medium or smaller dog. But from the lifestyle you describe, I would think a Berner would be ideal. Based on the ones I know, hanging out with their people (and cats) is their mission in life, with the added bonus, that if the dog sports bug does bite, they are happy to try their paw at a bunch of stuff. I know Berners that are really good stock herders, and good obedience and Dances with Dogs competition dogs. You will know the next bit ... just make sure that you get to know who's breeding lovely sound Berners, and make contact with them, even if they don't currently have a litter on the ground. Thank you. A friend has a Bernese and I just fell in love the moment I met her. Of course I get that you can't judge a breed by the meeting of one dog - and this one has been well trained. She gets along wonderfully with the family cat also. At this point in time we would not be looking at showing or agility or anything like that - just a family pet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salukifan Posted June 19, 2015 Share Posted June 19, 2015 If you want a dog that fits easily into the car for country drives and is up for a fair bit of walking, I'd steer clear of Giant breeds. I'd be looking in the 30-50kg or there abouts range and probably at the larger gun dogs as a start point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mav Posted June 19, 2015 Author Share Posted June 19, 2015 Do you want a protective breed ? What amount of shedding and grooming can you manage ? Anyone in the home with allergies.? A few to consider .Labrador- Airedale - German Shepherd- Curly Coated Retriever -Irish Wolfhound . A protective breed is something we discussed and no we don't want an overly protective breed. Shedding/Grooming - I don't think I could handle spending hours every day grooming but a brush once a day to keep a coat in condition is not out of the question. I have a cat that sheds a LOT so hair everywhere and good friends with the vacuum are already part of my day now :) No allergies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mav Posted June 19, 2015 Author Share Posted June 19, 2015 Wouldn't class Irish Wolfhounds as cat friendly - they are a sight hound, if it runs they will chase. Rubbish sighthounds doesn't equate to chase everything ,there no different than any breed of dog ,they either get on with cats or they don't & yes i have owned sighthounds. No dog should be classed cat friendly ,just like not all cats are dog friendly. Should also add our friend who has owned Wolfhounds for many years dogs always shared there home with cats & a small dog . Sorry, but a breed specifically bred for generations for sight and movement motivated prey drive is NOT the same as any other breed of dog. For a start, their ability to catch and kill cats is higher due to their speed. Once that drive is triggered, it can be hard to switch off. Some sighthounds will be fine with cats they know.. and kill others they see. But most educated sighthound owners with cats don't ever leave their dogs and cats unsupervised. Too many tragic results. If an IW decides a cat is toast, the cat has no chance. Too many sighthounds end up in rescue because their owners underestimate their prey drive. The rise of urban poultry keeping is seeing more Whippets in rescue now. Dogs aint dogs folks. You need to grasp what they were bred to do and what drives come along with that. Expect them to live a life ignoring those drives at your peril (and theirs). Sighthounds,, quiet country drives and livestock or wildlife can also end up badly if you want the dog to be offlead. Sighthounds are not the dog for us by the sounds of this. I don't think we would be experienced enough to take the risk and the end result would be devastating if something should occur. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salukifan Posted June 19, 2015 Share Posted June 19, 2015 Wouldn't class Irish Wolfhounds as cat friendly - they are a sight hound, if it runs they will chase. Rubbish sighthounds doesn't equate to chase everything ,there no different than any breed of dog ,they either get on with cats or they don't & yes i have owned sighthounds. No dog should be classed cat friendly ,just like not all cats are dog friendly. Should also add our friend who has owned Wolfhounds for many years dogs always shared there home with cats & a small dog . Sorry, but a breed specifically bred for generations for sight and movement motivated prey drive is NOT the same as any other breed of dog. For a start, their ability to catch and kill cats is higher due to their speed. Once that drive is triggered, it can be hard to switch off. Some sighthounds will be fine with cats they know.. and kill others they see. But most educated sighthound owners with cats don't ever leave their dogs and cats unsupervised. Too many tragic results. If an IW decides a cat is toast, the cat has no chance. Too many sighthounds end up in rescue because their owners underestimate their prey drive. The rise of urban poultry keeping is seeing more Whippets in rescue now. Dogs aint dogs folks. You need to grasp what they were bred to do and what drives come along with that. Expect them to live a life ignoring those drives at your peril (and theirs). Sighthounds,, quiet country drives and livestock or wildlife can also end up badly if you want the dog to be offlead. Sighthounds are not the dog for us by the sounds of this. I don't think we would be experienced enough to take the risk and the end result would be devastating if something should occur. Some sighthounds are easier than others. However 75kg+ of prey driven dog is a LOT of dog. If the notion of keeping dogs and cats separate when you are not around is not one you fancy then a sighthound is not for you. If you were happy to do that and were prepared to scale down dog size for an 'easier' breed, you might look at Whippets. However if you are a "big dog" fan, they may not be to your taste. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tassie Posted June 19, 2015 Share Posted June 19, 2015 Fair point HW makes about the fitting in the car ... and certainly the Bernese Mountain Dog is not your ideal jogging partner, but the ones that I've know are happy to go for decent walks .. few km. And certainly the females at least are within the 30-35 to 50 kg weight range. Just saying :D . Actually, I was just looking at a longevity survey on a breeder's site .. it seems like the longevity of the BMD is increasing ... a tribute to careful breeding I think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LisaCC Posted June 19, 2015 Share Posted June 19, 2015 (edited) If your heart is set on BMD or Newfoundland, I suggest as you did and go straight to some shows and see them in person and speak to their owners and breeders. If you have some questions or worries, take note of them and ask the people in the know! Edited June 19, 2015 by LisaCC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_PL_ Posted June 19, 2015 Share Posted June 19, 2015 Were you thinking of a plodder for a quiet ramble or a zippy dog that can keep up with a strong hike? Not a suggestion for you because I've only met the breed at dog days but what do people think of a Leonberger? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Purdie Posted June 19, 2015 Share Posted June 19, 2015 Were you thinking of a plodder for a quiet ramble or a zippy dog that can keep up with a strong hike? Not a suggestion for you because I've only met the breed at dog days but what do people think of a Leonberger? Oh i was lucky enough to meet a Leonberger pup not long ago.;would love to know more about them... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LisaCC Posted June 19, 2015 Share Posted June 19, 2015 Were you thinking of a plodder for a quiet ramble or a zippy dog that can keep up with a strong hike? Not a suggestion for you because I've only met the breed at dog days but what do people think of a Leonberger? I have no idea either because I've only drooled over one at a show, so completely useless information except big and b-e-a-oootiful! ...carry on Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_PL_ Posted June 19, 2015 Share Posted June 19, 2015 Same. :laugh: The club does a great job of getting them out there for people to meet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Purdie Posted June 19, 2015 Share Posted June 19, 2015 http://www.yourpureb...eonbergers.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_PL_ Posted June 19, 2015 Share Posted June 19, 2015 http://www.yourpureb...eonbergers.html I just read this one :D Myhttp://www.nswleos.com/link Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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