How Many Different Dog Breeds Have You Owned Over The Years. And Which Breed Was Your Favourite?

[Deeds]

My own favourites are Curly Coated Retrievers, Giant Schnauzers and Black Russian Terriers.

[Rebanne]

I've owned several GSD, one pound puppy and several Greyhounds. No favourites, the two pure breeds both have/had very different characteristics and both fitted perfectly into my life at the time I had them. My little mutt just happened and she was perfect as she was.

[persephone]

Family purebreds were lab,OES, rotti.there have always been farm bred borders,Kelpies and Koolies.

My dogs have all been mixed breeds up until Clive Koolie.

Dachsxaussie terrier,Border collie X cocker,and deerhound  X?

Don't know about favourite...they all were different and played different roles.

 

[Luvapoo]

I have had cavaliers, pugs, and now toy poodles.

 

The cavs were terribly sweet but a big concern was the lack of recall if there was something more interesting happening (like a roo). They get a pretty bad rap in the health stakes too.

 

Pugs are just loveable clowns, again health issues arise and the shedding is painful.

 

I don't think I could go past a poodle now, super obedient, submissive, non shedding and I enjoy the grooming.

 

 

[tdierikx]

Family pets while a child were Lab crosses...

 

My own dogs have been several crossbreeds (all medium-large sized), a Labrador, and a bunch of Rotties...

 

Hands down, my heart breed is Rotti.

 

T.

[JulesP]

I've only owned border collies. My family had a corgi, so I do have a soft spot for them and Mum has had a few shelties so I like them too. 

[Teebs]

As a kid we had a boxer and a cattle dog. But as an adult ive only had 4 dogs, 2 breeds

 

Bull Terrier and Staffordshire Bull Terrier

 

I can't see me owning any other breed. 

 

 

[Kazm]

We’ve only owned mini schnauzers. They are just the perfect fit for us and totally love the breed. My brother has until recently always owned German shepards. I like them but we are a little dog family. 

[Loving my Oldies]

I wouldn't know where to start.  My first dogs as an adult were two Maltese, male and female from different breeders, both of whom died young: one at three and a half of congestive heart failure and the other of cancer at eight and a half.  I eventually became involved in rescue and so have had so many dogs I have lost count (not really - I remember them all), but all have been small/toy breeds.  The biggest, if you can use that word, were German Spitzes.  I simply couldn't tell you my favourites, but I still go a little weak at the knees over Pomeranians and Toy Poodles.  

 

I have only ever had one Dachshund as a foster dog, pitch black and just gorgeous. 

 

The German  Spitzes had glorious temperaments.    

Edited June 21, 2023 by Loving my Oldies

[coneye]

Not counting dogs we had when i was a kid just dogs when i've been an adult , weve had ,  a springer -  2 boxers , mother and son  (rescue ), staffy - shepard  - rotty  - shepard ( rescue dog ) - rotty - heeler (rescue dog ) maltese x (rescue dog ).

 

Every single one has been  a terrific familly dog  and an all round good well behaved dog ,  its hard to pick a favorite ,    which of your children do you like the most , sort of thing , how can you pick  , so i would have to ask myself which dog woul i buy again or would'nt buy again  if i was to get one next week ,

 

First one i would say  definetly no to would be the

staffy , great dog but he chewed and chewed and chewed  very destructive , think he went through a million kids toys and 2 lounge suites  , finally stopped at about 3 ,

 

No to a GSD  just don't like the  hunchbacks being bred nowadays ,  and i would only buy from a breeder  with a solid temprement  if i got one it would have to be working lines , and i'm probably not active enough nowadays  for that , so no GSD . purely   me wanting to be fair to  the dog regards excercise

 

Boxer --- Great dogs ,  possible but  the two i had  slobbered i did'nt like that  so probably No

 

Heeler ,, well what can i say absolutly  great dogs smart loyal ,  and mine was and still is at 10 a fantastic familly dog , my son took him  still has him  , but NO    he drove my wife mad ,  with the malting   and since our dogs sleep anywhere they want  inside outside ,   kennel or    lounge or bedroom who cares  , she would say a BIG NO

 

Springer , well what can i say , our first dog  has a familly and  what a dog ,   he came to work with me ,  he would go outside   and play with my boys growing up ,  if he was'nt by my side , he was either out  with the lads   and there mates   or even just up the road  getting a treat of a neighbor ,   he  may has well off been in an American movie  that sort of dog a real Lassie , never  ever remember actually training him he just knew what to do  , my wifes   favorite , he was just   great  but the answer now would be NO   ,  he malted too much   then was'nt a problem now it would be , plus i'm older    and  where i used to go running everyday 40 years ago , i go fish on the beach now .

 

Present dog --- Maltese x   Well what can i say  he's 8 now ,  got a good home and will have one till he dies ,  but would i get another one NO  its simply not enough dog for me , he's a great watchdog , when he's awake , the most lovable and timid dog i've ever owned everyone loves Olly  , but Oliver is smart  he  jumps on everones lap , he licks everyone and falls asleep on everyones lap  , because he knows he gets cuddles and he does'nt care who's lap , but  sleep is what he does best  , a walk around the block is enough for him   before he sleeps for another  10 hrs  ,  does he come fishing on the dog beach not really ,    he gets very timid of other dogs ,  and gets it in his head    he walks off  we only live opposite , so i've actually   just let him walk off and followed ,  he's just gone home    i've opened the door , its food bowl and straight to bed ,, sometimes i think  i should of just got a stuffed dog   LOL

 

So brings me too  the last but not least ,if forced to pick one  i'd have to pick  the rotty ,   i've had a male and a female , and could'nt pick between them ,    but if i got another dog it would be another rotty , just seem perfect for me ,   i found there natural tendency was to stay close , be aloof and a natural   insticnt to protect and gaurd , the female would bark even snarl but never bite , the male would  bite but did'nt really bark much ,  but both dogs  seemed to know when to turn the gaurd instinct on and off  without training ,   nightime and alone   , both were very confident dogs and good with strangers  freindly but assetive when need be ,  both dogs would come on the dog beach with me  and spend hrs ignoring every other dog  just lay next to me when i was fishing   but yet freindly if approached by other dogs  , seemed they both got to around 2 and just became aloof with other dogs prefering to be with me . I have always wanted a bull mastiff but would'nt get one i don't like slobber , so the rotty to me is virtually the perfect dog .

 

Only problem i ever had with my rottys was the wife , with both a would'nt allow her to walk them  on her own ,they were both lead reactive but only with her ,  and that was simply her fault , my wife  would have them on a lead and  be so scared of dog fights if she seen another dog she would always tense up  and  both the rottys would sence it and go into protect mode it was 100% her fault   easist thing was     they only left the house with me or one of my sons  where they were 100% in control   off lead with her they were good , but they had the instinct to pick up on her fear .

 

Yep for me  i'm an outdoor person  , dog jumps in the ute and comes everywhere with me ,  fishing on the dog beach ,  visit the familly ,   we spend  a lot of time on our housboat  , and its important the dog does'nt wonder , and stays by my side   ( sheep and snakes )   we also have an onsite caravan so the dog comes there and bneeds to  be  freindly yet aloof because    they have to be tied   and my rottys were perfect because evryone loved the big goofy freindliness and wanted to pat them 

 

Its the Rotty all the way for me .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

mother and son rescue dogs

[jemappelle]

As an adult I've had 2 cattle dogs, 3 Cavaliers, a Shih Tzu and a Poodle cross (toy size).  My all time favourites are the cattle dogs but as I travel with my dogs a bit I've gone for Cavaliers as they are super easy and are happy to sleep a lot!  It's also easy to get them minded if necessary.

[Rascalmyshadow]

Over my lifetime we’ve had many breeds both pure and crosses and all sizes, we’ve had more poodles than any other breed, they were perfect before we had kids but not ideal in a busy house and not great around young kids, so as much as I loved them they are not a breed I would own again.
For a small breed my Lhasa apso x silky was the one, he was my heart boy and my shadow, he had a perfect temperament and was my work companion for nearly 13years but of all the dogs my kelpie that I now have has probably been the most ideal, she is perfect size, easy coat to maintain, super smart, highly trainable, sticks by my side without being clingy and isn’t overly noisy, her only downside is she won’t play with me at all, will do obedience, scent work etc but has zero interested in toys balls etc.

i have a love of pit bulls (have had a couple) and would love another one if our stupid laws didn’t exist.

Edited July 13, 2023 by Rascalmyshadow

[DogsAndTheMob]

I’ve owned German Shepherds, Border Collies, Golden Retrievers, a Siberian Husky, a Brittany and a miniature poodle (maybe - he was a rescue and was either a poodle-cross or a backyard bred poodle).

I’ve loved all my dogs for different reasons and I can’t nominate a favourite breed. 
I loved my first German Shepherds for their combination of common-sense, intuitiveness and protectiveness. I loved my last German Shepherd because she was the sweetest, ditsiest dog who introduced me to the simplicity of owning a dog with no protective, predatory or even herding behaviours. If I could get another German Shepherd like my first heart dog, I would in an instant.

I love my Brittany for the combination of intelligence and mischief that seems to be a characteristic of the breed. However, Brittanies are a high-energy, hunting breed, Velcro at home and very independent when running the fields, so I don’t know whether I could give another Brittany the home it deserves.

My mini poodle was the opposite of the breed stereotype… brave, stoic, quiet and very loyal. Maybe that was because he’d lived on the streets before being rescued but I’d love another dog like him. 
I could talk about the fun of Border Collies, the fascination of my husky’s cat-like expressions or the ease of living with a Golden Retriever but I’m sure you’ve read enough about my dogs.

 

Edited July 13, 2023 by DogsAndTheMob

[Monteba]

As an adult have had GSD, Cavaliers, Pug and Leonberger
currently at my place I only have the Cavaliers though hoping to get a Pug in the not to distant future  (Leonberger and a Cavalier live with my daughter now )
Dont really have a favourite as they all hold a special place

[~Anne~]

Pug (multiple)

Labrador

German shep ( or in the day we called them Alsatians)

Weimeraner (multiple)

Loads of cross breeds

 

They all had pluses and minuses. 
 

I no longer have a dog. I may in the future and it would likely be something like a mini schnauzer or poodle. Something small, not huge on shedding and not smelly. I loved all my pugs but they’re smelly and the shedding did my head in. 

[Dumdum]

Thanks to everyone who’s posting in this. Really interesting reading. Especially coney’s with the rotties. I’ve always liked them but never had one.

So I’ve owned - 

cattle dog. Hard wired breed that loves to bark. And I had a female and she was perhaps a bit over protective. But the males can be very happy go lucky. 

Kelpie. Which I inherited. Amazing dogs in so many ways. But he did have to go to a farm in the end.

English bull terrier. I don’t mean this in a bad way. But he really was an idiot. A loveable idiot nevertheless. I’d own one again actually, purely for the entertainment value.

Airedale terrier. He liked my girlfriend more than me. I think they warm to one person who they are gentle and devoted to. But he could be challenging even from young. They’re a real terrier . Don’t see many around nowadays. He was a smart dog though and did very well in obedience. You’ve never seen a dog sit up so straight. He had a certain ingrained discipline.

Wolfhound. Wonderful faultless animals in temperament. Very sound in nature . Very calm and would assess any situation calmly. The problem with owning them comes from other dogs and unfortunately that happened often. I think most responsible people who’ve owned a wolfhound have had a great environment suited for it. And probably never witness what it’s actually capable of. It’s very capable of killing a wolf. And you might only witness it’s true power once or twice in the dog’s lifetime. But the wolfhound I had disciplined an unruly bull mastif at one time. And the bull mastiff was of the ground being shook around. It needed a lot of staples.

 If you don’t believe me have a look at a wolfhounds teeth sometime. If an owner will show you. As said, very clam, stable breed but don’t put it in a bad situation because it can kill a smaller dog all too easily. Not intentionally.

Rhodesian ridgeback. Lovely sweet dogs, great companions. Not the sharpest tool in the shed though. Training is hit and miss but they don’t tend to cause any trouble anyway. I’ve heard they make good guard dogs. Mine definitely did not. Couldn’t be more disinterested in property protection. Insisted on being an inside dog and had its own couch. The couch was the most important thing in its life.

currently own neopolitan mastiff and won’t be going back to dogs. These old molossers are a different species in my opinion. I could write a lot here but just don’t get one until you’ve thoroughly researched what your getting yourself into. They are not like other dogs. This thing is a lion. And he knows it. Very confident and a degree of entitlement that you have to manage. 
You can’t leave these dogs at home when nobody else is at home or not for very long anyway. They won’t cope with that. They’re also a dog that’s capable of taking its own initiative and despite their appearance, they can move fast and have supernatural strength.

He’s very good in public though. Quite the gentleman. But they have a public persona and a home persona. At home he’s on duty. Not trained to be, just it’s what he is. Anything that he’s familiar wth he’s fine with. Anything out of the ordinary he’s on it.

And he’s constantly assessing the situation. We have a few dogs here atm. Inside and outside access. He likes them because none of them he determines a threat. But if one goes outside and comes in again he will check it for id.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 30, 2023 by Dumdum

[April Andy]

Hello, I am April. I am new to this forum. Already have 3 adorable puppies for over 8 years.

I got 2 Pomeranian dogs, they're kinda calm, playful, and friendly whenever we have visitors. They have a characteristics that are be prone to separation and they are best suited for homes where someone will be around. The other one is a Chow Chow named Yachiko, He's aloof with strangers but one thing that I love him most is the loyalty that He gave unto me.

Edited August 3, 2023 by April Andy

[_PL_]

Been thinking about this one.  Obviously Silky and Yorkie  as breed specific rescue but also small breeds and crosses.

I do have some favourites of course but in the end, it's also about the dog themselves as an individual. I especially love the wise seniors. And there's 'old souls' despite the age if that makes sense? Their eyes tell you everything .... 

Basically I'm a dog person.   LOL 

[April Andy]

Hey Powerlegs, I can totally relate to your sentiment! Being a dog person is something special – there's just something about the bond we share with our furry companions that's hard to put into words. It's wonderful that you're involved in breed-specific rescue, particularly with Silky and Yorkie breeds. Those little dogs can bring so much joy and charm to our lives.

 

And you're absolutely right, the individual personality of each dog shines through no matter their breed or mix. Wise seniors have a unique magic about them, and I completely understand what you mean about "old souls." The way their eyes seem to hold a lifetime of stories and wisdom is truly heartwarming.

 

In the end, it's the unconditional love, companionship, and the lessons these dogs teach us that make us cherish our roles as dog lovers. From the energetic tail-wagging greetings to the quiet moments of connection, dogs have a way of making life richer and more meaningful.

 

So here's to being a proud dog person!  And to all the wonderful dogs out there who bring so much happiness into our lives.

 

[Sirbills]

Ive always mostly just owned Scottish Terriers.

 

I have had a couple of German Shepherds but Scottish Terriers are my favorite. 

Scottish Terriers