What kind of dog should we get?

[wdwnutze]

I would have to say a Beagle. They love attention and playing. My Beagle loves to run in the yard and play. They are stubborn but respond to love and attention. Good luck in your search.

 

[AspiringCindy]

I agree! They are wonderful...but require a lot of training and excercise! We lost our female boxer 3 weeks ago due to Leukemia and still have her son with us! We are looking to adopt another! I think the original post was for a small dog...and I don't consider Boxers small!...try Boston Terriers! They are similar in look, personality and temperment!

Originally posted by Uno
First let my compliment you on doing your research first. Secondly I'm writing this before reading any other responses I have to highly recommend a Boxer. The females typically top out at around 55 lbs. Some are larger and some are smaller, but 55 is average for a female. I've got both a male and a female. Boxers are absolutely wonderful dogs that are absolutely great with children and other pets. They have an innate ability to know how rough they can be when playing. Both my furbabies know that they can rough-house with me, be gentler with my dw and abosulte pussycats with my ds. Beyond that innate ability they can also detect when something is wrong. In October it will be 3 years since my ds was diagnosed with leukemia. For weeks before the diagnosis my furbabies would be right by my ds's side from the moment he came home from school until he went to bed. The night we finally learned of his diagnosis I was, naturally, quite upset. When I came home from the hospital, dw stayed with my ds, I bawled my eyes out and my furbabies did their very best to comfort me. Not by trying to get me to play with them, but just by being with me and ever so gently licking (not lapping) the tears from my face. Another example of their innate ability to read feelings is one time when a friend was over our house after having to put her Newfoundland to sleep. Again, ever so gently my male climbed up my friend putting a paw on either shoulder gave her the sweetest little kiss I've ever seen a dog give someone and then actually hugged her. I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes.

Despite reports to the contrary Boxers are extremely smart. Because of their intelegence they get board very easily so training is extremely important. Boxers absolutely love their people. If you have a Boxer you don't just have a pet that's an extention of your family you have a member of your family.

To learn more about the Boxer I highly recommend this site www.boxerworld.com

In short if you want a dog in your life, get a dog, but if you want a dog in your heart, get a Boxer. I will never own another breed.

 

[ohpoohmetoo]

I have a fancy mutt, she is half Bichon Frise and half Havanese. I wanted a full bred Havanese but could not afford one (about $1,000) and I saw my Daisy at a pet store (I know not the best place usually to get a pet but it was really a bunch of breeders who sold their puppies through this store) anyway Daisy was a mistake and highly dicounted and she has turned out to be the most wonderful family dog and the best personal companion anyone could wish for.

I recommend the Havanese over the Bichon Frise because of grooming. My parents now have a full bred Havanese and his hair is much easier to take care of. The breed is fairly unknown right now but once people become familiar with them they are going to be very popular.

I hope you find a dog that you love as much as I love Daisy.

 

[AZKathy]

We have a pom and just love her. The grooming is not that bad; she just needs to be brushed. The only thing I wish she would not do is bark at things. She barks a lot. We got her when she was 10 weeks old and with growing up with children, she is not snippy at all with anyone. She is a beautiful dog and a great addition to our family.

 

[Sean23]

I have two corgi's they both are around 30 lbs and are great dogs.

<img src="http://img75.photobucket.com/albums/v227/sean23/corgi.jpg">

 

[cats7494]

Thank you all for your input! There are soooo many choices and it has been really fun looking into this!
We have gone to a few dog shows, checked out books from the library, talked to people...etc... we are still unsure.

Our dog that we currently have - he is a Humane Society puppy! We got him 2 years ago - he was scrawny and he literally had mange clering up, his former owners were pretty neglectful.
Now he is 90 pounds and as sweet as can be!

Thank you all for your opinions!

Maybe we can get 2 more dogs! haha

 

[TexasErin]

Oh, I love Boxers and would LOVE to have one. My only concern was I have heard they are prone to cancer. Is this really common?
After we lost our Chow a couple of months ago, I posted on here and people referred me to Petfinder.com. They were so right. We got a skye terrier mix who has the prettiest reddish-blonde hair. Talk about a BEAUTIFUL mutt She is about 2-3 years old according to best guess by the shelter. She was already potty-trained and is a pure joy. She was found pregnant and wondering the streets- I can't believe someone would allow that to happen - but anyway, I digress. I would also suggest a mutt from a shelter- especially one that is a couple of years old. It just makes you feel so good for rescueing a dog!!!
We also got a Great Pyrenees puppy who we are trying to house train- and I gotta tell ya- a housetrained older dog is a HECK of a lot easier.
Good luck whatever you choose!

 

[Joyciemc]

Ooh, I'm loving the Boxer love!

People have mentioned a mutt from a shelter, that's the route I'd take. But, if you want a purebred dog, you can still rescue! Many many breeds have rescue groups. Just do an internet search for the breed rescue, and I'll bet you come up with a lot of information.

Shamless plug:
If anyone is in the Chicago area looking for a dog, check out the ones we have:
Red Door Shelter

We're a no-kill shelter with rabbits, cats and dogs.