Dog Breeds - Most Popular vs Least Popular

[Pugdog007]

Dude..... nothing against the dog... but that's not the manly dog I figured you for.

Oh I disagree. That crazy hair and beady eyes. I'll bet he spouts off at the mouth all the time about global warming. He's a PETA supporter dope smoking yellow dog if I've ever seen one. He looks just like Nancy Pelosi.

 

[N.Bailey]

We have a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. He is a lap dog. Fully grown under 30lbs. ,small in size. He is very calm and lovable. Wants to always be with you and is very well behaved!

He's so precious. I'd take him in a heartbeat.

 

[chadfromdallas]

Dude..... nothing against the dog... but that's not the manly dog I figured you for.

I'm comfortable enough with myself to own a dog like that

 

[rascalmom]

We've got a 3 year old Westie named Gizmo. His name fits him well - he's fun, curious & playful. Loves to cuddle - great with kids. He will bark to clear the birds & squirrels (and sometimes the leaves) from his yard. Has a fetish with the TV, especially any sport involving a ball & rodeo commercials.

We did plenty of research - I would recommend anyone wanting a Westie to be selective of the breeder you choose. Our dog has been wonderfully healthy & a great pet.

Westie = West Highland White Terrier. They were originally bred to keep control of rodents. When Giz was an 8 week old puppy he somehow caught a mouse in my parents' garage. My dad was so proud of him that he saved the mouse to show us when we got home that evening. Lovely. Thankfully there has not been a repeat occurance. The rascal home is free of rodents!

 

[MickiMouth]

I have a Shih Tzu:

He's been a great dog choice for us, reasons why we chose him:
- low shedding for my allergy issues
- quiet
- cute and cuddly
- friendly
- loves to be pampered
- long life span

We are thinking about getting a new fur baby and are really leaning towards a Shih Tzu or possibly a Mini Schnauzer. All the reasons you listed are our reasons too. My question is, how are they with children? I have 2 DD's 15 and almost 6 and they really want a "small" ( hopefully about 10 lb.s) dog to spoil rotten. Also, do they come long or short hair or is it just how you chose to groom them? We'd like to keep the hair shorter. Thanks for any info on these breeds.

 

[RC Fan]

Hey mickey2000!

Nice Cavalier! Looks just like my sister's Cavalier Spencer.

She has two Cavaliers, but hasn't had very good luck with either. Spencer has always been quite aggressive. I think since Spencer grew up with a German Shepherd, he thinks he is a German Shepherd. Doesn't work out too well when you go after the Great Dane next door. Yikes!

 

[theSurlyMermaid]

Gosh, that Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is ADORABLE.

DH and I long for one of those dogs, but with our Yorkie and Maltese, we ultimately decided it was not the right time. Also, extensive breed research and several interviews with breeders later, I came away very scared of the MVD (heart troubles) Cavaliers have as a breed. Good breeder or not, Cavaliers are very prone to MVD.

 

[NMAmy]

I've had many dogs throughout my life and they've all come to me as sort of a happy accident so I've never had a particular breed that I was attached to. We had a fabulous collie when I was a child. As an adult, we had a Springer Spaniel that I adored--she was smart and GREAT with kids but she developed epilepsy and died at about 6 years old. My ex was an MP at a military post at the time and kept bringing this dog back to it's home because it had run away--he liked her so much that he offered to buy her from the guy and that's how I ended up with the Springer.

I've had mixed breeds--cocker spaniel/something--an annoying little dog whose only redeeming quality was that she loved me more than life itself. A german shepherd/malanois mix that was such a wonderful family dog. She was the offspring of two police dogs (my ex is a K9 cop.) We had a K9 that was a Czeck Shepherd--he is a beautiful guy--retired from the police force and living a life of luxury with my ex and his family.

And just this summer, we adopted a golden retriever mix puppy from the Humane Society and the whole family is in love with her.

I'll echo the other posters who recommended a trip to the Humane Society or animal shelter and see which dog(s) your friend just connects with.

 

[Crankyshank]

The thing about the dogs on the lower end of the popularity list is that it's harder to find a breeder, they're more expensive, and usually they are bred by breeders who are very protective as far as extremely selective breeding.

My parents have a pug

He's 10mos old, barks on occasion, and is a great dog. He's very calm and very adaptable - my parents take him everywhere and he's a rockstar wherever they go. People literally cross the street to come see him. He's stubborn and they have to be more careful of him than I have to be with my dogs (he's having a horrible time adjusting to the high humidity and hot weather we've been having).

I have 2 beagles

and the lazy one in my sig picture

Beagles are one of the best breeds to have around kids. They are affectionate, hearty, they love to play, and are affectionate. They are also the #1 problem solving breed. In other words if they are presented with a problem, they will solve it. Usually the problem is how to get out of the yard to chase the cat, or how to get food. My Roswell will open up doors, the fridge, turn on the ceiling fan, turn on the tv, and put down the car window. They also move the chairs to climb onto the kitchen table to reach the counters.
These are not dogs you can let roam off leash or have an electric fence with. Their nose leads them. But they are extremely loyal, affectionate, and fun. and they're pretty healthy dogs too.

 

[AlwaysAPrincess]

I have always had mixed breeds but will always pick a mixed breed with part Lab or German Shepard. Right now we have a 10 month old Choc. Lab/Husky mix named Bosco. He is playful & wonderful with little children. Gentle, easily trained, smart. He isn't much of a watch dog as compared to my last dog. Not sure if it is b/c Bosco is still a puppy...but if the doorbell rings he gets excited & runs to the door wagging his tail. Bosco is a hunter. He will hunt the bunnies, birds, squirrles, chipmunks etc in our yard. He got a bird the end of last week! He was so proud of himself & I am freaking out. He listens well so when I asked him to drop it...he did. The bird was alive & was mad! He also LOVES water!! He runs though the sprinklers & plays in them. Bosco can do many tricks too.

My last dog Cody, was a Lab/German Shepard mix (our family dog)....extremely smart, trained easily, good watch dog, loved people, but was protective of our family. If the doorbell rang, Cody would bark & head right for the window to see who it was. Cody also did many tricks. My favorite was getting the paper in the morning. Every morning when we let him out...my Dad would tell him to get the paper...he would walk down the driveway, get the paper, trot back & my Dad would then give him a "cookie".

I have never had a pure bred dog. Don't think I ever will. I have had such wonderful dogs since I was a child & all have been mixed breeds from a rescue or our vet who would post puppies in his office who needed homes. When you are deciding what breed of dog you want...make sure it fits your lifestyle...whether pure bred or not. Meaning if the dog needs lots of exercise & a place to run...don't pick this dog if you don't like to go for long walks or have a place to let the dog run & play.

You also have to spend the time to train your dog.

 

[Blondie]

A faithful Weimaraner owner here.

Not only are they great family dogs (excellent with children of all ages) they are also short coated (very little shedding) and seem to avoid being infested with fleas and ticks.

They definitely do not like being locked up, they want to be where the people are and will stay right by your side. They are also very intelligent and have earned the term "houdini dogs" for a reason!

 

[KaterBell]

Seriously? Is he a puppy? Mine have never barked... hardly at all. They are NOT guard dogs by any stretch of the imagination. I don't know of many pugs that bark... and I know a lot of them. ug:

Not a puppy ...he's 3yo... He's barked since about 3mos old... but the good thing is if we tell him "Quiet!" he barks really quietly....

 

[SillyMe]

Need I say more?

OMG, Chad, your dog is adorable!! Tha't the kind of dog I wanted, but I got a German Shepherd/Husky instead! BIG difference! I absolutely love my dog, though. He's the best dog in the world!

 

[OzFan]

We have a Rottweiller. He is the best dog we have ever owned. He loves our dughters and would protect them with his life, but he is so gentle.He lets me neice play horsey with him even when he is chewing his favorite bone. I would love to have another one just like my OZ! aw:

 

[Hatzie]

My grandmother had a Japanese Akita, and he was wonderful with us as kids. I now have a 7 year old female Akita and she has been wonderful with the entire family. She is about 80 lbs, but she is small for the breed. She is very gentle and as playful as a puppy. She is very territorial and will bark if she hears or sees something out of the ordinary. If you do some research you will find that this breed is very loyal.

I hope this helps.

 

[Miller1412]

. They are also the #1 problem solving breed. In other words if they are presented with a problem, they will solve it. Usually the problem is how to get out of the yard to chase the cat, or how to get food. My Roswell will open up doors, the fridge, turn on the ceiling fan, turn on the tv, and put down the car window. They also move the chairs to climb onto the kitchen table to reach the counters.

I'm going to show your quote to my DH Crankyshank. I keep telling him how darn smart our Beagle, Emmadog is. He thinks she's the dumbest dog ever.
(That's 'cuz she loves ME the best! She's usually attached to my hip.)

I think we might have the one that breaks all of the Beagle rules. I let her out and don't have to watch her at all, she barely wanders off of the deck. She's such a "people dog" that she doesn't want to be alone. I think she's great!!

 

[calypso*a*go-go]

Another vote for Miniature Schnauzers! We have had ours for four years now and just love her (we adopted her when she was two). She is so much fun to have around the house. Very energetic and always wants to play, or go for walks. And, as mentioned in a previous reply, this breed makes the most interesting noises...it's like they are really trying to talk to you.

 

[minkydog]

We have the best of both worlds--a standard poodle AND he came from a shelter! At 72lb he is large, and possibly mixed, nobody really knows. But he has been the smartest, most faithful dog. He barks when something is amiss, he guards the family, and he loves to play fetch as much as any lab. He has legs like a greyhound, so you can't have him off leash or he's off. The only way to catch him is to drive the car around and yell,"Let's go for a ride, Minky!" We have him groomed about every 4 months, so at times he looks like a bear and other times he looks like a circus dog

When we were looking at breeds we had strongly considered both the greyhound and the Bernese mountain dog. i think we could have been happy with both, but we have a handicapped child who at that time spent his days lying on the floor. The thought of him rolling around in dog hair did me in. When we found our big poodle, we knew we had the right dog. He hardly sheds at all and he is infinitely patient with Christian, who now walks and steps on Minky's tail, gets into his crate, and plays with his dish.

If i ever have another dog, it will definitly be a poodle.

 

[DrCavin]

We have a soft-coated wheaten terrier, #59 on the list. He has lots of energy & is great with kids. Definitly needs to have room to run outside!! They do not shed, but they do pickup anything in the yard; leaves, mulch, small twigs.. I comb O'Reilly about once a week & he gets groomed about 3 times a year.

Here's a link to the complete list for anyone looking:
http://www.akc.org/reg/dogreg_stats.cfm

 

[WDWguru]

We have a rescued pug who is 9 years old and quite a character. She fits right in with our cats and is just as lazy as they are. She sits and watches tv with us and often barks at things she sees -- her favorites are the dog shows and anything with a herd of things moving at once. She HATES horses and can tell them from other types of animals on the tv -- she'll jump up and run at the tv barking like crazy at them! She does bark a lot but not at night or when we leave or anything inappropriate.

She's awesome, but she does shed like a buffalo. We have five cats and the clean up from the pug's hair is 10 times worse than all those cats combined. We keep blankets on the couch and chair when she's on them, which helps quite a bit, but forget about wearing black pants and getting out of the house "clean"!

We are childfree, but she was fostered in a house with kids and has gotten along fine with our neices and nephews who have come to visit.