Dog Lovers

[Minnie]

My best girl past away almost a year ago due to old age.... Our home still feels empty to me even though our younger dog is still here - Aussie. We also have horses and a barn cat.

I'm finally ready to bring another dog into our lives. I want one that will cuddle on the couch. Not sure yet on size. We have tons of room and plenty of time to give.

For some reason either very large or tiny is what calls to me.

One very important thing..... We intend to purchase a show quality puppy from a reputable breeder. We are not going for a rescue or shelter dog for reasons I will not go into.

Suggestions are welcome

 

[scbelleatheart]

So sorry for your loss. I raised Aussies (15 litters) but I do not like the new breed. We had the original stock dogs back when..before the AKC registered them. Hope you find a new pup soon. I loved my Aussies and so easy to train.

 

[bballmom56]

Is the Aussie allowed on the couch to cuddle? If not, it doesn't seem fair to do that to the current dog. I have seen personality changes in dogs who are the only dogs in the home (and in the same situation as yours - it was the second of 2 dogs, older one died and a year later they get another one) and then a new dog comes in and gets favored treatment.

 

[Vromilos]

Awww, sorry to hearthat

 

[Sgt Mickey]

http://search.yahoo.com/search;_ylt=AgeKaOYaZEv0PDRDK78fWqabvZx4?fr=yfp-t-701-s&toggle=1&cop=mss&ei=UTF8&p=lab%20rescueLab rescues
I am partial to labs. We own two

 

[Hercules10]

Shiloh Shepherd. Big goofy loveable 100+lb lap dogs. If you want cuddle then be careful what you wish for with this breed.

 

[LuvOrlando]

I am in the same position, but my Papillon has been gone for about 5 years now.

I have been looking for a breed that would be a smallish wonderful lap dog but not a one person dog like my Papillon had been because my kids want a cuddler too. I took a long time looking and used the American Kennel Club's breed info to help me select the right breed for us and it looks like the King Charles Cavlier is the best fit. I also really like the Pugs but my 13 year old son is a squeezer, a gentle squeezer but a squeezer and the whole thing about eyes popping out won't do (listed on the AKC site... good thing to know).

Anyway we are now looking for a breeder, I'm in no rush.

We saw a lovely Bernese Mountain Dog at a pet show that looked like a love but the size was way too big for a home with 2 adults, 2 growing kids, a border collie and an 18 year old cat... size, activity level and personality are very important. My Border Collie is amazing but nothing like a lap dog. My Papillon was amazing but strictly a one person dog, and not much of a cuddler.

I'd suggest combing through a book on dogs to see what pulls at your heart then checking out the personalities on the AKC site, after that check out health issues. Goldens are absolutely wonderful but my MIL had 2 that died young of Leukemia and a neighbors Golden is having Chemo for the same thing so health stuff is important.

Since you have so much room have you considered raising a puppy to be a service dog? A friend did it and her Golden failed because he was easily distracted so she got the animal for free. Supposedly, they get the best breed lines free of defects, breed lines that aren't usually available to the public, I'm not sure but this is what I was told. My friend did send him off fully expecting him to pass so there was no sabotage or anything, its just the way things worked out. If you raise a service dog and they fail supposedly the people who raised them get first choice to keep them.

 

[Minnie]

Is the Aussie allowed on the couch to cuddle? If not, it doesn't seem fair to do that to the current dog. I have seen personality changes in dogs who are the only dogs in the home (and in the same situation as yours - it was the second of 2 dogs, older one died and a year later they get another one) and then a new dog comes in and gets favored treatment.

Not to worry in our home.... We've nearly always had to dogs in our and have been careful to ensure both receive attention

Our Aussie is very high energy and prefers to be outside on our large country property rather than inside. She has a "job" which is so very important for this breed.

DF would love to bring another into our home but I'm not in agreement so the search continues.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I spent the night at friends' this week with their Golden Retreiver snuggled up on the couch with me with his head on my lap.

He's a big snuggle bug and I'm sure would lay that way for hours.

Maybe find one like that.

 

[Minnie]

http://search.yahoo.com/search;_ylt=AgeKaOYaZEv0PDRDK78fWqabvZx4?fr=yfp-t-701-s&toggle=1&cop=mss&ei=UTF8&p=lab%20rescueLab rescues
I am partial to labs. We own two

My girl that passed was a light yellow lab. She wont ever be forgotten or replaced by another lab. But I agree they make wonderful family members

We had a white German shepherd - cant understand why they are on the aggressive list she was such a dear until she passed of old age just like the lab.

I had a toy poodle as a kid - loved that dog but DF doesn't care for them....

I was really surprised about the Great Dane and the chihuahua on the aggressive list....

 

[TheBigBadWolf]

I'm totally in love with my male yorkie. After a life time of large breed dogs, he is my first toy breed, and he's wonderful, very much a cuddler. He loves people, never meets a stranger, and is very well trained. I keep his hair long, and do all of his grooming myself. Surprisingly, as long as he is bathed every week to ten days, I don't have to brush him in between baths, and he is gorgeous. Yorkies don't shed like most dogs. They have no undercoat.

Our dog is champion sired and over 3/4 of the dogs in his pedigree are champions, but he is a little long in the back which made him pet quality. His parents and grandparents have all been health tested for all diseases prevalent to the breed, which was very important to me when choosing a puppy. He has never been sick a day in his life, thank God and good breeding!

My only complaint about yorkies is they are harder to housebreak than a larger breed of dog. It took a month before ours was fully reliable in the house.

FWIW, we also raise horses and have a barn cat.

 

[scbelleatheart]

Shiloh Shepherd. Big goofy loveable 100+lb lap dogs. If you want cuddle then be careful what you wish for with this breed.

Why?