Help my friend find the "perfect" dog for her....

[grinningghost]

I am going with the Golden, too. IF, I ever get another dog, I will more than likely get a Golden.

The best thing about Goldens, is their intelligence. These dogs are so smart, you swear you have another person in your household. They learn fast, they know individual people's names, they will get something if you tell them to find it. It's really incredible.

All that, and they're lovable and cute.

 

[tiberius]

It seems to me that you are describing my dog--which is the Golden Retriever pictured below.

I would encourage you to check out local rescue groups of whatever breed you choose. They will generally have already made sure of the dog's health, and can give a good idea of the dog's temperment.

Your tag says you are near Philadelphia, so you could look at the Delaware Valley Golden Retriever Rescue to see what a rescue group could offer.

Whatever breed you decide upon, good luck!

 

[golfgal]

I have to say that we now have a Rat Terrier and she meets all the requirements (well, I don't know if she likes to swim yet because we haven't had the opportunity) except the size, she will only be about 15 lbs max. There is a line of Rat Terriers called Giant Decker Rat Terriers and they are in the 35-70 lb range.

Golden Retrievers are nice family dogs too. We had a Golden Lab that was a gem but boy did she SHED!

Is the large dog size for any particular reason or does she think smaller dogs are yippy?

 

[heart4pooh]

My Boxer fits all of those requirements, except I've never taken her swimming.
She has short hair, bred as a watch dog so she only barks to alert us, GREAT with kids, she's 75 lbs, and as fun as can be. Can you tell that I love her!!

 

[Jen_in_NH]

A Lab would be a good choice. We have a lab/shepard mix, and she is wonderful. She does shed, but not horribly. Only barks if someone comes in the house without one of us near the door.

Our other dog was a border collie / husky cross. He had quite a bit of energy, but if he went for a walk twice a day, he was fine. I've heard border collies are really energetic, but everyone i know who has a mixed breed says that isn't true. Really friendly dogs.

Jen

 

[chop456]

Well, the Leonberger is a bit bigger and will bark if not trained well. They also shed, so maybe it is not fitting into the requirements all that well. However, they are a wonderful breed. Check them out - we fell in love with the breed.

http://www.leonbergerclubofamerica.com/

 

[TurboKitty]

She might consider a Bulldog, if these requirements are ranked in order of importance.


1. Great with kids. This breed is WONDERFUL with kids.

2. Adult size of 50 - 100 pounds. Check, though an English Bullie male may be pushing the outer edge of that.

3. Not demanding of lots of exercise but likes to walk. One of the least exercise demanding dogs there ever was. They do like to walk...for about twenty feet.

4. IMPERATIVE..... not a barker! They generally do not bark just to bark or amuse themselves. They also make all sorts of humorously disgusting noises like snorts, snores and grunts. Most are just big clowns.

5. Can shed, but not HUGE amounts. Not a thick coated breed so there's not huge tufts of hair everywhere, but they do shed some.

6. A bonus if the dog likes to swim. Most of these guys do like water, especially in the summer. They do need extra attention though due to their wrinkles and folds.

 

[AtlantaSue]

We got our Golden in Dec. '04.
He is GREAT w/ kids.
He only barks occasionally (at horses, too!)
He currently weighs 90 lbs. (he's a BIG golden...)
He LOVES to swim!!!
He does not shed; I will say he went thru one shedding episode though -
I don't know if they shed their puppy fur, or if they do this every so
often - - but overall he doesn't shed.

I think a golden would be a good match!

 

[Skywalker]

My Boxer fits all of those requirements, except I've never taken her swimming.
She has short hair, bred as a watch dog so she only barks to alert us, GREAT with kids, she's 75 lbs, and as fun as can be. Can you tell that I love her!!

I was going to suggest Boxers too...I don't have one but I did a lot of research into great family dogs and they are ideal!

 

[gris gris]

I'm surprised no one mentioned a Portuguese Water Dog! Here's a link. Quite a bit like a standard poodle but a whole lot cuter (no pointy nose).

http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/portuguesewaterdog.htm

My vet tells me the standard poodle is the best breed for a family dog. I'm not into them though because I like the bully breeds. Our next dog will be a Boxer or an AmStaff.

 

[mrsv98]

'nuff said

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I've heard border collies are really energetic, but everyone i know who has a mixed breed says that isn't true. Really friendly dogs.

Jen

I do have to say that we have a border collie/ something else (possible terrier) mix. She is the sweetest dog in the world. LOVES KIDS!!! She hears kids playing and wants to say HI! I have arrived to be adored by you.
She does have lots of energy but it is focused to walks and her ball...we call her "ballzilla".

We also have a lab/golden retrevier/shepherd mix. He is a good dog, but has some kinks to work out. He doesn't "love" kids.

As far as shedding...it drives me nuts. What can you do? We brush the dogs & vacuum house & dust...Hair is everywhere.

If she doesn't want a shedding dog you have to get one with "hair", not fur.

 

[Papa Deuce]

Well, the Leonberger is a bit bigger and will bark if not trained well. They also shed, so maybe it is not fitting into the requirements all that well. However, they are a wonderful breed. Check them out - we fell in love with the breed.

http://www.leonbergerclubofamerica.com/

I know this breed. She can't afford to buy one. Would be a decent choice, though, except they are HUGE.

 

[DVC Sadie]

We have 2 Labrador Retrievers one who is yellow and the other chocolate who are wonderful dogs but are very heavy shedders. Our Boxer (who recently passed after 13 and a half years) was a wonderful dog who fits the OP to a tee except we actually had to teach her to swim. We used a childs swim (arm type) of floatie and put it on around her lower waist right above her butt. Everyday we let out a little more air until she did not need it anymore. Took about 5 days and presto, she could swim.

 

[chop456]

Wow! You've heard of the breed. They are becoming more popular, but are still not too well known in the States. We love them!

And yes, Leonberger's are huge. They are condsidered a giant breed, if I am not mistaken. Our Althea Later (aka Allie) was the runt of the litter and currently weights 120+. She has brothers that are 140-ish. This breed was perfect for us - great with kids, protective bark but harmless and no drooling! They are on the expensive side but great companions. I think we'll always have this breed of dog.

 

[chyam]

GREYHOUNDGREYHOUND!
This breed meets everything that you are asking for............They are not barkers, they shed almost nothing (alot of people that are allergic to dogs can own them) They are wonderful on a leash, they are already crate trained, they are very friendly, and can vary in size from 50-100lbs.
Contray to popular belief they do not have to have alot of room to exercise, a good run in a dog park or fenced in back yard once a week is sufficent, they love to walk and they are really huge couch potatoes! Most people that adopt them usually end up getting another one. The only negative is that they cannot take alot of heat or cold, since they only have a thin layer of body fat............check out greytalk.com and hear how many people love their greys. beside you will be saving a life. Also another perk is since you adopt them at different ages, the youngest probably around 2 they are pretty well house trained and well mannered.

 

[damo]

I'm surprised no one mentioned a Portuguese Water Dog! Here's a link. Quite a bit like a standard poodle but a whole lot cuter (no pointy nose).

http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/portuguesewaterdog.htm

We've got friends with a Portuguese Water Dog. What an absolutely amazing dog he is. So smart, yet so gentle with the kids. If I could have a big dog, that is definitely what I would get. They researched a long time to find a dog with the traits you have listed and finally decided upon the Portuguese Water Dog.

 

[Papa Deuce]

Wow! You've heard of the breed. They are becoming more popular, but are still not too well known in the States. We love them!

And yes, Leonberger's are huge. They are condsidered a giant breed, if I am not mistaken. Our Althea Later (aka Allie) was the runt of the litter and currently weights 120+. She has brothers that are 140-ish. This breed was perfect for us - great with kids, protective bark but harmless and no drooling! They are on the expensive side but great companions. I think we'll always have this breed of dog.

Oh yeah, if this dog were for me, I would LOVE a Leonberger. We actually wanted one about 6 years ago. But it was dang near impossible to find one and, if I remember, the one I did find, the owner wanted $3000 for it. YIKES.

I think she is focusing in on a standard poodle now, a breed she had NEVER considered.

 

[slyjly]

How about an Akita? Ours is about 87lbs. He has a thick coat and does shed some but not a lot, DH brushes him reg. He is VERY loyal, but has a very calm, quiet temperment. Our cocker spaniel is the yappy one -no manners and a shameless begger! But Deuce -that's our Akita's real name - rarely barks and has excellent manners. They can be hard headed, but if you are firm and consistant they are easily trained. They are beautiful dogs and come in various colors. They have Akita rescue socities, but I would recommend a puppy first. Ours was rescued (dognapped!) from a family member who could no longer keep him. If I didn't already have the cocker spaniel and a cat I would adopt another Akita!

 

[aunt kelly]

Our dog is a lab/german shepard/golden retriever mix. (That's a fancy way of saying she is a mutt). She is great w/ kids and doesn't shed much at all. She barks when strangers come to the door, but that makes me feel secure. (She doesn't bark just to be barking). She's big and she loves to walk. She does not like to swim, which is surprising to me because I thought all labs loved the water. She's a great companion and reminds us constantly how lucky we are that she adopted us! In my opinion, you just can't beat a mutt for companionship and loyalty.