The Good, the Bad, the Ugly of Your Dog's Breed

[tink1970]

My english bulldog (see sig) is my heart.

Good-sweet, loyal, loving, cute if you like bulldog mugs (clearly I do). Sensitive to my moods and I swear understands English!

Bad-She has a heart condition and at 9 months old was given a lifespan of 2-6 years. She turns 6 in September. Has allergies which makes it hard(er) for her to breathe. Stubborn and although she can't swim loves running around the pool and "thinks" about jumping in. Currently pouting we haven't brought out her floaties (she has dog floats and is transported around the pool by her loyal subject (me). Addicted to Greenies. Paws your leg with fat paws and sharp claws if you ignore her. Hogs the bed (snoring, of course).

Ugly-Those adorable folds around her nose (and less adorable around stumpy tail) need to be cleaned regularly. If you're not a dog with folds person the waxy dirty stinky stuff can be kind of gross (after 20+ years of bulldogs I'm immune).

 

[WDWBarb]

My last dog was a GSD.

The good - loyal, loving, protective. I loved her like crazy. She would have walked through fire for my family.

The bad - crazy high energy for the first four years. Hip dysplasia. Tore her ACL easily. Died of cancer. I was told it's common in the breed. Broke my heart into pieces. My first dog to have cancer.

A few months later I rescued a bonded pair. A mutt (terrier mix of some kind) and a Chihuahua.

The Chihuahua -

The good. She's the most loving affectionate, entertaining dog in the world. She's was around 8 when I adopted her and she is perfect.

The bad. Chihuahuas have terrible teeth. And just after I got her, I found out she has cancer. We're fighting it. So the other part of the bad is Chihuahuas make you love them beyond reason. And they are prone to cancer. I hate cancer.

The terrier mix - silly, goofy, smart, funny, sweet ... not a bad thing about her. She doesn't even shed. And she's blessedly healthy.

 

[wenrob]

I have 2 golden retrievers.

The Good: Everything. They are literally the best dogs in the world.
The Bad: They are prone to cancer, 60% of goldens die of cancer. Sadly, we found out last week that our older one, Katy who is 10 has hemangiosarcoma in her shoulder and we are heartbroken.

Awe, I’m so sorry. My brother and SIL lost both their Goldens to different kinds of cancer about three months apart.

 

[Jennasis]

Blue Tick Coonhound

The Good: She is snuggly as all get out. Seriously, everyone who meets her decides they must have one LOL. She is so well behaved. Just a good girl. No shedding. She's s very clean dog. Despite her breeding as a hunting dog she has shown no inclination toward chasing any varmints, including the one raccoon that made its way into our yard.

The Bad: She doesn't bark...she bays. AhhhOOoooh!!! And when she does, the whole world knows. Luckily I live on a farm with no neighbors.

The Ugly: Breath that could stop a rampaging rhino. Bad teeth...hence the bad breath. As a scent-hound she has terrible recall...so if she catches the scent of something she is just gone. We keep her in our fenced yard.



Greyhound

The Good: They don't shed much (unless they're nervous). They don't bark...are quiet and clean. They don't really even like to run. It's like having a very big cat around. They can fold up like a Transformer LOL and fit in the tiniest of spaces. She is crazy snugly too. She loves sleeping in our bed. Greyhounds make GREAT apartment dogs. Smart and friendly nad typically love people.

The Bad: TERRIBLE recall. As a sight hound they cannot be let off leash or in an unfenced area EVER.

The Ugly: They have issues with sedation so you have to be careful with surgeries.

 

[katie01]

I have 2 golden retrievers.

The Good: Everything. They are literally the best dogs in the world.
The Bad: They are prone to cancer, 60% of goldens die of cancer. Sadly, we found out last week that our older one, Katy who is 10 has hemangiosarcoma in her shoulder and we are heartbroken.

I am so sorry to hear about your sweet pup's cancer I hope she will still have some quality and pain-free time with you all. What a beautiful picture that is in the top photo

 

[ols386]

Staffordshire Terrier
That’s just a nice way of saying pit bull. I cringe even saying it, because they get a bad rap. Her name is Molly, and she’s a rescue dog.

Honestly though, she’s one of the best dogs I’ve ever had, and I’ve had a lot of dogs through the years, and lots of different breeds and some mutts.

Good: She likes everyone including other dogs, she’s cuddly, she’s healthy, minds very well, comes when we call her, and she’s smart

Bad: She’s all muscle so if she jumps up on us when we are not expecting it, she could easily knock us down. She can be stubborn at times. She likes to lick our skin and her own paws.

 

[bethwc101]

Just out of curiosity, I'm wondering how much it costs to feed them every month? Keep in mind I had a small 35 pound dog for 15 years and we bought him a new bag of dog food maybe every 6 weeks.

We go through approx. 30 lbs a week.

 

[Hisgirl]

I'm sooo very sorry about your dogs with cancer. We lost an Aussie to cancer at the age of 7 and it broke my heart. We keep our back yard clear of toxins but not sure what else we can do.

The greyhound folding like a transformer,....LOL!!! That is so great!

All the shedding!! I took this picture of our late great chocolate lab last year after a good brushing.

 

[Soldier's*Sweeties]

Boxer

Good: Sweet boy, wants to please, wiggle butt

Bad: Snorting, snoring, reverse sneezing, hacking, weird skin issues

 

[DisneyMomx7]

Bichon- ****zu Mix

The good - the most loving and loyal dog in the world. Loves to cuddle. They are called teddy bear dogs because of the way they look and the fact that they are so cuddly. My 90 year old mom lives with us and he lays by her feet and is like her "guard dog". Was the easiest dog ever to train!

The bad - he cannot (or will not) walk down stairs. He can walk up just fine but we have to carry him down the stairs. Strangely enough I know two other people who have this breed of dog and they also cannot walk down stairs! Also is a little OCD and has to run around the kitchen table 3 times before we take him out!

The ugly - he is a barker!

 

[kimblebee]

This is a great thread, I hope it gets a million responses..

I make no secret of the fact that I’m not a dog person. In reality, I think it’s just our dog because he doesn’t act like a dog (no fetch, doesn’t like toys, needs too much attention).

Anyway...

I have recently really been thinking about getting another dog. Like, this is out of left field. I told my husband and daughter and they were literally speechless. Last night, it dawned on me why I’m feeling like this.

My daughter is graduating this year and I think within a year she’ll be moving out. Guys, I’m trying to find something to take her place. Yes I have a husband, but it’s not the same (lol). I need something that I can train and love and basically replace her. I’m pathetic.

I did also tell her that if I had a uterus, I’d be in trouble LOL
I believe that’s why so many couples have later in life babies..to fill the quickly emptying nest.

That’s my confession for today. I’m stalking this thread in hopes of reading the perfect description for my replacement daughter.

 

[Cadiewampus]

I have 2 golden retrievers.

The Good: Everything. They are literally the best dogs in the world.
The Bad: They are prone to cancer, 60% of goldens die of cancer. Sadly, we found out last week that our older one, Katy who is 10 has hemangiosarcoma in her shoulder and we are heartbroken.


I

 

[Cadiewampus]

ok not sure what happened but my reply did not show up and it would not let me delete.

I was saying to sheisgoingtodisney
I feel your pain. We had golden as well. He was about 6 when we had to put him down this March. He had osteosarcoma. He was the sweetest and goofiest dog. We have some friends with goldens and one of theirs has cancer as well. I would like another one someday but not sure we can go through that again.

 

[wgeo]

[GALLERY=][/GALLERY]

Goldendoodle, she's 2 years old

Pros: friendliest dog I’ve ever met, likes to play with other dogs but loves to play with people more, smart easily trainable, doesn’t shed very much at all

Cons : grooming is crazy, had multiple groomers flat out turn me down when they heard the breed, separation anxiety that was insane at first although it is really improved, gets startled easily

eek - sorry about the picture size lol

 

[Hopscotch]

OMG that's the cutest dog ever!!!!

Thank you!! We think so too!

 

[pigletto]

I'm sooo very sorry about your dogs with cancer. We lost an Aussie to cancer at the age of 7 and it broke my heart. We keep our back yard clear of toxins but not sure what else we can do.

The greyhound folding like a transformer,....LOL!!! That is so great!

All the shedding!! I took this picture of our late great chocolate lab last year after a good brushing.
View attachment 324058

That is a fantastic picture!!!

We have a chocolate lab and what is mostly yellow lab but definitely mixed with hound.

The Good- They are beyond kind and loving and patient. I trust them and their temperament at all times. They are just lovely kind souls and adore us. We are so lucky to have them in our lives.

The Bad- I have one who was a rescue and he hates being left alone. He’s crate trained but I don’t want to leave him in the crate if we will be out all afternoon so I have to hide EVERYTHING. He is extremely desctructive when we go out and immediately looks for things to chew. We just put away everything , and leave out toys. We learned the hard way. The chocolate lab is the food thief. There is not a damn thing we can do to train it out of him. He’s just not given the opportunity anymore. He goes to his crate for meal times unless it’s just my husband and I because we block him.

The UGLY.. Dear lord, the hair. So.much.hair. The chocolate lab is getting his summer coat so it comes out in big handfuls but that’s nowhere near as bad as the hound mix. He sheds one hair at a time all day long, every day. I don’t know how he isn’t bald. Brushing doesn’t do much, and I have to vacuum 1300 sq feet EVERY DAY. It’s been slightly better since we switched his food but not much. We feed him some of the most expensive single protein , grain free, poultry free food we can find and he gets Reactine every day and that makes it manageable. Our vet suspects food allergies and environmental allergies. So yeah.. the ugly would be how allergic this breed is. It’s crazy.

This is a great thread because people don’t realize the serious expenses or health issues or behaivour issues that can come from a particular dog breed. Too many end up in shelters because people didn’t do their research. Once these two walked in our doors they became family and we work with all of their issues ,just like we do for the human family members.

 

[Adelle Dazeem]

I have an American Cocker Spaniel - Lucy aka Lucy Brown or Lucy Brown Dog.

Good - She's is truly the best dog I have ever had. She has an amazing temperament - something my last cocker didn't have. She is just wonderful. Honestly, I think she is just beautiful. Her color is a red sable (not recognized by AKC so she could never be shown) and she reminds everyone of Lady - you know the movie! She is a petite cocker - weighed only 14ish pounds most of her life. She is 14 years old now and slowed down quite a bit, but in her younger days, she had the perfect amount of energy for our family. Happy to go on a walk, happy to curl up on the couch, happy to play some fetch, happy to run around on the beach. Now I get excited if she actually is able to run - she is really starting to show her age and the thought of losing her is just heartbreaking.

Bad - the grooming required. She requires a full grooming every 8 weeks max. Also, the spaniel ears are always an issue. Lucy hasn't had too many issues, but my cockers in the past have always had issues with ear infections. Because spaniel ears are furry on both sides, it's really hard for them to dry out of they get wet and they get infected.

Ugly - not related to her breed, but she developed Cushings Disease a few years ago. She's on medication on a daily basis and ever few months, has to have blood work done which ranges anywhere form $400-600. Cushings can also affect coat, but we haven't had any issues with that.

 

[wgeo]

I have an American Cocker Spaniel - Lucy aka Lucy Brown or Lucy Brown Dog.

Good - She's is truly the best dog I have ever had. She has an amazing temperament - something my last cocker didn't have. She is just wonderful. Honestly, I think she is just beautiful. Her color is a red sable (not recognized by AKC so she could never be shown) and she reminds everyone of Lady - you know the movie! She is a petite cocker - weighed only 14ish pounds most of her life. She is 14 years old now and slowed down quite a bit, but in her younger days, she had the perfect amount of energy for our family. Happy to go on a walk, happy to curl up on the couch, happy to play some fetch, happy to run around on the beach. Now I get excited if she actually is able to run - she is really starting to show her age and the thought of losing her is just heartbreaking.

Bad - the grooming required. She requires a full grooming every 8 weeks max. Also, the spaniel ears are always an issue. Lucy hasn't had too many issues, but my cockers in the past have always had issues with ear infections. Because spaniel ears are furry on both sides, it's really hard for them to dry out of they get wet and they get infected.

Ugly - not related to her breed, but she developed Cushings Disease a few years ago. She's on medication on a daily basis and ever few months, has to have blood work done which ranges anywhere form $400-600. Cushings can also affect coat, but we haven't had any issues with that.

We had a cockerpoo for 15 years whose only real health issue was constant ear infections. I'm sure you already have a system, but just in case - after many years of vet visits and ear medicine I came across Zymox - Ear Solution HC 0.5%, I can get it off of Amazon, and I used it once a week on my cockerpoo and he never had an ear infection again. Been using it on my goldendoodle with the big floppy ears and we haven't had any issues yet. Just throwing that out there in case someone hasn't heard about it. It has saved us a significant amount of money in vet visits for ear infections.

 

[J'aime Paris]

This is a great thread, I hope it gets a million responses..

I make no secret of the fact that I’m not a dog person. In reality, I think it’s just our dog because he doesn’t act like a dog (no fetch, doesn’t like toys, needs too much attention).

Anyway...

I have recently really been thinking about getting another dog. Like, this is out of left field. I told my husband and daughter and they were literally speechless. Last night, it dawned on me why I’m feeling like this.

My daughter is graduating this year and I think within a year she’ll be moving out. Guys, I’m trying to find something to take her place. Yes I have a husband, but it’s not the same (lol). I need something that I can train and love and basically replace her. I’m pathetic.

I did also tell her that if I had a uterus, I’d be in trouble LOL
I believe that’s why so many couples have later in life babies..to fill the quickly emptying nest.

That’s my confession for today. I’m stalking this thread in hopes of reading the perfect description for my replacement daughter.

That's me in a nutshell!!
(Except we already have 2 dogs and a cat.)

When my DD moved to college last August, I was at a loss of what to do with that extra time. She's my only child.
Our pets became my "children".

We already spoiled the crap out of the animals, but I took it to a whole other level. These animals have never had so many baths, walks, cute outfits, kisses, photos taken and trips to the pet store for goodies

It's mutually beneficial....I love to baby them, and they sure enjoy it too!!!

 

[J'aime Paris]

Barney is a Teddy Bear, bishon and Shih-tzu mix.
Good---my snuggle buddy, friendly personality and just easy.
Bad---Has an independent streak, where he won't listen. Especially when outside, I'll call and call. He comes when he wants!
Ugly---Bad teeth/bad breath!! I brush them and it's still gross! Poor guy!

Hatley is a white lab.
Good---so gosh darn smart! Trained incredibly easy! Aims to please and is so happy. She legitimately smiles!
Bad---So gosh darn smart! Got her into trouble as a puppy, as she was curious and a bit destructive. Over that phase thankfully!
Ugly---Nothing. She's a great girl!