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

[YCCS]

Pugs.

The good: Super happy playful little clowns. Love everyone. Kids adults cat's other dogs. Very friendly. Definite lap cuddlers. Extremely good natured. Little to no grooming required other than wiping nose folds. Spunky attitude. Cast iron stomach. Playful. Travel well. Very long life span.

The bad: grade 4 clingers. No concept of personal space or privacy. Sheds massively and constantly year round. Will eat anything not nailed down or red hot. They snore. When very excited they scream. Stubborn. Takes an act of God and a platoon of marines to trim their nails.

 

[DISNEYSQUIRRELS]

Corgi!!
The good: smart & loyal with an adorable behind
The bad: shedding & herding you around
Ema & Charley, we love them!!

 

[Mirielle]

TOY POODLE

Good: Off the chart smart! No shedding or doggy odor.

Bad: Grooming cost. Many people think Poodles are good with children. Some are, some aren't. I've had Toy Poodles since '71 and have seen every personality type. Just like with people...every one is different.

 

[Hisgirl]

Some of yall's comments about grooming brought back memories of when I owned Shih Tzus. I had forgotten about the cost, the worry and the obligation of taking a dog to a groomer. Once, I went to get her and the groomer said she wasn't ready. Yeah...she hadn't awaken from the drugs! Ugh. I'm glad that now I just have to brush and trim the bedroom shoes off their feet. No more groomers who are going to strangle my dog with a rope around its neck or drug them to do trims. Never again! I was surprised at the comments by the Golden Doodle, with groomers turning her away? How come?

 

[Sydney2977]

Our first dog Ashley was a black lab/pit bull mix adopted from the SPCA. We got her at 6 months and she passed away a few years ago just shy of 15.

Good: loving, protective (when my husband was deployed she'd take over as the "man of the house"), obedient, great with people and especially kids
Bad: she thought she was a lap dog, but at 60lb. she could really squish you, and despite being a lab she never liked to fetch or play ball
Ugly: nothing really, except the year before she passed she started having accidents around the house, so if we were gone for a while we'd crate her



We adopted Hannah from the SPCA when she was 1 and Ashley was about 11. She is a pit/Dalmatian mix, or as we call her a Pitmatian.

Good: loving and protective, wants to be everyone's friend, super snuggly- while Ashley used to get in bed with us, Hannah insists on sleeping with me every night, curled right up on me! loves to play fetch!
Bad: the licking- she wants to lick everyone as a greeting! she also does the pitiful puppy dog eyes when you're eating hoping you'll give her some! she has really strong jaws and needs to chew but will destroy most normal toys- Kongs work great though
Ugly: the heightened terrier prey drive is in her, and she's normally friendly around other dogs who are also friendly, but if another dog she is meeting is not well socialized or acts aggressive she reacts back and with those teeth and jaws we worry it could get ugly- so we are very careful with her around other dogs we don't know



Since Ashley passed we have tried twice to have Hannah boarded where we always took them. The first time she didn't eat well and after a week had noticeably lost weight. The second time she was having so much anxiety and trying to get out that she was jumping up and almost strangled herself when left for a minute in the outside fenced yard. We have to take us with her or have a neighbor take care of her now.

 

[luvavacation]

I have had a German Shepherd in my life since I was 1 year old. Presently, I have 2, an 8 year old plush-coated female and a 5 year old plush-coated male. They are as different as night and day.

Female -

Good - the most devoted and affectionate dog I have ever been blessed to know (ok, GSDs are loyal and affectionate, but she had a bad start and is bonded to me as no other dog has bonded before). She will give her life in an instant to save her pack, and that includes her cats. She is also a great judge of character, and if she does not want you near her pack, there is a reason for that. Smart as can be, which in her youth meant that we were always aware of needing to remain Alpha. I happen to like a dog that does not let me get complacent with obedience, so she is perfect for me.

Bad - Her fears! she was malnourished and frightened of everything when she came to us at 14 weeks old. A pillow fell of the sofa, she would jump out of her skin, soil herself, and try to run away. Years of patience and she is better, but she will never be the typical confident GSD. Her need as a puppy to always lay against me, with her head near my heart, became a nuisance, but I miss that as she started to feel more secure. Also, her prey drive is beyond anything I have ever experienced! In her prime no squirrel stood a chance! She has even caught crows as they flew out of my garden! This also meant that she chased down visiting children (not to hurt them, she just wanted to have playmates, but if you didn't know her, that could be frightening!). That we were never able to train out of her, so she had to be on a leash until she calmed down. Also, the shedding! Plush coated, wavy haired German Shepherd fur is always present, everywhere.

Ugly - The ugliest is the hereditary diseases of GSDs. She is dying, and though she has not given up yet, we know the end is very near. I hate that.


Male -

Good - typical confident, goofy, adorable, protective German Shepherd. He is huge, all of 114 pounds, and plush-coated so he looks even larger. He loves being with his sister dog, but his humans are always in sight. He wants always to please, and when I call him to me for training, he starts to go through all the commands on his own just to get his treats (I have to mix up the commands on him!). My boy does not have a bad-natured bone in his body. If I could have 10 of him, I would be thrilled. Those that don't know him, fear him and his deep bark (great protection), but the second I accept you, he is a big cuddly hunk of fur that just wants a nice rub behind the ears.

Bad - Teeny tiny bladder. How does such a huge dog have such a small bladder? My female could probably hold it all day, but my boy, he could pee every hour given the chance. Then there is the shedding! Sure, the plush, wavy hair is everywhere, but now add it to the body of a 114 pound dog, and there is even more of it! Also, his need to save us from the evil pool. He will dive under the water to try to pull us up when we dive down. Claw marks from a frantic dog under the water when you are trying to grab more rings than your husband in a pool game is no fun! His sister will just watch from the stairs because she is smarter than him and knows we are fine!

Ugly - as long as he stays healthy, there is no ugly with him. Ok, his gas is awful, but if he lives a healthy 15 years, then no ugly here.

 

[lovin'fl]

We have a cairn terrier, Woody, who will be 12 soon. The pic is him right now, called awake from his nap....



The good... very friendly with people and kids. He is easy to pick up and carry, give a bath to (though he hates it, but I can maneuver him easily). Not very high energy, big couch potato. Likes the car. Doesn't shed too much and is somewhat hypoallergenic.

The bad...stubborn, if he doesn't want to go left, we don't go left. Had terrible teeth and stinky breath and has had several dental surgeries that cost $$$$. He hates his mouth, face, paws being messed with and has been kicked out of a couple groomers so I have to groom and he is not cooperative and gets nippy. He is also overly attached to DH and then me....too clingy and needy. We used to have another dog and he was better then. But now he has to be with us at all times and when we leave he sits by the door waiting for us. He even sleeps in our room (was in our bed but he's been restless at night lately so I kick him out of bed).

The ugly...barking. He yaps and yaps at everything if we leave door open where he can see out storm door. If we sit on porch with him, same. When I walk him he barks aggressively at other dogs and snaps at them. We live in townhome and I have to walk him and there is doggy area right outside our front door so there is constant dogs being walked there and he just gles nuts and it's embarrassing. Same when I take him to the vet.

 

[lovin'fl]

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.

I get it. My twins, my youngest, were freshman in college this year and thank heavens for our dog. Maybe that's why he's become so needy. I have put all my mommy attention on him. DH is even worse. Now, he will be 12 and has been having issues so I expect we won't have much longer with him....maybe 2 more years at most (just my gut feeling). I have been thinking and talking about a pet after he's gone. DH says no more. He wants the freedom to be able to pack up the car and go (DDs college is 9 hours away, family is 5 hours away, WDW is 9 hours away...). I then made concession and said 'how about a cat?' to which he has also said NO. Booo. It will be lonely here when my Woody boy is gone. If I were to get another dog, I'd likely adopt a greyhound as that seems to match my lifestyle most (no grooming, no barking, big couch potato). I love corgis but have a neighbor with 2 and they bark incessantly like my Woody boy. And they shed terribly.

 

[disneyeveryyear]

Rin my 14 month old SPoo (Standard Poodle) her coloring is called a tuxedo poodle
Good: extremely intelligent, beautiful, no shed, hypo-allergenic, extremely attached to me (poodles are known to be velcro dogs), comfortable with other dogs,
Bad: not a cuddler, barks when any unusual noise is made, or she is startled, or sees anything out a window, has so much energy that even walks don't take care of it so she goes to doggy daycare 3-4 days per week, distracted recall is non-existant - trainer says it will take a shock collar to do this, can eat all kinds of crappy people food (from my DH who gives her cheetos, chips, etc) with no intestinal distress, but heaven forbid I give her all natural Trader Joe dog treats (those upset her stomach)
Ugly: Cost of grooming every 4 weeks. I spend more on her every year to get her hair done than I spend on myself.

She is also the replacement for children who have flown the nest. We have been married 30 years and this was our first dog (my DH is not a dog person). When my youngest was heading to college last year I told my DH I was getting a dog (didn't ask his permission as I used the $ from my inheritance to purchase her, pay for all first year shots, etc, and to outfit our house (gates, crates). My DD19 loves her to death after her initial irritation that I was "replacing her." It took over 6 months but DH is starting to become attached too.

 

[lovin'fl]

View attachment 324167 View attachment 324168 Corgi!!
The good: smart & loyal with an adorable behind
The bad: shedding & herding you around
Ema & Charley, we love them!!

Adorable! How are they with barking?

 

[DISNEYSQUIRRELS]

Adorable! How are they with barking?

Thank you!! We are lucky, they are not barkers unless they get playing or go into protection mode.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Some of yall's comments about grooming brought back memories of when I owned Shih Tzus. I had forgotten about the cost, the worry and the obligation of taking a dog to a groomer. Once, I went to get her and the groomer said she wasn't ready. Yeah...she hadn't awaken from the drugs! Ugh. I'm glad that now I just have to brush and trim the bedroom shoes off their feet. No more groomers who are going to strangle my dog with a rope around its neck or drug them to do trims. Never again! I was surprised at the comments by the Golden Doodle, with groomers turning her away? How come?

The grooming piece has been my biggest challenge in owning a small dog! I'd read the stories about pet abuse and even deaths, so I worked hard to find reputable and kind, but knowledgeable groomers. I even started doing it myself for a while, buying all the equipment, including a table, but it wasn't something I really enjoyed doing. (Though I did start collecting names of people who asked who groomed my dog because they loved his hair, so I said that if I ever started doing it on the side, I'd call them, lol.)

If I found out anyone illegally drugged my dog, there would be he [double hockeysticks] to pay! I would work to shut them down.

One groomer I found to be mean, and never went back. I regretted going to her because she was rough, and it impacted my dog. Another one I found was decent, but one day the dog came home from the groomer's and wasn't acting himself. We thought something was really wrong, and we were all scratching our heads. Then the groomer called to say they'd given us the wrong dog! (His twin, apparently!) Since then I've found someone very kind who is "all natural"; doesn't even use cages. His coat isn't exactly right, but it's more important to me that he's treated well. We prepare him for going to the groomer's the day before by giving him a nice bath at home and brushing him out when he's dry so it's easier on him to have his undercoat removed and top coat trimmed. I can see why a lot of people shave their Cairns, but I like the protection from the elements and brush in the yard his coat affords him (he's in the woods and underbrush a lot), as well as the look of the natural coat. I think the key is staying on top of it and trying not to let it get too long.

With all that said, though, it's not just small dogs that go to groomers. Lots of large dogs go, too. I used to take my German Shepherds sometimes because they blew their coats out and it helped with the shedding. (Or sometimes we'd DIY at Petco and use their blower ourselves, too.) I've read about cases of dogs who've died from overheating (i.e. being left in cage to dry with a heated blower directed on them) and some of those were large dogs, so it's not just small dogs who have this challenge - just for people reading here who are thinking about what type of dog to get. Dogs and their hair are a challenge almost no matter what type of dog you get, it seems - either you have shedding, odors, skin issues or grooming challenges, unfortunately. Short haired dogs may seem easy, but if you, say, have a white short haired dog, you're apt to find little white dog hairs embedded in everything you own! I've come to appreciate the breed we have now that doesn't shed - even if we have the other issue. For the first time in my life I actually have no dog hairs all over my car! (Which is good because the rug and seating are black!)

 

[Shellsbutt]

View attachment 324167 View attachment 324168 Corgi!!
The good: smart & loyal with an adorable behind
The bad: shedding & herding you around
Ema & Charley, we love them!!

Yes!! Corgis!! They are so adorable. I've wanted one for so long but we have 3 cats. How are they with cats and is it best to get two of them? Unfortunately, I don't have much experience with dogs-grew up with only cats as that was my parents preference. My husband had a black lab that died shortly after I moved in with him. Then when my older son was little, I adopted a rottweiler/german shepherd mix that I had give away because it bit my son in the face. So I haven't had much luck with dogs.

 

[DISNEYSQUIRRELS]

Yes!! Corgis!! They are so adorable. I've wanted one for so long but we have 3 cats. How are they with cats and is it best to get two of them? Unfortunately, I don't have much experience with dogs-grew up with only cats as that was my parents preference. My husband had a black lab that died shortly after I moved in with him. Then when my older son was little, I adopted a rottweiler/german shepherd mix that I had give away because it bit my son in the face. So I haven't had much luck with dogs.

I'm sorry about your son, that must have been very scary.
We don't have any cats, so I'm not sure how they would be around them.
We had another corgi boy, Winston for 13 years, but sadly he died last year. He liked being an only child
We said that when the time came, we would get 2. We were very lucky to find Ema (the black one) & Charley (the blond) in our area from 2 different homes that were each looking to re-home them. It was like a gift!
The first couple of days were a little rocky with them getting used to each other. Ema is a MAJOR toy lover & did not want to share her toys.
They now love each other, but Ema is still the boss!

 

[wgeo]

Some of yall's comments about grooming brought back memories of when I owned Shih Tzus. I had forgotten about the cost, the worry and the obligation of taking a dog to a groomer. Once, I went to get her and the groomer said she wasn't ready. Yeah...she hadn't awaken from the drugs! Ugh. I'm glad that now I just have to brush and trim the bedroom shoes off their feet. No more groomers who are going to strangle my dog with a rope around its neck or drug them to do trims. Never again! I was surprised at the comments by the Golden Doodle, with groomers turning her away? How come?

I've got the goldendoodle - and the problem is they are really high energy which just makes the job harder for the groomer. And they generally have a ridiculous amount of hair, and it's not all the same. Sometimes their coats can be loose and wavy and sometimes it's a tight curly coat. And I was told more than once that owner's don't do a good job of keeping them combed and that they always come in with a lot of matts that the groomer then has to shave off and the owner gets upset. I heard that one from 3 people. The average size of a standard goldendoodle is over 50 pounds so that is a lot of dog to cut.

I had some groomers flat out refuse, even after I told them mine was only 40 pounds. A few told me they would do goldendoodles, but they limit it to one a day so there is often a wait to get in, and every single one that agreed upped their price by over $20 when they heard the breed.

Pretty crazy - so I just learned how to groom her myself instead. It's a lot of work - but I know she's being treated well and I don't have to pay an insane price for it.

 

[Disney1fan2002]

HUSKY:

The BEST: unlimited kisses and adoration.
the GOOD: Extremely easy to train, very intelligent (see BAD also)
the BAD: so intelligent, it is hard to pull one over on them. Stubborn as an Ox.
the UGLY: extremely vocal when they want something. Won't take no or being ignored. They get louder and louder. Makes trying to have a conversation difficult if she is interrupting.

LOVE HER TO PIECES. I can't imagine our life without her in it. She makes us laugh all day, everyday.