Big Paws Only Dog Forums
BPO Introduction Forum => Introduce Yourself to the Forum => : Arvay May 23, 2006, 03:20:31 PM
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I'm Arvay, and I am so glad I stumbled on this site for giant dog lovers! I currently live in Mountain View, California, but I am moving to Fairbanks, Alaska at the end of July. After we've ("we" referring to my boyfriend, two large cantankerous rabbits, and self) settled down somewhere, we will be looking for a giant doggy pal.
I'd lovelovelove to have a St. Bernard, Newfie, Leonberger, or just anything in the giantslobberyh uggableloveabl e bigbrowneyes category, but I think it'd be more practical for my lifestyle to have something leaner so he can run and do long hikes with me (I am an avid hiker). So... I've decided that my ideal dog would be a mix of (Newfie, St. Bernard, or Bernese Mountain Dog) and (lab, golden, border collie, Aussie, or anything on the leaner, more active, but still good-natured side of dogdom).
I will be a full-time student in Alaska, which means that I will have irregular hours and will be able to be home sometimes during the day for visits and walks. Does this sound like a reasonable plan and a reasonable choice of dog do you guys?
I'd appreciate any feedback and help. Also, if anyone here is in the Fairbanks area, I'd appreciate a vet recommendation . Thank you, and nice to meet you! \
*edit* I guess you could form a better opinion of my dog choice if you know my dog background--I grew up with a sweet, gentle Pomeranian, a berserk Chihuahua, a loopy, but extremely charismatic German Shepherd, and a Belgian Sheepdog of more moderate qualities! I haven't had a dog as an adult, but frequently babysat a Keeshond and found him to be a bigger version of the Pom--sweet and intuitive and loving and intelligent. :)
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Howdy and welcome to BPO ! I used to live by Anchorage for three years :) I had a husky and he was the *best* hiking buddy ever ! And you're in luck cuz there's huskies for sale EVERYWHERE in AK ! LOL Or maybe you could check the Humane Society and find a good mixed dog there than needs to be rescued , I have a rescue Newfoundland/Border Collie mix and he loves to go on long hikes as well ! But , my purebred Newfie does just as good so maybe it depends more on the dog itself rather than the breed ??? Either way , keep in touch so we can see who you decided on !
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Hello & welcome to BPO!!...I'm Chelle & my puppers are Samson & Pippin who are both Great Pyrenees & would detest hiking...lol.. .& Rosie who is a Kuvasz mix & would love hiking! I have two cranky butt bunnies too!...They are house bunns & they are Jack (probably a Holland Lop) & Jill a ill tempered brown & white Dutch...Welcom e to BPO! :)
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Welcome!!!
You should definately get a rottweiler! Not because they are great athletes or really for any reason other than that they are so darn CUTE!!!
OK I'm mostly kidding, but really you will get as many votes on here for the perfect breed as there are big paw owners...we LOVE our critters on here!
Good luck and oh oh oh I have a great idea, a friend of mine has a retriever/rotty mix and that is a WONDERFUL dog!
;D
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Hi there! I am Marissa from Kansas and am mom to Zoey and Alaskan Malamute and Dolly a Saint Bernard. I hope you love this site! It's a great place. I think the dog for you may be a Greater Swiss Mountain Dog. Leaner than a Bernese Mountain Dog, but just as loving and good-natured, the Swissie is a breed that's beautiful and big! I don't think a Saint like my Dolly would be good for long hikes. After 1 mile, she's huffing and puffing! A husky is a good choice too, but I wouldn't advise one if it will be home alone for long hours. Just like my Malamute, I've heard they can be very destructive when bored and unattended! A Greater Swiss Mountain Dog is the first thing that came to my mind, but that doesn't mean it's the best fit for you. Maybe a mutt is best! A Kuvasz comes to my mind too, as a recommendation! Whatever you get, let us know about your choice! We love pictures too! Welcome again to Big Paws Only!
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Wow, thanks for the warm welcome everyone!
I have two cranky butt bunnies too!...They are house bunns & they are Jack (probably a Holland Lop) & Jill a ill tempered brown & white Dutch...
No kidding? Well, you will have to help me out with introduction tips, when the time comes! Why do rabbits have such terrible tempers?
Or maybe you could check the Humane Society and find a good mixed dog there than needs to be rescued
That's the plan!
I have a rescue Newfoundland/Border Collie mix
Oh Lord, I am DYING of envy! :) My Petfinder searches for the combos I've had my eye on have turned up some beauties, and I've been tempted to get my pal now (he'd be so much fun on the road trip!), although I know it'd be totally impractical, and a big hassle while house-hunting and starting the new schedule and settling in the cantankerous rabbit-beasties. All the same, these two totally caught my eye. Good thing they are so far away!
http://search.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=5819262
http://search.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=4894279?petid=6008171?petid=6073399
The description on the first one! Oh Lord, it sounds like he was made just for me! fuzzy fuzzy fuzzy! Bwah! *faints*
You should definately get a rottweiler! Not because they are great athletes or really for any reason other than that they are so darn CUTE!!!
;D Well if that were my sole criterion (if I lived in a perfect world, eh?) I'd totally get a Newfie. No question. One look at that big, slobbery hugmonster and it's over for me! :)
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Welcome! I'm Tessie, mom to Belladonna, a Great Dane, and Mojo, my cat. I'm in South Alabama, so I'm on the other side of the world!! ;D
Good luck with your decision and search. There are so many homeless dogs who could fit your description and I'm sure you will find one that will be just perfect! :)
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Welcome to the group! I thought I was maybe losing it cause I saw one of your posts on another thread...and I was wondering if I had missed the "hello". So Hi! I'm Abby and I currently serve 2 danes (Bella and Foster) and 1 pyr (Baloo). I also have a million other critters here in south AL. However, I don't have rabbits yet. I'll be getting some soon but they're to be Californians and Florida Whites - meat rabbits.
You need a dane...more specifically, one like Bella. She's like the Energizer Bunny. And she's got that "bigbrowneyed" look going down pat. However, she's not fuzzy so in winter you'd have to get her a coat and boots. ;D
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Welcome!
I love my Teddy, but we got him because he was LAZY - LOL! Not exactly what you're looking for, eh??
I've always loved the bigger hounds - like wolfhounds and deerhounds. They would have the energy for those long hikes and they definitely fall in the "giantslobberyh u ggableloveable bigbrowneyes category" LOL!
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Whatever you decide, I'm sure you will have a wonderful lifelong companion! I can't wait to hear all about him/her!
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I'd definitely suggest wolfhounds...t hey are so cool. There are three in Kali's puppy class and they are such loves. The woman owns a huge property and she lets them run for at least a half hour every day. But they love people and just want to be with her or somebody. The puppies Ghandi and Toby are very excitable but Fin the old man is so good and has perfect mannners. My brother has pictures so I'll try to get ahold of them to post them for you.
Newfs definitely are awesome but a mix sounds like it'd be best for your lifestyle or you could always get a hyper dog to go hiking and have a newf to stay home and welcome you back!!!
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Hi! Welcome aboard! I'm Amy and I am mom to Dell, a White German Shepherd/Lab mix. We live in the Seattle area.
Whatever you get, I would suggest you get it from the shelter or rescue (it appears that you already plan on this. :D)
Make sure you post pics when you get your new buddy! We're all about the pics here!
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Saint and Mal mom, you mean this?
http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/greaterswissmountain.htm
Wow, he is adorable! He looks very huggable, too! Not too many of him turn up on Petfinder though, just like not too many Leonbergers show up, which is why I've kind of discounted them both. I'm sure that when the time comes, I won't be doing any specific breed searches at all, though--I'll just be marching through the humane society and the dog rescues and see whom I find that seems to fit the bill!
I used to volunteer at the SPCA when I was growing up, and we had a swissy in once--I still remember, his name was Pepper, and he only lasted a few days before a new home snatched him up!
And cricket36580, some neighbors of mine walk their three danes in the park where I run in the mornings. One is blind in one eye, though it doesn't faze him much. But the poor goofball still charges ahead at full steam to say hi to me, sometimes charging right into one of the wrought-iron benches, which are bolted into the concrete! BRROOONNNNGGGGG!!! Yikes! Poor baby! But he never whines or cries. Dogs are so great like that!
Wolfhounds and deerhounds--now that is something I hadn't thought about! I will have to read up on them... I can't wait to get my new pal! :D
Oh, and look what I found:
http://www.petfinder.org/shelters/AK24.html
Truly the Gentle Giant Rescue, in Fairbanks! Ima call them when I'm up there! Yay!
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Wow, thanks for the warm welcome everyone!
I have two cranky butt bunnies too!...They are house bunns & they are Jack (probably a Holland Lop) & Jill a ill tempered brown & white Dutch...
I'd be happy to help you with bunny/puppy introductions but truthfully both of my Pyrs LOVE the bunns & did from the start & Rosie...well Rosie would like to eat them but Sam & Pippin won't let her...lol...Th e big problem I am having with the dogs & bunnies right now is that Pippin has decided ONLY he is going to gaurd them & he & Sam recently had a knock down drag out fight over that. :( As far as why bunnies are so ill tempered I think it's because they are highly intelligent & we annoy them with our human stupidity...lo l!
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I'm Arvay, and I am so glad I stumbled on this site for giant dog lovers! I currently live in Mountain View, California, but I am moving to Fairbanks, Alaska at the end of July.
Hello Arvay, welcome to BPO! I'm Kelly and that's Kate, our 10 month old Leonberger. We live in Alberta, Canada.
Well isn't this nifty? My brother in law is also attending university in Fairbanks, he was awarded a scholarship and plays on their "Nanooks" hockey team! Think you'll ever go watch some hockey while you're there? ;D
I'm sure you'll love it here (just as much as the rest of us do), and I wish you the best of luck with your dog search! ;)
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Here is a Greater Mountain Swiss Dog mix it says:
http://search.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=6026658
Wow! No kidding! Well we'll see who turns up around there when I am up there...
And as to the bunny-loving dogs, I can see that, but... well, what do I do if my bunny tries to eat my dog?
;)
Speaking of Leonbergers, have you guys ever seen this site?
I stumbled on in a few weeks ago.
http://perso.wanadoo.fr/monleonberg/photo-index.htm
I am especially taken with Verry Leen!
Look at his "9 months" page, where that little girl is hugging him... Oh I could die!
I'm not really a puppy person, but the photos of Azayann at 1/2 month... geh!
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And as to the bunny-loving dogs, I can see that, but... well, what do I do if my bunny tries to eat my dog?
;)
HEHE!...I can understand that concern! :D My little Dutch, Jill will box the heck out of Samson's nose if he gets too sniffy...I'd correct her but she might turn on me then...lol!
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Cute avatar :D
Welcome to the group!!! I am sure you will be addicted to this group soon ;D Its full of very nice and caring people.
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Welcome to the group. I'm Cindy guardian to The Brindle Pack. It's a shame you are getting ready to move, would have loved to have a play date with you, Dan, and your soon to be big paw buddy. (woops....I thought you were in the San Bernardino Mountain View area) BTW - Congratulation on your new degree ;)
I was checking out your website (could you tell?) I would love to hear ALL about your trip to Peru; it's on our short list of places to visit.
I have to tell you the more I read your web site the more I'm bummed you are moving to Alaska; guess we will have to be long distance buddies.
Cindy
P.S. Love the tat...it's similar to one of mine.
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Welcome to BPO! Your bunnies are adorable. I would really love to have some rabbits but I am sure my dogs and cats just wouldn't allow it!
I am Rebekah and I am in charge of a household of large and small dogs including 3 great danes and several mystery mutts. I live in the south, so no big fluffy dogs over here!
Good luck in your search for the perfect pooch!!! ;D ;D ;D
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That is an adorable photo of the brindle pack! You guys all have adorable giant squishies. I love that this site lets you put photos of all of your squishies for me to drool at.
I can't wait to get mine! But for now, I get greeted at the door by this:
(http://www.imag.us/x/arvay/bunnevileyesmall.jpg)
Can you see WHY I need a loveable dog? Yeesh!