Help me pick a dog breed that is right for me please

[keziahamber]

LOL about Since they don't know how to turn the shower on and refuse to use soap unless I'm with them, it's sort of up to me Grin Grin Grin to have them be sweet smelling!!!  that's pretty funny!   

Thanks for all the advice!  I appreciate it.  What dog is the most loveable and easiest to train out of all those breeds? 

Jody

[Kelly89084]

I say go for a Dobie!  You want mine?    hehehehehe

Seriously, mine is stinky no matter how many times we wash her but I think it's caused by her skin issues since no other dobie owner I talk to has the same problems.   

[MustLove Dogs]

welcome!!

Hmm... what about a bernese mountain dog or great pyrenees?

Labs are great dogs too 

[Lyn]

A Bernese mountain dog would be a good choice also.. To me they are kinda Golden like in personality. My hubby's boss has 2 males. When I first met them they both barreled up to me in the dark and scared the crap out of me. LOL But they are very loving and sweet. They were all over me and I had no drool on my clothes (for a change LOL) just some hair. As for ease of training I have no idea.

My Saint wasn't the easiest to train.. but he wasn't overly difficult. Just stubborn.

I think your best bet would be to visit and talk with some breeders of Newfs or Saints and just see how you would tolerate the drool. It's honestly not horrificly bad. Some days are worse than others. But they drool mainly when food is involved, they are hot, or they just had a drink.

[newflvr]

What dog is the most loveable and easiest to train out of all those breeds? 

      NEWFOUNDLANDS!!!

[amberdoggoneit]

ok well the dogs in my house are
A dobie RAven: very sweet loving and calm but she is 10 and was a rescue
 BELL my wiem: Crazy dog but in a good way.  She has tons of energy and never sits still.  She is though my best trained dog becasue of her willingness to please.
Brooklynn my boxer: i was very lucky to find a show boxer who wouldrather lay on the couch then do anything else the only time i even have seen her really get riled up is playing with winston.
  Winston my giant schnauzer: Sweetest boy he is really sweet but does need alot of grooming and is higher energy.
  Baxter my english springer spaniel: all he does is sleep.  he loves to play with the other dogs for about 30 minutes and the n sleeps but does love to swim. 
but if you can tell i am kind of biased

[swells]

If you want a velcro dog, then an English Mastiff is hands down the best choice. Ozzy sits outside the bathroom when i go in and if i happen to not get the door all the way closed he comes and sits in the bathtub and stares at me. If is sit down for longer than 30 seconds, he is up on the couch and lays his head on my lap. then when i try to get up he pushes his chin down hard on my lap to try to hold me down. My hubby has learned to "call his spot" when he gets up off the couch.

One downside is they tend to be a bit gassey. Ozzy has cleared many rooms in his days.

Hope this helps.

Stacie

[amylynn]

I am partial to Newfoundlands! The one we had was so smart, it was almost scary.  They are also so sweet, and good natured.   

Whatever you do choose, I wish you the best, and hope to see TONS of pictures!

Blessings!
Amy Lynn

[keziahamber]

I think I've found a group of people just as dog crazy as me   I will for sure put up lots of pics!  One of the reason's I'm being so particular was because my Roxy, that I lost this halloween was such a wonderful dog, golden retriever.  I would like a different breed this time, mostly because I don't think I could ever have another golden that would be like her.  But I haven't ruled out getting another golden either.  I'm sure she'll be over looking my new puppy from heaven, and mothering it.

[Leah...]

I KNOW!  I totally disagree with my sister.  I don't know what  her problem is. Newfs are definately not like she says. 

About getting a golden,  my dog passed away on halloween, she was a golden.  A real sweetie.  I'm looking for a more mellow kind of dog than a golden.  Although I've met larger goldens that were extreamly mellow.

I grew up with Goldens and mine were always very mellow. I think maybe as they got more popular less attention was paid to temperament when breeding them. But there are lots of great, mellow Goldens out there, you just have to be careful about selecting a breeder, which is true of any breed.

I'd also have to disagree with your sister about her Newfie comments. Well, half disagree. Sadie is TOO smart, sometimes I think she's half human. But she does kind of stink sometimes

i agree with ALMOST everything you said. Goldens are active, sometimes hyper dogs because they are meant to be. they were bred so that they could retreive ducks all day long, and not tire. the breeders that are breeding for "mellow" dogs aren't breeding true goldens. they are trying to please the people who heard great things about goldens (because they are great dogs) but want a house dog, that will lay at their feet and watch TV. that is simply not the GR nature. they want to play, run, and romp with other dogs, and people, and if you cannot give them that, then a golden is not the dog for you. the goldens idea of "winding down" is a rowsing game of fetch in the backyard! sorry to bust your bubble, but the dog you are describing is not a true golden. feel free to learn more about goldens, and you might find that a "mellow golden" is the right dog for you, but find a breeder that is not breeding for sport work, or even for show...find a breeder that is breeding PETS.

Leah

P.S. i hate to sound like a "Know-It-All", so tell me to shut up if i do!

[Tspanos]

My advice would be don't follow a golden with a golden, especially if she was one of the greats. I am partial to newfs. My Kali is by no means stupid, quite the opposite. All of the larger breeds fit your general requirements if the drool could be a deal breaker but you don't mind the grooming the Bernese Mtn dog may be the alternative.

Most important is the advice to visit local breeders. We actually spent one day at our local newf breeder's house and then were invited to the winter Newf Club get together. By no means did we need to be invited but as her guest we got use of her 165# male for the day, he sort of sealed the deal for us, we new our next dog was going to be a newf.
Tim

[ZooCrew]

Well, I'm going to throw my two cents in.     Have you thought about a great dane?  Minimal grooming, they are the epitomy of velcro dogs.  My dane Gunther was extremely easy to train.  I was very surprised actually to find that out.

They do need alot of socialization, probably more than the average dog b/c they tend to be more timid/shy/spooked than other dogs, plus the fact that some can tend towards protection.

One thing to keep in mind if you are looking at a giant breed dog like a newf, pyr or bernie, vet bills will be higher, so will food bills.  So you will need to know how much you will be able to spend on these kinds of things.

Whatever you choose, talk to breeders and find out everything you can on the breed.  Go to dog shows.  Visit the national breed club.

Good luck with your search.

[doggylover]

Rottys are wonderful for a few reasons.  They are loyal to a fault, they are so smart they will make you feel like a professional dog trainer, and contrary to their reputation for being aloof, our rotty crys at the window if we go to the store, and follows us with a dopey loving look on his face everywhere we go.  The only drawback is that he smells something fierce.  Smells include but are not limited to:  various levels of gas ranging from tolerable to coma inducing, breath that smells like dead animal, and something fishy coming out his hind end.
Yeah, I would totally vote for a Rott!
  

[CujoandShamus]

Well my pyr is great and loves to lay around. He is great with the kids but he hates my house. Most of the people here that I can tell that have pyrs have them in the house. Mine was breed on a farm as a protector and had never seen the inside of a house.
An Irish setter is a good dog but high maintance  . They are very active but are smart and loving. My pup already loves to cuddle when he isn't trying to chew , run, play, or get my attention. Beyond that I have always had hunting dogs. Boxers are sweet I did have one of those when I was a kid.

[Saint and Mal mom]

I'm going to have to recommend a Labrador Retriever. They're big, but not giant. Don't drool (anymore than a regular dog of course!), don't shed a lot, are excellent family dogs, and protective, are clean, affordable since they usually don't eat a whole lot, and somewhat mild-mannered from what I know about them.

Saints are great, if money is no object. My mom and split the cost, but altogether spent about $70 to buy dog food for our Saint for 1 month. Take that times 12 for a whole year's cost of just food. Of course, mine's still a pup. They do drool, but each one is different in the amount. Mine drools only when she drinks. Easy to groom. Great with people and kids! They are very sensitive though. Dolly, if you look at her wrong, she hangs her head. They are prone to several major diseases too. But I wouldn't trade mine for anything in the world! 

My other recommendation is a mutt.  A large, friendly mutt! Usually cheaper to adopt, most have already been spayed or neutered and given shots, and they aren't as prone to genetic diseases as purebreds are. Our first dog was a mixed breed and he was very loyal. petfinder.com. Excellent site for finding shelter dogs in your area. Some are even purebreds! Hope you find the dog you want and your family will love, no matter what breed!