Thoughts on dogs.

[J]

This last week, we recently got a new pup. At 3 months old, he is a double handful but my daughter is crazy about him already. He is 1/2 black lab and 1/2 german shepherd and I am happy to say he is showing a lot of qualities I find desirable.

I was just thinking about this and decided to start this topic and see what others here looked for in a dog. All breeds and sizes have their benefits and I dont believe thereis any “perfect for all occaisions” breed. Small dogs make great alarm systems, don’t eat nearly as much and larger breeds, and are good for keeping vermin controlled, if properly trained. Larger breeds make good hunters and guards, in most instances.

I chose this mix of breeds because I have had one before and he was a great companion and a good hunting partner. Also, I like the even tempered disposition and protective instincts they tend to have. I was very pleased to see that he made a point to get between my daughter and the neighbor’s toy poodles when they met and do his puppy best to warn them off. They aren’t a threat at all, but it was good to see!

How about someone else? What traits do you find most desirable in a dog and what breeds do you prefer?

[PJ]

my perfect dog would guard the home, mow my yard and fetch me a beer. 🙂

But seriously I think a good combination of watch / guard dog and companion makes the best combo for guys like us. I have smaller dogs which are great because they alert to strangers, eat very little and take little poops…but on the other hand they offer no guard dog capabilities nor are they intimidating. My GSD on the other hand is a superb guard dog and very overzealous when it comes to protecting us in public. On the downside he eats ALOT and can be somewhat difficult to control if he tries to do something outside the scope of what I want.

Bottom line, GSD is the perfect dog! Glad you got one (even if mixed).

[J]

In my experience, a lab/shepherd mix is the best of both worlds for me. They tend to have the mellow, happy go lucky attitude of the lab until a perceived threat comes along. He is more for my daughter and not sure if she could handle a GSD. He is demonstrating a lot of good traits so far and I am confident he will be an awesome addition to the clan.

[Echo5Charlie]

I have never had little dogs. What I have mostly had is hearding dogs. I had one pit that was a really good dog, but he was about zero use for anything. I used to joke that he would lick the bloody knuckles of my attacker.

The pit is the only breed dog I have ever had. Had a shepherd chow mutt growing up that was very trainable, extremely smart and protective is an understatement.

Had an Australian shepherd mixed with akita that was pretty much the same as the dog above trait wise, but when he turned six he got so aggressive he couldn’t be around people or dogs anymore.

To me, herding dogs are great. They are smart and trainable and your family is the herd. They will naturally keep an eye on them and when things are quiet they tend to stay on the perimeter. Where the pit would want to be in your lap…all 85lbs of him.

My mom had an English yellow lab that was terrific with people and kids, fought off coyotes several times and found anything we ever shot, duck, turkey, deer or rabbit. Smart dog, that took next to no training. I think he understood English better than most people do.

We currently do not have any dogs, so I have been pondering the next dog quit a bit. Really like what you have to say about the lab/shepherd mix. Think I’ll be looking into that more, because I know a shepherd is to much for my family to handle. Sounds like a great balance between guard and pal for my kidos.

[J]

So far, he looks like a lab and acts more like a GSD. It is kind of funny seeing a 3 month old pup that is pretty much fearless.

Enough bragging on him, though. I have had a couple of dogs with similiar breeding and have always had good experiences with them. The Lab in them does water their temperament down some, but it makes them better if you have kids, in my opinion. They also make decent hunting dogs and good watch dogs. They can also tolerate, if not outright get along with other pets, as well; as long as they are shown that the others are part of the pack.

[Echo5Charlie]

Sounds perfect for our needs and our family. Last deer season I had to search for two hours for the deer my dad got a bad shot on. That never would’ve happened with Rudy around. I’m really glad you brought this up.

After my last dog passed, my wife has had a no anus policy in affect. If it has an anus we don’t own it. I’ll have to start working on her for this.

[J]

Best of luck on this!

[PJ]

one of the issues I face with my GSD is that he will kill just about anything besides our two other dogs. I barely intervened to keep him off of a chicken but his prey drive is super strong. He goes after birds, chickens, rabbits, turkeys, even insects. Anyone that is not part of the pack is suspect…

That’s one trait I wish he didn’t have

[PJ]

Ok more brags about my dog…

One of the BENEFITS of a large and intimidating dog is this: I ran errands this weekend with my dog in the cab of my pickup truck. Every time I parked somewhere I left my doors unlocked, windows halfway down, keys in the ignition, sometimes wallet in the cupholder. No worries!

If you can open the door of my truck and get inside without getting absolutely destroyed I guess you deserve everything that’s inside. LOL

[J]

Brag away, sounds like he is an excellent animal. A full blooded GSD would have been a bit too much for my kid to handle, I think. She is definitely crazy about the pup and pup has bonded well with her.

Darned thing already eats as much as i do, it seems lol. I honestly dont know where he puts it!

[Echo5Charlie]

My wife knows where ours put it…in the backyard! Hence her policy.

[J]

lol too true! for us, rules were set before we looked for a new dog. her pup, her responsibility, caring and cleanup. working well so far.

[PJ]

one of the best things I did was buy the heavy duty dump truck sized pooper scooper. Every week I go out back with the pooper scooper in one hand and a trash bag lined 5 gallon bucket in the other. It is…disgusting.

[bigpaul]

my wife always said she would rather put her hand through the open window of a car with a german shepherd in it(or a Labrador) than one with a terrier or terriers in it! terriers are used in my part of the country(uk) for rat catchers and a Jack Russell terrier is a fierce little dog that will “bite first and ask questions later”!!

[Author]

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