Pug, I have two and they are the best dogs around kids. I swear on it, I have always had them around my daughter since she was a baby. Their biggest problem is the shedding, they do shed ALOT! Other then that, you couldn't go wrong. Sheri
I have an AWESOME shepherd that I am trying to place. Housebroken, great with kids and other dogs sleeps in her crate at night etc.... looking for a GREAT indoor home for her.
We love our beagle. She is the most laid back dog ever. (Our first beagle was very clever at tricking our rotties out of their food.) They will follow the scents of rabbits and deer, so a fenced yard is important. Ours will come, sit, stay, etc. in the house and backyard, but we don't trust them not on a leash because they are hunting dogs and like to roam if given the chance.
Honestly Jester, I had a pure breed Daschund growing up and loved him - BUT not all Daschunds are cool with kids - many, in fact aren't. Jack Russels are great little dogs, but are HIGH energy and NEED a fenced in yard that is reinforced (ditto for Daschunds - the reinforced part - they don't require a fence) these are breeds that are bred to go to ground. . .digging and tunneling are their job - it's in their blood. They will escape if they have some time on their paws with nothing better to do. JR's NEED training - they are smart enough to rule a home if given the chance. German Shepherds are wonderful dogs - BUT again, you'd better have a fenced yard so it can get exercise. Training is also necessary and for this breed as well as many others, YOU need to be kind but firm in training them and socialize them well. I ask people what they are looking for in a dog, how much they want to spend on grooming, exercise, training and whether they have a fenced in yard. It's important to be honest with yourself when trying to pinpoint the 'perfect' breed of dog for you. Dogs are living things and while all breeds have some qualities that are stellar to one person, they may be the grief and agony of another. In the end, nobody wants to go find a pup or a dog and bring it home and bond with it, only to learn a few months down the road that they made the wrong decision. It's hard on the parents, it's hard on the kids and it is awful for the dog - who will either end up going from home to home, or tied out on a chain and existing when they don't work out. A dog can't change WHAT they are bred for. Even if a Australian Sheepdog never saw sheep or goats, put him in a pasture with some and he will begin herding them - it's what they were born to do. Daschunds and JR's dig, Beagles bay and sniff in search of something cool, like rabbits. Each breed has it's 'thing' The trick is to find which has the things you like and suit you and your families lifestyles. Everyone LOVES the breed of dog they own, or may have had in the past. I love my big shaggy mutts - but they aren't for everyone. If we all liked the same thing - there'd likely not be many breeds of dogs out in the world. Check out this breed selector - answer the ?'s honestly - don't have a breed in mind - just answer from your heart. You might be VERY surprised with the breeds the selector lists for you. Then check the list of breeds it selects a bit further, see which might suit you looks-wise and go in search of that breed or a mix of that breed. http://www.purina.co.uk/apps/breedselector/dogbreedselector.aspx For the op trying to decide between a Beagle and an English Bull - I like both breeds, but I've met some Beagles who loved being with their families - they loved to learn and were quite social. I've also met Beagles who could care less what was being asked of them, in fact they could care less if you were even in the yard with them - they went outside and put their nose to the ground and were off sniffing and baying and you and the tennis ball could just blow away in the wind for all they cared. Some Beagles were just meant to hunt and hang with other Beagles - while they like human company, they'd probably prefer rabbits to us As for English Bulls - they aren't all that active when they grow up. Not the type of dog to take on a jog, or even a long walk. Staircases tend to bother them too. They are usually sweet, have clown like personalities and are quite cool, but they are not for everybody. I am lucky enough to know 4 very well and honestly think they are wonderful dogs, but they wouldn't suit my lifestyle and would have a heck of a hard time going down all the steps to even get to my backyard. Hope this is of help.
Jester, this might be a good dog to look into - sounds like she has a great head start on her training too 8)
Emilie - on here has a cool JR pup (6-8 months old)that she is fostering while looking for a good home. The pup is very social and very cute. IF you have a fenced in yard, and are interested in her, pm emilie
The Purina breed selector is from the UK and in pounds. . the US version has been unavailable for a while - don't know why. Here is one from Iams http://www.iams.com/iams/breed-information.jsp BTW the Iams site has a breed comparison - where you can enter two different breeds that you might be considering and it compares their traits side by side - very informative
That was neat Zoo! I just did it and miniature schnuazer was third on our list (Molly is mostly schnauzer) and since we are delighted with her, I'd have to say it's pretty accurate! The only one higher were two different kinds of Corgi's. I like them too, they are cool.
I do not need a dog, I do not need a dog, I do not need a dog. But I'll keep my eyes open for ya, lol....
Actually, I would classify it more like a honk. Often very harbor seal-ish. I suggest the beagle, though. Very low maintenance from a health standpoint as they are a very hardy breed. Live long lives and have generally low vet bills. They will eat all the time...seriously, all the time. They do fine if you train them right, but the only thing you can't (and really shouldn't) train out of them is their desire to track or sniff all of the time. It is what they were bred to do, however it gets them in trouble if not kept in a fenced yard. It will also interfere with their attention span a little bit. Same thing for the barking if they have a reason to bark. It is what they were bred to do. Only correct them when there is no reason to bark. I have one from the shelter and it is quite possibly the calmest dog I have ever known. No barking, except when we play or the UPS guy drives up.
If you dont mind waiting a few weeks (maybe 5?) the SPCA just took in two mom beagles nursing pups. (like 10 each!!!) so they will be ready at 8 weeks old... you can go down and get 'pre approved' and when they are a bit older I can get you in touch with who is fostering them so you can pick one out!!! They would be $115 but they would be spayed/neutered, microchipped, first and second shots, dewormer, kennel cough, flea treatment, HW prevention etc..... so it is a good deal!!
Smells like a puppy mill to me. . .I checked their website and it looks like they produce way too many pups to be 'hand raised' and personally, I cringe whenever I see a so-called 'reputable' breeder who "ships pups to anywhere in the US" Reputable breeders wish to meet (FACE TO FACE) with the wanna-be buyer and honestly, they turn people away if they don't think it would be a suitable home. With championships any further back than the pups' parents :lol: :lol: Well, that's like saying I have a great grandfather who was a senator, a cousin who's a neurosurgeon, and another cousin who was inducted into the golf hall of fame, and another cousin who's won Tony awards (all of which are true) but none of that means jack when it comes to me. Unless the sire and dam have the championships, all you will have is papers that state your pup is pure breed. Now that you've opened that can of worms - UNLESS you plan to breed a dog - and I certainly would shake my finger at you if you even had a flicker of a dream about doing so --- PAPERS MEAN NOTHING! And if you were foolish and irresponsible enough to breed the dog and you didn't show it and gain points and win championships of it's own, you could mate it with the son of a Westminster Best in Show (which wouldn't happen as they would seek out only champion stock to breed with - but just as an example)and those pups still wouldn't be worth more than any other pure bred Beagle. It's worth repeating - papers mean nothing! The only thing papers are for is IF you want to breed that dog with another registered dog and register that litter - which again - shaking finger here - Reminding that in this country EVERY STINKING YEAR we KILL over 4 MILLION dogs and cats simply because they are excess - no homes for them. Don't breed or buy a dog! Head to rescues, shelters - they all have puppies available and pure breeds if you are willing to wait, (the SPCA and Beagle pups were just mentioned) Most shelters and rescues will get your application pre-approved and will put you on a list and call you when pups are available or that particular breed comes in. Do not buy dogs when right here in Johnston County over 1,500 dogs and Wake 2,500 (on average) are put to death each year because 4,000 people decide they just have to go BUY a puppy. I WANT and Irish Wolfhound - I've wanted one for about 11 years, instead, I rescued whatever dog with a shaggy appearance crossed my path. I have enough money to buy one and because they fairly rare and aren't found around every corner of the country, one might say so go for it. . .but I refuse to contribute to the problem. Because I still want an Irish Wolfhound, I put myself on the breed rescue list last week and decided that no matter how old, or what issues it may have, when I get the call, I'll go pick up the dog. It might take a month to get a call, it might take a year. Anyway, my advise is save the gas and time, scrub Sunshine Acres. Sorry for sounding like a witch but it's a topic close to my heart.
look at these guys: http://raleigh.craigslist.org/pet/1055823094.html http://raleigh.craigslist.org/pet/1048731299.html http://raleigh.craigslist.org/pet/1046362581.html http://raleigh.craigslist.org/pet/1037605450.html http://raleigh.craigslist.org/pet/1031639938.html
or Johnston (don't kill me) :lol: http://www.johnstonnc.com/mainpage.cfm?category_level_id=573&content_id=2414
OMG, are you kidding me??? http://search.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=13154176 Quit posting links to dogs! Y'all are killing me!!!
