Dog help

[legion]

Huskies are not stupid at all, they just are more narrow in their behaviors, like labs.

Ok. If your definition of smart is knowing how to take a crap at a 20mph run and or being able to pull stuff around I suppose they're smart in that way. No other.

They also aren't inclined to hang out around you when outside. If the door opens they'll bolt and if everything works out right you can pick 'em up at the pound for 75 bucks in a couple days. They're fairly common around here but not for their companionship qualities. Mostly because they'll live on a chain and run like the wind all day.

 

[mattlock]

Ok. If your definition of smart is knowing how to take a crap at a 20mph run and or being able to pull stuff around I suppose they're smart in that way. No other.

They also aren't inclined to hang out around you when outside. If the door opens they'll bolt and if everything works out right you can pick 'em up at the pound for 75 bucks in a couple days. They're fairly common around here but not for their companionship qualities. Mostly because they'll live on a chain and run like the wind all day.

I agree. Husky's are dumb as posts. Yeah, they are incredible animals, especially the ones that have been allowed to pull, but they make marginal pets. I have gone dog sledding with the ancestors to the dogs that Paul Schurke and Will Steger, used in 1986 to be the first group of people to make it to the North Pole on dog sleds. (read National Geographic Sept 1986) Those dogs had been bred for thousand of years to pull. Actually as a side note, nobody can bring dogs to Greenland for fear of contaminating this strain. But, Paul talked them out of a few breeding pairs, which he keeps at Wintergreen in Northern Minnesota.

Our History

Think about it. Hunting dogs are meant to hunt, working dogs are meant to pull, herding dogs are meant to guard a flock. Which one of those three do you think take the most intelligence when it comes to interaction with people? Hands down it's the herding dogs. Border Collies are smarter than most fifth graders, but they can be neurotic. Aussies are slightly dumber but way more personable, and they don't need quite as much exercise.

 

[alvarorb]

I have two border collies and I'm super happy with them. They are smarter than any other dog I had seen before. Poquita, the older one is 5 years old. While Durce the little one is just over 5 months old.
The other day we were at the park and there was another dog. They decided to heard it together. I was a treat to see them working as a team.
The little one is obsessive about the ball. She can fetch a 100 times and not be tired. She'll always bring the ball back. When she's fetching nothing else matters.

Both are very sweet and fast learners. Here are a few pictures of them at the park.

This is Durce.

Poquita is the one jumping on this picture.

Poquita must have crossed the Rubicon at least 5 times. She's a great trail dog that rather "heard" the Cruisers than ride. She'll trail behind my rig all day. Nothing to it.

Regards

Alvaro

 

[mattlock]

Nice pics. Don't get me wrong, I love Border Collies. At one point my old gal had her Border Collie and I had Argo and we also lived on a farm with two Cocker Spaniels, a chocolate lab, a corgi( one of my faves BTW) a black mouth cur of some sort, a white wolf hybrid, a golden, a Blue Heeler, three goats, four horses, and fifty Holsteins.

I taught Beau, or really Argo taught Beau(the Border Collie), how to catch a frisbee. They used to have little competitions on who could jump higher, or run faster to catch the disc. I hate to admit it, but when Beau would turn on the gas, he could jump at least six inches further than Argo to go get it. Argo has more style though, he knows how to ramp off of my chest for huge air, and he can do multiples, which Beau never had time for. Argo, wouldn't let Beau beat him in a flat out foot race though, actually believe it or not, back in the day Argo used to outrun a pair of Whippets on a regular basis in pursuit of the disc. He is much slower these days, but that was years ago...

 

[Sporin]

Our first dog was a lab Border collie mix who was just amazingly smart and sweet but she was a handful. We, unfortunately lost her to cancer at just 4.

Someday we'll have another Border but right now we just don't have the space or time for that much exercising so a Lab fits our lifestyle and family needs better. Our 10 year old Lab/Golden mix is a wonderful companion, happy to be with us, hiking, riding in the car, long walks, playing outside, sleeps in my son's bed with him and is very protective of him (he's 6), and is also content to be at home for the day while we are at work.

Labs are just fantastic, all-around family pets.

 

[mattlock]

I would have to agree that it is tough to beat a lab for overall dog goodness. The only things I would say, are that they can be a bit mentally challenged at times, and some of them have been over-bred to the point where hip and other health issues are common. Other than that they are one of the best dogs a guy can get as far as loyalty, good with kids and a willingness to do whatever the owner wants them to do. I guess that is why they are the most popular breed in the states.

 

[Tofudebeest]

Here you go.

My $.02.

(Yellow Lab)

That "yellow lab" sure looks like it has a fair bit of Vizsla in it, and something else too. Even as pups, the skull's breadth should be bigger than that.

the reason for not adopting from an animal shelter is my mom. she has a tad say in what i get, i wont be moving out for about 6 months so it will be here and she knows she will be spending time with it and just doesn't want any issues. i dunno her exact reasoning its just to confusing so i just accept what she said and follow her guidelines to make her happy.

Sounds like she needs some education on the downsides of pure breds and the qualities of hybrid vigor. Sounds also like you could use a looser pair of underwear and let those nads drop a little.

I would say Aussie.
Check Petfinder.com you can get any kind of dog you want, from puppies to seniors. Any breed. If you don't plan on breeding, please, please, look into a rescue or shelter dog. Argo came from the pound, he is the prettiest dog around. He is all wet in that pic, but you can see what he is....

Mattlock, I appreciate you expressing the support for rescues, even pure-bred rescues. I get angry about this subject and frustrated that people who claim to love dogs are also 100% callous about the millions of GOOD dogs that have to be killed every year because people are ignorant.

Ok. If your definition of smart is knowing how to take a crap at a 20mph run and or being able to pull stuff around I suppose they're smart in that way. No other.

I do not define "smart" as how much of an ass-kisser and dependent a dog is on their "master". Obedient ≠ intelligent, necessarily. Huskies are resourceful, problem-solving dogs, they were just not bred to be companion animals. All of the spitz-type breeds are wicked smart, just not particularly in tune with their people. I personally like their independence and "wildness". The best balance I have ever had in a dog was a collie/chow. She was as much of a best friend as you could ever ask for in a dog, yet not a pathetic submissive ball-chasing idiot. She was a fantastic guard and travel companion. When she blew her coat, you had fuzz tumble weeds in the house, but otherwise the best dog I will ever have.

I agree. Husky's are dumb as posts. Yeah, they are incredible animals, especially the ones that have been allowed to pull, but they make marginal pets.

The latter half of your comment is true. Not what the vast majority of people are looking for in a dog, but that does not make them dumb. You want dumb, look no further than a Shar-pei.

Think about it. Hunting dogs are meant to hunt, working dogs are meant to pull, herding dogs are meant to guard a flock. Which one of those three do you think take the most intelligence when it comes to interaction with people? Hands down it's the herding dogs. Border Collies are smarter than most fifth graders, but they can be neurotic. Aussies are slightly dumber but way more personable, and they don't need quite as much exercise.

Aussies tend to be neurotic as well.

I would have to agree that it is tough to beat a lab for overall dog goodness. The only things I would say, are that they can be a bit mentally challenged at times, and some of them have been over-bred to the point where hip and other health issues are common. Other than that they are one of the best dogs a guy can get as far as loyalty, good with kids and a willingness to do whatever the owner wants them to do. I guess that is why they are the most popular breed in the states.

Like I said, labs are solid dogs, but they'll hardly ever impress you. Behaviorally, they are uninteresting.

 

[mattlock]

OK, I don't mean to rip on Huskies. I have met a ton of them over the years, and most of them were nice dogs. However, I have yet to meet one that has the brains or fortitude or whatever that allows them to be trained very well. My friend Tracy is an expert when it comes to dog training and she loves Malamutes. She has a way with them and I think she is really good with her dogs, but they can never be off leash, are stubborn, don't do anything cool like play frisbee or hunt. She is not a musher so that doesn't factor in.

As far as Aussies being neurotic, I don't totally disagree, but it is not on the same level as some of the Border Collies that I have come across.

On the point of the rescue dog option, I don't really understand why anyone would go a different route unless they want to breed or are so set on a particular lineage of a breed. Like I said, with the advent of sites like Petfinder, a person can get any type of dog that they want, I mean any. Check it out sometime. I am blown away by all the extremely expensive dogs that end up in shelters. I don't like the idea for a second, that all those good dogs are being put down because someone didn't think the idea of dog ownership through entirely.

 

[Tofudebeest]

OK, I don't mean to rip on Huskies. I have met a ton of them over the years, and most of them were nice dogs. However, I have yet to meet one that has the brains or fortitude or whatever that allows them to be trained very well. My friend Tracy is an expert when it comes to dog training and she loves Malamutes. She has a way with them and I think she is really good with her dogs, but they can never be off leash, are stubborn, don't do anything cool like play frisbee or hunt. She is not a musher so that doesn't factor in.

As far as Aussies being neurotic, I don't totally disagree, but it is not on the same level as some of the Border Collies that I have come across.

On the point of the rescue dog option, I don't really understand why anyone would go a different route unless they want to breed or are so set on a particular lineage of a breed. Like I said, with the advent of sites like Petfinder, a person can get any type of dog that they want, I mean any. Check it out sometime. I am blown away by all the extremely expensive dogs that end up in shelters. I don't like the idea for a second, that all those good dogs are being put down because someone didn't think the idea of dog ownership through entirely.

You finally stated it correctly about the husky, sorta. They're not particularly trainable. Trainability has almost nothing to do with intelligence, but rather temperament. No dog is more intelligent than the border collie, not even a close second. A few can be as neurotic (see Jack Russell terrier), but not many. Further, while the border collie is highly trainable, the bulk of the behaviors they're famous for are innate and require absolutely no training to develop. The husky is hard-wired differently, but not necessarily inferior.

Same for people. Increase IQ, and you generally increase neuroticism and other mental issues. How many "normal" bright people do you know? It is like a computer processor. You can turn up the clock speed and get better performance, but there is a stability cost.

 

[ed97fzj80]

You finally stated it correctly about the husky, sorta. They're not particularly trainable. Trainability has almost nothing to do with intelligence, but rather temperament. No dog is more intelligent than the border collie, not even a close second. A few can be as neurotic (see Jack Russell terrier), but not many. Further, while the border collie is highly trainable, the bulk of the behaviors they're famous for are innate and require absolutely no training to develop. The husky is hard-wired differently, but not necessarily inferior.

Christ on a bike. Do you always require that the other guy state complete capitulation to your point of view and use your vocabulary before you can be satisfied that you've reached agreement?

Same for people. Increase IQ, and you generally increase neuroticism and other mental issues. How many "normal" bright people do you know?

Let me guess -- you do quite well on IQ tests.

 

[Tofudebeest]

Christ on a bike. Do you always require that the other guy state complete capitulation to your point of view and use your vocabulary before you can be satisfied that you've reached agreement?

Listen, I know your mother is "husky" and I didn't want him calling her stupid. Excuse me for looking out for your ma.

Let me guess -- you do quite well on IQ tests.

Yes, but I am all better now. Hanging out around here has a certain dulling effect, which can be rather calming...

 

[ed97fzj80]

Listen, I know your mother is "husky" and I didn't want him calling her stupid. Excuse me for looking out for your ma.

ROFL, a mom joke. Hang on, let me get my book of junior high retorts so I can meet you on your level.

















You're gay.

Yes, but I am all better now.

You just keep telling yourself that.

 

[dizzidave]

Black Lab. The best.

 

[Jetboy]

I have a couple boxers and they are definitely a handful. They are great companion dogs in that they have short hair, do well in heat, and are fairly easy to train for basic commands. They are not even in the ball park of obedience compared to the labs I've had. Especially when chasing. They were bred to chase and chase they will. Doesn't matter what or how big. They have no problem running down my inlaw's horses. If we let them loose they will round em up. Coral them and run around barking among the stomping hooves. They don't bite or really know what to do with them once they catch em, but they have no fear. They've done the same thing with a herd of cattle camping once and it took us about 3 miles to catch them. The cows tired out. - They NEVER go off leash around livestock anymore. It is just too likely to end in either a kicked dog or a horse through the fence. They are great around the house/yard, but once they go into the zone they are very very difficult to regain control. I've never seen anything like it. I've also seen other boxers that are great around livestock, so it may just by my unusual experience.

Another plus for labs is that they were bread in part for being good boat dogs. This means that they can go a long time without peeing or pooping. Good thing if you want to leave em in the house during the day or go on long road trips. And they are just so much easier to train than the dogs I have now. Both of my labs were mixed with golden retriever but were black with short hair and looked just like a regular lab. I kinda prefer that mix because you can be fairly sure at least the parents are not inbred.

 

[VFRMAN]

That "yellow lab" sure looks like it has a fair bit of Vizsla in it, and something else too. Even as pups, the skull's breadth should be bigger than that.

Rusty's all Yellow Lab. No Vizla. Just on the "fox red" end of the color spectrum for Labs. Both of his parents were "Reds" too. (AKC only recognizes Blacks, Yellows, and Chocolates). Not that I really give a s***. He's neutered and won't be passing on his genes anyway.

He's just a fun loving, kid-friendly, chewing, shedding, slobbering, ball of energy. That just happens to love to find birds and bring them back to me when I get lucky enough to find time to hunt.

The way his head is cocked in that pic though he does resemble a few Vizlas I've seen.