Thinking about getting a dog

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Personally I like mutt dogs. They seem much brighter then their counterpart over bred AKC dogs. My old dog was never trained yet he was house broken, always sat in the passenger seat without interfering with me driving. Would jump in the back without me asking him to when I had a passenger tagging along even though at times I wanted my passenger to sit in the back...lol He'd also ride shotgun when I owned a sand rail, he love that sand car! Go with the mutt. One day I'll get another one too, good luck in your search of your new friend.

Elmo was half American Cocker and half English Cocker. RIP
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When you go to look at a group of dogs think very seriously about the dog that seeks YOU out. If one of the group comes to you you probably have a winner.
 
I have one very strong recommendation and that is to sit down and map out all the things you do and do not find desirable in a dog pertaining to everything from temperament, size, activity level, size of your house, size of your yard, shedding vs non-shedding, your daughter's special needs, etc, etc, etc.

Then... take that list to the person you know that you are going to trust with your animal's health, your Veterinarian. If you don't have one now is a good time to start looking around. Ask the receptionist if you can speak with them for just a moment about what kind of dog's they can recommend for you and your family based on the guidelines you have written up. You will generally find that Vets, on a whole, are more than willing to help you and possibly make some suggestions based on your needs. Plus they spent a minimum of 4 years post-bacc studying (just like an MD, and in a very similar program except with 4+ species as opposed to just 1) all aspects of medicine, diseases, etc some of which affect specific breeds more than others.

Getting personal experience from dog owners is great but there isn’t a single one of them (most likely) that isn’t going to tell you theirs is the best, I still struggle with this as well.

I love my two Standard Poodles, in fact I find it hard to think about owning anything other than a Standard Poodle or Labrador Retriever, but they fit my needs. They may not fit yours.
 
I'd look for a dog that's easy to train. Lab or golden fit's the bill. I have two boxers. Both are great dogs, however, they are not easy to train. I've had two black lab/ golden retriever mixes. They were both a billion times easier as far as training goes. There's a reason they are the standard choice for service dog. I wouldn't expect a dog to offer real protection. IMO the only provide a false sense of security. They are good for alerting you to danger, but it's pretty easy to neutralize a dog. Second, if you see a woman with either a pit or a rottie or insert aggressive breed it's generally a signal that they are single and afraid. It shows insecurity and may make them more of a target rather than less. Probably not something you want.

good luck
 
We're rather partial to the English Cocker Spaniel - not to be confused with the American Cocker! We've owned many of them over the years and we have 4 children and 4 English Cockers at the moment. They are great with kids, will play when you want but are also content to just lay in your lap and chill. Their personality is very different from the American version. We have strayed into other breeds once or twice over the years but always came back. I think they would be a good dog for your daughter but so would many, many other breeds.

Good luck with your quest!
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Don't listen to those Wedgewood democrats who say mixed-breeds are fine - they are just slumming it, and will be abandoning the little mulattos at the shelter as soon as the tax man leaves! Pure breeds are the only way to go! Those dogs have class - otherwise people wouldn't pay so much for them!
 
calstyl2 said:
Biggest little dogs around, I have had three and loved them but they require lots of constant attention, not a dog that can spend days alone........
My next one will be a Visilla or Weimi, My Jack does make for some great laughs though.
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Mine definitely thinks he's the biggest dog in town. Great dogs, but maybe not for younger kids. We're planning on getting a companion for him, with the kids wanting another lil dog. I want something BIG. Thinking a lab mutt also.

Good luck getting that yellow lab. She looks sweet.
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Brett -

Here is my advice on the canine situation. I have a German Shorthaired Pointer (GSP) that came from the GSP rescue program. He is an incredible dog, intelligent, protective, a natural hunter, and literally the best friend my wife and I could have. Literally an incredible dog.

So, I would recommend any "rescue" dog from the "certified" associations. Find the breed you are interested in and then research the rescue programs associated with them.

Since your daughter has special needs you need to factor that in. Many special needs people (who have service dogs) actually do go with Labs, Retrievers, Pointers, etc. The reason being is that they are strong dogs and do best when they are required to work. It is true these dogs "lean" but that is why many of these dogs actually do so well as service dogs...being that they lean into a person and that person can in turn lean into them.

If you really want a service dog...I am sure I can help you get one. There are plenty of programs out there that will provide free training to your dog or help you find a dog that is suitable.

Hope this helps...when I am in CONUS I do a lot of work with several pediatric orthopedic programs (for special needs children) and I know that there are a lot of special demands placed on dogs that are placed in these families.

The one thing I would recommend against is a puppy as that may not be the best thing for your daughter...probably a dog at least one and half to two years old would be best.

Cheers.

- Mark
 
Brett -

Forgot to tell you one thing...when you do get a dog and you decide that you want to "turn" it into a service dog it is important to train it as such. One of the best things is to increase their strength. Get a doggie backpack and load it up with weight...start off small and work the weight up. This will increase your dog's ability to handle the extra demands placed on it. This goes for all working dogs. We have Henry (our GSP) carry an extra 10 - 15lbs on his long walks (2-3 miles) which really increases his strength and endurance. This is key when it comes to them actually working. With a service dog for a child with special needs...they may have to help support the weight of a child for an extended period of time and this training can be crucial.

Cheers.

- Mark
 
Birfield is a rescue dog. We got him about 16 months ago.
He is the bomb.

Great camp,wheeling,family dog...
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Gold Boy said:
and why not? after all they are a gun dog breed.

very cool to see the noble poodle as a hunting dog... but i would have the dog dyed mossy camouflage. :hillbilly:
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I have an awesome standard. 14 months old and she's beyond smart. I am currently training her to fetch the little dog's leash. She absolutely dotes on my six year old son, obeys his every command. I trained her 'through' him so she thinks he's the boss; ignores me if he gives a command. I's a pain in the ass when he starts talking to an imaginary friend though.
 
OZCAL said:
I have an awesome standard. 14 months old and she's beyond smart. I am currently training her to fetch the little dog's leash. She absolutely dotes on my six year old son, obeys his every command. I trained her 'through' him so she thinks he's the boss; ignores me if he gives a command. I's a pain in the ass when he starts talking to an imaginary friend though.
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thats the kind of dog that would make you supper and pore you a single malt. :cool:
 
fjfar80 said:
Brett -

Forgot to tell you one thing...when you do get a dog and you decide that you want to "turn" it into a service dog it is important to train it as such. One of the best things is to increase their strength. Get a doggie backpack and load it up with weight...start off small and work the weight up. This will increase your dog's ability to handle the extra demands placed on it. This goes for all working dogs. We have Henry (our GSP) carry an extra 10 - 15lbs on his long walks (2-3 miles) which really increases his strength and endurance. This is key when it comes to them actually working. With a service dog for a child with special needs...they may have to help support the weight of a child for an extended period of time and this training can be crucial.

Cheers.

- Mark
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Mark,
Thank you for these tips. We are not sure what we are going to do yet, but I will be PM'ing you to discuss our options if that is OK with you.
 
my 2 standards probably waiting to go after the neighbor's jack russell

the male is black and came from a show breeder and is scared of the yard cart and everything else except the big red diesel truck... go figure

the female is white and was given up for adoption after a divorce, where she was probably abused but is coming around
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