what dog breed do YOU recommend and why?

[dieseldan]

Nova Scotia Duck Toller Retrievers. I have had two generations and have known the previous two up the line. All have shared consistent characteristics and traits. Loyal, obedient, intelligent, trainable, great with kids and family, highly energetic or curl up at the feet... been great in all repspects including health.

Mine is simply a boat nut and frisbee maniac - lives for roadtrips and retrieving. Great size and temperment.


my .02

 

[MoGas]

You can work w/ labs when they are pups to develope a soft mouth. Takes some work, but it is worth it if you value your shoes.

He is very soft with his toys and WILL NOT touch one of the kids stuffed animals. He only plays with what he is introduced to.

As with all Labs though, He has an issue, his specific neurosis is that he can't stand tags sewn into the toys and before we figured this out, he would chew them off. We cut them off now before he gets them. He also got a toy duck for Christmas and it had a Santa hat on it. He started to remove it and since we cut it off he has played nicely with it.

 

[2020 Rocks]

A friend of mine has a WV hill mut, that looks like a dalmation mixed w/ beagle. Anyways, he loves to chew holes in his kids stuffed animals for when he is feeling frisky. It is quite comical when he is going to town on a stuffed rabit, etc. One of many good reason to neuter a dog.

 

[nat]

Hard to go wrong with a lab. Mine is about 74 pounds. I think 48 of it is his head...

such a happy dog...

Nice.

My Golden brings back toys/balls so gently in her mouth, I tell her to drop it and in my hand it goes. When she sees a bird in the sky, she chases it I have never hunted for birds, but she would make one stellar hunting dog.

My choco lab, he runs hard, competes for the ball and then can barely drop it he is so excited I hope he will be a good frisbee dog.

 

[nat]

Here they are

 

[98LXand99LC]

My vote is a lab. This is Kobi, he will be 6 in February and he's about 75 lbs.

 

[wob]

Nova Scotia Duck Toller Retrievers. I have had two generations and have known the previous two up the line. All have shared consistent characteristics and traits. Loyal, obedient, intelligent, trainable, great with kids and family, highly energetic or curl up at the feet... been great in all repspects including health.

Mine is simply a boat nut and frisbee maniac - lives for roadtrips and retrieving. Great size and temperment.


my .02

View attachment 206639

Those are pricey, and pretty hard to find aren't they? I had a friend looking for one, and couldn't find one anywhere.

 

[MoGas]

Those are pricey, and pretty hard to find aren't they? I had a friend looking for one, and couldn't find one anywhere.

They are probably all over the place in , say, NOVA SCOTIA!!!!

 

[MoGas]

Looks like there is a rescue in Alabama. Tollers Found Maybe they could help you out.

 

[wob]

They are probably all over the place in , say, NOVA SCOTIA!!!!

I'm sure.

Just like Labs are on every street corner in Labrador, Chesapeake Retreivers are overrunning Maryland, Irish setters have virtually taken over Dublin, and Cocker Spaniels are all over your house.

 

[MoGas]

I'm sure.

Just like Labs are on every street corner in Labrador, Chesapeake Retreivers are overrunning Maryland, Irish setters have virtually taken over Dublin, and Cocker Spaniels are all over your house.

That's a good one!!!

 

[Sputnik40]

My Golden was an awesome trail and camping dog - made friends with everyone, took very little looking after when out in public, and loved going everywhere - water likes are a big plus down here too.

I'm into my 4th year with my first Rhodesian, and as long as I have dogs will always have one. Mine is a little different having been raised with the Golden (before she passed) - as the Rhodesian got over the typical water dislikes due to fact that the Golden was always in it with us (boating). Rhodesians, are smart, loyal, passive protectors (e.g. not aggressive without reason), people dogs, great with the kids, able to jump into the back of a big 40, etc. etc.

I kinda like dingo and cattle mixed breeds as well.

Labs and Goldens are awesome - but I think they tend to slow down a bit with age, and can't keep up on hard core hikes or whatnot.

Half of it is good training - my animals have never been perfect, but I train them over and above on a few things - no crossing streets wtihout permission (this is funny when I'm out walking and look back to see the pooch sitting at the curb cause I forgot to give the ok signal), loading up in trucks, boating etiquette (don't fall off the boat), etc. Point is - whatever it is you want, half of it will be due to the time you can spare to train them right, as well as picking one that doesn't have a quirk you can't live with....

 

[Polak]

Small breed - No clue, but I do like Mini Pinchers.

Medium breed - Lab, love mine to death and he returns the favor, awesome dog.

Large breed - English Mastiff, great family dogs that will protect to their last breath. Although not a good dog if you have a lot of strangers that come to visit. My buddys mastiff plowed through his spare bedroom door to get at a plumber!

 

[dieseldan]

Those are pricey, and pretty hard to find aren't they? I had a friend looking for one, and couldn't find one anywhere.

... I could only guess the price for papered Duck Tollers now - likely $800. 15 years ago no one knew what they were but they've since become really popular. Nice thing is if you find a reputable breeder the bloodlines from Nova Scotia are still very healthy. I know of two breeders locally though I'm a long way off.

 

[Gundy]

We love the Boykin Spaniels. Great little retrievers.
35 lbs or so. Incredibly beautiful. We are on our 2nd one.
Scout is going on 15 and spry as a pup. Very loving and great with people.
She fits perfectly on a bench seat in a 40 between the wife and I.
She was so easy to train it was funny. The trainer had to be creative to
make her break so we could get corrections in.
Loves to please.
Most breeders are VERY picky about buyers. We had to furnish references and
letter from our vet. Some breeders will not sell unless you will hunt the dog.
It is worth the hassle in the end. I've owned several other hunting dogs but
the little critters take the cake. I have friends/hunters who own them
and they all feel the same.
Try Boykin Spaniel Retriever Club-South Carolina, Carolina Boykin Spaniel Retriever welcomes all Boykin owners and Boykin Spaniel clubs.



The site has a bunch of photos
teaser pup pic: The eyes are green and the brown coats are soft as mink fur. The curly ear fur is a hoot.

 

[Gumby]

x2

I grew up with a golden retreiver and now I have one about 10 months. Very smart, well behaved, great dog. But they do shed and mine is about 80lbs.

Also their popularity is their curse. there is alot of over breeding and in breeding. so if you do go through a breeder research them.

Or if you rescue a mut a golden shepard might be kinda cool but if its a male it will be huge!

Wheelin' Dog!

I looked for a pic, but they must be on my other computer.

My back seat has more hair in it still from one road trip with Wheelin' dog than 2.5 years of Great Dane ownership. My decidedly non-wheeling dog was pretty pissed about that.

Smart? Nowhere close to a border smart. Our border/newf mix was flippin' smarter than half my students.

 

[rusty_tlc]

You guys that like Labs should get acquainted with Standard Poodles. They have a very similar temperament with out the issues. The no shedding thing is a big bonus, my wife leaves more hair on the seats than Jake. Almost everyone on our culdesaq has labs, when Jake is out playing with them the only difference is his coat. That and when I call him he settles down immediately, unlike the labs that keep bouncing for a half hour after they get wound up.

Jake making sure I don't forget him

Desert dog near the Race Track in Death Valley

Great car dog.

 

[PHAEDRUS]

Second vote for an Australian shepherd mix of some kind,
Mine was a rescue from southern utah, Built like a border but colored like a black tri merle aussie. I would not recommend this dog for young kids though, It is not a big deal but they will herd children as well as chickens or sheep or whatever by nipping at them on the rear end. My Son was 3.5 when we got Pyker (my dog) and he was ok as he could check here when she was a pup. If you have littler people than that you might have to be more careful with the dog and the kids in the yard.

Second dog is a border/lab mix. Worst of both worlds, Dumb as a box of rocks and hyper to boot. Oh well they were both rescue dogs and one was great, one not so great, but we love him anyways.

Dave

 

[ATLcrusher]

I know I've posted this (because this has been discussed 100 times), but we love our Vizslas. Mars and 97fortieth4me also have Vizslas I believe. They do have quite a bit of energy, so they need space. Great dogs.

 

[PHBeerman]

Peepers, the coincidence is pretty funny. My brother lives in Denver, Co, and his pregnant Chocolate Lab's name is Peepers. She is going to be due in early April, I have been waiting for him to breed his dog for 4 years. It is probably the healthiest lab I have ever seen. It's mother was an English Lab and has a great bloold line, even my Stepfather, who is a vet, thinks the world of his lab. I can't wait to get a puppy from him, late wedding gift to us from my brother. Labs are tricky due to their popularity, usually the best breeders are the ones who breed them for hunting as they are very particular about blood lines and verifying hip dispatia. His Peepers is from Idaho. My $.02.

What is the kennel name from here in Idaho?