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What's the best breed of dog for a pet? I've been thinking about getting another dog, from the animal shelter, it's been about a year since I last had a dog. My last dog's name was Mishka, I had to get her put down in the end, but she had a good go at life, she's one of the best dog's I've ever had. She was a Bull terrier cross kelpie, which is not the sort of dog that I would of picked for myself, but she picked me for some reason. It's sounds like a load of B/S, I had heard of that a long time ago, but never had it happen to me before, the dog choosing it's owner... But yeah, I guess it's a long story, and I really just wanted to ask people what they think is the best kind of dog for a family pet?

BradWhales 3 Dec 7
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24 comments

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6

You answered your own question...> Any dog that chooses you.

6

The best breed is “rescued from a shelter”

5

Any dog that matches your energy level . So happy you are going to rescue and not buy from breeders. Good luck!

"matches your energy level" thats a very good what kind of dog answer.

@MsAl I like that answer because a 200 lb Mastiff is perfectly happy in a small apartment living with a couch potato. A Jack Russell Terrier living in a small apartment may burn the place down.

@Kojaksmom I think alot of people just want a cute dog and don't really put much thought into it. Having a dog can be nice but can also be a very sad and bad situation for both dog and person.

4

I agree with those who said rescued/mutt. They are my favourites. There are always variations within each breed (I work with hundreds of dogs) so it’s more important to get to know the individual dog than assume that the dog will behave as prescribed by breed specifics. Like with your previous dog, you just never know which breeds or mixbreeds would fit best into your family. You can maybe foster a dog from a rescue and see how the dog fits into your family and lifestyle. It could be a foster to adopt situation.

4

The easiest and most lovable dogs I have ever owned were lab mixes...my big boy now is a mix of black lab, and rotweiler...gentle, loves our cats, trains easily, loves hugs and belly rubs...great around kids...but he does shed and is heavy when he sits on your lap or sleeps with you...he was a rescue...

I think most purebreds these days have all sorts of genetic issues from bad hips to bad temperments..

And, yeah...my boy chose me...I get it....

4

Find one that needs a home.

3

I would say the most important thing to take into consideration is how active your and your family are. Many dogs are high energy and need lots of exercise in order to be happy and nondestructive of your things.

I have a 22# cockapoo and he’s the best! My kids were in daycare when we got him as a puppy. I would bring him with to pick up the kids. Of course they all wanted to hold and play with him. Best thing ever because he is so good and gentle with little kids! Nothing I necessarily did on purpose but it definitely shows the importance of socializing

3

Both of my guys came from shelters the big one is a Heinz 57

I think the big one could be mistaken for a horse... No, they look beautiful, are they both well behaved?

@BradWhales yes, the big one is Dudley the black and white little one is his boss Fenwick

3

It really depends on your own personality, life style, level of activity and etc as to what breed might suit that.

2

Personally I think that your note of "she picked me" is the best dog for you. You may get picked again, if not find a dog age and breed that matches your lifestyle. If you hike a lot don't get an old dog, if you're not very active don't get a runner, etc. Overall I trust dogs more than people to make a good match, hopefully you're picked again.

2

Sorry to hear about Mishka. Can't say what the best dog is for you, but I hope it's a rescue.
Had a general idea of what I was looking for in a dog, then went to [adoptapet.com] to get a sense of what was available in the shelters near me. Don't like the idea of looking at a lot of dogs in kennels that I have no intention of bring home, so the site helped me narrow down my search. Still feel like Laika spoke to me & she's been a wonderful companion!

2

The sweetest dog I ever had was a yellow lab, golden retriever mix. The next best was a toy manchester terrier. Also, a feist is nice.

Manchesters are fascinating! How was yours with housebreaking though? That's the only thing that concerns me. I've a great Standard Manchester breeder in my FB, that if I was ever to have one I'd ask for her reqs where to go with her lines. They are gorgeous, like little oil paintings & oh so "doberman thrown in the wash & shrunken".

That said my boy's breeder (doberman) used to have them & said hers were awful about housebreaking, given her experience and accomplishments elsewhere if she couldn't housebreak a dog...
Still, manchesters are an endangered breed. If I was ever to get a small dog they would be high on my list and I'd be toast if I was around a litter of puppies.

@Qualia Yes, there were some house training issues with the toy manchester terrier. I couldn't count the number of times I had to clean up a pile of poo.

@BestWithoutGods Oh dear. Well that is something I'm very spoiled on. I think dobermans are 2 seconds to being born housebroken.
With all 3 I've had if there's an accident someone was ill or it was totally human error in not letting them out, as they let you know when they need out.

2

To me, the main considerations are size shedding, drooling. Size because how much room do you have, and time to exercise if no yard big enough. Shedding, because some breeds make Way more hair, and drooling...can you stand any! Some people do not care...i deeply do!

Yeah, not much really bothers me, drooling, shedding, etc, I take the good with the bad I guess. What sort of dog do you have?

2

You could get another mutt of course they’re usually pretty good for any home or you can go on dog 101 and search through pretty much every breed you can imagine.
I love their site because they show what each dog will look like though it’s development as well as health, temperament, grooming and activity level.

But either way I hope that you get another great companion and feel free to hit me up with any questions or whatever. ??

I just had a quick look at that Dog 101 web page, and it said it's a TV show in the U.S. as well. I keep forgetting how much information there is on the internet... But yeah, thank's for putting me on to that, dog 101.

2

I think Labs are good if you have room and lots of time for them.

MsAl Level 8 Dec 7, 2018
2

I fell in love with the Pit Bull breed by accident. Never had owned one, knew nothing about the breed, but love interfered. The rest is history! Now, I have two!

I originally adopted a brindle female Pit-Lab pup out of despetation because my older son was going through a lot. I adopted her as a therapy dog for him. We named her, Harlem. She's a lifesaver! My son's grades started picking up, his motivation was coming back, and the rest is... well, a miracle!

Since her, I have been most grateful to the breed that I accepted another Put Bull into my life.

My former boss gave me a blue-nosed pit. I was hesitant at first, but my heart fell in love with the little fella.

The breed is very intelligent, obedient, protective, and gentle.

Their veterinarian is impressed with their behaviour. It's all about how you raise them.

1

Smaller Dogs,usually live longer,the bigger breeds like Great Danes and Saint Bernards,maybe 7 years. 12 years is about all you might get out of a German Shepherd,Saluki,of any of the Labs. Maybe someday,Science will figure out a way to slow down the clock in a Dogs life.......

1

I like mutts, and as mentioned mixes with labs are great, and good with kids.

JimG Level 8 Dec 7, 2018
1

The best family pet matches your lifestyle and has been screened properly temperament wise.
I've gotten two dogs in my life cold out of the pound. One was a dream dog(doberman), I was very lucky. The other wanted to eat my kid's face off (jack russel mix). Needless to say I'm never getting a dog out of the pound again.
Besides, I like that we have an insurance policy in that if anything happens to me my boy's breeder and an entire network of related "dog family" will step up to assure my dog never winds up in a rescue or pound, ever. Those are the people I want to support with pet purchases when adding an animal to my family, the ones who don't add to shelter populations.

1

I'm a fan of most terriers. They're smart and few versions of a terrier are super co dependent. Big fan of golden retrievers or golden doodles. Anything part golden really.

Yeah, that's what I want to get, and I've had'em before, like a Fox Terrier, or Jack Russel... LOL, I've never heard of a golden doodle before...

1

Is 'Mishka' Serbian for mouse? That's an intriguing name.
Update: Thinking about it, I should have said 'bear' rather than mouse. Sorry.

I'm another vote for a rescue dog that matches your energy level.

Yeah, my Polish mate named her or use to call her Mishka and it stuck. But yeah, he told me later that mishka means mouse, and I kept asking him if it really did, because I was worried that it might of been some swear word in Polish...

1

Don't get a sheltie or a beagle. Speaking from personal experience. Love my dogs but jeez.

Get a mutt for sure. Rescue dog. All my dogs were rescues. I heard greyhounds make awesome pets.

Hihi Level 6 Dec 7, 2018

Why, or what's wrong with a Sheltie or a Beagle?

@BradWhales shelties tend to be very neurotic and bark a lot and beagles are escape artists (and howl a lot). I told my sister not to get a beagle (which she got anyway cause mine was so darn adorable) and she gave it away after a few months! Don't get me wrong - I love both those dogs. But I would MUCH rather have less high maintenance dogs!

1

You can't go wrong with a Golden Retriever. They are smart, affectionate and live to please. My adopted dog is half Golden and half American Pit Bull Terrier. He has a Golden head and personality, but a Pit Bull body and strength. Turns out to be a great combination.

0

Thought of this thread when this came up in my feed. Biggest issue would be grooming.
Dandie Dinmont
Very affectionate & good with children, with a german shepherd bark, but not overly barky.

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