h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

When I move into my new house, one of the first things I will do is buy a dog. I am undecided on the breed. I prefer larger dogs, having grown up with dobermans, and I am currently leaning towards a rottweiler but I am open to suggestions.

So anyone who wants to suggest a particular breed (or anti-breed), please suggest away, and tell me why.

Later on, we all get to decide on a name.

1) Consider a rescued dog. I'd go for an Alsatian/Labrador cross. They're very nice natured.
2) Make sure you're not allergic to the dog you choose. I was allergic to my favourite dog. It's too late to do anything about it once you have the dog and love it.
3) If you're going to buy the dog (rather than going for a rescue) meet the dog's parents to make sure they're nice natured. I don't know how you ensure there are no inbreeding problems like hip displasia (spelling?).
4) Good luck.

Hi,

what about a Bernen Senner dog (I'm not sure, if this is the correct English name, though).
It's a huge dog, tricoloured - black, brown and white, very friendly, but with quite a temperament, you know. This race comes originally from Switzerland, where this dogs were watching after sheeps. They look a little bit like a Bernardiner dog, but are much prettier.

My parents have a dog of this race. Monti (not from Montana/US, but from Krans-Monana/Switzerland) is quite a cute chap and I love him tenderly, it is just fun, cause he is laughing all the time. You don't believe? I assure you it's true - dogs ARE laughing and having a big sense of humour.

Salamander,
rescue dogs are definitely under consideration, although it would be nice to have a puppy to start with. Are there Alsation/Labrador's that need to be rescued, or is that just an accident of grammatical proximity? I know of rescue organizations for greyhounds and "attack" dogs like dobermans, but not for crossbreeds.

I am aware of hip displasia, but I had no idea I had to watch out for dogs with spelling problems. Thanks for the tip!


Kasia,
I'll look into the Bernen Senner. Shepherding dogs often do have nice temperaments.

Thanks to you, both. Make sure you come back to find out what type of dog I end up with!

Ah, it's a "Bernese Mountain Dog" auf English. I just checked it out at the American Kennel Club web site. You're right, they are beautiful dogs.

Why a dog??? Why not a cat... ~helpful grin~... a nice orange cat... with a cute grin is just what you need...

Faithful
Cute
Cheap to feed
Cute
Washes more often
Cute
Will ignore you for hours on end
Cute
What more can one say... oh... except cats are awful cute... don't you think???

There are no specific rescue organisations for Alsatian/Labradors but they seem to be quite a common(ish) cross. I was thinking of RSPCA, Animal Aid and Blue Cross rescue kennels. One of my last 2 dogs was an A/L cross and she looked very much like a timber wolf and had the nicest nature. I've always had rescue dogs. No two were the same. I know some people get the same breed of dog each time but there can be a problem with wanting/expecting the next dog to be like the last dog. That's likely to result in disappointment because they're all different - whatever the breed. I've heard that greyhounds have a very nice temperament and don't need as much exercise as you might expect. None of them can spell to save their lives .

Hmm, this is interesting, I mean this website you talked about.

Can you give me the link?

Kasia,

The link is http://www.akc.org/


Salamander,
Have the dogs you've had been generally well behaved, and well adapted to people? I'm always afraid that the rescue dogs may have been mistreated, and therefore likely to have a mean streak.


Greebo,
Yes, cats are cute, and I have friends who would love me to take the feral cat that they rescued from a dumpster behind the supermarket, who in addition to all the qualities you list, will also bite you for no apparent reason (unless mere existence is a reason).

I happen to be allergic to cats. I can be near them, just can't touch 'em.

There is probably something to be said for too.

Every rescued dog I've ever had has been friendly and cheerful. Mostly, I've told the kennel manager the sort of dog that suits my personality and let them choose for me. My current dogs were dumped on me (for want of a better expression) by people who didn't want them any more. They were hard to train - it took a year and now they're very good.

But normally I would have waited a few months - maybe a year after my last dog died, then I would have gone to the local Animal Aid kennel and said I can offer a home to 2 dogs who must be able to get on together, they must be trustworthy off the lead, come back when called, be well mannered with other dogs, like people, be house trained etc etc. Then I'd have a couple of wonderful dogs fitting my specifications. They often have puppies as well. I've had 2 that have been only 5 and 7 weeks old. The 5 week old pup died at the age of 17, about 3 years ago. He was similar to a golden retriever and the best behaved dog you could imagine.

A lot of rescued dogs have problems but you don't have to have one of those. The people who run the kennels will normally know which ones will be difficult and as they have no wish to have dogs returned after homing, they can be trusted not to saddle you with a dog that won't suit you.

hey, thanks for the link, I'm going straight to it now.

There is one point that nobody seems to have considered. How big is your apartment? You may be more used to and prefer large dogs, but is an apartment the best place for one? Also, how much time do you have to devote to taking your dog for walks? Most people I know who have had larger dogs reckon that the large dogs are more lazy (i.e., will quite happily go without walks and just lie around), whereas small dogs seem to be little balls of energy. However, large dogs still need long walks, even if it's raining / snowing / blowing a gale.

Another consideration is grooming. This takes time, so if you don't have much to spare, go for a short haired dog. Rottweilers and dobies are good from this point of view, as are hounds (many of which are large). Alsatians (or GSDs if you prefer) can be shaggy, depending on parentage. Poodles, apparently, don't shed, so one of the large ones (I think they're called 'Standard') could be an option.

Then there's training. A pup is nice, but it has to be trained. Again, dobies, rottweilers, Alsatians and hounds are easier to train than some other breeds. Terriers can be untrainable - I know, I own one! Training can be fun, but if time is an issue, go for a breed that is trainable.

Finally, cost. The bigger the dog, the more it eats. Check out the price of dog food before you make your decision. If you can't afford the cost of feeding a large dog, scale your ambitions down a bit. Then there are vets bills (pretty much the same regardless of breed and size), toys, bedding, dog leads, feeding bowls... So many dogs end up at rescue centres because their owners suddenly couldn't afford to keep them.

I can't suggest any specific breeds, not having any experience of them. When Richard and I were trying to decide what kind of dog to have, we used a book called 'Choosing a Small Dog', which covers everything from chihuahuas to Border collies (which are not what *I* would call small). I don't know if there's an equivalent for choosing a large dog, but it might be worth looking into.

Cheerful, thanks for the advice. I had considered much of it already, and buying a dog is long-awaited opportunity, not a whim as it is with so many people.

I'm in a small apartment now, but in two weeks I move into a 3 bedroom, 2 story house with a back yard (you can see it at A415270), and even better, a large park just a block away. I should be OK on the space issue.

As for exercise, well, I'm hoping the dog will be relentless and push me to get more myself. I know a dog can be just as sedentary and lazy as a human, but maybe we will keep each other sharp.

The expense and time caring for the dog should go without saying (unfortunately, it can't and you are right to bring it up). I work within walking distance of my house, so I have lots of time to devote to it, and can even stop by on my lunch break, but I expect the dog will be with me much of the time (except at work, unless my boss allows it. He's allowed stranger things, but I don't think I should push it. ).

You are the second person to tell me poodles don't shed. They are starting to sound very attractive.

Howdy neighbor!

I spent 4 years in New Brunswick and now reside near Exit 88.

We're considering a Portuguese Water Dog for our household. They don't shed either and they love the water. We live on the bay, which would afford exercise opportunities. However, they are rare and difficult to find locally.

See you at HGIQ!

Hi Witty! I can see you are a true New Jerseyian, since you know your exit, and that it does NOT refer to the turnpike (Exit 88 on the Turnpike would be in New Hampshire, by my estimation)!

I'll take a look at the Portuguese Water Dog on the American Kennel Club web site. But I would not want the dog to go swimming in the Raritan. That's where the New Brunswick drinking water comes from.

/* Suddenly realizes that he has been nauseous for several years, and the glowing, orange skin is not normal. Could it be the water? */

As you are a large dog person I can be fairly sure that, if you do go for a poodle, you'll go for the biggest kind. (I think they're called 'Standard' poodles, but I'm not sure without checking.) PLEASE don't have it lion-clipped, unless you're planning to show it. (Lion-clipped is where the dog looks like it's got pom-poms round its ankles, head, tail and chest.) This is for 'street-cred' reasons, rather than cruelty - that's the dog's street-cred, not yours. Maybe it's both! It's a personal thing. I think large poodles look quite nice, but lion-clipped ones just look silly.

That's the other advantage with a short-haired dog - you can't do silly things with their grooming!

Definitely no pom-poms! You're right, it would be for *both* me and the dog. I think that if I had a dog that was lion-clipped, I would burst out laughing every time I saw it, and I want to be able to breath at least part of the day.

By the way, I never saw a lion done up like that.

I refuse to do other things too, like cropping a doberman's ears and tail.

Good elephant. Why on earth do people chop bits off their dogs? Do they hate them or something? It's barbaric! Dogs are very trusting and loyal and they deserve better.

I get the impression that smaller breeds and especially terriers are more difficult to train, as are beagles and hounds - like fox hounds and blood hounds. Dogs that have been bred for herding are easier to train but border collies, although very intelligent and trainable, demand a lot of attention. They love being trained and want to play and train all day. If you think you might focus on other things they are inclined to find other things to interest themselves - things you might prefer then not to do. But judging from what you've said, you might cope well with a border collie. Sounds as though the dog you get will have done well for itself.

When I was a kid I could never understand it when people said Scooby Doo was a Great Dane, 'cos here in Britain Great Danes (and dobies, for that matter) have floppy ears, not pointed ones. It was only later that I learned that Great Danes and dobies in the States often have their ears cropped to make them stand up. Why? (Other than fashion). I know that any dog that wasn't as nature / the breeder intended wouldn't make it into Crufts (the top British dog show). Cropped tails are OK, because originally, on some dogs, there were (supposedly) good reasons for doing this. However, the British Kennel Club says that dogs that traditionally *had* to have their tails docked may be entered with undocked tails. This has been the situation for the past few years.

Oh, and silly grooming doesn't count as 'not as nature intended'. There are more lion-clipped large poodles at Crufts than any other variety. I suppose it doesn't matter so much with poodles but, with working or hunting dogs or terriers, I tend to take the attitude that they should be shown in a state where they could do their job. This means I would automatically disqualify certain types of spaniel and Yorkshire terrier-type dogs where the coat is extremely long and flashily groomed. Try sending a spaniel like that to retrieve your shot duck, or a Yorkie like that after a rat! Both would love the job - it's in their nature. But their coats would look horrendous afterwards.

Anyhow, I'm glad that d'Elaphant is not the sort to do stupid things with a dog. I'm almost envious, but we have a very nice dog of our own, albeit a small, untrainable Norfolk terrier.

get a lab or lab/mix black yellow or brown .had a lab standard poodle mix named basil very smart and well mannered.now have a lab cheasapeake can and do take her anywhere with out a lease.shes a good frisbe player if somewhat obcessed with the retriveing and shes looking at me right now as if she knows im talking about her.males can sometimes be on the hard headed side but arnt we all?