best of breed??

[Lifeangel1]

I would have to say it depends on the dog itself. Not necessarily just a particular breed.
I am a Golden Retriever lover at heart, had them since I was a kid and rescued my last one from the pound.
After my last one had to be put down I was looking to rescue another  dog from the pound.
I ended up with a Rottweiler/German Shepperd mix, 100lbs worth. He has no aggressive tendencies and is great around new people, other dogs and my friends kids. In fact the neighbor kids come knock on my door to ask if they can play with him.
Darrell[/QUOTE

Hey Darrell, do you have any pics of your Rott N' Shepard? (That's what we call ours). He's a great dog.

[Old Goat]

Alligators are not choosey about breeds. They all taste the same.

[LimeJeeeep]

Alligators are not choosey about breeds. They all taste the same.

now thats funny ........and true we have a few right down the street

[Old Goat]

now thats funny ........and true we have a few right down the street

Yup, I know. I used to live in South Florida in a place where there was plenty of them.

[campdaddy]

We have a mut we rescued from the local pound. He looks to be mostely a LAB / Retriever mix with maybe a little something else mixed in, but he's really a great dog.

DW has informed me the Henry the dog does not contain retriever. He's Lab and Sheperd with more lab than anythnig. Still a good dog though. We do not take him camping because we spend too much time away from the campsite sight seeing and other activities where Man's Best Friend may not be welcomed. Also he has a bit of a barking problem. We're working on it; got him in a 12step program  -JK- . :p

We once camped where the people two sites away from us left their dog caged at their camp site for the entire 3 day weekend while they were away. It barked the entire time they were gone - I don't blame the dog -but it did take away from our enjoyment. Don't remember why managment let it continue.

[daldricht]

Yup, I know. I used to live in South Florida in a place where there was plenty of them.

You gotta be kiddin . . . right? I lived in Sarasota for 12 years and got tired of poisoning everything - including the mold on my tile roof. It was the bull alligator that literally walked through our screening on the caged pool and was lounging on the swim-out. I came out at 5:30AM - like I did ever AM to do laps, and noticed this bobbing object at the other end. I knew that I took all the kids toys out the night before (for fear of getting sucked into various intakes). I got out of the pool, went into the house, and turned on the pool lights. I discovered a 5-1/2 footer alligator looking rather pissed off that I turned on the pool lights. We called the forest ranger and they come with a crew to take them away and supposedly place them in some other area unpopulated by humans. I realize we are the ones that invadid their territory - and I am sorry for that - but I already was paying the mortgage - so instead sold the house in a record 4-1/2 days to a couple from New York City - alligators - sure they know about them - they just flush them . . . right??? I now live in VA and hopefully move to PA soon. Bet I won't see any there???
Dave

[Old Goat]

No alligators in PA?....not unless some crazy fool brings in a few for pets and then releases them into the wilds when they get to big to care for. THey found one in the sewers of NYC awhile back and suspect that it was brought in as a pet......

[ScouterMom]

I suppose in a roundabout way, Golden retreivers count as sort-of labs, but no - they're not quite the same!

Goldens have held my heart for years - though I love all dogs - Goldens are my favorite.  I've had backyard bred, rescue and purebred goldens - Fizzy is my fourth golden in 20+ yrs.  They make uncomparable companions for anything - all they ask is to be with their people, and they are happy.  The only thing that makes them unhappy is to be left alone.

I grew up with German shepherds, and have known many loving dogs of many breeds and mixes - but goldens are universally accepted as the kid-loving, gentle, live teddy bears of dogdom - who could possibly resist this face?



This is my Fizzy on a canoe trip this summer.  Her first trip in a canoe and she was perfect; sat still in the canoe, hopped in and out on command, and only begged food a little ( well, maybe more, we had GOOD food, and she was being such a good girl!)  - Isn't she adorable?

Laura

Laura

[dademt]

While we have two mutts right now I really want to get a Great Dane when we have more land.  Great dogs, can't wait.

[daldricht]

The Hutton Gang
I hope you realize that Great Danes are great . . . but they also have a very short life-span.
Greg Louganis stopped breeding them because he lost enough of them in early ages and it was heartbreaking to him!
If you have young children in the home, think of what this will mean to them.

[dademt]

The Hutton Gang
I hope you realize that Great Danes are great . . . but they also have a very short life-span.
Greg Louganis stopped breeding them because he lost enough of them in early ages and it was heartbreaking to him!
If you have young children in the home, think of what this will mean to them.

Yeah, I know, it is the only discouraging part about the breed.  Then again my St. Bernard had hip displacia real bad also before she finally passed away.  I figure our mutts will be with us for many more years to come and by then the kids will be older.  Besides, at this point I don't really have the land/location to have them danes now.  
 
With all that being said, thanks for the info.  When the time comes for us to look for another dog we will have to consider it.  Knowing us we will take in another stray before then anyways.

[austinado16]

Here's what it's all about!  Daughter Kate( and Katie(2-1/2) the Austrailian Cattle Dog aka Queensland Heeler.

[ScouterMom]

AWWWW!  

You're right - that's what it's all about - every dog needs a kid, and every kid needs a dog...... they're just made for each other!


These are mine -


Fizzy & Jon



Laura

[austinado16]

Now that's what I'm talkin' about!  I love it when dogs are kept clean and allowed to live in the house and be part of the family.  Nothing's better.  Our's has a ramp that gets her up into my daughter's bunk bed.  Every night she goes up and lays there until Kate falls asleep.  Then she comes back down to be with us.  During the day, she waits for Kate to come home from school by hanging out in her bunk, looking out the window.

[daldricht]

As a child I had a sable colored collie that used to walk me to the bus in the morning for school and she would be waiting for me when I got home in the afternoon. I had a ground hut that she used to sit outside and await for us to emerge so that she could play with us. And she always was in the house. My mother brushed her to the point her sable colored fur shined, her feet were wiped with an old towel when she came in from the rain or snow - and she always slept on my bed at night - she was like a giant electric blanket.
We have a red Doberman now and he follows me everywhere. If I grab for my car keys or try to get my sandles on, he knows I am going somewhere, so he must be going also . . . right? We have to be careful during the summer months because of having to leave him in the car and the internal temperature of the car - but he is just 2 years old now and seems to understand this. I have never known me to have such patience with an animal. He will stand next to me in the kitchen - sitting - and his jaw can rest on the counter - which makes him look like he is the assistant cook. Yea, right??? I talk to him constantly and have this grin on my face most of the time caused by a curious cocking of his head from one side to the other trying to figure out half of what I say. But if the word "go" is in the sentence, it is almost like "when" should be included.
In many ways, animals are far easier to take care of than kids (and I should know - we had 5 kids and 37-foster kids), to love and feel the enormous affection in return. And they expect very little in return - brush me, feed me and scratch my back and they are in seventh heaven. This would be a good house to return to in your second life as an animal!