Dog breed discussion

[goodsamaritan]

I'm thinking about getting a dog sometime in the next year or two, but am not sure what breed to get. I'm looking for a small to medium size dog that is not too active cause I'll be living in a city. I also don't want a dog that is too effeminate like a poodle.

One dog that I'm considering is an Italian Greyhound:
http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/italiangreyhound.htm

The biggest pro for this breed is that they shed little to no hair, which is huge.

Thoughts? What kind of dogs do you guys have? What are their pros and cons? Pictures are of course encouraged.

[edfurlong]

I keep thinking about getting a bulldog, they seem pretty well suited to apartment life.

[wet work]

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I keep thinking about getting a bulldog, they seem pretty well suited to apartment life.

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I have 2 labs, they're great. I was going to suggest a bulldog as well.

[goodsamaritan]

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I keep thinking about getting a bulldog, they seem pretty well suited to apartment life.

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I'm considering bulldogs, but the biggest downside seems to be that they shed a ton. Also, they seem to have a higher probablity of health problems than most dogs. And I've read that some of them have a tendency to fart a lot, which could get annoying.

[fluffpop62]

We have a Weimeranar. They're ridiculously smart, and don't shed, but unfortunately may grow to be larger then what you were looking for.
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[adios]

If you're going to get a pure bred I'd suggest doing a fair amount of investigation about the breeder you're thinking of buying it from. One advantage to buying a pure bred is that you should be able to get feedback about dogs that have been previously sold. Labs tend to be nice dogs to own since they seem to be easy to train obedience wise. Ditto for Goldens. I'd also consider adopting a mixed breed rescue dog. I have both pure bred and mixed bred btw. One thing to consider if your going to have a dog in an apartment is how much the dog sheds. You can get dogs groomed so that their shedding is reduced a great deal but it has to be done fairly often and the cost adds up.

[Meech]

Here are the breeds I have had some experience with and my opinions.

- Norweigian Elkhound
Avoid this one. Head strong, and they shed like a mofo. Poofy girly dog.

- Chow
Agressive. Only really hung around one of them, but it made a beeline out of nowhere and attacked/killed a little dog.

- Greyhound
A bit spaz. But I spent time with retired race dogs/rescues.

- St bernard
The stupidest breed I have yet to encounter. Pints of slobber and stupidity.

- Golden
Laid back, nice dog.

- Lab
Good dogs. Smart.

- German Shepherd
Fantastic dog. Very smart, loyal. I will definately own another one in my life whereas I cannot say the same about the others.

[LockForward]

I'd advise against getting an italian greyhound. They have health and tempermant promblems. You say that you don't want an active dog, have you thought that maybe a dog isn't the pet best suited for your situation? Any breed you get is going to require a moderate amount of walking and exercise.

[4 High]

Or if you can find one get a Bepherd (Beagle/German Shepherd mix). They are small-medium and are wondeful with people from what we have seen with our puppy and her sisters.

[goodsamaritan]

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I'd advise against getting an italian greyhound. They have health and tempermant promblems. You say that you don't want an active dog, have you thought that maybe a dog isn't the pet best suited for your situation? Any breed you get is going to require a moderate amount of walking and exercise.

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I have no problem walking the dog daily, but I will be living in an apartment and don't want a dog that will feel claustrophobic.

And from what I read Italian Greyhounds are okay living in an apartment:

"The Italian Greyhound is good for apartment life. They are fairly active indoors and will do okay without a yard. This breed is very sensitive to cold temperatures and should wear a sweater to go out in the cold weather."
http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/italiangreyhound.htm