Dog breed discussion

[Rduke55]

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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.

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and drool and have respiratory problems. But supposedly they're among the best tempered dogs

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I have an english bulldog. Great inside dog. I haven't really noticed a great deal of shedding - they're pretty short-haired. Health problems are often a concern for many purebreds - the key is do your research on the breeder.

My dog can be a farter. Mostly when he gets excited when people come over and takes in a bunch of air for a while. A good diet (which is important for weight isssues too) minimizes this and there's always the doggie version of beano.
He doesn't drool that much. I've seen much worse from "regular" dogs that are running around.
He's the best tempered dog I've ever seen. Plus, lazy as hell. Doesn't go for long walks, sleeps in, etc.
He does snore however. You get used to it and I find it's a nice, rumbling white noise that puts me to sleep. [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[turnipmonster]

my parents had a shih tzu and they are very cute, extremely low maintenance dogs. they aren't very smart, but they are very quiet and really enjoy just sitting on your lap a lot. ours didn't really need to go out very often and ate much less than larger dogs. her eating habits were really more like a cat's, you could just leave food out for her and she wouldn't overeat.

we are going to get a dog soon and my wife has her heart set on a king charles cavalier spaniel. thoughts? I want to get a burmese mountain dog but we have a small nyc apt.

[ScottyP431]

OP,

I , much like you, am looking for a smaller dog that can live in an apt (it can't be bigger than 25 lbs where I live) and that is not totally gay. I've been thinking about a Shiba Inu

http://www.rawos.com/aki/full/15.jpg

or a Klee Kai, which is a miniature huskey
http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/images12...eeKaiKaia2.JPG

[colgin]

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OP,

I , much like you, am looking for a smaller dog that can live in an apt (it can't be bigger than 25 lbs where I live) and that is not totally gay. I've been thinking about a Shiba Inu

http://www.rawos.com/aki/full/15.jpg

or a Klee Kai, which is a miniature huskey
http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/images12...eeKaiKaia2.JPG

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You see a lot of Shiba's in NYC, where Ilive. My best friend's wife has a Shiba and he is a great dog. Also, excvept when they lose thier coat once or twice a year, they don't otherwise shed too much. Also, they are very clean dogs, much like a cat. They can be somewhat aloof, but as a cat pwerson I like that.

My friend also used to haev a weimaraner. I would agree with the earlier poster who said they are on the dumb side. My friend's dog was ultra-sweet and IMO a great pet. But he wasn't the smartest creature.

As for Italian Greyhounds I believe that they, as well as whippets, can and will jump on your furniture which other breeds either can't (pr won't) do. You need to decide whether or not you care if your dog is sleeping on your couh or bed all day while you are gone. I don't really care where my cats go, but if I had a dog I would not want it on the bed or couch. That said, I really like Italian greyhound and whippets (as well as greyohunds).

[hawk59]

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I did a lot of searching on this topic as we let my daughter get a puppy for Christmas. Her main criteria was cute and cuddly and small, so I mainly researched the under 10lb set. The one I wanted her to choose was a papillon(big dog attitude), but she ended up with a toy poodle. So far he has been pretty good about not being too effeminate like some of the small breeds. Here is a list I found of the smartest dogs, according to a book by Stanley Coren:
Ranking of dogs by breed

Brightest Dogs
1. Border Collie
2. Poodle
3. German Shepherd
4. Golden Retriever
5. Doberman Pinscher
6. Shetland Sheepdog
7. Labrador Retriever
8. Papillon
9. Rottweiler
10. Australian Cattle Dog
Welsh Corgi (Pembroke)



Excellent Working Dogs
11. Miniature Schnauzer
12. English Springer Spaniel
13. Belgian Tervueren
14. Schipperke
15. Belgian Sheepdog
16. Collie
Keeshond
17. German Shorthaired Pointer
18. Flat-Coated Retriever
English Cocker Spaniel
Standard Schnauzer
19. Brittany
20. Cocker Spaniel
21. Weimaraner


Lol at someone who said the Shih Tzu was smart, they rank at the end of the list:
Lowest Degree of Working/Obedience Intelligence
70. Shih Tzu
71. Basset Hound
72. Mastiff
Beagle
73. Pekingese
74. Bloodhound
75. Borzoi
76. Chow Chow
77. Bulldog
78. Basenji
79. Afghan Hound


Actually, a really smart dog may not be a good choice for an apartment dweller as the dog may get bored too easily.

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the dog breed intelligence list tests for a dog's ability to respond correctly to commands. certain breeds like border collies were bred for this. that's why the top of the list is dominated by herding dogs and retrievers. hunting dogs were not bred to respond to commands, they were bred to hunt and flush game without much input from their handlers. that's why the bottom of the list is dominated by hounds. it doesn't mean they aren't as smart, it's just that the list tests specifically for what some breeds were bred for. the smartest dog i've ever had was a shih tzu, but you don't necessarily want a smart dog, they get bored easily.

[swede123]

Turnip:

Cavalier King Charles are OK, probably a pretty decent breed for apartment conditions. Personally I think they are very cute as puppies but a bit goofy looking as adult dogs. I prefer the look of Cocker Spaniels (though I do like bigger dogs so that explains some of it).

Bernese Mountain Dogs are beautiful, but might be a handful for an apartment dweller. Also, there's tons of inbreeding issues with them, and many pure breed Bernese only live like 5-7 years due to cancer and stuff.

Like others have mentioned, reading about breed standards and what not will only give an idea as to what to look for. The best way to figure out whether a dog will work or not is to check out the puppies yourself, as well as the parents. This way you get a good idea if the dog possesses the qualities/temperament typical for the breed, or if it is completely different (for better or for worse).

Swede

[colgin]

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The best way to figure out whether a dog will work or not is to check out the puppies yourself, as well as the parents. This way you get a good idea if the dog possesses the qualities/temperament typical for the breed, or if it is completely different (for better or for worse).


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Good advice. This also implies that you are going to a responsible breeder, which you really should do. Please avoid purchases from pet stores. The likelihood that you will get an animal with problems goes up way up and you end up supporting the awful puppy mill system.

[EvanJC]

i love the cavilier king charles breed...their eyes are soooo intelligent and aware

[turnipmonster]

yeah definitely. we really would rather adopt from a shelter, but then again my wife really has her heart set on a specific breed, so that makes it difficult.

[seke2]

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i love the cavilier king charles breed...their eyes are soooo intelligent and aware

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Had a cav for many years. They are amazing dogs, very intelligent and very good with people. However, they do shed a lot, their coats require a decent amount of upkeep to keep them looking good, and they have a number of chronic breed health issues, particularly with heart conditions.

That said, I will almost certainly own another Cav at some point in my life because they are such amazing dogs.