Had to put down my Lab coming up on 2 years ago......hardest thing Ive ever had to do. Wife doesnt want one but I am DYING to get a new pup. I grew up with Black Labs and Jack Russell Terrorists......love both breeds.
This time I am leaning towards a deadgrass Chesapeake Bay Retreiver (Im a sucker for the light coat and eyes), a "boxy" English style retriever or another JRT. Pretty much in that order.
Ive got a 6 year old son and 2.5 year old twins at home. Im thinking the larger dog will do better with the little cherubs but I dig the portability factor the JRT affords....
Any input?
JRT
[thumbsup]
Aren't they still crawling at that age? Put collars on the kids.
No question, get another JRT [wine]
Wire Hair Fox Terrier
I'll pay for shipping ;)
I grew up with a big black lab, he was by far the greatest dog ever. If a dog that big were a option for me I would get another any day, only other option would be a Weimaraner..
Try a rescue. Usually plenty of pups available. [thumbsup]
Quote from: Triple J on September 25, 2008, 06:03:55 PM
Try a rescue. Usually plenty of pups available. [thumbsup]
+1
My shelter has retrievers/terriers/hounds galore. All they lack is official papers.
JRT [thumbsup]
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3151/2889163730_27454e5841_m.jpg)
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3063/2889163708_17a5c3e195.jpg?v=0)
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3113/2889163684_1e49139cd7.jpg?v=0)
Quote from: Triple J on September 25, 2008, 06:03:55 PM
Try a rescue. Usually plenty of pups available. [thumbsup]
+2
You can also sometimes get purebred rescues (depends on the breed), mine are both rescues.
Oh, and I think JRTs are the highest energy breed out there...more than Border Collies.
Quote from: hbliam on September 25, 2008, 08:41:39 PM
JRT [thumbsup]
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3113/2889163684_1e49139cd7.jpg?v=0)
whatacutie! :)
Unless that's your drapes he's playing with.
Chesapeakes are great dogs but all retrievers are and they tend to be GREAT w/ kids.
Face it, you just need something to blame the gas on...
Jack Russells are great if you have to time to give to their unending desire to play & their constant high level of energy ~
JM
I like an aloof dog. Really chill and sort of does his/her own thing. Enjoys your company but is not an attention whore at the same time.
Got 3 dogs at the moment. My bro has his shepherd mix and Maltese and the "family" dog is a great pry. Big white fluffy dog. Though I am partial to big dogs, my brothers little maltese is so easy to take care of and her craps are not massive like the other 2 dogs.
The shepherd is an attention whore and the great pyr has a personality a lot like my boarder collie mix (he was a very chill and relaxed dog)
I think the JRT may be the best of 2 worlds. It is small enough "easily" take care of yet though not a large dog, it is hyper enough to keep the kids busy. Kids just seem to love BIG dogs or playful ones.
Quote from: Triple J on September 25, 2008, 06:03:55 PM
Try a rescue. Usually plenty of pups available. [thumbsup]
I hear ya and Ill check but I think Ive paid my dues with rescue dogs.....2 Jack Russells and 3 labs were all rescues and all had at least one quirk.
My last JRT was an absolutely awesome dog in all respects but 2. He could not be house trained and he would kill any animal that got within his reach that wasnt faster or tougher than he. The friggin dog once attacked a COW and loves to eat live amphibians specifically frogs/toads. The killing I didnt mind so much but the poop sucked.
I want a pup, whos tempermant and intelligence can be predicted.
As someone said, retrievers are always great family dogs, especially with kids. If you're interested in retrievers, but want something a little smaller, check out nova scotia duck tolling retrievers.
http://www.nsdtrc-usa.org/
They're smaller than a golden and have a lot more personality. They're tough to find, but they're great dogs. Here's a picture of Berkley:
(http://www.awtphotography.com/Berkley%20Small.JPG)
Quote from: rgramjet on September 26, 2008, 06:53:41 AM
I hear ya and Ill check but I think Ive paid my dues with rescue dogs.....2 Jack Russells and 3 labs were all rescues and all had at least one quirk.
My last JRT was an absolutely awesome dog in all respects but 2. He could not be house trained and he would kill any animal that got within his reach that wasnt faster or tougher than he. The friggin dog once attacked a COW and loves to eat live amphibians specifically frogs/toads. The killing I didnt mind so much but the poop sucked.
I want a pup, whos tempermant and intelligence can be predicted.
Attacked a cow! [laugh] I think every dog I've had liked to eat toads. Hilarious when they come back foaming at the mouth from it, but agree on the poo. ;D
The chasing things is likely to be a problem with any JRT...it is part of their breed. They're awesome dogs, but require a lot of training, and a TON of exercise. In general they are also known for being scrappy with other dogs. Keep in mind they were bred for hunting small animals, so a pure bred may even have a stronger prey drive than a non-pure bred.
Maybe try a puppy from a rescue? Most rescues with issues are a bit older from my experience...although a lot are just fine. We got our lab/pit mix rescue at about 3 1/2 months old. She's the friendliest dog ever...maybe too friendly if that's possible. She even likes other dogs. I'm sure a big reason is she was well socialized by us though, which is key for any dog.
Anyway...good luck in finding one you like. [thumbsup]
I want a German Shepherd. Bad. Have for several years.
I would get one as a pup so I could train it thoroughly, and maybe even teach it commands in both English and German - just to freak people out. :)
Trouble is, I don't have the free time to devote (plus our kittehs rule the roost), so it remains a dream. :(
JRT!!!
(http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa289/ZLTFUL/Pet%20Pics/angie2.jpg)
(http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa289/ZLTFUL/Pet%20Pics/P1160086.jpg)
(http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa289/ZLTFUL/Pet%20Pics/P2160132.jpg)
(http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa289/ZLTFUL/Pet%20Pics/P2160131.jpg)
(http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa289/ZLTFUL/Pet%20Pics/P2050123.jpg)
Now those guys are cute. How hard is it to find all white ones like that?
Not exactly what you are looking for but German Shepards are good with kids and if you get them as a pup and treat them right they will act and do whatever you want. My shepard/wolf mix almost never does anything bad. I can leave a plate of food at her level and leave the room and she won't get into it. Never gets in the trash, digs, chews or anything else. She is very protective of the house and cars. She does get a rabit or a squirrel every now and then but hat is probably the wolf in her.
Here is a photo of my little beauty...
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3109/2890021137_411dd9343e_o.jpg)
No clue on how hard they are to find...mine were given to me that way. ;D
I miss them awful bad. They are the most loving and wound up little girls I ever owned. Their new ower is a great person though and they love her as much as she loves them.
Now...now I have the ugliest cute dog around...a Pug-Zu.
His name is Harley...because he is unreliable and he used to leak all over the place.
I will post pics when I get home.
Quote from: ZLTFUL on September 26, 2008, 02:06:45 PM
No clue on how hard they are to find...mine were given to me that way. ;D
The white ones are actually more desireable/expensive and that stems from the original purpose of the breed. They were used in hunting. They would be carried in saddle bags on a horse and used to flush out the game that went to ground. The guy in charge of them actually carried a shovel to dig them out when they got stuck in a tunnel or hole. The not so good ones killed the game in the hole. The good ones ran them out another exit so the hunt could continue. The reasoning behind the white ones is they were easier for the large hunting dogs and hunters to distinguish from foxes and other game.
Mine is Lucy. 4 years old. Fairly active and always ready if you say walk, beach, or park. The rest of the times she chills. We also have two cats. She won't attack them (sleeps with one of them sometimes) but any cat on a walk is fair game.
If you want a breed that is really clean and basically housebroken from the day you bring it home, get a Shiba Inu. I got mine at 7.5 weeks and he only ever made 2 mistakes in the house (both pee). They clean themselves (they're very cat-like in that sense) and they're pretty quiet for the most part. Oh, and if I have to leave my guy alone at home for 10 hours (rarely, but it's happened), he never chews anything up, doesn't complain and never has an accident.
Here's mine:
(http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g245/darylbowden/100_0382.jpg)
However, they are aloof. They're friendly sometimes but sometimes they don't want anything to do with you (or anyone). They make great guard dogs (they are very territorial), but if you don't want that, they might not be right for you.
JRTs are cool (as you know), but they are WAY too high energy and destructive for my tastes.
Quote from: Triple J on September 25, 2008, 06:03:55 PM
Try a rescue. Usually plenty of pups available. [thumbsup]
++++++127483747 best thing you could ever do roger would to get a rescue dog! Someone should make a thread where everyone puts up pictures of their dogs if there isn't one already :P
Quote from: skyisthelimit on September 26, 2008, 03:47:38 PM
++++++127483747 best thing you could ever do roger would to get a rescue dog! Someone should make a thread where everyone puts up pictures of their dogs if there isn't one already :P
there is a thread already. http://ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=1332.0 (http://ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=1332.0)
lots of rescue puppies out there. but your mind seems to be made up.
good luck. post up pics if/when you get a dog.
Quote from: darylbowden on September 26, 2008, 03:27:24 PM
If you want a breed that is really clean and basically housebroken from the day you bring it home, get a Shiba Inu. I got mine at 7.5 weeks and he only ever made 2 mistakes in the house (both pee). They clean themselves (they're very cat-like in that sense) and they're pretty quiet for the most part. Oh, and if I have to leave my guy alone at home for 10 hours (rarely, but it's happened), he never chews anything up, doesn't complain and never has an accident.
Here's mine:
(http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g245/darylbowden/100_0382.jpg)
However, they are aloof. They're friendly sometimes but sometimes they don't want anything to do with you (or anyone). They make great guard dogs (they are very territorial), but if you don't want that, they might not be right for you.
JRTs are cool (as you know), but they are WAY too high energy and destructive for my tastes.
Cool dog Daryl.
And my JRT has never destroyed anything, at least anything that I didn't expect her to, like a toy. I do have a dog walker come and take her out for an hour on the days I have to work. 8AM (wife leaves) to 6PM (we both get home), is too long to leave a social, worker dog. I would probably have some destruction if I didn't have the dog walker.
Love all the dogs mentioned, but years ago I had the best dog (IMO) that I have ever had. Very mild mannered, great with kids and above all was extremely obedient.
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3285/2890538461_03ffcd869a.jpg)
Staffordshire Bull Terrier. They've had alot of bad raps but that comes down to the owners who don't give a sh*t about their dogs! >:( >:( >:(
Quote from: Speedbag on September 26, 2008, 09:57:35 AM
I want a German Shepherd. Bad. Have for several years.
I would get one as a pup so I could train it thoroughly, and maybe even teach it commands in both English and German - just to freak people out. :)
Trouble is, I don't have the free time to devote (plus our kittehs rule the roost), so it remains a dream. :(
Don't think you need to get a puppy GSD to properly train them. My first GSD Max was purchased from a reputable breeder and he had plenty of training and was smart as a whip...most of the time. He was a great dog, to me...to others he was a pain in the ass. I just recently rescued a female GSD that is about 2 yrs old now...she has been easy to train and is so loyal and loving. Between the two of them I'd say the rescue dog is much smarter than the breeder dog. That is just my experience though.
The breed is known to be one of the smartest out there and they are so willing to please their owners and there is a very short turn around for training...in a way they are too smart for my own good.
Generally speaking breed specific rescues test the dogs in many situations to make sure they are kid, cat and/or other dog friendly. I wouldn't poo-poo a rescue without looking into it, if you tell them what you are looking for they will try to find the perfect dog for you.
Also, talk to reputable breeders. They
should take dogs back (if they for some reason don't work out) and resell them for a much lower price and they tend to be quite young still.
Just food for thought...and a couple of pics of my rescued girl. :)
Good luck to anyone looking to bring home a family member! [thumbsup]
(http://a625.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/48/l_58ee770b6d1a9a72bacfe777e6b87020.jpg)
(http://a792.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/35/l_8245cb2b55e3e0c553ec4429ee2a3b97.jpg)
Tanya
Quote from: Super T.I.B on September 26, 2008, 06:21:04 PM
Love all the dogs mentioned, but years ago I had the best dog (IMO) that I have ever had. Very mild mannered, great with kids and above all was extremely obedient.
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3285/2890538461_03ffcd869a.jpg)
Staffordshire Bull Terrier. They've had alot of bad raps but that comes down to the owners who don't give a sh*t about their dogs! >:( >:( >:(
Damn thats a handsome dog! [thumbsup]
I really want to get a dog as well, but unfortunately my schedule and habits are just too scattered. I could never give a dog the attention it'd deserve. If I could, I'd probably go for a Boston Terrier or some sort of Bulldog. I used to dogsit for my friends Boston and it was a great (though flatulent) dog.
Quote from: superjohn on September 26, 2008, 08:02:28 PM
I really want to get a dog as well, but unfortunately my schedule and habits are just too scattered. I could never give a dog the attention it'd deserve.
One option is volunteering to foster a rescue dog temporarily, or walking/playing with/training shelter dogs.
1. Go for a rescue dog first (IMHO)
2. Labs are easier/less work than JRT. Not necessarily cuter or better, but less work. You have a family. Less work is better.
3. Best/smartest/most amazing dog I EVER owned was a rottweiler. In spite of their rep they are FABULOUS with kids and very loyal to and protective of their family. If you get a rott when its a pup and raise it properly, you will not regret it. They are AWESOME.
On a side note, I currently have a black lab, two rescue dogs and two rescue cats. (It's a long story...) And they are all great. Except Sunny, a pit/lab mix who is still puppy-ish and has a fondness for mutilating leather furniture. [roll]
Quote from: River on September 27, 2008, 05:10:37 PM
1. Go for a rescue dog first (IMHO)
2. Labs are easier/less work than JRT. Not necessarily cuter or better, but less work. You have a family. Less work is better.3. Best/smartest/most amazing dog I EVER owned was a rottweiler. In spite of their rep they are FABULOUS with kids and very loyal to and protective of their family. If you get a rott when its a pup and raise it properly, you will not regret it. They are AWESOME.
On a side note, I currently have a black lab, two rescue dogs and two rescue cats. (It's a long story...) And they are all great. Except Sunny, a pit/lab mix who is still puppy-ish and has a fondness for mutilating leather furniture. [roll]
#2 is true AFTER about about 5 years. I've had two labs. Very immature for the first 3-5 years. Then the greatest dogs ever. Always great with kids but they are hard to train when young compared to a JRT and many other breeds.
JRT's are very hyper. Sister in law had one - and she was a sweet dog. They bred her, and kept a pup and he was a holy terror!! Never staopped, he had a piercing bark - very irritating, and he was aggressive with other dogs and toys. I miss the female dog.
Sounds like you know dogs. Spend enough time to learn their personality, and don't let the kids pick. They pick the MOST active dog.
post pics on what you decide.
Weimereiners are another fabulous dog. My friend had one that seemed to be denser than a stone but was incredible at keeping the kids gently away from stuff they shouldn't be in and he had this great pink belly that you just couldn't help but rub hehe.
Quote from: T-byrd on September 26, 2008, 06:52:50 PM
Don't think you need to get a puppy GSD to properly train them. My first GSD Max was purchased from a reputable breeder and he had plenty of training and was smart as a whip...most of the time. He was a great dog, to me...to others he was a pain in the ass. I just recently rescued a female GSD that is about 2 yrs old now...she has been easy to train and is so loyal and loving. Between the two of them I'd say the rescue dog is much smarter than the breeder dog. That is just my experience though.
The breed is known to be one of the smartest out there and they are so willing to please their owners and there is a very short turn around for training...in a way they are too smart for my own good.
Generally speaking breed specific rescues test the dogs in many situations to make sure they are kid, cat and/or other dog friendly. I wouldn't poo-poo a rescue without looking into it, if you tell them what you are looking for they will try to find the perfect dog for you.
Also, talk to reputable breeders. They should take dogs back (if they for some reason don't work out) and resell them for a much lower price and they tend to be quite young still.
Just food for thought...and a couple of pics of my rescued girl. :)
Good luck to anyone looking to bring home a family member! [thumbsup]
(http://a625.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/48/l_58ee770b6d1a9a72bacfe777e6b87020.jpg)
(http://a792.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/35/l_8245cb2b55e3e0c553ec4429ee2a3b97.jpg)
Tanya
Good info. :) [thumbsup]
She's a beauty, T!