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If your not fussed about what breed (which is good because crosses are usually less prone to hereditary issues), then i dont know why you wouldnt get a rescue?????
Save 2 dogs! the one you take home and the one who now has a space in a rehoming centre.
However, we have 2 dogs, one being huntaway cross welsh collie...... huntaways are amazing! capable/athletic/clever as a collie without being as frantic and constantly wired.
+1 (Other than the Vizsla as personally I think they and anything pointer related are too emotionally high maintenance for a first dog)
Vizsla are incredibly demanding dogs and I would never recommend them as a first time dog, without a full appreciation of what you are letting yourself in for
My wife searched and researched for over a year before we got Margot (
and visited 3 breeders - wow what odd ***** they are)
Tbh I would have been happy with a cross breed/rescue but was overruled
Last edited by hodgy0_2; Mar 13, 2018 at 10:55 PM.
Vizsla are incredibly demanding dogs and I would never recommend them as a first time dog, without a full appreciation of what you are letting yourself in for
My wife searched and researched for over a year before we got Margot (
and visited 3 breeders - wow what odd ***** they are)
Tbh I would have been happy with a cross breed, but was overruled
All the pointing breeds are hard work and the GSP I had was an utter nightmare with extreme separation anxiety. They are definitely not for first time dog owners. I would never recommend a GSP to anyone other than for field work then you get the best working dog there is once they hit 3 years old. The first 6-12 months will push your limits to the edge though
Nothing will ever change my mind on the best family dog though being a Labrador. If you have children this is the dog to have.
Last edited by An0n0m0us; Mar 13, 2018 at 11:15 PM.
Had a jack Russell x pointer, up until last year. We had three dogs, and he was the most obedient in the house, but the least obedient when out on a walk. Indoors he would obey any command, but when on a walk he was always looking into the distance to see what he could go and chase. Great dog though.
Also have a golden retriever. Complete opposite, great on a walk but not so obedient indoors. And a Jack Russell. Brilliant with people, not so much with other dogs (other than our own).
Picked him up from vets this afternoon, he had been last week, and again on Monday, then needed rushing in again yesterday. He had a mass on his spleen, which was bleeding internally, and emergency op to remove spleen as soon as he got to the vets yesterday.
All vets and staff said what a great dog he is, and dogs are normally kept in for four or five days after an op like the one he had, but they said he just shrugged it off better than most dogs do after being neutered, so could go home after a day.
Unfortunately, we have to wait until next week to find out if the mass was cancerous or not.
If it is, then high chance it has spread from the spleen, and may only have months to live.
Thanks anonomous, vets phoned the misses yesterday and unfortunately the biopsy showed cancer. A rare form of slow growing cancer and vet said his bloods were remarkably good for a 13 yo dog, so just have to wait and see. He's bouncing around as if nothing has happened.
I got a Lagotto 18 months ago - sleeps with one eye and ear open, trains easily and sheds zero hair.
He needs clipping regularly though, and a complete shave twice a year.
Cracking dogs, but not easy to get hold of in this country as there’s not many breeders.
He's stunning. I didn't know Lagotto was their proper name. The family we rented a holiday home from, in Italy last year had two of those, they told me they were Italian water dogs.
They are now classed as a gun dog, but yes, are an Italian water dog.
Originally bred to retrieve ducks from water and now trained to sniff out truffles.
Full name Lagotto Romagnolo.
Leo is just a pet, but he’s showing signs of becoming a good sniffer - something I’d very much like to do is train him for truffling.
Very loyal, very good guard dogs ( can be loud when they want to be!) and brilliant around kids and other dogs.
They are classed as small to medium breed, Leo is on the larger size for males weighing 16kgs.
Ive had rotties for 20 years. And I would never recommend them to someone who is inexperienced. They are loyal, beautiful, intelligent, proud and stubborn as ****. Need proper training and its a lifelong process. Put in the effort and they are so rewarding, but its a lot of effort.
Moving on. No, that place does not look bona fide. They are circumnavigating the law that (correctly) now says you can't cut half their ears off as pups and dock their tails. What part of that did you miss?
The fact that you are even asking if this is in some way how to go about getting a Doberman tells me (and anyone else with a bit of understanding) that this is not a breed for you. You're way smarter than this Deep. Way smarter.
A couple of smart suggestions on this thread. Vizsla, Staffy, Lab and some really stupid ones (based on your family circumstances)
The most sensible suggestion is to go to the RSPCA or Dogs trust and rescue a dog. Ideally an adult one that will have been assessed, helath checked and you'll know what you are getting. Forget all the "don't know the history" crap. Take the family and see what fits best. Do the right thing.
If you're determined to get a pedigree puppy, much as I despise a lot of what the kennel club stands for, the website is a mine of useful information and will help you see what's aviailable that fits your needs. And budget a decent amount of money - anything popular and well bred, with health and genetic checks, will set you back a fortune these days.
DD, you don't need to be scared. I'm not the kind to jump into anything unprepared, I take any commitment seriously. Thats why I'm asking the questions.
I did have two dogs as a child by the way. Both were GS pups so do have some insight into what is involved, but it was a long time ago.
As for that website and your question about how I missed the ear/tail thing. I didn't miss anything but upon googling I found a vid of a doberman 'expert' who swore blind that the ear and tail docking actually helps prevent health issues. And no, I don't believe everything I see on youtube and thats why my research continues.
You and many others have suggested a rescue dog. My fear with doing that was to have a fully grown dog that hasn't grown up in the family around my kids.
I could recommend a German Shorthaired Pointer.
Fabulous looking (I think the best there is ) dog, very loyal, very affectionate and effective guard dog but like Viszlas can be territorial.
Loads of energy which means meaningful exercise at least twice a day and they can't be left for extended periods.
Limited hair shedding, although they do have a kind of summer and winter coat transition.
From: The Cheshire end of the emasculated Cat & Fiddle
Take your lads to your local rescue centre, and adopt the dog that gets on best with them.
With the large numbers of abandoned five minute vanity pets now in rescue centres across the country, you can probably find an example of every breed mentioned so far, just sitting there waiting for a loving family home.
I've always had rescue animals (both dogs and cats) because I believe that they make the best pets. Not one of them has ever done anything to make me change that view
Had dogs all my life as well as extended family having them too, best of the bunch were, GSD , doberman and American pit bull.
I've got a Cane Corso now, mine is on the large side at around 60kg but you can get them around half his size, he's everything I wanted him to be because of where I live... You won't find a better guard dog and he's good with kids, knows instictivly who's a wrong un and acts accordingly... That said he's a big lad and that can be problematic some times
My advice is due to where you live smaller is probably better... Pick from a reasonably sized litter and pick the bitch that checks you out then goes and lies down 😉 because the ones that are all over you and won't leave you alone will be a pita to own... Bitches are more loyal and easier to deal with than a dominant male.
P.s, my next dog will be one of those blue gray staffy bitch.
Last edited by ditchmyster; Apr 3, 2018 at 08:22 PM.
Thanks anonomous, vets phoned the misses yesterday and unfortunately the biopsy showed cancer. A rare form of slow growing cancer and vet said his bloods were remarkably good for a 13 yo dog, so just have to wait and see. He's bouncing around as if nothing has happened.
Well, difficult day yesterday. Just over a year after rags our jack russell had his spleen removed because of a cancerous tumor, the hard decision was made to let him go and find Snoopy, his brother from another mother.
I won't lie, I'm welling up a little as I write this. He had been doing so well, as jack russells do, carrying on as if nothing had happened. In the last two weeks, he started to go down hill.
We were warned by the vet, that although the spleen and tumor were removed, the cancer could never be completely rid of, and that the longest a dog had lived with his type of cancer was a year after diagnosis, so given the fact his prognosis on the vets computer was a life expectancy of two to three months, and he lasted nearly 13 months of good quality life we should be grateful.
We think Molly our golden retriever knew he was unwell, and seems as sad as any of us that he is not around. We knew this day would come, and she isn't very happy being a single dog, so last summer we did get two new additions to the household.
Rags curled up in the middle with his two new brothers. They are a cross breed, I will be impressed if anyone can guess what two dogs they are crossed.
Well, difficult day yesterday. Just over a year after rags our jack russell had his spleen removed because of a cancerous tumor, the hard decision was made to let him go and find Snoopy, his brother from another mother.
So sorry to hear about your dog WRXrowdy - it must be absolutely heart wrenching!
On the other hand, quite a good innings (even though that doesn't make it feel any less painful at the moment, of course).
So sorry to hear about your dog WRXrowdy - it must be absolutely heart wrenching!
On the other hand, quite a good innings (even though that doesn't make it feel any less painful at the moment, of course).
Thanks Henrik, yes he was 14years and 10 months, which happened to be the exact age his brother snoopy was when he went.
Very difficult decision, given when we went in the vets there happened to be another Jack Russell suffering from cancer, but was 19. I think the owner was trying to cling on to every last bit of life out of the poor dog.
My eldest daughter whatsapped our family whatsapp group the other day
"there is no greater love than the love a father has for the the dog he never wanted"
i think of that has I walk Margot (with love and joy) every evening in the fields behind our house, after asking any of my 5 children "who is walking the dog this evening"
