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Breed for me?

Bartleby

Rollerblading along the road
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Huh. I always thought they were like Goldens/Labs where they're just I-LOVE-EVERYONE sort of temperament, but if not that, maybe just a bit less? It's amazing to hear that. Do you have any thoughts 'bout Airedale Terriers? I just want to put out my feelers for different dog breeds. I don't know if I'll go with a Standard Poo but they've definitely gone up my list. I haven't met any yet, but I've met some Airedales and a good amount of Schnauzers, so I'm confident in their temperament more so than I am with Poodles.

And seriously, THANK YOU so much for understand... I've posted on a couple of other forums and I really received a lot of hate for that. My current dog was just flat out aloof when I didn't give the OK, so I was sort of comfortable with her. Still, wished sometimes that she was a bit bigger, but I knew that she'd try to protect me with everything in her.
When it comes to Labs and Goldens and that kind of OMG-fall-all-over-myself-you-complete-me-I-must-love-everyone temperament you often hear them described as loveable goofballs, doofus, derpy, etc and what not. These are terms I have rarely heard employed when it comes to Spoos. I've certainly never met a Spoo that acted like that, though I am sure some do. When it comes to those I've met in person the vast majority were kind of "meh" :shrug3: when it comes to strangers. They really had a take it or leave it type of attitude. They didn't approach me or seek out any interaction from me. If I tried to interact they....endured it. :rolleyes: They accepted it, enjoyed the pets or scratches and then went back to doing their own thing. They were all tightly bonded and highly in tune with their owners, though.....and I have seen them be totally derpy with family. Much like with the Schanuzer family the smaller breeds are noticeably different from the larger varieties. Lots of similarities, but many differences.

I know very little about Airedales. There's a guy up the street with one, but otherwise I have no real life experience with them. They aren't common around here and haven't ever been in my lifetime. Generally speaking I like a biddable dog, terriers aren't known for biddability. ;)

The truth is, dogs are a deterrent and a very good one, too! Most criminal acts are crimes of opportunity and the presence of a dog makes said opportunists look for an easier target. Studies have shown that even the presence of a tiny lap dog deters property crime.....even more so than posted signs about security systems. Criminals want easy, low risk, low exposure targets. Dogs make them think twice and move along.

I backpack, hike and camp alone. The wilderness is actually statistically quite a safe place, but there is something about being entirely isolated and meeting a weirdo that stands your hair on end. :jawdrop1: Meeting that same weirdo in a more public setting and my heart doesn't skip a beat. Ya know what I mean? :cautious: When I am in an area that allows the dogs I have certainly noticed that the "caliber" of person I encounter on trail improves noticeably. It certainly could be that less strange people are congregating in those areas and so my sample is biased, but honestly I think the dogs make the weirdos keep their distance or at least keep their weirdness in check. Perhaps I am acting differently because the dogs provide some comfort? Perhaps just having dogs around lowers blood pressure and makes everyone "nicer"? I don't really know, but the tenor of conversations and interactions changes for the better. There's the odd curmudgeonly get-off-my-lawn dog hating hiker, but they certainly aren't going to stick around and share space with my filthy animals. Other than that, it's just a more pleasant experience from the people perspective with the dogs there than not.
 

Senneth

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Airedale Terriers can very easily be a good dog, given the time and knowledge to train them that way. I'm a huge fan of terriers as I really love the challenge and personality. They are stubborn as all terriers are, and I would say are at least reserved with strangers and in some dogs a lot more reserved. They need a lot of training, and that isn't said lightly. Most Airedales I've met are very good dogs, but I'd say less than half of them are truly "trained". Certainly not enough to trust off the leash.

One thing to keep in mind with terriers is that they have a natural "kill drive" when it comes to small animals, birds, reptiles, etc... it's what most of them were bred for and it's hard to train out of them. I have a Toy Fox Terrier and he's been known to pick up the stray Garter Snake or mouse and dispose of it. It's not something that is easy or often times possible to train out of them, but socialization can help.

On a side note, I'm not the biggest fan of the unidentified mutt. Which is a really unpopular idea where I live. It's not that I'm against mutts by any means, but I personally would not bring a mutt home without knowing exactly what it is. After working with a large array of mixes, there are some breeds that are fine to be mixed together and there are many that are just asking for problems, both physical and personality wise....
 

alicat

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I totally didn't read through all of this, but the dog you posted looks a lot like my mom's bichon, poodle mix. She also has gold hairs mixed into her white which are extra wirey feeling, and the eyes look like Belle (our bichpoo) a lot! She's probably around 25, 30 pounds but her nose is a lot shorter looking. FB_IMG_1463504480819.jpg
 

Deejo

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I'm looking for a fluffy companion. Not right now, but later on in time. I'd just like to start researching breeds since for my second dog, I'd like a purebred. ^.^ (Kind of scarred for life because my first dog, I rescued her, and found out that she has this genetic, chronic disease that's pretty expensive..thank goodness for pet insurance!!
So, those are the top five things I would like in a dog! I hope I'm not demanding unrealistic expectations, because my first dog was everything I listed except size. It's not in any particular order, really, besides the hypoallergenic part. I can't really compromise on that because my sister once visited her friend who has a Brittany spaniel. She ended up not breathing until medical professionals intervened. :/
Oh, and so far, I thought about Komondork, Standard/Giant Schnauzer, and Airedale Terriers as possible companions for me. Thoughts?
We have a Mini Schnauzer and LOVE the breed so, so much! Non shedding, loyal, fabulous with babies or elderly folks.
I would assume the Standards and Giants are the same? But have never met either.

We really wish we had 'discovered' this breed 40 years ago - have had Dobie's, spaniels and a few other breeds over the decades, but by far, the Mini Schnauzer is the best breed for us, for many many reasons.
 

aooratrix

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Standard poodles are too soft, temperament-wise, for me, personally. I really miss Jenna, my GSD. I'd like to have a good dobe before I die, though. I don't miss all that shepherd hair!

I think that, depending on the individual, an Airedale, standard, or giant schnauzer would be a better deterrent; however, a dog that barks appropriately and is a certain size will prevent most crime.

BTW, when I was teaching obedience, the toughest, most aggressive dogs I ever encountered was a tie between a male golden & a male Sheltie!
 

HyacinthWings

Walking the driveway
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June
I'm sorry to hear that...unfortunately that is not good news. however I'm a believer in its not the breed lol. I recently loss my pure bred chihaha sorry that's what the kids always called Chihuahua. He had a leaky valve in his heart. he has now been gone for 3 weeks. it came on sudden and even testing didn't give me a heads up. we are now watching his daughter just in case. she is not pure bred she is a cross breed so they tell me her chances of getting it are smaller. I hope your faith in the "mutts" comes back. in the end it could have happened either way. sometimes the dice just don't line up the way we want. best wishes for your fur baby
I actually do believe that it is the breed... Generations and generations of breeding increase and decrease various chances of disease while encouraging diseaes at the same time. Sort of like a Maltese versus a Irish Wolfhound. A Maltese, compared to a a Wolfhound, has lower chances of bone disorders, bloat, and various factors because it was bred for its smaller size. It's not that I hate mutts, but for my second dog, I'm a bit turned off so I'd like a purebred that I know the medical history and heritage of. :)

When it comes to Labs and Goldens and that kind of OMG-fall-all-over-myself-you-complete-me-I-must-love-everyone temperament you often hear them described as loveable goofballs, doofus, derpy, etc and what not. These are terms I have rarely heard employed when it comes to Spoos. I've certainly never met a Spoo that acted like that, though I am sure some do. When it comes to those I've met in person the vast majority were kind of "meh" :shrug3: when it comes to strangers. They really had a take it or leave it type of attitude. They didn't approach me or seek out any interaction from me. If I tried to interact they....endured it. :rolleyes: They accepted it, enjoyed the pets or scratches and then went back to doing their own thing. They were all tightly bonded and highly in tune with their owners, though.....and I have seen them be totally derpy with family. Much like with the Schanuzer family the smaller breeds are noticeably different from the larger varieties. Lots of similarities, but many differences.

I know very little about Airedales. There's a guy up the street with one, but otherwise I have no real life experience with them. They aren't common around here and haven't ever been in my lifetime. Generally speaking I like a biddable dog, terriers aren't known for biddability. ;)

The truth is, dogs are a deterrent and a very good one, too! Most criminal acts are crimes of opportunity and the presence of a dog makes said opportunists look for an easier target. Studies have shown that even the presence of a tiny lap dog deters property crime.....even more so than posted signs about security systems. Criminals want easy, low risk, low exposure targets. Dogs make them think twice and move along.

I backpack, hike and camp alone. The wilderness is actually statistically quite a safe place, but there is something about being entirely isolated and meeting a weirdo that stands your hair on end. :jawdrop1: Meeting that same weirdo in a more public setting and my heart doesn't skip a beat. Ya know what I mean? :cautious: When I am in an area that allows the dogs I have certainly noticed that the "caliber" of person I encounter on trail improves noticeably. It certainly could be that less strange people are congregating in those areas and so my sample is biased, but honestly I think the dogs make the weirdos keep their distance or at least keep their weirdness in check. Perhaps I am acting differently because the dogs provide some comfort? Perhaps just having dogs around lowers blood pressure and makes everyone "nicer"? I don't really know, but the tenor of conversations and interactions changes for the better. There's the odd curmudgeonly get-off-my-lawn dog hating hiker, but they certainly aren't going to stick around and share space with my filthy animals. Other than that, it's just a more pleasant experience from the people perspective with the dogs there than not.
Yes! I COMPLETELY agree! Mostly, I feel terribly isolated too because sometimes, even in the summer months, I'm running when it's not completely dark, but the sun is close to rising. Oh and do you feel that macaw screams affect dog ears? I'm concerned about that...
For biddability, I like a dog eager to please, but a bit of a challenge doesn't mind me the slightest so that isn't quite the problem for me. :)
Oh, and incredible PROPS to you for doing all those things alone. I'm too much of a chicken to backpack alone... XD And, you are right. Seeing a weirdo in public just makes me crinkle my nose, but seeing a weirdo somewhere isolated would freak me out. Why, I wonder, are there weirdos? And thanks for understanding. I've always read that wanting a dog's size for that reason is a horrible thing to do so I felt guilty for awhile. You definitely cleared that up!

Airedale Terriers can very easily be a good dog, given the time and knowledge to train them that way. I'm a huge fan of terriers as I really love the challenge and personality. They are stubborn as all terriers are, and I would say are at least reserved with strangers and in some dogs a lot more reserved. They need a lot of training, and that isn't said lightly. Most Airedales I've met are very good dogs, but I'd say less than half of them are truly "trained". Certainly not enough to trust off the leash.

One thing to keep in mind with terriers is that they have a natural "kill drive" when it comes to small animals, birds, reptiles, etc... it's what most of them were bred for and it's hard to train out of them. I have a Toy Fox Terrier and he's been known to pick up the stray Garter Snake or mouse and dispose of it. It's not something that is easy or often times possible to train out of them, but socialization can help.

On a side note, I'm not the biggest fan of the unidentified mutt. Which is a really unpopular idea where I live. It's not that I'm against mutts by any means, but I personally would not bring a mutt home without knowing exactly what it is. After working with a large array of mixes, there are some breeds that are fine to be mixed together and there are many that are just asking for problems, both physical and personality wise....
I am a close sibling to a person who has trained Schnauzers, all three sizes, off leash. I also am in the middle of working with my dog with being trained off leash, but I only trust her where there aren't many people. All of the dogs are pretty stubborn fatties HAHAHA!
Yes, I do realize that. I'm going to be a parront, one day, so I guess just not having them close should do. Or, a good scream since I'm considering macaws rather seriously. :faint:

I totally didn't read through all of this, but the dog you posted looks a lot like my mom's bichon, poodle mix. She also has gold hairs mixed into her white which are extra wirey feeling, and the eyes look like Belle (our bichpoo) a lot! She's probably around 25, 30 pounds but her nose is a lot shorter looking. View attachment 225120
Yeah, my dog has a pretty short snout, but not like a pug. But, googling images, they don't look too similar. Eh. Maybe she's just a mix of everything? XD

We have a Mini Schnauzer and LOVE the breed so, so much! Non shedding, loyal, fabulous with babies or elderly folks.
I would assume the Standards and Giants are the same? But have never met either.

We really wish we had 'discovered' this breed 40 years ago - have had Dobie's, spaniels and a few other breeds over the decades, but by far, the Mini Schnauzer is the best breed for us, for many many reasons.
We do, in fact, have a Mini-Schnauzer. She's a fabulous dog, except, her individual personality doesn't tolerate the pulling of ears by toddlers. I have seen some amazing Mini-Schnauzers too! But, they're not very large. We also did have a Standard, who was not as prey-driven, but would go try to tree a squirrel. I don't have too much experience with Giants, either, but I've been told that they are amazing dogs. Gentle giants, really.

Standard poodles are too soft, temperament-wise, for me, personally. I really miss Jenna, my GSD. I'd like to have a good dobe before I die, though. I don't miss all that shepherd hair!

I think that, depending on the individual, an Airedale, standard, or giant schnauzer would be a better deterrent; however, a dog that barks appropriately and is a certain size will prevent most crime.

BTW, when I was teaching obedience, the toughest, most aggressive dogs I ever encountered was a tie between a male golden & a male Sheltie!
I'm thinking about that too, but I'm reading in other places that Spoos are also not THAT froo-froo. I like the description of the Airedale and Schnauzer low stranger tolerance. especially the Giant Schnauzer since I read that they were bred to be guard dogs. I mean, I don't want a dog that will bite at someone's hand. But, I do like a wary dog. I am thinking about all those breeds, but I've never heard anything about Komondorok so far... More sleuthing to do!
 
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Senneth

Strolling the yard
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Utah
@HyacinthWings I'm glad you have someone who can back you up on training. I'd say you'll be fine with any of those breeds. You seem to have plenty enough experience and have friends/family who can fill in the knowledge/experience you may not have yet. Hopefully we've been informative enough to help you.

I can vouch for Spoos not being froo-froo type dogs AT ALL. They have absolutely no problem getting dirty, wet, or muddy. The things I've found stuck in poodle hair are odd/funny enough to write a book about.
 

doodadz

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Giants are GREAT dogs. Have known several. They do take a lot of exercise and socialization and do not always get along with other dogs. They are great companions but I have heard that they can "pick" their owner and be very protective, sometimes to a fault. Good luck !
 

HyacinthWings

Walking the driveway
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California
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June
@HyacinthWings I'm glad you have someone who can back you up on training. I'd say you'll be fine with any of those breeds. You seem to have plenty enough experience and have friends/family who can fill in the knowledge/experience you may not have yet. Hopefully we've been informative enough to help you.

I can vouch for Spoos not being froo-froo type dogs AT ALL. They have absolutely no problem getting dirty, wet, or muddy. The things I've found stuck in poodle hair are odd/funny enough to write a book about.
Wow! So sorry for not coming in a long time! :) But, thank you. I'm looking into another dog right now since currently, I think we might need a puppy to learn the ropes of the house by our older dogs. ^.^

I know that, but I'm a bit concerned over the variety of their health issues (even with good breeding) and the fact that they are not stranger intolerant. This is a huge concern for me. My views have changed over the course of a month (lol!) , and currently, am looking for a hard working dog with a strong drive. :)

Giants are GREAT dogs. Have known several. They do take a lot of exercise and socialization and do not always get along with other dogs. They are great companions but I have heard that they can "pick" their owner and be very protective, sometimes to a fault. Good luck !
Yes, I do know that! Though, I am thinking about another dog breed since I like branching out and trying new things. Hopefully, my newest fascinations (Black Russian Terrier and Bergamasco) might fit the bill?
 

HyacinthWings

Walking the driveway
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June
Airedale Terriers can very easily be a good dog, given the time and knowledge to train them that way. I'm a huge fan of terriers as I really love the challenge and personality. They are stubborn as all terriers are, and I would say are at least reserved with strangers and in some dogs a lot more reserved. They need a lot of training, and that isn't said lightly. Most Airedales I've met are very good dogs, but I'd say less than half of them are truly "trained". Certainly not enough to trust off the leash.

One thing to keep in mind with terriers is that they have a natural "kill drive" when it comes to small animals, birds, reptiles, etc... it's what most of them were bred for and it's hard to train out of them. I have a Toy Fox Terrier and he's been known to pick up the stray Garter Snake or mouse and dispose of it. It's not something that is easy or often times possible to train out of them, but socialization can help.

On a side note, I'm not the biggest fan of the unidentified mutt. Which is a really unpopular idea where I live. It's not that I'm against mutts by any means, but I personally would not bring a mutt home without knowing exactly what it is. After working with a large array of mixes, there are some breeds that are fine to be mixed together and there are many that are just asking for problems, both physical and personality wise....
I don't think I replied to your FABULOUS post! Anyways...

I'm not worried about that. I'm going to be looking for a breeder who can help me find the best puppy for me and extensively socialize the dog since she (Mini-Schnauzer has trauma of bigger male dogs) will probably go into therapy work. My dog is also not that reliable in crowded areas. All I ask is for the dog to come back to me when I call her if we're in an open field without many people. I'll probably have treats or a ball on hand.

I am concerned with that, but I can deal with it. Early puppy socialization + macaw screams should do the trick.

I strongly agree. I love mutts. I still do and always will, but I just can't get over the fact how unhealthy my current dog is. She can no longer run around and bounce off the walls she used to due to poor breeding/animal husbandry practices. She used to hike 4 miles fresh without a single problem. Take a nap then be ready for some more with little hesitation, but ever since she went downhill, she struggles to walk more than 3 times a day for daily walks. And to my great surprise, she caught a FLYING pigeon then almost fainted from physical exertion. (She is NOT bird friendly, I think...) So, she still has the drive and potential, but doesn't have the actual energy because of her disease. It breaks my heart, and for my next canine companion, I'm going with the healthiest dog breed there is...
 

Mitzi

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Mini aussie, hands down the best dog breed. Our mini aussie is perfect, easy to housebreak, could care less about the dogs, would not leave yard, even if gate open unless on leash.
 

HyacinthWings

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Mini aussie, hands down the best dog breed. Our mini aussie is perfect, easy to housebreak, could care less about the dogs, would not leave yard, even if gate open unless on leash.
From what I know, sadly, that they shed a ton...
 

Mitzi

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I find aussies don't shed to bad if you brush every day. My daughter has a boxer, yorkie, and french bulldog and said they shed as bad as the aussie. I really feel all dogs shed.
 

HyacinthWings

Walking the driveway
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I find aussies don't shed to bad if you brush every day. My daughter has a boxer, yorkie, and french bulldog and said they shed as bad as the aussie. I really feel all dogs shed.
Yorkies can lose hair, but not entirely. Boxers and bulldogs, I believe, do shed even with their short coat. The definition of shed for me, and many others, is when hair sticks on clothes. I can stand it, but my mother isn't a fan and my sister gets reaction to dogs like that. Though, aussies are absolutely adorable!
 
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