Dog recommendation
Discussion
I want a Great Dane. Preferably a Blue or Harlequin.
Anyone have any real life experience of ownership or breeder recommendation?
The Mrs has flatly refused anything remotely "Mastiff" like and has short-listed Weimaraner/Viszla/Bleu-de-Gascogne/Spinone and a wild-card Dachshund.
I've told her the nearest she'll get to a Dachshund is if i get a Doberman pup and tell her i've been sold a wrong-un.....(oh look It's sprouted legs!).
We have 3 kids aged 7, 5 & 20 months who have grown up with mad cocker spaniels.
Any help/pics/stories/experiences greatly appreciated.
Anyone have any real life experience of ownership or breeder recommendation?
The Mrs has flatly refused anything remotely "Mastiff" like and has short-listed Weimaraner/Viszla/Bleu-de-Gascogne/Spinone and a wild-card Dachshund.
I've told her the nearest she'll get to a Dachshund is if i get a Doberman pup and tell her i've been sold a wrong-un.....(oh look It's sprouted legs!).
We have 3 kids aged 7, 5 & 20 months who have grown up with mad cocker spaniels.
Any help/pics/stories/experiences greatly appreciated.
newfoundland,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newfoundland_%28dog%2...
very good natured near kids and playfull too.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newfoundland_%28dog%2...
very good natured near kids and playfull too.
cinque said:
We have 3 kids aged 7, 5 & 20 months
3 kids within 20 months! How is that even possible? 
I recommend a british bulldog.
Pros - Docile, love kids, very lazy so require little work, very affectionate, very stable temperament
Cons - Damn expensive, snore a lot! fart a lot!, suffer from every illness known to man, have short life expectancies and everyone percieves you to be some low life scum bag when you are out walking one.
All that aside I wouldn't sell this little guy for the world.
Reload said:
Simpo Two said:
How about a boxer? I hear they make very good family pets.
If I remember correctly, boxer dogs were bred to look after children. Not feed and change them, obviously, but to watch over them. They're meant to be great family dogs.Now on my 4th Great Dane in 20years (see profile pic), and have also had Mastiffs (hence username), at one point, we had a combined 200+kgs of dogs!
Great Danes are a fantastic breed, but the clue is in the title. They do tend to take over.
Plus points - very loyal and trustworthy, great fun, get on well with each other and other dogs. Contrary to popular belief, they do not need a tremendous amount of excercise as they can tire quite quickly (especially as they get older), so little and often is the key. Great with kids and very affectionate. It's easier to keep two as opposed to one. They can be left for short periods of time as they do like a sleep!
Minus Points - They don't live very long, 10 is my oldest and she was a very light b
h. The vet bills can be huge - DO NOT HAVE ONE OF THESE WITHOUT VERY GOOD INSURANCE - antibiotics etc are prescribed by weight, so a simple course for a 70kg dog can be hundreds of pounds. They can have funny tummies.
They knock everything over, with tails and noses, they can reach the kitchen counter without standing on back legs! Other people can find them intimidating. Obviously the food bills are not light either. Mine live on cooked chickens from Morrissons (2 for £6.00) plus base biscuit and rice. Cheaper this way than dog food, and better for him.
A very lovely and rewarding breed to keep, but they do take a higher level of commitment than some other breeds.
If you need any more info don't hesitate to post, and I will answer the best that I can.
HTH.
Great Danes are a fantastic breed, but the clue is in the title. They do tend to take over.
Plus points - very loyal and trustworthy, great fun, get on well with each other and other dogs. Contrary to popular belief, they do not need a tremendous amount of excercise as they can tire quite quickly (especially as they get older), so little and often is the key. Great with kids and very affectionate. It's easier to keep two as opposed to one. They can be left for short periods of time as they do like a sleep!
Minus Points - They don't live very long, 10 is my oldest and she was a very light b
h. The vet bills can be huge - DO NOT HAVE ONE OF THESE WITHOUT VERY GOOD INSURANCE - antibiotics etc are prescribed by weight, so a simple course for a 70kg dog can be hundreds of pounds. They can have funny tummies. They knock everything over, with tails and noses, they can reach the kitchen counter without standing on back legs! Other people can find them intimidating. Obviously the food bills are not light either. Mine live on cooked chickens from Morrissons (2 for £6.00) plus base biscuit and rice. Cheaper this way than dog food, and better for him.A very lovely and rewarding breed to keep, but they do take a higher level of commitment than some other breeds.
If you need any more info don't hesitate to post, and I will answer the best that I can.
HTH.
Dad had a Great Dane (blue one, like a weimeraner) called Dinah.
Thick as mince, very soft and friendly. completely neurotic (rescue dog, so to be expected)
Died at the age of 5 with bone cancer.
If you've got kids, you really want a boxer - they absolutely adore kids and they're easy to train as long as you don't buy the nutter puppy at the front of the pack; go for the calmer one at the back!
Thick as mince, very soft and friendly. completely neurotic (rescue dog, so to be expected)
Died at the age of 5 with bone cancer.
If you've got kids, you really want a boxer - they absolutely adore kids and they're easy to train as long as you don't buy the nutter puppy at the front of the pack; go for the calmer one at the back!
Mastiff said:
Lots of good stuff
^^^^ This.Giant dog breeds are a totally different (and adictive) experience. I think it would be impossible to go back to a 'normal' breed now.
You will probably have to modify the furnishing and where you put things in the house. Your choice of car becomes quite limited. You will have an account with the dog food supplier (we buy at least 100kg of biscuits at a time). You need to be more aware of if they seem unwell, a cocker with a 40° temperature may be running around but a giant breed will be in a serious way.
And because it has to be repeated - get vet insurance! The comment about medication being per kilo is so true. We have a pack of IWH and an account at the vets as well as with the dog food supplier.
CommanderJameson said:
cinque said:
Anyone have any real life experience of ownership
I used to know someone who had one. Wonderful temperament, but a bit daft.Huge turds.
Lots of slobber.
Regrettably short lifespan.
No idea why and they had already spent a small fortune in training classes to try and help it - neurotic would be a fair comment. It got miles better to the end and lots of socialising was having real benefits. And they had an old Fiesta too - looked great in the back with a head out one side and the tail the other...
NitroNick said:
Cons - Damn expensive, snore a lot! fart a lot!
Burps in your face a lot, hacks up phlegm which flies across the room and sticks to the wall a lot, craps a lot, shags every teddy bear he can find a lot Another pro is mine doesn't go upstairs, he had a bit of a stiffy when he was a year old and when I called him from the top of the stairs he ran really fast and whacked his knob off the bottom step, he screamed quite a bit and cried for a while.
He doesn't do stairs or steps now.
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