Originally Posted by Sunny_Bee

I've actually always loved Germans and now I know a fantastic breeder (she also runs an obedience school), so maybe that's how I'll go.

There is also an Akita breeder in town. My only worry about them is agression towards other animals, but it is a breed I'd like to look into.

One thing about the Akita sunny bee, you may find them like the bullmastiff to be perhaps a bit lazy and not necissirily a good running companion. Akitas with agility or obedience is a BIG challenge as well (but deffinately not impossible)

Certainly domianance with other dogs has to be watched with them too, our boy, whilst very well socialised, is not always great with other dominant males, entire or not. He can also get his goat up a bit over very bouncy high energy dogs who lack first meet manners, bit of a judge and jury sort of breed, if your in your in with him, but if you are perceived as misbahaving it must be diciplined the dog way, and it can be a pretty sharp unforgiving dicipline reaction too.

Just after I posted that last message a kid in my city got his face mauled by his neighbour's pet Akita

I have no doubt it came from the local breeder...check that one off the list!

I like labs or golden retrievers, they are a good size breed and great companions

Originally Posted by vetgroomer

The problem you'll run into with Rotties or Dobermans is the fact that they have been a popular breed in the past, and now there are some serious health issues and temperament problems in both breeds due to over breeding.

A breed you might consider is the Belgian Malinois. They aren't as large as Rotties, and have a little more hair, but they're usually pretty good family dogs. They're a herding breed, so they're pretty athletic.

Another breed, and it is short haired, is the Rhodesian Ridgeback. Large, easy to keep up, athletic, and tend to be fairly easy tempered.

I cannot say enough about Rhodesian Ridgebacks!! We had one for 10 years...they are amazing & very low-maintenance, too!

I think the perfect dog for you is a Pit Bull. This breed was historically used in England for dog fighting, in battle and for guarding, and also served utilitarian purposes, such as farm work. Specifically, these dogs accompanied farmers into the fields to assist with bringing bulls in for breeding, castration, or slaughter. Generally known as bulldogs, they protected the farmer by subduing the bull if it attempted to gore him.

Typically a dog would do this by biting the bull on the nose and holding on to the violently struggling bull despite injury. They are popularly known as "lock jaw" dogs that anyone bitten by them cannot easily get away from their hideous jaws. But you've got to give him proper socialization and strong training in order to control his aggressive tendencies. Under the care of an overly-permissive or uneducated owner, Pit Bulls can become very dangerous dogs.

Most rescue groups try extra hard to find the perfect match for their animals, so they will work with you in finding a dog that meets all your criteria. A good rescue group will even let you try the dog out for a few weeks with a money-back guarantee. Many rescue groups get pure-bred dogs, but a mixed-breed might also give you the qualities you're looking for. My sister has a Chow, Pitbull, God-knows-what mix that is FANTASTIC! Seems like the dog got all the good traits from the different breeds. Good luck with your search!

[QUOTE=reginaville;50130]I think the perfect dog for you is a Pit Bull. This breed was historically used in England for dog fighting, in battle and for guarding, and also served utilitarian purposes, such as farm work. Specifically, these dogs accompanied farmers into the fields to assist with bringing bulls in for breeding, castration, or slaughter. Generally known as bulldogs, they protected the farmer by subduing the bull if it attempted to gore him.

Typically a dog would do this by biting the bull on the nose and holding on to the violently struggling bull despite injury. They are popularly known as "lock jaw" dogs that anyone bitten by them cannot easily get away from their hideous jaws. But you've got to give him proper socialization and strong training in order to control his aggressive tendencies. Under the care of an overly-permissive or uneducated owner, Pit Bulls can become very dangerous dogs.



I think sunny bee mentioned earlier in the thread that due to location, may have to be quite breed selective because of breed restriction laws in place or soon to be in place in the area

PBT as most of us know, can be a fantastic companion, but if BSL is on the way into or existent in sunny bees town, then this becomes a whole new heart break of its own.

You're right nattij, unfortunatly I'm NOT living in a pitt friendly place. I looked into the ridgebacks, they're great

I also agree about the rescue groups. There's a fantastic one that I volunteer with, they have a big beautiful dog right now that I'd like to meet (a rottie mix) but I'm still not quite ready for my dream dog yet (I need a house and yard first!!!)

Rotties are wonderful dogs! I've had 3 of them, one male, two females, all dearly departed.

All 3 were rescues, too and were very easy to train and are very agile. They love exercise; the male Rottie used to pull my husband on his bicycle

Although they look intimidating and carry the stigma of being "killer dogs", they are very gentle. They are extremely territorial and will guard you and your home w/o having aggressive training.

Nobody has been on this thread for a while... Did you move and get your dog yet? If not here are a few ideas I have. If you have never owned a dog I would not recommend an extreamly strong/dominant breed like a Rottie, Akita, AM. Bulldog, Am. Staff, Malinois, etc.

Boxer
Doberman
Belgian Sheepdog
Great Dane
Australian Cattle Dog
Chesapeke Bay Retriever
Curly-Coated Retriever
German Shep. (ONLY FROM A VERY GOOD BREEDER)
Airedale Terrier (they do need pro grooming every 4-6 weeks)
Dalmation (again good breeder only... as they can be very dangerous from puppy mills/BYB's)

Hope this helps!