I'm wondering if I can get some opinions on what breed of dog I'll get in the future. I'm planning on getting a house next year and as soon as I'm settled I'll be getting a dog. I have a few breeds in mind, but here are my criteria and I'll see what suggestions I get:

1. Athletic/Motivated, I want a dog that will hike, jog and do agility with me
2. Large (the bigger the better )
3. Shorter coat, not necessairly extremely short, but nothing that requires professional grooming
4. And this one is important to me. I want a dog that looks a little intimidating, because I'm a woman who likes to go outdoors alone and I feel that a big dog can help deter potential criminals, BUT I do not want an overly agressive or mean dog, actually, I plan on having children in the next 5 years and my mother's smaller dog is always around, so a family dog is ideal.

So far I'm thinking of a Rottweiler or maybe a Doberman. Suggestions would be great, especially from those of you who may have experience with these breeds.

Originally Posted by Sunny_Bee

I'm wondering if I can get some opinions on what breed of dog I'll get in the future. I'm planning on getting a house next year and as soon as I'm settled I'll be getting a dog. I have a few breeds in mind, but here are my criteria and I'll see what suggestions I get:

1. Athletic/Motivated, I want a dog that will hike, jog and do agility with me
2. Large (the bigger the better )
3. Shorter coat, not necessairly extremely short, but nothing that requires professional grooming
4. And this one is important to me. I want a dog that looks a little intimidating, because I'm a woman who likes to go outdoors alone and I feel that a big dog can help deter potential criminals, BUT I do not want an overly agressive or mean dog, actually, I plan on having children in the next 5 years and my mother's smaller dog is always around, so a family dog is ideal.

So far I'm thinking of a Rottweiler or maybe a Doberman. Suggestions would be great, especially from those of you who may have experience with these breeds.

American bulldog/ Airdale/ Mastiff cross, all great.

Originally Posted by Sunny_Bee

4. And this one is important to me. I want a dog that looks a little intimidating, because I'm a woman who likes to go outdoors alone and I feel that a big dog can help deter potential criminals, BUT I do not want an overly agressive or mean dog, actually, I plan on having children in the next 5 years and my mother's smaller dog is always around, so a family dog is ideal.

I suppose here it is important to consider a few things.......Normally the breeds of dog that can appear intimidating are so because they are the breeds that have copped a rap of some sort in the public eye. Your prefrences leave you open to some fantastic breeds, but many need confident, assertive and dare I say even experienced handling, so it is here that it is important to assess your confidence and capability of handling a large, intelligent and likely strong willed/ dominant natured dog.

German Shepherd certainly comes to mind as perhaps an appropriate breed to consider.

My contact with the bullmastiff breed has always been particuarly pleasant, and the ones I know have always been quite child friendly.

Airedale Terriers could also be a possible candidate for your requirements.

It may be worth taking the odd trip to any local dog shows or agility trials. They can be really good places to make first enquiries on diffrent breeds, and put you in first contact with your potential breeder.

Also keep in mind, given that you are after a running and exercise companion the bigger the breed you choose the longer you may have to wait before it is safe to heavily exercise your dog. Large breed dogs, to protect hips, knees and other joints, should not go through any rigorous exercise or running on hard surfaces for at least the first year of their life, sometimes even longer.

ETA........The greyhound.........Large, agile, swift, intelligent and reportedly a a very patient playmate for children. Greyhounds are commonly up for adoption through diffrent organisations

Thanks for the advice, I hadn't thought of American Bulldogs...and I'm a big bulldog lover!! (always wanted and English, but it obviouly doesn't fit with what I want right now )

My contact with the bullmastiff breed has always been particuarly pleasant, and the ones I know have always been quite child friendly.

I actually fell in love with this breed last year after seeing a pup, but I'd always been under the impression that they were fairly lazy. Is this a misconception?

Also keep in mind, given that you are after a running and exercise companion the bigger the breed you choose the longer you may have to wait before it is safe to heavily exercise your dog.

I've thought about this as well, not to mention the shorter life span a lot of them have. Luckily I'm really into agility and our club has a non-impact puppy class, so at least we could do something.

You've both given me a lot to think about, thanks!

hi just wanted to inquire.
i saw a beautiful girl pitbull at the pound the other day. i believe with proper training and discipline those would be great. and i know this because i went to a dog beach today with my dog and saw many obedient exercise hungry pitbulls. so
thats just my 2 cents

I do like pits as well, but unfortunatly I think they'll be banned in my city in the very near future (Rotties as well). It would break my heart to have to give up my dog, I'd probably rather move, so I'm not going to put myself in that situation

i dont know if you're still looking for help, but i thought id give my opinion.

a german shepherd would be an ideal match for what you're looking for.

i dont know how much experience you have had with dogs, but if you have had some experience with larger breeds and you're looking for a challenge i would recommend looking into an akita. they are good family dogs, although they should be socialized extensively with children and other dogs. i find the history of akitas to be very interesting, along with being used to hunt bears, they were sometimes used in place of babysitters in japanese homes, including those of the emperor's children.

also, id recommend a boxer. although they're not huge, they are active and very protective.

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.

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 think you are all mind readers

I've been looking at Malanois for a while now.
I also know a great dobie breeder.

Who knows, maybe when the time comes for me to get a dog I'll find my best buddy at the local shelter, but it helps to keep all these suggestions in mind!