First family dog?

[gotelltheoldmandowntheroad]

Husband wants a German Shepherd, he also likes XL Bully and Rottweiler.

I am open to a dog but...

small house
do not want fur everywhere

We have two cats already so would look into getting a puppy.
We have a big garden and both often work from home so wouldn't leave him alone.

I know about having dogs, had them before, but not too keen, I'm a cat person. Husband and child are keen. Husband spoke about "family protection" but ultimately we are animal lovers but that seems to be a factor for him.

My questions are:

Dogs that won't add the least to my cleaning burden (that's my bag)

Safest around the child (from puppy and trained)

Perhaps that a non-dog person might like best?

Given he's mentioned those three breeds, which would you go for? Child is 6.

If you don't want a dog around you all the time, don't get one. Lots of breeds crave affection and attention on their time and if you can't provide it, it's really not fair.

Training a dog for "family protection" is really troubling. You either have a working guard dog or a family dog. You cannot train a dog to be both

I think he has protection dogs mixed up with working dogs.I live with a former dog handler;we've had two GSD's and two rotties over the years;there is a big difference in working line trained working GSD's/rotties and domestic ones.

I'm sorry to say it but your husband is being abit selfish here;he just wants a big dog to make himself look tough.

You don't really sound keen on a dog either especially if you're worried about mess.

I wouldn't neccessarily discount any of the breeds with children, in general. German Shepherds can be great family pets if raised right but have a tendency to be highly strung and anxious and need careful handling from an experienced owner to get the best out of them.

Rottweillers are generally sloppy, overexcited derps but they're 6 stone sloppy, overexcited derps who can easily injure a child by accident. They need a lot of exercise tailored to their size.

These are both working dogs. They need to be kept busy with proper training, preferably something which uses their brain like agility, fly disc or obedience. Without this they get bored and find themselves a job which will probably be something you'd rather them not do. They need experience, in short, which OP and her husband do not have. The least offensive option, if they are adamant on these breeds would be to contact a breed rescue and get one aged 2+ who is past the puppy stage and a bit more chilled.

The XL Bully I'd be more wary of as it's not a breed I'm familiar with and they have been involved in several fatal incidents recently (is it a breed? Have people renamed American Bull Terriers to make them sound harder? Are they some kind of "designer" mongrel"?)

I'm inclined to believe that much like the staffy, the rottweiller and the dobe the issue is at the other end of the lead. These dogs were demonised not because they were inherently aggressive but because they attract a certain type of owner who attempt to train them to be protection dogs. This kind of training can go very, very wrong if it's done by a novice or the dog does not have the correct kind of temprement. Very few dogs, of any breed, are actually suitable for protection training. This type of training would make any breed, even the beloved retriever aggressive if it was not done correctly. And with this type of owner it is never done correctly.

In the right hands any dog can be a good family pet but OP's home is not the right hands. They need a bit more experience before taking on a working dog of this size.

I'm not sure why people keep suggesting collies either. Collies absolutely need experience. They are family pets as much as a husky is. OP has never owned a dog and only has experience of lurchers, a crossbreed renouned for being chronically lazy. Without a job collies turn into nippy, neurotic nutjobs. A collie in this type of home is an accident waiting to happen.

A retired greyhound best fits what OP is looking for in a dog but since her husband wants a penis extension an older, calm Stafford would fit.

If you must go big, get a docile breed. St Bernard or Newfoundland.

None, I guess a GSD if experienced in the breed but I'm not sure it sounds to be the case. No way I'd have such a powerful dog as the other 2 in the home with a young child despite the chances of them being fine. The consequences if they aren't are just too devastating. Why does he want these dogs because of the tough imagine? Status symbol? All dogs come in a range of temperaments the same as humans and much of it genetic. It's not only poor training or abuse but tends not to show til adulthood where you then have a big problem

The XL Bully I'd be more wary of as it's not a breed I'm familiar with and they have been involved in several fatal incidents recently (is it a breed? Have people renamed American Bull Terriers to make them sound harder? Are they some kind of "designer" mongrel"?)
They've made them bigger so it's like a bulldog on steroids

The XL Bully I'd be more wary of as it's not a breed I'm familiar with and they have been involved in several fatal incidents recently (is it a breed? Have people renamed American Bull Terriers to make them sound harder? Are they some kind of "designer" mongrel"?)
They've made them bigger so it's like a bulldog on steroids

I really don’t think you are going to be able to get hold of any kind of XL Bully type dog that does not come from a dodgy breeder. No responsible kind of dog breeder would breed them - because if they were responsible they would have to be very choosy about who to sell them too, and generally the types who who want buy them (like the OPs DH who wants a ‘protection dog’ aka penis enlarger) are not responsible or experienced dog owners. So a responsible breeder wouldn’t make any money off them. Therefore responsible breeders of XL bullies do not exist.

To buy one is not only daft but also unethical. These breeders don’t care about animal welfare and the safety of people - it’s by not caring and selling them to any idiot that shows interest that they make money. No one should be supporting that.

@BeanieTeen not to nation with the exaggerated size/muscle they are too heavy causing physical issues and also organ strain. Just horrible

Have you had much to do with Collie Roughs and breeders?

A dog coming from a good breeder is so likely to have a solid temperament that I struggle to even see where your opinion on them is coming from.

Yes, there are breeders who breed from dogs of unsound temperament but that is not what a collie is meant to be and the breeder should remove them from their breeding stock (Granted, I know some don't but that's why anyone buying a dog should research/meet breeders and their breeding stock).

@gotelltheoldmandowntheroad please don't get a German Shepherd unless you are prepared to put in an awful lot of work. Raising a German Shepherd puppy is extremely rewarding but incredibly hard work. Their natural herding instinct may make them ankle-biters when they are puppies. They are known as 'land sharks' in military circles and they have very sharp teeth as puppies. Correction of a GSD puppy is very similar to positive behaviour reinforcement in children. That's what they need and if they get that attention you will be rewarded for the rest of your life together. But the effort required is akin to having a baby.

You will need to redecorate the house more often because of the shedding and also just through the normal course of rubbing up against walls. They will accumulate dirt on them because they are taken out daily, at least once. When adult, they need at least an hour and a half a day exercise.

They are ultra intelligent dogs so need a lot of mental stimulation as well as physical.

They make such beautifully sensitive, loyal and intelligent companions and - whilst you don't want a trained 'attack' dog - they would indeed defend you and family members to the death if they sensed you were being attacked. They can tell the difference between play attacks and real-life attacks too, it's uncanny.

Because OP herself is open to other breeds and doesn't seem to actually think any of those breeds are suitable...............

Yes but you are saying that the dog themselves is likely to be nippy and in general not a nice dog, that is simply untrue.

For people (other than OP who doesn't want a hairy dog ...or really any dog for that matter) who are prepared to do basic training, socialisation etc that all dogs should have, and include the dog in the family, a well bred Collie is a wonderful addition to families with children.

On the following I'll have to agree to disagree with you, breed and breeding matters a lot with any dog, in any situation, a dog that is bred from high strung or high drive parents is going to fare far worse in a house where no one does anything with it than a dog that comes from placid, laid back parents raised in the same environment.

DH hasn't a clue. A " protection dog" is trained to threaten/stop a human being when the dog perceives risk. That training/dog outlook is totally incompatible with a family pet around small children (remember, normal 6 yr olds cry, shout, are loud, bouncy, unpredictable, and have small friends to play).

The three breeds he's picked are breeds commonly used as guard or protection dogs because of their powerful jaws, physique and breed temperament like strong confidence, dominance, assertiveness. A dog/child stand-off (misunderstanding over a toy, or food, or just an accidental shove / knock) is quite likely and the dog will win, because that's what it's wired for.
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If you get a dog, choose some more compliant, less assertive breed, maybe a small labrador. Instead of a puppy, consider getting an 18 month to 2 yrs slightly older dog whose character and proper training are already established.
A degree of shed hair, foot prints, mud , smells and occasional mess is pretty much inevitable in dog ownership. Don't kid yourself , they do make more work.

This in spades

I have a St Bernard and they are fantastic dogs, very laid back and just sleep all day. It's great. Rarely bark. Good with young children, even with my youngest two who scream high pitched, or have massive meltdowns.

I would have no interest in a high energy dog he needs lots of constant attention! Seems like OP doesn't want one that is a lot of work.

In this situation, it's not always the size that's important - it is the temperament of your dog.

@User48751490 I agree about giants fitting the requirements except the mess!

All of the giant breeds create so much more mess than a standard size dog. I have a GSD and she doesn’t even compare to the mess a Leo makes 😄

The trade off is worth it though, I can tolerate the mess with mine as I know she's gentle round small DC.

They don't half shed these big breasts though 😂

I want a Leonberger so I can brush it relentlessly and collect hair and fluff for the birds to make their nests with ❤️

An airedale, great with children, doesn't shed, protective. We had one when I was a child, he would break up arguments between my mum and I as a teen. We had a very small house but he went out for two hour long walks a day. A garden, however big, doesn't give them exercise because they don't just run around in it. You'd have to actively be out there with them playing ball or training.

A collie Rough (or Smooth) is not the same as a Border Collie and you can't compare the two.

Are collies given to nipping/herding behaviours as puppies? Yes, of course but it is easily trained out with a small amount of consistent training. It is irresponsible to get any dog with a toddler and not train it out of unwanted behaviour. I grew up with working dogs, so have my kids, my husband and lots of my friends grew up and have also raised their kids with working dogs, our current dog being a BC X Kelpie and our recently passed dog a working line BC. Having been involved in dog clubs since I was a kid, I also know many families who raised kids and working dogs together. Training them out of nipping behaviour as pups is not hard with a small amount of consistent training.

I will respectfully disagree with you and then I am stepping right out of this. A collie (Border/Rough/Bearded/Whatever) is not more likely to bite you or your kids than the more common Pitty/Rotty/Mastiff etc and if you were to be bitten by one the impact of the bite is unlikely to inflict the kind of damage that those breeds can.

I honestly am curious as to where you got your bite statistics from as try as I might I cannot find a list that includes a Collie listed higher than the common dogs to hit that list, let alone a Collie Rough listed at all.

All the best, I hope you continue to enjoy many more years with your beautiful Collie.

Thanks everyone, I wanted to show my husband some opinions, the fanny one was the killer.

Personally I'd get a border terrier - has a big dog bark and will use it if a stranger is outside but a great family dog. Not capable of fitting your 6 year olds entire head in its jaws!