be honest - pros and cons of your dog's breed?

[tinymeteor]

Just for curiosity's sake, really. My theory is that picking a breed is all about working out which bad habits you can live with.

Our is a beagle. Pros: gorgeous to look at, no grooming required, amazing with kids, no issues with other dogs, very cuddly. Surprisingly, no real problems with recall and he doesn't bark, contrary to breed reputation.

Cons: steals stuff, all the bloody time. Obedience is temporary and only for food rewards. Will immediately break the rules once your back is turned.

What about yours?

Working Cocker Spaniel

Pros
Loving, happy temperament
Excitable, but also unflappable, not scared by anything
Good with people, good with other dogs
Medium size, small enough to lift about (just) but robust
Doesn't seem to shed much considering how hairy he is
Smart (ish), loves to be trained; need brain stimulation as much as exercise
Energy - oh the energy
Eyes that will melt the hardest heart

Cons
Need to be trained, then trained again, and then to go on the refresher course!
Really high hunt drive makes recall both essential and difficult
Loves mud, water, muddy water, brambles and long grass - grooming nightmare
Does anyone have a spaniel who will walk nicely on a lead?

German Pointer

Pros
Incredibly loyal and affectionate, loves to just be with you.
Amazing with children of all ages.
Lived happily with cats (they snuggle up together).
Happy with miles of running one day and 10 mins off lead the next.
Happy to chill out at home.
Rarely barks.
Doesn't shed much and always looks clean.
Just generally the nicest natured dog I've ever met.

Cons

Pines if left too long. Hates kennels but happy to stay with friends.
Took a while to get diet right.

That's it really. I couldn't imagine having any other breed now.

Working stock Labrador

Pros:
So friendly and affectionate
Tolerant and gentle with children (will leave the room if they start playing rough, won't join in)
Happy to walk for as long as you like in any weather
No separation anxiety and not a destructive chewer (although will happily destroy any bone he is given)
Easy to train (recall was a bit of an issue due to his "a stranger is just a friend I haven't met yet" attitude)
Great deep bark to discourage unwanted callers, but doesnt bark madly at everything (unlike next doors Border Terriers who let themselves out the cat flap to bark at 6 in the morning and 11 at night)
Loves a cuddle on the couch
Loves playing games especially hide and seek

Cons
Three poos a day
Big, 32 kilos so you need to get them trained not to drag you along on a lead. You need a decent sized boot for transportation.
Always hungry, ALWAYS! He isn't a thief but if food is left on a plate on the floor (thanks DS) it will be eaten.
Wants his walk regardless of the weather (hence my purchase of snow gear and a fleece balaclava)
THE HAIR!!! I hope you have a good Hoover! Tbh, with a weekly brush it doesn't get too out of hand but you still need to Hoover everyday.
The tail knocks everything flying so you need to keep cups of tea etc out of harms reach.
As a puppy, so for about 18 months, he dug the garden up, chewed his bedding and ate horse poo, but he grew out of it. Has never rolled in anything stinky.

He is just the best family pet though, and as long as you are careful with the breeder and get all the parents hip and eye scores etc and take them to puppy socialising parties and training them they are just such good dogs for a family. dDog even converted my nephew who was terrified of dogs.

French Bulldog.
Pros-
The most loving and affectionate dog I have ever met. Occasionally this can be a pain, I'm trying to type this as he is nudging me for a scratch.
Great with children, very tolerant of being dressed up for instance! He's a great hit outside of the schoolyard, all of the kids know his name and fuss him. He loves the attention.
Unbelievably cute.
Small.
Very friendly with people, verging on being disloyal!
Great with other dogs.
Rarely barks.
Very lazy! (Which suits me)

Cons-
Oh the farts. He stinks so bad, he's sulphurous.
Refuses to walk in the rain.
Stubborn and untrainable, I'm still wary of letting him off the lead unless we are in the middle of nowhere.
I wouldn't be without the little fella though, he's great and everyone loves him.

Staffie

Pros

Very loyal
Very obedient
Great with my son and visiting children

Cons

hates strange dogs, would fight if given the chance.

oh...I forgot the supervision, the singing, and the barking, and the arse check

every single fucking day when the children get in from school we have a meet and greet session as if the children are triumphantly returning from war...barking, singing (GSD owners will know exactly what I mean), running, dashing about, and the nose in the bottom, just to make sure you are not an imposter.

in fact this is what happens any time anyone arrives home. Anyone. Ever. Ever.

That and the supervision, but that does depend on the type of GSD you get, GSD1 is very supervisory, will lie where he can see/observe as much as possible, but GSD2 just likes to know where I am, cos obviously a 50 year old woman cannot be trusted to be alone.

Posted too soon

2nd staffie

Pros

Loves other dogs
Great with my son

Cons

Doesn't do what she is told, runs off given the chance

Eats holes in garden fence to escape

The total opposite of my other staffie who is the most obedient dog I've ever met

Chalk and cheese ??

Another greyhound here

Pro : laid back, gentlest dogs ever, no shedding or doggy smell, loyal, easy to walk on the lead, doesn't pull, totally unfazed if another dog is barky or aggressive to him, needs very little exercise

Cons : needs huge bed, you may need to buy coats as they are wimps, total over reaction to pain - you will think their leg is broken if they just tweak it running in the garden, needy and whiny, not good at being left, rubbish recall, sensitive stomachs, they react weirdly to some medication.

Would have another in an instant though - love my boy

Labradoodle

PROS:

Very, very friendly to everyone
Intelligent
Quite easy to train due to ^^
No food aggression
No people aggression
No dog aggression
Good recall
Good guard dog
Doesn't shed as much as a lab, but has lab temperament
Hardly ever needs to be groomed (hair, not fleece type)
Doesn't need expensive trips to groomers
Smells but not as badly as she could
Looks cute and is often commented on
Is fine being left - no separation anxiety

CONS:

99% of people on Mumsnet hate labradoodles
KC-type doggy people hate labradoodles
Sensitive stomach
Digs holes in garden
Chewy as a puppy

Oh, and one more:

Doesn't try to escape

Miniature schnauzer
Pros

Very affectionate and loves people, ours would happily sit on your lap or by your side all day. If your in the house and she hasn't seen you for about an hour she will come and find you to say hello!
Cheap to feed
Quiet in the house, is not demanding of you (except for a stroke)
Doesn't shed
Obedient and will listen
For a terrier she hardly barks
Is small so is easy to lift in and out of the car
Very cuddly
Gives the best welcomes when you arrive home and first thing in the morning! Is always so happy to see you
Adaptable

Cons
Ours isn't interested in dog toys or fetch, so if you want a doggy dog may be not ideal?
Needs monthly baths, although I don't mind this and needs regular haircuts
Loves food, will eat the cat food if we don't catch her in time!

Working line Labrador

Pros
Obedient, Loyal, good with people, children and other dogs, excellent guard dog and super family pet. Trained like a dream when a puppy. Walks to heel, follows every command. My best friend.

Cons

Sheds copious amounts of hair all year!
Stinks a bit sometimes
but... the worst is the mud, ooooh the mud! Labs are mud magnets! :-)

2 year old Toller

Pros:
Infectiously happy - his diary entry every night would be Best. Day. Ever!
Very playful
Extremely affectionate
Loves children
Mostly calm
Very energetic
Loves long walks in all weathers (this may be a con )
Highly intelligent- gets commands straight away
Relatively easy to train
Adores the cats (this is unrequited)
Doesn't roll in stinky stuff
Excellent recall
Walks well on the lead
Happy to be left for a while
Behaves beautifully at the vets or groomers

Cons:
Very energetic so needs mental and physical stimulation
Can be quite vocal - 'sings', barks when very excited and very occasionally we get the Toller scream (best description I've seen is that it sounds like the dog is being fed into a wood chipper...)
Lightning fast snatcher of food in completely unpredictable way
Doesn't roll but does wallow in muddy puddles (is half hippo)
Can be stubborn/persistent
Has recently developed a fear of white vans
Can be a bit too submissive towards other dogs

However despite his cons he is utterly fabulous

Happy with miles of running one day and 10 mins off lead the next.
Jee-eeez, Lucy, where did you get a GSP like that?
Ours is a X; he will happily take a 16m run in the morning, demand another 20 mins off-lead in the evening, and be jumping about the next morning demanding OUT again. Not just some OUT, but miles of OUT.

It can get a trifle wearing.

I am wary of breed generalisations, as I bought our pup on the back of them, and feel pretty cheated as a result This will be interesting, as I do not know which list will be longer!
Here goes
pros of the Shih Tzu:

• so. fucking. cute. Seriously, the aesthetics do matter when you consider the cons list! He is the most adorable thing I have ever set eyes on. His sexy waddle, serious little face, hairy face and twitchy nose that makes him look like a rabbit, the cocked head when you talk to him. He is a beauty.
• he doesn't shed hair.
• I even find the noises he makes really endearing! Being flat faced, he will snore like a grown man (even at 5 months!) and could snort for Scotland. It's so cute!
• I grew up with Staffies and even though I still consider them the best dogs, it was bloody stressful walking them with other dogs around. I love that my wee Shih Tzu is friendly with other dogs, and therefore not too stressful for my kids to walk. Even my 6 year old can hold his lead as he's not too strong.
• I enjoy the routine that our walks give. I suspect I have been a bit depressed for some months now, and it's nice that he gets me out and about and talking to people. It takes ages to get anywhere, as he's so gorgeous and people always want to stop and chat! It's nice though
• He's pretty much completely non-destructive. Sure, he will pick up toys etc from the floor, but that's our fault if they've been left. I don't need to worry about furniture or kitchen floor being destroyed.
• did I mentioned that he's beautiful?! Teenager and I do daft things like text each other and say: the dog is in danger, come home straightaway, he's so cute that I think I might have to eat him, etc etc. Hee hee.

cons of the Shih Tzu
Where to start?!

• I chose this breed because I thought it was a cuddly wee lapdog. Erm, no. He hates cuddles and is definitely not a lapdog through choice. I am hoping that he'll get more tactile and affectionate with age (5 months at the moment).
• the toilet training has been a fecking nightmare. He is very stubborn and it is so slow to 'click'.
• he gets so messy if it's remotely wet outside; because his belly is so close to the ground, all the water and mud just gets soaked up.

Mind you, he hates the rain and will often refuse to walk in it. We're in Scotland. Nuff said.

• he is longhaired, and too young as yet to get his puppy fur hacked into. I will NEVER go for another long haired, non smooth coated dog. Let me tell you that it is no joke when he does a soft, sticky poo and it all gets stuck to his behind. And then smears everywhere inside the house. Hate it.

-he has separation anxiety of the highest order, and will follow me everywhere. This can be endearing, other times it's annoying. It feels like clinginess rather than love, as he's not hugely loving. BUT I know that he loves us and we him

Oh, and another Shih Tzu pro is that he doesn't require loads of exercise and sleeps a fair bit. I don't think I could cope with a dog with no 'off' button!

And another con is that he's thick as mince. Love him though!

We've had 3 labradors and it very much depends on whether they are show or working stock.

Our 'show' lab
Pros
Placid, intuitive, gentle, calm, loving, biddable and desperate to please

Cons
Her joints were awful

Our most recent 'working' lab
Pros
Clever, characterful, quick to train, fun

Cons
Needy, intense, nervous

Yorkshire Terrier

Pros
Cute
Funny and characterful
Cheerful
No shedding
Good with cats
Fine with both long and short walks

Cons
Barking - at everyone who passes the house
Difficult to house train
Expensive grooming required

Scottish Terrier

Pros
Very handsome, with big eyebrows, beards and feet. (Big ones I mean, obviously there'd be feet).
Very protective of his family and friends.
Can walk for miles.
You can get any sort of household item with a picture of them on.
Very intelligent.
Don't shed

Cons
Can walk for miles, but at the pace they choose, and if this involves peering on every blade of grass you pass on the way so be it. And if you turn back before they're ready be prepared to leave claw marks on the pavement.

Family protection involves barking at anyone who delivers anything to the house. Or who drives past the house. Or who once walked passed the house.

Very intelligent, and will use this intelligence to engineer regular escapes from home and garden. Will look at you in disgust when you bring them back.

Short legs = very muddy belly.

Always starving for anything other than his own food.

I can't think of anything else for the tears on my eyes. We lost our boy not so long ago, after over 15 years of stubbornness. The sofa seems awfully empty. And clean.

Cavailer King Charles Spaniel.

Pros: Very friendly and placid, trust her totally around the children. Never barks. Never chews anything around the house. Very cuddly and a great companion. Small enough that she doesn't take up the whole house. Very calm and doesn't go crazy when the door bell goes or post etc. Fine with cats and small animals. Easy peasy to train. Doesn't tonnes of exercise and never charges about the house.

Cons: Would be no deterrent at all to intruders as she doesn't bark and would be thrilled to try and make new friends. Because of her breed she will mostly likely die of heart problems not much older than 10 so not a long living breed. She does shed quite a lot as they have long-ish hair. If it snows because she has quite hairy legs she ends up with huge snowballs as legs.

German Shepherd

Pros: Easiest dog in the world to train, he gets it after 3 goes. Calm, sensible, no inclination to do anything naughty ever. Stunningly beautiful, loyal, affectionate, funny. Will take as much walking as he's given and never demand more. Dominant over other dogs without ever being aggressive - he just knows he's the boss and doesn't feel the need to prove it, which means fights are defused before they start. And he has the sense to give a wide berth to any dogs which are likely to not get it - he can't be bothered with aggro. Hugs people, any people. He's the greatest leveller - he brings people together.

Cons. Sheds. Tonnes. All the time. People are scared of him, so tend to pick their little dogs up when he approaches. He doesn't care.

And the biggest con of all - genetic hip problems mean he's being stolen from me far, far too soon German Shepherds steal your heart then break it.

Boxer.

Pros Happy go lucky, funny and extremely affectionate. Bouncy and full of the joys of life.

Cons Slobber. Everywhere. Stubborn. Naughty streak.... give her an inch and she'll take a mile.

Oh unGoogleable, I'm so sorry that your German Shepherd isn't well. He sounds amazing.

Aww thank you Dieu he is amazing. He has Degenerative Myelopathy, his back end is slowly losing function. But he's happy, managed a wobble on to the beach today, and true to form he made friends with a hyper Cocker Spaniel pup (who's owner then picked her up, sigh), and two Daschunds who got aggressive in his face, but as he'd fallen over at that point he couldn't be arsed responding!

Loving this thread, the different breed characteristics are fascinating!

We have a Labrador cross poodle...

Pros:
Clever
Easy to train (once he calmed down!)
Excellent recall
Friendly with everyone he meets
Loved other dogs but will leave them alone if they don't want to play
Kind and gentle with children
Makes us laugh every day with his antics
Very loyal to me
Great temperament (is pets as therapy dog)
Loves our cats

Cons:

Will wallow in the muddiest stinkiest puddles he can find
A thief - if food is left around or soft toys - they are his!
Can clear a stair gate no problem
Moderate Grooming (I don't mind but it's not for everyone)