What's special about your breed of dog?

[ashesoffire]

I have 4 dogs. St Bernard's anybody? Any experience? Or any other suggestions. Sell your dog breed to me! Crosses welcome as are photos.

I have GSD and wouldn't reccomend them unless you want a lifestyle change not a dog

Shed loads, need loads of excersise, bark all the time, people are scared of them, health problems, loads of backyard bred ones, take up lots of space, expensive...the list goes on!

I have always had GSD though and couldn't be without one for some reason! I do love them really

We have a cocker/Shelti cross. She is beautiful but has an incredibly small brain.

Bad bits...

Recurring ear infections nothing works... now can't get insurance for said ears. £££££

Recall skills are not the best. Won't run away just ignores you if doesn't want to come back.

sooo greedy, will steal food, (on advent calenders number three.. she raided the first two) she will eat until she is sick. If allowed, Then eat the sick.

Raids the bin if accessible

Can't cope being left for two mins, no buying petrol with her in the car, as everyone will be staring/ looking alarmed by the howling because she has been left for 1 minute...

The hairdressers bill is more than double everyone else's put together! Sheltis are very hairy. She looks prettier with more hair but in summer has to be cut regularly because she is like a bear.

Good bits

She is very affectionate and will cuddle under the covers all night.
She puts up with the kids and all their "hugging sessions " (read terrorising)

Doesn't like the rain/ wind very much, if it's a grim day she looks like you must be having a laugh right? If you try to get her out. But when nice she loves being out.

Never messed in the house not once... very lucky.

Fine being left for a few hours, the day if she's been out will just sleep.

Makes the right noises if there's anything going on outside the house... (not when there's a burglary in the night... oblivious)

We inherited her so she has a stupid stupid name... I often shout c'mon Dog! Wouldn't swap her tho she is lovely.

Wolfie - I didn't know that! Thank you. I'll call them

YES morti a bedlington/greyhound is basically a smaller version of a deerhound. That's what greengrass had

I love all these pictures!

I'm still waiting on a St Bernard as I'm currently obsessed

Leonberger here. A giant breed for you to drool over. She's nine months and something of a handful. Definitely not a breed for the faint hearted. We had a newfoundland before who was a doddle compared to this.

Pros. Very very loving. A true lean on berger as they lean on you all the time. Easy to house train. A talking point on all walks. Everyone stops you.

Cons. Very big. Very hairy. Has no concept of her size. Eats off the kitchen work surface. Drinks water from the kitchen sink. Massively over friendly with all new dogs and their owners. Lacks recall. Isn't the brightest dog we've ever had.

But we love her. Lots. One big ear clean from her very big tongue and you forgive everything.

Airfix she's gorgeous!

Airfix leonbergers are my guilty pleasure!
I would love one but I can't cope with drool. Are they as bad as the other giant breeds?

Are they hard to train?

OMG! Love her airfix! She's so beautiful.

I've heard they are tough training wise?

And I love Newfies. Double jealous.

I once met a family with two Leonbergers and a very small chihuahua. No prizes for guessing which considered itself top dog.

Utterly adorable lab. Very affectionate, likes to lie and guard dd(8) as she sleeps. Very very greedy and has been known to steal food from the baby. Frightened of cats, pigeons and the postman. Oddly doesn't really bark

Oh I've found my people! Your dogs are divine

As the name suggests I have Cavaliers although we also have a purebred red kelpie. She comes from working stock and is beyond intelligent. Was the hardest puppy I've ever dealt with but is just amazing as an adult. Smart, willing, cooperative and brave. Gentle with kids but plays till they drop.

My Cavs are a nine year old Black and Tan who came to me at 5 after spending most of her life in a kennel having puppies. It took her minutes to decide I was the person she loves and she is my constant companion. I cannot recommend this breed enough for families. They are gentle and kind love sponges who want to be with you whatever you are doing (but most especially at meals times). My boy is an 18 month old giant Tri colour who is still puppy dumb but beyond lovable. He came from a family who's daughter couldn't carry him around anymore so lost her love for him (how sad). When he came he was 12.5kg but is now down to 10.6kg

Scottie and Basset here!

Scottie: intelligent, fun, easy to train and robust. However barks at everything - boxes, postman, animals on tv etc and rules the roost!

Basset: utterly docile, cuddly, happy to be lazy or on a long walk and of course looks adorable! However stinks, sheds lots of fur, very stubborn and takes ages on walks.

Both of them are great with kids, people and other dogs.

Dragon I have no doubt! My dog (the chi x pit) has a Doberman bestie. It's hilarious to watch her boss him around.

Exactly Lancelottie!!! Who wouldn't want a dog that looks like an Ewok???

Never posted before but love showing anyone my shihpoo puppy he is 9 weeks and we have only had him for a week so not sure I can do pros and cons except he is picking up housetraining quite quickly but likes to pretend he has been to get a treat and thinks the trees tinsel looks better on him!!!! I am in love though!!!

We have a beagle. She is evil. A devil with a dogs face. Will fully Disobedient, lacks recall, stubborn & pigheaded (a bit like my husband), is more difficult to put to bed on an evening (crate) than the damn baby. She also is a pain in the arse to train (only doing things that she knows when she a)wants to or b)is bribed with chicken.) We occasionally find her stood on the kitchen table.

Having kept beautifully, well trained German Shepards all my life, courtesy of my parents, it is possible that she has ruined my ability to have a dog. Ever. Again.

However, she is the best dog I have ever seen around children. Almost bombproof and certainly very, very patient. She is easy to clean (thank god given her penchant for rolling in stuff). She is also very cute and has the softest ears in the world.

Ray We had a gsd once. She lived to please her mistress (my mum) and would have laid down her life for her pack without a second thought. The corgis live to please themselves, primarily through the acquisition of food, but they can be very charming about it.

I'd love to hear more about Corgis? Me and my partner are considering one in the future but have never met one!

I have a Westie.

Fabulous little dog (he is a very small version) the leggy ones I see aren't my cup of tea. His size makes him perfect for my lifestyle he just fits!

Loving - proper cwtchy lapdog

Utterly devoted to me (comes to find me around the house then settles wherever I am) but if I'm not around he gravitates to the nearest warm body in the house.

Good fun, every day he makes me smile.

Can go all day (climbed Pen-y-Fan) or happy for a duvet day.

Loves children and people with biscuits.

Loves his food, I homecook for him. My vet thinks I'm bonkers but then sees how well my Westie is compared to others he sees so gives me his blessing.

With other dogs he's fine being approached as he knows I'm there to protect him (and I will).

Very quick learner.

Incredibly laid back for a terrier, can take him anywhere and everywhere knowing he'll settle, we travel to West Wales and London frequently tube, buses, trains or car he just takes it in his stride.

He's a happy little soul totally content to just be with his people.

Mine has his passport and comes on holidays with us to France.

My husband works away a lot, my dog has always been good company now he's become essential to me and I love him to bits.

He's 9, going so well people are shocked he's that age, I say he's going to live forever, I pray he does cos I'll be lost without him.

swooosh They can be a handful, but they are just so much fun and each of ours have had very distinct personalities. Our current one is old (12.5) and finding it harder to get around, but she has a strong "perimeter" sense and likes to have us all in the same room, as though she has just herded us into place and wants to keep us there. If one of us is upstairs, she will park herself at the bottom of the stairs where she can see into the living room where the rest of us are, but keep an ear out for anyone who might need her attention upstairs.

You need to find a breeder and go meet some in person. Warning though, they make the cutest puppies in dogdom.

Ray No idea what you're talking about. Beagles are perfect angels.

Another beagle here. Cutest puppy ever. Amazing, tolerant, family dog. Makes you the most popular person in any pub. Friendly with dogs and people alike. Minimal grooming. Gives great cuddles. Pretty good recall actually, a joy to walk off lead most days. 95% perfect.

The other 5 percent of the time he's a stinky, shit-eating, picnic-raiding crimelord. And just once I'd like to be able to load the dishwasher without him in it.

Hungarian Wirehaired Vizsla

Pro's - amazing family dog; just LOVES the kids and puts up with lots of 'love' (dressing up, being used as a pillow, being held onto when learning to walk) in return from them. Would do anything for you. Friendly and vocal.
Don't shed much hair. Nothing sticks to their coat. They can roll in a filthy puddle and once it's dried it just drops off. Easy to care for.
Not many health problems.

Con's. A bit neurotic - is frightened of balloons and won't walk through half opened doors!
Needs lots of walking. Eats a lot! Farts a lot. His recall is shit which is annoying as he is easy to train with everything else.
A sofa lover - you won't find a Vizsla household without them snoring on the sofa - in fact he's currently snoring on my toes!

swoosh
Well, you know the whole idea of a dog that will faithfully serve its master, pine for him, obey his commands and stand loyally by his side? Well, scrap that. That's not corgis. They are a small/medium dwarf breed with big, bold personalities, high intelligence and a keen sense of self interest. Most are extremely greedy, which can be useful in training, but you must not let them get fat because like all dwarf breeds, their back is their weak point. Many have a sense of humour - we had one called that would look at animals on the television, side-eye you mischeviously and then pretend to growl. She would also pointedly ignore recall on walks, turning her head away from you deliberately to show she had heard and didn't care. Though I grew up with them and my family always has several, I would not have one myself, primarily because of the two traits that come from their herding background: barking and heel nipping. You can minimize the barking, but its very hard to get rid of all together, and they have a clear, loud, distinctive bark for moving cattle.