Would you recommend your dog breed to anyone?

[BumpowderSneezeonAndSnot]

What breed have you got?
Does your dog fit its breed stereotype?
Would you get another dog of the same breed?

I have cockers.
The cockers are true to type and no I wouldnt recommend them unless you know exactly what you're doing.

Why would that be?
We had one as a child, and she was super friendly and very intelligent.

I'd second cockers for experienced owners...my folks have two, one show & one worker. The show is a dream, she is one of the best dogs I've ever met. The worker is an utter shit & at nearly 11 still has the stubborn, pita streak that is still very much led by his bloody nose 😂 His chase instinct is huge, if he hears a noise he is straight after it trying to discover the source.

Show cockers are so much easier than their working companians 😂 And apparently getting a red male is a bad idea...mum took hers to the vet for a check up & the vet told her to take it back; apparently they're the devil in disguise 🙈

Probably neither as they weren’t great choices for first time dog owners, not at 16 & not at 19.

But I now have a 9 year old Weimaraner he’s an old boy now. And a 5 year old border collie. They were both hard work to train, but they are impeccably behaved now and I couldn’t imagine life without them.

Just realised it stopped mid sentence in my previous post

I meant to say they’re very low maintenance in terms of grooming. A quick once over now and then with a short bristled rubber brush is pretty much it for regular grooming. Even when they get absolutely filthy it’s only when they’ve rolled in something absolutely foul that anything more than a rinse with clean water is necessary to get them clean. They also dry really quickly and don’t smell doggy, even when wet.

I always thought a Rhodesian Ridgeback was a breed of dragon in Harry Potter

Live and learn!

Absolutely not. Italian Greyhounds. Filthy creatures who have the ability of cats to get anywhere and the stealing instincts of all sighthounds. But I do love them obviously.

I've loved and lost two female cairns, and I can say that they are completely adorable . Both affectionate and loving, slightly feisty but small enough to be picked up if necessary. Trainable and calm, but yappy if bored. I loved my girls and would definitely recommend to anyone. Don't expect them to be docile lapdogs though - they need lots of exciting sniffs and adventures and a tummy tickle or twenty.

Cornflake your pile of whippets is just gorgeous. Please keep us updated when number four arrives. Whippet puppies are lovely.

I do love that my whippet doesn’t bark around the house. Sometimes it can be weeks between barks at home Very much useless as a guard dog but tnat’s not why I got him.

Friendlyflicka - have you found it hard to house train your Iggies?

We've had 3 cairn terriers - all fabulous. Energetic, loving, loyal, hardy little dogs.

They've all been well loved members of the family.

I have 4 shih tzus and they do fit the breeds stereotype though they do all have their own unique things about them. I would 100% own more, they are funny, quirky little dogs and all very loving. They can however be noisy as they are very alert vigilant dogs. They can also be very stubborn - I call it shih tzu deafness, they know exactly what im saying but pretend they can't hear - they all understand the word treat without issue though!

I would recommend them to people but tell them although they don't require a huge amount of exercise they still like a good run, training must be consistent because of their stubbornness and grooming is very important. I keep 3 of mine in full coat so they are brushed everyday and frequently washed but even if they are clipped short they must go the groomer regularly.

I had a Shih Tzu a few years back 😍😍 awesome dogs. How on earth do you cope with them in full coat 😱 Mine was clipped ridiculously short because he kept getting tangled up in bushes 😂

Dapplegrey, Yes but I actually have a little room for them with a stone floor and have put down paper. They are ok in the summer but are paper trained for the cold wet weather because it was a losing battle. They are total sweethearts, both rehomed as adults because they had had sad starts in life, and stunningly beautiful and cuddly. Just wouldn't recommend them unless you have a set up that can accommodate their foibles quite easily. They have trained me rather than the other way round, but I think my children did that too!

Ahh mustbe they are fab dogs :). I'm so used to their coats it doesn't feel like it takes a lot of work but if I added up how many hours a week I spend on them it's probably a fair bit, I tend to brush them in the evening as I watch tv and wash them every 10 to 14 days. They also visit the groomer once a month as they get a clarifying wash. They do get sticks and leaves stuck them quite frequently but it's not too bad.

One of my boys :)

Working cocker. Very clingy and constantly looking for attention. Needs a good couple of walks per day. Very loving but also sleeps a lot.

Working springer... lives up to stereo type. Hyper, never settled, easy to train. Needs to work. Not for the faint hearted! I wouldn’t ever get another one!

We have a Staffie and I wouldn’t have any other breed. This is our third. They are so loving, have amazing empathy and want to please you. Also fun, playful, great companion for the kids. Ours were socialised early and are fine with other dogs, just want to play.

I have had many GSD and they have all been very similar. Devoted to the family, protective, brilliant with children and other family pets, love to whine about everything (the shepherd whine is something all GSD owners will be used too!) and stuck to me like glue. Mine even sit outside the toilet door as they need to know where I am all the time

They are prone to separation issues as they love their people so much and aren't always the best with strangers which can tip into aggression if you aren't careful. Mine like people but they are not interested in pleasing anyone but me which makes them easy to train. They are not the type of dogs to go running strangers for cuddles but are really affectionate at home with all of us including children!

I would recommend them to someone who wants a lifestyle not a dog, who dosent mind hair and mud and who isn't bothered by the rude comments and constant "in 1999 I was savaged by a alsation and then my grannies yorkie got eaten by one" type comments you will inevitably get.

Flicka I'm sorry yours had sad starts in life, but how wonderful they've got a good home with you.
We love ours - she is the sweetest, brightest, most affectionate dog we've ever known, but we've really given up with trying to housetrain her. It's a nuisance as we can't take her with us to stay with relations - luckily there's a lovely lady in the village who has her when we are away - but everything else about her is wonderful.

We have a Staffy too.

Doesn’t fit either mainstream stereotype IMO.

Loyal, but not affectionate. Absolutely fabulous with kids.
Doesn’t take against all dogs.
Very susceptible to bad weather and fireworks bless him.
Enjoys exercise but doesn’t need it the way some other dogs do.

I would recommend the breed to anyone who doesn’t want to hoover up dog hair every day or pay big vets bills for genetic diseases.

I have a yellow lab and yes, I would recommend that breed a hundred times over! He is brilliant.

Dapplegrey. They are lovely. One of ours could be a professional lap dog. The other is incredibly bouncy - tigger like. But they really really don't like getting their feet cold or wet, do they?

sleepfortheweek That is hilarious! The sleeping position is bonkers!

I have two mongrels, one is American Bulldog x Collie and one is Rottie x Belgian Mal, excpecting her to be a handful as she grows!
My Am Bul is such a big cuddly wimp, always wants cuddles. The Rottie x not so much.

I've got a Nova Scotia duck tolling retriever (toller) and I would never get another breed now. He's the best dog I've ever had. Easy to train, loyal, a great family dog. He's the glue in our family. I love how he gets all huffy if his day doesn't go to plan. He's a master sulker, stubborn and can be very determined to get his own way sleep on the bed. Even with his sulks he's so dependable, well trained and calm in the house. He's stopped us from being burgled twice but to look at you'd never think he was a guard dog.