f13.net

So my wife and kids want a pet(s) as we move into our new home. We are buying 11 acres in the country and the home already has a nice concrete custom kennel of sorts built onto the land, so thats a plus for the outdoor dog.

But my wife and kids also want an indoor pet (presumably a cat and/or a dog so no fish or birds).

Now I love pets (prefer dogs) but absolutely HATE pet odors and hair shedding on furniture and clothes. That being said, my indoor pet criteria are:

1. Smaller
2. Little to no shedding
3. Easily trainable
4. Prefer lazy as hell (no hyper active dogs)

Any dogs out there that meet this criteria? I am no expert obviously, but was thinking a smaller bulldog. Opinions, experience, recommendations?

Thank you.

You could always get one of these, if you have problems with cat hair.

(http://sphynxowners.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/sphynxface.jpg)

I was playing with Hunch and when I asked it what sort of dog I should get it recommended a couple of breeds I liked and one I'd never heard of, the mastweiler, which I also liked.

http://www.hunch.com/

And 4 means you want a really big dog. Big=low energy usually.

 :ye_gods:

I said dog or cat... not rat!

I would rather have a pet rock.

If you live in a moderate to warm climate, getting a Malamute means a lazy dog.

All dogs need exercise, or they develop behavior and/or health problems. If you are a lazy person that can't commit to exercise (preferring a "lazy dog" implies this, I'm not just being an asshole), then adopt an older dog.

Anteaters make pretty good pets apparently (http://taqmanduagirl.blogspot.com/). Although obtaining and maintaining one is probably going to be both difficult and expensive.

I had a neighbour who adopted a pair of retired Greyhounds which we looked after for him while he was away a couple of times. They are generally remarkably docile, and for such athletic dogs they don't require masses of exercise. They just sprint around for a bit and then knacker themselves out; so aside from their daily 20 min sprint they spend most of the time dozing around the place. They are also short-haired which suits your criteria; and there's no shortage of ex-racing greyhounds who are in dire need of adoption. Some people think they look strange, but I really like them myself. Once I get a place with a garden I'll definitely be looking to adopt one myself.

(http://www.filedump.net/dumped/greyhound03a1246467094.jpg)

Generally whatever you go for I would commend adopting an animal over buying one, although I am not sure who runs shelters and such in the US.

Dang sounds awesome!  I wish I had time for a dog.  We had a Rough Collie growing up, he was a great gentle dog until he got arthritis and tried to eat kids who messed with him, lived 16 years!  A Beagle is another dog we had that we all loved, she was great, loved everyone, and was smart, she would follow the deliver trucks and get free treats at all the neighborhood stops (the UPS guy put it together one day and said, "dang she has been at all my stops and got a treat at each one!").  I used to dog sit my friends Corgi (Pembroke Welsh Corgi) and he was as mellow as all get up, would love to play, but would also just chill when we went inside.  French Bulldogs are supposed to be the easy going dogs.

I've only been bitten three times while working the field as a paramedic, a Chihuahua, a Pomeranian, and damn dust mop of a dawg Shih Tzu, they all clamped on my boot and had to have the owner take and remove them from my feet and lock them up.

French or English Bulldogs might be good for you all, they tend to poop out pretty quick after a bit of play.

No shortage of older dogs to adpot.

http://www.petfinder.com/

If you want it to be indoors, please dont get a dog. Cats can be very good indoor pets, and with proper care and the right breed they wont shed that much at all. The only problem is the litterbox oder, but with the right litter and regular changing its really not a problem.

The only thing with cats is you never really know what type of personality they are going to have. I have 2 cats, they where both brought up identically, and one is very skittish, while the other one thinks he is a dog.

You completely misread my "lazy" comment. I actually walk everyone morning with my wife and run in the evening. My point was to illustrate I want a calm dog (calm being a better word I know). I do not want a hyper active dog that jumps around, on people and gets all crazy. I want a dog that is calm, will lie at my feet and generally be more docile.

My primary suggestion is to adopt a pet that is less intelligent than you are.

Trainable and lazy woudl suggest a dog lower on the intelligence scale.  

I'd suggest a bulldog or a dachsund.

Guess we are back to the pet rock then.

 :rimshot:

LOL way to be an asshole with even the most benign of posts! +1

I'm aiming for a gold star.

Your best bet is to get a dog if you have that much space. It'll keep the kids busy and the dog will definitely tire itself out. I love my cat, but he's lazy and not much of a pet, as is with most cats. Hit up a shelter/rescue and see which dog you like best. As for shedding, the best control is a dog that knows where they can/can't go. Don't want hair on the couch? Don't let the dog on it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basenji (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basenji)

It pretty much has all the traits your family is looking for.

For those of you without dogs, you cant post since YOU DONT KNOW!
(sorry I had to make a joking reference to our old parent thread)

Anyway I would suggest either a Vizsla or a Weimaraner.
Both need exercise, as they were originally breed as field hunting dogs, but are calm and not easily excitable.
They are also short hair and if brushed every couple of days or so dont shed much.
They are generally good around people, children and other dogs if socialized properly.

Biggest suggestions or things to think about before doing this-
A) You MUST be willing to take your dog to puppy or doggy training classes. To get them socialized with other dogs and teach them manners. If you arent willing or dont have the time to commit to proper training dont get a dog.
B) You MUST be willing to sped time with (playing) and exercising your dog daily, if you dont and they develop bad habits (they use negative behavior in an attempt to gain attention just like children will) then dont blame the dog when it misbehaves....also dont get a dog in the first place if you cant commit to the time.

I find that beating a dog's ass is a great way to teach them manners.  YMMV.

This is what I was saying.

As a non-dog owner, though, I'd like to chime in a request that you also respect your neighbors and your city's leash laws and KEEP YOUR DOG LEASHED ON PUBLIC SIDEWALKS. My cats have been chased into our back yard, up trees, more times than I can count by dogs that people either don't leash at all or unleash a block away (we live next to a park). When you confront them about it, they get all pissy like you're just being an asshole.

I've also known two people who had to have cats euthanized (at expensive emergency pet hospitals) after off-leash dogs disemboweled them.

Non-shedding dogs, off the top of my head:

poodle
schnauzer
bichon frise
Portuguese water dog

There are several others I'm sure. Poodle mixes usually don't shed. Of these the calmest dog would probably be the bichon, the other 3 breeds are pretty high energy (poodles and the PWD) or have a tendency to bark a lot (schnauzers). Bichons are totally sweet, friendly little dogs. Not very manly if you care about that though I guess.

I recommend going to down to your local shelter and adopting yourself a Komodo Dragon.  Sure, they're a little exotic, but let me espouse the not so obvious benefits of owning one:

- They absolutely adore kids.  Especially around dinner time.
- If you buy a Komodo Dragon pup, what a wonderful opportunity to build up your defenses against flesh eating bacteria and disease!
- Your dragon will definitely be top dog on the block.
- You could have your own reality TV program.  Think "John & Kate plus prehistoric maneating monster".  Ratings juggernaut.
- You could buy a funny sign that says "Beware of Komodo Dragon" and it would actually be true!
- Your house will never, ever get toilet papered.
- It's longer than your damn car!

Your probably convinced by now that having your very own Komodo Dragon is just the thing for you and your family.  Just make sure you're ready for the commitment.  These are highly intelligent creatures that require all of your love and attention to thrive outside of their natural habitat, and we've seen far too many cases of Komodo Dragon neglect that lead to these gentle giants needing to be destroyed.

It was recently found that it is not bacteria but a slow-acting poison which prevents coagulation that they use.

The benefits of this is that f you ever develop clotting problems or have an aneurysm, you can have Fido bite you a few times.

I know, but that just doesn't sound quite as exciting.

11 acres sounds like your dog could have loads of exercise without you, anyway.  My sister put up one of those invisible fences which worked out great.  Greyhounds are a really nice choice, I think.  I have a friend who also rescues them - they are so abused in areas that have dog racing.  A lot of people who race dogs tend to neglect or abandon them once they can't race anymore, too.  Evidently it's true that they don't need a whole lot of exercise to stay healthy and are happiest just loafing around.  I've heard they're not good candidates for invisible fences, though, because they can sprint at phenomenal speeds.  Every single greyhound I've met has been sweet, friendly and calm, too.  Regardless of what you choose - cat, dog, rock, komodo dragon, whatever - if you rescue it, I'll say really nice things about you behind your back.

Sounds like you want a pair of rats. They fit all the criteria listed perfectly!

Mice!  I love mice.  When I lived in Taos, I used to find these little teeny weeny mice in my ski boots sometimes.  I would shake out my boots every morning, just in case.  They would just sit in my hand, all curled up, being adorable.  I lived so far up in the mountains that most things weren't very afraid.  Gray Jays used to steal food right out of my hands!  Now I'm old and grumpy and everything runs away.   

Dachsunds often have really bad tempers, though. I've known a bunch and even in households that were very attentive to dogs and good trainers (had other dogs that were nice) the dachsunds are frequently mean little sonafbitches.

My recommendation would be a Boston Terrier. They're good with kids, they're not 'true' terriers so they don't tend to have the neuroses of a lot of other terrier breeds, they're small, they don't shed, they're easily trained, and they'll take their exercise wherever they can get it. (They still need it, but they're not a breed that's constantly jonesing for more and more outside stuff.)

Only downside, as with many short-nosed breeds, is that they have a tendency towards flatulence. Bulldogs, boxers, etc., have the same issue. You can control it some with diet.

Too bad about the shedding, otherwise I would've suggested one of the bigger breeds of rabbit, like a french lop.  :awesome_for_real:

(http://www.gotpetsonline.com/pictures-gallery/small-animal-pictures-breeders-babies/french-lop-pictures-breeders-babies/pictures/french-lop-0023.jpg)


Between the various dogs with "bulldog" in the name, I would suggest the French bulldog. They're ridiculously friendly and I believe they don't have nearly as many health issues as English bulldogs.

I looked into them and everything I read says they have serious spine and hip issues due to being basically a dwarf and also allergies due to the shape of their nose. The latter I think effects all bulldogs, pugs and the like, though.

Blue Heeler

Not too big, incredibly smart, and they don't shed.

Dog's should not be specifically indoor or outdoor. If you are not going to commit to giving the dog both, don't get a dog.

They have less (English bulldogs have, like, every health issue in the world), but not "none."

Adopt a 1yr old shorthair cat from your local shelter.  Little training, little shedding, a year's worth of crazy till the bugger settles down.  It'll be fun, just make sure it's spayed/neutered and don't declaw. 

There are some breeds that are stupid and spazzy no matter what you do, but with a trainable breed like my border collie/australian sheperd mix the leash is a non-factor.  Although, I have no doubt she would attack a person or animal that threatened the family.  I think she believes we're her herd of cows :P

Yeah, we have one neighbor in particular whose black lab, Luna, is completely mellow around cats and as long as she has her pink ball in her mouth is perfectly content. She will still try to walk into our house if the door is open, though. The only solution we could find to the off-leash dog problem is to have a fence built around the unfenced side of our house. This is an expense we really wish we didn't have to deal with, but I'm tired of finding dog crap and damage to my property (our next door neighbor's dog snuck into our yard and pulled my pig skull off the porch and ate it) when I don't even own a fucking dog.

...that's kind of an indirect problem with being a cat owner (if your cats are indoor/outdoor) - not only to you have to clean up after your own pets, but your cats attract other people's pets. Every male cat in the neighborhood hangs out in our yard, marking with urine and vying for position on the social ladder, which in turn makes our cats more aggressive. Plus the dog chasing thing. And we still have a rat and squirrel problem. That Komodo dragon is sounding better all the time.

For the lazy pet owner, who wants a real pet (ie: not fish or a hamster), a cat is the easiest. Super easy, especially if you get one already grown out of the kitten phase a bit. But even the kitten phase isn't a big deal.

Our dog rarely actually craps in our yard; she almost always does it on her morning walk--but oddly enough, I used to to still have heaps of dogshit in my back yard all the time.   I always figured it was strays, until I caught the neighbor in the rental behind our property deliberately sending his mutt into our yard to take a shit when he thought we weren't home.  Lazy fucker. 

Yeah, they're leaps and bounds easier than dogs, since they are extremely unlikely to come NOT knowing how to use the litterbox, etc.

I'm biased, I guess....my opinions are shaped from being raised in a family of veterinarians and working as a vet. tech all through high school and undergrad school, as well volunteering at local humane societies.  So I have some general opinions about various breeds of dogs and their suitability as family pets which I hope are informed by experience, but we all do have our blind spots.

Someone recommended a bulldog or dachshund...no, no, no.  These are both great dogs, but they are VERY stubborn breeds, so your 'easy to train' requirement would go right out the window.  Someone else recommended a Malamute...but they are not always the best with kids, and if I recall, you didn't want a shedder.  Malamutes shed in huge quantities =P.

There are quite a few breeds that would meet your requirements, but when all is said and done I'd agree with the recommendation another poster made:  Go with a retired racing greyhound.

They're very clean and quiet, almost catlike.  They are TOTAL couch potatoes.  They're typically a bright dog, and respond very well to training. The rescue organizations that work specifically with retired racers will screen them for temperament to be sure they're OK with kids or other animals if you need to be sure about that (greyhounds in general are kid-safe, but it's always good to screen to be sure you don't end up with an unhappy exception to that rule).

I have a hard time with the dog intelligence score thing.  I've had both a Rough Collie and a Beagle, they do things differently, just like owners of Bloodhounds vs Belgian Malinois for tracking and police work, you get the dog that has the right temperament and conditioning.  The dog Intel guys think that the hounds are dumb, because they like to get on a scent and won't let up...hello! that is what they are made to do, you can't make a hound into a cattle dog or get it to attack like some of the other working dogs.

Hounds have it hard to train because of the over stimulation from the sights, sounds, and smells that we don't get, to them the world is one cool place to run crazy and get treats.  Chances are you can find a beagle or beagle mix at the shelter or find someone who has pups that don't have papers and get them for a decent price.

I do agree with the retired racing greyhound idea...our friends have them, and they're exactly as described. One caveat: they cannot *ever* be let off leash in an open space, cause they'll run and run and run. It's kind of weird...total couch potatoes, happy inside, quite calm on walks, but off-leash in a park and suddenly the racing training grabs hold of them.

From the area you described, you will need at least one cat to keep mice from eating your house and vehicle wiring.

I was just going to say this.  Greyhounds can't ever be left off leash, because they'll be gone.  My brother had 2 he's rescued and they were the most docile babies, but he gave them up again because he was working really long hours and it wasn't fair to the dogs to be left alone for so long.  Also remember, these aren't small dogs either. 

Personally, I'd never have a dog that could fit on my lap, but that's just me.  Anything that small isn't a real dog, IMO.  I'd have a cat if I thought my Golden would leave it alone and the husband let me.

Since someone else mentioned an electric fence and you're going to have plenty of room, just make sure the collar is either easy to put on/take off, or you can leave it on the dog all the time.  The second part is generally easier if it's a short coated dog though, since you don't have as much fur to account for in trying to get the prongs to the skin.  But since you want little shedding, it sounds like short coated is the choice.

As a lifelong dog owner and follower of leash laws, it doesn't fucking matter. The minute anyone who owns a dog steps an inch off their own property with the dog, they need to have it on a leash and a bag to pick up the crap. One, it's the law in most places. Two, I live across the street from a park and I can't count how many times people's friendly family dog that they let of the leash has bolted out of the park and into my property to start shit with my dog. Naturally, they act like I'm an overeating asshole for spraying their dog with the hose. I'm often tempted to just thank them for the new, free dog they delivered to my house and then tell them to fuck off while I take the dog inside, but that's likely to cause more problems than it's worth.

Yeah, lots and lots and lots of dog owners swear their precious little pookums is totally fine off-leash, but all it really takes is one time of it deciding to bolt for fun and get run over, get in a fight with another dog, etc. It's better for all involved to work the leash magic. It's not just for OTHER people, it's for the dog in question too.

If my sister had a dollar for every time her rough collie has gotten lunged at by a dog that "never did that before," she could probably buy another collie. Some dogs just don't like a particular dog and you won't know it until it's a problem. My sister's collie is apparently a dog that screams PLEASE KICK MY ASS. To be fair, he is the biggest wuss in the world, with exactly zero prey drive. He won't chase animals, although he will try to corner them in a sneaky way, and then sniff them. And that's that, he goes on his merry way.

LOL they have lazy mice where you live?

Three, go carve that into a 2x4, hammer some rusty nails into it, and cram it up your ass.  Sideways.

Strangely enough, the few people who ever complain about my dog not being on a leash are generally themselves doing something illegal or improper.  My favorite is the guy out on the local recreation path who whizzes by on his racing bike at ~30mph (15mph limit) without warning he's passing on the left (officially mandatory, or at least polite, especially when you're speeding) and screams in passing that the dog needs to be on a leash.  Frankly, he's more of a danger than my pet; he's real hard to hear coming up from behind.

I can sympathize some on your second point; if someone's dog is not going to be on a leash it needs to be trained to leave shit alone unless told otherwise.  If they're coming over to "start shit" with your dog, though, I have to wonder whether your dog is helping to provoke it.

No one can control their dog 100% of the time.  That's why leash laws exist.  That and to protect children.  If you want your dog off a leash, go someplace where no one else is around.  

I do agree that the guy on the bike is a hazaard as well, it's just a separate issue.

Yeah.  Seriously.

I bet angry.dog is standing there going 'bark bark bark bark growl woof bark bark bark' which is loosely translated into 'yeah that's that's right, motherfucker, i called your mother a bitch!!! whatchoo gonna do about it, shiteater?'.

Can't control your kids 100% of the time either, but we let them run around without leashes.

Probably best I just stop commenting before the thread gets sent off to the "pound".  I will just state for the record that I disagree and will continue to disagree, and leave it at that.

Really? That's your counterargument? Kids aren't on leashes so dogs shouldn't have to be on them either? Interesting.

Also, you can agree to disagree all you like, the law hasn't changed. Your dog is supposed to be on a leash. Put one on it and if you disagree with the law, we live in a  Democracy. Contact your congressman, write letters, etc .etc. In the meantime, put your fucking dog on a leash.

Fuck it then, the thread's off to the den.

The kids on leashes bit is only serious in that nobody fucking controls anything or anyone 100% of the time.  That's a given.  We give people the benefit of the doubt until they prove they're untrustworthy.  Why not for dogs?

I'm not "agreeing to disagree" or asking anyone else to do so.  I'm telling you that so long as my dog exhibits no behavior that would force me to leash her on walks, I'm not going to do it, so save your breath. (Or pixels, or whatthefuckever)  You might want to call the cops and let them know.  You know, the ones I frequently pass who don't give a shit, because the dog behaves as it should.

Speaking of kids, I've seen a few little shits get nipped by dogs because the children just would not leave the dog the fuck alone.  The best pet in the world won't take abuse forever.  Train your kids, people.

I was making a joke. My friend's Malamute basically just lays down with her belly on the floor from about May to September since she can't move in the warm weather.

I always feel bad for huskies and other cold climate dogs kept in warm places. They are fucking miserable most of the time. As for pets I say a friendly domesticated squirrel! Also, If my child was capable of escaping me and killing another child and or adult I would leash it. You are leashing the dog for other peoples comfort and safety. And since 99% of dog owners don't know jack shit about training their dog its a good rule of thumb.

Usually yelling "leash your fucking dog or I'm calling Animal Control" does the trick, and they start using a different entrance to the park, but I don't like the little neighbor kids seeing/hearing me use that kind of language. Our main problem now is when I'm out of town and Sauced has to confront a woman with an off-leash dog. They get way up in his face about it like, "what're you gonna do, huh asshole?" If I were home I'd beat the shit out of a bitch that tried that, and I'd call the cops on her dog. My husband is too nice.

Ill second the Blue Heeler recommendation.
I used to have one and they only shed for a few weeks of the year, are one of the smartest dogs around.
That being said they do require a lot of exercise , but with your property that should not be a problem.
 

If the dog is honestly being a problem, call animal control (or the cops, if they do double duty as AC in your town).  It's their responsibility to handle it, not yours; don't try to be "nice."

Unless it's endangering someone; then feel free to kill it, IMO.  I'm not a hypocrite; I would expect that to happen to my own dog if she were to harm someone outside of protecting my property & family.

Edit to add:  Before someone comments, no, I do not see simply being off the leash as "endangering" someone :P  I mean threatening or attempting to bite or some such.

Mate, I think it's time you just stopped. Go get some fresh air.

I don't take my own dogs off-leash, but I'm not necessarily bothered by someone who has if the place and context are ok, and the dog is highly trained. E.g., if I'm hiking in the woods, there's really very few people around, and I pass someone with a well-trained dog that's off-leash, I'll pull my own guys off to the side, let them pass, and it's fine. If someone lets a well-trained dog off-leash to go jump in a pond or creek in a remote area, fine. If it's a windy, rainy beach in November, I'm ok with an off-leash dog. Remote, quiet, wild places where a well-trained dog gets a special pleasure out of being able to roam a bit, sure.

I get nervous about any off-leash dog, no matter how well-trained, in a more crowded or social setting. I don't think it's a good idea regardless of training to have an off-leash dog in a crowded municipal park, for example. Or at a big social gathering.

See, the thing is, I have no way of knowing whether someone else's dog is well-trained. I've seen very placid, seemingly controlled dogs suddenly trigger off, regardless of what an owner tells me about the dog's training. So an off-leash dog is something that I have to keep my eye on if it's around me, my family or my dogs. If I'm in a park, hanging around, rather than moving on a hike or walk, then an off-leash dog hanging around the same area is something I have to constantly pay attention to, which detracts from the whole point of trying to be relaxed in a park. In that kind of more crowded, social and public context, insisting on having an off-leash dog is a kind of narcissism, a hijack of space that has to be shared with other people and purposes. It's not a big deal in that context to give up a bit of your (and the dog's pleasure) to leash the dog and assure other people that your dog is under your control.

Yeah, I should go take the dog for a walk  :grin:

The little dog my family had was attacked (while on leash, and got a punctured lung and some torn muscles) by an off-leash samoyed once when I was walking her, and I can guarantee she did nothing to provoke it. You off-leash people can seriously go fuck off. It doesn't matter how nice and friendly your dog "seems", or how nice it is to people or dogs that it knows, there's always a chance of these kind of things. Keep it on a fucking leash unless you're someplace that specifically allows it to go off like a dog park or something.

What's awesome is that there ARE "leashes" for children. My brother and youngest sister had 'em because they wouldn't stop wandering off and introducing themselves to random strangers.

I actually tried to talk my wife into a leash for our daughter when she was younger.  The dog will listen when I tell it something.  The kid?  Not so much sometimes :P

Again, it all depends on the dog.  Some can't be off a leash.  Never said that was the case.  Mine is perfectly fine in the middle of the crowded renaissance fair at the local park, and I want to growl at and bite some of the people there :P

OT:  I think I've got the ranting out of my system; it's found a new target in the mandatory migration of all our university's computers to Active Directory.  Except, I've already got ours on the AD.  And the handy tool the IT guys came up with to join computers to the AD and make other necessary changes to the system won't do any of those "other necessary changes" if the machine is already in the domain.  So I have to remove the computer and then run the tool to add it back in :P

My parents used them for me and my brother whenever they had to take us to a crowded public places (malls, dept. stores, etc.) as youngsters (2-5yrs old) otherwise we'd have nothing to stop us from running off and playing hide and seek in clothes racks and getting into all kinds of trouble.  Nowadays parents can put radio signal locator devices on their kids, makes me want to yell "Get off my lawn!".   :geezer:

We always kept our dogs on a leash when off our property. Still, sometimes your dog isn't safe in it's own yard - even when its the bigger dog.

We had female shepherd when I was a teen, and we had about a one acre lot. She had free run of the lot and was very good about staying in it. One day, whole family is outside, when a little terrier dog from the neighbour's yard decides to visit. Now there was a clear division between the yards marked by a tree line and a drainage ditch. We'd never really seen this little dog before, and all of a sudden it comes running in to the yard yipping away like only little rat dogs can...

Our shepherd, without missing a beat, jogs over to the yippy dog, picks it up by the scruff of the neck (like a dog would lift her pups), jogs over, and drops it on the far side of the ditch.

Well, holy shit did our bitch of a neighbour (the woman, not the dog) freak out. We ended up having to keep our dogs hidden in the house for a week, because the bitch called animal control on us... Her dog was fine, no blood, no injuries, just a little freaked out.

Basically the animal control officer told us, that while it was a ridiculous complaint, since it happened in our own yard - if they got a second complaint, they'd have no choice but to take our dog...

Turns out everything worked out - the neighbour was crazy and her husband divorced her about a month later, so we never saw her or the yippy dog again.

Nice setup with the first sentence, Bunk. Really sets the stage for what will surely be a tale of horror and/or tragedy.  :awesome_for_real:

All depends on the state.  Our dog about three years ago developed some serious agression issues when we had a baby and we placed him in a home where someone was going to work with him, hopefully so we could introduce him back into the household.  Well, less than a day after being there he bit this lady's neighbor and put her in the hospital for three days. 

They immediately dropped the dog off to us and we were told that we could not euthanize the dog for 14 days to ensure rabies didn't crop up.  Animal Control was very specific in saying that we did *not* have to euthanize the dog if we did not want to and they never once said they were going to pick the dog up. 

We did end up euthanizing him after the 14 days though. 

Hard as it may seem, that was the right thing to do, I think.

A) I cant take my dog to Farmer's Market down the street this year. One block from my house. On Saturday mornings. But no my dog cant come with me.
Why? Because some bitch (well at least one of the parties isnt a bitch and is actually a nice girl) let her little precious off leash and it attacked some other bitch's little precious. So now? No dogs period.

B) Why you should STILL be careful even in a remote wilderness setting if you are a fucking idiot and never bothered to get your dog properly trained?
Because your untrained dog (thanks to your laziness) is likely to do something like this:

(http://i395.photobucket.com/albums/pp38/douglas_davis/dog.jpg)

And then I will be even MORE restricted in which national parks or forests I can take my dog camping or hiking with me....thanks to your stupidity.

What happens when a dog and deer mate? Against the laws of nature?

Disclaimer: I don't know the issues, or what you tried, or anything; I'm just making a couple suggestions for anyone who's having a baby for the first time and has a dog.

While you're at the hospital with the new baby, have someone bring an article of the baby's clothing home, one that is carrying the child's scent as well as the parents.  The dog should be less surprised when it sees the new noisy offspring for the first time, having already smelled it and associated it's scent with the parents.

Also, dogs are pack animals and want to know their place in the social pecking order of the home.  It may growl or act aggressive towards the baby at some point; this is natural--it's trying to assert dominance over the newcomer.  It happened for us once our baby began to crawl around.  We gave ours a firm "No!" (dog, not the baby :P ), had it get flat on its back (this is submissive posture for dogs) and placed the baby over the dog's exposed neck (obviously, do not let it attempt to bite).  This tells it the baby is superior in the family pack.  We had to do this twice with the first child, and then it stopped.  We've had no issues at all with the second child.

Yeah, there were issues going on before we brought the baby home.  I had been snapped at twice and he had bitten my wife already.  We brought home the baby blanket and all that, but once he growled at the baby and I thought of him snapping at me, all I could see in my imagination was those teeth on my infant's skull.  So the dog had to go.  The dog wasn't right from the moment we brought him home. 

The irony:  It was a Golden Retriever, like the friendliest dogs around.  I got him from a breeder that asked way too little money ($400 for a $1200 dog) and then up and disappeared afterward.  Turns out there was a three-year long rash of bad breeding in our general area for Goldens.  When I called Golden Rescue they told me that they had lots of issues over the past few years with aggression.  Bittersweet experience for my first dog. 

The most mild mannered dog I've ever seen was an unwanted chocolate labrador retriever that sort of just got passed around until it ended up with my family.  While on a friend's farm it began retrieving ducklings and delivering them, alive and utterly unharmed, to said friend.  In general most retrievers and sheepdogs are pretty docile, due to the way they've been selectively breed.  Poodles, terriers and many other yippy little shits are often surprisingly bad this way, as traditionally they're breed for hunting small burrowing animals into their dens.

The poodle on my street growing up was known as the "cat killer", though AFAIK he never killed any of the cats on our street (the cats probably had some sort of nightly meeting where they initiated the newcomers and told them "stay the fuck away from that yard").

Some of the most well behaved dogs Ive known (outside of extremely well trained hunting dogs) have been pit bull/mastiffs. I've been attacked by dogs on two occasions. First time me and my little sister were waiting at the bus stop I was in 2nd grade she was in first. Neighbors golden retriever comes out of nowhere at full speed and knocks my sister over and starts going nuts on her. Somehow I got her away from it and ran into a strangers house as cujo harried me. Think I had to receive 50 something stitches spread between 3 bites. But my sister was my eternal servant from that point onward.

Second time I was 10ish riding a bike through a wooded trail that wove behind some houses. Hear a dog going apeshit i cant see through the bushes, hear a loud SNAP (apparently when it broke its chain) and see the bushes rustling towards me like a torpedo is about to strike. Knocks me off my bike and I play dead while it has a paw on either side of my head growling. I was paralyzed with fear, my uncle who was a bit in front of me turns around and thinks im dead picks me up and saves me. I literally could not speak for like 30 minutes after that. People shouldn't be allowed to own dogs without first taking a class on how to raise the fucking things.

French Bulldog
Boston Terrier
Pug

All have great personalities and are cute in an ugly sort of way. The Pug especially is an excellent lap dog. The bulldog and boston terrier aren't the laziest breeds, but are small enough to be easily handled.

For something more exotic, check out an Olde English Bulldogge. They are a re-creation of the english bulldog of the 19th century, bred to be a little more athletic and less problematic health-wise than the modern English Bulldog (think UGA, mascot of the University of GA). Still of medium size, still lazyish, but still a awesome pet and capable defender if needed.

Olde English Bulldogge (http://images.google.com/images?q=olde+english+bulldogge&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=kOZNSt1LypW2B5yY1LEE&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=4)

I'm honest to god not trying to be a jerk here, but I am compelled to repeat that Bulldogs are notoriously stubborn and difficult to train, though they have great heart and spirit, and I love 'em in spite of their stubborn streak. 

Both Pugs and French Bulldogs are easier to work with and generally have really vibrant and funny personalities.  They're also a good fit for your other 'most desired' categories: No big deal with shedding, couch potatoes, and easy to train. 

The problem with Frenchies is that they tend to be EXPENSIVE if purchased directly from breeders (I'm talking hundreds of dollars to over $1,000 even for 'pet quality' puppies).  The rescue organizations working with them require an extensive application processes and you're put on a waiting list.  Pugs are easier to obtain from breeders or rescue organizations, and are a wonderful dog...just be sure you check into the family background for any history of eye or skin problems.

Pugs, Bostons and French bulldogs = easy to train. Bostons especially.

English bulldogs = very hard to train, stubborn.

Bassetts and beagles = even harder to train, stubborn as all hell.

Any pets that are compatible with a single household? I always wanted cats or a dog but with 50 hour work weeks and a tiny 50 m^2 (540 square feet) appartment I never dared to buy one or the other.

Are you a hunter or a warlock?

Ok, I have to tell this crazy story about what happened today.  My post last week about our golden that we had to put down had me thinking about him over this weekend.  I hadn't thought about him in the last year or so, just kinda missing him and wishing that it had gone better than it did. 

This morning, my wife goes for a run and at the end of it (a street over from our house) a golden puppy is loose in our division and starts following her.  She stops; nobody is around.  No tags, but the dog is well groomed and has a nice collar on him.  This dog is beautiful and very well taken care of.  After waiting for five minutes to see if someone is going to get him, she gives up and he follows her home.  He runs right into the house, comes up to me and sits, just looking at me.  WTF.

So we call my best friend's wife because she works for the humane society here.  She takes the dog up to see if he's microchipped, but he's not.  So she brings him back to us and we decide that we'll keep him until his owners come to get him.  About 3 hours later, my friend's wife finds the owners and they come over to get him. 

The guy explains that they just moved into the neighborhood three days ago because he was stationed here in the Army.  After chit-chatting a bit I told him that he's got a beautiful dog and if someone wasn't going to claim him that we were going to keep him.  Then.... he tells me that his wife and he are considering getting rid of the dog because they simply don't have the time to devote to it because they have really young kids and other small dogs.  Instead of taking the dog with him, he tells me to keep the dog for the night and see how he does with our other dog and family.  WTF. 

In the evening, he and his wife stop by and tell us that the dog is ours if we promise to take good care of him.  Seems as if they got themselves over their heads a bit with their other responsibilities and didn't have the time to devote that the dog deserves.  We walk back over to his house and he gives us the bed, brushes, food, leashes, collars and other odds and ends.  He's already been through puppy kindergarten, he's neutered and up to date on vaccines.  All his AKC papers are there, too.  As in, this dog comes from a breeder who has five generations of champions.  His mother is a therapy dog and this dog has the same disposition. 

To top it off, they never asked for anything in return.  They spent well over $2000 between breeder, neuter and supplies, I'm positive. 

I wish I were making this up, because it sounds like some chicken soup for the soul bullshit.  But I swear it's true.  Chipper is sleeping right next to me now.  Pics inc soon.

WTF.

Yay!  :-)

What a nice story to read over breakfast. Congratulations man.

Definitely a WTF story, but awesome that you now have a new Golden.  YAY!

And pics are definitely required now. :D

That is an awesome story!  :grin:

many congratulations!

What a nice thing to happen!   :heart:  Good luck with the new pup.

Great story.  Here's hoping that this is just happy good luck, and not karma coming to even the score.

First pic is of the pup, Chipper.  Second is Chipper (6 months old) and our German Shepard named Gretel (8 months old). 

(http://files.getdropbox.com/u/201105/IMG_250-2%20%28Small%29.JPG)

(http://files.getdropbox.com/u/201105/IMG_0251-2%20%28Small%29.JPG)

I'm a cat person, but those pics make me envious.

Cats are great in that situation (used to be there myself) but I'd suggest adopting a pair of cats so they have company. Itty kittens are fun but need lots of attention upfront (and training, unless you don't mind them getting up on EVERYTHING), so you might be better off getting a couple youngsters that are 6 months old or so.

(http://www.sherv.net/cm/emo/sad/cry-blow.gif)

Random dogs off a leash that run right the fuck up to me risk getting kicked in their fucking heads. I was attacked by an off-leash German Shepherd when I was riding my bike as a kid on a local road. Similarly, a friend of mine had her cat killed by some random cunt's off-leash dog jumping her low front fence attacking it who went on his way (in front of her) with a "sorry mate". So both off-leash dogs and their owners can go fuck themselves - if they come near me and the owner can't get them back after a "get your fucking dog under control" they get fucking kicked.

Siberian Husky

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXo3NFqkaRM

In Husky, however, she's saying,"Please save me from these morons"

Huskies aren't pets. They are working animals and it would be extremely cruel to keep them as single pet dogs.

If you plan on taking your pack of 6 to 10 siberian huskies as sled dogs to the north pole or to win the great alaskan dog sled race then go ahead, otherwise buy a different breed of dog.

The same goes for border collies or other kinds of working dogs. You wouldn't keep a horse or a cow as a pet in your living room either.

Almost all breeds were bred to be working dogs. Even little lap dogs were for eradicating vermin. And every breed is hardwired for social order - the wolf hasn't been bred out of them yet. To be fair, no one with less than a quarter acre should have a dog (nothing bigger than a dachsund, anyway), imo.

Yeah but there is a difference between the breeds. A Husky behaves like a 7 year old with ADD on a sugar high when you don't work with them regularly.

A couple of the really big breeds (Newfoundlands for example) actually do really well as apartment dogs. They're not boisterous in the least so the lack of space doesn't bother them or the owner really. At least, that is what the Newfie breeders tell me every year at the GGKC show.

I really, REALLY want a Newfie, but won't until I'm sorted out house+yard wise. I've heard the same thing about apartments with them, but I'd much rather the dog have plenty of space, and I'm pretty sure a Newfie could coat an entire apartment with drool in a single head shake.

I think those breeders are just trying to sell you a dog.  :-P  In my experience, having lived with a few of them, Newfoundlands are plenty boisterous, at least for the first few years.

They're also sufficiently massive that even when they get old enough to remain stationary most of the day, in an apartment you'd be climbing over them constantly.  I don't think any of the apartments I've lived in would contain even a relatively inert Newfie.

Nah, they weren't trying to sell us on a dog, otherwise they wouldn't have also stressed how fucking messy they are. Our apartment would hold a newfie fine, it's a pretty nice size. But! I would want it to have a place to swim (because apparently I would want the Newfie to be EXTRA MESSY) and we've no place like that.

Also, Huskies don't need 7 other dogs to be sane, just one. More is better I'm sure, but they really aren't bad as pets as long as you're aware they are PACK dogs in BIG CAPITAL LETTERS. Not unlike beagles, really. Just bigger. :P

Well, pug or a greyhound seem like obvious choices, but I'd suggest you reevaluate you criteria, as whatever you get, you'll be stuck with it for a decade or so.  Moreover, with 11 acres and children to keep it busy, it doesn't seem like you really need that lazy of a pet, and hell, you might even decide you want a dog that interacts with you in a way more meaningful than napping in your lap every once in a while. 

With your set up, something like a Weimaraner seems pretty awesome.  However, if you are truly lazy/busy and have absolutely no faith in your children/wife to help with the dog, that would not be a good choice.  Perhaps a Labradoodle (anyone know much about these)? 

Your pet is going to be the newest addition to the family so get something awesome.  If you really want a smaller/lazy pet get a greyhound or a pug (I vote greyhound), but make sure that's what you want. 

Honestly, with that much land AND children, I would totally get an Irish setter. They're not as dumb as some people think they are and they are fucking wonderful with kids. They also loooooooove to ruuuuuuuuun a loooooooot. They are kinda excitable, but not in a crackdog way. Just in a HOORAY I AM MEETING A NEW PERSON WOOT way.

Maybe a gordon setter, they're supposedly more mellow, although they're also needier in the sense that they get upset when they aren't with their people. Apparently they're also not as nice to strangers. Not mean, but apparently you could take a friend's Irish setter hunting and it would be perfectly happy, where a gordon setter gets all "fuck you, you're not the boss of me."

HI I LIKE SETTERS