I’ve been around labs, english sheep dogs, all kinds of terriers, dachsunds, mastiffs, chows, german shephards, you name it, I’ve either grown up with or spent serious time with just about every dog there is.
I WILL NEVER OWN ANOTHER DOG THAN A PITBULL. By far the most loyal, loving, caring and silly dogs I’ve ever been around. The personality these dogs have is amazing. Second would be the english hseep dogs. I enclosed a pic of my male Gus sitting on my female Penny.
I agree with the others that your choice of dog to get should be more based on your needs/wants for the animal and also the time that you have to invest.
That being said I must agree with what was already posted in that pit bulls are the most loyal dogs on the planet. Remi and Rogue who I have attached a pic of are now both just over 5 years old. They are like kids to my fiance and I.
See Ya
[quote]mclemorejohn wrote:
Hello all,
I was wondering if anyone had any good reccomendations on what kind of dog is the best. I would love to get a new pal and am undecided on what to get. I love boxers and was just wondering if anyone had any suggestions.[/quote]
Go with the boxer! boxers probably have the most colorful personalities of any breed on the plantet. they jump real high too
If you ahve the money and the space, and Irish Wolfhound. We had one, and have met many, and they ahve the msot amazing tempraments and for their immense size they are so friendly.
I was devastaded when he dided though, they do not live long, due to their size. But certainly a huge part of your life if you get one, well worth it
It all depends on what you want the dog for. IMO, all the following dogs are great family dogs and very loyal and can be divided into two groups:
Any mastiff, rottweiler, GS, belgian malinois, dobermann, akita
Pit bulls terrier, english bull terriers, patterdale terriers
1 = great guardians, imposing appearance, likely health problems (esp. hips)
2 = very athletic, not such great guardians (too people friendly), high dog aggression
If you’ve got the time, effort and knowledge to raise a sound pit bull, then I’d say go for it, otherwise maybe go for a rottweiler.
You should check out the neopolitan mastiff/pit bull crosses - they’re pretty amazing. Best of both worlds.
Don’t worry about the breed specific legislation crap - it’ll never work. They “banned” pits in 1991 here in the UK, but I could walk out of my door now and find a handful within 10 minutes.
Plus even if they did exterminate every single currently living pit bull, someone could just create one again…they are purpose-bred mongrels. Mastiff/bullbreed + game bred terrier = pit bull.
Boxers are great dogs. They are active and athletic, and need daily exercise. They love to jump, and have an amazing vertical range. They are social, smart and easy to train, if you are a dominant owner. (They have to think that YOU are the alpha dog) They are easy to groom with their short fur, although they do shed somewhat. They drool a bit, though, and their farts can clear a room. (Good or bad, depending on the company)
How can you resist this face?
Don’t know enough about your living conditions to make a good judgment, but I can tell you a breed to avoid unless you have a LOT of room, and that is a Rhodesian Ridgeback.
I have one, she’s incredibly intelligent, and I love her to death, BUT she is hyper as hell. That dog will go ALL DAY LONG, no joke. They need a lot of room to run and roam. They are also notorious “counter vacuums” if you don’t keep a close eye on them.
That being said, they are extremely smart, very loyal to the family, and very short haired, which I personally prefer. Just be aware that you have to work with them a lot if you choose one.
I have a purebred bullmastiff. Friendly, loyal, beautiful personality and temperament.
They are stubborn but if you spend the appropriate time training them then they are no problem.
Drool can be an issue occasionally but I just think adds to their charm !!
I’m going to second everyone who has commende the Boxer to you thus far. They are loyal dogs with extremely goofy character traits. After they get out of their first year or two, they can be extremely gentle and well-behaved.
All in all, they are relatively low maintanence in terms of shedding/drooling and the like. Unfortunately, they are short lived due to genetic issues and past 8 have lots of problems with arthritis/cancer. Both of mine have had significant health problems.
I had to put the boxer I grew up with down last christmas, it was terrible.
So, to qualify my previous statement–get a mixed. Mixed breeds usually live longer and often have no disadvantages. If you get a boxer, you will fall in love with it and in 8-12 years it will die.
I guess the same is true of any dog, but boxers seem markedly short-lived.
i had a rottweiler
you have to be very careful how you raise them, and always make sure they know their place in the pack
however she was an amazing companion, excellent guard dog, and sprint intervals training buddy.
she was great with kids, but would be a little over protective, so you had to be aware around potentially agressive people if you had the kids with you,
one thing to note is that other people think you are a nutter for having a big potentially dangerous dog.
[quote]LillGuy001 wrote:
I agree with the others that your choice of dog to get should be more based on your needs/wants for the animal and also the time that you have to invest.
That being said I must agree with what was already posted in that pit bulls are the most loyal dogs on the planet. Remi and Rogue who I have attached a pic of are now both just over 5 years old. They are like kids to my fiance and I.
See Ya[/quote]
OMG! What pretty dogs! We have a red nose pit named Killer. He’s the best dog ever! I was reluctant because they have such a bad rap but my husband really wanted one. He’s a big baby but if anyone comes near our house… he sounds like he’ll rip their legs off.
And we have a Pomeranian. Probably not the most manly dog but fun, cuddly, loyal and SMART. Of course, since I"m a girl, I can get away with having such a posh dog 
As an owner of Staffs and having grown up with English bulldogs, I can state with a lot of confidence that a bully breed is typically not a good starter dog.
They are gentle, loyal, etc. but they are also a lot of dog, have strong will and prey drive and need to be well socialized, obedient have a large fenced in yard to run around in and never allowed to run at large because of general public sentiment.
The reality of things is that all dogs require what I described but with pits, staffs, mastiffs, etc. it is an absolute necessity.
What I am trying to say is that they are a big responsibility and if this is your first dog you would probably be better off cutting your teeth with something else.
That link has all different breeds of dogs and what they’re like.
It helps to research your breed thoroughly before picking what you want. Don’t base your decision on “looks” of a dog. Decide what would fit your lifestyle.
If you are away at work all day and don’t get home till late. You would have to leave the dog home alone all day and boxers are super high energy dogs. They want to be around people as much as they can. They would not be happy in a home alone type situation.
Give it serious thought. Also, there are tons of dogs available through rescue associations. That’s where I got my Bull Terrier I have now. They take a little more patience and work but, they are so worth it.
Also, look into Positive Training techniques. I have gotten so much farther with with POS training with this dog, she’s completely different than when I got her 6 months ago.
Me and my fiancee desperately want a Newfoundland just doesn’t fit in my life at the moment.
Does anybody here have a doberman? I love those dogs and always wanted one. Any advice would be appreciated.
boxer
I have a Glen of Imaal terrier and he’s THE MAN.
My mom was never a dog person, but my family went on vacation to vermont one time and my mom went shopping with my friends mom and came back with my dog, mulligan. She bought him from a breeder on the spot and it was one of the best decisions she’s ever made.
He’s a great guard dog, but will also sit with a smile on his face while a two year old pets him. I swear he’s human, and is extremely obedient, loyal, and in any mood you want him when you want him. He loves other dogs, but he is a hunting dog so be careful if you have any friends who own ferrets haha.
He’s got hair, so he wont shed all over the place, and suffices with getting his hair cut every 6-8 weeks or so.
He’s a very rare breed and not many people have heard of them since they werent bred in the US until around the 80’s, so he’ll attract plenty of attention from people. Another family on my town bought one because they met mulligan.
Check them out- they’re awesome dogs.
[quote]redzthredz wrote:
I have a black lab mix. Love him to pieces, he’s pure black and I call him Thor. I’ve trained him to start barking when I raise my arms in the air and yell, " THOR! - DOG OF THUNDER!!!" Oh well, my kids think it’s kind of cool. But the hair! dude! The hair is friggin killing me! Hair everywhere! If you want easy maintenace, go for breeds that don’t have long hair! [/quote]
usually if you take a lab outside and give him a good brushing with a hard bristled brush, his hair problem will subside or be significantly reduced. he’ll love it too. as long as you don’t do it too hard, it’s the ultimate back scratch for him.
also, if you aren’t already, shampoo him two or three evenings a week. it only takes a few minutes, it’ll help keep his shedding to a minimum, he’ll smell better and his coat will look better. hell, it could be a chore for the kids you mentioned if they are old enough.
a few more tips would be to check in to dog vitamins, most pet food stores carry them and supplements for dogs can be as helpful as supplements for humans. my dog hates taking them, but when i wrap them up in cheese he has no idea.
also, put a raw egg in his food. he’ll love that and it too will be good for strengthening his hair.
My brother is getting married in August so for his wedding gift I got him a dog…
German Shepard/Huskie Mix
Most amazing dog ever smart as can be and a solid dog.
It is 7 months old and 60lbs and growing hes very obidient already and was crate trained within the first couple weeks. Trained to go to the bathroom outside within 4 days the dog is rediculous I really wish I would have bought him for myself… but its all good…
He can’t run crazy fast yet but we’ll see whenhe grows up
