the boxer
the great dane
and the mastiff
We want a sweet dog who will protect the family. I would also like one I could run with in the dark so I feel safe. :) What would you choose and why?
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Choosing a Dog
The day after we got married we bought a puppy. It wasn't the smartest move because we didn't have time to train her. But she was cute and fun anyway. Recently we have been thinking about getting another puppy since the kids have been begging for one. The three breeds we have considered are:
the boxer
the great dane
and the mastiff
the boxer
the great dane
and the mastiff
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10 comments:
Are you sure about this? ;) I regret the day I said yes to having a dog. lol It's like a
6th child. But then again we have a Lab and from what I hear they are very childlike for the first few years. Ours is just barely 2 so hopefully I can start liking him here in the next little while. I don't know anything about the breeds you've chosen, sorry. But good luck finding the right one. :)
I'm not sure you would be able to go for a run with any of those dogs...do dogs that big run? I'm partial to St. Bernards and Bassett Hounds...
We've got a boxer. They come with lots of energy and lots of love. They are sweethearts, and boxers looooove kids! Our boy is almost three and is constantly playing/wrestling with our kids. Boxers love to be active and be with their families. Like any puppy, they are handfuls early on, but if you've got the energy and patience to handle the puppy stage, a boxer will steal your heart!
Pauline D.
Whichever one it is - you simply can't go wrong with crate training the mutt!
I vote Mastiff - huge, cute, and so sweet. I like this dog because it is pretty much a "dog inside of a bear suit". :) I think you could just wrap your arms around it and get the best hug ever.
Oh and I would say YES YES YES to a dog in your family. I haven't ever regretted adding Bachelor to our family and we've always felt like he has taken care of us when we've needed it. Dogs can be great for bringing humor, fun, and comfort into the home and I think it would be just what the doctor ordered for you. :)
And I'm still here praying for your family. I hope that early snow on Friday was something to brighten your day. :)
Candace
Though it really suprised me, once we got the Chocolate Lab that we have, Copper (7yrs old), I decided that I would never have any other breed. He is sweet, loyal, protective, and really well behaved for the most part. He was a year old when we got him and was never properly trained, but he truly LIVES to please us! I think that he would be the happiest creature on Earth if he could just physically attach himself to Troy. What really impresses me about him- and I understand it is inherant to the breed- is that he "reads" people so well. He will instantly assess a human and basically adapt his demeanor to suit them. He once spent 2 hours playing fetch with Joey when he was about 7 and made such a big deal out of running for the stick even though Joe could only throw it a few feet. I was in awe!
Okay, we have 2, both labs. With kids, the easiest, I don't have to worry. If Phil would let me get any breed I wanted, Great Dane. I've always wanted one, but as he said, he doesn't want to be shoveling "mounds"! When the kids are all grown up though I'm going to get one! I'll fill him in on that later :). All I can say is, research your breed and what fits you guys and how you live. Research where you buy, the parents, so forth. We got Barley (choc lab) as a pup from a good breeder, love her. Forgot how hard the puppy stage was (my mom did it all as we grew up). Vader (blk lab), we adopted and got incredibly lucky. Well trained, 4yrs old, no bad habits, etc. He's loyal, cuddle bug, I could go on. In a nutshell, "RESEARCH", the hardest thing to do w/ a dog is have to give it away if it doesn't work out. I've done that before when we bought on a whim a breed that I'll never own again! If buying a pup, be prepared for plenty of vet bills right off. I have a suggestion though, every 2nd Sat., all Zamzows run a pet clinic where you can get your pets vaccinated much cheaper and not have to pay the office visit. It's what we do. Have fun searching, dogs are awesome, wouldn't be the same w/o them.
Sadly, I must admit that boxers and great danes are better fits for us than a mastiff. The more I think about it, a great dane is almost perfectly in the middle of the other two. Less energy than a hyper boxer, no excessive drooling like a mastiff, weight is right between the two (although danes are taller...like a pony). I have to admit, I'm slowly being convinced that my years-long mastiff quest might be turning in favor of the Gentle Giant (that's what they call Great Danes, in case you didn't know). Even though a dane is not considered a protective breed, it might make bad guys think twice on size alone...just like a mastiff. I'd rather have a dog that looks tough but has the agressiveness of a squirrel.
okay. I came to your blog in one of those 6 degrees deals, dawn to melissa to you. but I have 3 boxers, there is no love greater on this earth than that of a boxer. come borrow one of mine for a day anytime. amazing dogs!
Great Dane. Big enough but laid back. Not drooling all over like a Mastiff. Have us out to eat at your place and I'll do all shots for you at no charge. :-)
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