I Want A Puppy

[IndyWS6]

I’m glad you’re doing the research and I feel the same way about the commitment part of it.

I don’t understand people that throw animals away, ever. Assholes.

Good luck on your search man, can’t wait to see the puppy!

[Marc G]

Dogs are great..... we really lucked out with our mutt.... Wife found box of four pups on the side of the road... some prick just left them there.... so suddenly we had four puppies that needed medical help... got them checked out, the runt had a liver problem so he became our focus.. he pulled though, the rest were great and growing nicely... at first I didn't want to keep any, our two cats were enough responsibility IMO lol but when it was time to get homes for them I guess because of the extra attention the runt got from us we got really attached, so we decided to keep him.... fast forward 2+ years now and I definitely have no regrets... he's a bit of a nervous dog with strangers but settles quickly and becomes super friendly once you give him his space... he's a great watch, barks at anyone or anything that approaches our gate.... the one draw back is, we assume from his liver problem as a pup, he's allergic to EVERYTHING... cotton, chicken, pork, beef... and a bunch of other things so he has to get special food and steroid supplements which the vet advised us will shorten his life a few years. What's funny is now, based on the pics we've seen of his siblings, he's definitely not the runt anymore, he probably turned out be the biggest in the litter...

[IndyWS6]

Dogs are great..... we really lucked out with our mutt.... Wife found box of four pups on the side of the road... some prick just left them there.... so suddenly we had four puppies that needed medical help... got them checked out, the runt had a liver problem so he became our focus.. he pulled though, the rest were great and growing nicely... at first I didn't want to keep any, our two cats were enough responsibility IMO lol but when it was time to get homes for them I guess because of the extra attention the runt got from us we got really attached, so we decided to keep him.... fast forward 2+ years now and I definitely have no regrets... he's a bit of a nervous dog with strangers but settles quickly and becomes super friendly once you give him his space... he's a great watch, barks at anyone or anything that approaches our gate.... the one draw back is, we assume from his liver problem as a pup, he's allergic to EVERYTHING... cotton, chicken, pork, beef... and a bunch of other things so he has to get special food and steroid supplements which the vet advised us will shorten his life a few years. What's funny is now, based on the pics we've seen of his siblings, he's definitely not the runt anymore, he probably turned out be the biggest in the litter...

Good looking pup

[Marc G]

thank god his disposition matches his looks lol..... he was better with the the kittens the Mrs and I fostered a few months ago than our two cats lol.... he so protective of them and just wanted to be around them... he'd come running up the stairs every morning when the kittens would make noise for their breakfast and would lie down in the kittens room and let them climb all over him...

[IndyWS6]

thank god his disposition matches his looks lol..... he was better with the the kittens the Mrs and I fostered a few months ago than our two cats lol.... he so protective of them and just wanted to be around them... he'd come running up the stairs every morning when the kittens would make noise for their breakfast and would lie down in the kittens room and let them climb all over him...

That's awesome. Kitties and puppies are cool

[nightflameauto]

thank god his disposition matches his looks lol..... he was better with the the kittens the Mrs and I fostered a few months ago than our two cats lol.... he so protective of them and just wanted to be around them... he'd come running up the stairs every morning when the kittens would make noise for their breakfast and would lie down in the kittens room and let them climb all over him...

Sounds like our older pup we lost this spring. She actually rescued a couple kittens from the farm and took to them like she was their mom. They were constantly crawling all over her and when she'd sleep on her side they'd climb in under her legs where it was the warmest and fall asleep with her. Our neighbor's kid one time saw them playing together out in the yard and started screaming at me that I needed to separate them or the dog would kill the cats. I had to get the neighbor to calm the kid down enough to watch them for a bit. Even "rough-housing" with them during play time she was super gentle with them.

Our dog now was basically raised by the cats so she's super chill with them too. That old trope of cats and dogs being enemies seems so funny to me. I've seen these types of relationships my entire life, and only knew one dog ever that would attack cats. But that dog was a super-spazz that was raised in a bad way by a bad person, so it didn't exactly surprise me.

I'm also of the lifetime commitment variety when it comes to pets. An animal enters our home, it's with us for life. Period. Can't wrap my head around giving up an animal for any reason. That bond is just too special to give up for me.

[Marc G]

Both of my cats are cool with our dog... the older one has no desire to be his friend but also doesn't react when he's around, maybe if he gets too close she'll give him a hiss... but he knows she doesn't want to play with him so he leaves her alone... the younger of the two cats is a little more outgoing and was around him when he was a puppy and was really curious about him and the other puppies. She would watch them play and some times play a little with them.... She's a little moody of a cat though so some times she is really friendly to him and rubs up on him other times she'll give him a swat.... he never gets aggressive to either of them though...

[IndyWS6]

English Coonhounds are my favorite. The have the best personality for me. Playful but super chill too. They are also FIERCE guard dogs. And they howl almost exclusively. Mine rarely ever barks - she only howls

That dog looks super laid back. Howling is awesome - unless it's the middle of the night

It looks like he's trying to tell you "Dude, what's that shit in my bowl. We've talked about this..."

[CrunchBerries]

Belgian is least likely to injuries and other issues. Not as over-bred as the other breeds. The next in line would be doberman, but those require more dedication. They need to be dominated at a higher energey and walks are ok, but runs are more appropriate. #1 Most importantly I would pick the dog that most fits into your lifestyle, where you have to be honest with yourself if you will be able to handle the added responsibility. The idea of getting a new puppy at first is always super cute, but the long term is what counts. You seem to be someone that will care dearly for your dog, so pick one that won't exhaust you more than necessary.

ex; If your already a person who runs every morning, then you want the doby/malinois. If you prefer long walks, GSD. If you go for slow walks with your lady, mastiff.

They are all excellent deterrents and alarm systems. Althought the belgian may not have the same 'psychological safety' effect on a lady than the other 3.

In terms of kids, all 3 are fine with kids, either yours or visiting. However the mastiff topples kids over easily as they are clumsy clowns. Immagine an excited 3 year old kid in a 150lbs body.

Food: The mastiff will easily be the highest maintenance dog here. They require specific food, or raw if you want to do that, because their size puts alot of strain on their joints. Close second is GSD. They are really prone to rear joint issues because of their obvious stance. Usually require special ingredients in the food to slow their growth.

Dobies have deep chests, so you have to be careful with their food intake 'speed'. Usually their bowls will be slow feed bowls to avoid stomach torsion problems. Their stomachs can flip over inside their abdomen and cause serious blockage. Needs immediate vet intervention.

Hope this helps narrow down a bit.

[IndyWS6]

Belgian is least likely to injuries and other issues. Not as over-bred as the other breeds. The next in line would be doberman, but those require more dedication. They need to be dominated at a higher energey and walks are ok, but runs are more appropriate. #1 Most importantly I would pick the dog that most fits into your lifestyle, where you have to be honest with yourself if you will be able to handle the added responsibility. The idea of getting a new puppy at first is always super cute, but the long term is what counts. You seem to be someone that will care dearly for your dog, so pick one that won't exhaust you more than necessary.

ex; If your already a person who runs every morning, then you want the doby/malinois. If you prefer long walks, GSD. If you go for slow walks with your lady, mastiff.

They are all excellent deterrents and alarm systems. Althought the belgian may not have the same 'psychological safety' effect on a lady than the other 3.

In terms of kids, all 3 are fine with kids, either yours or visiting. However the mastiff topples kids over easily as they are clumsy clowns. Immagine an excited 3 year old kid in a 150lbs body.

Food: The mastiff will easily be the highest maintenance dog here. They require specific food, or raw if you want to do that, because their size puts alot of strain on their joints. Close second is GSD. They are really prone to rear joint issues because of their obvious stance. Usually require special ingredients in the food to slow their growth.

Dobies have deep chests, so you have to be careful with their food intake 'speed'. Usually their bowls will be slow feed bowls to avoid stomach torsion problems. Their stomachs can flip over inside their abdomen and cause serious blockage. Needs immediate vet intervention.

Hope this helps narrow down a bit.

Thanks, dude. Still evaluating (over-thinking) the choices . Seriously, though, it's a life-long decision and one I don't take lightly...

[JCM800SD1]

Just lost our lab/catahoula mix.
We are an active group so the daily
hikes and walks worked out.

True to the ‘houla he was stubborn
and he really benefitted from training not only
Him, but us being trained to lead
Firmly and fairly. Also think the lab
In him added a clownish factor to him
which balanced the ‘houla.

As already mentioned, do the research
And don’t expect working dogs
To be happy sitting around. They will destroy
Your house without one semblance of
Remorse.

[itchyfingers]

Just wanted to say good luck with your pup, and while the trend is that mutts are healthier / last longer, I think it's a crap shoot honestly. This mutt has had two knee "replacements", cancer, chemo and other fun meds, elevated liver enzymes, foxtail infections, you freakin name it, she's had it. Still, worth it.

[IndyWS6]

Just wanted to say good luck with your pup, and while the trend is that mutts are healthier / last longer, I think it's a crap shoot honestly. This mutt has had two knee "replacements", cancer, chemo and other fun meds, elevated liver enzymes, foxtail infections, you freakin name it, she's had it. Still, worth it.

We're still debating options...

[Kardula]

just remember that no matter which dog you get, it will always be the second best dog to mine. Just FYI,


photo from last winter

[IndyWS6]

just remember that no matter which dog you get, it will always be the second best dog to mine. Just FYI,


photo from last winter

[MISTER NOBODY™]

Rescue mutts are the best dogs.

Fight me

[long standing member]

When I had dogs, I always got two, or always had two around at the same time.
I always felt guilty leaving a dog at home alone so I made sure he/she had company.
This takes care of sofa eating dogs, having to run with them daily, etc.
I always lived in a place that had a fenced in front/back yard, so everything was cool.

[crankyrayhanky]

English Coonhounds are my favorite. The have the best personality for me. Playful but super chill too. They are also FIERCE guard dogs. And they howl almost exclusively. Mine rarely ever barks - she only howls

I have 2 dogs- this one is a collie/lab mixed with IDK what...I'm thinking it could be coonhound

Rescue mutts are the best dogs.

Fight me

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