Dogs

[Stunningfire]

Chihuahuas are adorable. <3

[Draega]

i am a cat person and a dog person.

currently i have:

2 chihuahuas

2 Chesapeake Bay Retrievers

1 Border Collie Mix

[Stunningfire]

Chihuahuas are cute. Yorkies [Yorkshire terriers] are cute, too. Chorkies aren't, imo, for some reason.

[firey140]

Chihuahuas can be cute, but they tend to bite a lot.... One of my aunts had one, and it was the most vicious little thing. It would bite anyone who came near her, and she ended up having to put it down because it started biting her too.

 

I currently have a husky mix. 8) She's the sweetest thing, but she's getting old too. I think she's almost 10 years old.

[Stunningfire]

Yup, little dogs tend to be very feisty and many bite. They're also very yippy. o.O

[firey140]

Noticed hat, have you? >.<! Little dogs are cute and all, but I don't think I could stand owning one. I mean... *trying to find a way of saying this* I like a dog that can pull me around, and not be lifted off its feet because I pulled a toy too high in tug-o-war. *sheepish grin*

[Draega]

Yup, little dogs tend to be very feisty and many bite. They're also very yippy. o.O

my chihuahuas don't bite, but one of them barks at the slightest of things

[Bramblyhuck]

I really like dogs, but I don't think I'd ever want one as a pet. I'd rather keep a cat, they are a little more independent.

 

Who knows, maybe I'll change my mind when I'm older and have settled into a proper house.

[firey140]

Yeah, it's like my dog. You can do anything to her, and the most she'll do is maybe snap at you, but never bite. We've been lucky. o_o

[lola92]

love dogs

 

can't own one because my son is allergic to them.

 

I use to have a full breed pit that i trained and re-homed to a farm where she has plenty of room to play and run like she needed.

 

A German Shepard which we got trained for a special needs dog and is now helping a little boy.

 

2 beagle/basset hound mixes ... one got dog-napped... the other i trained and was going to keep him but one of my grandpa's hunting buddies needed a new hunting dog and had a lot more time, money, and space for the dog.

 

and several mutts that have died by being ran over by a tracker.

 

.... i hope to be able to get a mastiff but i have to wait and see if my son grows out of his allergies before i can even get a puppy.

[firey140]

I'm sorry that you're allergic to them... T_T Is it the dander/fur? There are some dogs that don't shed, and that have actual hair instead of fur. >.>

[Stunningfire]

I really like dogs, but I don't think I'd ever want one as a pet. I'd rather keep a cat, they are a little more independent.

 

Who knows, maybe I'll change my mind when I'm older and have settled into a proper house.

Same here

[firey140]

Cats are more independent, I agree, but there are some who will do just about enything to get your attention. *has such a kitty*

 

I guess it depends on the temperament of said animal... >.>... I'm happy as long as I have a dog that doesn't need to be let out every few hours like clockwork because its bladder is just that small. >.<

[Stunningfire]

Do any of you know a breed of dog that is calm, doens't shed a lot of fur, and/or is quieter than others?

[firey140]

I think a Maltese.... I know they have hair, so they don't shed, and they're supposed to be pretty quiet dogs. But, like most toy dogs, they have a lot of energy. >.<

 

The bigger the dog, the more sedentary... Maybe you should look into one that has very short fur? >.>

[Tariss]

I think dogs are a blessing to earth. I am obsessed with them, no matter their breed and no matter their lineage. I even have a respect (I use that word quite lightly, though) for the 'mean' dogs, because I can't really blame their behaviour automatically on their own personality.

I love all animals, yes, but dogs must be either the most special to me or at least tied with certain other creatures at first place in my opinion.

 

I have four wonderful dogs, three of them adopted from the local animal welfare branch and the forth we are fostering for the same branch. We didn't name any of the dogs, they were already named. >.>

First of all: a labrador X australian kelpie female who I literally adore more than anything else in the world. Her name is Athena.

Second: a labrador X golden retriever male who is the most polite creature I have ever met (he doesn't eat his food until you tell him specifically to eat ^^) and his name is Willoughby.

Third: a chihuahua X terrier of some sort (he doesn't have the buggy eyes) he is the most adorable little dog I've ever seen- he even has a pig-tail (you know, the super-sproingy-curly tail) and he's a real 'people' dog named Burt.

Fourth: I have no idea what he is, he's probably got a bit of everything in him. He is the foster dog and his name is Bear. He's slightly irritating some times but I forgive him because he is so affectionate.

 

I have some old photos of Athena and Willoughby

 

Aren't they adorable?

Isn't she cute

 

I love them all.

 

 

[lola92]

I'm not allergic to dogs.. my son is... There is nothing we can do.. when he is around someone who has a dog he breaks out in hives now... when he is in a house with a dog he breaks out in hives plus he starts having problems breathing

[pichu3333]

Both my mother and I are allergic to dogs, so we won't have them. Plus I'm also a bit nervous around them, probably due to having been bitten before. Hard.

[WereJace]

I'm an animal person in general, in love with all creatures great and small, but dogs are my special passion. Spaniels in particular. My girlfriend and I train and show cockers at the moment and in November, I'm picking up a brittany puppy! I'm super excited about that. We already have one dog, a little black cocker spaniel who thinks he's huge. It's very sweet.

[JaziandCo]

Do any of you know a breed of dog that is calm, doens't shed a lot of fur, and/or is quieter than others?

Calm mostly depends on personality, I have a chow/lab/golden/akita/?/unknown who most people would expect to be hyper because of all the high energy breeds, but she has the chow calmness and the lab friendliness.

 

Best thing to do is to research low-maintenance breeds and look at and interact with different dogs/puppies, and pick the one with the personality you want.

 

 

 

 

 

As for me, I love both cats and dogs equally x3 My Mocha is almost a year and a half, and I think Mom really picked out the best puppy for the family. We've had mostly GSDs, and I'd like to own a Doberman at some point in time.

[satyr76]

My dog is a giant, psycho, hyper mutt that barks whenever someone knocks on our door and goes into attack mode whenever someone I don't like touches me. I love him

 

 

One thing I always hated was that purebreeds got so much special treatment. Most of the mutts I've met look a lot better than most purebreds

[WereJace]

Do any of you know a breed of dog that is calm, doens't shed a lot of fur, and/or is quieter than others?

I would suggest chatting up a local rescue that does fostering. They'll know the personalities of their dogs very well and will probably be able to match you with a dog that fits your requirements.

[firey140]

My dog is a giant, psycho, hyper mutt that barks whenever someone knocks on our door and goes into attack mode whenever someone I don't like touches me. I love him

 

 

One thing I always hated was that purebreeds got so much special treatment. Most of the mutts I've met look a lot better than most purebreds

They get special treatment because of their 'pure' bloodlines. But, if you think about it, they are mutts as well. How else would they get the dogs to look the way they wanted to when they were trying to breed a dog for a specific task?

 

Honestly, I think mutts are better than purebreeds for more than just their looks. They also have fewer genetic health issues (health issues period, really ), and seem to have better temperaments.

[dragonpuck]

I have had dogs, big ones,( mutts every one) since I was a kid. Our last had to be put down, he was 17 and nothing was working right anymore

We made the decision not to get another so that we could pack up and go without notice: dog sitters , kennels, motels that take pets etc.It has been kinda nice, but I still miss the wagging tail and (ugh) dog kisses!

Edited July 23, 2010 by dragonpuck

[WereJace]

They get special treatment because of their 'pure' bloodlines. But, if you think about it, they are mutts as well. How else would they get the dogs to look the way they wanted to when they were trying to breed a dog for a specific task?

 

Honestly, I think mutts are better than purebreeds for more than just their looks. They also have fewer genetic health issues (health issues period, really ), and seem to have better temperaments.

Mutts are a crapshoot. You could get none of the potential health issues of the parent animals, or you could get all of them. Temperment is up in the air as well-is an airedale-border collie mix going to be an intense herder, or a willful terrier? Hybrid vigor is a myth, and a silly one at that.

 

Purebred dogs aren't mutts because they are bred to conform to a standard. They have predictable drive, predictable body shape and predictable health issues. They don't have any more or less than mutts do.