(Closed) Puppies, Puppies, Puppies!!!

• bluebird22
• 5 years ago

I LOVE australian shepherds and want my next dog to be an aussie.

I own a golden retriever called Avalon. He’s purebred, his father was #1 in the country for many years running (show dog line). My SO (probably) thinks I’m a bit crazy cause I call him my “son” and actually treat him like a child.
He’s fantastic and very loving, but he is VERY active and loves destroying things – far more active and destructive than my first golden ever was. He is a sweetheart though. We had another golden a while back (sadly passed away at almost 13) and Avalon, even as the youngest, would get super jealous of us petting him and would throw himself between us and the other dog.
We chose goldens because we already owned another one before and loved the breed temperament. We live in a very large apartment which he has full access to. He sheds a lot so that was definitely not a concern…
Perhaps the funniest thing he does is just decide whenever he wants to be petted. He will nuzzle me when I’m on my computer and sort of force his head under my hand so I have to pet him. If I stop, he does it again. He’ll do it several times until he thinks he has received a satisfactory amount of attention.
He’s incredibly clever and picks things up really fast. I once accidentally taught him to open doors and well… If we want to keep him out of anywhere now, we have to lock him out of the room.
He’s entitled and thinks he’s the king of the house. Literally sleeps on my bed and as soon as I come into my room he just gives me this look as if claiming it. He’s respectful though and if I get in he stays for a bit and then goes back to the floor (but not without letting out a loud sigh to express his disappointment).
He loves cuddles and when I sit in front of him on the floor he’ll put his arms around me and hug me and rest his head against my chest, it’s literally the best thing ever.
He’s now 7 years old but people literally think he’s 2 or 3 when they meet him, he still looks like and behaves like a puppy.

He loves watching youtube videos, check out how much attention he pays to it:

• This reply was modified 4 years, 8 months ago by  bluebird22.

• Mandy0721
• 5 years ago

• Wedding: October 2016

ReallyaReeves:  here are my girls!!! The top is a golden retriever bought from a breeder. The other I actually found on Facebook and they were moving and about to take her to the pound (collie/golden mix). I got my golden bc I wanted a loyal breed and I always thought they were very noble looking growing up. I own a house with a very large fenced yard and that is the only way I would have a large breed dog, also I would never leave them outside as they are prone to skin issues. Pros: they can keep woul warm in the winter!!, they do play fetch, they are great to workout and run with. Cons: a lot of hair!! If you are not ok with showing up to work with hair on you .. Not the breed for you, when you need a dog sitter it’s easier to find someone for a small dog compared to the larger ones. Pro/con-they don’t know how big they really are and will sit right on your lap… All 65lbs each lol 

• pearlrose
• 5 years ago

• Wedding: July 2015

I personally own springer spaniels, but my family and in-laws have had german shepherds, golden retrievers, australian shepherds, newfoundlands, a corgi, and a chihuhua at various points.  Here are my random musings on dog breeds:

Springers- athletic, loyal, impossible to tire out, snuggly, prefer to sleep in my bed, good at fetch and dog sports.  One of mine barks a lot when he gets excited.  Theyre very trainable.  They don’t intimidate people at all.  They love swimming.

German shepherds- Trainable, athletic, don’t like to snuggle, prefer to sleep in front of the door to the house.  Both of mine would try to eat their own poop, don’t know if that was a breed thing or not.  You always felt safe with them around but some people are afraid of them.  Lots of fur.

Golden Retrievers- Goofy and don’t take anything seriously.  They will play fetch.  I find them harder to train than other breeds because they sometimes act like they have ADHD.  They are super loving and happy all the time.  Lots of range of personality though, because there are so many of them out there.  Kind of bouncy, enjoy water.

Australian shepherds- Very athletic, very smart and trainable.  Sometimes they will act defensive of their people or territory.  Great at dog sports.  Enjoy snuggling.  Sometimes show herding behaviors with people or other pets. Love frisbee/fetch/whatever. I personally wouldnt get a “mini” one, because there is no actual mini aussie breed.  I believe they are just aussies bred down for size.  I am skeptical of breeding programs that breed for size or color, because it is often at the expense of something more important (health/temperament.)

Corgi- Lots of personality in a little package.  Athletic and pretty trainable.  Bark a lot and bite at people’s pants for fun.  The one in our family thinks life is one huge game of tag.  

Chihuahua- Ours thought he was a person.  He was smart and trainable, but would sometimes nip at people if they surprised him.  Longer life span than the rest.  

Newfie- Huge, sweet, kind of lazy.  Lots of fur.  If you throw a toy, they sometimes look at you like “why did you throw that perfectly good toy way over there?”  Very snuggly.

• passthepeas
• 5 years ago

ReallyaReeves:  

What breed? mutt?

I have two dogs.  One is a Pomeranian mix and the other is a pure bred Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.

What are the positives and negatives? (stubborn, territorial, easy to train, loveable… ect)

The Pom: he’s a prince, a diva, a sophisticated and complicated little man. Smart.  Manipulative. Plays coy & bashful. Very athletic, agile, graceful. Soft as silk and beautiful. Low maintenance grooming wise.

The CKCS: he’s a sweet, sweet, sweet little boy.  Dopey.  Not very smart but very eager to please.  Very trusting, a bit mschevious. Enjoys athletic pursuits but is a bit clumsy, which adds to his cuteness. Sheds like the dickens & needs daily brushing or will start to mat overnight. His face needs cleaning often from leaky eyes.

Why did you choose your dog? (live in apartment, doesn’t shed, ect)

The Pom mix: my husband saw him on petfinder & just had a gut feeling.  We drove 6 hours away to adopt him.  The gut feeling was right.

The CKCS: my husband has always loved this breed and when i saw that a litter of puppies had been born in foster care in our region (we have an adopt only policy) I went after one hard.  There was a LOT of competition & I still can’t believe we got him!

What does your dog do that you find funny or love about them? 

Everything!  The pom mix is a straight up ham, he loves posing for the camera, wearing any outfit or accessory I put on him.  He is a massive flirt and wraps everyone he meets around his finger.  But he’s also a pompous little shit.  The CKCS is just such a dopey simpleton, just watching him walk around with his favorite toy makes my heart swell.  He is a purely sweet and innocent creature, his heart is wide open.

 

• skaftafell
• 5 years ago

When you say corgi you probably mean a Pembroke Corgi, which is the breed most people think of without a tail. I have a Cardigan Corgi, which is a separate breed that is larger and does have a tail. Their personality is genereally similar to the happy energetic Pembroke, but a little calmer and less crazy. I love my dog and really recommend Cardigans. They are an uncommon breed however, and depending on where you live you may have trouble finding a breeder. My breeder was 5 hours away, but it was very worth it.

Outside of my dog, I’ve worked at multiple pet stores and in dog grooming, so I’ve had a lot of experience with dogs. My overall experience with each of your breeds:

Golden retriever: These are popular for a reason. I’ve never had any issues with them, they are generally silly and lovable. In my experience, people are surprised at how much energy they have.

Husky: Huskies are a difficult breed for many people to own. To be honest, I don’t like them. I have never met a husky that wasn’t a terror, and the only bad experiences my dog has ever had with another dog have been with huskies who tormented her. My friend’s australian cattle dog has had the same experience to the point of being actually attacked by a husky. If you do decide on a husky, please make sure you look long and hard at the needs of the breed before you make your decision, instead of solely based on appearance like many people.

Mini Australian Shepherd: Avoid any breeder that advertizes mini aussies, since they aren’t officially recognized by that name. The miniature american shepherd, however, is a newly recognized AKC breed with breed standards. Like most herding breeds, they’re going to be smart, energetic, and need a lot of excercise and persistent training.

• countingstars
• 5 years ago

FI’s mom bred Pembroke Welsh Corgis and I would describe them as very laid back, gentle, and affectionate. They were very good with all the small animals they encountered (pet rabbits, rats, hamsters and cats).

 

• Westwood
• 5 years ago

• Wedding: August 2012

We have a pem and a cardi. The pem is your typical happy friendly guy, he loves everyone. Our cardi is more reserved, more of a one family type of dog. IMO corgis are not for everyone. They definitely have their quirks. They can be extremely stubborn and while they’re very smart, that’s not always a good thing lol. And despite their short legs they do need quite a bit of exercise. Both of mine alert bark and would not be good in an apartment.

• bluebird22
• 5 years ago

ReallyaReeves:  Thank you! He’s my baby haha 🙂
He is such a character, he makes me laugh every day. Also if you become a golden owner be prepared for a LOT of time playing fetch – even when you don’t particularly want to.
He gets annoyed if we don’t play after a given amount of time and decides to steal shoes, flip flops, etc, and walks around the house with them trying to get our attention. Sometimes we indulge him with a little bit of running around the house, other times we ignore it until he gives up. They are very playful.
Also we keep an eye on him and whenever he disappears the first thought is “Oh gosh, what’s Avalon up to?!”. He has broken some 3+ watches, at least 2 mobile phones, over 5 pairs of glasses, and a wallet, numerous pairs of shoes, and broken a massive plant vase (After which he promptly rolled in the soil and became a quasi-flat coated retriever – black, from head to toe). So if you get a golden be ready to make compromises and get some things you love destroyed!

• Westwood
• 5 years ago

• Wedding: August 2012

ReallyaReeves:  I read that a lot too but I do disagree with it after having my own. Of course every dog is different, but mine do bark despite quite a bit of training. They were originally bred as all around farm dogs, so alerting to strange noises can just be part of their nature.

The shedding is horrible. I just brushed my cardi today and there is fur all over my yard. If you or your so have any issues with fur in the house, do not get a corgi.

I don’t mean to make them sound awful by any means lol, obviously I love mine and would get another. But they have gotten so popular because they’re cute on the internet and a lot of people don’t realize that they are a working breed and not for everyone.

• skaftafell
• 5 years ago

Let me first say that I only have one Cardigan and I’ve actually never met another one (except for the breeder’s dogs which I did not spend very much time with) so I can only speak abiout my girl specifically. But she is a huge cuddler and very much a velcro dog, she likes to either be in the room with me and my boyfriend or, ideally, following so closely she’s touching me lol. Despite that she’s never had any issues with separation anxiety, and she spends most of her time napping or calmly chewing on a bone. She definitely does seem much calmer than most pembrokes I’ve met.

She’s extremely friendly when we have visitors or go into someone else’s house, but when out and about she really ignores anyone we come across. She does alert bark when we’re home, but that’s something I like and I’ve never tried to discourage it completely, just limit how long she barks for. We are in an apartment but we do perfectly fine and she barks less than the other dogs in our building. I think she’s been a perfect apartment dog.

She does shed quite a bit, but I use a rubber curry brush and bathe her 4 or 5 times a year and it’s manageable. I don’t think she sheds more than any other breed with a similar type of coat.

• annb9
• 5 years ago

• Wedding: June 2015

ReallyaReeves:  

I never had dogs (or any pets) growing up, but DH wanted one so badly when we first moved in together after college. My rule was that it had to be a non-shedding dog. We ended up with a Goldendoodle, because they are good in apartments, they don’t shed, and our old apartment complex had a weight limit on dogs (our dog is a medium Goldendoodle, about 40 lbs.).

Like I said, I never had dogs, but our dog blows me away with just how much of a personality she has. She is incredibly friendly, loving, cuddly, sweet, etc. She’s such a “people dog” it’s crazy. I would say the only negative is that she can sometimes be a little too needy and/or demanding for attention. She can also be a little hyper when people first come over, but she calms down quickly.

That said, she does amazingly when she’s home alone – she chewed a few shoes and got into the trash a couple of times as a puppy, but hasn’t destroyed or ruined anything in years. She was super easy to potty train and to teach basic commands to. Basically, she’s a dream dog, and everyone I’ve ever talked to that has a Goldenoodle says the same thing.

As a puppy:

And at our wedding last summer (she’s 5 now):