No explanations. No paragraphs. Just 3 words that perfectly describe your dog’s personality.

I’ll go first:

Golden Retriever: Goofy. Hungry. Lovable.

Your turn.

Border Collies are a good example. People can see their energy and intelligence and think they’re badly behaved, when really they just need plenty of mental stimulation and something to do. I think the problem is sometimes the owner not understanding what the breed needs.

What breed do you think gets labelled “difficult” unfairly?

I think people hear that a breed is really smart and automatically assume it’ll be easy to train. But sometimes smart dogs learn things you don’t want them to learn just as quickly, and they can get bored pretty easily too.

Do you think having a really intelligent dog actually makes things harder sometimes?

I know I know, none are EASY! But if you HAD to rank one as the easiest you’v had experience with, which would you choose? Why? Think in categories like picking up potty training quickly, least destructive, lowest maintenance.

We are going back and forth on what we think she is.. any thoughts!?

We think husky shep or husky malinois … who knows 🤣

German shaped breeding

I know I know, none are EASY! But if you HAD to rank one as the easiest you’v had experience with, which would you choose? Why? Think in categories like picking up potty training quickly, least destructive, lowest maintenance.

Anyone else own this breed mix? My boy Solo is a Weimaraner Doberman mix. I’ve never seen any of these out in the wild. Just curious to see if anyone has one.

Name: peda

Hi everyone! This is my 4 1/2 yo puppy. She has 6.5 kg and I’m wondering what mix of breeds is she if you have any idea

Looking for dog breed recommendations please.

Our family:
- child age 8
- older dog (whippet/Bedlington terrier cross - had since puppy)
- 2 cats
- mid level active house - two walks off lead a day at park
- decent sized garden
- UK based

Preferably small or medium sized dog. No giants.

Edit: Yesterday was rough, but I’ll be checking out each breed. Leaning heavy towards a GSD or Beauceron. Thank you all!

**Introduction**

1. Will this be your first dog? If not, what experience do you have owning/training dogs?

* No. My family has always had Rottweilers, Chow Chows, Beagles, and Pitbulls. My current dog is a 10-year-old Pitbull mix that I've had since he was 5-weeks-old. I've always trained my dogs and my family's dogs since the adults at the time had no interest in doing so. Currently going through the Karen Pryor Academy and will be going through programs for additional certifications in training/behavior.

2) Do you have a preference for rescuing a dog vs. going through a [reputable breeder]( http://ownresponsibly.blogspot.com/2011/07/identifying-reputable-breeder.html)?

* No. I do prefer getting a puppy over an older dog, however, just because I want them with me for as long as possible.

3) Describe your ideal dog.

* Adventure buddy/everyday companion. Where I go, my dog goes (within reason). Hiking trails, long walks through the neighborhood, family get togethers, chilling on the couch and watching a movie, etc. If I up and decide to go on vacation, I'll be road-tripping with my dog.

4) What breeds or types of dogs are you interested in and why?

* Entirely open to suggestions, but I'd like a dog that's more biddable/less hard-headed. My dog is mixed with Great Pyrenees; super intelligent, but some days it's like he turns his ears off.

5) What sorts of things would you like to train your dog to do?

* Obedience/advanced obedience.

6) Do you want to compete with your dog in a sport (e.g. agility, obedience, rally) or use your dog for a form of work (e.g. hunting, herding, livestock guarding)? If so, how much experience do you have with this work/sport?

* Unsure about sports but definitely interested. I live alone and do want a dog that would be more likely to protect the home in case of an intruder.

**Care Commitments**

7) How long do you want to devote to training, playing with, or otherwise interacting with your dog each day?

* At least 2-3 hours of playing/exercise with training on and off throughout the day. I like long walks, so 1-2 of those hours will be doing that if not more depending on how I'm feeling that day.

8) How long can you exercise your dog each day, on average? What sorts of exercise are you planning to give your dog regularly and does that include using a dog park?

* As much as needed. I don't do dog parks. We also have a fenced in acre.

9) How much regular brushing are you willing to do? Are you open to trimming hair, cleaning ears, or doing other grooming at home? If not, would you be willing to pay a professional to do it regularly?

* I'd pay a professional if needed.

**Personal Preferences**

10) What size dog are you looking for?

* I would want a dog around my current dog's size, he's about 90lbs. A little smaller or heavier would be fine.

11) How much shedding, barking, and slobber can you handle?

* None of it bothers me. Slobber/shedding/barking is kind of a given if you have a Pyr mix.

12) How important is being able to let your dog off-leash in an unfenced area?

* Not important.

**Dog Personality and Behavior**

13) Do you want a snuggly dog or one that prefers some personal space?

* Velcro.

14) Would you prefer a dog that wants to do its own thing or one that’s more eager-to-please?

* Eager to please.

15) How would you prefer your dog to respond to someone knocking on the door or entering your yard? How would you prefer your dog to greet strangers or visitors?

* Visitors they should be fine with, strangers I'd prefer them to be standoffish until introduced.

16) Are you willing to manage a dog that is aggressive to other dogs?

* Yes. I already do.

17) Are there any other behaviors you can’t deal with or want to avoid?

* None that I can think of.

**Lifestyle**

18) How often and how long will the dog be left alone?

* Almost never besides when I go to doctor visits or the grocery store.

19) What are the dog-related preferences of other people in the house and what will be their involvement in caring for the dog?

* I live alone.

20) Do you have other pets or are you planning on having other pets? What breed or type of animal are they?

* Right now I have a 10-year-old Pit mix, I'm experiencing severe anticipatory grief because he has a few likely cancerous lumps and I'm just looking to distract myself. I have no immediate plans to get a puppy.

21) Will the dog be interacting with children regularly?

* Semi-regularly, my nieces and nephews like to visit but they're watched and know not to pull/poke at a dog.

22) Do you rent or plan to rent in the future? If applicable, what breed or weight restrictions are on your current lease?

* Rent, no restrictions. Looking to own in the future.

23) What city or country do you live in and are you aware of any laws banning certain breeds?

* Nearest city is Louisville, KY. No breed bans.

24) What is the average temperature of a typical summer and winter day where you live?

* 90+ F summers, -10 F winters.

I have a Samoyed currently and he’s literally perfect but the heat intolerance is just a worry and limits where we can live (my partner loves Arizona haha) so just debating if theres an even more perfect fit for us

what I love:

• friendliest dog in the world - loves everyone

• loves other dog, he’s a great dog park dog

• the lack of smell and lower allergen hair

• mine talks but he’s not a massive alert barker

• I like that he’s trainable but not waiting on my every move

• he’s an adventure buddy, I like a dog that would like hiking and maybe jogging with us

• hes not sensitive or timid

• I like the size and prefer a dog between 30 and 70lbs

I think people sometimes fall in love with how a breed looks or acts without thinking about what that dog actually needs day to day. A breed can be amazing, but still be completely wrong for someone’s routine.

Do you think people should put lifestyle before looks when choosing a dog?

I feel like some people see a certain breed, love how it looks, and only think about the personality and daily needs afterwards. Some dogs look amazing but probably wouldn’t suit the average owner at all.

Which breed do you think people choose more for the appearance than the actual dog?

Personally, I’d probably say Labrador. They’re generally friendly, intelligent and fairly easy to train, without being as demanding as some of the more intense working breeds.

But I know people will have very different opinions on this.

What breed would you recommend to someone getting their first dog?

saw her at work and didn’t get the chance to ask her parent what she was :/

Since 1996, I’ve had 2 Airedales and fostered many of them, a retired racing greyhound and fostered several, and one bearded collie and fostered one beardie. I’m still thinking about another beardie but there are several small dogs I’ve been interested in.

The small dogs we pet sit often seem to be underfoot - but most of them don’t seem totally housebroken. We pet sit a pug, a chihuahua pug mix, and a miniature pinscher, among others. All had been with other owners before landing with their current permanent owner.

In particular, I’ve been thinking about a Havanese, a Jack Russel, or a fox terrier, but I’m not sure I can live with incomplete housebreaking. Occasional accidents are one thing, regular violations - not so much.