[buckhunter]

I'm still really liking the boerboel. but the wife and I have been talking to friends and reading up on some other breeds as well. Right now my top 3 are boerboel, GSD, and boxer. Though she is really liking chocolate labs. So only time will tell at this point. Were trying to see what reputable breeders or other options we have in are area, breedings, costs, etc. Really appreciate the info everyone on the different breeds and the links. Keep it coming.

 

[Finn]

Rhodesian Ridgeback

These fantastic dogs have already been mentioned and their positive attributes are legion. However, I thought I should mention some issues.

1. RRs have a very short coat and no undercoat. This means that shedding is extremely minimal and they have much greater stamina in the heat of summer. But in winter they may need a coat and being left outside in cool weather could be unfair.

2. RRs typically don't like water. I suspect that all the water loving breed stock was eaten by crocodiles.

3. RRs do not respond well to harsh treatment. They will completely fall apart emotionally. I really can't emphasize this enough.

4. You can not free feed a RR. They think they are always hungry and will eat themselves fat. A RR that looks like a lab is way too fat, and it is very hard on their body.

5. I have it on good authority that it is extremely dangerous to train a RR for attack or protection work. RRs are hounds. As such, they were bred to make decisions on their own, far away from their handlers. You do not want a RR making his own decisions about whom to attack. They are not vicious dogs, but they are very powerful and quick. It is a bad idea. Further, they are naturally protective, so it really isn't necessary.

6. Some counter surf, for food off counters and tables. I would trust my boy with my life, but I would never trust him with my sandwich.

7. They are energetic and love to run and play, particularly with other dogs, and should be socialized early on. But also are quite happy sprawled on their favorite couch.

8. RRs generally don't play fetch. But do love keep away.

9. I have heard of RRs trained as hunting retrievers, but have never seen it myself and am skeptical. They do however love lure coursing.

10. They love their people. If they are not loved back, they may become depressed.

I think Rhodesian Ridgebacks are the perfect dog. My only regret is that I only have one. Two or three would be the perfect pack. If I had more yard and less wife I would.

 

[H1menez]

Boxers are very great with kids and can be very intimidating as well. German shepherds are a great choice too! I my self have a Black Lab who is very friendly, but also protective.

 

[buckhunter]

These fantastic dogs have already been mentioned and their positive attributes are legion. However, I thought I should mention some issues.

1. RRs have a very short coat and no undercoat. This means that shedding is extremely minimal and they have much greater stamina in the heat of summer. But in winter they may need a coat and being left outside in cool weather could be unfair.

2. RRs typically don't like water. I suspect that all the water loving breed stock was eaten by crocodiles.

3. RRs do not respond well to harsh treatment. They will completely fall apart emotionally. I really can't emphasize this enough.

4. You can not free feed a RR. They think they are always hungry and will eat themselves fat. A RR that looks like a lab is way too fat, and it is very hard on their body.

5. I have it on good authority that it is extremely dangerous to train a RR for attack or protection work. RRs are hounds. As such, they were bred to make decisions on their own, far away from their handlers. You do not want a RR making his own decisions about whom to attack. They are not vicious dogs, but they are very powerful and quick. It is a bad idea. Further, they are naturally protective, so it really isn't necessary.

6. Some counter surf, for food off counters and tables. I would trust my boy with my life, but I would never trust him with my sandwich.

7. They are energetic and love to run and play, particularly with other dogs, and should be socialized early on. But also are quite happy sprawled on their favorite couch.

8. RRs generally don't play fetch. But do love keep away.

9. I have heard of RRs trained as hunting retrievers, but have never seen it myself and am skeptical. They do however love lure coursing.

10. They love their people. If they are not loved back, they may become depressed.

I think Rhodesian Ridgebacks are the perfect dog. My only regret is that I only have one. Two or three would be the perfect pack. If I had more yard and less wife I would.

Thank you for bringing up the part about the rhodesian ridgeback having a light coat. I live in western PA and we get some pretty harsh winters, though any dog we get will live in the house with us. I actually saw a ridgeback not too long ago, my wife was running a 5k and another lady running had her ridgeback with her. It ran the whole 5k with her like it was nothing. I was pretty impressed.

 

[survivalistfamily]

I've had several rotties since I was a teen and love them. but am now currently looking at getting a Caucasian ovcharka. big, protective and fearless and with their size they deffinetly have a big intimidation factor.

 

[Reloaderdave]

I apologize in advance if this is a long post.
I have had dogs all my life and i'm 58 years old now. All dogs can be great dogs, it just depends on the owner of the dog and how much love you give the dog. An old saying is: "There are no bad dogs, just bad owners" I don't know if that is true or not, but I will tell you about the best dog that I had. Years ago, my wife wanted us to get a dog. We researched all the breeds and finally decided on a Doberman. So, we found a rescue lady and we went there. There were a lot of dobies there, and the one that stood out was one that still had bandages on one ear. We couldn't resist. We decided to adopt him and named him Ruger. We took him home and the first night he made a mess in the dining room. No problem, I cleaned it up, it wasn't his fault. He grew and very quickly learned to love us and we loved him. When we got another house, he took to that very quickly. He was great with kids! One time I caught my little niece riding him like a horse, ansd he loved it. When my other niece was born, my Sis-in-law brought the bassinet over to the house and she screamed and was shaking when Ruger went over and smelled the newborn baby. Well, he sniffed and then just backed up 6 inches and sat down, like he was saying "Another one I will protect". My nieces would fawn all over him and grab his ears and all and he would do is just give that look like he was saying "ahhhhh attention, I love it". He was the best companion, watch dog, guard dog, you name it that I have ever had. I cried like a baby when I had to put him down because of age and a disease he had. I will never have another like him. Yes, he was a purebred, and we received his family tree from the rescue people and we later found out that his mother and father were in the Doberman books that are sold in the stores, so this reinforced our thoughts that we had a good dog. I will NEVER forget him. I have more stories about him, but time and space is limited.
Doberman for me all the way. A truly proud and majestic animal and never ever attacked any family member, just licked them. But, on a side note, I saw him once really ****ed off, and I would NOT have wanted him ****ed off at me. VERY impressive!

Reloaderdave

 

[buckhunter]

my wife loves to run and jog. she is trying to find out what breeds can jog with her? we have a neighbor who jogs with her lab but how does anyone know how boerboels, GSD's, or boxer's do with running or regular exercise such as jogging? I know these breeds love to play and run in the back yard but do any wear out quick? One of the things the wife wants out of a dog is someone to run with her when she is jogging in the evenings. Appreicate the feedback.

 

[stuccodude]

i have to say the american pit bull. used for centuries to protect families and love children. remember petey from lil rascals was a pit bull. not a good dog if it lives on a leash.

 

[Jaqhama]

I'm still really liking the boerboel. but the wife and I have been talking to friends and reading up on some other breeds as well. Right now my top 3 are boerboel, GSD, and boxer. Though she is really liking chocolate labs. So only time will tell at this point. Were trying to see what reputable breeders or other options we have in are area, breedings, costs, etc. Really appreciate the info everyone on the different breeds and the links. Keep it coming.

Please, please consider getting a dog from a pound, there are many wonderful dogs in pounds all over the country, many are there because their owners could not look after them, or something happened to the owner, or the dog was bought on a whim and for whatever reason the original owner just let it loose or dumped it somewhere.

I just picked up a wonderful purebred female Kelpie puppy (I'm in Australia) for $330.
You can pay over a grand and more for a Kelpie pup, and much, much more for a breeder's puppy with papers.

It's the same story with all breeds of dogs.
I've seen many pure bred breeds in the pounds, many are still puppies or less than a year old.

Save a dog's life, buy one from a pound or a rescue center, not a breeder or a pet shop.

Cheers: Jaq.

 

[buckhunter]

there is a family pretty close to us that has boxers and is expecting a litter this summer. We are talking to them and may be going this route. Have to be honest hadn't given the a lot of thought until so much feedback on here and started reading more about them. Nothing set in stone yet. But the idea of a female reverse brindle boxer is quickly growing on us. Well have to see how this all plays out.

 

[Jaqhama]

there is a family pretty close to us that has boxers and is expecting a litter this summer. We are talking to them and may be going this route. Have to be honest hadn't given the a lot of thought until so much feedback on here and started reading more about them. Nothing set in stone yet. But the idea of a female reverse brindle boxer is quickly growing on us. Well have to see how this all plays out.

I had a female Boxer, Tasha.
Great doggy.
She was wonderful with children and an excellent watch dog.
I got her when she was a couple of years old, so I did not have to train her from a puppy.

Be aware training a puppy is time consuming and requires lots of patience and some months.

Again, many older dogs from pounds have already been trained to a high degree.

One we had as a two day rescue recently was so well behaved he was almost human.
A Staffie/Cattle dog cross.
He was 4 years old.
Didn't chase our house rabbit or house bird, nor our ducks in the garden.
Unusual for that kind of cross bred dog, Staffies in particular are hard to train to avoid chasing cats and small furry animals, but this little guy was a dream dog.
There was a small queue of people looking to take him home from the pound, as everyone could see what an intelligent dog he was and what a beautiful temperament he had.

Puppies can be a real pain in the ass, to be honest. More so if you've never had a young one before.

A thousand pages on the internet on how to train puppies and older dogs these days.
A wise investment in front of the computer for a few hours.

Threatening or striking dogs, tying dead chickens around their necks, and similar acts of cruelty only indicate that the dog's owners really have no idea of doggie psychology and behavior.

The best trained dogs in the world are normally members of the military, and no military dog trainer/handler in modern times has ever had to resort to intimidation to train their doggies. Something to think about there.

Cheers: Jaq

 

[ELBUFO]

My wife recently was given/had pawned off on her, a Rat Terrier. A $400 dog that looks to be made up of spare parts...My initial reaction was: "great, a yapper...Just what we knead a football with legs". We have had her for about a year now. What a great dog. Smart, playful, well mannered, highly alert, a small (15Lb) package, and best of all NOT A YAPPER!!!. OK, so she is not intimidating, but she sure let's you know if something is amiss without overdoing it.

This breed is great at keeping the rodents down. She is a better mouser than most cats I have had. I suspect that she could feed herself in a pinch

She is fast. I had her follow me on my trail bike. She kept up at 15MPH for about a mile. I finally felt sorry for her, and put her in my day pack that I keep on the bike for grocery runs. Didn't even phase her...

So if you are looking for a B.O.D or a good biological alarm system... This breed deserves consideration. Yea yea, Not much in the defense department, but that's what the ammo is for. And I will know you are coming!

 

[Old Soldier]

My wife recently was given/had pawned off on her, a Rat Terrier. A $400 dog that looks to be made up of spare parts...My initial reaction was: "great, a yapper...Just what we knead a football with legs". We have had her for about a year now. What a great dog. Smart, playful, well mannered, highly alert, a small (15Lb) package, and best of all NOT A YAPPER!!!. OK, so she is not intimidating, but she sure let's you know if something is amiss without overdoing it.

This breed is great at keeping the rodents down. She is a better mouser than most cats I have had. I suspect that she could feed herself in a pinch

She is fast. I had her follow me on my trail bike. She kept up at 15MPH for about a mile. I finally felt sorry for her, and put her in my day pack that I keep on the bike for grocery runs. Didn't even phase her...

So if you are looking for a B.O.D or a good biological alarm system... This breed deserves consideration. Yea yea, Not much in the defense department, but that's what the ammo is for. And I will know you are coming!

We have a 10 year old Rat Terrier and four of her kids that just turned three. Smart, fast, well behaved, and very loving. But hell on vermin, they've truely earned their name.

And I promise you, you won't sneak up on my house without me knowing something is amiss.

 

[Smokeyr67]

We have a 10 year old Rat Terrier and four of her kids that just turned three. Smart, fast, well behaved, and very loving. But hell on vermin, they've truely earned their name.

And I promise you, you won't sneak up on my house without me knowing something is amiss.

When you say "rat terrier" are you talking about a breed, or a general type of dog?

 

[Old Soldier]

A true breed, very common here in East Texas. Smaller and more slight of build than a Jack Russel but a similar dog. Bred as a "ratter" to keep the vermin down in the barns and grain bins, a job it does extremly well.

 

[Smokeyr67]

A true breed, very common here in East Texas. Smaller and more slight of build than a Jack Russel but a similar dog. Bred as a "ratter" to keep the vermin down in the barns and grain bins, a job it does extremly well.

Thanks Mate,

So many "breeds" (doodles, cockapoos etc) around these days, it's hard to keep up!

I'm a bit of a fan of mini foxies, they have a big dog attitude in a bite sized package

 

[Old Soldier]

Here's a bit more info for you....

http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/ratterrier.htm

 

[ELBUFO]

I need to add, that these are hi-energy dogs. THEY NEED LOTS OF EXERCISE?/PLAY TIME AND ATTENTION!!!
This is the reason my wife got ours...The lady that bought her wanted a lap dog... She is a lap dog...One that is capable of jumping into it from any place in the house!!!
They can become invisible.
They can walk through walls.
They will always be right beside you (even if you don't see them).
They are fearless!!!
They are not foo-foo dogs!!!

Ours has a spotted belly...We call her a Damnation!

 

[steffen801]

Whopper bloodline pit bull is the way to go

 

[Smokeyr67]

Whopper bloodline pit bull is the way to go

Why, what makes them special?