I got a dog from the Dog's Trust (was the NCDL back then). He was about 1 when we got him. He's a big mix (even some dalmation spots on his leg) but he's only about 1.5 feet tall when walking and he's VERY calm with little children, he just sniffs them and wags his tail.
TBH as long as you get a dog that won't grow big and isn't known to be aggresive then you should be alright.
btw chows (the non overbred type without skinfolds all over) are absolutely my favourite type of dog
although theyre more like cats characterwise (works for kids too ... its lovely to tell children your chow is a lion)
Now, imagine something similar happening with an African Grey parrot, two dogs (one a 6 month old Doberman doing it's best to look like it had done two lines any time of the day, the other a 2 year old weird mutt that looks like a tall labrador coloured exactly like a rottweiler), two 30 year old tortoises on the act, and two young cats out to prove themselves in a world full of feline adventure. And that's just part of my landlord's pets who keep me company, whether I want them to or not. Luckily his 135dB-scream amazon parrot keeps to their place.
Usually the simplest situation involves having to deal with getting my bike out of a storeroom littered with a pigeon's bodyparts and feathers early in the morning, courtesy of said cats.
However the above adventure (for characters levelled 10 upwards) involved the cats chasing the parrot, the tortoises decided to copulate while using my door as a sex toy, as I open the door to see what all the banging is about (the noise - for the other banging you'd have to ask the tortoises) the parrot flies in, cats go in through the open window to the garden on the side - landlord starts yelling and the dogs instantly go after the cats. Hooray.
I would get (if i was allowed, damn parents, cant wait to get my own place and be able to have a dog ) a collie or golden retriever...
Both beutiful dogs, both loyal and normally harmless! Both very bright, wouldnt go very wrong with either!!! ok they are abit hairy, but imagine stroking them
ive a rotweiller an absulute house pet i brought him to obedience training and stuff so hes very tame nd good around children really get 1 !!!juts because people hear about rotweillers ther go ohhhhhhhhh ahhhhhhh rotweillers dont know there rotweilers they dont go around attacking for know reason !like one day i was walking my dog and a ldy started rubbing him then she goes what dog is it i said rotweiller nd she ran !! i as like relax !!!there only dangerous if they are trained to my dog doesnt know the strenght he has because he never had to use it
theres a of him with my mate
Thanks Sinbad I think I'll take you up on that one, I was just talking to a girl here in work, she said theres' a dog shelter in Baltinglass somewhere and the owners of the shelter have given up there house to the cause! The dog's all live in the house and owners of the shelter live in a caravan in the garden!!!lol bloody nuttersillepall ,
Anyway I imagine those dogs will have some idea of "street sense", pardon the language but the last thing I want is an expensive pure-bred dumb mutt that I'll have to spend hundrerds of € to stop him from running into walls and what not> So doggy shelter here I come n' I'll give a dog a nice new home for x-mas...ahhhh...so sweet
My folks used to have a hugely undertrained and spoiled rottweiler.
As a pup she used to even stomp on ants, I shit you not. Anything not a dog or human and especially anything smaller than her had on room on this planet. Smart, I can give her as much credit, exteremely protective of inanimate family property but I wouldn't trust her around screaming kids at play.
Bottom line is - that sort of dog needs huge dedication and is a big responsibility from day one.
Last dog I had was a collie - sadly had to put the old bastard down when he couldn't get up any longer. I swear that dog was the reincarnation of some sort of canine Gandhi and an excellent companion.
Whippets are incredibly sweet dogs. My cousin owns two, and it will probably be the next dog I get. Unfortunatly the local politicians (and my neighbors) get nervous when you own more than three dogs ( not sure why they don't have similar regulations on children).
Whippets aren't tiny, but are typically more laid back than many smaller dogs. You can't let them outside ANYWHERE without a leash, unless YOU can run 30 mph for 2-12 hours
Pugs are very sweet and intelligent dogs too, great with kids, not terribly hairy, very gentle natured. I understand they tend to snore, but you would too, if someone pushed your nose into your head.
Ahh good to hear man! It will make you feel so good every time you look at the dog enjoying its happy new life with you.
Talk to the people at the dog shelter and spend as much time with as many of them as you can. It may sound a bit harsh, but don't let yourself immediately be drawn to the most pathetic or downtrodden looking animal. You want a dog for life, not just one to tend to as it recovers from whatever tragedy it endured previously. Look them in the eyes and you'll know which one you'd like to give a home to.
I worked with the state Guide Dogs breeding centre last year and it was bloody brilliant! I'm a sucker for dogs so getting up and going to work with anything up to sixty labs each day, ranging from month-olds to 1 year olds was wicked. They're perfect for a family looking for a big dog. They love attention and games and stuff and are very loyal to their pack.
Thing is, my beagle would get jealous when I got home smelling of all these other dogs. The famous beagle nose would go into overdrive and she'd spend 20 minutes sniffing my clothes and then she'd ignore me until I walked her. Little bitch Beagles are great for families though. Lots of energy, great temperament and very good with kids. Their nose will lead them into trouble though so you have to be quite serious about training them - they're very smart dogs and can learn a wide range of commands. They're great escape artists and will destroy your entire house if they're bored - lots of people suggest getting two beagles for company when humans aren't around because of their built-in pack-hunter mentality. Also their appetite is a bottomless pit and they'll always want snacks - don't get sucked in by their cute droopy faces and feed them when they want or they'll get fat. Apart from my dog and the quarantine beagles at the airport I don't think I've seen a beagle that wasn't shaped like a barrel Because of their nosiness and smarts you need patience to train them, but it's all worth it.
Shelter dogs can be awesome too. My friends rescued a funny-looking black thing from a shelter a few years ago - think he was Rottweiler/Doberman/something - and he's one of the most gentle (and tall) dogs I've met. It's good to be gentle when a beagle can walk straight under you without ducking
If you don't like a dog that leaves hair everywhere, what about a poodle they have wool and don't molt. They come in small medium and large, and if you look after them like a dog and not a girlie show piece they are great family dogs. My folks have a toy version and its was nearly as big as a Labrador and was a great house dog.