Hi,
My wife and I are looking for any advice on what dog breeds might best
fit our lifestyle. I hate to just paste a checklist of requirements b/c
it's so impersonal, but I think it covers the important points that
we've put together in the last few weeks.

Here are the points in no particular order of importance:

- little/No drooling
- Zero to little shedding
- Good for allergies
- Not overly active/energetic/hyoer all the time (I need to be able to
work out of the house during the day and eat dinner in peace)
- Will be relatively calm indoors and not too attention seeking
(similar but not the same as last point)
- Not a huge barker
- Not very difficult to train
- Can train not to chew furniture
- Kid-friendly
- High likelihood of long-term health

We are active and plan up to 1 hr of exercise per day with the dog. We
have a good-size backyard with a radio fence. Would be nice if it could
go on at least 2-4 mile runs with us.

We would like to keep grooming to 1 hr a week and have no problem with
professionally grooming every 2 months.

We have no kids now, but will in the next 3-5 years.
Thanks for any breed suggestions.


-Dave

"Dave" wrote in message
oups.com...
Hi,
My wife and I are looking for any advice on what dog breeds might best
fit our lifestyle. I hate to just paste a checklist of requirements b/c
it's so impersonal, but I think it covers the important points that
we've put together in the last few weeks.

Here are the points in no particular order of importance:

- little/No drooling
- Zero to little shedding
- Good for allergies
- Not overly active/energetic/hyoer all the time (I need to be able to
work out of the house during the day and eat dinner in peace)
- Will be relatively calm indoors and not too attention seeking
(similar but not the same as last point)
- Not a huge barker
- Not very difficult to train
- Can train not to chew furniture
- Kid-friendly
- High likelihood of long-term health

We are active and plan up to 1 hr of exercise per day with the dog. We
have a good-size backyard with a radio fence. Would be nice if it could
go on at least 2-4 mile runs with us.

We would like to keep grooming to 1 hr a week and have no problem with
professionally grooming every 2 months.

We have no kids now, but will in the next 3-5 years.
Thanks for any breed suggestions.


-Dave

Might try a Greyhound for a couch potato. You could work him up to that 2-4
mile run.
They almost never bark. Trainable. Don't drool. Indoor dog. Don't chew.
Gentle for kids. Healthy. Very clean. Walking rugs if you ask me.
~Q

Hi Dave!

There are a number of sites with breed selector menus that let you
"select" certain traits. The URL for the one I like best is on the
Animal Planet website at
http://animal.discovery.com/guides/d...r/selector.jsp

You conditions on drooling and shedding narow things down a bit. I'm no
expert, but I believe there are only two breeds that don't shed at all,
and one of those breeds is a poodle. Size and heat/cold tolerance are
two criteria you didn't mention.
For a large breed, you might want to consider a Bernese Mountain dog
(they do shed and don't tend to live too long, but they are beautiful
dogs, good with kids, and can become good couch potatoes), or a Great
Pyrnees (do shed, can be problem barkers if left to their own devices,
but are mellow, very good children) or German Shepherd (easy to train,
do shed, good with children).
For a mid-size dogs, I think the Golden Retriever seems to be very
popular (although health problems could be an issue). My wife and I had
a Chinook, which is a relatively exotic/expensive dog, and he fit all
of your criteria except the shedding (which was big time!).
Small dogs, I can't give you much help. We now have an American Eskimo
and she also seems to fit all of your requirements (good with kids, has
a long life, good health, is a bit needy, not a big barker, takes a
little time to train, doesn't chew furniture, no drooling, etc).
Of course, all of these statements are generalities, and I'm sure that
for every "breed specific" statement I've made there are ten dog owners
who will have just the opposite expereince.
One last word of advice. My experience is that some of the traits you
list are things that I would perhaps classify more as behaviors, and
therefore things you can train out/control. Chewing furniture for
example is a trait that you can redirect with positive reinforcement to
chewing acceptable items like toys, chews, etc. Barking also is a trait
that to some degree you can control.
I think that you are smart in trying to find a dog that suits your
lifestyle, but remember that to really have a good pet you need to put
time and effort in training him. A dog that is neglected and treated
like part of the furniture can turn very bad, even a "good" breed.
Don't go looking for a totally carefree dog: you won't find it, and the
dog will most likely end up in the pound. When your dog does something
you don't like, and it will, don't think of it as a "bad" dog and get
mad at it. Instead, talk to trainers, post to the ng, ask others how to
TRAIN your dog not to do this behavior. Both you and your dog will be
infinitely more happier for it.

Good luck,

J

In article .com,
junoexpress wrote:
My wife and I had a Chinook,

Why a Chinook?
--
Melinda Shore - Software longa, hardware brevis -

Let us develop a kind of dangerous unselfishness -- ML King

For us, the Chinook had three things we loved.
First, it is an extreme (and I do mean extreme) cold weather dog, and
we lived where it was very cold. Even when it was _way_ below zero, it
could not wait to get out. The colder it was, the more he liked to go
out and the longer he would play outside.

Second, it is a very beautiful and dignified looking dog. You cannot
appreciate how beautiful until you see one.

Third, it has a great temperment. It is mellow, not demonstrative, very
easy to train, smart, loyal, and will basically stay by your side at
all times. Our Chinook was the type of dog that would be with you, but
not all over you. We are very much dog people, i.e. our dogs are part
of our family, and our Chinook's personality made him fit in perfectly.

Chinooks are also good sledding dogs (not the best, but they do like to
pull), but that was not an issue with us.

For most people, a Chinook would not be a good choice. They are
expensive for one thing, and probably a German Shepherd would do the
trick for a person looking for a dog with the qualities we listed
(except perhaps the cold weather part). We happened to have the chance
to get one though and probably the fact that it is different and not a
typical dog attracted us to it.

J

In article .com,
junoexpress wrote:
Second, it is a very beautiful and dignified looking dog. You cannot
appreciate how beautiful until you see one.

I've seen quite a few (there are several in this area, plus
I'm a musher and I've seen them in kennels in New England.
One thing that's surprised me is the variation in
appearance. It shouldn't - I have Siberians, which vary
tremendously between working and show types. But still, for
some undoubtedly stupid reason I expect more consistency in
other breeds (except Border Collies - now *that's* a
variable-appearing breed).

I like Chinooks. They've always struck me as the most
accomodating of the sledding breeds.
--
Melinda Shore - Software longa, hardware brevis -

Let us develop a kind of dangerous unselfishness -- ML King

Dave: A poodle would fit all your requirements. Although ours only
weighs 6 pounds and is very tiny he can easily run over 2 miles with me and
still tear around the yard in circles when we get home. Of course he is too
small to use the elec. fence collar we still have from a Husky and 2 G.
Shepherds but he doesn't need it as he only hangs around the back door when
he is out alone.
We are finding many advantages in a small dog. He acts like a real dog
in every way. And, although I know it is not advised, in several places
around here he can be off leash (when we're not near a road) and is not
percieved as a threat by anyone or any other dog. And he just won't go far
from us. This is very pleasant for us and allows him actually to run a
lot rather than just walk. He has great endurance and, by running can go in
the coldest weather. We have let his coat get very thick and shaggy which
keeps him plenty warm. And being free he can get away from any unpleasant
situation with other dogs. So far nobody has complained about him running
free while theirs are leashed - probably because he is so small and so
freakin' cute. I mean nothing can match this little black furball for cute.
We took him to 5 parties over Christmas and he was the hit of the show. I
provide music in nursing homes and take him there to sit on laps and get
petted and the folks love it. Get a poodle, you won't be sorry. And when
kids come along things will only get better. As you work at home the poodle
will by at your feet or, like right now while I am typing, on my lap
watching. Looking for mistakes, doesn't know I have spell-checker.


"Dave" wrote in message
oups.com...
Hi,
My wife and I are looking for any advice on what dog breeds might best
fit our lifestyle. I hate to just paste a checklist of requirements b/c
it's so impersonal, but I think it covers the important points that
we've put together in the last few weeks.

Here are the points in no particular order of importance:

- little/No drooling
- Zero to little shedding
- Good for allergies
- Not overly active/energetic/hyoer all the time (I need to be able to
work out of the house during the day and eat dinner in peace)
- Will be relatively calm indoors and not too attention seeking
(similar but not the same as last point)
- Not a huge barker
- Not very difficult to train
- Can train not to chew furniture
- Kid-friendly
- High likelihood of long-term health

We are active and plan up to 1 hr of exercise per day with the dog. We
have a good-size backyard with a radio fence. Would be nice if it could
go on at least 2-4 mile runs with us.

We would like to keep grooming to 1 hr a week and have no problem with
professionally grooming every 2 months.

We have no kids now, but will in the next 3-5 years.
Thanks for any breed suggestions.


-Dave