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I'm interested In getting a dog.

I use to a jackrussel cross but unfortunately it was stolen.

I have now since looked at getting a bigger breed not just because its big but smarter as well.

Im looking for something that will be medium to large sized and is intelligent and obedient.

I have wanted a breed like a Dobermann but I'm not sure how they are.

I would to know if thier are any people on dakka who own dobermann and give tips on whether I should get one or not and why.

I also like Samoyed but I live in Australia and I'm worried that it will be too hot for it.

So dakka what dog breed should I get?

Don't know about dobberman, but at home i got a Berner Sennen.
These a big race of dogs. But they are very friendly and cute.
Hell, i can even wrestle with my dog.

pics: (from the internets.)

My family has always had boxers and really enjoyed them. They are very family friendly, smart and playful. They are high energy dogs, so if you are active, they are a good fit.

I have heard that Dobies, while trainable, can be somewhat stupid.
in my experience, for medium sized and smart would be the Australian Shepard, or a husky mix.
For small and wicked smart, it's hard to beat the Pomerainian.

Just don't get a beagle. My roommate had one, and it was a hellion. They are insane, and seem to be untrainable.

Beagles are the perfect all-rounders. They aren't big dogs, however. A healthy adult will weigh between 25 and 35 pounds. They are smart, patient, loving dogs. Genetically, they are one of the healthiest of all breeds. I'd recommend getting a female as they are a little less prone to wander.

This is how they treat their owners:

Cottonjaw wrote:Just don't get a beagle. My roommate had one, and it was a hellion. They are insane, and seem to be untrainable.

They are trainable, but work best in small groups.

Cottonjaw wrote:Just don't get a beagle. My roommate had one, and it was a hellion. They are insane, and seem to be untrainable.

Your roomate was probably not much of a dog owner. I have had beagles all my life and only ever had problems with one. As I said, females are generally a better choice than males.

Thanks for the comments guys.

I am finding it hard to choose what brred of dog I want.

Response to sillyboy I have heard that Berner Sennen are good dog the only promblem I might have owning one thought is that they are quite furry and in the Aussie heat would be a nightmare.


Repsonse to helgrenze Really? I heard Dobermann are the fith smartest dog in the world. I have thought about Australian shepard and husky mixed At first I was interested in a pure husky but heard they often wander off and are quite wild.

Response to thedarksaint I have good things about boxers. I might consider that 1.


As for deagles. They are a great breed but I think it might a little too small. I will think about whether I want a smaller dog like a deagle or not.

Get another Jack Russell, or a larger fox terrier. They're awesomes.

I Highly recommend the Border Collie. Medium size and a highly intelligent dog, with proper training it can become one of the best companions you can have.

Experience: Lived with dogs all my life from small to large (+ lived on a farm). German shepards are awesome as well yet they require a lot of exercise + and effort.

Cheers.

Get a husky.

I had a long discussion with the wife about it because she wanted a dog and although I am not a dog fan, I was willing to compromise providing we got a husky. That was until I read some husky facts:

1. They aren't good with kids (we have a baby)

2. They chase and kill small furry creatures, like cats (we have 3 cats)

3. They moult vast amounts of hair (I am not keen on the smell of hairy, wet dog)

4. They require enormous amounts of exercise.

The moulting and the exercise I could just about tolerate but I think the potentially eating small children and cats was a bit of a deal breaker.

Still, lovely animals....

Filbert - its honestly just the way you train them. I've seen very gentle Huskies that wouldn't hurt a fly, and others that are... essentially just wild dogs.

Murray wrote:Filbert - its honestly just the way you train them. I've seen very gentle Huskies that wouldn't hurt a fly, and others that are... essentially just wild dogs.

Possibly, quite possibly but not the sort of experiment one subjects one's newborn to.

Go with a Black Labrador. Crazy intelligent, and well... just crazy! I've got one and she's loads of fun - incredibly good-natured.

They need a lot of exercise, but they are fantastic family pets.

go rottweiler

big. right amount of fur for australia i reckon. not as energetic as retrievers and shepherds. loyal to a fault and when trained well wont bark a lot (if at all)

In Australia, I wouldn't reccomend a border collie (I have own multiple collies myself) its too hot for it to exercise properly and constant extreme heat from it would seriously hurt it over a long period of time.

Get a golden retreiver, beauitful dogs if abit dim but very loyal and always a great companion.

Bakerofish wrote:go rottweiler

big. right amount of fur for australia i reckon. not as energetic as retrievers and shepherds. loyal to a fault and when trained well wont bark a lot (if at all)

...plus, if you make your kid a romper-suit made of meat, you won't need a TV.

i think that applies to any ill trained dog Alby. But id feel fine with a rott or a lab with my kid than say a Dalmatian or a chihuahua.

I guess I'm just not into the idea of owning an animal that could kick my ass if it decided to.

The most lovable dogs I have found are English Springer Spaniel, Border Collie and Red Setter. Although Springer Spaniels can be a bit mad and boisterous, but they are gun dogs so can be trained and are very loyal and protective.

Be careful with Doberman. While they can be loyal and protective they can also turn vicious very quickly. I've known a few Dobermen and while not all vicious towards me they were still vicious animals despite being treated well. Ditto for Rottweiller.

You could also condsider German Shepherd/Alsation.

Chaos Lord Gir wrote:In Australia, I wouldn't reccomend a border collie (I have own multiple collies myself) its too hot for it to exercise properly and constant extreme heat from it would seriously hurt it over a long period of time.

Get a golden retreiver, beauitful dogs if abit dim but very loyal and always a great companion.

Funny enough a lot of Australians have border collies.

They dont have much of a problem with the weather here.

Mind you most of the border collies have been here for about 100 years so they may be diffrent from your dogs in the UK.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

Ugavine wrote:The most lovable dogs I have found are English Springer Spaniel, Border Collie and Red Setter. Although Springer Spaniels can be a bit mad and boisterous, but they are gun dogs so can be trained and are very loyal and protective.

Be careful with Doberman. While they can be loyal and protective they can also turn vicious very quickly. I've known a few Dobermen and while not all vicious towards me they were still vicious animals despite being treated well. Ditto for Rottweiller.

You could also condsider German Shepherd/Alsation.

I have heard that Doberman can potentianaly be agressive as with the Rotweiler.

but I have heard from breeders and trainers that they can be wonderful dogs with the right training.

As for a German shepard I think they might be a bit to furry and shed fur alot. Thats why I thought the Doberman was a good breed to choose that and its smart and obedient

You also need to consider where you live and how much exercise your dog will need...

If you have wide open spaces and time for a 14km run every afernoon, get a cattledog X

I'm a big fan of both English Cocker Spaniels and Boxers.

Screw all that. Go to a pound or rescue shelter. Get an old mutt and get a young mutt. They will love you like life itself.

For smarts, the list varies past the top 2..mostly.

The top 2 for brains are the Border Collie and the Standard Poodle.
Down side on the poodle is the grooming, though there was a reason for the original cut.

The down side for the Border Collie is they can get bored easily which can lead to distructive behavior.

If you just want a good dog that is easily trained and usually well behaved, you might want to look at the retriever family, Goldens usually rank in the top 10 for smarts and are often trained as companion and help dogs due to relatively low maintenance and pleasent personality.

If you want an incredibly intelligent and loyal dog, get a weimaraner. They're very high energy, though, so if you don't plan on giving it the exercise it needs then get a different breed.

Another great dog is a Rhodesian Ridgeback. Best dogs ever. Very hard headed and stubborn, and hard to train, but they are just fantastic dogs. They are extremely, I mean EXTREMELY, intelligent, but very aloof, making them hard to train; if they don't respect you, they just won't do what you want, so they're really not for beginning dog owners.
We have a beautiful ridgeback that we rescued, and he is a fantastic dog. We think that whoever bred him just threw him out because he is of the larger variety and was born without a ridge, making him unshowable.

If you consider a ridgeback than look for puppies without a ridge because most breeders will probably give them away for less, despite the fact that they are no less of a great dog. Also try rescue organizations or shelters. Try giving a home to a dog that would otherwise not have one.

all dogs have the potential to be nasty if you think about it. except labs and their equivalents IMHO. i have never seen a lab or retriever go beyond the obilgatory baring of teeth. but im sure there are horror stories out there

rotts have a bad rep because of idiots who breed them for viciousness. and yes when theyre vicious they will make you wish you wore brown pants.

but i like well trained rotts with kids because they have thick skin. Kids will sometimes spank pull and pinch and the rott has a high threshhold for that type of play and wont bite as a first instinct.

oh and whatever dog you get try to avoid playing the tug of war game. if theres anything that teaches dogs that biting is a good thing its this game.

If you have to get a specific breed of a dog, get a dachshund, if not get a mutt, because they are by far the smartest.

Now the dachshunds are probably the moving loving dogs you can ask for.

Just take a look at mine and tell me they are not cute as buttons!

Tamaskan!