I see a lot of posts on here frrom time to time asking about this dog or that, what kind of breed of dog they should get, and I wanted to share with you a few breeds most people arent familiar with that I think are great dogs. I've had excellent personal experience with each.

And since doodles and -poo hybrids are so popular right now but so many people cant see paying 4 figures for a mixed breed dog (and I agree!) I'll put a * next to dogs I think are good alterantives for them due to low shed coats. :D

FLAT COATED RETREIVERS: I love them! Sweet, friendly and playful like a golden or lab, but often calmer and they are absolutely brilliant.

PORTUGESE WATER DOGS* : Again, neat dogs, nice meduim size for renters, smart, a little fiesty but with early training great familiy dogs. And you dont need to give them the goofy show cut, a nice puppy clip is adorable.

BEDLINGTON TERRIERS*: Now, my friend who was a groomer disagrees with me here, she hasnt had good experiences with them, but every one I've trained has been really mellow, not terrier-like at all, maybe a touch shy, but really easy to work with.

FRENCH BULLDOGS:They dont call em bull breeds for a nothing, they can be stubborn, but a well bred frenchie is very trainable when you get past that and really even tempered.

LEONBERGERS: If you like massive dogs, these guys are so sweet. Males can get macho, so snip em, train young while they are still small.

CHINESE CRESTED (powderpuff) * : The powder puffs dont have the bald look, very cute if you like the smaller, fluffy look. Easy to train and not typically tempermental.

WIREHAIRED POITNING GRIFFON: If you have time on your hands and love high energy dogs, holy cow these guys can be a handful but they are ton of fun. Probably a bit too drivey for a busy house with small kids, but if you love to train and spend time with your dog you'll have a blast with one of these.

BRUSSELS GRIFFON: Very energetic and playful, confident, small but definitely not "foo-foo". Little wiryhaired bundles of fun. :)

DOGUE DE BORDEUAX: Dont know if AKC is recognizing these guys yet. These are my favorite mastiffs. They have that intimidating bully breed look but are big babies. Sometimes smart, sometimes not, but I've enjoyed every one I've trained. They are strong as hell, so early training is a must.



If I didnt list your breed, dont be upset, I wanted to list dogs that people arent familiar with, and all my opinions are based off my personal training experiences with these dogs. As with ANY purebred dog, the hell with petstores and backyard breeders, do your research, save your money, invest a quality dog from a quality breeder, you'll save money in the long run, or contact a rescue group and save a doggie that needs you. ;)

Hope you ladies find this interesting. :)

DOGUE DE BORDEUAX: Dont know if AKC is recognizing these guys yet. These are my favorite mastiffs. They have that intimidating bully breed look but are big babies. Sometimes smart, sometimes not, but I've enjoyed every one I've trained. They are strong as hell, so early training is a must.


There is a lady up here who has a litter..shes looking for $1800 a piece:oogle they are fun dogs though:yes

Yeah, I doubt any of these breeds are cheap, but look at pet store prices...they arent any better, often worse. I would imagine 1-2k would would be going price for most of them, it seems to be the market for a well bred dog of any breed these days.

[QUOTE=PvtWinkiesgirl;917913]

LEONBERGERS: If you like massive dogs, these guys are so sweet. Males can get macho, so snip em, train young while they are still small.

QUOTE]

I disagree with this. My captian has one who just turned four and was just neutered. He is the most loveable, fun, dog in the WORLD. Ive actually never come across one that was agressive. If they were AKC recognized, I would get one in a second!!

can you give me some info on Rhodisian Ridgebacks?

Go to the AKC website and they will have tons of info!

Go to the AKC website and they will have tons of info!

yeah, but they're not very personal about it, kwim? i wanna know from someone who has worked hands on with them, etc.

They are toss up for me...Some of them have been super friendly, and I worked with one female who was extremely shy. I like them, my husband likes them, but I worked with one great one and I would want one like him, his name was Pablo. There were tons of them at the show here. You should contact your local AKC club ( i know there are a few there) and email them asking if anyone in their club has ridgebacks.

[QUOTE=PvtWinkiesgirl;917913]

LEONBERGERS: If you like massive dogs, these guys are so sweet. Males can get macho, so snip em, train young while they are still small.

QUOTE]

I disagree with this. My captian has one who just turned four and was just neutered. He is the most loveable, fun, dog in the WORLD. Ive actually never come across one that was agressive. If they were AKC recognized, I would get one in a second!!


I did say "can be" not "always are". ;) It took 3 trainers to do one lesson with 3 of them that kept running into each other at the same conformation show and wanted to eat each other in the ring, darn near got kicked out of the show a few times ;) Nice dogs on their own, together, the testosterone was flowing. :lol Every other one I've seen or trained was a sweetie.

Cricket, I've trained a quite a few rhodesians, at the risk of anyone jumping on me, lets just say early consistent training is a must if you want a nice one. I actually really wanted one for a long time until I trained a few, they just aren't my kind of personality. I had a very sweet female go through mt classes a while back, and saw another female last saturday that was growling at the kids. :shrug Owning a good dog is so dependent on genetics and upbringing.

Remember meeting a dog for a few minutes is very different than hands on training that puts the dog under pressure. I'm always a fan of breeders that are honest about the pros AND cons of their breed, because none of them are perfect. :D

I absolutely love leos...Though they can not show in this country, its a shame. She brings him to work once a week if not more and he hangs with me and works in the front. She calls them turbobergers.

They can show in UKC and ARBA, I believe. :)

Their speciality was just in NC, my Capt was there...She shows just in obedience.

I would like to add a dog to the list. Great Pyrenees are great dogs if you can handle big dogs. I own and breed them and love how well the do with the kids and what great guard dogs they are. Although they are not for everyone they take a strong handler but with the right upbringing they can be a great family member.

What about a Mastador?? That is what I have. Bella Roni big fat poni is a Mastiff/Lab.
She is ABSOLUTELY the BEST of both breeds.