Need your opinions on a smaller dog

[sailedNJ]

About the off leash thing, you'll probably get mixed feelings about whether it is ok to do or not. I'm one of those that has to do that same thing so as long as the area is away from traffic, I'm alright with it.

Breed types that are good for off leash, IMO, are terriers, herders, and retrievers. Breeds that are likely to be a bit more troublesome off leash are hounds and spitz types. As always though, there are always exceptions, just like with fish.

It's important to get your dog to respond to recall commands whether or not you plan keeping it off leash most of the time, just for those times when it might get away from you in less than ideal situations (i.e. high traffic areas etc). But I agree with Taysius, if you're away from traffic, it's cool.

She brings up another good point about certain breeds being off leash. Training is important, but breeding also plays into it as well (to a certain extent). Breeds like retrievers & herders (Spaniels are retrievers) have been breed over time to work in conjunction with their handlers out in the field. Thus those breeds tend to respond better to commands while off leash. Hounds on the other hand are breed to track quarry down on their own & keep it a bay until their masters arrive, thus they are breed to do their job with less handling by their masters, so they tend to be more "troublesome" off leash (especially the sight hounds like Salukis, Afghans, Greyhounds etc).

But like Taysius pointed out, there are always exceptions (e.g. she opined that terriers are OK off leash & yes some are but there are exceptions for instance like the 2 JRTs your friends have are not OK off leash). IME JRTs are horrible off leash (too much prey drive, so that's one exception right there). Training can mitigate some of this difficulties to a certain extent, but no amount of training can erase generations of breeding, so do your research & good luck!

When you do finally choose a dog please update this thread with your choice & some pics please. As popular as this thread has been I'm sure a lot of us would like to see your final choice (I would).

 

[Taysius]

When you do finally choose a dog please update this thread with your choice & some pics please. As popular as this thread has been I'm sure a lot of us would like to see your final choice (I would).

:iagree:

 

[Turbosaurus]

I am so glad you are going to the shelter. I have two tips for you.

As for training your dog to behave off leash, you're going to have to do a lot of work to train the dog, and it starts with basic obedience at home. Its not really that much work, you just have to be consitant all the time and do 5 minutes of practice every morning and evening. A lot of the big chain stores have a set of starter classes for under $100 and they are great. Start young. The two best books I ever read on dog training were the Kohler method and catch your dog doing something right. get them both, they are opposite ends of the spectrum (one is about total dominance, the other is 100% positive reinforcement) and you will find your niche with your dog somewhere in between. Then, when you have basic obedience down, get an electronic remote collar so you can correct the dog even without the leash. Its the best money I ever spent.

The biggest thing about having our dog off leash will be problems not with attention, that's just good training and can be done with any dog if you put in the work, but with potential agression towards other dogs or people. You can't always tell with a puppy, so maybe look for an young adult dog at the pound that is already well adjusted and friendly toward strangers and other dogs.

Also, you may be able to change your wife's mind if she meets some nice big dogs. I have two pits and my friend was petrified of coming over my house. I finally convinced her to come with a bunch of other people. Ten minutes in she had both 80lb pit bulls snuggled up in her lap (and she weighs all of 110lbs) and she is now determined to get one of her own.

 

[bgourami320]

Have you looked at pugs? Not sure about their shedding....but they remind me of compact little bull mastiffs!!

OMG, we have one, they're little shedding machines! But sweet little guys.

 

[bgourami320]

here in NY we have a leash law. And honestly unless the park is enclosed I agree with it, you just never know. And a dog should be taught to come when he's called before any leash is taken off, it can save their lives.

 

[abcdefghi]

I have nothing to add to this thread, except that it reminds me that in a little over a weeks time we will be picking up our first dog. We are getting a Golden Retriever who will be approximately 10 weeks old when we pick him up.

Cheech, good luck with whatever dog you and your family pick.

 

[Cheech]

Congrats, abc... Goldens are amazing dogs! Be sure to post pics when you get him/her/

I love pugs, but from what we've been reading, they're not the ideal dog for us.

I really like the look, size, and temperment of the wheaten terrier. Thanks for the suggestion.

As for training, this is another spectrum of the whole dog ownership thing I haven't looked at yet. I always watch Cesar Milan when I catch him on TV, and I do think he's amazing at what he does. however, I don't think all of us have that natural ability to be as good as he is with the way he handles dogs.

he is amazing though. I know some trainers don't agree with his methods. I do think that dogs shouldn't be treated as little people, and doing so can make for an unstable dog.

So I'm not sure if I should be doing this alone, or if I should bring it to a training center, (coincidentally having one across the street from my house)...


Question: I live in a bilingual city, majority of the people speak french. Do you think a dog will get confused being trained in french in school but in english by Rosie and I?

 

[sailedNJ]

Question: I live in a bilingual city, majority of the people speak french. Do you think a dog will get confused being trained in french in school but in english by Rosie and I?

People talk to their dogs but dogs respond to short, sharp tones & body language not long sentences or conversations. That's why commands are short, single syllable words e.g. SIT, STAY, COME, DOWNetc. So it shouldn't be a problem. Even if they're teaching your dog those commands in French, you can easily learn those few words in French for the sake of initially training your pooch. Once you're dog has those commands down pat & is no longer being trained at the school, you could eventually start incorporating the English equivalent of those commands when you are handling your dog, just like you can get a dog to respond to a new name (e.g. shelter dogs).

 

[Taysius]

My dad's shelter pomeranian knew commands in Spanish but we didn't know it. I know absolutely nothing in Spanish but I knew that a dog that was housebroken had to very likely know how to sit on command. A bit of google and poor pronunciation on my part later we had it figured out. She now knows the commands in English and it really wasn't that difficult to make that transition.

 

[chefjamesscott]

chinese crested hairless for the win.

If you were anywhere near us I could fix you up for very very very affordable as we breed them.

Or if hairless is not your cup we also have powder puffs.

A couple of our latest pups that we kept the rest went to good homes.

my daughter with goggles

and victor so named for the v on his head

them with mom (we gave nala to my wife's cousin as a gift and she died the hair)

Yeh man cheech if you guys were close to us I would definitely fix you up with an awesome dog. Powder puffs do not shed, and hairless well they have nothing to shed