Yet another pick-a-breed thread!

AliciaD

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#21
I feel like a poodle should be fine for dock diving because they were originally water dogs (?) but I have no first hand experience with that.

What about a flat coated retriever? I don't know as much about them but they aren't as common as goldens, lol.

Basically, all I can definitively say is "don't get a chow chow". :p
 
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#22
Basically, all I can definitively say is "don't get a chow chow". :p
LOL noted!

I could do a flat coat. There's a good breeder not far from here.

LOL @ dumb blonde setters. Poor redheads...

I used to know the Harrison's who breed red and whites here. Awesome dogs but they seemed a bit...timid maybe? Very sucky, lap dog personalities.

Totally in another direction and not at all suited for what I need, but I love ACDs. If I was single and childless...
 
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#24
Also, thoughts on pup vs adult and whether its possible to do all this with a rescue dog, providing I'm just in it for fun and not serious competition?
 

AdrianneIsabel

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#26
Also, thoughts on pup vs adult and whether its possible to do all this with a rescue dog, providing I'm just in it for fun and not serious competition?
While I *choose* to get my dogs as pure bred puppies that is far more about the assurance of companion compatibility.

Shamoo however, a rescue at 10, started in flyball with plenty of ability only to be cut when her knee started acting up after repetition of the box hit, she tinkered in agility (knowing we'd never do much with her joints) and would have done well, she is titled in dock dogs, she could have been an obed dog (these days her brain isn't clear enough to work) and frankly could have been a bitework dog, she's also dappled in barn hunts and lately I have been playing with her in tracking.

Shamoo, truthfully, is one in a million. She is extremely driven, has great structure (prior to the life of obesity and it's abuse), she's dog tolerant, and she's minimally environmentally stimulated when put to work. If I ever found another Shamoo I might never need another dog.

Keep your eyes open for a rescue and consider purebred, well bred, litters. There is no wrong in either.
 
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#27
Our next dog NEEDS to be kid/dog friendly, hubs insists.

Interesting that these are his two big Must Haves as our big issues with Obi are his separation anxiety, lack of reliable house training and his obsession with garbage diving.

He used to be a social butterfly and was very dog appropriate when we adopted him at 8 months but he matured into a dog who is very pushy, bossy, domineering and selective with other dogs. He's really inappropriate now. I'm not sure if this is mostly the result of her individual personality or something that we've done wrong.
 

Flyinsbt

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#28
Yes, Irish Setters unfortunately lost their brains when they were overbred. I do know some well-bred IS' who are not stupid, but it's something to watch. The driviest, most intense setters are probably field-bred English. Show bred English and Gordons are pretty similar; solid temperaments, get along well with almost anyone, steady workers. Uh, English Pointers can be like that too, and are another breed I could recommend. I don't personally like Weims much. There are good ones, and there are freaky ones. Same with GSPs. (I probably just irritated a bunch of people)

Here's some agility with a Gordon Setter and a Weim, and also a Stafford, to let you compare some of these breeds. BTW, this is her slow Gordon, and that was my slow Stafford.

[YOUTUBE]ygfYOT2WR0U[/YOUTUBE]

My friend with the Gordons usually has 3, always bitches. I went to her trailer when we were going out to dinner after a trial once, and I had Tully with me. The Gordons were in their X-pen yard outside the trailer door, and I walked in with Tully and turned her loose while I went to talk to the humans. The dogs all drifted around calmly, mostly ignoring each other.
If you can walk in with your much smaller dog into other dogs' territory without anyone even looking irritated, those are pretty darn non-DA dogs.
 
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#29
Ah yes! English pointers! We have two amazing EP's from the same breeder and they're awesome dogs!

I'm not sure I like the looks of setters. Vanity. I haz it. :/
 

AliciaD

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#30
Lucy (one of the chaz fosters is an ACD mix and I think her petfiner bio said she was good with nondominant dogs and shy with people but likes people. She also loves the water and could be a dock dog or other sport prospect. Lol her foster can tell you more and I could be wrong but I figured i'd give you a bunch of broad ideas and you can narrow it down.

If you go with an adult rescue (since pup rescue temperments can be hard to predict) you may want to try smaller dogs with breeds not known for hip dysplasia or other severe health issues. But otherwise a rescue could be great!
 
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*blackrose

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#31
Well, I was going to say Lab, so....nevermind. LOL

If you don't need a push button-biddable, extremely outgoing dog (if more reserved/polite is okay, and you also don't mind a "watch dog"), maybe look in to Curly Coated Retrievers as well. I only say this because I was highly considering them before I decided on a Chessie, and the people in the Curly Coat community that I spoke with were super helpful and more than willing to discuss their dogs and the breed in general.

(Although after how many times I've been asked if Abrams is a Labradoodle due to his wavy hair, I don't know if I could stand owning a Curly. ROFLMAO)

Even though I prefer a more discriminating dog, I have also grown quite fond of certain types of Goldens. There is just something about a Golden that is a Good Dog. This breeder was one of the breeders that piqued my interest when I was breed/breeder searching. That would probably be the kind of Golden I'd look for if I ever decided to bring one home.

(I swear, if I ever have a disposable income, a big house, and tons of land, I'm going to end up with one of each of the retrievers. LOL Who wants to bet that would confuse a lot of people?)
 

Muttkip

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#32
A nice Golden fits your bill!!!

I grew up with one and she was amazing, so tolerant of everything loved being with me and my cousins, let my sister crawl all over her and just all around amazing dog! She lived to be 19 years old on a farm in Alabama and was following kids around the day she died.
 
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#33
Goldens really are awesome. I just need to get over my dog snobbiness and realize that they fit really well with what I'm looking for lol.

I should also add, if BSL is ever repealed, all this goes out the window in favor of a staffy.
 

yv0nne

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#35
Well, since we seem to be swaying you with agility videos ..here's my favorite person who runs a Vizzy ;)

[YOUTUBE]Gao1smliHzM[/YOUTUBE]
 

Flyinsbt

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#37
Goldens really are awesome. I just need to get over my dog snobbiness and realize that they fit really well with what I'm looking for lol.

I should also add, if BSL is ever repealed, all this goes out the window in favor of a staffy.
I have to admit, Goldens and Labs don't appeal to me at all. I can like and pet other peoples, but it's like I am with my friends' Border Collies: scritchscritchscritch "okay, done, take your dog now." The only retriever with any appeal to me personally is Chesapeakes, and I still don't want one.

If you do decide to get either a Golden or a Lab, do be careful because there are some individuals in both those breeds with very atypical temperaments. Both dog aggression and human aggression are possible, and since nobody ever expects those from a retriever, people tend not to be careful around them.
 
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#39
You're right Sarah. I know three goldens who have been euthanized for extreme DA/HA. They're really commonly bred by Mennonite/Amish people in this area who dot exactly focus on sound temperament, health or socialization...

Muttkip, how would he do on the dock diving front? ;)
 

Muttkip

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#40
You're right Sarah. I know three goldens who have been euthanized for extreme DA/HA. They're really commonly bred by Mennonite/Amish people in this area who dot exactly focus on sound temperament, health or socialization...

Muttkip, how would he do on the dock diving front? ;)
Depends on what is in it for him :rofl1: he doesn't LOVE water, but he'll go in if you ask him and promise him LOTS of food afterwards. He much rather sit on the couch with Ev!
 

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