Was your breed choice inspired by a book/movie/etc?

I was recently charmed by the Cavalier King Charles Spaniels in a film, and started wondering how many people can trace their choice of a dog straight back to a work of fiction. Personally, I read all of Albert Payson Terhune's collie books as a kid, and still can't shake their influence - two of my three dogs have been collies. I've known a couple of people who went into Irish Setters as a result of reading Jim Kjelgaard's "Big Red." And it's very clear to me that the current craze for Great Danes started roughly around the release of "Schindler's List," which featured two harlequin Danes in a rather unpleasant role. I was impressed by the dogs; apparently, so were a lot of people.

So, anyone else?

I can't really think of anything written that features Aussies, so I guess not. Although now that I think of it, "Spike of Swift River" featured a shepherd, probably German, but it never specified as Spike was a mutt, so that may have had something to do with it.

The Kjelgaard books did make me consider Setters at one point, but I read more and met a few and decided they weren't for me.

Actually, I was never really influenced by fiction books/movies.

One of my favorite dog books when I was growing up was Old Yeller. After I adopted Zeus, I found out that Old Yeller was a blackmouth cur. Funny!

what film was the cavalier in? i havent seen a film with cavaliers are in.
i researched this breed in books, and seen some in real life.

No. I just always had a "thing" for German Shepherds, and the Filas were, after much research into guardian dogs and herding dogs, the perfect fit for the farm.

I HOPE no one ever makes a movie about Filas!

Well...In my life I've had my share of dogs, (Labs, a Golden, a Siberian Husky, a Beagle, a Border Collie, a Flat Coat Retriever, Silky Terriers, and a Yorkie, and I did get Chewy (my Border) because I saw the movie 'Babe'. lol! I also wanted to name my Beagle Shiloh, but she was a girl, so we named her Dasha (I was like 6, I don't even know where I got the name...???) but we didn't plan on getting her, she was a 'Walmart Special'. I got straight A's all year, and my dad said I could get ANYTHING at Walmart, so I looked, and looked, but didn't find what I wanted, so I was upset (in tears lol) and we walked outside, and there was little Dasha in a box that said 'Free Puppy.' I looked up at my dad and said 'we're still at walmart' and he couldn't refuse. But the only dog that really 'inspired' me to get one of that certai breed were the little Border pups in 'Babe' they were SO cute! lol! But all of our other dogs besides our Husky, and our Yorkie were spur of the Moment things. We researched before getting our Husky, and I REALLY did my research before we got Dixie(Yorkie). Great Idea for a topic by the way. Some one should make one 'What inspired you to get your breed?'

The Hound of the Baskervilles.. lol

There's an Irish Wolfhound in the story and he's mean... bad descriptions of IW's.. lol

I don't know what the choice behind our doberman when I was a kid was.... they got her as a pup shortly before I was born and she and I grew up together. I believe that choice may have been influenced by my mom's dog, Star, whom I have deducted from some blurry old photographs was some kind of doberman mix. We tried again with a dobie when I was 10 but she got aggressive with my toddler sister (who was encouraged by the next door neighbor to bite her back when she puppy-chewed, so Shay was biting large flaps of loose skin on Rosie that she lifted up off her back and the dog got aggressive)....

Not sure why we had a sheltie either.

Then the danes sorta just fell into our laps. We had a friend in Maine that sent a litter over two at a time for us to sell for her and Sarah came with the first pair and she just sorta... stayed. I'd love to have another dane but don't forsee it in my future at the farm until I build on my part of the property and that won't be for a while!!

The mini aussies were mom's idea and... well!

Yes, I've loved Golden Retriever since I was very, very young. This is thanks to the MANY shows that Goldens were featured on. I'm drawing a blank as to names of movies/shows but I do know they influenced me when I was young. I do remember that Air Bud, Homeward Bound are two of them that came out later that helped my love of Goldens Develop.

The Hound isn't really specified as to breed in the story, Irish There has been all sorts of speculation about different breeds and mixes . . . even some theories that it describes a Fila, since at that time, one of their jobs was to retrieve runaway slaves and fugitives. That is all speculation and the dog is probably an amalgam of several different breeds - and bad dreams - from the imagination of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, since one of the reasons the Fila was so prized for that particular job is because unless the unfortunate quarry fought back, the nature of the Fila is to hold without harming. And, as you know so well, the Irish Wolfhound is a gentle creature with humans

nope. I grew up around coonhounds and pits. All working dogs and ever since i was little i only wanted them lol. I dont see myself with anyother type or dog exept other "hog dogs" like catalouha's and black mouths and a fila.

Actually ive turned down 2 movie rolls for my dogs due to the surge of sales that would harm the breed..

I did appear on one game show and that as fun . When ive appeared on tv with the dogs and say they are not for everyone and list the 10 reasons not to own one i get attacked by the bybreeders..

But mind you I was very much into the Lassie thing as a kid all the movies i had to see.

So now as a adult it is choosing between my ego and vanity with knowledge that Tv promos be it movies or commercials = rescues..

I want a Siberian husky very badly. one day i will get one. As a kid i loved all the sled dog books and movies that were out. I still do love them.
my mother is half inuit so that also influences me

Nope, I got Lucas just because of his personality.

Nope. In fact there's only one movie I can think of that had a Toller in it (can't remember the name) and it just came out a few years ago. I fell in love with the breed after meeting one a looong time ago, when I was about 4 or 5 I think.

I didn't get a beagle because of any movies or anything, although I do like Shiloh. Watching 8 Below made me want a Husky, then my boyfriend rescued one, because he has always liked huskies and has a husky mix already.

But I for some reason I really like floppy dogs...lol....thats what I call dogs with floppy ears. So probably the dogs that I pick will end up being floppy dogs.

I love dog movies, and may bring a breed to my interest, but I will research and make sure it fits before getting one.

I had never ever seen a Golden or really had heard of one before I started to research hunting dogs for my Dad. We had just lost our Irish Setter , so at 13 looked up Hunting Dogs ( Not easy back then without the internet ! ) Almost went with a Gordon Setter until I looked up Retrievers and I fell in love with the looks and the discription . Dad did both land and water bird hunting , so a Retriever was perfect !! Trouble was , 1st time out the gun scared Point and he ran back to the car and jumped in through the window ! After that , he was my dog !

What kind of dog is on the movie "becuase of winn dixie"
is it a mix? I think that dog is sooo cute!

I got my first lab from my brother who was going through a hard time and needed us to keep his dog till he could take her back. 2 months go by and by that time this 12 yr old fell in love!! Her name was CoCoa. Man I miss her!

We really didn't have a preference at first because when we got Cody we only got him becuase he was the oldest puppy at the mall(our family wasn't aware of puppymills ect. when we got him) and he was going to the pound the very next week if he wasn't adopted!!! We love him so much and figured he was the perfect breed for us and boy were we right!