Can you recommend breeds that are calm?

[sue]

What about a Lab?

[sheltiepups]

No, labs are really hyper, from what I have heard they don't "grow" out of puppy stage until they are three years old. That doesn’t mean they are not great dogs, just really hyper.

[Renee750il]

You not only have to think about how calm a breed is, but what kind of environment you live in; whether it's rural or urban, do you have a fenced yard or will you have to walk your dog on a leash, how active you can be with your dog, large or small dog, whether or not you have small children or other pets, how much time do you have to spend with your dog, there are lots of things to consider.

Maybe we can be of more help if we have a better idea of the situation.

[jiggaman_321]

Renee you are totally right. We need an idea of your atmosphere because many dogs have their needs. For example, an English Bulldog is basically a dog that does not have a high energy level and probably has the lowest out of all the breeds, therefore meaning not much excercise is needed. The English Bulldog also has very low cold and heat tolerence and might not get along with other dogs.

[jennza]

Do you know anything about Greyhounds? I have 2 retired racers, and they are the calmest dogs I have ever had or been around. They are very low maintenance in general! They aren't small, but they actually curl up & take up less room than you might think. It's a big secret what perfect pets these make because the stereotype is that they need lots of room & lots of exercise, which is not true at all. They can run in a small area for 1 to 2 minutes & then are ready to come in & sleep for hours on end. If interested, you should look for a rescue group in your area. A lot of people don't realize that even with the hundreds of rescue groups, thousands of retired racers are euthanized every year. Anyone who goes to the racetrack might as well be holding a gun to their heads. But, besides all of that, there are "greyt" benefits to adopting a retired racer. The good rescue groups cover every detail; they come spayed/neutered and with all of their vaccinations & teeth cleaned. (The adoption fee rarely even covers the cost of all of those things. I've never seen a fee for over $175.). They find the dog that would be the perfect match for your life-style. They can be rescued at any age & they live to be 12 - 14. Many of the dogs are in foster homes before getting adopted, so they have been taught basic house-rules & you wouldn't even have to mess with potty training. They can tell you whether it would prefer to be an only dog or if it gets along with other dogs (small or big), cats, etc.........
Anyway, I could go on & on. Good luck in your search.

Jenny

[Renee750il]

Jenny - you've really given some great advice there! I've known several people who have adopted retired (or condemned) racing greyhounds and they are peace loving, affectionate, delightful companions. They're also extremely clean dogs. You do need a fenced yard, though, since they are sight hounds, and you can't leave them outside in a doghouse year round. Not only do they need protection from harsh weather, they will pine away without close contact with their people. But why have a dog if you don't want to it to be with you whenever you're at home?

[chazhound]

Greyhounds sounds like very cool dogs...

[pitbulliest]

greyhounds are calm, but they still need plenty of exercise...that goes for ANY breed.
Some other "calmer" if you'd like to call them, breeds include great danes...newfoundlands...salukis...irish wolfhounds...basset hounds...etc..however this is not guaranteed since each dog has their own character...

[Renee750il]

You are so right, Pitbulliest!

The first Fila we had, Buffy, was a model of calmness and decorum from the day she came home as a nine week old baby. Bimmer had to tease and cajole to get her cranked up to play and rough house. He even had to wake her up in the morning since she didn't like to get up before 9:00 a.m. at least!

Shiva is an entirely different matter! As soon as we got her home she had two speeds: warp drive and crashed. Nothing in between. Up and rarin' to go at 7:00 a.m. every morning. The living room was her personal race track - round and round in circles and after about a week when she was able to jump on the couch she included that as part of her race route. Bimmer started sleeping on the back of the couch to try to get some peace! She's finally calmed down some in the house, primarily because she's so big there's just not room for her to run around.

Kharma's directly from Buffy's line, and it's very apparent. She's much calmer in the house, but she joins in some of Shiva's antics. And all bets are off when they're outside in the pasture! I think she plays more simply because she's grown up with Shiva.

There are all sorts of different variables that can impact whether a dog is calm or energetic. If you can, it's always a good idea to check out the parents and ask about how they acted when they were pups.

Of course, one of the best ways to be pretty sure you're getting a calm dog is to go to a rescue and adopt an older dog!

[MEG126]

labs and goldens have that stereotype- of being calm and perfectly behaved... but that's after about five years (varies with the dog, of course) that they reach that sterotypical behavior. i have a golden and she's now three. she's finally starting to lie down in the house and just hang out and not be up running all over the place all the time. granted she does still run all over the place sometimes, but she's finally starting to calm down around us. now when we have company, she's bouncing off the walls (we're workin on that!) they're really great dogs and i love my golden to pieces, but they take a LOT of work to get them to be perfectly behaved dogs, but i'd consider it well worth it. they do require a LOT of exercise so i would definitely recommend a fence... good luck on your search! with some more specifics we might be able to make some better suggestions...