Picking "your" dog

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#1
I keep telling my husband that I would like to be in a position to get a dog around this time next year. I keep looking at dogs and breeds online going "oh I like that one!" "that one is my favorite!" "now that one is my favorite!" "I love him!" and pretty much anything between 15lb and 150lbs falls into my 'favorite' category. If it has smooth coat and minimal shedding, it goes into my 'super favorite' category. And anything that has crazy ears is a match made in heavan.

So, how did you all go about picking your dog? Did you walk into a shelter and the dog just looked at you and you knew that was it? Did you research a certain breed before deciding on it? Did you open your front door one morning to see a dog chilling on your porch?

Growing up, we tended to get 'vet clinic rejects.' My mom works at a vet clinic and we always ended up with the critters that the owners didn't want anymore. Be it the GSD puppy that chased cats, the little gray Lacy pup that had worms, or the cat with nerve damage in her leg from getting hit by a car.

So, how do normal people pick a dog?
 

~Jessie~

Chihuahua Power!
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#2
Well, we decided to get a chihuahua because we lived in an apartment and wanted a small dog. I liked how they have terrier-like personalities, intelligence, and are big dogs in small dog bodies. As you can see by my signature, they ended up being my perfect breed.

We didn't know how to pick a breeder at the time, so our first chihuahua (who has since been rehomed) was from a newspaper ad. After that, we purchased our current chihuahuas from show breeders.

After joining Chazhound, I started having an interest in border collies. I researched for years and finally added our first BC when we bought a house. I was interested in stock work especially and had been drawn to BCs. Rory was being rehomed at 5 months of age, but was from a working breeder who also does agility.
 
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#3
Oh god was a flipping around like crazy. Boxer? Poodle? Chinese Crested? Corgi? Saluki? Cattle Dog? Could not decide but at the same time wasn't finding the breed that made me go "Yes, that is what I want no if ands or butts." I wanted a dog for training and just fit me. I wanted drive, I wanted intelligence, biddability, versatility, athleticism, low to no DA and from a working breeder. Honestly a lot of breeds fit that but were not fitting me right.

Then I was looking through a list of herding breeds one night, saw the name Koolie and clicked on it because it was odd sounding. And that was it. As corny as it sounds, I knew at that moment that I was going to have that breed and I didn't waver from that like I did with the other breeds I had gone through phases of. No matter how hard I looked for that thing that would make me say "Nevermind" I couldn't find it.
 

AdrianneIsabel

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#4
I grew up with pit bulls and knew they would always be my breed. Denis is the reason we got Malinois.

I started in Flyball with my pit bulls and played to buy a borderstaffie (border collie/staffordshire). Denis loved our teammates malinois and we took in a trial malinois for a while and fell head over heels for the breed.

The staffordshire has always been a desire of mine and at this point I'm not sure if it's the forever right dog for me or not but there are a lot of pros and cons to owning one.

I'm a huge fan of fostering/trialing a breed before you actually own one. I've learned so much from fostering dogs.
 

Sit Stay

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#5
With my GSD, we found her as a stray on our road and no one ever claimed her. We bonded instantly so I guess we kind of picked each other.

With Quinn, I started researching English Shepherds and they sounded exactly like what I was looking for. All the awesome Aussie qualities we were familiar with, but less barky and more stable than some of the Aussies we were seeing. Talked to our breeder, met Quinn's sire's litter sister, and then put a deposit on Quinn. At this point we hadn't made up our mind completely but the deposit wasn't more money than I could handle to lose and I didn't want to miss out on a puppy. We met Quinn's litter, her dam and her granddam when the pups were 6 weeks old and decided on Quinn.

My next dog will 90% either be an English Shepherd or a German Shepherd. After reading more about Belgian Shepherds on here though, especially reading what Aleron and Uniquity have to say, they're starting to sound like they'd be a good fit too. I've contacted a local breeder who has both Groenendaels and Tervurens and I'll be visiting her and her dogs sometime this summer to see how they're like in person. I won't be getting another puppy for probably another 2-3 years, but I'd like to start doing my research now.
 

Moth

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#6
When we decided on a puppy we sat down and thought about what we wanted and needed. As I had always had really fluffy dogs and ones that required visits to professional groomers so I really wanted something with a nice wash and wear coat this time. We talked about size quite a bit. My poor cocker was quite ill towards the end of his life and I felt that I needed to make sure that I get a dog small enough to where I can pick the animal up and carry it if it needs assistance. Also we like to take our dogs with us when we travel. I however knew that I wanted something that is not tiny.

We knew we wanted a dog that is affectionate...but I also wanted something that has a little bit of attitude. I like clever dogs...that at times out-think me ;)

From there we went to shows and actually met dogs of different breeds and talked to their owners about what they are like.

...and here we are owning a wonderful Basenji :)
 

Dogs6

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#7
I wouldn't know lol. I haven't picked a dog before. Tika was landed on us because of dad. I wanted a labrador bitch to do field trials with. My parents decided to surprise me with a springer puppy. Taz is the result. The rest of the dogs were picked out by my sister and mum.
 

Dekka

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#8
I have a pretty good idea of what I want in a dog. Some of those traits are found more often in some breeds than others. However Bounce fit most of my criteria, and even though I wouldn't normally think sighthounds would be my sort of dog.. Bounce is awesome!

Make a list of things you want/need and go from there.
 

HayleyMarie

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#9
Mainly I made a list of all the criteria that I want in a dog. My decision was easy as I grew up with Terriers and they just fit me perfectly. It was just what breed of terrier and I picked the Westie. And I am pretty sure I will always have a terrier.

My next beed of dog is pretty much picked out already. And it was an easy choice as I only was interested in a certian group of breeds which was the molloser group.

But I had a pretty good idea on what I wanted and an even better idea of what I did not want.

I would go with what Kerri suggested and write down all the criteria you want in a dog and what you dont want and then go from there.
 

Skivvies

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#10
I have mild dog allergies, so that narrowed my choices down quite a bit. I also live in a condo that only allows dogs under 25 pounds, so that eliminated some more dogs (standard poodle, wheaten terrier, mixes of those breeds, etc). So I started looking for small, less-allergenic dogs in shelters nearby. I was actually at the shelter to look at a poodle mix named Phillipe when I found Tiffany (she was new that day and not on the shelter website yet). Phillipe ended up being over the weight limit, so I asked to meet Tiffany instead. Now I can't imagine my life without her.
 

Toller_08

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#11
I was infatuated with Tollers and had to have one. I read about them and met lots over the years it took waiting to finally have one of my own, and I just knew that a Toller was what I wanted based on criteria I was seeking out in a dog.

The Dobermans we just kind of fell into. We weren't really looking for one per se, but we met Winston and fell in love and adopted him shortly after. And because we adopted him, we got to know our current dogs' breeder really well which is how we ended up with Keira and Ripley. Again, a Doberman in particular wasn't a high priority, but we knew her (the breeder) well by this point, knew her dogs well, etc. and ended up buying one of her puppies (Keira). And then with Ripley, I lived with and helped to raise the litter he was from so that his breeder could work longer hours in the day, and Ripley was my payment (I had a choice between her paying me or giving me a puppy, and I chose the puppy). If not for the friendship and circumstance, we likely wouldn't have chosen two more Dobermans right away (maybe later on). I do love the breed immensely, but there are other breeds I like too, and if I'd happened upon the right mutt/rescue dog, I'd have been just as happy with any of those as I am with my Dobermans. Though I must say, I am very glad things turned out the way they did so that I've now had a chance to experience and live with Dobermans. They're quite a change compared to other dogs and breeds we've had. :)
 

*blackrose

"I'm kupo for kupo nuts!"
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#12
I wouldn't no either. LOL I think every single animal of ours, besides the ferrets and the bird, have been the rejects no one else wanted that just sort of fell into our laps. Rush, Blackie, Rose, Chloe, Pheobe, Apollo, Junior, Mitzi, Penelope, the four kittens, Kiba...all rescues.
Rush was a kitten from a stray, Blackie was a stray, Rose was a pup from a stray, Chloe was an impulse "rescue" from a "breeder" who was giving out pups for free, Pheobe was a stray bottle baby, Apollo was a vet clinic reject bottle baby, Junior, Mitzi and Penelope are neighbor barn cat rejects, the four kittens are neighbor barn cat rejects, and Kiba was a vet clinic reject as well. Heck, even my past Guinea Pigs and hamsters were all rescues. lol


If you know what you are looking for in a dog, you can either try to see if there is a purebred that fits what you want, or if you aren't too picky, it is never a bad thing to drive down to the shelter and see what dogs they have. Had I not gotten Chloe when I did I was planning on going down to the shelter and looking at a Basset they had just had surrendered.
 
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#13
With Pip and Maisy, I browsed breeds I was interested in and met dogs I liked. Pip was love at first sight from the second I saw him on Petfinder, but we went through the formality of meeting him to be sure. Maisy was probably the 4th-5th dog we met at that time when we were looking for a dog. Squash was a little different, we weren't yet actively seeking a 3rd dog but I was starting to think about getting a puppy and the opportunity fell in my lap.
 

JacksonsMom

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#14
I guess I've never really had a "breed" per say. Our first family dog was a Golden Retriever, second was a GSD and I picked both of them out as a kid and it was basically a matter of me saying "that one is cute! I want it!" Yeah, pretty irresponsible on my parents part, right? lol. Ummm... our whole family is pretty versatile. My aunt has had Pit Bulls, Rottweilers and Siberian Huskys. My grandma has had a Llhapso (sp?) and a Lab in my lifetime. My mom and stepdad had a cockapoo. My dad and stepmom have a JRT mix and Doxy mix... yeah we are so all over the place.

I found Yorkies because I knew I wanted a dog and still living at home with my stepdad and mom, it had to be a "hypoallergenic" dog since stepdad is allergic. I am not entirely sure if Yorkies or Yorkie-like dogs are my "heart breed" or not. Like, I'm not 100% certain I will have them forever or anything. Sometimes I kind of wish I had a breed I was TOTALLY and completely sold on. I am sure I will find it someday. I really just want a replica of Jackson really and not a specific breed, LOL
 

Laurelin

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#15
Neither of the breeds I've had I really picked out on my own. Papillons are definitely MY breed. The one I will always have in my life. I can say for sure I will never not have at least one or two papillons. I'm completely in love with the breed.

The shelties were gotten simply because I wanted a collie and my parents said collies were too big. We ended up with three shelties simply because our first two were so awesome.

Then papillons, my mom decided she wanted a toy sized dog. So we (as a family) decided to research and meet a bunch of toy breeds to see what fit us. We ruled out most for one reason or another- not a fan of the extreme builds and brachy faces of a lot of toys. Not a fan of professional grooming. Wanted something very active. Ended up with Cresties, Min Pins, and Papillons. After meeting min pins it was clear they were a no. We liked cresties a lot but the grooming was an issue. We all met a few really wonderful papillons at a show doing performance and were very impressed. They were delightful dogs and so focused and intelligent. The lady we met put us in touch with Beau's breeder. We got Beau and it was over. He is the epitome of why people want a papillon and a great introduction to the breed. Soon enough we had added more and more.

When it FINALLY came time to pick a dog for myself that was 100% my choice, I ended up going with a papillon twice. I was wanting a smaller dog (25 lb weight limit at my apartment). Something fun, intelligent, fast paced, soft tempered, people oriented, etc. I really did consider a few breeds- a rescue chihuahua and small terriers. Settled back with a papillon because there was just no small breed that compared to me. When it came time for Mia, I could have any sized dog and was looking mostly at pyr sheps, border collies, shelties and papillons. Ended up with a papillon again. They're just perfect.

Ada just fell into my lap. Not sure if she's 'mine' but I would not have picked out an Ada if given the choice. But she's a really neat little dog.
 

KenyiGirl

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#16
To be honest, all I really cared about was the size of the dog (medium-ish, nothing too big or too small) and the length of hair (short!). I didn't really think about personalities, drive, instincts, energy level, etc. We got really lucky with the pups we have. For our next dog I'll be thinking more about a type that will really fit into our family.
 

~Dixie's_Mom~

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#17
Chloe was pulled from a shelter by friends of ours, T and R. She had been there for 90 days, in animal control (unheard of around here - they usually give them a week or so) and was basically on death row. T saw her, and said "We'll take her". R was shocked, she was not what they were looking for. Their Lhasa Apso had recently died (I think she was 15 years old or so) and they wanted another dog, and wanted to save a life. But Chloe was NOTHING like their previous dog, she was "funny looking", hyper, and was smaller than any dog they'd ever had before. She wasn't what they were looking for at all, but they couldn't leave her there to die. So they took her home, gave her about a day before they realized she just was NOT what they wanted in a dog. So they decided they'd foster her until they found her the right home. The next day we came into town, met her, and knew instantly she was ours. :) I really can't imagine what my life would be like if we hadn't gotten her. And sadly, T died of cancer this year. :( I owe him a lot for saving a funny looking little dog. <3

We actually got into huskies because a neighbor was moving, and giving away their Australian Shepherd. I wanted her SO bad. She had bi-eyes. My dad wasn't fond of the two different colored eyes, and said no. He did LOVE the blue eyes though, and said we could get a husky becasuse they have blue eyes....random.as.hell. :eek: So we got a one year old husky out of the newspaper with NO idea what we were getting ourselves into. And here we are, on our 3rd husky. Not reccomended to go the route we did, but getting Misty was one of the best decisions we ever made. Huskies are very special to us. Not my personal ideal breed by any means, but as a family, we've enjoyed owning them.
 

mrose_s

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#18
I always wanted a kelpie, I never had an interest in Border Collies because I didn't liek their look... until I started seeing the working bred ones and now I couldn't imagine a better breed for me. I waited 4 years after that to be in the position to have one and I still have the photo that sold me on her.



I couldn't resist that face, so I went and met her and decied she was mine. 11 months on I have my athletic, trainable, intense dog and I couldn't imagine life without her.
 
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#19
I knew what I wanted - a BC mix from a shelter, between 1-3 years old, between 35-50 lbs, who could be my first agility dog. Oh, yes, and with a nice pointy nose. (I had lost my dainty, sweet collie mix just 4 months before.) I looked on Petfinder. The 4th shelter I looked at had a photo and description (BC mix) that seemed about right, so I called and asked about Libby. Very sweet, did well with other dogs, probably about 3 years old. How much does she weigh, I asked. Oh, about 50 lbs. I drove the 45 miles to that shelter and asked to see Libby. This is what they brought out:



82 lbs, huge paws on slightly short heavy-boned legs, un-dainty nose, definitely NOT a BC mix (probably GSD and Aussie), definitely not a born agility dog - not what I had in mind at all! But she came right up to me and licked my face, and when I sat down on the ground she climbed in my lap and leaned against me. I admit that I took one quick look at the other dogs, looking wistfully for that elusive pointy little nose and dainty little paws, but of course Libby came home with me.

She wasn't the dog I was looking for, but she turned out to be the perfect dog for me. (And I have managed to teach her to like agility, after all!)
 
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#20
This is the picture that sold me on Squash... I saw it and was pretty much "yup, that's my puppy. The End."




Of course, I emailed back and forth with his first mom about the personalities of the various puppies in the litter and what I was looking for... and he was the best match out of the litter anyway. Ah, fate. :D
 

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