[Breeds] Please help us choose a breed, Q&A inside!

[benbear]

@pmcgee60 As the other commenter said, cross the doodles off your list. Many doodles don't end up hypoallergenic as it's kind of a toss up with what coat they will get. Also, hypoallergenic also doesn't guarantee you won't have allergies to the dog, so make sure you guys spend some timr with the breed you go with. Their tempermants are also a toss up, despite what breeder websites try and tell you. Tempermant is more about which individual dogs are being bred in a breeding pair, and a reputable breeder will be not only aiming for a look or health, but will carefully select dogs that have a desirable tempermant for the breed they are working with.

Most doodle breeders don't do the appropriate health testing (OFA hip scores, etc), and health issues can abound from this. I honestly don't know too much about the breeds you picked, but if you want to go through a breeder, steer clear from the designer dog route. If you want a mixed breed, check out your local shelter!

 

[pmcgee60]

@benbear Hi there, we've been researching parti poodles, as we feel these fill the last aesthetic criterion of mixed colours. Do you know if there are breeders that provide parti poodles to the same breed and health screening standard as typical poodles? I.e. OFA hip scores, etc. Thanks!

 

[tanyafaithfully]

@pmcgee60 Welcome...

I would skip the Weimeraners - I was looking into getting one and was told by the breeder they tend to get Separation Anxiety pretty badly... working full time for me made that an option I couldn't chance.

You mentioned a lot of traits I feel a Poodle covers - and you mentioned a lot of poodle mixes... why do a mix? Just adopt a Poodle!

They even come in 3 sizes for you to choose from!

 

[pmcgee60]

@tanyafaithfully Hi! Thanks for your recommendation. We've been trying to nail down why we weren't interested in a standard poodle, and I think it came down to aesthetic. That is, until we discovered parti poodles! These we can get behind. What we really wanted was a dog with different coloured markings, and this seems to fit the bill.

 

[markh62]

@pmcgee60 If going for these poodle mixed breeds, I'd do a LOT of your research and emphasis on each individual parent specifically. Cross breeds are popular these days, and that means profits over breeding standards.

 

[apebblethrown]

@pmcgee60 bouvier des flandres - looks like a doofy bear cub

Irish wolf hound - mammoth

Borzoi - dope at luring

Great Pyrenees - insane shedder but awesome dog

Rhodesian Ridgeback - athletic and super lovey, fits the intimidating vibe your wife may want

Standard poodle - athletes

German wirehaired pointer - energizer bunny

I had written out actual descriptions but the app crashed twice and I lost it sry

none of these are explicitly good first time dogs besides the poodle and maybe Pyrenees but I noticed you asked for breeds that you guys may not have thought a lot about

 

[imagebeastmarkbeast]

@apebblethrown Pyrenees are livestock guardian dogs that require special care — should not be recommended to first time owners.

 

[pmcgee60]

@apebblethrown Thanks! We've really come around on poodles since this thread started, and since we learned about parti poodles. What we were looking for is a dog with some different coloured markings. Do you have any insights to these? Are they the same as a standard poodle other than the mixed colours?