Which dog breed is for me?! [BREEDS]

[childofthealmighty]

Introduction

1) Will this be your first dog? If not, what experience do you have owning/training dogs?

• No! I grew up with a rescue mutt and chihuahua. I didn’t train them myself.

2) Do you have a preference for rescuing a dog vs. going through a reputable breeder?

• My family rescued the two dogs we had. No experience with either. Looking into a breeder this time around.

3) Describe your ideal dog.

• I’m a solo girl in NYC - ideally a protective dog that is very smart and receptive to training, but can also relax from time to time without eating my couch or shoes. Lol.

4) What breeds or types of dogs are you interested in and why?

• DOBERMAN (protective, smart, trainable) or BERNEDOODLE (cuddly, sweet, I think smart)

5) What sorts of things would you like to train your dog to do?

• training with heel off leash, retrieval, etc. I’d send to a school and learn how to reinforce the training on my own. Ideally I’d like a pretty high level of training.

6) Do you want to compete with your dog in a sport (e.g. agility, obedience, rally) or use your dog for a form of work (e.g. hunting, herding, livestock guarding)? If so, how much experience do you have with this work/sport?

• No competition, but I’d like to the dog to be okay in crowded areas with distraction and still be able to adhere to commands.

Care Commitments

7) How long do you want to devote to training, playing with, or otherwise interacting with your dog each day?

• 3-4 hours (walking, socializing) or more. I’m around most of the day and will be with the dog.

8) How long can you exercise your dog each day, on average? What sorts of exercise are you planning to give your dog regularly and does that include using a dog park?

• 2-4 hours. I walk regularly (i’m around the home most of the day, so can be out with the dog). I would run errands with my dog and I also live near multiple dog parks and dog runs

9) How much regular brushing are you willing to do? Are you open to trimming hair, cleaning ears, or doing other grooming at home? If not, would you be willing to pay a professional to do it regularly?

• Yes!

Personal Preferences

10) What size dog are you looking for?

• Large >80lbs

11) How much shedding, barking, and slobber can you handle?

• I’m a pretty clean person, so I think it’ll be a little tougher at first but will adjust. Barking would be harder for me as I live in a building

12) How important is being able to let your dog off-leash in an unfenced area?

• Very important. I’m not sure how often I’d do it though I’d like the option

Dog Personality and Behavior

13) Do you want a snuggly dog or one that prefers some personal space?

• a little snuggly and loving, but also a working dog

14) Would you prefer a dog that wants to do its own thing or one that’s more eager-to-please?

• eager to please

15) How would you prefer your dog to respond to someone knocking on the door or entering your yard? How would you prefer your dog to greet strangers or visitors?

• I would expect the dog to be at the door, but not jump on guests

16) Are you willing to manage a dog that is aggressive to other dogs?

• how aggressive?! Lol

17) Are there any other behaviors you can’t deal with or want to avoid?

• a lot of barking (I live in a building)

Lifestyle

18) How often and how long will the dog be left alone?

• usually not during the day (I’d take him with me), but at night possibly for a few hours if I go to dinner. I can arrange a walker

19) What are the dog-related preferences of other people in the house and what will be their involvement in caring for the dog?

• no one else in the house, just me!

20) Do you have other pets or are you planning on having other pets? What breed or type of animal are they?

• no

21) Will the dog be interacting with children regularly?

• no

22) Do you rent or plan to rent in the future? If applicable, what breed or weight restrictions are on your current lease?

• no

23) What city or country do you live in and are you aware of any laws banning certain breeds?

NYC (apartment but I’m outside a lot) / Miami (have a house with a yard)

24) What is the average temperature of a typical summer and winter day where you live?

• summer 80s F / winter 20s F

Additional Information and Questions

25) Please provide any additional information you feel may be relevant.

• I’ve always leaned toward a Doberman for safety purposes. I’m 5’6/125 lbs and often walk around at night or during the day in nyc, which can be scary at times. I recently sat next to a very well trained service bernedoodle and began to consider it in my search (plus no shedding!). I’m just not sure if I’ll feel “protected” enough or like I have

Often travel private, so bringing pup with me wouldn’t be an issue.

26) Feel free to ask any questions below.

I’m open to other breeds. I’ve just mostly been exploring these. I’m also open to breeder recommendations.

 

[klpotte3]

@childofthealmighty Bernedoodles aren't a breed. They're a designer mutt. If you want to go through a breeder you will not be able to get one ethically. This sub still hasn't found an ethical doodle breeder.

 

[childofthealmighty]

@klpotte3 Oh. Interesting. I didn’t know that.

 

[imagebeastmarkbeast]

@childofthealmighty Why a bernedoodle specifically? Why not either a poodle or a bernese?

It's important to know that the things you want in a dog require an intense amount of training both at home and professionally. It could take years for a dog to have reliable off-leash recall, be socialized enough to be around crowds/large groups of people without being stressed or having a reaction. Also, you mention you live in a building, most apartment complexes do not allow dobermans.

Working dogs such as poodles, mountain dogs and the like have such high energy requirements that if they aren't met, you can face issues such as excessive barking, destructiveness and reactivity. Having no experience training a dog yourself and then immediately jumping into an intense working breed such as a doberman may be too much.

 

[childofthealmighty]

@imagebeastmarkbeast I say bernedoodle just because I met one and it was both loving and super well trained. I’m open to other ideas.

 

[imagebeastmarkbeast]

@childofthealmighty Having met hundreds of doodles, including bernedoodles, I can attest that 95% of them are not like this. They are a mix of two working breed dogs, and they never get tired. Even after training programs, board and trains, and behavioral sessions, many of them are not manageable.

The difficulty with recommending a breed here is honestly your desire for a large working dog. They aren't really fit for apartment life, aside from a few select ones, like the standard poodle or golden retriever. Most complexes also have weight restrictions.

 

[theemcon]

@imagebeastmarkbeast There's a doodle across my apartment building that barks endlessly. When it's owners are fed up, they leave him in the balcony to bark so we all get to be subjected to their lack of training.

 

[eront]

@childofthealmighty Do know, protective dogs and service dogs aren't compatible. You have to choose one, because protective is a behavioral flaw and a liability in service animals. I would consider working with your medical team to build up the confidence that you're not at risk of harm and consider options for protection that are legal in your jurisdiction instead of using a dog.

Protection is not a valid service dog task, render a dog invalid for service work per ADA, and breeds typically associated with protection generally do not have the temperament fit for service work.

 

[childofthealmighty]

@eront Sorry I should reframe that! I don’t need for service purposes. I will edit post.

 

[eront]

@childofthealmighty The protection still stands even still, as protection dogs require tens of thousands of dollars in training, and we have not yet found a trainer who adheres to methods that aren't harmful to the animal.

 

[tschau]

@childofthealmighty Never get a doodle! That's always a mutt that is unpredictable and because the hairtype is a weird mix it's really hard to maintain.

Just get a big black dog, like a black lab. It can look scary even if the dog is is a sweetheart.

 

[dontajohnson]

@tschau *Never get one from a breeder. There are many of them available through rescues, and they can be perfectly lovely dogs like any rescue mutt. Especially if they’re adults as you can get an idea of their temperament before you adopt. Definitely don’t buy a doodle pup from a breeder though. $5k for unethical practices and no health testing is such a huge yikes.

 

[joni95]

@childofthealmighty I think you should consider why you feel you need protection from a dog in NYC. I lived there for ten years and as a petite woman I never felt unsafe unless it was late at night and then I took an Uber. It sounds like you can afford to take a car given you have access to private flights so I would just do that. It’s also a city where lots of unpredictable things happen that could easily scare a dog that is liable to attack something that it perceives as a threat. It’s just a dangerous situation for other people and your dog. If you just want to deter people, an option would be to get a Great Dane. They are very calm and don’t need much exercise which makes them good apartment dogs. They also look more threatening than they are.

 

[childofthealmighty]

@joni95 That’s definitely helpful. I mean I live in a pretty safe neighborhood (Tribeca). I like to go for long walks and would like to have a dog with me. I fear a Great Dane would be too tired as I know they don’t need much movement. I don’t really mean real threats, but I have had people follow me etc and would just like that extra layer of protection or intimidation!

 

[eront]

@childofthealmighty Just know too, as a fairly small woman with a doberman, a lot of the "breeds that are intimidating" are typically loved by the unsavory folks that you're wanting to avoid. They'll approach you and make conversation in many cases, because they like your dog.

More folks I'd prefer to avoid are more scared of my 12lb chihuahua mix than my 90lb doberman.

 

[ben896]

@eront I had a shepherd/ husky mix and was actively avoided. People would cross the street when they saw us. There were a few weirdos, however, that did approach us. One even kept wanting to buy him as if he were a commodity for sale and not my family.

 

[eront]

@ben896 I've had far too many people offer to buy my doberman, and before him, my pitbull.

More people stopped to ask if they could breed their bitch with my (neutered) pit than bother me without a dog. It's, so weird. I don't get that so much with the dobe thankfully.

 

[ben896]

@eront Yeah, that's super weird.

 

[kaykay8]

@eront I have people stop me to ask if they can breed to my Great Dane or be put on a waiting list for puppies ALL THE TIME. Love him to bits and I get it, he is a flawless creature, but he attracts way too much sketchy attention for my introverted self

 

[ellienora93]

@childofthealmighty My personal experience is non-protection dogs are perfectly adequate for feeling a bit more secure and a bit less like an easy target. With the bonus of not having any of the liability risk that comes with protection dogs.

I fear a Great Dane would be too tired as I know they don’t need much movement.

I wouldn't count out a Great Dane, or any dog really just because they don't need much movement. That doesn't necessarily mean they can't handle a more active lifestyle, it just means they won't be miserable without it.

I think people tend to over estimate how active a dog needs to be to match an active person's activity.