Are there breeds you love and breeds you don’t get the appeal of? I think we all do – though I would be the first to admit that there are always exceptions to any rule. I love Border Collies – but I’ve met individual ones that aggravated me. And I am generally not a fan of German Shorthair Pointers (or Wirehaired Pointers, for that matter), but one of the sweetest, funniest GSPs is in my extended family and I adore her.
In my opinion, hunting dogs in general are some of the prettiest dogs there are. But if they come from a long line of hunters, I tend to find it annoying to walk with them. I enjoy walking with my dogs, interacting with them, racing and playing with them, and watching them scan and joyfully take in their environment. I do not enjoy feeling like I have to prevent the dog I am walking with from scanning the environment for small creatures that they might be able to kill. As such, I love hounds – but only the ones who aren’t into hunting!
I was raised around dogs who were bred to herd cattle – Kelpies and Australian Cattle Dogs and various mixes of these – but I tend not to enjoy the intensity, grit, and independence that these dogs are known for. However, I have lots of friends who enjoy them for those traits alone; some people prefer having somewhat aloof dogs who can take care of themselves without a lot of fuss.
I was an adult before I was introduced to the typically softer, more responsive Border Collie – still a herding breed, but one that tends to be more attuned to humans, more solicitous of our affection and approval than the tougher dogs bred to take the hard knocks of cattle herding. My BC Rupert, a “pet quality” pup who was practically given away (in contrast to his high-cost, sheep-herding prospect littermates), opened my heart forever to these sensitive and quirky dogs.
But as much as I admire purpose-bred dogs, I don’t want one for myself. I’m afraid I’m always going to be a mutt lover. I love big mutts and I cannot lie! I get such a kick out of trying to guess what mixed-breed puppies will look like– how big they will be! – when they mature. And I love trying to identify what breed their personality traits and tendencies may be attributable to – if any! My two most muttliest mutts – the two dogs that show the most breeds in their mixed-breed DNA tests – don’t show any particular traits that align with any breeds at all!
Are there breeds you’d never own? Do you always get dogs of the same breed? Or do you select dogs without regard to their breed?
I’ve always had 1 big dog & a tiny dog. Always border collies or Heelers & papillons. I couldn’t stand chihuahuas… until… we got 1 tiny (3.5 lb) long coat chi girl 8 yrs ago. Now we have 6 long coat chi’s & a pitbull/border collie mix rescue that weighs 104 lbs. They’re all between ages 3 & 9 & we love our little pack! Chihuahuas are like potato chips… u can’t have just 1! Lol.
As to breed biases… I don’t care for terriers of any sort but I especially, intensely, dislike JRT’s. I find golden retrievers beautiful but super annoying & I don’t like the look/aesthetic of ‘long” dogs of any breed. Im sure there are good dogs in these breeds but they’re just not my thing.
I’m enjoying all of these comments! Thanks for sharing!
I have had many dogs over the years, the first being a Husky Spitz purchased in 1971 in Kansas from what I now know was a puppy mill. Pookie had some neurological problems and was having seizures and we lost him around one year of age. My next 5 dogs were all Norwegian Elkhounds, the last two being shelter dogs that I rescued. One was 12 years old and I did Hospice with him for 5 weeks. My second rescue was almost 8 and I was her 3rd “owner”. She owned my heart from day one and I had her for 6 years, the longest home she ever had. During this time I fostered a Smooth Fox Terrier for a young woman and I really fell in love with this active, mischievous breed. I’m older now and after my dear Elkie passed I found a Smooth Fox Terrier who needed a home and he keeps me exceedingly busy. Downsizing was necessary for me but I still love my Viking furry dogs. My SFT is a sweetheart but he’s reactive, unlike the foster who I could take anywhere. We have done lots of training, earned Canine Good Citizen, Rally and we love doing Agility classes just for fun. Sadly, I have always had cats n my family, but I didn’t have one when Mathew came and his prey drive is so strong that he’s not good with cats. Who knows if Mathew will be my last dog. He’s my heart dog and we travel together, love swimming and playing on the beach and soaking up the sunshine whenever we find it. I have learned that good things sometimes come in small packages.
I’ve had many dog in my life (I’m an old guy), mostly sporting bird dogs. 25 years ago my wife and I adopted a standard poodle and fell hard for the breed. On our third one now so I guess we’re hooked.
I grew up with dachshunds, when I was about 14, my dad brought a basset hound. I volunteered to take her to dog obedience classes – my first foray into dog sports! Since then I had a blue merle Australian Shepherd (my first purebred) Opie earned a CD, then a half Chesapeake- half dad-was-a-good-jumper, Katy. Next,
I got my heart dog, my German Shorthaired Pointer, Be’la Fleck. Together we achieved many AKC titles in several sports, we even finished in 3rd place at the Agility National championship! I got my second GSP, Trill, and this one has made me question my sanity more than occasionally! But I love seeing their athletic, graceful movement, but also their smooth coat and floppy ears like my childhood dachshunds! I really dislike the texture/ feeling of poodle coats, and where I Iive and hike, they would be Velcro to all the sand or forest debris. So I just don’t get doodles or any other hairy dog, big or small. I’d rather hike with my dog than groom, so I love the breed that says Shorthaired in its name!
Fleck’s Ma
Pit bulls or pit bull mixes all the way! 🙂 I am looking at my 13 year old pit bull who was rescued as a puppy from a dog fighting ring. She has been the most amazing dog we’ve had. Phenomenal with people and a true ambassador for the breed. I have a 6 year old and so many of my son’s friends who are scared of dogs are in love with her and she has never been anything short of kind, patient and wonderful with them. She makes friends everywhere we go. We will always have a pit bull in our household!
Anne, I completely agree with you. They are amazing dogs. My wife and I have said we will always have a pit bull in our lives.
The one dog my family had while I was growing up was a dachshund. My parents just weren’t dog people. Long before I could have a dog of my own, I began an internal debate over what breed I would choose. I picked the Doberman and my current dog is my eighth representative of the breed. I love their look, attitude, athleticism, short coat, ability to settle down in the house but still always be ready to leap out the door— there’s not much I don’t love about the Doberman. Still, I would like to experience many other breeds. I lucked into getting two miniature poodles and found them just as wonderful as my Dobermans. Later, I found and rescued a standard poodle puppy and he was awesome. I’ve also been responsible for a Basenji and a cocker spaniel long enough to get to know those two dogs very well. All these dogs have been individuals, that’s the main thing I’ve learned. While I probably wouldn’t choose a Dalmatian or a Samoyed, husky or malamute, I wouldn’t be surprised to be wrong about any of them if an individual dog became part of my family. And I have to admit that I never learned to love that one Basenji, but his affections were engaged elsewhere from the beginning.
Kromi, I love your Doberman comments! My family’s first dog was a Beagle and she was wonderful for us kids–three sisters. We moved to an 80 acre farm in lower Michigan and a Shepherd/Collie mix joined us. Mom then went into Gordon Setters and horses and cows came into the fold. Along with barn cats. It was a delightful menagerie! My teen years were filled with dog shows where I had the opportunity to experience and explore dozens of dog breeds! It was fascinating and enlightening–I could always be found visiting the Rotties and sighthound breeds. I favored the working breeds for their demeanor and intelligence. All the dogs were interesting to me but the Dobermans I avoided as they were typically quite excited and noisy in the show environment. 🙂 I grew up, married and was blessed with an older Saluki, an American/Canadian Champion showdog who had lost his home and family. He was with me for 10+ years and I loved him with all my heart. His beauty, intelligence, proud quiet temperament coupled with sighthound hunting instinct was a joy. He was a lover and became the trusted companion of my Siamese cat; together they guarded our home. During that time my spouse rescued a 6 month old male Doberman, bringing him home “temporarily”. In the first 10 days he identified a fire in our basement after midnight, while we were sleeping and alerted us to the danger! Thankfully it was a small fire, contained quickly and all were safe. “Oz” was no longer a “temporary” Doberman! He protected me from a home invasion a few years later and opened my eyes to the best features of the breed. He has been followed by 10 more Dobies since 1977 and is our breed of choice. As you say, their look, attitude, athleticism etc. is captivating. I am enamored with their intelligence and vast devotion; the love they display each and every day is etched into my heart. All have left us with deep memories and gratitude for their having enriched our lives. I am currently raising a now 15 month old male pup and rely heavily on our 5 year old female to help “teach him the ropes.” He’s a handful but learns quickly and is 100% devoted to me, “Mom.” Given I am now 69, I think he may be the last puppy I have in me!! But who knows? I’m always going to have my Dobies.
I’ve had several mixed breeds (Australian shepherd mix, terrier mix, GSD mixes) and purebred shepherds. We now have a black mouth cur that we love. As we’ve aged ( now in our 60’s) we take into consideration activity level and size. Having dealt with aged dogs, the realization of needing to assist them with getting in and out of the truck or car or just getting up to a standing position has made us realize we can’t easily lift a dog that weighs >50 lbs – we aren’t getting younger! Same thing with activity level. A high energy dog as we age would not be very happy with us. Our current dog is keeping us active enough!
I grew up with Springers. My ex had a mutt who looked like an all grey Beardie, and he was an awesome dog. Since then I’ve had primarily goldens, a couple of BC’s, a true mutt (all generations of Wisdom Panel showed mutt), with a gorgeous golden coat with black tips, black muzzle, and white stockings with gold ticking that we swore glowed in the dark, and the most zen personality. I currently have a mostly Aussie thing (around 90% but perfect tri-color markings) who’s undersized but too big for a mini. Of all the dogs I’ve lived with, only the Aussie is a breed I never want again. He’s as sweet as my BC’s, but far too neurotic and OCD, whereas my BC’s were just quirky. I think it’s pretty clear that I like my dogs with at least medium coat, and not too small. I don’t know what I’d pick if I ever have to move to a small dog, but it would have some coat! When I was teaching pet classes, I saw a lot of golden doodles (we leave near puppy mill country) and that’s one ‘breed’ I really don’t care for. They didn’t seem to have a brain!
I’ve enjoyed everyone’s comments so much! We have had lab mixes that we’ve adored, but more recently I’ve discovered Cardigan Welsh Corgis, now have two of them. They have awesome personalities and are a good size — not too big, not too small. As Lucy said about her Shelties, I wish they barked less, but that’s what you often get in a herding breed. I’m also typically not a fan of smaller breeds, but there are definitely exceptions. The diversity of the dog word is amazing and a gift!