What kind of dog should I get?

Tyrod

Tyrod

New member
Hello folks,
I am considering getting a dog. I have always had a dog in the house but have been without for the last few years. My last dog was a weimaraner and she was wonderful. This time however I am up in the air about what kind of dog to get.
Heck, I might wait and not get one at all but I do miss my pooch.
I just thought I would get some outside opinions.
Dog must be good with kids, I have 4 kids and friends are in and out all the time. I am not a fan of the little yappy dogs.
I do have a fenced in back yard so the dog would be outside during the day.
I prefer short haired dogs....less shedding to clean up.
Any ideas?
 
I've got an 8 yr old black lab and a 2 yr old chocolate lab. They are great dogs, and are really smart. I've had rottweilers, jack russell terriers, walker coonhounds, and cocker spaniels. All have been good dogs, but as far as an all around house dog, I’d get another lab without a doubt! Only problem is (at least with my 2) it seems for the first year, if left unattended they will chew up anything they can get their teeth on. Literally, I mean anything! And they love to rip the polyester stuffing out of anything too, especially yard furniture cushions! You just have to keep them in a good supply of dog toys and chew bones until they’re about 1 - 1½ yrs old, then they seem to grow out of it. They really good around kids too!
 
I've had alot of dogs in my life. Hunting dogs, as well as pet dogs. I can honestly say that one of the best dogs that I've ever owned is a Blackmouth Cur. Gunner is excellent with the family, extremely affectionate and willing to please, friendly to everyone and doesn't know a stranger, hunts..hunts..hunts... Just a great dog.

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You should have no problem finding one in NC, as there should be a bunch of hog dog hunters around. Otherwise, there are some good puppies for sale by PM members, right here.

That's my 2 cents.

Tony
 
Hillbilly1, thanks for the input. I will for sure pass on a chewer. The ex got most of the furniture but I want to keep what I have left.

Tony, hmmm I hadn't really considered a dog I could actualy take hunting with me. Is your dog like a decoy dog, or a tracker, or a treeing type?
 
He's a decoy dog and tracking dog, for what I use him for. He'll hunt whatever I'm hunting. Basically a best friend that goes everywhere with me and does what I'm doing.

Tony
 
Mountain Curs are really good hunting/family dogs. They are dynamite on coons,squirrels,bobcats and lots of the guys use them for coyotes and mountain lions.They're are mainly tree dogs in the east,however they have a huge following in the west as coyote dogs. We have four of them(mother and pups),and they are great!
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We have had them for about eight years,and they make very good family dogs because they ain't very big and they are quite gentle.Tony,your Blackmouth cur looks a lot like our Mountain cur!
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Ben
 
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for squirrels in the east, i love fiests! but like mtcurman and tony said curs are GREAT dogs, but for in the east i found that they tree and hunt to far for me. like fiests go mainly 250 to 500 yards out, and ive had curs go two miles! great dogs just go to far.
 
Rhodesian Ridgeback

Best dog I have ever owned:

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Great with the kids, excellent watch dog with a big deep bark that you only hear when someone is out front of the house. He even likes to cuddle with his "kitty".

Hunting, not so much. But family dog I couldnt ask for a a better one.

I have talked with several other Rhodesian owners and they all say the same things about their dogs. I had labs and german sheps before getting my rhodesian.

Good luck in your search, every man needs a dog.
 
I'm going to put my vote in for a Boykin. Not a dog that most people would know, but living in NC I'm betting you've seen a couple.

Great dogs for hunting, and since there is no split as far as show dogs and hunting dogs go, anyone you can find is sure to be a good hunting dog.

If you keep it groomed in a spaniel cut you'll find that shedding isn't a big deal, and getting her in for a hair cut every couple of months isn't hard. I've come to know that short hair, long hair, or anything in between will shed, the secret is to brush the dog. Get into the habit of a couple strokes every time you let the dog out and you'll be amazed at how little hair ends up in your house.
 
minus the chewing part I have a great little Black Lab with a little bit of rotty in him(i think). He is short hair, and with the rotty in him hes got shorter legs and is a bit wider than a normal lab. He is excitable and loyal to the end. Great with kids and other pets. he loves to slobber all over the cats. lol. He has scared me a couple times comin home in the dark though. if he dosent recognize you immediatly his sound is a lot bigger that he is.
He is the second Black Lab ive and is just as wonderfull as the first
Other than he is a big dummy, he would be a great bird dog

So ill toss in a vote for a lab if your lookin to train for hunting too.
 
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Tyrod, if you would like a dog that would be a bonus to hunt with, what all do you hunt? There are several great breeds for multiple species. I currently have a pointing lab and he is an amazing dog, though he was one of the most stubborn dogs I've ever seen... he was also the smartest. After getting him trained and seeing things my way, he is an absolute pleasure to have. He is now 4 1/2 years old, and even after moving into an apartment he is still great to have around, especially when my girlfriend is home alone as he is very protective of the people he loves. No one comes between him and us without his approval! Some guys say pointing labs don't really point.... they don't know what they're talking about. He's got a nose like a bloodhound and is [beeep] on the pheasants! He isn't the greatest on waterfowl retrieving, but I attribute that to me training him as this is the first dog I've trained for that. He is a bit of a shedder but I think that may be a nutritional thing that I'm looking into.

I've narrowed my choices for my next pup to another pointing lab, or a wirehaired pointing griffon. The WPG's are one amazing dog! Great family dogs as well, well mannered and good with kids. They will do it all, point with the best of pointers, retrieve like a chesapeke, and track like a bloodhound. Don't know about their yote hunting prowess though. Biggest problem is getting ahold of one, and they are spendy. They are strictly managed by German breeding associations, including who they go to and they tell you if they want it bred and to what other dog. There are americanized WPGs too that are easier to get ahold of, but some say the regulation of the true German dogs make them the best of the best, of the best.

Any dog that is supposed to retrieve will typically be a chewer. It's something in the breeding, they have an instinct to have something in their mouth. There is no reason it should be a problem, it's an oversite or mistake on the owner's part that results in something being chewed. My boy took longer than most to calm down, but I can only think of 1 or 2 things that he chewed. Key is supervision, crate training, and like mentioned having plenty of things they are allowed to chew!

Here's my boy looking for a bluewing teal to fall.
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Excellent suggestions!
Gooseboy, I have never had a dog for hunting. Never trained one for it ...etc I wouldn't even know where to start. I mostly enjoy predator hunting with deer hunting a close second. Although opening day of dove season is great as well. Basically I am the opportunistic type of hunter.

Craig, I looked up the boykin ....great looking dog.

Mtcurman, what is the difference between blackmouth and Mt cur?

Kodiak61, your Rhodesian ridgeback is beautiful.
 
I have a yellow lab and a newfoundland.

The lab is very smart and I've never had any problems with her. She chewed a little as a puppy but not like some people describe. She lives to please and wants nothing more than to make me happy, to the point where she worries every time I yell at the newf. She's as good a dog as you could ask for though, very smart and very trainable. She gets me the tv remote, gets my slippers from my bedroom, closes doors for me, etc. and none of those things took much effort to teach. She loves doing them, thinks it's a game to play.

The newf is a 100lb puppy (14 months old). She doesn't realize how big she is and she's a handful. She chews worse than the lab did but still not what I think is excessive. Her attitude is a lot different than the lab, she's not as focused on pleasing me, she thinks the world is here for her enjoyment. That said, she is very smart as well and she has a heck of a nose. She's not been formally trained but we play hide and seek and she definitely uses her nose to find me even if I'm up in a tree or something. She has long hair but doesn't shed any more than the lab does. When it comes to kids, I don't think you'll find a gentler dog anywhere. She's so careful around kids you wouldn't believe she's the same brute that knocks you over to get to her food dish. Newfs are also known to be somewhat protective and her bark definitely has a "back off" sort of quality to it. She's amazing in the water, swims like it's easier than walking and can stay in for hours. She has no problem pulling me through the water and loves doing it. If you want a giant dog who will plop down next to you and lean into you, can do water rescue, and who is also great with kids, the newf is your dog.
 
Tyrod this was my first hunting dog as well, it's not too hard to train them really. I'm sure a pro could've gotten more out of him than me, but it brought us closer together and he does what I need him to. Best thing you can do in training a dog happens before you get buy the dog, find one with good genetic background of parents that actually hunt. They usually pretty much figure it out themselves, all you need to train them is the obedience part so you can control them. If you wind up with a retrieving breed let me know, I have a book called 10 Minute Retriever that was highly recommended to me when I was looking for a pup. Great book, makes it easy and clear what you should be doing and why. I can send it to you if you'd like it.

One more thought, maybe go for a female. They tend to be more eager to please and less hard headed. This isn't always true, but they usually don't have any dominance issues. Dominance issues are something that can be tough to control, and can get to be a problem with children that can't put the dog in his place.
 
Well,Tyrod, Blackmouth and Mountain curs are pretty much the same breed of dog.I think Blackmouth's are a little bigger,but I don't know. Mountain curs are usually fairly small,about 25 to 45 pounds.They are great dogs!!
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Ben
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I like a good dog thread!

I've owned alot of different breeds, and a Lab is pretty tough to beat for an all around companion/family dog.

My current Lab's duties include upland hunting, waterfowling, home alarm system, and rug potatoe. I couldn't ask for a better dog.

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Fact: All puppies chew stuff up. No avoiding it. I thought Labs pups were bad too until we bought a Jack Russell Terrier this winter. Wow is all I can say. If she can't chew it, she'll just eat it. I'd hate to guess how many Japanese beetles she's ate today...but we love her nonetheless.

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Something you might consider, check out local dog recovery programs. They're like a foster program for dogs. Different breeds have their own recovery programs. I.e. German shorthair recovery program, or something along those lines. Sometimes you can even "test drive" the dog and see if it fits you. Just something to think about. Good luck with your choice. I can't even imagine life without a dog.
 
Something you might consider, check out local dog recovery programs. They're like a foster program for dogs. Different breeds have their own recovery programs. I.e. German shorthair recovery program, or something along those lines. Sometimes you can even "test drive" the dog and see if it fits you. Just something to think about. Good luck with your choice. I can't even imagine life without a dog.

Excellent Idea and I second the German Short Hair.
 
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