Help decide on new dog!

Which dog do you like best?

  • Scotty

    Votes: 3 42.9%

  • Troy

    Votes: 1 14.3%

  • Bloo

    Votes: 3 42.9%
  • Total voters
    7
BikeSwimLaugh

BikeSwimLaugh

0
About 11 months ago we adopted a female lab/terrier mix from ThumpingTailsRescue. Butterscotch has grown to about 38 pounds, short-hair, yellow coat with hints of white under the belly. She looks like a short-haired lab with some lean features. Smart dog, but shy & nervous. She's connected with my wife and my kids, but she's scared of men and leery of strangers.

She was found with her mother and litter-mates only 3 days old...she was never abused, her behavior has been determined to be on account of the father being a feral dog (street/wild). All the trainers and doggie-experts have said it can improve but at this point our best bet for sure is to introduce a 2nd dog to our family. The experts suggest we get a male dog, 1-4 years old that is of equal of larger size. In short time Butterscotch will very likely assimilate the social qualities and emulate the similar behavior as the more socially adjusted dog. I've done my research and a 2nd dog of friendly nature will VERY likely help...and we always intended to have 2 dogs anyways.

We're looking for a male, 38-50 pound, 1-4 year old dog...and the trainer suggested a pit-mix would be ideal. I've always liked when the strong looks of the pit are mixed with a softer dog, the combination can be awesome and very friendly. We like short-haired dogs and some cute looks would be nice...no big slobbery dogs, no little rat-dogs, looking to keep it medium sized.

In keeping with rescuing dogs, I've found 3 local dogs from various shelters and would like to submit to you, for your consideration & opinion, my current picks:

Scotty. Said to be 45 pounds max. and cute, but the all-black in color and sounds like he needs more training. An older dog would present it's personality right up front so we aren't taking-on another "project". Check out all 3 pics too:

Troy. Weight not indicated but pics make him look ideal. Look at all 3 pics, one pic shows a big-head on a little body, but other pics look fine. He's trained and I like the 2-tone coat, a bit of bad-ass tough mixed with the happiness of a lab and short-hair of the whippet (indicated in his mix).

Bloo. Full grown at 42 pounds, he's only 4 pounds bigger then Butterscotch. I LOVE THE EYES....either you'll love it or hate it. Look at the smile, this is a happy-go-lucky dog with a hint of power that comes from a strong jaw. Coat is a bit boring but the size is solid and he's mid-range as far as training.
 
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Steve, check with your insurance company about owning a pit bull or >50% pit bull mix. I'm guessing they're gonna tell you that they'll cancel your insurance or at the very least won't assume any liability from the dog. It has been my observation here in Florida that the only people who have such dogs don't have insurance.

My neighbor just got a pit bull mix puppy and hasn't told his insurance carrier. It will be interesting what happens if that dog bites someone.
 
The Rhodesian Ridgeback is a cross breed? How does that effect his bahaviour? I only ask as I used to know someone with one of those dogs and it's just about the only big dog I've ever met that I'd trust around my kids, they have this wierd character trait that makes them fiercely defensive but never attack or bite, they use their physical size to block intruders and can even put their mouth around an intruders hand to stop them from moving but they never bite down, only grip.
Amazing animals and perfect for home security. From what I gather they're pretty expensive though as my friend made a futune by hiring him out as a stud

Would a cross bread have the same traits? And does it have the cool backwards hair 'ridge' running up it's back?
 
Definately a Lab, we've always had Labs...

There cute, funny, loving, intelligent, playful, and even f**kable if your into that sort of thing.
 
Bloo, got my vote. Crazy looking dog! They are all great picks though.

I love Boxers (and bull dogs) myself and may adopt one, somday.


edit: No Tom not like that
 
I am definitely no dog expert, but Bloo has my vote for a couple of reasons.

1. Rhodesians are, as Typhon pointed out, good as guards without being aggressive - kind of like a silent sentury. :)

2. He's older and a bit more mature than the lab.

Personally I'd stay away from the pit. I guess it's the mom in me coming out. You have children and you never know if/when a pit is going to get a wild hair and decide to go Charlie Manson... ya know!?

The lab is cute, but again - looks like a puppy and you'd have to not let your existing dog set the tone for the younger one. Plus you'd have the added joy of 3 years of getting past "puppy" stage with a lab. (I do know this to be the norm - especially with male labs)

Anyway... my 2 cents. Good luck on your choice.
 
Labs will hit the water any time they have a chance to. That may be an important consideration, positive or negative depending on your situation.

Also pits are great family dogs, cute and friendly (This does depend on their pedigree, if they have past family that had been bread for aggression- like any dog)but they will always have a black cloud over their heads when anybody sees the dog. The assumption is that it is a bad dog and you may not want to deal with pit haters when you are out trying to have fun.
 
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I'd go with Scotty. Labs remind me of my pet Irish Setter. She was funny but very lean and fast. Almost uncontrollable. But labs are more friendly and the same hyper behavior but with control.
 
flyinfree said:
omg, i had an irish setter as a kid, and that things hair was a nightmare!
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Hahahha, yeah mines was with me from elementary all the way to beginning of third year of college. It was crazy! It made the funniest noise when you ignore her. Like you pass by and don't pet her or something, she goes "Yaaaaaaaoooooohhhhhhh!" like that and she does it over and over until you pay attention.

Near the end though, she started losing hair all over and became extra skinny to the point where she looked like she was malnourished. When she was a young pup, she had thick reddish hair that becomes all tangled up into a ball.

I watch the movie big red, and I was like yeah!

But yeah, they're pretty dumb. Once I came home and she had a big fat lip. Only speculation is that she messed with a bee cause after that I notice every time a fly came around or bee, she would run for the hills or go into a life or death battle.
 
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i'm a fan of pitbull breeds, so i voted for Troy. a lotta people pass up on adopting these breeds because of bad owners that don't raise them right, giving the whole breed a bad reputation.
 
BigTomW said:
Definately a Lab, we've always had Labs...

There cute, funny, loving, intelligent, playful, and even f**kable if your into that sort of thing.
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Was there any doubt we'd hear from that perspective? :D or :grinning:

JohnnySolo said:
Labs will hit the water any time they have a chance to. That may be an important consideration, positive or negative depending on your situation.

Also pits are great family dogs, cute and friendly (This does depend on their pedigree, if they have past family that had been bread for aggression- like any dog)but they will always have a black cloud over their heads when anybody sees the dog. The assumption is that it is a bad dog and you may not want to deal with pit haters when you are out trying to have fun.
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2 very good points!

We have a place in Lake Arrowhead and it's fun watching dogs retrieve toys and swim in the lake...but we also have a swimming pool and a dog that gets wet tends to walk into the house dripping AND smells after a while.

You're right about pit's...most people assume they're hateful & mean animals. Course, we're not talking about a pure pit...once you mix a lab into the blend you get a happy-go-lucky short-haired medium-sized lab with a bit more brains. It's all how you raise them...but any dog with formiddable jaws insights concern with any parent.

malkore said:
i'm a fan of pitbull breeds, so i voted for Troy. a lotta people pass up on adopting these breeds because of bad owners that don't raise them right, giving the whole breed a bad reputation.
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Exactly...and Troy is a mix. All these dogs are mixed so we can't expect any particular behavior from them. Each dog will have to be evaluated when we meet them and I will only take them on a trial basis.

If Bloo is a loving friendly dog that is good with our existing dog and excellent with our kids...then I'm inclined towards him. It's funny how I posted a poll for 3 available dogs and people are telling me what others dogs to get. These are all rescue-dogs and all of them are mixed in breed. We'll just have to see what comes of each....but I do appreciate the thoughts, insights & opinions.
 
Not to debate, but pitbulls don't have an innate 'demeanor'. its all learned. i just want everyone to understand that.

my two corgi's are more vicious than any of the pits I've personally known.

(and in reading Cesar Milans book, I'm finding that my own behavior is causing some of my dog's drama....sigh)

be sure to post pics once you bring home your 'final decision' :)
 
malkore said:
Not to debate, but pitbulls don't have an innate 'demeanor'.
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I'm inclined to agree with you. The thing about Pit Bulls is that they have wide jaws, slits for eyes and some of them have coloring that just look brutal, fierce and aggressive. They don't look harmless...they look like they could clamp onto your jugular and kill ya.

I've met plenty pits who are friendly with kittens, other dogs and people...it's how they're raised.

I used to work in the field and met plenty of dogs.....it's generally the small little ones that'll run-up and take a chunk out of your ankle. Those Dacshunds...they'll tear your skin off ya! Most unpredicatable breed I've ever met.

Bloo is set to visit us tonight...hope he's a winner!!!! Either way, I'm going to insist on a trial period of a week before I ink the papers. I'll give her the money either way. Funny how they call it a 'mandatory donation'...but it goes to pay for expenses and it's a good cause.
 
malkore said:
i'm a fan of pitbull breeds, so i voted for Troy. a lotta people pass up on adopting these breeds because of bad owners that don't raise them right, giving the whole breed a bad reputation.
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You have got to be kidding right. Pitbulls are dangerous not because they are dogs that were bred for fighting but because of bad owners that don't raise them right? See for example the Clifton report

The study found reports of 264 people killed by dogs over the 24-year period, of which "pit bull terrier" or mixes thereof were reportedly responsible for killing 137, or about 43 percent, of the 314 people killed by dogs in the attacks identified in the study. The breed with the next-highest number of attributed fatalities was the Rottweiler and mixes thereof, with 67 fatalities or about 21 percent of the study-identified fatalities; in aggregate, pit bulls, rottweilers, and mixes thereof were involved in about 64% of the study-identified fatalities."
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Pitbulls, rottweilers , akitas are classed as aggressive dogs and either banned in some countries or in countries they are not banned the insurance doesn't cover the bill so your fu**** if it bites someone.

BSL doesn't have much of a choice 2 terrier-type dogs and a lab. Get about 5 different dogs to have a real choice, your wife may want a poodle-type dog rather than a pitbull around kids.
 
It's a pit-mix, not a pit-bull....and I've met many pits that are gentle and affectionate to both humans and dogs alike. Basically if you have any lab bred into them, it makes 'em dumb n' happy.

Well...Bloo came and I really liked him. As expected, he was VERY excited and he jumped-up a few times. He was panting fast, tongue hanging out of his mouth (easy there Big Tom) and all excited. He was friendly and playful with our current dog and good with the kids. You have to understand, when you bring a dog that lives in an apartment to a piece of land that is an acre of grass complete with a dog, 3 kids and a lawn full of dog, squirrel and other critter smells...it's bound to over-load their senses. As a trainer said, even the best-trained dog will break form under such circumstances. I know, that last word has the word "cum" in it, so again....easy Tom! :D

I liked Bloo, the kids liked Bloo...but my wife was thumbs down. :(***

Why? Well...despite the dog having been washed an hour before, he still had a musky dog odor to his coat. His breath was bad and my wife just couldn't get past those semi-formiddable jaws. His eyes are a bit small and slotted, as well as separated a bit...ya know, pit characteristics. BUT his behavior was sweet as hell. When I pet him, he'd look deep into my eyes with such love and affection. Easy Tom, down boy! When he stands next to you, he leans against you for contact. And unlike our current drip of a dog, he comes when you call him.

I think I can just give him a really solid washing to get rid of that coat odor. The breath will improve with diet and some milk bones. The excited behavior will curb once he acclimates and he's almost 5 years old, on the verge of that step-down in energy that many dogs experience.

As for his looks, he doesn't have that super wide-chest and really big jaw-face structure....he looks more like the female runt of the litter...not really like those junk-yard viscious dogs you see. The only downside is that most people who come here to visit will recognize the pit qualities and be a bit concerned....you always see that potential for the clamp-jaws, but this guy is all about the love and in the course of this lady having him for 4+ years, he's never been in a fight or anything.

She said we can try a 1-week trial to see how it goes, so I'm seeing how the wife feels about that. I have no idea why it seems to be her call...at what point did I lose my balls in this marriage? Oh yeah, when that dude said "do you take this woman to be your lawfully married wife until death do you part"?

You know what they say: a man's not complete until he's married...then he's FINISHED! :eek:

Nahh...I just respect my wife's wishes enough to be considerate of her position on this.

As for the lab....no. I want a medium-sized dog that can fit in the car without being huge, and a dog that doesn't make mountains of sh!t in the yard. Gimme short & tight hair, none of that shedding. Btw, the pic is misleading, one eye is brown, the other blue...the flash made it look white...but he is a great dog and I hope we'll give it a shot. I'm waiting to hear back from the lady, I told her where we stood and if she doesn't think it'll be traumatic for the hound, we'll give it a one-week trial.
 
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