Dog lovers
 

Just thought it would be fun to know:
1. of all the dogs you've owned, what's been your favorite breed?
2. why?
3. what where the dog's negative traits, or things he/she did that annoyed you?
4. post a pic please!

Golden Retrievers. Very friendly with everyone and close companions.

Rhodesian Ridgeback, best dog in the world. Loving, loyal, smart. naturaly protective, doesn't smell, doesn't drool, and very little if any shedding. If I had a yard I would have another one in a heartbeat.

I'm a miniature schnauzer fan myself. I just got my second puppy a couple of weeks ago. I like their size and that they hardly shed at all and of course I love their personality. The only problem I had with my last one was that he liked to bark. Didn't bother me so much but my DH hated that.

I've had two mutts and two beagles. Loved them all. The first mutt was by far the best tempered and easiest to train. Tell her once and she had it. She hated being scolded. She was definitely my dog and followed me wherever I went. No shedding but she had long hair and needed to be groomed frequently. First beagle was stubborn and determined to have things her way. When scolded she would talk back. With all her quirks we loved her dearly. Second beagle is more mellow and a real sweetheart. Loves nothing more than to be petted and snuggled. Second mutt (beagle Jack Russel mix) is very energetic and loving and a great escape artist. She loves to run and it's difficult to catch her when she gets out. Although she's six years old she acts like a pup. Beagles and JR mix both shed a lot but I knew that when we got them. If you're looking for a dog, study your breeds to make sure you're getting a good fit. And don't forget that you can get pure breeds as rescue dogs. They make great pets. Three of ours were rescues.

That'd be like asking which of your kids was your favorite and why? :D Dogs/cats/pets are such a gift.
It's so nice to see so many fellow animal lovers here; love when photos are added to your postings. Thanks.

My daughter got this dog off Craig's List about 4 years ago. He's a Border Collie/(some kind of) Shepard and a little bit of Chow Chow. He's got 1/2 a purple tongue like one. Why? He is the sweetest, most gentle dog, so good-natured. And so dang CUTE! His personality and mannerisms are unlike any dog we've ever had. The only thing that really gets on my nerves is he follows ME around like a two year old. If I leave the room, he's gotta follow. But I've figured that he just really wants to be with me/us. Also, he's a little too smart for his own good. Meet Gus: (hope these pics upload!)

I have a pomernian. He's 11 years old and spoiled rotten.He is my second pomernain .My husband is legally blind and I worked the second shift so we got the dog to keep him company and believe me he does.I'm retired now and he keeps both of us entertained.

@Helovesme - love the pictures of Gus - especially with his little pink tongue hanging out. What a cutie!!

My boxer Floyd was so sweet, adorable, loved me and others, never barked but would guard me if needed, my dance partner during Dancing with the Stars. just was the greatest.

An accidental blk poodle/beagle mix. Negative traits =not a one! Wonderful personality, loving ,obedient, gd w kids. And smart as could be and didn't shed. She looked like a Schnauzer, plain blackish gray and my son named her Spot. (?) We had her for nearly 15 yrs.

I've always had spaniels.. and one rescue lab.. Socrates is a cockapoo.. and he's part spaniel, and poodle.. He doesn't shed like the spaniels did.. and he's very good natured like the spaniels.. I think next one I'd get, will be a little girl.. The boys are very protective, and it can be a disadvantage when living in a building..

A wonderful pure white friend that was 3/4 Great Pyrenees and 1/4 Anatolian Shepard. A very smart, large, house dog about 150 lbs - very protective, very faithful -only fault was his habit of jumping fences just like a horse. When he was inside he was a couch potatoe and when he was outside no one came on the property. He was affectionate like a puppy and gentle as he could be with the family.

I've had German Shepherds; different personalities. Loved them all. I don't have a dog right now. However, one day I was sitting on the ground in the front yard. A young female German Shepherd walked across the yard. She walked past me as I spoke to her, then she turned, walked over to me, gave me a lick on the cheek, and then walked off. I never seen her since. There was something special about that to me; don't know exactly what though.

I have my son's dog living with me. He is a German Short Haired Pointer. Lots of hunting competition titles. Very talented in the hunting field. Has a huge English vocabulary. HOWEVER, he has ADHD, OCD, and I am pretty certain he has imaginary friends!!! He has taken it upon himself to "point" and rid the yard of grasshoppers! He is a goof ball!

I love (!!!!) my golden retriever.

The best behaved dog I ever had was a curr mix named George. He was basically very lazy but loving. I had him for years when he showed up at my house with rope marks on his neck, heart worms and way underweight. He was very protective of his family. I had him for years, until he snuck out one morning and followed the kids to the bus and ended up hit by a car. His bad habits was he was a pillow hog, with bad breath and farted in his sleep!! So, he was in some ways like my exhusband, but in all other ways 1000 times better!!

helovesme.. Gus is adorable!!

I grew up with dogs. Beagles, golden retrievers, and rescue.

The beagles were nice enough but as they aged, they got a little mean and snappy. Not fun for a 7 year old.

I had Golden Retrievers from the time I was 7 until.. well.. now. They're my mom's favorite breed, but after what happened to our last two [losing one at age 6 to brain cancer/hip displaysia and one at age 9 to liver disease], she is afraid they are being too inbred. Goldens are absolutely wonderful and I hope to have goldens to share my life with again soon.

But.. my personal favorite breed is rescue. <3

Pictures:

My mom's last two goldens [the dark golden on the left with me, we lost in February to brain cancer, the other [lighter] is still doing very well at age 5!]

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My rescue girl Mia :) she was rescued 1 day before being euthanized and about 1 week before she gave birth to a litter of 7 [1 was stillborn] she is about 3 years old now and was rescued in April 2011.. I adopted her in June 2011.

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and my mom's new rescue dog, Riley [the only thing to heal the loss of one dog.. is another]. She thinks he's a Bernese/Collie mix. Adopted May, 2012 [5 months] :

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I rescued a boxer/pit bull mix in 2000. She was the best dog I've ever had. She never did anything wrong. She never chewed, never dug, was extremely loyal. I think boxers are wonderful dogs. I had to put her down in November, 2010, and we got another boxer in February 2011. She's very sweet, doesn't cause any problems, and is great with kids.

I've had some great pups, nearly all pure-bred poodles until I finally figured out that, if we bred them and they stayed at our house until they were eight weeks old, they never left! I think my all-time favorite was a silver named Fibbre (he NEVER told the truth about anything!) who has been gone for a few years now; my second favorite one is a rescue part-poodle and part ? named DJ....I tease the kids all the time and tell them that my husband lives on in DJ...really, it's uncanny. He guards me as though I were the next queen of the world and will NOT allow me any contact with the "strange" males in my life: he's got the poor UPS guy and the Fed Ex guy so cowed they won't bring the packages in to the house, they leave them on the porch. And if (Heaven forbid!) a strange man happens to come in (usually a GS he hasn't seen in awhile...) he lays on the floor between the fellow and me and keeps his eyes on him. So yes, I have had it all...from pure-breeds to rescues and I have loved them all! If we weren't bound by county requirements, I'd have twenty more than I have just to keep them safe. And by the way, DJ tops out at an astounding 17 pounds...! Gotta love them pups!

nice to meet you gus.what a pretty boy you are..

sunfrogger. you have some pretty fur babies too. sorry to hear about your golden passing . very beautiful dogs

Old English Sheepdogs! I've had 4 of them to date, have two right now but my old guy, Shag E. Bagafur, 15 1/2 years old, is going to the bridge very soon and Sis will be our only one. I can't say enough about how great this breed of dog is! Loyal, loving, great with kids, other dogs and cats, perfect! Well, not always, Shag has always loved to waste basket dive when he gets a chance! These last two were rescues and no different than the first two!

My favorite is a Kuvasz though I am not nearly dominant enough to parent one. I think they are drop-dead gorgeous. If I am going to end up looking like my dog, I want to look like a Kuvasz. However, my other favorite breed is Labrador Retriever (aka Labradorables). I now have two as they love companionship. My last three were rescues (I lost one to breast cancer; she had been used as a breeder before going to a shelter for euthanization). My Maddy is the smartest dog I've ever had. She does nothing wrong because she wants us to be happy. We can even leave her in the car (of course not on a hot day) with steak and she won't touch it. She has a large vocabulary and she also speaks to me. If I don't understand what she wants, I'll ask her to say it differently and she does (goes from barking, say, to whining). If she were to have a tattoo, it would read "born to play." She loves swimming, especially playing "Maddy in the middle" where she swims back and forth between two people who are tossing her pool toy. She is also fabulous with other people. Sadly, she has a huge tumor in her abdomen (inoperable) and bladder, so I don't know how much longer she will be on this side of the rainbow bridge. She survived cancer 3-1/2 years ago and it's back.

Shepherds are my favorite. They are such smart, loyal, and loving dogs. The down side being my female is too protective and another thing she does is she releases her anal glands if she gets scared! Thank goodness that happens not to often. I would post a picture of my three but don't know how to add them.

I have two miniature schnauzers and two mixed breeds. I have a white schnauzer and a salt and pepper. One is three years old and the other is nine months. They do like to be heard. They are very protective of home and family. My two mixed breeds are layed back and very loyal. They are easy going and I think just glad to have a home since I picked them up along the road nearly starved to death. They complete my home.

1. Basenjis
2. They have a mind of their own. Not why I chose this breed, but when they get wet, they smell like a wet wool blanket, not a dog. There is a very dedicated core group of breeders whose goal is to have the breed retain its original traits that allowed it to survive in Africa, and responsibly deal with the health issues in the breed
3. One has to be one step ahead of them at ALL times. Sometimes training them to do anything is a matter of convincing them to do that something is what they wanted to do in the first place
4. This was a pot WITH FLOWERS on my deck at one point

Boy, we did have a Basenji mix years ago, and she ruled the roost! Loved her, but they are a TAD stubborn. Our favorite now would be Border Collies. We have had two, and they are the smartest, most loyal, sensitive, intuitive dog - they'll do anything for you. However, I did read an article in a quilting magazine that a Border Collie would be one of the worst breeds to own if you are a quilter, because they need a job, or they'll find their own! True...

When i was raising kids i raised Boxers. Babies and puppies it was. When I lost my last girl i tried a few puppies people were giving away. None of them worked out.

Then I found a mini Schnauzer! Now there is Max, Fritz and that ArkanSaSS Lizzie. She is my rescue puppy.
All three are very different.

Max is an aristocrat, bed decorator, and cringes when he does something wrong. His job is to keep our laps warm.
Fritz, is my D_O_GEE. A hunter, quiet, my fishing dog and constant companion. He has been sick a couple of years now. Beating all odds of his cancer. I cherish every day he is still with me.
ArkaSaSS Lizzie is a rescue from Arkansas. She arrived to cheer us all up with the cancer diagnosis of Fritz. She has done that and more. her favorite is Max, but heads outside with Fritz to cheer his hunting on. She is head strong and bit barky for us. She is the one who needs to be constantly reminded of what 'no barking" means. She knows, but pushes the issue. It took her only a few months to tell the boys she is Alpha around here.

I love the breed. No shedding, those family members who have allergies are not bothered by these guys. they are loyal, loving, and protect too. Great with the grands too. they love people and I frequently refer to them as my "Walmart greeters". They travel well too.

the downside, grooming. Especially x3. they have hair and not animal fur so they need grooming as much as you or I. Now I trim in between my professional groomer.

My DH said, one more dog and everyone moves out. So I guess I am stuck with three!

I'm more of a cat person, but I did own a teacup chihuahua for 4 yrs. She weighed only 2 lbs. She never got completely house trained, couldn't whip her- you'd kill her! It was like having a newborn baby 24-7!!

I grew up with Collies, had a St. Bernard and now Golden Retrievers. I have loved them all but the goldens are so human. They are wonderfully loving, loyal and entertaining. We lost Ruby over a year ago and I can still feel her spirit in our house. She was our ring leader and since she has gone to the Rainbow Bridge our house is sooooooo quiet. We still have Lucy who is 14.5 but definitely more of a quiet companion. She is getting very frail and can no longer go up the stairs and we think she is losing her sight but she still gives us such love and companionship.

Over the years I've had many different breeds from Shi Tuzs to Greyhounds. All have a special place in my heart. We lost our last greyhound, Lizzie, my avatar, last October and I still miss her. All of mine have been rescues except for one Siberian Husky who was the dog from He**. I will NEVER get another dog from a pet store. The other Siberians were great dogs and one would carry on a conversation with you. You didn't know what she was saying but she would act like you did. The greys (I've had 6) were all 40MPH couch potatoes. Great companions but not guard dogs. The sable Shepherd we had was the guard dog. She was the sweetest thing until she sensed a threat to one of us. She never bit anyone but sure scared the daylights out of door-to door salemen.

I have had 2 part chow dogs one golden retriever and one black lab mix and they are such good dogs, train well. But I love my Great Dane and mini Schnauzer and Coon Hound mix too. My most troublesome dog was part Beagle and she was a wanderer, by time she died at 13 she have seen almost all the town I lived in at the time and spent nights at strangers' homes. As sweet as she was, she worried me a lot with her "walk abouts" as a friend called them. Only Beagle traight I do not like - digging out.

Cocker Spaniels. They are so loving, not much shedding and contrary to what some folks told me before I got one they are not dumb. We also had a sheperd mix that was great.

We had a Border Collie mix that looked a lot like Heloveme's dog but with a bit of white on the toe tips, tail tip, and muzzle tip. Her name was Matilda and she was the best dog we have had yet. She was found with 5 of her litter mates on the side of a nearby road in a box and when we saw the photo of them in the paper, we just had to go get one as we had recently lost a dog. She was a great companion and we could leave her off the leash most of the time. Her companion, another rescue 6 months later, on the other hand was a nut case but very loving and a good watch dog. Still, Til (as we called her) was our best dog yet. Don't have a photo to show. She has been gone for a while now.

Don't we all love to talk about our beloved pets. I have had many dogs over the years. All different breeds, all rescues. We had a collie when my son was small, poodle mix and my mother's poodle after she died, lab mix, doberman mix (about the time I was divorced). I never felt afraid to be alone when I had that dog. Now I have Missy whose mission in life is to play and have people play with her. The nicest dog I ever had was a mix who should have weighed around 15 to 18 pounds. He had such bad skin allergies he would dig himself raw. We had to bathe him ever two days because he smelled so bad. He was the nicest dog, never had a bad attitude, only wanted to please, and he never complained. Always asked if he could go in the car with us, jump on the bed, just so polite. He was on steriods most of his life but it was only a temporary fix. He lived to be 11.

RESCUE!! the best dogs ever-they KNOW they were wanted and will return the love-

I have a Kelpie cross-my alpha dog, oldest at 11-she is from Australia and we brought her back with us when we moved back to the US-sweet, protective, great with the cats and loves kids.

Our golden lab is a pain the the ass-she is a wuss of the first order-also Australian, she is 10-would be lost without her as she is the best cuddle dog ever-loving, a scaredy cat and lets the other animals run all over her.

Just adopted a black and tan coon hound-6 month old and a holy tear-she is loving, active, drives the other 2 nuts and uses the lab as a chew toy. she wants to be a lap puppy and likes to chew on anything not tied down and then some. Smart but stubborn. Forgot how times consuming it is to train a baby!

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Abs and Sassy Jezabelle Abs, Cyn, Sass

Cavalier King Charles Spaniels are the best dog for me. I was nervous around dogs for years after being badly bitten by a friend's Afghan. No one could be afraid of Molly. She is 15 lbs of love, wagging tail and doggie kisses. Cavaliers are great with kids, not prone to barking and don't have a mean bone in their body (unless you happen to be a squirrel or chipmunk). They are smart and easy to train.

Please see my avatar. His name is Stitches and he'll turn 18 in October. He was a rescue. Vet says he's probably a mixed breed terrier. Personally I think he may have some Llaso in him. He is bright, loyal and wonderful company. It has been the most wonderfully rewarding experience adopting a rescue. I would never do anything but now.

My favorite pure bred is an Olde English Sheepdog. I had two females, Sophie and Maggie. Lost Maggie to pancreatic cancer at 5, Maggie to lymphoma at 13. Very loyal, loving dogs. Sophie brilliantly smart. Maggie, ridiculously dittsy until age 3. Lots of grooming, need lots of exercise. Horribly prone to cancer.

Also had a basset hound Beauregard. Very kind and gentle but STUBBORN. Loved him to pieces but he tried every bit of patience I had, every day and in every way. Believe I had Beau for 12 years.

My favorite dog ever was a Wheaten Terrier. I loved that dog like a kid. He was so laid back and smart! He knew what I was thinking before I thought of it. He was a hunter and a tracker but a real pussycat. If I could afford one again and if I weren't so old, I'd have another.