I love the Malteses, part;ly because they don't shed and I have COPD, but mostly because they are so fun to play,...but.. also love to be lap held people. They seem to have more sense than some people so I still call them human. LOL They are also smart.

So maybe you could get one and just not mention the poodle part.LOL

As long as I have been married(48 yr) have had GS and cats. Usually just one GS at a time; but multiple cats. How ever since DH was cruelty investigator for Animal Control, we usually have at least 2 GS or GS mixes. All except the first one have been found or pound puppies. Right now we have T-Tucker GS/Corgi...hope the mother was the GS and 7 cats.
Just last week another another dog GS/ ? ...maybe Golden ret. cause he likes to lean on you like velco fastens. He is a big scaredy cat...scared of noises, shadows, anything moving. But likes people. Not quite housebroken at 10 mo. We think he was abused and a yard dog. Very smart. We named him Chance because it is his last chance for life(from Animal Control) and might be our last chance to recue another dog. As far as my heart dog, was a femate long haired GS we adpoted in IL. All animals are always neutered or spaded. But really I love all critters. Just can't afford more than we have or would have a lot more.

I have five dogs and four cats----all rescues and all were on death row. The dogs are Australian Shepherd mix (my avatar), a Beagle, a German Shepherd mix and two Pit Bulls. All are very sweet and loving and the Pit puppy is NOT a watchdog---he's 86 lbs but scared of strangers. The German Shepherd mix is very smart and can read my mind at times---she's my favorite. I had a GS mix while I was raising the kids and she was a sensitive delight as well. When these five are gone I will have two dogs at a time since I'll be about 60 by then. I'll definitely look for a female German Shepherd mix....

My favorite breed is the beagle .We now have our 3rd one and each has been funny and personable in their own way.They go after any calorie that hits the floor and are certainly counter surfers but such loves I can not imagine not having one to enjoy.Their size makes them good for us as they have all the personality of a big dog but are easier to walk .

I absolutely LOVE my American Eskimo, he is the smartest, most loyal pup ever. I also love Shitsu's, labs,and mutts. I am a dog lover. However I seem to fear Pit Bulls.

I agree that the German Shepherd is the best dog ever!!!
Molly is our current love and is three years old...

I agree with the Pekingese; I had one years ago and she was great; I also had a shepard that was great; only had a bad experience with one behavior wise. We babysat for a chow and had the opportunity to keep it if we wanted. She was pretty but she was prejudice so that was a problem and also if she thought she needed to "protect" you and you tried to stop her, she'd turn on you. We gave her back to the orginal owners and a few weeks later the owner picked her up in her arms because the UPS was at the door and the dog bit the owner in the face. I know that not all chows are like this just like any breed or even humans; there are the good and there are the not so good. I can't imagine not having a dog in my house; they bring so much to the plate and can give you protection and joy at the same time.

He looks just like mine. Mine (Cheyenne) is 1 1/2 yrs old. A big fur ball and very loyal and you can definitely tell who's the "owner" in the house. No matter where I'm she's right behind me.

My parents have an Eskie and so in my family, he's my "brother" :D He is the sweetest thing, has the best personality.

I've always been a Sheltie girl, but had a couple other mixed shelter pups in the past - a lab/pointer mix when I was in college and a golden retriever/chow a few years ago. Both of those showed signs of having been abused,turned out to be wonderful girls for me. The chow mix was a faithful guard dog for my daughters - and was soooo beautiful. I've had several Sheltie rescue kiddos along the way, which is what the shedder-in-residence currently is - Daisy. Very, very sweet, calm Sheltie. I should invest stock in lint rollers. Her hair loves any quilt project going! Also have a gray tabby - my fave for kitties, although Vanya (aka Evil One)is too formidable to call a kitty.

The only down side to having fur kids is that when you need or want to go somewhere longer than 6 or 7 hours, it's hard to find someone to step in and take over. We won't leave our boys at a kennel unless there is no other choice. And yes, I'll admit that they are spoiled. ;-)
But I love dogs and would have lots if I could. They all have such different personalities. But not everyone is a dog lover...most of my family think that we are crazy for having 3 dogs in the house. Ha! What do they know?

Boy this is a hard one, I love the Chihuahuas just because of my little Lola (RIP) but we have Poms and two lab mixes one is a Sheprador (Australian shepard/Lab) and an Irish setter/lab mix. The Irish setter mix is the sweetest dog in the world. I love her more than I have any other pupper I have been around. I carry her like a baby on my hip and she is just the most gentle loving dog I have seen. The Sheprador (baby) is a live wire but she is only 7 months old. Smart as a whip but into everything, and very protective of me. Thats another one that has my heart wrapped around her paws.

Then we have the two Poms and they are the cutest little things with wonderful personalities but they are dumb as a box of rocks! The littlest one thinks she is a flying squirrel She jumps through the window in our sunroom into the kitchen and has no fear of anything. She will keep the big dogs at bay and they are scared of her (she sounds like mumbles from Dick Tracy when she chases them growling and carrying on). The other Pom (Rebel) is bipolar something because he tries to eat through the chain link fence and if you say "go" he will tear your ankles off! He is the cutest one of them all but man is he something else.

Now my daughter has a white German Shepard that is pretty stupid. He is a huge lovable galoot but is lacking in the brains department. He can get on our bed but he just puts his front end on there and looks at us like "Are you going to help me here?" so I have to pick his hind end up and put it on the bed for him. And the look that we get from him when he is just standing there is priceless. That is another one that has me wrapped around his paw.

Billy

My all-time favorite breed is the Kuvasz--if I'm going to look like my dog, I want to become drop-dead, street-stopping gorgeous. But, they do not make good city pets. My next favorite breed is the lab. My husband turned me onto them. My Maddy, a rescued yellow is now 11 and was diagnosed with cancer 2-1/2 years ago and bless her heart, she is still with us despite the 2-month prognosis. My Lexie,a chocolate lab and also a rescue like Maddy, died this summer. Heartbroken can't begin to describe it. She died of breast cancer after having been used as a breeder in a puppy mill for her first four years. Thanks to Lexie's divine intervention, a new chocolate boy entered our lives. He was the "stud" in a puppy mill...came to Laura Hope's Rescue with his nails so long they grew around his toes and into his skin...He is a love beyond love. All my labs have been fabulous with children, inlcuding very young babies, which is important to us.

When I was growing up it was Beagles and Pits. I must say that even though they get a very bad rap, my pit Tiger and Susie his mom, were some of the sweetest, best natured, even tempered dogs I've had. I've had a Corgi named Biscuit who was a real character. When I would sing "Biscuit's got a big ol' butt" he would bark at me until I stopped singing. Now I have a female Scotty named Corky, a mini doxie named Izzy, and a male chiuhauha(?) named Toughy. Corky is a wonderful dog and I will always own a Scotty because of her. She is a character and very smart. Izzy is a sweetie and a snuggler. Toughy is a character, he tries his best to intimidate the other two dogs by barking and growling but he is such a sweetie to me. He bonded with me and is my dog, which causes a problem with the other two who also think they are my dogs. Quite a menagerie we have going but I love dogs and will always have at least one around.

I hate it when people say that a certain breed of dog is dangerous. I feel(and have always felt) that it is the humans that make animals mean. Some people should never be allowed to have animals.

We have a rescue Schnauzer. He is my shadow and that is his name. Having a barking problem. Going to read the dog whisper book to see what we can do about it.

English toy spaniel /pugs .
borzoi/newfie/great dane

but I always have the rejects of the 1st two; esp the oldies.

I have 3 chichihuahuas, have had 2 more, had a Norwegian Elkhound-great dog-a neighbor (drunk) poisoned him and my Border collie- have had a few of those very smart and loyal. I love any dog except Akitas!!!!!

Dixie looks like an awesome dog to have around!



This thread has gotten pretty persuasive on why there breed is better. :)

Having worked in an animal shelter for almost five years, I have seen more than a few breeds come through.
I have a soft spot for German Shepherds. When I was younger, I trained one as a guard dog and he was my boy. He and I would take off in the car pulling the trailer and go up in the mtns. camping, hiking, and fishing. I never ever had a problem with anyone.

Currently though, I am very fond of Collies. My avatar is my 10 yo plus totally blind Laddie. He is the best dog, loves to run and play, chase the ball, steals my slippers and 'dig's' a hole in the carpet and bury them for a later date. If we leave them where he 'buried' them, he comes right back days later and picks it up and starts all over again. He knows my moods and reads them well. He knows when I am having a bad day and always sticks his nose under my arm for a scratch. He was a shelter dog and I love him dearly. We have a friend who still does not believe Laddie is blind because of how well he gets around. Of course, if you move furniture or park the car where it shouldn't be. he bumps his beautiful nose. If he starts running towards an object, we simply say, "easy" and he turns or stops. I even taught him to roll over about two years ago for his treats. He sleeps on the floor at the foot of my bed every night and when I get up to pee, I have to step over him or fall. If I am sick in bed, he sleeps on the floor next to me and puts his nose up every once in awhile to check on me. He has been known to try and herd the chickens and even the goat. He will attack anything that he believes will hurt his momma. One day while checking the goats hooves, Pete (the goat) got goofy and wanted to play. I finally had to 'pop' Pete on the nose and say "no" and before I knew it, Laddie was barking like crazy running at us full force. He was going to take care of whoever was hurting me. Uh oh, I wrote a book again. Sorry.

I love them all and the bigger the better, as rescue I have housed many breeds most of them at the same time...lol the one I like the best is the lab no mater the color they are the best with kids and family.

Aren't they wonderful! They are my favorite breed and at present we have 5 -- yuppers 5. One was a pet store puppy that the owner just decided he didn't want any more. She is a little minx and probably has some Maltese or something. The other 4 are retired show dogs. They certainly don't look like show dogs at our house. But we like them natural and clipped fairly short. Crossed the Bridge were 5 more from years ago.

However, we do have 5 additional dogs at present -- a Golden, a Shih Tzu, a Maltese, a Mini Schnauzer, and a pound puppy from the local shelter.

We can't seem to turn down a dog in need of a home.

YAY! Sibyl... We have 10 and people think we are nuts. Love those guys, every single one of them. There is always room for one more.