Dog Owner Chat V. 5

[eleutheromania]

@ru; no. It’s a recognized breed color. It’s just with how light ee red is that people mislabel.

On another note, Kasper loves the treadmill my mom just got. Loki is not too fond of it so we’re letting him decide when he’s ready to walk on it.

[yetzali]

x
hello ! i'm looking for two different dogs, a sports prospect + a SD prospect, so i hope this makes sense, if there's only one answer for something, it just means that they're the same. i won't be getting them for like 2 1/2 years, but i'm starting to look into it now so that i can find a good breeder, etc.

Have you had dogs before? What breeds?
pet dogs, i’ve only ever had a bullmastiff and a flat-coated retriever mix. i’ve been involved with a rescue group for years, so i’ve had experience with quite a few different breeds and mixes. the only breeds that i haven't owned that i have really significant experience with is staffordshire bull terriers, and then all of the labrador retrievers that I’ve been working with.
x
x
Are there any breeds that have already caught your eye? If so, why?
01. golden retrievers and flat-coated retrievers. after reading this form, a golden retriever probably sounds like the obvious choice, but i’m just looking to see if there are any other breeds i’ve looked over. the two that i mentioned fit all of my requirements, i’m just open to more options.
02. australian shepherds!
x
x
How much time a day do you have to devote to training your dog?
01. most of the day, if not all!
02. 7 hours at the very least
x
x
What kind of grooming needs are you prepared to handle? 
01. i’m looking for a breed that doesn’t shed an insane amount, and one that doesn’t need to go to a groomer. we can do lots of daily brushing and regular baths.
02. i don't mind too much about shedding, though it would be nice if it didn't shed much.
x
x
What kind of energy level are you looking for?
01. a dog that’s able to spend most of the day walking around, but has an off-switch. when i do get the dog, i’ll be able to go to university, so they need to to be able to sleep through things like classes, and i hope to travel, so they’ll need to be able to rest through either short or long flights.
02. quite a lot of energy! but one that if there's a day where i'm unable to do much, they'll be content with playing a big game of fetch and running around.
x
x
What do you plan on doing with your dog?
01. if all goes well s/he’ll be a psychiatric service dog
02. agility and SAR, maybe some disc stuff, depending on the breed. we hope to go on a lot of hikes too!
x
x
What size dog are you wanting?
01. size is quite specific. something over 25kg/55lbs, and at the very least, 22’’ at the withers.
02. size doesn't matter! though i'd rather not have anything smaller than an aussie.
x
x
What age dog are you looking for?
a puppy.
x
x
What kind of lifestyle do you live?
i'm not insanely active, but i like to hike a lot and do sports with my current dog. though i'm able to change based on what the dog needs.

quick recap;
01. psd prospect, over 25kg/55lbs, over 22’’ at the withers, long hair, doesn't shed a scary amount of hair.
02. sports prospect + sar, no other requirements other than them not being tiny.

[Imzadi83]

x
hello ! i'm looking for two different dogs, a sports prospect + a SD prospect, so i hope this makes sense, if there's only one answer for something, it just means that they're the same. i won't be getting them for like 2 1/2 years, but i'm starting to look into it now so that i can find a good breeder, etc.

Have you had dogs before? What breeds?
pet dogs, i’ve only ever had a bullmastiff and a flat-coated retriever mix. i’ve been involved with a rescue group for years, so i’ve had experience with quite a few different breeds and mixes. the only breeds that i haven't owned that i have really significant experience with is staffordshire bull terriers, and then all of the labrador retrievers that I’ve been working with.
x
x
Are there any breeds that have already caught your eye? If so, why?
01. golden retrievers and flat-coated retrievers. after reading this form, a golden retriever probably sounds like the obvious choice, but i’m just looking to see if there are any other breeds i’ve looked over. the two that i mentioned fit all of my requirements, i’m just open to more options.
02. australian shepherds!
x
x
How much time a day do you have to devote to training your dog?
01. most of the day, if not all!
02. 7 hours at the very least
x
x
What kind of grooming needs are you prepared to handle? 
01. i’m looking for a breed that doesn’t shed an insane amount, and one that doesn’t need to go to a groomer. we can do lots of daily brushing and regular baths.
02. i don't mind too much about shedding, though it would be nice if it didn't shed much.
x
x
What kind of energy level are you looking for?
01. a dog that’s able to spend most of the day walking around, but has an off-switch. when i do get the dog, i’ll be able to go to university, so they need to to be able to sleep through things like classes, and i hope to travel, so they’ll need to be able to rest through either short or long flights.
02. quite a lot of energy! but one that if there's a day where i'm unable to do much, they'll be content with playing a big game of fetch and running around.
x
x
What do you plan on doing with your dog?
01. if all goes well s/he’ll be a psychiatric service dog
02. agility and SAR, maybe some disc stuff, depending on the breed. we hope to go on a lot of hikes too!
x
x
What size dog are you wanting?
01. size is quite specific. something over 25kg/55lbs, and at the very least, 22’’ at the withers.
02. size doesn't matter! though i'd rather not have anything smaller than an aussie.
x
x
What age dog are you looking for?
a puppy.
x
x
What kind of lifestyle do you live?
i'm not insanely active, but i like to hike a lot and do sports with my current dog. though i'm able to change based on what the dog needs.

quick recap;
01. psd prospect, over 25kg/55lbs, over 22’’ at the withers, long hair, doesn't shed a scary amount of hair.
02. sports prospect + sar, no other requirements other than them not being tiny.

Along with the ones you listed I would also consider...
Curly Coated Retriever http://akc.org/dog-breeds/curly-coated-retriever/
Chesapeake Bay Retriever http://akc.org/dog-breeds/chesapeake-bay-retriever/
German Shorthair Pointer http://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/german-wirehaired-pointer/
German Shorthair Pointer http://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/german-shorthaired-pointer/

[.Middy.]

Octavia is back to normal after her scare yesterday! She convinced me to take her to meet K and go on a short walk. The dogs had fun running and O even got in the water and laid down 😂 silly girl!

Then we went out to eat, and O once again proved she is a amazing puppy! She is so amazing on the patio. This was only her second time going to eat, and she is already getting the idea of laying down and not moving around! I figured it would take a lot more training to get her relaxed on the patio especially with all the activity and food around.

[ru.]

@Middy: Glad to see that Octavia is feeling better!
It sounds like she has a ton of potential to be an awesome dog! How many weeks is she now?

@방탄소년단: I actually think that a Golden Retriever could be a great fit for your service dog prospect! Just be sure that you go through a reputable breeder (even better if they have a history of breeding service dogs) as a good breeder will be able to make sure that you end up with the best puppy to fit what you need out of a service dog.
However, Goldens (just like Labs) do shed. Though not as bad as a Siberian Husky or German Shepherd, it's still something to be aware of.

If you weren't against taking them to the groomer I would recommend a Standard Poodle as they don't shed. However, they certainly need to close attention to their hair and regular haircuts.

For your sport dog, have you considered smaller terriers? I know you said you don't really want anything small but the upside is that they don't require as much exercise. Since you are willing to be flexible though, I don't see why an Aussie or even a Miniature American Shepherd couldn't work!

[LizzytheWolf]

Well, today was eventful.

I took everyone out with me today, It was amazing how well behaved they all were together. Usually, they're like a group of high school friends who don't like to listen (except Justin, of course). Sergio got lots of attention from an older couple who has a beautiful female BM currently staying with their son. I emailed them lots of pics of Serg and they sent me some of theirs.
Right after this was when Chess got stuck in a fence. It took me and a very nice stranger almost 6 minutes to untangle her. She was wearing her harness so I have no idea what happened. Sergio and Pip were on a double leash but I ended up having to put Chess on their leash because she kept roaming on her separate leash.
I think Chess has senior moments or something because she is always wandering and getting stuck somewhere or staring into space for what seems like eons. Today was really bad because I had to knot her leash to make it shorter so she wouldn't go very far.
This is exactly the reason I leave her home in her kennel where she can have controlled wandering without distracting me when I need to focus on everyone else.
The food we put her on is really improving things though, she like playing with Justin's toys and she learned how to open her food container so I had to put a baby-proof lock on it.

[.Middy.]

Ru- Thanks, she scared me for a bit lol! I’m so excited to see the dog she becomes! She impresses me more and more every day! If my math is right, she turned 15 weeks today.

[yetzali]

x
imzadi + ru. - thank you both for the suggestions! i've also thought about irish + english setters, but i haven't looked into them too much. i think a golden would be the best fit so far for a service dog, i'm fine with them shedding a bit, i just don't want to leave a trail of hair wherever we go. poodles would be a good choice, i think they fit most of my needs, but sadly, i'm not a huge fan of them.

little terriers are quite cute, though i'd be constantly scared that i'd accidentally step on them. over the past few days i've seen some really gorgeous & talented aussies competing at crufts, it's made me fall in love with them even more. another breed i'm looking at is a nova scotia duck tolling retriever! they're one of my favorite breeds, though i've seen barely any at competitions, i'm not entirely sure if they'd be a good fit for what i want to do.

anyway, thank you both again for the advice! i appreciate it a lot.

[juliall]

Have you had dogs before? What breeds?
Yes. As a kid, we had a lab mix, and my father currently has a Papillon. My fiance and I currently own a lab mix (we think with pit) and a dog we assume is a cattle dog x GSD.

Are there any breeds that have already caught your eye? If so, why?
Corgi. I think they're cute, I've always wanted one.
Bernese Mountain Dog. I've always wanted one as well.

How much time a day do you have to devote to training your dog?
Currently, 2ish. Once I graduate from school (which is when I'd be getting another dog) I'll have more in the 3 hour range.

What kind of grooming needs are you prepared to handle?
Again, whatever is necessary. If it needs to go to a groomer, I will do that.

What kind of energy level are you looking for?
I'd like a dog that wouldn't mind lounging around in the house, but one that would also like to go for walks, play in the backyard, etc.

What do you plan on doing with your dog?
I'd love to do obedience, but I mainly would like a companion / family dog.

What size dog are you wanting?
Doesn't matter, fiance would rather have a medium to large sized dog however.

What age dog are you looking for?
Again, doesn't matter c:

What kind of livestyle do you live? (Active, couch potato etc)
I wouldn't call me 'active' but I'm not a couch potato. I like to go out on short walks, and play with the dogs in the yard.

[liv :)]

(Really bad image quality but it’s the best I have oops)

Little update on Blue’s training! She’s mastered sit, lie down, shake a paw (with both paws), high-five (rears on hind legs and touches paw to hand), spin, go to your crate, and she’s now walking very nicely on a leash. I also just purchased a clicker the other day, so I’m looking forward to training with it! Currently working on roll over, weaving through the legs, backing up, and a lot of other things lol.

Something I’m struggling with teaching her is sit pretty. She’s still a puppy (turning 8 months old tomorrow) so I don’t want to overdo it with physically demanding tricks like that, but she’s not really grasping the foundation of it... whenever I try to lure her into the position she just jumps for the treat. She definitely needs to be trained out of that jumping habit. Until then, I’ll have to take baby steps towards that behaviour.