why did you choose your dog/s?

[elegy]

this is kind of an off-shoot of what the big dog / little dog thread turned into.

why did you choose the breed/s of dogs you did? what characteristics appealed to you? if you didn't choose by breed (or even if you did) why did you choose your individual dog?

what do you want in a dog? what is most important and what is of lesser importance? what role did you want your dog to play?

[gaddylovesdogs]

Colby came from a no-kill shelter. We had decided to get a dog, preferably a puppy. We searched through various shelters and finally chose Colby. We chose her partly for her good-looks, but also for her attitude, of course. She is sweet, loving, and a great guard dog.

May was found in the wood behind our house. The animal control/police took her overnight but we decided she was too sweet of a dog and we loved her too much to let her be euthanized. The first night she was terrified. Now she is a very calm, wonderful pooch. We love her personality--she is so great with young kids, perfect with other animals, and is very calm so good around people that are usually weary around dogs.

Tippy we were originally going to find a home for. After the home we were going to give her to rejected her, we didn't do much to find someone else. But she did. She got a bath and a collar....you should've seen her run down the stairs, huffing and puffing, smiling. She knew she was ours. She is such a great dog.

I like larger breeds best, because I like to rough house and take long walks. I want a dog that likes exercise and play but is also ready to cuddle. It's not important to me how the dog looks, and it's not important how well-trained the dog is at the time I get it. I can train it over again and I'll have a well-trained dog. The dogs are part of our family. They are "the dogs" and they are "below us in the pack," but they are part of the pack, and we love them a lot.

[sheltiepups]

Shelties just fit for us... for me, they are the right breed and for everyone else in my family, they get along with them *my sister's all like different breeds, but the shelties work for them right now*

We knew we had to get Lexie when her “breeders” let her outside and she ran in circles with us chasing her and wouldn’t stop.

Joker was just such a cutie and his little personally makes you go “awww”. He came up to me and begged to be picked up and then just lay there. On the three hour trip home he slept on my lap!

Kira. Wall we got Kira because she was pretty and the craziest puppy of the littler. When we picked her out, all the puppies in the litter were still there, but Kira just stood out for us.

[poodlesmom]

Over the years I always had rescue dogs, mostly mixes. For about 3 years I tried to convince my husband that a Great Dane would be a great addition. He finally said yes, provided I could find one in rescue (secretly he figured he was safe & I would be unsuccessful). Well, I called the local shelter that same day & they had just picked up a purebred dane as a stray & if no one claimed him he would be available. On the day he was available we were there 1 hr b4 the doors were unlocked to insure we'd be the first there & he came home with us. I then had a few more rescues, the last of which was Rufus who was a samoyed/collie. After we lost him to cancer at 8 yo I wanted another furpal. However, with all the shedding Rufus did I decided I wanted a non-shedding breed. After alot of research I decided a standard poodle would be a perfect fit. It was important that we have a dog that was great with kids as I had a new grandson. Farley then joined us as a 9 wk old pup and he was such a joy 1 1/2 yrs later we got Chloe to join us. I absolutely love this breed and will always have at least one. They are a pleasure to train, they don't shed, they love to cuddle, they are super with the boys and are ready to participate in any activity from swimming, to retrieving, to chasing the squirrels, etc. They always (well almost always ) keep a smile on my face.

[WingedFoal]

I chose Boston Terriers because I wanted a rough-and-tumble dog, but not a big one. Well, if I could've gotten a big dog I would have, but I'm living in an apartment right now. The Boston Terrier's attitude and activity level was what intrigued me most about them. They are just funny little snorty dogs, and cute too!

[doberkim]

well, i just happened to "come upon" both of my current beasts.

my first dog was obtained before i was born - i believe he came from a shelter. he lived to be almost 18, and the dog we had after him my mother found running loose at work. she brought him to AC, and after a week went to pick him up. after him, she got us a black lab from another shelter. her current dog came from a shelter, she wanted a dog after splitting up with her husband, so we went out and she adopted the only puppy they had there. which is how we ended up with the loudest hound mix on earth (who had ALL her littermates returned to the shelter for barking).

my grandparents currently have two GSD - one is the blood donor for the seeing eye (once he is done, he will be their permanently), so he is always on call. the other is his littermate, who was kicked out of the seeing eye for her bad behavior my grandfather works/trains/cares for the seeing eye breeding dogs and the dogs in training, so he gets almost first dibs on them


bowie, well some of you may know his story. he came into the clinic i was working at (which is also a shelter for local ACO's), on the end of a rabies pole with a police officer and an ACO. he picked me out of everyone there (i had always loved dobes) and decided i was his person. never looked back.

mya, i took out of pity. i posted about her recently - she was a sick dog who needed a place to die. she shows no sign of dying right now, which is ok by me


my requirements in a dog? not necessarily what i have here, since i took what i could (though i adore bowie). i want a big dog, prefer one with not a lot of fur to brush. want drive, determination, quick learner, naturally suspicious, ability and willingness to protect, ability to think on their own, agile, cuddly with the owner, gets along well with my other pets. wants to be with me all the time, but is ok alone. a sense of humor. gives kisses. doesnt leave tumbleweeds on my floor. friendly but not "stupid" with new people. good appetite. loyalty.

so, a doberman

[Rip's Girl]

I chose Papillons because I wanted a small, portable little dog that was extremely smart. I wanted a "big dog in a small body".
I chose Ripley because, out of the litter, his temperament was the best. He was sweet, tolerant, cuddly and it did help that he was the cutest. Of course, now, he's still a cutie but that little temperament thing has changed quite a bit.

I chose the Border Collie because I wanted a workin' dog. I wanted a dog that would enjoy learning and that would need a job. After having Rip and seeing how much fun agility is, I wanted a dog that could compete in agility without a knee problem to slow them down.
I chose Dakota because I just loved him. He was from good, sound lines, both sire and dam were excellent agility dogs, herding dogs and show dogs. And, HIS temperament was great. He has the characteristics that a BC should have. The fact that he is so cute is the icing on the cake.

[Ritz459]

Hmmmmm.....well, here is how we got both of our dogs.

Blackie- We were looking into getting a dog (I was around 6 at the time). We had been looking at pre-trained GSDs, but they were really expensive. Well, some people that my dad works with had found a Lab pup, and they had taken it in. After about a week or two of them calling around, and placing ads for a found dog, they asked us if we wanted him. They couldn't keep him because the had 2 retired racing Greyhounds and the Greys weren't appriciating the play of a puppy. So we went to see Blackie and it was a perfect fit with our family.

Rose- Well, one day a dog came up to our house and just kinda stuck around. We decided to keep her and we named her Browine. Well, we didn't know Browine wasn't spayed and the day before Blackie was to be neutered, he became a daddy. So Browine had 10 adorable little puppies. I had the choice of keeping Brownie, or keeping one of the pups. I didn't want Brownie to go away, but I wanted to keep Rose really bad. Well, Browine solved that problem for us. The very next day after we had had the disscusion about keeping a puppy, Browine ran into a car and broke her back. Brownie died , so I was able to keep Rose.

Well, Blackie and Rose both appeal to me because they have the temperments I like best in dogs. (Excluding the dog aggresion and the timidness.) I call Blackie my Labrador with a Rottie temperament and Rose my Ibizan Hound. lol And so I do have my 'working breed' and my 'sighthound' even though both of the dogs are mutts!

[BellFounder]

what would i choose to herd sheep other than a border collie. lol.
The two big dogs were chosen from rescue centres because my husband wanted housedogs and we chose those that had temperaments that would fit in with our children and lifestyle.

[nor'eastr]

I worked at a boarding kennel when I was in highschool and was exposed to all kinds of breeds. The trainer there had a beautiful female Giant Schnauzer who I fell instantly in love with. She was an awesome dog. I got to work with her often. She was Schutzhund trained. A couple years after working there she was bred and had a litter of 9 puppies. Oh, they were so much fun. I went to work one day and the trainer met me at the door to tell me I could take one home. Of course, I had to consult with my parents. My Mom had been in to see them and meet Babsi prior. Chelsea came home with me a week later. I've been hooked on Giants since meeting Babsi back in 1991.

[PitBullie09]

I chose the Chihuahua (TinkerBelle) because she was the one that seemed to stay with me and when another came around she would snap at them.. haha! I just feel in love with her.

Chance came from the local pound with his two sisters (Lucky and Rebel) and I was going to get them socialized and give all 3 of them a good home. Chance was the most scared out of them all. I dont know why, but I just had this connection with Chance. So, we gave those two away after about 4 months. And we gave Chance away once and he came right back.. (I was so happy.) He literally came back.. So we decided to keep him and now he is with us..

Cricket, I chose her because she was the only black/tan one out of the litter.. I like dogs that are different. Of course, we got a red one too, but he got a ear infection and it got in his brain. RIP Rusty.

Riley.. My grandma actually wanted him, after she had a costemer who brought one into her store and he was the only one left, so thats how we got him..

[Pugdawg1]

I wound up with pugs because I wanted a smallish house dog, but something with a tiny bit of size. I wanted a Companion, something that's around for a rub, a snuggle in my lap, a walk, a ride in the car. Not big, not tiny, but small enough that I can put them under an arm if I need to. I do not live in a large place, I don't have a big yard, I have a small car. I also love the comical personalities of the pugs, I love their rich, thick, but short coats and those little snorting around.
I have five pugs here this weekend. I'm pugsitting a friends two pugs. They love it, it's like a long pug party LOL They crack me up!

[elegy]

i never answered my own questions so i'll do that now

my first exposure to pit bulls was when i was working in a boarding kennel during college. i fell in love. absolutely in love. i have met and worked with a lot of different breeds of dogs (three kennel jobs and now as a vet tech) and i have never come across another breed that fits what i want as well as pits do (though i really really like standard poodles).

i like that they are medium-sized (luce is 45 lbs, mushroom 52 lbs). i like that they are intelligent and very trainable, very willing to work and hard workers, as long as you keep it interesting. luce can be a very very intense, drivey dog and i just LOVE that about her. when she is on, she gives me such fabulous attention that i couldn't ask for more. i like athletic dogs, dogs that play hard, but also warm the couch cushions well. i like that they are total love sluts. they are not at all guard dogs. luce would watch somebody come into the house, take all my stuff, and then would most likely leave with them. she loves everybody. that's exactly what i wanted. mushroom's a bit more fearful and distrusting, but we're working on building his confidence with strangers.

and i will admit, too, i feel a lot of empathy with their plight of being so very misunderstood.

luce i chose out of a row of pits in the shelter. the expression on her face and the position of her body reminded me so much of another dog i know and adore, so i had to meet her. she dove snorting into my lap and i was sold. it was purely luck that she turned out to be the dog she did. or fate

doberkim knew mushroom and insisted that i needed him. we met and he and luce totally hit it off. he doesn't really do it for me- he is kinda too goofy and laid back for my taste- but he is the perfect match for luce. and he is the most snuggly dog ever.

[SalemWitchChild]

I began to look at shelters for a collie. My mother had raised collies in the 70's and knows a great deal about them. Their reputation for being great family dogs was a plus. Plus I just like their looks. I found a male tan and white collie located in Bowling Green, Ky for adoption. I put my application in, was approved and took him home. He was suppose to be good with cats but we found out right away that if a cat ran from him that Tanner would go after the cat. So we told the lady he had to come back. I didn't want to leave empty handed and she had a litter of puppies there. I didn't pick Kota. I spent time with the three puppies that was left until two of the pups left me to play by themselves, but Kota was still interested and came right up to me. Thats how I pick all dogs. They must be interested in me.

[Cassiepeia]

I grew up with large dogs (Irish setters & an old english sheepdog). I loved big dogs (and still do, they're my favourite), but as with most of us.. loved all sorts of different breeds and after I had moved out of home I felt I wanted a small companion this time 'round. It was, amongst other things, easier for me to deal with as far as travel and housing was concerned. So I started looking, at first I wanted a miniture poodle or min. poodle mix. But when I went back to my home town to visit a few months later, I went to the shelter I use to volunteer at and was pointed in the direction of a long haired Chihuahua that had been there for a short while. He was so skinny (he'd been dumped and left to starve) and look so sad, I felt bad for him. However, the reason I took him home is because he trusted me. He walked over to me, even though he didn't know me, as I was sitting on the floor and sat in my lap. And licked my hand. He seemed relieved and I couldn't not take him home. To this day (9yrs later) I'm so glad I did. I can't imagine life without him. He's shattered my idea of what a chihuahua is. He's not yappy, he's sweet and friendly to all (except small children which he just avoids). Although he prefers men, he's still sweet and loving to me. I adore him.

Cass.