First time dog owners.

[britishbandit]

There's quite a lot of breeds out there that are typically not suggested for first time dog owners. And while I can agree to an extent that an "easier" breed would be a better choice for a first timer, I don't think it "has" to be the case.

Say for instance someone asked me if a Rottweiler would be a good choice for their first dog. Well in some cases, I'd say no, but not always. If they had researched the breed extensively, contacted and picked a good breeder who would help them out with the dog, and were willing and able to take training classes, socialize and exercise him/her adequately, then I would see no issue with them having a Rottweiler for a first dog.

I've seen this question (not necessarily just regarding Rottweilers) come up a lot, and no matter what the person has stated and how they'd go about things, they are told "no no no", "not a good idea", "i'd NEVER suggest *said breed* for a first time dog owner"....... I just think it's a bit overboard. If the person has truly taken the time to research and learn exactly what the breed requires, and is willing and able to do what it takes, it irritates me to hear people say that they'd never be able to handle the breed.

So what do you think? Do you agree that in some cases, a so-called "non first breed" would do just fine in the hands of a first time dog owner?


*wasn't sure if this should go here or in the debate section*

[rottielover]

If the dog really suits their lifestyle, and they are not doing it because they love the look of such breed, I say yes. But for a first time owner if they go for the breeder route, the said breeder should choose an easier dog instead of one that would challenge till no end. As for a rescue group, I say they should do the same thing, make sure the correct personality of dog matches the owner.
BUT their are some people that have too soft a personality for such breeds as the rottweiler, stafford bull terriers, dogue de bordeauxs....and the long list goes on.
Even though they may have done their homework, does not mean that said breed would be a good fit.
I could never handle a BC, BUT let me at any masiff breed.
As the saying goes for us rotty folk, not everyone should own a rottweiler, and I see that true with any breed.

[britishbandit]

Originally Posted by rottielover

BUT their are some people that have too soft a personality

I agree, but if they've researched the breed enough, they would know that the breed needs a confident owner, someone that isn't too "soft".

[Beryl]

ITA. As having owned several different breeds, I don't know of any "first breed" dogs. Granted, some breeds tend to be more "laid-back" which may be easier for many first-time owners to manage. Success is not guaranteed for many reasons including
1. Personality variances among first-time owners
2. Personality variances within a specific breed
3. Environmental variances (external to the owner AND the breed)

[Cassiepeia]

I agree that it depends on the person and the breed, however I do think that there are some breeds that first time owners should never own. A Fila, for example, is not a good choice for anyone who's never raised a dog before. No matter how much research you do I personally think you need hands on experience raising, training and socialising a dog before taking on a dog like a Fila, or a livestock guardian dog (although if that LGD is going to be a pure working dog, it may not be such a big deal because the same training and socialisation that goes into a companion LGD is not needed in a working dog).

So while your 'average' companion breeds may not be exclusive to experienced dog owners there are still breeds out there that should not be left to the inexperienced. Heck, even most people with dog experience shouldn't own those breeds I mentioned. LOL

Cass.

[britishbandit]

I definately agree with that Cass, but on the up side........most people looking into a dog for the first time likely won't run across a Fila or a LSG. I only found out about Filas last year myself, and it wasn't that long ago that we were chatting and you mentioned LSG's and I was like, "what's that?" LOL

Another up side, people who own and breed those dogs wouldn't sell to just anyone. While there are a lot of BYB's a mills out there, those aren't breeds I've ever seen in the hands of anyone irresponsible (not that it means there aren't any, but certainly nowhere near as much as other more common breeds). And I can't see a reputable breeder of these breeds not doing a very extensive screening of the people these pups would be going to.

[Cassiepeia]

Actually there are disreputable people breeding and selling Filas and various LGD. Here in Australia we have a big problem with bybs selling Maremmas and of course people see those cute fluffy puppies and buy them on the spot. The byb doesn't care who they sell to and even sell them to pet shops.
So you see Maremmas dumped in shelters all the time down here and Maremma rescues are always full to bursting.
I have no doubt that a first time dog owner could easily stumble across the more common of these breeds. LGD tend to be gorgeous fluffy dogs and people always go for looks first, sadly.
Look at the Great Pyr. There are tonnes of them on petfinder looking for homes and they are a livestock guardian breed. They're big, fluffy, gorgeous dogs but they still have the LGD temperament. Which is not suitable for a first time dog owner.

Anyway, my point is that there are breeds that no first timer should ever own and those breeds are easy to discover via the internet or a shelter/pound or petshop.

Cass.

[Kris]

I would say that the first time dog owner's best friend is a great breeder who keeps in contact and is willing to answer questions throughout the life of the dog, even dumb ones.

The biggest problem I have seen with first timers is not knowing what is acceptable behavior and what should be curbed regardless of how 'cute' they might think it is.

[TinyAlbinoDancer]

The problem is that knowledge doesn't always translate into action, so even the most well-read first-timer may not turn out to be even adequate as a dog owner. My example is when I was young, so age did have something to do with it, but I read about Yorkies for 5 YEARS before I got Missie. And yet I still bought from a pet store (hey, my book said it was one of the options, so long as the puppy had bright eyes and a clean nose!), took 7 years to housetrain her, and raised a holy terror with a diva attitude. And Yorkies aren't even supposed to be bad first-time dogs. LOL Point being, nothing I read translated to action, and what I was reading wasn't necessarily correct. I visited dog shows and breeders, too, so it wasn't like it was all off of pages (showing my naivete` in still not getting it right!).

I really think a first-time dog owner wanting a "difficult" breed should live with a dog (any dog!) first, even if it means pet-sitting for someone or fostering for several months. And if they can hang out with a breeder of their breed of choice and watch how they interact with and train their dogs, that would probably be the best thing they could do.

I think humans just sometimes have a tendency to overrate their abilities, so a reality check before leaping in with both feet is always a good idea.

[Cassiepeia]

Good post, TAD, I totally agree.

Cass.

[Novel]

Completely agree Tiny.
Learned knowledge and applied knowledge can be very different!