Help me find a breed?

Albany

Hi, We are searching for the right breed of dog to add to our family and I hope someone may have a suggestion.

Our situation:

2 adults, 2 kids, 1 house with medium yard.

I have summers of and my wife and I have slightly different hours of work.

We have one mutt (70 lbs) and a cat.

We would like a purebred. We also want it from puppyhood so we know we can trust it with kids.

So...friendly with us, but also protective of the kids in the unlikely chance of a breakin. (no labs or goldens)

Medium to large dog which enjoys play but doesnt need to run a marathon twice daily.

I have always liked German Shorthaired Pointers, Dalmatians, Rhodesians, etc but I do not think they would get enough exercise to be truly happy.

wife prefers a shorthaired dog

Okay so now I have asked for a dog that probably doesnt exist (at least I have not been able to find it)

Any suggestions...... Thanks for reading this far.


Summary: Seeking Purebred, medium to large family and guard dog, medium activity and not too fluffy

Criosphynx

how old are your kids?

My first thought was leonberger or a mastif...but those don't fit your size requirements.

An akita or sharpei fit most of your requirements but I wouldn't recommend them around children unless you are really experienced with guardian breeds.


Honestly getting a puppy doesn't mean you can trust it more/less. In fact I'd trust an adult dog with a set temprament that has been assessed by an expert over a puppy from a breeder anyday. Puppies attitutes change. At about a year they change and again at around 3.

ilovewolfhybrid

you should go visit your local pound or aspc. i understand your not looking for a mutt but you might see a wide selection to get an idea of what you want

Belle

You may not be interested but I'd recommened a Toy Poodle.

I have one and they are a fine friendly little dog, with a good temperament.

There are 3 kids in my family, and She is fine with them.

Mirta

Our Dalmatians are VERY protective, excellent guards, although they can put on brakes easily and are generally friendly. But Dals are not for everyone, they shed and do need exercise. German Pointers and Weimaraners are great dogs. If you think of it any dog requires a lot of attention and exercise.

UnDeadKnight1

If you don't mind slobbering, these breeds may be right for you:
1) Boxer, quite active when a puppy, they calm down and are somewhat lazy at adulthood.
2) Bullmastiff, laziest dogs I've ever seen.
3) Dogue De Bordeaux, a bit more active than the Bullmastiff.
4) A Rottweiler.
5) Akita.
If you don't mind a giant breed, you could get an English Mastiff or a Great Dane, but they aren't suited for young chlidren cause of sheer size.

Note that most guard breeds tend to be dominant, and those particular breeds need quite a lot of training.

Cris1017

As odd as this may sound to a person not used to the breed, i recomend the female Pitbull. However, do not buy from breeders that aren't in the big business. You may end up with a pit that has less then great genetics for health. I have a stud pit bull that is GREAT with kids!!! He loves them. He even lets little bity puppies crawl all over him and he doesn't care. Even when another dog attacks him, he doesn't attack right away. He waits for me to help him. And when my house got broken into, Peanut(the Pitbull) Got a bite out of him and nother was stolen. However, they eat alot, and since you have another dog they'll get enough exercise. get a puppy for sure, this way you know that he hasn't been traumatized too horribly yet. And she'll do great. I recomend the female because the female is more protective of her territory (your house and yard) than the people inside, a male is more protective of his pack (you family and pets). SO which ever is best for you. I would say to search around your local pet shelters, and humane society first before going to a breeder. Pets in shelters need a home NOW. Breeder dogs are already living in a home and can stand to wait for the next buyer. Go to a shelter and save a life. Get a Pit, or even a Pit mix if your a little scared of the breed. and Get a puppy, less than 6mos old

Cris1017

Also the Pitbull hits about 2-3 years old and all they want is a bone, and something to sleep on. He sleeps and stays out of the way, but still jumps to the alert when he hears something. And lets face it. Someone breaks into your house and sees a ticked off pitbull in front of them, chances are they'll turn around and make a run for the hills. he loves to pay tug-of-war sometimes, but mostly just wants to relax and have a person in the house. They give kisses, and hugs, and are generally healthy. He got kennel caugh once, and that was it. Nothing else at all. Anything else, feel free to ask me.

BrokenSpur

Boxer's are great mine doesn't slobber.
Labradors are great family dogs. I got mine when she was 3 months old my son was 1 year old and my daughter was 5. She did great with the kids. We lost her at 11 years old do to an accident. We still miss her.
Beagles are great little dogs.

rubyred92

I suggest a Doberman Pinscher, although it doesn't quite fit the activity range because they're quite energetic. But, Doberman's are excellent guard dogs, a big baby, great with kids if brought up at a young age, extremely loyal, and very easy to train.
I have 2 cats, 2 birds, and a ferret plus my Dobie and she is great with them as well as other dogs and children.