[GreatDaneMom]

And I stand firmly by my previous statement.

by the way, you realize... if you judge who can have a dog by their height, 90% of the giant breeds would probably not have the great homes that they do. most people i know who have giant breeds are tiny people.... but like i said... this is why you TRAIN a dog. and what about horses? how tall should you be to walk a horse....

 

[GreatDaneMom]

Even on the UKC website they say the weight and height may exceed 145 and 32" and should not be faulted if they maintain overall balance. Meaning they can be bigger than that and it wouldn't even be a fault.

145.... vs 300lbs. youre basically almost completely doubling the size of the dog. which unless they are morbidly obese, is impossible.

 

[fawkese1]

that's true esme, but 300lbs would be very very big... i don't really see it happening (the largest/heaviest dog ever recorded was less than that, and very obese) it isn't completely impossible, but just not very likely... not really a size that one should necessarily expect... that said, i agree with your advice on the matter... an animal of that size must be considered very carefully

 

[Peterpan]

There may be 200lbs Kangal individuals,but it's not their ideal weight, their ideal,healthy weight is between 110lbs and 165lbs(maximum).

 

[Esme]

Just because you can walk a horse doesn't mean it won't do some serious damage if it decides to bolt, and the same with a dog who is bred for what this breed is bred for and as big as they are. I didn't say that he shouldn't get a giant breed dog, just not one this big and bred for guarding in the city if he is smaller or shorter. I think the whole idea of having this breed of dog in the city is a bad idea whether your 5" or 6'10.

 

[GreatDaneMom]

it isn't completely impossible, but just not very likely...

i shouldnt have said impossible... it IS possible... but the dog would just be some tub of lard that couldnt function.... on its death bed... having heart attacks.... anywhoooooooooooooooooo

 

[N2Th3Stars]

youre really going to judge what dog someone can have by how tall they are???? are you kidding me? have you ever heard of training a dog? this is why you do it. you think a lab couldnt do the same? a golden? this is just a silly statement.

i had a dane that came to daycare, he was huge. i say huge and i have a dane whos 130lbs, and he was much taller than mine too. his owner was maybe 5'3" at the most, and tiny. maybe 110lbs. she walked that dog in heels all the time.

im just blown away right now....

I'm with you on this one 100% -- While I was working as a technician, we had an older lady come in who was fairly small, she owned a Great Dane and the dog would be carrying her purse around her neck! LoL.. it was awesome, such a well behaved dog.

 

[fawkese1]

oops! i was mistaken, the heaviest dog ever recorded was 343lbs! wow....

There may be 200lbs Kangal individuals,but it's not their ideal weight, their ideal,healthy weight is between 110lbs and 165lbs(maximum).

sorry for focusing so much on how big the dog could potentially be, but it is important to consider the potential damage the dog could do... as well as what the dog is bred for... i said consider not rule out, or villianize because of... *shrugs* just not a breed i would suggest for city life, more because of the combo of size/genetics than the size alone.

 

[GreatDaneMom]

sorry for focusing so much on how big the dog could potentially be, but it is important to consider the potential damage the dog could do...

without the proper training though any dog can do damage (i cant tell you how many labs have almost ripped my arm off!!). but being breed specific here, city life will not be a good option for it. its just NOT that type of dog. and im not talking just about pulling on leash or something simple. mentally the dog will probably just be a big mess. thus leading into aggression issues, anxiety, stress, etc, etc, etc.....

 

[Esme]

Maybe 297 is bigger than most Kangals and dogs in general. Fine. But I was speaking specifically about Kangals and their nature not giant breeds in general. I love giant breed dogs and prefer the bigger dogs but with that I know there are great risks and that's not saying that all giant breeds should only have tall or bigger owners but with certain breeds I would say that is a big factor and especially in the city.

 

[fawkese1]

without the proper training though any dog can do damage (i cant tell you how many labs have almost ripped my arm off!!). but being breed specific here, city life will not be a good option for it. its just NOT that type of dog. and im not talking just about pulling on leash or something simple. mentally the dog will probably just be a big mess. thus leading into aggression issues, anxiety, stress, etc, etc, etc.....

just out of curiosity, have you worked with livestock guardian type breeds before?
i'm absolutely positive that good socialization and training work for ANY breed, but as an owner of a large dog (probably weighs in at close to 120) it is extremely important that you consider the amount of damage a larger dog could do before you get one... i'm not someone who thinks that all labs are automatically "good" or "safe" dogs while rotties are "dangerous" basically the bigger the dog gets, the greater damage they can do in less time if they chose... in this particular case, that combined with the genetics of this dog would make it a very poor choice for city life... just like i wouldn't suggest a JRT to someone who keeps small animals... just too much genetic stuff to fight, that's not saying that it can't/shouldn't be done, or that every individual of the breed is the same, it just isn't likely to be easy, why set yourself up for struggle when there are plenty of dogs out there that would be more suited to that sort of situation? what is it about this particular breed that the OP likes so much? wouldn't it make more sense to think about what kind of dog fits your lifestyle, rather than trying to make your lifestyle fit around a certain breed?

 

[GreatDaneMom]

...uhhhh what? i was saying that this is NOT a good dog for the type of living situation this person has.... im not sure what youre getting at. and yes i have worked with guardians....sooooooo... well now im just lost.

 

[Mischief]

you should not be 5'2 and own a dog that size because if he or she decides it is going after something you will not be able to stop it.

Well thank God I'm 5'2'' and 1/4 :eyeroll:

 

[GreatDaneMom]

Well thank God I'm 5'2'' and 1/4 :eyeroll:

lucky! you just made the cutoff!

 

[Gordon]

you need to be EXTREMELY careful with any breed of dog that is selectively bred to guard like this... personally, i LOVE giant breeds, as well as the more powerful types (like rotties) BUT they aren't for everyone, IMO, these older (as in more ancient) livestock guardian types are not good as "city" dogs, as they aren't generally very social, and are bred to be independent... i'm not saying it isn't possible to have one, but IME with this breed type, i wouldn't recommend it...

^^

 

[Criosphynx]

personally I would not own a LGD without having livestock for it to guard. This is one of the types of dogs I don't feel crossover to being pets very well at all.


If you like that look, and still want a guarding/aloof type, I think an Akita is a better idea. Personally.

 

[Esme]

Maybe I should have been more specific in my first post so there would be no misunderstandings. I meant that he should not have a dog that size and of that specific breed especially in the city because those dogs aren't like a Saint Bernard they have a lot more drive and would be hard to control even with training and till you get the training perfected. And being a smaller/shorter person is just going to make it more difficult. Just imagine a 90 lb 6 mon. old puppy who still thinks every cat or dog or small animal is fair game while walking down a crowded sidewalk. I don't think it would be a good situation.

This is MY Opinion. The OP asked for opinions and this is mine if you don't agree with me then that's your opinion and that's what this forum is for. I'm not going to argue all day about it.

 

[The Black Plage]

personally I would not own a LGD without having livestock for it to guard. This is one of the types of dogs I don't feel crossover to being pets very well at all.


If you like that look, and still want a guarding/aloof type, I think an Akita is a better idea. Personally.

Old english sheep dog do well also but thats not on topic.

 

[ScentHound]

Well thank God I'm 5'2'' and 1/4 :eyeroll:

lol, you are the exact opposite of this guy.

 

[Criosphynx]

Old english sheep dog do well also but thats not on topic.

actually, I've met several owners and the dogs drove them mad.


also, I don't think OES are LGDs in the same sense a kangal dog is


its all opinion as to what does "well" as a pet. I think a chow chow would be a great pet for me. Just not som'thing I think makes a good pet for most people generally.

I personally think that way way way to many people go out and get a working dog when they simply want a companion, only to have it not work out, or a decent life change for it to work out. IMO if you have to change your life to fit around the dogs needs and you haven't even purchased the dog yet....well...