Adam@Z1auto.com Posted September 23, 2011 Share Posted September 23, 2011 about as off topic as you can get, but figured I'd pose it anyone, since I know a number of you have dogs with recent events in my family, I have thought about getting a dog - I figure it's probably cheaper than getting married, and at least I don't have to let her use my Z! No children in my home Thing is, I've never had a dog before - just a cat (now deceased). I'm not into small pocket book dogs, would like something, well, masculine I've always had an affinity for Huskies, but knowing really nothing about what all is involved, I'm a bit nervous. I know many breeds need lots of excercise, and that's not an issue for me. Any suggestions, recommendations, etc? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cragus Posted September 23, 2011 Share Posted September 23, 2011 My mate has just got a great Dane pup and I have to admit it's one of the most cracking dog I have ever seen. I have a black lab who is very clever, needs moderate exercise and has a great personality. Huskies can be hard work and can be aggressive as they get older. Paulie on here has one and should be able to offer you advice. I'm sure another member on here trains dogs for a living so would be a good contact. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zugara Posted September 23, 2011 Share Posted September 23, 2011 brown doberman. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vizsla beautiful dog imo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian@TORQEN Posted September 23, 2011 Share Posted September 23, 2011 Dogue de Bordeaux rocks! Big dogs, veeeeeerry sociable, moderate to few walks if you have a big garden. Here is my Bruno viewtopic.php?f=13&t=48616&hilit=+beast Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stew Posted September 23, 2011 Share Posted September 23, 2011 Paulie on here has a Malmute (I think) called Nismo. He's a lovely doggy! Take a look through the pet thread - viewtopic.php?f=13&t=26230 - and see if any of the dogs appeal! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waltzinblack Posted September 23, 2011 Share Posted September 23, 2011 I think I'd be pretty well equipped to help out here! Dogs have always been in the family, grew up with a Border Collie, brother bought a Rottie 4 years ago who I helped bring up and who lives with me now, and I had a Dogue de Bordeaux 2 years ago who I brought up myself, who sadly passed away a few weeks ago from complications of a horrible disease First of all, if you have never owned a dog before, I wouldn't recommend getting a big dog. Medium size (Labrador, Retriever Collie etc) would probably be a better choice. I'm being somewhat of a hypocrite here, seeing as at 18 I bought myself a Mastiff who grew to be nearly 70kg.. but I was lucky that I had the experience of seeing and helping my brother's Rott grow up, and my brother being a lot older had the experience to help me too. He grew up with a Staffy, Alsation and Rott all at the same time before I was born! It's not uncommon for many people to buy a big, masculine dog for their first pet and find themselves overwhelmed though, and it never ends well for you or the dog! Having said that, if you're set on a big, masculine dog then I can't see any problems so long as you prepare yourself for it. Cost: Large dogs are a lot more expensive than small/medium ones. It's the weight that does it. They are more expensive in EVERY way. They need bigger beds, bigger bowls, MUCH more food, and any trip to the vets will be lots more expensive. Vaccinations and Injections have to be a much higher dose for the weight, using my Mastiff as an example.. he used to have about 5-6 times the amount that a smaller dog would have, leaving me with vet bills regularly in excess of £150. Insurance will also be very high (Mastiff was £500 a year, and that was with a £3000 limit...), I hardly ever went to the insurance, although if you have a limit set the premiums don't seem to increase much if you claim. Health: Large dogs are also a lot more prone to health problems than smaller dogs. Particularly with their joints. There's not much you can do about this, it's often hereditary (so check the parents for hip/elbow scoring), but they can also just get it from the stress of growing into a massive lumbering hulk of an animal. Big dogs grow MUCH faster than small ones, which puts lots of stress on their joints. It's important not to overexercise them when young (or they could be more prone to developing arthritis and hip/elbow dysplasia later on) and it's also important to keep them at the correct weight. Too much weight and impact on young, fast developing bones is not good. We took ALL these precautions, and sadly both the Rottie AND the Mastiff still ended up with elbow dysplasia. It can be treated, and the treatment is pretty successful, but is very expensive and a pain to go through. Both my dogs recovered from their elbow dysplasia and could enjoy normal lives with long, fun walks, but they still walked a bit funny.. and it usually comes back to bite them as bad arthritis in later years. Large dogs can also be more susceptible to bloat (google this!) and heart problems. And remember, big dogs being prone to more problems means they are in the vets more often requiring more extra-expensive treatment because of their size. This is why you MUST insure them!!! Claiming from pet insurance companies is a pretty painless process, the vets do most of the work for you. Whether to go for pedigree or not I can't decide. Sometimes you can get a mutt, who has dominant genes from both of his cross-breeds which means he wont get hardly any hereditary health problems. But sometimes it can go the other way. Same goes for pedigrees, I bought the Mastiff as a £1200 pedigree, and because he lacked any good dominant genes from cross-breeding, he suffered from literally every single common problem that Dogues De Bordeaux can have. (Poor little guy was ALWAYS in the vets.. skin problems, joint problems, and then a terribly cruel neuromuscular disease which ended up being too much for him ). However, sometimes you can get a pedigree who is perfect in every way and gets no problems at all. Sometimes I think it's just down to luck.. The Rottie was a £300 mutt from Tottenham, and has probably been crossed with Dobermann somewhere along the line. Apart from his elbows which he has fully recovered from, he's a perfectly healthy dog! Now, training your dog, and this goes for ANY dog large or small- SOCIALISE!!!! Socialise them with EVERYTHING. Other people, other pets, and especially other dogs. The earlier dogs are socialised the more comfortable they become around everyone, and then they won't becomes nasty or vicious later in life. Whether a dog is vicious depends entirely on how it is brought up. I had 110kg of Rottweiler and Mastiff walking around with me, the scariest looking killing machines that made everyone cross the road, but because I socialised them extensively from a young age, they were the softest, sweetest dogs you will come across! Look for puppy classes in your area, these are GREAT for socialising your dog, and the trainers will show you good ways of training your dog to walk to heel, come, sit and all the other commands. Especially good for big dogs who are usually stubborn, and you want to make sure that big dogs are well trained and don't pull on the lead, because otherwise they'll be taking YOU for a walk! Also important to make sure you're in control with a big dog. Some people say never tell them off, and only reward them for doing well, but I think it's good to have a mix of both. If you catch the dog being naughty, a quick smack on the nose and a short, sharp 'NO!' or similar doesn't do them any harm. That doesn't mean terrify them or beat them, just a little discipline, then give them extensive praise when they do the right thing. Eventually you will have a dog that loves you and respects (NOT 'fears') you and knows you are the boss. It gets to the point where you can control them just by changing your tone of voice. They won't like it when they get a smack, and sometimes you feel a little cruel about doing it, but in the end I think that a little discipline combined with praise go well to producing a well trained dog. After all, they need to know you are the master, but you still want them to love you for it! There are lots of things about dominance in dog books, which are especially important for big, male dogs who often like to think they are boss! And a final point, if you're getting a male dog, for god's sake get it neutered. For one thing it makes them less likely to become aggressive or try and be dominant (you DON'T want a fight for leadership on your hands with a big dog!), and its stops them humping everything. Also, if there is a bitch in season over the park, and your dog smells it, they will go for it. And they can get pretty aggressive if you try and interrupt them when they have 'that' on their minds. Best bet is just to get them neutered. They still retain lovely characters and keep their house guarding instincts, but unless you're breeding then you have no need for a massive dog combined with testosterone. Hope you don't die reading all that, but hope it helps!!! Another thing, if you're set on a breed - do LOTS of research on that breed, they all require slightly different things! Good luck! Even with all his health problems and hard work and costs, I loved my Mastiff more than anything, and he was truly the most wonderful animal and made me so proud. They are always worth the effort. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulie Posted September 23, 2011 Share Posted September 23, 2011 can't go wrong with a malamute though your zed won't last long due to size of course Nismo outgrew the zed before he was 6 months. Great, fab dogs though are a lot of work and very demanding. They usually prefer living outside right enough which is a bonus if working during the day. Husky's would fit in the zed no bother cos they are tiny compared to malamutes. If your thinking of a husky type dog would advise you to read up on them cos they're not for everyone. Good luck with whatever you choose Here are a bunch of Nismo videos http://www.youtube.com/user/thebzzzzz1?feature=mhee and a recent picture (11 months) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The G Man Posted September 23, 2011 Share Posted September 23, 2011 My Patterdale kicked Nismo's ass And she's a girl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulie Posted September 23, 2011 Share Posted September 23, 2011 Nismo was brought up to be a gentleman. Not like your ned! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The G Man Posted September 23, 2011 Share Posted September 23, 2011 Nismo was brought up to be a gentleman. Not like your ned! She's never ate my "gardening sandals" tho, not like Nismo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andlid Posted September 23, 2011 Share Posted September 23, 2011 golden retriever, friendly and cool. family had a kennel. Need to know your personality to know what dog to 'match' you up with Be aware dogs, take up a lot of time and does lock you down. A kid grows up and becomes independant, dog not so. And it's hard to see dogs go. Don't go for a small dog unless you want some agressive little thing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BACON Posted September 23, 2011 Share Posted September 23, 2011 Nismo outgrew the zed before he was 6 months. and a recent picture (11 months) Wow...I've always wanted a husky and seeing this gorgeous example just makes it worse......currently got 2 cats (sadly lost our 3rd a few months back) and no kids but the wife and I are not home enough during the day to be able to have a dog like this in the family , just wouldn't be fair on them. Nismo looks lovely......and clearly a "true gentleman" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lexx Posted September 23, 2011 Share Posted September 23, 2011 Nismo was brought up to be a gentleman. Not like your ned! Gentleman?! Tell that to Stew's wet shoes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stew Posted September 24, 2011 Share Posted September 24, 2011 Nismo was brought up to be a gentleman. Not like your ned! Gentleman?! Tell that to Stew's wet shoes! Puppies like to pee on my shoes. FACT. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bronzee Posted September 24, 2011 Share Posted September 24, 2011 Labrador's are great dogs, family or no family. Or if you want go for something very different, something like a Newfoundland. Although they grow to mammoth size, they're super dogs, great with people and they love kids (if they arrive on the scene later). But you would need to keep it away from your garage, as they do like to try and get into cars. Never known one that didn't like to go for a ride in a car. Good guard dogs too, surprisingly for such a massive docile dog. Oh and wiki slightly under estimates the size they get to. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newfoundland_%28dog%29 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stew Posted September 24, 2011 Share Posted September 24, 2011 I love Newfoundlands. I used to look after one when I was about 12 years old as a family friend was away a lot and used to leave me to look after the dog. It was brilliant! So lazy though, never wanted to go for a walk! The family had kids and the young one at the time used to ride on it's back round the garden. Great dog. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bronzee Posted September 24, 2011 Share Posted September 24, 2011 I love Newfoundlands. I used to look after one when I was about 12 years old as a family friend was away a lot and used to leave me to look after the dog. It was brilliant! So lazy though, never wanted to go for a walk! The family had kids and the young one at the time used to ride on it's back round the garden. Great dog. Take them near a beach or a stream and stand back or you'll be mown down. Big time water babies they are. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cragus Posted September 24, 2011 Share Posted September 24, 2011 Nismo was brought up to be a gentleman. Not like your ned! Gentleman?! Tell that to Stew's wet shoes! Nismo? More like ASBO? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EH 370z Posted September 24, 2011 Share Posted September 24, 2011 We used to have an American Mastiff, Great dog but a bit of an oaf! My wife was devastated after he died in 2008. I finally buckled and we got another dog in 2009. I thought we would get something smaller, which in theory would take less looking after and make less mess (dog hair etc.) So we got a Beagle. The "Theory" went out of the window, as he sheds a lot, but a lovely dog, most of the medical problems have been bread out of them (hence all the animal testing ) But they are very wilful dogs, so don’t be surprised if you ever see a Beagle owner, looking stressed, on a field, alone! Monty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The G Man Posted September 24, 2011 Share Posted September 24, 2011 But they are very wilful dogs, so don’t be surprised if you ever see a Beagle owner, looking stressed, on a field, alone! I feel their pain on that!! Like most Terriers, my little Ellie has not got the best power of recall, when she gets the scent of a rabbit, squirrel, fox or similar, she's offski, mostly chasing shadows, it's hillarious to watch The advantage of a small dog that has a propensity to have a roll in an "interesting" pile of pooh (mostly fox or badger), is that she's easy to wash, I just take her in the shower with me, she loves that, not!! Another advantage is that she can be picked up out of the way of danger when larger more threatening dogs come along, although she can outrun most. The number of people that I see struggling to cope with their larger dogs when they decide to have a "rumble" is, again, hilarious but also sometimes alarming. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam@Z1auto.com Posted September 24, 2011 Author Share Posted September 24, 2011 thanks guys NISMO is beautiful! thankfully, the dog doesn't need to go in the Z, I've got a daily driver that is big enough (Maxima). I live in a townhouse, so unfortunately having a dog 'live' outside isn't an option, but we've got large grounds here, and there are several dog parks right nearby instinct tells me to adopt rather than buying a purebreed...will have to go looking and see what I fall for Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bronzee Posted September 25, 2011 Share Posted September 25, 2011 Was going to say Weimaraner, but they're really still too big for an apartment. Here's a list of some of the breeds: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_dog_breeds And what about having a look on some of the dog breeder sites in the US for some ideas, even if you aren't getting a pure breed, might give you an idea, and should list the temperaments. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulie Posted September 25, 2011 Share Posted September 25, 2011 Nismo was brought up to be a gentleman. Not like your ned! Gentleman?! Tell that to Stew's wet shoes! He only does that to people he loves!! And Stew is one of the select few Oh and Neil too. Loved him so much he knocked Neil over at the lakes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neilp Posted September 25, 2011 Share Posted September 25, 2011 Nismo was brought up to be a gentleman. Not like your ned! Gentleman?! Tell that to Stew's wet shoes! He only does that to people he loves!! And Stew is one of the select few Oh and Neil too. Loved him so much he knocked Neil over at the lakes i never knew you could get burns from soft grass and muck lmao.... Nismo is mad oh he also put paw prints on my shoulders as I walked through the back gate with a white t-shirt on, when your car was going to karl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter10 Posted September 25, 2011 Share Posted September 25, 2011 Buster (not named after the person ): He's only been on the car once, I have to have to raise the seat up so it keeps him scooped up. With his seatbelt harness he's okay, I just worry about the leather. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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