the dog that promises to be best for my grandson. He is 11 years old and will benefit greatly from enjoying and taking care of his dog.

The dog will not go hunting but will be well-exercised and get to go camping and on long hikes. It will live in a moderate climate in a town neighborhood and will be alone (outdoors) in the daytime five days most weeks during the school months, but will be highly attended at all other times. It will spend a good bit of time in the house, and mom needs one that does not shed much hair and tends not to cause allergic reactions.

This dog can't be a tiny "yapper" but will be best if it is toward the smaller end of the scale and not inclined to try to escape. The boy will work very hard toward correct training and care of his dog, and simply love it for all he is worth.

Specific breed/pedigree is not important and rescue dogs will be in consideration, although "well-bred" dogs are in the thought frame. In that regard and due to age issues, the parents think that a 3 or 4 year-old (nicely trained) dog from a breeder or someone who needs to let one go might be a good fit.

I sure want this to work for them. If you'd like more info, just ask. There are a bunch of smart dog people on this site and I trust that you will have some very helpful info. Thanks.

If I were looking for "that" dog, I would look for a guide dog washout. They fail for all kinds of reasons but are better trained than 99% of the dogs out there. I know of a yellow lab that washed out simply because he didn't like storm drains. Contact the local 4H group because many 4H kids raise them until they go to the guide dog academy.

I prefer discarded pups, sometimes older dogs have habits/mannerisms ingrained that seriously detract from the joy of owning them.

Paul:

Go to the Humane Society and rescue a yellow lab pup. They are about as smart and loyal as any breed. Hair not too long. Not aggressive. A great friend for a boy.

I know you wrote that the dog will not hunt. But just in case, a yellow lab can be trained to point or retrieve and they are great water dogs.

KC

go to local shelter with a tennis ball and bounce it as you walk by the cages.

P.

Labrador or Golden Retriever.

Maybe a beagle??

I wouldn't do that to a golden retriever. They hard wire into your nervous system, it's the alone in the back yard thing. The other thing is shedding. My wife goes through about a vaccum cleaner a year, they do shed.

Easy fix - An 11 year old's puppy should not be in the back yard.

The hair on Goldens doesn't bother me. It's all the mud they attract and hold!

As mentioned above, I too would recommend a pup, as young as you can get, so the animal bonds and socializes with the family. Have seen several "not good" examples of rescue dogs with bad habits that do not fit well. The dog should fit the family. Not the other way around.

Labs and Goldens would be at the top of my list as well, although a Golden would require frequent brushing to keep the shedding under control. Both breeds would be quite comfortable "outdoors" five days a week, even through the winter.

Have never seen or been around a guide dog wash out. Might be an option if they want to skip the house breaking and puppy chewing. But, back to my first point, get 'em as young as possible so they bond with the family.

Look for a labradoodle great dogs, my niece has two and they are fiercely protective of the kids and family but the kids can do almost anything to them within reason.

Hard to beat a lab and yellow is my favorite.

A puppy dog for your "puppy person". Recommend black lab to grow along with your son. My kids have had several while growing up and have their own kids now with their own dogs too.

pet finder lets you search for any dog near you , try it :

https://www.petfinder.com

P.

We have two labs a yellow and chocolate they are the best dogs ever. They are brothers different litters. They are always happy up to mischief and you can have legs [bleep] and these two are here wagging tails you forget about the bad day.. I would look for a lab your grandson will have a loyal companion for a longtime!!

I would add Chessies to the mix as a bread to consider. While they are a large breed and can be stubborn, ours was hands down the most loyal, friendliest and best family dog I've ever had. Ours was 2 y/o and a pound rescue.

Pound rescues can be hit or miss, just make sure you understand the good and bad attributes of various breeds.

have you ever had a Persian Dog ?
Adopt me , i do anything for a price.

PersianDog.

The poodle mixes like labradoodle and cockapoo are great. They don't shed and they seem to have great personalities.

We are waiting on the next drop off dog to show up...

Our current best friend found us 8 years ago. Everyone should be so lucky!

We had just moved and she found us. She was starving and we were "between dogs". We named her Twiggy, after the 1960's English model, because she was just skin and bones.

Well, after 8 years (the vet said she was about 1 year old at the time), she is more than skin and bones and the best dog we have ever had. She is seldom confined and loves to be around her people. We have never even considered her running away. She is 45# and doing well.

That being said, I would probably look for a lab/lab mix from a shelter. I think you can tell a lot about an older puppy from the way it reacts to people, kids and other pets.

Good luck with your search. A good dog is a great find.

donsm70

Things to consider : While all breeds tend to have certain behavioral characteristics, there are exceptions within the breeds. As an example, my son spent ten years as a dog handler in the military. He told me the absolute meanest dog he ever saw was a golden retriever. It had been trained for explosives detection for the TSA, but was too damn mean. They finally gave it to the Navy and everywhere it went it had a bite muzzle on it.

Contrary to a lot of popular opinion here, I'd stay away from labs. They are the most popular breed in the country right now and that means there are a lot of poorly bred ones out there.

Jack Russell Terror! Good dog, protective, not too big ect. There are 2 types the long legged and short legged. I prefer the looks of short legged but that's me. Smart dog with energy to play.

As others have said, try the goldendoodles or labradoodles. They are friendly, lite to no shredding, and they know how to love a family. We have two and I only wish I had one as a boy. Not cheap, but well worth the expense. Get the medium size and at least a F2B grade. Between $1,500 and $3,000.

Good luck with your search.

The only way to have good odds of getting what you want in a dog is to see dogs raised from a specific cross. I would limit my options to local breeders with a known track record. Or, in other words, look about where you are, and when you see one that is what you like, go get one from the dam and sire that one you saw came from.

This does not include hybrids like the designer mutts people push these days. Some pups from a mixed up cross will be one way, and some not so much.

Boykin

Beagles, spaniels (pick one), tollers, spitz, most any terrier.....

Personally I would check out some pound pups.

Full size poodle from a reputable breeder.




Dave

And they don't shed at all. Great choice.




Dave

JFC...




Dave

lol , can't think of a dog that can cause more problems..... my dad has 4. did i mention he lives here with me.

I have some great dog advice for your problem.

"GLOCK!GLOCK!GLOCK!GLOCK!"




Dave

Yeah. Terriers never yap.



Clark

Labs are my and large the stupidest dogs you'll come across.

A mutt from the pound would be good. So long as there is no pit, chow, etc in it.

Your dogs are worthless pieces of schit.



Dave

Finding a smaller dog that doesn't make much noise and won't run off at the first leaf that blows by is a challenge. From my experience, small/medium dogs are either noisy, or higher energy or both. Not saying you can't find one, but you may need to keep an eye out at the shelter for a mutt they seems mellow.

Wow.

Doesn't anybody read the actual question?



Dave

Female Mtn Cur....or Spaniel from hunting stock....

Close thread....

That's what she said.



Clark

That's what they ALL say.

It must be Friday.

After the new wears off is the boy still going to take care of the dog or will it be outside on a chain for the rest of it's miserable life? Not trying to be a dick, but way to much of that bullshite going on around Christmas time.

On the fire?

You're kidding...right?

Go to a pound and let him pick his own dog.

Chief Dark Cloud LOL.

I got a Christmas puppy once and love him for 13 years!

Norwegian elkhound. I've had 4. Great family dogs, wonderful with kids, bonds tightly to family, love the outdoors. They wan to wrestle and play. Smart, loyal and a bit independent. Get 2 and they will play with each other when your son is at school. They are clean and without that "doggy" oder to them. They don't really dig or chew incessantly. Like it best if owner wrestles and plays with them . They love long walks and are good on a leash. They are attentive, and sensitive to reproach from the Master. They want to please, but are outgoing and independent at the same time. 40-5- pounds.


Only negative is they do shed, but the undercoat does not seem to trigger allergies in most sufferers.

(stock photos)

If you do get a puppy, make sure it is NO LESS than 7 weeks old.

Really young ones are juuuust a bit neurotic.

Man you are almost to 50,000 posts!!

I would not recommend a beagle for a first time dog owner. They are independent natured and can be a handful.

If allergies and hair are a concern, I wouldn't recommend a lab either.

On the larger end, a well bred standard poodle or labradoodle can be great kids dogs. They shed very little and their temperament is perfect.

On the smaller end a shih-tzu is a great companion dog. If it's gonna be around kids let it be raised around kids. These little dogs tend to be somewhat like the people they are around. Shih-tzus raised by little old ladies tend to act like little old ladies. Our shih-tzus ran and tussled with the rest of our dogs and grandkids. Had to keep our male away from cattle as he thought he was a cow dog. Our female had "hunt" in her and would dig moles and tree squirrels.
They are not generally yappy, but will raise the roof at strange sounds in the night.

Caveat; Any of the breeds I'm aware of that shed less and are better for allergy sufferers are long haired and need frequent grooming and trimming.

I hope it works out for you too...

Cairn terrier. Very little shedding and don't take up the space of two humans.

They look a lot like the Keeshond, and sounds like roughly the same weight too.

We've had 2 and they both have been great.

They do think they are invincible though.

Basenji.
They don't shed and don't bark.

Miniature (not toy) poodle, ya don't gotta give them sissy hair cuts. No shedding, and the whole family will love it.

Check out the predisposed problems with a lot of pure breds, like labs and their hips. Well bred dog are going to cost some bucks. A dog from the humane society around here runs $150-$250 depending on the age.

When our heeler died,we waited a year and started to look for one.At first they were $600.In a year they were $1000. You can find a rescue organization of just about any breed you can think of on the internet. We finally got lab cross from the Rocky Mountain Lab Rescue organization. We had to fill out a 6 page questionaire to get approved first and in inspection of our property.

Rescue dogs are great,but many come with baggage from past owners,but they share the greater love with a new good owner.

The bigger the dog the shorter the life span. All of the working dogs,hunting dogs etc., need a job or a lot of exersize. Our lab cross gets about 6 miles day walking with us.She is the happiest dog we ever had,but gets kind of obnxious if not exersized.

The 5 days a week alone really worries me.You want it bonded to the child ,but it won't get there by itself out there. Then there is the hair/mud in the house issue.That is a fact of life owning a dog.If that bothers someone,they shouldn't have dog.
I can see that dog being outside and becoming a barking nuisance to all the neighbors as it suffers separation anixety from being left alone in the day time.

I have had dogs all my life. Even when we both worked the dog was inside. Never had a problem. No piles of crap,no pee, no chewed things.

If you get this dog,find a good trainer that will come to your house and work with you,your family, Have it 100% obedience trained. Make it part of your family. Bark Busters is a nationwide chain of certified dog trainers. Expect to pay about $400 total over several months. It won't be easy finding one already trained unless you really luck on to one

I don't mind the question - trying to cover all important bases here. I know this boy very well - and his mom is my oldest daughter, so know her even better. This dog will have LOTS of human time and attention, the boy will play/walk/run with his pal, and they will be everyday buddies. Otherwise, I would not be so interested in helping - and intend to foot the bill for any needed training - of dog and owners.

The "5 days alone outside some weeks" is probably overstated - but want that possibility addressed. The dog will have a generous yard with sun and shade, can be inside a nice basement when he/she wishes, and very well may wind up being inside the house proper on school days. It will be the fourth and equal member of a loving small family.

Thanks much for all of the insights and suggestions - I knew you all would come through big time - and please don't stop here. Everything offered is in the think box.

I had a short legged rough coat jack russel dog. Great dog. He shed, but very little. Not much for barking.

Doubt he'd of stayed in a yard though.

Had a boxer. She was also a great dog. Did great on her own. Rarely barked. Great with kids.

Shed like a mofo. Those little hairs stuck in everything.

What ever you get will likely be a compromise of knowns and a whole bunch of unknowns. The family will adapt.

At least it ain't a fuggin' poodle.

Shih-tzu is a great dog. Not to big but thinks it is. Use to be use for lion hunting in the old days. But they are great pets for kids.

Is the boy in the traditionally accepted family situation?
I am not making any judgements by saying this but animals react to their environments
In the old school family unit a robust dog like a shepherd or an Australian cattle dog will excel but without an alpha male in the group a meeker dog would be far more adaptable.
A bit more info would go a long way towards getting good feedback.

Yellow lab

This is about the dumbest fugking advice on here.

And there is a lot of dumb fugking advice on here.



Dave

JW seems to know something about dogs.

Schit Zoos can be great dogs.





Dave

If you had a JR that didn't shed you didn't have a JR. You had a mutt.




Travis

I'm a beagle guy. Just love 'em. They're great family dogs with a strong "pack dog" instinct that connects to the family. They aren't overly aggressive, and will let you know if someone steps foot in their territory. That being said, they are escape artists, and like to run, and a little stubborn too. I could see this being an issue with a dog that stays outside 5 days a week. When I was growing up, we had them as kennel dogs, for hunting rabbits and pheasants. They kept digging out of the kennel. Dad tore the kennel apart three times and kept adding another row of cement blocks below ground. By the time he was done, he was 6 rows of blocks deep with a footer. Darned near had enough block down there to put in a foundation.

Your opinion, not the OP's.

Sounds like a wonderful pet.

Why not just get a badger?




Dave

A dog that doesn't slobber or smoke.

Same general family - Nordic Spitz. Elkhounds run slightly taller.

Standard poodle, Labradoodle or Soft-coated Wheaten terrier.

I've always liked an Airedale type terrier. The smaller welsh as well.

Standard schnauzer could be a great dog. The mini are good dogs as well but more than a bit yappy. Our little one doesn't shed a lick.