The Breed For Me

[Dakotah]

Hi I'm new and I'm looking into getting a puppy around the end of this year or around my birthday next year (end of Jan).
I've been taking breed selector tests and they all say Golden Retrievers and English Springer Spaniels within my top 5 breeds.

I was wondering if anyone could tell me more about these breeds from their personal experiences, and how thier lifestyle is to have such breeds. Thanks :)

[Sugars_Kentucky_Mama]

Hello to you. I don't know about English Springer Spaniels, but, I do know about Retrievers. They are a handful. A big handful !! They absolutely love people, and require a lot of attention from their owners. They also become very big dogs, and need a lot of space to run. They are hunting dogs of course, and they need the room to run, and do their thing. The one I had was so pretty, but, I didn't have the room I needed, so had to let him go to a man that had what he needed. He's happy now. Just rememeber that it isn't fair to the dog, whatever kind, not to give it what it needs. Certain breeds need certain things. A retriever will get very large. If you have the room though, they are one of the most loving dogs you can have. Not too hard to care for either. Their coats are water repellent, and curly, and gorgeous. They love the water, and will go to it if there is any around. Excellent swimmers. I hope you have good luck in choosing a perfect dog for yourself. Just keep in mind that the dog does grow up, it doesn't stay little long.

[Marialim]

I may not give you much suggestions because I myself is new in this. But I totally love the Golden Retriever I saw last week... so adorable and cute!

[siberianhusky101]

I'm afraid i know very little about springer spaniels, but i see a lot of people with retrievers. one thing to keep in mind, you are not getting Air Bud, you are not getting the cute floppy puppy or the calm dog walking a blind man across a street. Goldens are a Large breed dog and need a lot of food to keep up with their metabalisms they will for the most part chew everything no matter how much No-Chew spray you put on things. Exercise is very important with any kind of retriever, and on top of that they need to have about an hours worth of training per day. so consider how much of your day you have to devote to your pooch. Before you get your puppy from your breeder go there and ask if you can work with dogs for a week, just to make sure its the dog for you. NEVER buy a dog from a pet store, the majority of dogs there come from Puppy mills where they are in-bred to the point of major flaws. A lady who came into the store that i work at recently told me about a puppy she bought that had come from a puppy mill. it was an adorable cocker spaniel puppy and looked to be perfectly healthy. about a week into ownership she discovered that her puppy was prone to random rages and would attack anyone in the house, including both her and her young daughter. when she took the puppy to the vet he told her that the dog was very sick and in constant pain from being inbred. unfortunately the only thing she could do for her expensive new puppy was to humanely euthanize her. www.AKC.org lists registered breeders or visit your local shelter where they require temperament tests before allowing dogs to be adopted.

[Nunlef]

hi, i've spent a lot of time researching the right dog for us (breed selector quizzes and 900 page books). ultimately i just went to the local shelter, and played with the dogs an hour a week. I got a feel for a number of dogs, and chose based on that. we are going with a purebred this time, but only because our last "pound puppy" was so bad with the cats and kids. although there are a LOT of shelter dogs that are SUPER family pets.
Good Luck

[Florin]

I had a field Springer for 14 years. Lovely, loving dogs, but an energy level that requires an outlet. Not for everyone. Show Springers have had issues of overbreeding (is that the term?) over the past decade and one does read about timid or aggressive springers (both are just not Springer characteristics) as a result.

I guess it comes down to the fact that a well-adjusted dog, be it a mutt or almost any pedigree, is better than the poorly adjusted dog of the breed "perfect for you".
Best of luck... I'm trying all those questionnaires, too. Hoping to find honest feedback in this forum.

[manatiger]

i got a pomeranian.... which, in my books, would be the last dog on this earth i would get BUT it was the best decision i ever made. he is the sweetest dog. i really think it how you treat your dog and what kind of history (abuse etc) your dog has been through. when i got my pom i did so much research and so many sites said they arent cuddly dogs and bark constantly. my pom LOVES to cuddle and never barks (which is what i wanted) but thats also b/c i wouldnt let him get away with it. you also have to think about the size of the dog... do you want a small, med, or large dog... and different sizes behold different amounts of work. those dog quizzes are good but as the person before said go to shelters and play w/ different dog and you'll get a feel for what you want. dont for get to rescue!!!! try petfinder.com they have thousands of puppies for adoption. good luck and let me know what you decide to get

[CarouselCavaliers]

What are the characteristics you're looking for in a dog?

[Florin]

Very sociable, gets along with both other dogs and cats, won't be timid with kids and their attendant chaos, AND if possible, can fit in the cabin in the coach section of an airplane. I used to like bichons, back before they became so ubiquitous (in fact I'm responsible for several people in my family getting bichons), and I like that 'big dog personality in a small dog body' attitude that they used to have. After having a dog that hated other dogs, I just can't like with any dog that gives me grey hairs over that.

Thank you in advance for your ideas.

[Florin]

Completely agree. And I checked out the shelters, and at least here in the NY area, its 95% german sheperds, pit bulls, american bulldogs & AMerican Staffordshire terriers (obviously what the shelters call anything that is not a pitt, but close...) AND, much to my surprise, Shih Tzus.

My last, wonderful Am/staff mutt was from a shelter, but we had to pay vet bills for dogs she attacked when a visiting kid left a door open (and invest in extra hair coloring to cover the grey hair she caused) due to her terrible attitude to any other dog. I have literally seen "fur fly". And my family is a wreck after having to put her down at the age of only 9. SHe had become less than completely reliable with the kids and had already caused 17 stitches (2 events).

This time, it has to be a race that is REALLY friendly with kids, dogs, cats and (most) strangers! Looking forward to hearing what you think.

[CarouselCavaliers]

Have you ever thought about a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel? If you can find a breeder that both parents are 13 or 14 lbs (that's the limit for in cabin pets) then they are a great breed. VERY sociable, loves most other animals (dogs, cats, etc.) and are great with children. I personally think they have the big dog mentality because they don't care what size another dog is they'll go right up to them with a flinch. They basically love anybody and everybody whether you've got 4 legs or 2.

[EmilyT]

I would recommend checking with and contacting the English Springer rescue groups on the net if this is one of the breeds you are interested in. They are very knowledgeable. Also there are English Springer groups through Yahoo.

I have had two. My first a field (an absolute doll and very bright) and my current a bench (she can't get enough of looking at herself!). They are wonderful dogs, love lots of exercise. Not small enough to fit in coach though.

The previous posters are right - you need a good breeder to get a sound dog. For the most part springers are happy go lucky and the idea of springer rage is exceptionally limited - however - they can think that everything is theirs and generally calm early corrections take care of it. They generally will be very attached to their families and do best when family is around.

Best of luck ~