Dogs

[the Deel Rover]

thanks for that main street

[Puckoon]

my better half is on to me about getting a dog as well, we live in the country so I'd be looking for a good guard dog thats also has a  good temperament with kids any ideas lads.

Border Collie, very smart (mind readers).
Protective, will sniff an intruder from a long distance, make a lot of noise but wont eat them and won't eat your kids either.

Border collies are a good dog, but have the tendancy to be crazy, they need alot of work to keep them sane. If it wasnt for the fact that my better half hadnt ever had a dog before, Id have gone for a german shepherd. Quite possibly the most loyal, protective guard dog breed there is. No intruder will even think about bettering one, and when you see them with your kids, its quite amazing how gentle they actually are. Any dog thats trained well will not hurt you or your family. I know families with Rottweilers, dobermans and german shepherds all with little kids. The trick is in treating the dog right and not creating any issues with it. On the other hand, you have what Ive got, the golden retriever. This dog will bark like crazy at anyone that comes near, but when they get real close to the dogs, they'll wag their tails and take the intruder right to where Ive hidden the money.

[pintsofguinness]

Quite possibly the most loyal, protective guard dog breed there is. No intruder will even think about bettering one, and when you see them with your kids, its quite amazing how gentle they actually are. Any dog thats trained well will not hurt you or your family.

My family have two German Shepards - all the things you say but I wouldn't trust them with children. 

[the Deel Rover]

Whats a saint Bernard like, i have no fear of Dogs except once when i had to leave something off at a friends house i didn't realise he had bought a dog. I went around the back next thing this big mother of a dog started walking towards me barking like fcuk i just got into my car and left there was no way he was letting me in, however the next day i went back and my friend was there he was as playfull as anything.

[Puckoon]

Interesting pints, each to their own I guess.

Quite possibly the most loyal, protective guard dog breed there is. No intruder will even think about bettering one, and when you see them with your kids, its quite amazing how gentle they actually are. Any dog thats trained well will not hurt you or your family.

My family have two German Shepherds - all the things you say but I wouldn't trust them with children. 

I guess theres two trains of thought. This was discussed before on here somewhere, and I recall O'Neill saying that dogs were meant to be outside all the time (rather poor paraphrasing there). Shepherds really want to be part of the family, alot of shepherd owners when I lived in Ireland (infact a lot of bigger dog breed owners) leave their dogs outside ALL THE TIME. I think thats fine if thats what you want, but you dont get the best of your animal, infact sometimes it creates issues like aggression, constant barking and whining and trouble with the dogs. An outside dog doesnt get any pack leadership, because its alone alot of the time. Protecting its own turf.
In any situation where Id be in charge of a shepherd, Id trust it as much as I would trust any other dog.  I mean a quick google will tell you a horror story about a german shepherd biting a kid. But im sure theres one about labs, collies, golden retrievers. Guess it all depends on the dog, and the individual/familly that owns it.
I think they key point is that dogs require training. If you dont mould them into your way of thinking, how can you shape their behaviour. Take any trained police dog, you can bet the house on it its not going to bite ANYONE without a command to do so.

Whats a saint Bernard like, i have no fear of Dogs except once when i had to leave something off at a friends house i didn't realise he had bought a dog. I went around the back next thing this big mother of a dog started walking towards me barking like fcuk i just got into my car and left there was no way he was letting me in, however the next day i went back and my friend was there he was as playfull as anything.

My neighbours got two. They are the same age as my pups (8 months) and already they weigh a combined 210lbs. This guy has had them all his life, they are very friendly, but like any dog, will bark at intruders. Slobber alot, eat alot, shit alot, die relatively early.

[pintsofguinness]

I guess theres two trains of thought. This was discussed before on here somewhere, and I recall O'Neill saying that dogs were meant to be outside all the time (rather poor paraphrasing there). Shepherds really want to be part of the family, alot of shepherd owners when I lived in Ireland (infact a lot of bigger dog breed owners) leave their dogs outside ALL THE TIME. I think thats fine if thats what you want, but you dont get the best of your animal, infact sometimes it creates issues like aggression, constant barking and whining and trouble with the dogs. An outside dog doesnt get any pack leadership, because its alone alot of the time. Protecting its own turf.
In any situation where Id be in charge of a shepherd, Id trust it as much as I would trust any other dog.  I mean a quick google will tell you a horror story about a german shepherd biting a kid. But im sure theres one about labs, collies, golden retrievers. Guess it all depends on the dog, and the individual/familly that owns it.

Well ours would be guard dogs but they're treated like pets, they wouldn't be outside all the time (I don't agree with that anyway) and they've people around most of the time.  Very friendly and very playful with ourselves but if a stranger comes about they have a very different side and I've no doubt they would attack to protect any of us or anything belonging to us.  That's not a role they were ever trained in it came naturally for them.  If you've children about, particuarly young children, they can pull at the dog or be rough, I wouldn't be confident of a German Shepard not reacting. 

Whats a saint Bernard like,

No, a nuisance.  Couldn't touch them without having to change your clothes and giving them about three washes to get rid of the slabbers and the hair.

[the Deel Rover]

looks like i won't be going for a st Bernard

[Puckoon]

Whats a saint Bernard like,

No, a nuisance.  Couldn't touch them without having to change your clothes and giving them about three washes to get rid of the slabbers and the hair.

So this thread IS about the talent in renshaws then?

[the Deel Rover]

Whats a saint Bernard like,

No, a nuisance.  Couldn't touch them without having to change your clothes and giving them about three washes to get rid of the slabbers and the hair.

So this thread IS about the talent in renshaws then?

sounds like a classy joint puckoon

[Main Street]

I haven't come across a more gracefull and elegant dog around children than a collie.
But whatever you get the children will love it. The kids should also be taught in how to take care of a dog, exercise, the obedience and rewarding, feeding and cleaning.
If you have a girl then there are clumsy thick slobbery dogs I wouldn't go near, the dog should have some cute factor.

For protection it depends on what you need. If I'm outside, the dog will let me know if the phone is ringing or the pot is boiling over. I like to have the dog to let me know when there is a car turning in our road.
Also the dog should be able to tell the difference between cars, even in stormy weather, if its one of our cars, or a friends, or strangers  (serious danger alert) or just the post. It would seriously piss me off if the dog barked at everything that moved into our zone. A good dog remembers.
I don't want an agressive dog around my house, I just want a dog to let me know loud and clear when there is a stranger and then I'll welcome the stranger.

[Puckoon]

Has anyone else noticed the dog behaviour website advertisment beneath the page?

[stew]

I hate f><King dogs!!!!!!!

Takes all sorts. I love them.

[Puckoon]

I was bitten by a jack russell when I was 4. I dont remember it, but I remember being petrified of all dogs (my cousins all had dogs) until I was about 14 and we brought home our first family pet.
Some people keep dangerous breeds for status, no doubt. I dont know that Id put a greyhound in that class though. Just because a dog is a certain breed though, doesnt mean it should be feared. I really like bigger breeds. Hope someday to own one of most of them, except for the bull terriers. Not a terrier fan.

[gaagaa]

Got chased by a greyhound when I was about 10. Pure dunged the togs. It took me a while to get over my fear. I still hate those bastarding 'hard man' dogs. Why do people even keep them as pets?

theyre nuthin compared to the female supporters of some clubs in northe derry - thed eat u alive

[ludermor]

I hate f><King dogs!!!!!!!

Takes all sorts. I love them.

Try pigs they are much cleaner, but you can always try the old reliable , sheep