Thinking about getting my first dog

I'm considering getting my first dog... I live alone and think it might be good for me.
I have a town house with a smaller back yard and I do have a mild dog allergy but
I am not letting that limit my choices as that brings it down to 6 breeds.

Since there are quite a few dog owners in the mayberry, I curious on what some people
think.
Puppy vs older dog
male vs female
a decent forum for dog owners
training techniques
experiences with the amount of shedding the dogs do is appreciated.

My short list
1. Siberian husky
2. akita (japanese not american if you make the distinction)
3. german sheppard
4. collie

other suggestions I have gotten or greyhound, boxer, shibu inu (looks like a smaller
akita)

I don't mind suggestions for other breeds... but really, if the adult dog can fit in
a womens handbag... dont bother.

 

With your living situation, I don't think that any of those will work. You need a Basset Hound, or some other lazy breed.

 

Females are more mild mannered, and won't hump your leg.

 

Not true, my female maltese humps her bed a lot.

 

You have a small townhouse with a small back yard and you have an alergy to dogs. You want to get a husky, an akita or a collie. Are you for real?

 

I do realize that if I go with one of those breeds, I will have to exercise quite a bit.
This will probably be a big deciding factor in whether I go forward or not.

 

Any of those breeds will destroy your house when you aren't home. You won't be able to give them enough exercise, and they'll go crazy couped up all day.

 

That's just weird.

 

French bulldog. A smaller dog that won't get your man card revoked, will get you plenty of attention from the ladies and won't destroy your house while you're gone.

 

Poodle?

 

French bulldog is a good option but they are super expensive and have many health issues

Get a mutt

 

yeah get a mutt, and go to at least a puppy training and socialize it.

 

I've had both a Shiloh Sheppard (present) and a Red Siberian Husky, both incredible dogs and neither of them destroyed the house, although there were minor incidents (expect this!). For your situation, between the two, I'd suggest Sheppard. They are high energy like Husky breeds but are not as compelled to dig and chew and eat your shoes and such. I also really like boxers, they are great dogs from what I've seen, and have short hair.

I walk my dog 2-3 times a day, usually letting him off the leash in a field so he gets his exercise in a short period of time. I live in a smallish apartment, he's by far the biggest dog in my building, but he seems fine with it. Sleeps most of the day anyway.

I would get a puppy personally, because they form a bond with you and it's cool to watch them grow and learn. Most definitely there will be accidents, and I don't suggest this if you are going to be leaving it at home right from the get go. I had the summer off at the time so it worked out perfectly, I lucked out in that sense.

Professional training works wonders if you have no experience yourself, but definitely train them and have them socialize with other dogs as earlier as possible.

Make sure you buy from a reputable breeder, but I would actually avoid some German Sheppard purebreds because of their physical problems (mostly in the hips).

edit

Oh and as to male/female, doesn't seem to matter a whole lot if they're fixed. My male Sheppard is a bit more aggressive than my previous dog which was female, but that may come down to the breed and the individual dog, they have "personalities" of their own.

 

Get a rescue dog.

 

Also, if you get a dog, go to pet smart and get their puppy starting kit or whatever the name is. It's 20$ and you get 20$ off a food bag, a free training session and a free grooming session of some other shit. It's really worth it!

 

Chinese Crested.

 

Don't get any of the dogs on your list. Big dogs need exercise and huskies especially need to run. And by run, I mean keeping one in your small yard and taking them for walks on a leash is like putting them in a cage. They need to run.
Get a mutt from a shelter, if you can. Go check them out and find one 3 years old or younger, it doesn't have to be a puppy. You can find one that you connect with, and one that has short hair. Get yourself a portable kennel so you can kennel train him so it can stay inside when you want to keep him inside.
Check out Uncle Matty's videos and books and you'll be good to go. Just make sure you spend tons of time with him/her and be consistent and you'll be fine.
edit: male or female shouldn't matter. Just go to the shelter and spend about an hour looking at dogs. Guaranteed you'll find at least one that 'you've got to have'.

 

Your only real options imo are any small fefe dog, an english bulldog, or an english mastiff. English mastiffs are the largest dog breed in the world but they're very gentle and lazy. They even make good apartment dogs because they are so docile. The dogs you listed will tear up your house unless you walk them for an hour or more daily.

Food is also something to consider. Big dogs = a lot of $ spent on food. Having a puppy is like having a kid. They're going to be whiny and poop and pee on the floor because they're a puppy and they don't know any better. An older dog is nice because they're already house trained, but if you get a mature large breed you may lack the dog experience to keep it under control. You have to be the alpha with big dogs or they will think they rule the world. Mature dogs are more likely to challenge your alpha status no matter how large they are. There's an upside and a downside to any dog.

My biggest advise would be not to get a dog that scares you. If you do, you will regret it. Do your research...Google is your friend!

 

I'm thinking about giving mine away. Lost job again.

 

Whatever you do, get a female dog. That way it'll be less gay come time for peanut butter.