So we are looking at getting a dog...
 

The kids have been wanting a dog for a long time, but we held off under the premise that all of our kids need to be out of diapers before we have a pet that needs to be cleaned up after.

Well, here we are and the kids didn't forget our promise. My wife originally wanted a Golden Doodle, to which I responded absolutely not going to happen. We have considered the following breeds to be the best fit for our family:

Golden Retriever
Black or Brown Lab
Siberian Husky (this is the one I really want)

We both grew up with dogs as part of our families, so this is not some spur of the moment decision and we are familiar with how to take care of a dog. We live on a 3rd of an acre and have a decent backyard. We do not have a kennel and have no plans on building one. I work from home and will have the dog around me throughout the day with opportunities to take him/her outside from time to time. We have 4 children, ages ranging from 3 1/2 to 11 years old.

Additionally, we have informally agreed that a female dog is probably the better route to take, although we have had both males/females growing up.

So, I am looking for experiences and advice from the good people here at FOFC as to which dog might be the best choice. I am especially interested in Siberian Husky experiences/knowledge, as I have never owned one but have always wanted to. (Both my wife and I have had Golden Retrievers at some point in our childhood, myself having 2 of them as a teenager).

Anyway, thanks in advance!

I voted Chocolate (brown) Lab. Thats because we have one. She is the sweetest thing ever. Great personality. She is protective of the family. She gets along with the kids extremely well.

Labs are great dogs.

The lab and GR are great family dogs that you can't go wrong with.

Huskies are great dogs too, but they are always looking to expand their boundaries. Meaning if you have any fence holes on your property they will find them and they will escape. They get messy, they dig like mad, roll around in dirt, and shed like bastards a couple times a year. They have tons of energy so they need to spend a minimal time inside your house, unless you place no value in things inside your house. They don't really bark much, which means people can come and go on your property and they don't really care ... usually too busy digging holes to China to bother with trespassers. Very friendly and good with kids that aren't going to pull and/or yank on their ears. Fun dogs otherwise.

I went with a black lab. I have a Jack Russell, but they are a ton of work.

We have a husky / lab mix that has been a FANTASTIC dog, except for the shedding she gets from the husky side. I'd avoid huskies just to avoid the shedding.

I would add Boxer to the mix for a good mid/large sized family Dog. Easy to train, loyal, easy going and very playful.

We have a 9 year old Boxer that is just awesome and gets along great with our Min Pins, who are not the easiest breed for other dogs to co-exist with since they have small Dog syndrome :)

He is still very sharp and playful at 9, with the only downside being that they sheds more than most short hair breeds.

Black lab. With a family that size, it should get plenty of exercise, and they're great family dogs.

Rottie, Boxer, or Australian Shepherd.

My dog is a Boxer/Australian Shepherd mix, and she's awesome.

This confirms the things I have heard/read about Huskies. Especially the digging thing. Hmmm, I might just go with a Retriever as I have no interest in fixing my fence, patching holes, and chasing my dog around town.

I lean lab. I grew up with yellow labs, and we had one golden retriever. While the one golden retriever was an awesome dog, the long hair was a giant pain in the ass to deal with. Without regular bathing, the dog smelled. Pretty bad, too. The shorthaired yellow labs were fantastic, and had much less upkeep.

Not exactly topical, but my parents just got a border collie mix puppy about a year ago. While he's an incredible dog, he has SO MUCH energy and requires an absolute TON of attention.

Our lab sheds. But we shave her a couple times a year, which helps.

Voted Trout. In all honesty, though, I grew up with a husky mix (maybe husky/yellow lab?) and loved it to death. He was a little fatter/more lethargic than a normal husky. In a way, I prefer huskies' clumpy shedding to the constant shedding of wiry hairs you get with a German shepherd, for example. The husky was also a little aggressive to aggressive-seeming strangers/animals (male, though neutered), but very fun to play with outside, whereas the German was more inclined to just do her thing, bark at everything in sight, and destroy the occasional piece of furniture.

The most vivid experience I have with your other options is that I remember spending time at a friend's house with a golden retriever that struck me as a bit too rambunctious with a family a lot like yours.

Yeah, if you have any holes or weak points in your property fence then the Huskie will 100% get out. They are straight up Houdinis.

I have a 2 year old lab but I voted golden retriever.

I am not sure if the retriever is any better but my lab puppy was very active and my kids were somewhat scared of her as she would run around, bump into them, lie on the floor and scratch her back and kick like crazy etc.

Also she ended up at 90lbs which is somewhat bigger than I would have liked.

At 2, she has calmed down quite a bit and she is fine now. But she took some getting use to by the kids.

I think the retriever would be more calm and more suited for your 3 1/2 year old.

Puppies are active by nature. Our lab wasnt like this. But she has a pretty calm personality. While our neighbors have 2 labs that are about a year old. One of them is crazy. He got dropped on his head and suffered a broken jaw. I think it has brain damage. But he is trainable. In my short visits with him, I can get him calm and not jumping on you. Which he likes to do.

Our lab was active. She chewed a hole in the drywall in the basement. But that was the biggest issue.

Labs like to chew. So if you get a lab, but lots of chew toys.

No Yoko Ono option?

whats wrong with a golden doodle? i have a labradoodle and its been great.

i grew up with a husky, who was amazing. however, they need a lot of exercise. a LOT. and if they don't get it, they'll find a way, aka running away. mine would routinely jump an over 6 foot tall fence to run around. but they are super loyal and smart and quiet. they do shed a lot though.

Don't get a pure breed. Find a dog at the pound that you like and get him or her. Save a dogs life instead of paying someone to "breed" a dog for you.

Our dog is a smooth coated collie mix mutt that we found at the animal shelter. I wouldn't trade him in for any other dog, ever, he's the greatest dog I've ever had.

This.

+2.

Get a mutt - better temperaments, healthier and more lovable.

Yeah - and the people at the shelter should be able to tell you how it will act around small children.

Really it's no more "risky" in that regard then a purebred.

Our Maggie is a basset, bird dog mix. She's sweet, and fun. She was found at a house fire by a fire-man when she was a couple of months old. The couple that originally adopted her couldn't take her to Florida with them when they moved, and we took her (she was 6 months old at the time). I'd never pay for a "pure-breed" anything, when you could have as much joy and love from a dog that you are saving from being put down for not having "papers."

You honestly think every "Golden Labrodooble" or "Boston Corkie" acts exactly the same, like they are clones of one another?

Risk is all the training no matter what type of dog it is. Healtwise you are better off getting a dog that is a sum of all dogs (ie a Mutt) than getting one that has been inbreed over and over again to obtain a false perfection.

If you absolutely have to get a pure breed dog, because you just can't live without an exact breed, do yourself a favor and get a dog from a rescue.

I live with my brother and they have an 18 month old. They also have a golden retriever that is 2 years old. Im always impressed because the 18 month old will walk up and stick her fingers in his eye socket and he just lays there and stares at her like, "Really?"

Anecdotal.

+1. i've got 3 dogs. one's a purebred and the other 2 are rescue mutts. the purebred's a spoiled brat. the mutts are the most loving, loyal dogs i've ever had.

I could say the same thing about my sister's dog that we adopted, he's the stupidest dog in the world and wouldn't hurt a fly. He's loves everyone unconditionally but he'll run the second he as an opening and barely understands basic commands such as sit. He's a black lab mix thing. Honestly he's a dumbest dog I've ever met.

Um that was my point Dan...calm down and read what I wrote more carefully.

Hah, I thought you were stating that the shelter couldn't tell you that. ;) I just want all homeless dogs to have a home at the end of the day.

AND PLEASE GET YOUR DOG SPAYED OR NEUTERED. There are enough dogs out there already, it's a dog, not a money making opportunity. :rant:

Nah - my point was that at most shelters they'll have some idea of how the dog is around kids (anecdotally if not from the owners who left it there). If not, there are ways to figure that out in a controlled situation too, and you're right...it's all about training and individual dog's personality.

WTF is a Boston Corkie?

Anyway, love my shelter dog. Sure she barks a lot, and is always on the lookout for fresh meat to hunt, but she's a good dog and she deserves a good home.

I think you're around the treasure valley in Idaho now, don't hesitate to go with the Idaho Humane Society if you decide to go that way - I've had great experiences with them. You can hang out there all day with your kids and hang out with dogs and you'd find the one that fits perfectly. I have an awesome Border Collie mixed with something-or-other from there.

I grew up with a Siberian Husky, she lived 18 years, my family had her from my early teens well into my 20s. So my experiences with her are anecdotal, but I always had a big interest in the breed and learned a lot over the years. I really don't think they have a crazy amount of energy. They can be pretty relaxed, in a dignified way, if they get enough exercise and people/dog stimulus. And really, even when they're wound up, they don't have that high-energy jumpiness that a lot of other dogs have. What they will do is run away, and not be in any hurry to come back. My border collie mix has gotten out a couple of times and he just kind of hangs around on the sidewalk or across the street. My husky would have been GONE, and you really just had to be 100% aware of potential escape routes at all time, and they can never be off leash. But mine wasn't a chewer, or a destroyer (but she was a cunning thief, you couldn't leave food out).

There's a ton of great dog parks in the area - including out in Canyon County if that's where you are (I can't remember if you're there now or used to be there). It's a great way to exercise and socialize them, so assuming you're going young with the dog, definitely hit those. It was this whole new thing I didn't really know about, I don't think they really had stuff like that around New England back in the 90s when I was last a dog owner.

I made that one up, it's a breed of a Boston Terrier and a Corgi. :)

Their dog is really stubborn and hyper (still a young guy). Hes really smart but there ar certain times he just doesnt give a shit. He will sit outside without a leash until he sees a bird or rabbit then it is game on. But he is really smart. Just stubborn as shit. You watch him and he knows when he is doing something wrong.

The major thing he does that infuriates me is he jumps on people when he is happy to see them. Not hard, but he is still too damn big for that. Still trying to figure out a way to get him off that habbit. But when it comes to behavior around kids and what not, minus he jumping, he is perfect.

Thanks for the info. We have looked at the Humane Society online (haven't gone in person yet but plan on it soon). I would love to have a Husky but at the end of the day, I want a dog that will fit in with our family.

Have a black lab, a 2 year old boy and a new baby on the way. Have to say that our lab has been great (though we obviously had to train him out of some issues), especially with our boy, who loves to roughhouse with him. He's very patient generally and takes a lot of shit from him.

The only thing about our black lab is that he is active and needs exercise, which I guess is easier since you have a big area for him to roam in.

After having dogs that shed and now ones that don't I don't think I could have a shedding dog again. We have two Wheaten Terriers and a Goldendoodle - both breeds are awesome dogs. The Wheatens love to hunt and chase rabbits and squirrels and are very protective of the house. I would suggest both breads to anyone.

I second the wheaten terrier. She has been a great dog for us. My wife isn't even a dog person and she loved Callie from day one.

I just want to add that dogs need to be properly exercised. Don't think letting them run in a fenced yard is enough.

A healthy dog needs to walked twice a day for at least twenty minutes a pop. Even better if there's somewhere you can go off leash so it can really run. They will be better behaved and calmer overall for that. Plus the huge upside is you get yourself outdoors in the fresh air for some exercise yourself.

My wife's old roommate had a huskie that would get the peanut bar jar down from the top kitchen cabinet, unscrew the top, and eat the contents.

Sounds like one of our wheatens. He can get a metal baking sheet down and on the floor without alerting someone that is in the room right off the kitchen. Plus how could you say no to a face like this (the goldendoodle)

An update (rather belated) with our dog. We ended up finding a golden retriever mix at the animal shelter. He has been a fantastic pet and is part of our family. Loves people, trains easily, and is always in a good mood. He is almost a year old now (when we got him, he was about 2 months old).

Edit: pictures are attachments.

Goldens are awesome. We had one and miss him. Not sure if I can ever get another one again because our first was awesome. We currently have a Great Pyrenesse puppy. 8 months old and about 80 pounds. He is a handful.

Super adorable RomaGoth.

Goldens are awesome.. ours ending up having epilepsy and lived a short life due to his seizures.. but he was one great dog. He potty trained in 2 weeks.

We are picking up this guy tomorrow from the rescue shelter. It's taken me 6 months to finally be able to feel like I can handle another dog.

Macklin will be a great addition to our family!

Good thing you didn't go Siberian Husky.

Saw a bulldog-pug mix at the pound the other day, absolutely the coolest looking dog ever. Unfortunately, that seems like a money pit in the vet department, so I resisted.

I've got a 12-year-old mutt of indecipherable husky-esque origin who has always had certain wary and independent streaks about her that I attributed to her memories of whatever life she had before coming to the pound. But some of the descriptions in this thread make me think that the behavior (especially issues with being confined by any sort of boundary or fence) may be attributable to husky genes.

It's definitely borne into her. Huskies will run, run run. And they don't like listening, or learning. From my experience. :)

They are beautiful dogs, though.

We had a couple of them when I was a kid and they were great. This one has only confirmed my suspicion that Goldens are among the best pets.


Thanks!


Out of curiosity, why do you say that?