Healthy large dog breeds?

[blackshep]

Sorry, I forgot the OP wanted something more social

My friend has an Olde English Buldogge and I swear she draws a crowd everywhere she goes. She is the most adorable dog I've ever seen, it's ridiculous. Her scrunchy face is irresistible!

She has a little stuffed piggy toy that she sucks on and makes the most hilarious noises. She's also wicked at agility apparently. I would puppynap her in a heartbeat.

[Freestep]

Originally Posted by GsdLoverr729

Black dogs tend to be last to be adopted (same with black cats) simply due to superstition, from what I can tell. So sad :/ I've always been drawn to black animals.

They've actually done studies on this phenomenon, and it seems that animals with black faces are harder to read; they appear less expressive to the average person. At worst, they appear a bit scary, as the average person doesn't know what a black dog is thinking. With cats, black ones seem more plain to people, I don't know if superstition plays into it or not.

I've always loved black animals as well, from cats to dogs to horses to ducks. At the moment, I only have one black cat, but I've had at least one black cat in my household for the past 20-odd years. And ironically, I had a flock of 7 white goats, five white geese and a big white dog... a friend of ours jokingly accused us of having some kind of "white power" thing going on over here, with this mob of white animals in the pasture. I didn't choose them for color, it just sort of turned out that way.

Anyway, back to the OP... Doberman--not a good choice. They have a LOT of health issues and are not long-lived; they are usually aloof with strangers and appear scary to some people. I love 'em, but I don't think I could take the heartbreak of owning one... every Dobie I know has not lived past 8 years of age. Some kind of cancer or heart defect always gets them.

Vizsla, Weimeraner--WAY too hyper.

I would suggest one of the Northern breeds, Husky, Malamute, Samoyed, etc. but they are NOT biddable and tend to be runners. Same with any type of sighthound--Greyhound, Whippet, Saluki. Neat dogs, but not an off-leash type dog.

I have heard good things about this new breed that is a mix of GSD and Nordic breeds--at the moment I cannot remember the name--but they are bred to look like a wolf, with the friendly nature of the Northern breeds, and the biddability of the GSD. From what I understand, no actual wolf blood was used, although I've heard some people say that wolf blood exists in one of the foundation breeds used in the mix. Who knows? It's a breed I would have been very interested in when I was younger.

[GsdLoverr729]

Oh! I almost forgot Pharaoh hounds and Ibizan hounds. They have no breed specific or major health issues and can live 10-16 years. Good energy to work with but not overly sooo. Nice temperament. And in the size range you gave

[Chicagocanine]

Originally Posted by GsdLoverr729

Oh! I almost forgot Pharaoh hounds and Ibizan hounds. They have no breed specific or major health issues and can live 10-16 years. Good energy to work with but not overly sooo. Nice temperament. And in the size range you gave

Those are neat dogs but I do have cats and I wasn't sure if sighthounds and cats would mix well...
Also not sure on their trainability? I have really not had much exposure to sighthounds at all. I've met a few but that's it, oh and there was a Pharaoh Hound in the therapy dog program at the hospital I used to volunteer with my Golden...

[Cree]

Alaskan Malamute! My Jake was almost 14 before we put him down. Pretty healthy boy and he helped raise my first GSD. Loved other dogs but loved attention even more!

[GsdLoverr729]

Originally Posted by Chicagocanine

Those are neat dogs but I do have cats and I wasn't sure if sighthounds and cats would mix well...
Also not sure on their trainability? I have really not had much exposure to sighthounds at all. I've met a few but that's it, oh and there was a Pharaoh Hound in the therapy dog program at the hospital I used to volunteer with my Golden...

When raised with cats they're pretty good, I have an aunt who owns greyhounds (some even rescued from the tracks) and all of them do very well with her cats. Pharoah hounds and Ibizan hounds actually use their hearing more than sight, so they're "hearing hounds" per say. That also helps as far as off-leash training and trustworthiness.
From what I know, they are easily trained but can be handler soft so lots of praise works best (praise-driven). (:

[blackshep]

Boerboel? (I love mastiff breeds )

They are supposed to be very healthy and good family dogs. I think they need a strong pack leader and socialization, like a GSD though. I'm not sure how they are generally with others out in public, maybe someone can chime in?

but I read they are generally good with other pets, cats, birds etc.

[JeanKBBMMMAAN]

They don't make it in the size category but might be good in other areas:
Home <---breed website for the PWD


But I would go with the happy black shelter mutt too! Also agree on the Doberman as a no, even with the houndy ears. I think a regular Lab, from a super duper smart breeder who looks at health intelligently could be good. Flat Coats are a big cancer breed from what I understand.

I always look at what the breed was bred to do - is this a dog that was meant to work with people, and in what capacity.

No way I would want a Mastiff or any type of large protection breed that doesn't necessarily look to their person for guidance. I like Chows, but there is a reason all that nasty is in a small body.

Boerboel

dogbreedinfo.com

The Boerboel is a large, mastiff dog breed from South Africa, bred for the purpose of guarding the homestead. These dogs were often a first line of defense against predators and were valuable in tracking and holding down wounded game.

Another probably too small:
Bearded Collie

en.wikipedia.org

The Bearded Collie, or Beardie, is a herding breed of dog once used primarily by Scottish shepherds, but now mostly a popular family companion. Bearded Collies have an average weight of 40–60 pounds. Wikipedia
Hypoallergenic: No
Life span: 14 to 15 years
Temperament: Active, Intelligent, Alert, Lively, Hardy, Self-Confident
Colors: Fawn, Black, Blue, Brown, Tri-color, Black & Brown
Height: Female: 20–21 inches (51–53 cm), Male: 21–22 inches (53–56 cm)
Weight: Female: 39.7–59.5 lbs (18–27 kg), Male: 39.7–59.5 lbs (18–27 kg)

LandseerDog


en.wikipedia.org

The Landseer is a dog breed. Many kennel clubs consider the Landseer to be simply a black-and-white variant of the Newfoundland, but the Fédération Cynologique Internationale recognizes it as a separate breed. Wikipedia
Color: Black & White
Higher classification: Dog
Temperament: Playful, Intelligent, Courageous, Generous, Patient, Loving
Height: Male: 28–31 inches (72–80 cm), Female: 26–28 inches (67–72 cm)
Weight: Male: 130.1–149.9 lbs (59–68 kg), Female: 99.2–119 lbs (45–54 kg)
Origin: Germany, Newfoundland, Switzerland, Canada

[blackshep]

Oh... lol

this is what I read about them:

The Boerboel is reliable, obedient and intelligent, with strong watch and guard-dog instincts. It is self-assured and fearless. The Boerboel is very playful and affectionate toward its owner. Its favorite pastime would be to play a game of fetch loving every minute it spends with its master. Its jaws are strong and they will most often pop the ball it it playing with. Not to fret, it will just play with the popped ball! They are very gentle and good with children they know; allowing them to ride on their backs like a horse, loving every minute of the attention they are getting. Boerboels will do okay with other dogs, cats and other non-canine pets, letting birds come down and snatch from their food bowl! They will guard their family, friends and property with their life. When their owners are not home they will not allow anyone to enter the home, unless they know them very well. When welcomed visitors arrive they will accept them after being properly introduced. This breed requires a dominant owner. The authority the owner projects over the dog should be so strong that the dog will not bolt out the front door when it is opened. The objective in training this dog is to achieve a pack leader status. It is a natural instinct for a dog to have an order in its pack. When we humans live with dogs, we become their pack. The entire pack cooperates under a single leader; lines are clearly defined and rules are set. Because a dog communicates his displeasure with growling and eventually biting, all other humans MUST be higher up in the order than the dog. The humans must be the ones making the decisions, not the dogs. That is the only way your relationship with your dog can be a complete success. If one does not understand this concept 100% and have confidence that they can handle such a large guard type breed then this is not the dog for them. With the right owners the Boerboel can make a wonderful pet.

[fuzzybunny]

I'm thinking I may get a Greyhound as my next dog. Minimal shedding, relatively healthy, and couch potatoes indoors. Sounds like my kind of dog .