- Location
- Stinkwater
I like not shedding.
Can we talk dogs?
- Thread starter Kevin B.
- Start date
- Location
- Stinkwater
Get the laundry? Does it have opposable thumbs? 
JL Rockies
Binders Fulla Expo
- Location
- Draper
Get the laundry? Does it have opposable thumbs?
Thumbs? I got stuck on the idea that the French part would have any idea what doing laundry is.
- Location
- West Jordan
We have a Lab mix (unknown mix... sneaky neighbor dog...maybe a Weimaraner?) and he has been great. ~60lbs (perfect size IMO,) loveable, well mannered, very smart, awesome with kids and other dogs, but he does shed which gets old after about 13 seconds.
i agree one million percent! my dogs have always been my family. my last two are like my children. i've never understood the desire to get a dog and just put it in the backyard in a cage or on a chain. not only does it make the dogs dirty and less likely to be brought indoors but it also shortens their lives when they are constantly exposed to utah's harsh climate. my dog lives in the house and stays in her crate when we're gone because it's where she feels safe (and is safe) and she loves life.
LT.
Well-Known Member
- Location
- Los Alamos, New Mexico
We have had our share of dogs. Right now we have two, a black and tan coon hound and a rotweiller. The coon hound is a great dog but, make no mistake about it the rotweiller is the better of the two. When I was looking for a dog I stumbled upon a site. Something to the effect of breed matching. Here is one such site http://www.selectsmart.com/DOG/. We wanted a bigger dog without being huge, low maintenance, protective, dog. That is why we got the rotweiller. The coon hound was abandon and we picked her up. I would recommend the rotweiller or a German Shepard. Shepards were my favorites until I got the Rotweiller.
LT.
LT.
sixstringsteve
Well-Known Member
- Location
- UT
FWIW, Fender is a Xoloitzcuintli, or Xolo for short, or a mexican hairless.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexican_Hairless_Dog
One out of every litter is "coated", or born with fur, and it's not a desirable trait in the breed. Neither of Fender's parents or brothers or sisters have fur. He's a bit of a wild thing. He's extremely smart, but he took a lot of training to get him to the point he's at. I couldn't imagine a better/cooler dog for my needs, he's absolutely perfect. He loves the snow, he loves camping, he swims, he likes hiking, he likes mountain biking, he likes riding in the car. He's never been sick, never been to the vet, and he absolutely loves his family. His breed is super rare (only 3 Xolos in Utah that I know of, including Fender), and they have some unique characteristics. They bond extremely strong to one core family, and they never really bond to others extremely well (as Andrew realized this past weekend). He is 30 lbs, build like a deer, and he can jump over the tailgate of my truck with it closed. He's super fun. I can't imagine my life/trips without him.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexican_Hairless_Dog
One out of every litter is "coated", or born with fur, and it's not a desirable trait in the breed. Neither of Fender's parents or brothers or sisters have fur. He's a bit of a wild thing. He's extremely smart, but he took a lot of training to get him to the point he's at. I couldn't imagine a better/cooler dog for my needs, he's absolutely perfect. He loves the snow, he loves camping, he swims, he likes hiking, he likes mountain biking, he likes riding in the car. He's never been sick, never been to the vet, and he absolutely loves his family. His breed is super rare (only 3 Xolos in Utah that I know of, including Fender), and they have some unique characteristics. They bond extremely strong to one core family, and they never really bond to others extremely well (as Andrew realized this past weekend). He is 30 lbs, build like a deer, and he can jump over the tailgate of my truck with it closed. He's super fun. I can't imagine my life/trips without him.
sixstringsteve
Well-Known Member
- Location
- UT
I have a really good book about selecting the right dog and training him right from the beginning. It's written by Caesar Milan, the "Dog Whisperer." His show and books are fantastic. He teaches that misbehaved dogs are misbehaved because their owners train them wrong, not because the dogs are "bad." He rehabilitates owners and teaches them how to give their dog the communication they can understand.
Anyway, his book talks about really good principle.
Step 1: Research the breeds and pick the best breed for you.
I believe that any breed can be taught to be well-behaved (so does Caesar). however, I don't believe that every breed is good for any owner. Definitely research each breed and find one that meets your lifestyle. If you go running several miles a day, a Husky could be a fantastic dog for you. If you want a lap dog, and you don't have time to give a dog a 3 hour walk every day, a Husky just won't cut it.
I'm allergic to dogs, so I that really narrowed my search. Some people are even allergic to a dog's saliva, not just the fur. With all the hypo-allergenic dogs, I narrowed my search down to choosing the right breed for me.
Step 2: Once you select a breed, pick the right dog out of that breed.
In addition to choosing the right breed for you, you need to choose the right DOG for you. Can you imagine being married to your sister in law? She's from the same family as your wife, but she's nothing like your wife. Assuming all golden retrievers are alike is a huge mistake. Just like people, every dog has a personality. Some are shy, some are aggressive, some are timid, some are hyper, some prefer solitude, and others won't stop cuddling with people. NEVER pick a dog based on looks. Dogs are like kids. No matter how ugly they are, they'll always look good to you because you love them. This book has some tests you can do to determine which traits a dog has before taking him/her home. That has made the biggest difference with our dog selection. I looked at about 15 other Xolos before getting Fender. Fortunately I went to a good breeder who interviewed us before we went, and she hand picked some dogs that matched our personality. When we saw Fender, he wasn't aggressive, but he wasn't afraid of his own shadow either. He was confident and curious, and not too high-strung, just what we wanted.
Our dog took a lot of work to train, he was kind of a wild thing. I enjoy teaching/training, so it was a fun challenge for me, but not everyone would enjoy it. Ian and your wife are going to have be on board as well, they're going to have to help train him.
Once you do get a dog, buy the first few seasons of Dog Whisperer and watch an episode with your family every week. It really shows you how to communicate with a dog and teach them their boundaries.
One more thought: if my dog were an outside-only dog, it wouldn't have worked. We had 2 outside dogs growing up, and we abused them. They never got the attention they deserved, and they never got the exercise/training they needed to be well balanced. By having Fender inside, I'm able to interact with him more and correct poor behavior the second I see it.
Anyway, his book talks about really good principle.
Step 1: Research the breeds and pick the best breed for you.
I believe that any breed can be taught to be well-behaved (so does Caesar). however, I don't believe that every breed is good for any owner. Definitely research each breed and find one that meets your lifestyle. If you go running several miles a day, a Husky could be a fantastic dog for you. If you want a lap dog, and you don't have time to give a dog a 3 hour walk every day, a Husky just won't cut it.
I'm allergic to dogs, so I that really narrowed my search. Some people are even allergic to a dog's saliva, not just the fur. With all the hypo-allergenic dogs, I narrowed my search down to choosing the right breed for me.
Step 2: Once you select a breed, pick the right dog out of that breed.
In addition to choosing the right breed for you, you need to choose the right DOG for you. Can you imagine being married to your sister in law? She's from the same family as your wife, but she's nothing like your wife. Assuming all golden retrievers are alike is a huge mistake. Just like people, every dog has a personality. Some are shy, some are aggressive, some are timid, some are hyper, some prefer solitude, and others won't stop cuddling with people. NEVER pick a dog based on looks. Dogs are like kids. No matter how ugly they are, they'll always look good to you because you love them. This book has some tests you can do to determine which traits a dog has before taking him/her home. That has made the biggest difference with our dog selection. I looked at about 15 other Xolos before getting Fender. Fortunately I went to a good breeder who interviewed us before we went, and she hand picked some dogs that matched our personality. When we saw Fender, he wasn't aggressive, but he wasn't afraid of his own shadow either. He was confident and curious, and not too high-strung, just what we wanted.
Our dog took a lot of work to train, he was kind of a wild thing. I enjoy teaching/training, so it was a fun challenge for me, but not everyone would enjoy it. Ian and your wife are going to have be on board as well, they're going to have to help train him.
Once you do get a dog, buy the first few seasons of Dog Whisperer and watch an episode with your family every week. It really shows you how to communicate with a dog and teach them their boundaries.
One more thought: if my dog were an outside-only dog, it wouldn't have worked. We had 2 outside dogs growing up, and we abused them. They never got the attention they deserved, and they never got the exercise/training they needed to be well balanced. By having Fender inside, I'm able to interact with him more and correct poor behavior the second I see it.
sixstringsteve
Well-Known Member
- Location
- UT
If Xolos didn't exist, I'd want a heeler. Those dogs typically match my lifestyle. Active, athletic, but not hyper. Super smart too.
Cherokeester
Registered User
- Location
- Wellsville Utah
I second the Dog Whisperer, that series is an absolute must to train them dogs.
- Location
- Stinkwater
Cesar is amazing.
sixstringsteve
Well-Known Member
- Location
- UT
Fender isn't the best trained dog in the world, but I trained him using Cesar's book/methodology. The dude totally understands dogs.
Dominic
Well-Known Member
- Location
- Salt Lake City
We just adopted a dog a few weeks ago he is a Rottweiler/Labrador mix. I was stressed out about it at first but he is turning out to be an awesome dog. I had planned on getting English setter puppies to hunt over eventually but decided that I would wait to deal with puppies when I have more time. I was worried how an adopted pet would integrate to our schedules and especially how he would be around my 2 year old. I tested him to see if I could get him to growl, snap or nip at me in any situation I could think of i.e. take his food away, push him around, startle him etc. and he hasn't so much as opened his mouth. I would adopt again, most places have a five day return policy if something comes up that you cannot manage.
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My dream dog has always been a red heeler because all the ones I've ever known have been great loyal dogs. Can be a little nippy but train them young not to nip (0 tolerance) and it helps a ton. However I like to duck hunt and I don't know if you can train a heeler to retrieve ducks.
brandonlmb
brandonlmb
- Location
- Farmington
I have a blue heeler and he is very smart. Sometimes too smart. He has been very loyal and protective dog. I have a 3yr old boy and a new born baby and he lays under the new borns bed at night keeping an eye on the baby. My family has several heelers and my experince has been they are the most loyal dogs around, but can be the most aggressive dog to strangers. My dog will take an arm off some one if they reach in the back of the truck while he is back there and he does not know you. He really does not shed and is low mataince. I have had him since he was a pup that has now been 10yrs. He is still very active loves to swim play ball and sniff others dogs butts. I would have another heeler again.
brandonlmb
brandonlmb
- Location
- Farmington
I don't think there is any personality differences, but I think the blue heelers tend to be a little bigger bodied. Well that's what I have noticed, I could only be selectively looking too.