Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I just checked this whole thread and I was surprised to see that I never posted about my favorite breeds!
Anyway, as those of you who remember me from when I use to be on here all the time already know, my favorite breeds are the "pit bull" breeds. I LOVE American Pit Bull Terriers (APBT), American Staffordshire Terriers (AmStaff) and Staffordshire Bull Terriers (Staff), but the APBT is hands down my #1! I am the very proud owner of 3 wonderful APBTs, and after owning "pit bulls", I could never own another breed. They really are the perfect dogs for my husband and I, they are everything we need/want in a family companion and so much more!
All of the "pit bull" breeds are very, very similar in appearance and temperament, but since APBTs are my #1 I will talk a bit about them. and why they are my favorite breed. 1. APBTs are not too big and not too small. Ours are all between 40 and 60 pounds. They are, IMHO, just the right size. 2. They are very intelligent and easy to train. They LOVE to learn and live to please their owners. I personally really enjoy working with my fur-babies on training/obedience as often as possible. Our dogs are already very well trained and very obedient, but we still work with them on all of that to reinforce everything, to spend some quality time with our dogs and to make sure each one of our dogs gets some individual attention. Not to mention, they are a working breed so they need to be challenged mentally. 3. They are a high energy breed. My husband and I are very active and we needed/wanted dogs that could keep up with us. We take our dogs on 2-3 45-60 minute walks a day, we take them with us to the beach as often as possible, we take them to the park whenever we can, we take them with us when we go see friends and family, etc, etc, etc. 4. We needed a breed that wouldn't have a problem being around people, especially children, and APBTs were specifically bred to be human-friendly. Because our dogs were well bred, and because we have worked so hard to be responsible owners and properly raise, train, socialize and control our dogs, they are very human-friendly, as the breed should be. 5. They require very little grooming! And 6. They are, IMHO, the most gorgeous dogs on earth!
Love 'em all, but my favorites are mutts--spaniels crossed with terriers or poodle mixes or Sheltie mixes, or sighthound crosses, Spitz combos, Collie/Shepherds---I've met very few dogs I don't like...
There's not one breed I don't like - my current dog is all mutt, people see a bunch of different breeds in her, she's probably a sighthound mix (that seems to be the one mentioned most - whippet body).
So aside from my lovely mutt, I absolutely adore shih tzus and hope when my dog is older I can adopt another. I had a somewhat large (20 pound) shih tzu for 12 of her 15 years, she was like my child.
Also love pugs, schnauzers, pekes...on the large side, love goldens, danes, and rotties. If I had serious acreage I'd have a bunch of dogs...
I love all sorts of breeds, pound puppies included.
But it's the English Mastiff for me.
We've had nothing but mastiffs since 1995.
We deal with our share of slobber, but there is a lot of doggy devotion that comes with it.
I favor mutts with some border collie in them. Of course, i grew up with a mutt (small) who clearly was part BC. The perfect dog? BC and cattle dog mix. I've branched out with each mutt I've gotten, but basically like the 30-60 pound herding dog mutts, although did have a beautiful shepherd mutt.
I currently have my first and last hound mix. They are an aquired taste.
I adopt older dogs, so their energy level isn't an issue, although with the BC mixes and all, it takes a longer time for them to settle down into aging dignity!
I think any animal you take care of, you come to love. I just have a headstart if the dog has that BC/Spaniel white blaze on his head.
My Rottweiller was 13 years old when she passd on. She was a terrific companion and super guard dog. I still miss her after 7 years.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.