Dogs...good or bad idea?

Originally posted by '___'eed
Dogs = Excellent Idea


Not only they are meat when the winter gets long, but they provide warmth and make great lovers.



Heil.

Well that was pretty uncalled for. Let's do all of ATS a big favor try to keep our sickening deviant personal behavior to ourselves, nobody wants to know about that.

Pretty gross dude...and that means a lot coming from me. I have never ignored anyone on here in three years but you may be a first.

You need a dog that is trained to alert you to situations without barking, if your dog is a barker it could also be your downfall.

In a few years, when I'm done with life in the city and move to Idaho or New Zealand, the first thing I'm getting is a couple of these bad boys:
wikipedia
dogbreedinfo
Check your local laws though, some states don't allow them.
For now I'm happy with my sweetie 65 pound English Bulldog.

Weimaraner, Dummies. No Brainer

CAN BE TRAINED TO DO ANYTHING (almost too smart)
Great Hunters
Physically superior to almost all dogs
No Shedding
Don't Eat Much
Incredible Amount of Energy
Will Fetch Game OR HUNT IT DOWN FOR YOU
Great with kids
Amazing Nose
Very Loyal
Will Protect Everyone in the Family
German Hunting Dogs
British Police Dogs
Great in the Water
Workhorse
GORGEOUS TO LOOK AT.

Look to the William Wegman books if you don't believe they can be made to do Anything.
I've Had several dogs, after a Weimy there is no other. If you can Train, they can learn. Hope you have energy. If I was to get another dog it would be the 'Blue Weimaraner', Simply Majestic.




Btw

I have a dog that is half black lab half boxer. Almost every single day she finds some kind of animal. She loves to stalk them. She can catch mice, squirrel, moles, shrews, birds,possom,rabbit and she even got a raccoon once. She's a sneaky little thing. I know if worse came to worse, I could depend on her for some type of meat. She loves the water and I have no doubt she could catch a fish. I'll try to find a photo of her.

Angryamerican---my dog is half black lab and half boxer too! I'll have to put their photos side by side to see if they look anything alike. My dog has a heck of a nose too.





[edit on 1-8-2008 by virraszto]

Originally posted by spitefulgod
You need a dog that is trained to alert you to situations without barking, if your dog is a barker it could also be your downfall.

The dogs are a source of distraction. You move away from them and circle around behind in ambush. They will suspect you being with the dogs, more so if they are barking.

Its ya brain! use it or lose it....

reply to post by virraszto


Just look at my avatar. That's my girl all energy and attitude. The heads are identical in shape. from the looks of the picture you posted the flanks look very strong like my dogs.

I am 150 pounds and I lay on the floor with her favorite rope toy in my hands. Shadow will pull me across the floor with out my help. We had a friend custom make a leather collar. He guaranteed She would not break it. Two days she broke it. The pulling power of this dog is incredible. I the picture below look at the way she is sitting. She is doing the lazy sit. One thing we have never been able to break her of. It got worse after she got hit by the truck. Seems that ended her career we don't bother trying to break her of it now. We just let her be a dog, and love her for what she is. In my opinion a lab boxer mix is the best dog to have.






[edit on 1-8-2008 by angryamerican]

reply to post by Illahee


And your dog's gonna stay there barking on it's own while you slowly move away to capture these people, I think more likely your dog will start barking before you know they are anywhere near, they will then come and shoot you and your dog, same goes for animals a dog is no use if it's just going to bark as soon as it sees something, it needs to be trained for stalking, for some it's natural, for most domesticated dogs it's not.

How many times have you seen a dog that spot something and the first thing it does is bark, same principle with guarding your house, if it barks they know you're in.

[Edit] might as well chuck a picture of my dog in



[edit on 2/8/2008 by spitefulgod]

there are many good dogs but there is only a few cut out to do all you ask,my choice of dog would depend on the weather that i was in, how hot or cold dose it get,if your thinking watch dog he must be left outside in the cold night he must have the coat for it so i would be looking at a tabettian mastiff or a caucasin these dogs have been bread for that perpose no training needed they take all family under there wing including cat,cattle etc they have no fear and god help any one that threatens your family or property,with these breeds comes responsabilty as they will kill the threat no mucking around this will include your childs friend if he sees something he deems a threat to your child so do some home work also these breeds are not easy to get hold of and if you have a budget forget it you will pay 5000-10000 per pup for a well bread dog and you wont find them at any dog show but they are around and well worth the money german sheppards are loyal but weak and even a well trained one can be intimadated they are not game if they are badly hurt they will always run away a caucasin will die in the fight and never give up this is a trait that when needed you cannt put a price tag on,they will hunt with you also

they say pitbulls are the dogs that are easily trained to 'NOT Bark' when they think something is around then they can stalk and attack. I don't see any dog taking the cake over my weimaraner though....

What about the Karelian Bear Dog they are loyal and brave and will hunt just about any game if it comes down to it...

en.wikipedia.org...

I wouldnt bring a dog with me,

1.another mouth to feed
2.if the damn thing barks at anything that moves i wont be hidden for very long will i?
3.What if it contracts rabies and i have to kill it? i certinly wont be able to eat it afterwards
4.dont want the thing to turn on me and bite me
5.a house dog wouldnt be very good in the wild and a wild dog would probly be untameable.
6.just dont like dogs.

BlackOps,

This may seem over the top at first, but I speak of this first-hand. If you're willing to have a Shepard, then you'll likely have no problem with this suggestion.

I got a Gray Wolf as a cub. These are pack animals, and when brought into a family as a cub, they instinctively know that they are the lowest of the pack, and can never, ever threaten any family member. A more loyal animal to the family "pack" is beyond words.

Here's another thing. Raised as a cub, but away from other dogs, they will not bark. They'll growl, and once in a while at night, they'll howl a little bit, but they won't just bark like dogs will. This can be a very, very good feature in an animal.

The smallest of children within the family has dominance over the wolf. They are loving, playful, and very protective of the members of their "pack."

Mine got just over seven feet long from nose to tail, weighed 175 pounds, had feet as big as pie pans, and wasn't real particular about the weather. They are a bit too big to be an indoor animal, and you wouldn't want to do that to the animal anyway.

You'll never get any closer to an ideal companion for children.

But a threat from the outside? Just think about that.

Due to job, I later left mine with my best friend, and they love each other to death. Loyalty in an animal is very important to me.

You put out feelers, and you can get a full-blooded Gray cub. Mine came from a batch to be destroyed after the Game Wardens found the cubs after their mother was killed. They use a bit different drugs in their shots, but are still easy to get a hold of and give the shots yourself.

I'll bet that's one you hadn't considered.

It might make sense to have a small dog and a large one. The small one should be a "scout" type that has the ability to move around with a low profile and basically fend for its self. Smart breeds and mutts apply. This will give an extra set of eyes and ears that won't consume large resources.
The large dog would be the "close in" support for protection and companionship. Once again useful breeds and mutts apply.
Dogs that have been raised together will already have a pecking order established and will work together as a team.
Dogs have as many uses and abilities as a Swiss Army knife .
You can have a good team with 2 or 3.

reply to post by dooper





I have always been in love with the wolf kingdom and wolf hybrid K9's as a breed, they are magnificent looking animals. I had considered a possible Malamute/Timberwolf mix because a good friend of mine has one that was raised from a pup and that dog is gorgeous and smart as a whip. She pulls the kids around on a sled when it snows, but god help the man who decided to intrude into that things turf.

To be honest the thought of owning a full blood wolf dog is a bit unnerving for me, Im just not so sure how the master/dog dynamic would be if I was scared to discipline my own animal..lol. I suppose having them from a very young age builds a good bond, but there is still something a tad unpredicticble about a true wild animal.

Your points made are duly noted, when I get to a new house this spring with more space and rural capacity I may look into it as an option. If I were to be seen in my current neighborhood walking a wolf the soccer moms may get bit nervous

reply to post by BlackOps719

Your choice of a German Shephard is the only way to go. But DO NOT get a male!!!!!!!!!! Females are more protective, especially after they've had a litter of pups, and easier to train. But the most important reason to get a female is Coyotes and Wolves are very territorial, and will try everything to kill a male that's not part of their packs. Most of the time they will ignore a female because it's not a threat to pack leadership.

Dog increases chances for survival of your grou manifold. You should learn basics of dogs breeding and ... read "The White Fang" one more time.

Simple fact - in 1991 I spent couple of winter nights in Vilnius (Lithuania), when the whole capital city had no heating. We slept with dogs, mate. We could not made campfire in a city flat.

Originally posted by BlackOps719
reply to post by dooper

 

I have always been in love with the wolf kingdom and wolf hybrid K9's as a breed, they are magnificent looking animals. I had considered a possible Malamute/Timberwolf mix because a good friend of mine has one that was raised from a pup and that dog is gorgeous and smart as a whip. She pulls the kids around on a sled when it snows, but god help the man who decided to intrude into that things turf.

To be honest the thought of owning a full blood wolf dog is a bit unnerving for me, Im just not so sure how the master/dog dynamic would be if I was scared to discipline my own animal..lol. I suppose having them from a very young age builds a good bond, but there is still something a tad unpredicticble about a true wild animal.

Your points made are duly noted, when I get to a new house this spring with more space and rural capacity I may look into it as an option. If I were to be seen in my current neighborhood walking a wolf the soccer moms may get bit nervous

I have a half Wolf/half German Shephard that is the smartest dog i have ever seen. Not trying to brag about my pooch, or just saying this thinking he's smarter than others. I had a wood fence with horizontal slats, and he would put his front paws on the top and climb it with his back legs like a ladder. The top of the fence where he would sit was about 4 inches by 9 inches, and he would sit there just to watch the neighbor lady work in her garden. Now about being protective, you can be a total stranger and walk up and pet him. He's like a big teddy bear. But i have a friend who has pet him thousands of times, but i got home from work one day when he came to my house. He seen me out by my dog and came to BS with me, well him and his ex-wife had been arguing so he was a little pissed. My dog sensed it and was going to rip him a new a**hole, and wouldn't let him within 10 feet of me. When my kids are out playing he watches them like a hawk.

I think a dog would be good in Sit X only if it is very well trained. Your dog has to know how to earn its keep on the run with very little food and water. I agree with other posts that barking could be a big problem if it lures unwanted people and other dogs to your location. Bottom line: I personally would do without a dog for stealth reasons, but if you have one very well trained it might come in handy at some point.

I had an American English Pit Bulldog for 7 years before she died of cancer. She could pick up a scent a mile away, knew who was coming over before they pulled up( she didn't like two people that would come over and would growl before we saw them pull up). Very loyal, would protect our land at no cost. She even tackled an alligator because it got out of the water and came on our land (the alligator lost). She stayed inside at night but would wake up at any time in a.m. because she smelled something coming in the yard. I would let her out and she would charge out the door in the direction of the intruder. Would never hurt a child, did not have an ounce of meanness in her but could be as fierce as a tiger. The perfect dog for any occasion. Would never even think of 'eating' her for survival. She was one of us.

Originally posted by BlackOps719

The american Bulldog comes in a close second and the boxer 3rd....the American Bulldog is a very interesting breed of dog...probally rivals the dobbie...but it doesnt suprise me the picks that everyone has made.

That is interesting that you mention the American Bulldog. I asked this same question to a co worker of mine today and tha was his choice, hands down. These dogs are LARGE....he showed a picture of his two male Bullys and they look like giant Pitbulls. Anyone know how intelligent these dogs are? They sort of remind me of a Boxer as well, which my brother happens to own one, and honestly that dog just isnt very bright....lets just say he loves string