# What breed/age/etc would be best for us?



## SilverBeat (Jan 16, 2011)

I am looking to adopt a dog within the next few months. There are a lot of breed-specific rescues and a ton of shelters around here and I now have a good idea of what I and my animals need from the dog. 

There is a big collie/saint bernard/great pyr mix at the shelter where I volunteer, she is blind and older and an absolute sweetheart, but I'm not sure if our home would be right for her.

I will definitely be adopting, and I am willing to wait and look good and hard for the right dog. I'm really up for any breed/type/age; I'm not crazy about ankle-biters but that doesn't mean they're out of the question.

The dog needs to be...
-okay INSIDE around rabbits at least, if not cavies.
-okay to be left alone/crated for 8 hours a day.
-preferably good around other dogs and kids as well.
-okay in apartment living; I have limited access to a fenced-in yard.
I have never had a dog, so I'm not sure exactly what I should be looking for. A specific breed/type? A senior dog? Or is all of this just depending on the dog?

Whatever we end up getting, he/she will be RAW FED :bounce:


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## Cliffdog (Dec 30, 2010)

I'm thinking... Mastiff... Bulldog... Pug. Lazy (probably sleep away their crate time), don't require much space. But you need to be careful, because all dogs can be problematic around small animals, regardless of breed. I'd recommend adult/senior dogs because they are already set in their temperament.


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## g00dgirl (Nov 18, 2009)

the breed isn't AS important when you are looking at adult dogs (which i do recommend since a puppy cannot hold it's bladder for 8 hours) since you will be able to tell a lot about their personality already.
Adult dogs are much less work than puppies overall.
I would spend some time at the local shelter, or where ever you plan to adopt and take out several dogs that appeal to you. Keep in mind though- that most of those dogs will just be glad to be out of their cages and may not pay much attention to you at first.
I think a senior dog could be a great choice for a first dog and there is no reason to search for a certain breed though little terriers and border collie/herding dogs may not mesh well with little critters.
Most shelters should let you bring in another pet (or maybe borrow a cat or something) to see what the dog's prey drive is like. Ignoring the small animal is a good sign, being totally fixated on it is not.


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## 3Musketeers (Nov 4, 2010)

The 8 hours alone/crated pretty much rules out puppies, high-energy dogs, dogs more prone to seperation anxiety, so that makes it a bit easier. 

Okay around rabbits calls for low prey-drive, so maybe not terriers/hounds. I believe Spaniels, Shepherds, and a lot of non-working breeds are lower prey drive (someone confirm for me  ).

Apartment living, I guess low-barking and/or a small/medium size dog would fit that bill best.

I can't really suggest any breeds, but I would narrow it down to:

Energy: Low-Mid
Age: Young Adult-Senior (maybe)
Size: Small-Medium
Breed: Prefferably not Terrier/Hound or some Working-Breeds
Other: Not yappy, low prey-drive.


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## SilverBeat (Jan 16, 2011)

Thank you g00dgirl and cliffdog. Since I have been considering a dog [3 years now] I have been paying special attention to senior dogs, so it looks like that's what we're going with. This is Belle, the shep/collie mix:
CNY SPCA Syracuse New York
I have walked her a lot since I've been volunteering there--she's not totally blind but we think she only sees shapes/shadows. She is very calm on a leash as well as in the kennel, and totally ignores squirrels and birds when we're out. 
We think someone may have set her loose because she was brought in as a stray but obviously very well-trained, and she was pretty heavy when she was brought in.
I have also been looking at this site for ideas: 
Reliability With Non-Canine Pets, Dogs with Pets
not sure if it's a good site or not though.

My favorite breeds are herding breeds but I am not fooling myself into thinking they'd be okay, crated or not, in an apartment/townhouse and being left alone for long periods.


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## RachelsaurusRexU (Sep 4, 2010)

You are an angel for considering a senior dog! Good for you! And best of luck in your search for an amazing match.


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## Cliffdog (Dec 30, 2010)

Belle is beautiful. In the end, when it comes to size, a big lazy dog could be better for you than a small energetic dog. "Gentle giant" breeds may be good to consider. (Mastiffs, St. Bernards, Danes, etc.) But ask your shelter if you can bring in your pets. If they say no, then just try for animals who are good with cats.


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## SilverBeat (Jan 16, 2011)

Cliffdog said:


> Belle is beautiful. In the end, when it comes to size, a big lazy dog could be better for you than a small energetic dog. "Gentle giant" breeds may be good to consider. (Mastiffs, St. Bernards, Danes, etc.) But ask your shelter if you can bring in your pets. If they say no, then just try for animals who are good with cats.


This shelter is a special kind of weird. It took me years _just_ to get to volunteer there [Lord only knows how many applications, letters of recommendation and resumes I handed in... there was a point where I was calling MULTIPLE times a day, to no avail; I eventually gave up.] I only started volunteering because a guy from our rabbit rescue volunteers there and I was working with him and the shelter with a crazy swamp-dump rescue. 
I have seen people offer to foster animals when comments are made about lack of space, and these people get strange looks from the people at the front desk, something like _"what makes you think we would let you foster... :der:"_.

I have brought Abbey in there before to test her with one of our male rabbits--she is surprisingly good in strange places; was bounced around a lot before she came to me, but I wouldn't dare bring my baby Bella, she is too dear to me and stresses easily. She doesn't even live visiting my mom's, where she used to live, [a 10 min. drive] on special occasions. She was extremely stressed when Wallaby was here earlier today, to the point where I thought she was going to die of fear.
I have brought home animals from there before so I am *hoping* they will let me take Belle for an overnight.


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## g00dgirl (Nov 18, 2009)

Belle looks like a nice dog and unfortunately it would be really hard to rehome an 8 year old blind dog if not for people like you that form connections while working with them.
Still, I would try bringing in a small animal that she can actually smell and get close to. She may not react to squirrels on walks because she doesn't know they are there.
Of course, it's not a great idea to leave any dog unsupervised with small animals anyway. Does your cavy cage have a top? Something to think about before bringing a dog in.

Forgot to add: If you are living in an apartment and ever plan to move giant breeds are pretty much out. It's VERY difficult to find rentals that allow giant breeds. It's hard enough with two medium sized boxers.


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## SilverBeat (Jan 16, 2011)

g00dgirl said:


> Belle looks like a nice dog and unfortunately it would be really hard to rehome an 8 year old blind dog if not for people like you that form connections while working with them.
> Still, I would try bringing in a small animal that she can actually smell and get close to. She may not react to squirrels on walks because she doesn't know they are there.
> Of course, it's not a great idea to leave any dog unsupervised with small animals anyway. Does your cavy cage have a top? Something to think about before bringing a dog in.


I think I will try bringing her over to the rabbits in the shelter the next time I am over there, I think that'll be the easiest thing to do--good point about the squirrels.

My cavy cage does not have a lid but I can easily make a secure one for it. My rabbits live in exercise pens because they both have histories of cage-aggression. Abbey does wonderful free-roaming, but Bella is as destructive as they come. 

So I take it that the dog should not be left in the same room as the bunnies/GPs? What about if the bunnies were shut safely in my bedroom and the GPs [whose cage is raised about 30" off the ground] were in a room that the dog had access to, but was not confined to. Does that make sense? Does it sound workable?



> Forgot to add: If you are living in an apartment and ever plan to move giant breeds are pretty much out. It's VERY difficult to find rentals that allow giant breeds. It's hard enough with two medium sized boxers.


I am moving back home with my mom in March/April and I will *not* move again until I can find a place that will take me and my pets at the time. It was very tough to find the house we currently rent, and I was extremely lucky to find it in the short time I had [I was evicted from my last place for reasons that were beyond my control]


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## g00dgirl (Nov 18, 2009)

SilverBeat said:


> So I take it that the dog should not be left in the same room as the bunnies/GPs? What about if the bunnies were shut safely in my bedroom and the GPs [whose cage is raised about 30" off the ground] were in a room that the dog had access to, but was not confined to. Does that make sense? Does it sound workable?


It depends on the dog really. My two are fine with my parrots and rats. If there is a chance that the cage would come apart if knocked over though I'd secure the dog in a crate or different room while you are gone- especially with a new dog. I really meant though, that the buns and GPs shouldn't be left out in free range with the dog unsupervised.


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## SilverBeat (Jan 16, 2011)

g00dgirl said:


> I really meant though, that the buns and GPs shouldn't be left out in free range with the dog unsupervised.


Oh goodness, I wouldn't dream of that. I once saw my friend's APBT grab her pet 9-year-old rabbit from the owner's arms and tear her limb from limb in a matter of seconds.
So yeah... I want them to coexist peacefully, but not necessarily snuggle together on the sofa. Not for a while, at least.


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## meggels (May 30, 2010)

I'm all about frenchies for apartment living. My male is so good, and he will make such a great apartment dog when I do move out in the next few months. My hound mix on the other hand...yeah...we may have some issues.

I brought him to look at an apartment complex the other day and the leasing manager LOVED him. Said he was more than welcome to live there LOL. Plus he fits in the size requirements. Maybe apts I'm finding have a 25lbs or less weight limit. 

Good luck on your search  You are doing a great thing.


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## doggiedad (Jan 23, 2011)

you have to train and socialize your dog so it
can be around other animals.

i wouldn't leave a dog in a crate for 8 hours without
it having a couple of breaks. when we're gone for 8 hours
my neighbor comes in to let our dog out, feed him, give him a treat.

train and socialize your dog around the children and the dog.

a dog can live in an apartment. you have to make sure
the dog gets plenty of exercise.

what ever dog you get it has to fit in with
your life style and you have to cater to it's needs.



SilverBeat said:


> The dog needs to be...
> -okay INSIDE around rabbits at least, if not cavies.
> -okay to be left alone/crated for 8 hours a day.
> -preferably good around other dogs and kids as well.
> ...


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## rannmiller (Jun 27, 2008)

Frenchies, cavaliers, bostons, and pugs would all be great for apartment living! And luckily, if they did try to go after your other pets (highly unlikely in those breeds), they couldn't really do much damage  I definitely agree not to ever leave them unsupervised just in case though. It sucks because these breeds aren't often found in typical shelters. I think Belle looks pretty sweet though.

The "gentle giants" theme is great in theory but you have to remember that A) most apartment complexes/rentals in general do have weight limits. It's unfortunate but true. And B) they can be kind of clumsy and could do some accidental damage if they accidentally sat/stepped/laid on one of your other pets or played a little rough at all. 

Definitely go with an older dog since they'll be more likely to be house broken with at least some manners.


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## SilverBeat (Jan 16, 2011)

Tomorrow I am not working my early job so I'll have time to pop over to the shelter and test Belle with one of the rabbits.
She was really fat when she was brought in... if I am remembering correctly she is, or should be, about the size of a lab.. perhaps a little shorter. She has pretty stubby legs. So she isn't really a "giant," so to speak.

Another dog I have been thinking about is this one,
Petfinder Adoptable Dog | German Shepherd Dog | Tully, NY | Dina
I think she is absolutely beautiful.


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## eternalstudent (Jul 22, 2010)

When i was going through the same questions when we were looking for a dog the list was almost endless. Our primary one was that the dog would have to be able to be left alone for the 8 hour mark. 

We went for a rotti as this is one thing they can be trained to do. As a working breed so long as they know their job they will do it. This might be you sit in here doing nothing and in 8 hours time I will take you out and you will fetch this rope from all different places in the garden. 
They are also essentially a lazy dog and with enough activity outside even my pup spends most of the time inside the house laying on the floor doing nothing. 

So my view would be bigger is definitely better!!!!


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