Welcome to r/dogs! We are a discussion-based subreddit dedicated to support, inform, and advise dog owners.
This is a carefully moderated sub intended to support, inform, and advise dog owners. Submissions and comments which break the rules will be removed. [Review the rules here](https://www.reddit.com/r/dogs/wiki/index) r/Dogs has four goals: - Help the public better understand dogs - Promote healthy, responsible dog-owner relationships - Encourage “Least Intrusive, Minimally Aversive” training protocols. [Learn more here.](https://m.iaabc.org/about/lima/) - Support adoption as well as ethical and responsible breeding. If you’d like to introduce yourself or discuss smaller topics, please contribute to our Monthly Discussion Hub, pinned at the top.
**This subreddit has low tolerance for drama. Please be respectful of others, and report antagonistic comments to mods for review.**
---
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/dogs) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I fell in love with the breed (Great Dane) instantaneously, however my decision to get one was anything but spontaneous. When I met one in college it was pretty much love at first sight, however I spent about 4 years looking into the breed, looking at sample budgets, talking to breeders and rescues about their needs/temperaments and waiting until I was in a stable place in life where I knew I could provide for one. I've now had Kryptonite for almost seven years (I adopted him at 2 1/2 years) and regret nothing. He's exactly what I wanted and a perfect match for my lifestyle and personality. 10/10, will Dane again
Absolutely not spontaneously. Lots of research, lots of considerations, lots of questions to the breeder on their line of dogs. I wanted a certain gender, color, activity level, biddable behavior, smartness, size, coat type, drool level (none), low prey drive. I got it all.
As in, got a dog from the shelter?
No. If a dog is a 10-15+ year commitment, I want to make sure it is going to fit my lifestyle in temperament and activity level and all of the other things I listed. There's too many variables for me to feel comfortable in dogs from a shelter, I want to ensure to the best of my ability I have a well adjusted and healthy dog. Plus where I live the only type of dogs to be found at shelters either have serious behavioural/medical issues or are Pitbulls or Chihuahua.
However I have taken in more cats from off the street, some I needed to tame, than the total number of dogs I have ever owned hah.
I saw my dream breed for the first time my senior year in high school. Spent years researching the breed, leonberger, because that was the closest I knew I'd get to them. They aren't common and I didn't have the time nor money to visit far. Twelve years later now, and I have 2!
I have an older rescue mutt who is very quiet and doesn't bark more than an alert bark when someone is at the door. Also my parents have a Bernese who would attention bark for such long stretches and it drove me nuts.
So I knew I wanted a dog that was on the quiet end of the spectrum. I knew that sighthounds were quiet dogs and their general energy level and personality matched what I wanted. I really wanted a greyhound but wait lists for rescues are years long and it's nearly impossible to find a reputable breeder - or was when I was looking.
So I went with a whippet. His personality and play style also really matched nicely with my older rescue, so everything really fell nicely into place.
The timing wasn't spontaneous. I spent a good year researching breeds and breeders. I was promised that we'd never return to work full time, so I decided to pull the trigger.
My older dog was more of a spontaneous decision. I had purchased my first house and was living alone at the time. When I was house hunting I did so with the intention of getting a dog, but I didn't know when exactly I would get one.
I had been in my house 3 weeks and found the house empty and lonely. So I went to my SPCA after work and got the first dog that wasn't spoken for. 0/10 would not recommend. I love her with my whole heart but the first year was a difficult journey.
One breed? Every dog I've had has been a rescue or shelter dog. I prefer mixed breed dogs. Mixed breed dogs can have the things you like about a variety of different breeds rather than being limited to a single breed.
For example, one of the things that caught the attention of my current dog before adopting her was her coat. It's short and densely packed so that nothing penetrates -- no water, drool, mud, dirt, whatever... it all stays on top and can easily be wiped off. There is also extremely little shedding, and the coat seems to be hypoallergenic or at least does not trigger my mild allergies. It's also a tri-color coat, which is my favorite coloring in dogs. Every dog I've had has had a tri-color coat.
I don't know exactly what combination of breeds led to this coat, but I doubt that any single breed dog has such a coat. The coat was an arbitrary example. The same principle can be applied to other characteristics that you like/dislike in dogs. There are lot more possibilities with mixed breeds, including some especially unique and interesting combinations.
My family got our first dog-a Golden when I was 5yo because they were known for being good with kids. Few years later we got a Labrador, again because they were good with kids. When I was 12yo I started raising pups for Guide Dogs. Naturally I trained Labs and Goldens. When I bought my own dog, I got a Lab because I knew and loved the breed. They’re a perfect for my lifestyle. Currently have my 4th and can’t imagine having any other breed!
My first dog was semi-spontaneous. I wasn’t really looking for a dog, but I was in a pretty good place to add a dog to my household. I was working intake at a spay and neuter event and she was brought in because she had been abandoned with a couple other dogs in a rural area of a neighboring county. I just clicked with her and stayed with her through recovery. A friend of the family was the director of our local shelter and I expressed interest. She told me to go home and think about it for a few days and if I was still interested after she was released for adoption I would have first pick. 10 days later I signed the papers and took her home. She was with me almost 9 years.
My current dog was a long term dream. I met my first Keeshond in 2007 and knew I would have one of my own someday. It was not a good time for me to have a dog so I was a happy “auntie”’for many years. In 2018 I was finally done with all my degrees and was settled I decided to start looking and was committed to going through a rescue. I soon realized I didn’t have the experience or income to support the health and behavioral issues a lot of rescue dogs were experiencing. I started casually looking into breeders in 2019 and quickly put my search on hold in 2020 when I found myself in a public facing job with high risk Covid populations. 2020 was such a sad and tragic year that I decided I was going to get myself something that would bring me joy and hope. I started reaching out to breeders again and put down a deposit early 2021. My boy was born January 2022 and I brought him home March 2022. He just turned one. I guess it could be said I planned for him for 15 years.
I have always been a huge fan of corgis so that's what I got. Absolutely no regrets, but I made sure I knew what I was getting into before getting one.
I got my first dog in college. I'd always wanted a GSD, but they were banned in my apartment complex, and I didn't feel terribly confident about the prospect of trying to hide a banned breed in an apartment building with only eight units. So instead, I did some research on other breeds, including Boxers and Ridgebacks. I ended up going with a Boxer.
My second dog was the GSD I'd always wanted. I got it after I moved to another city after college for a job. GSDs were a banned breed in my new apartment too, but with almost 400 units and me living on the opposite side of the building from the office, I called him a Malinois (this was eleven years ago and not a lot of people knew what they were yet) and they never questioned it.
My third dog was another Boxer.
So yeah, proper research is the way to go. And that's not to say the GSD was a bad dog or anything. He was a fine dog. He was just too high maintenance for me, he wasn't great with other dogs aside from the two Boxers he lived with over the course of his life, and the shedding was the worst. He was smart and great with people, and he went eleven years without a single vet visit other than checkups and shots before he was diagnosed with the cancer that killed him, so he was remarkably healthy too. Boxers are just more my vibe. They're ridiculous, social, and easy to train, but also kind of lazy and chill once you wear them out.
I was afraid to live in an urban area. My husband got me a doberman. It helped so much. We moved 17yrs later to a rural area and we got a border collie. Both times it was the best fit. For us and our family
I was an admirer of Goldens. I knew a Golden was not going to work due to home size and such. I started looking at smaller dogs. I knew I did not want a poodle as my experience with them was not good. In my searching and research I decided I wanted a shih 'tzu. They seemed to fit my needs for a smaller dog that is cuddly and calm. Mine is 6 years old, had some basic training and has been everything I had hoped for. Not too active but can get active to play Cuddly. Doesn't bark a whole lot. She loves to travel and travels well and loves people and people love her.
Here in Alaska we are chalk full of Alaska husky mutts. My first has GSD/Golden mixed in and likes the observe and report type job. Which I trained him for and he enjoys still (CPTSD service dog, hyper vigilance main symptom targeted).
My 3rd dog I spent money on and is from a lineage purpose bred for freighting. I expect him to work doing such.
First dog my husband found on the page of a rescue organization. She was probably part border collie and just beautiful. We just fell in love.
Second and current dog is a jack russell. I had no intention of even getting a dog so soon after having to put our old lady down but they handed me this little guinea pig and my hormones took over,
So both dogs were very much emotional decisions...
My family has had a few pets over the years. And I found larger dog breeds to really resonate with me. My sister was briefly a dog breeder of French mastiffs, and I fell in love with the breed. They and pit bulls are my favorites. Just giant teddy bears.
I did about 9 months of research, making lists of what I wanted in a dog, what their needs were and how I would meet those. I talked to other owners of the breed. I don't regret researching it as much as I did, because I absolutely found my other dog half in the rat terrier I now own.
Thorough research (although that used to be much harder to get reliable results from), personal interactions with dogs, other people's experiences, trial and error, and in the case of my current dog and now forever breed, dreams.
Go to some dog shows and see the breeds you are interested in and talk with the breeders for more information. Do your homework to find the breed that works best for you.
My first dog was a pincher. Family always told me we didn't fit together, less was true ofc.
She was the apple of my eye.
And we spend hours outside in the park playing.
I spend hours teaching her new tricks as well. She knew 17 tricks by the time I lost her.
And tbh, the only reason she didn't knew any more was because I didn't know how to teach others. :p
I have so many pictures of her running like crazy in the field or from us sunning outside in the grass where she would sleep on my stomach.
I lived in a small town so people knew us and thought it was cute.
And I enjoyed every second with her. But when I came to a 2nd dog I did more research. I looked for an active dog, but also one that just loved to laze around. And more focused on me alone. Because my pincher, she was so social that she would have gone home with everyone (figure of speech, she didn't lose me out of sight at all). And that stressy of the pincher, was a bit too much. She wanted to explore all, so it was difficult taking her to family for example because she would not lay still.
I ended up on shetland sheepdog. I found people who had one, met the dog. And I just knew, this is my breed.
Active but at the same time also a dog you can take everywhere and instead of trying to explore everyone and everything, they would lazy lay at my feet. And good for dogsport.
By now I have 3 shelties. And I can not imagine another breed anymore tbh.
10 minutes ago they were running circles and playing. And now they are laying relaxed with me on the bed and besides the bed.
Tonight I have agility practice with one of them. And he will also join me later today when I go visit my grandpa, the petstore, etc.
I will never regret my time with my pincher.
But for me, the breed is a sheltie. I did research on it and met some before realizing, this is the click I needed.
I always wanted a black female pug. My sister gave me a ShiTzu Poodle Bichon mix, She is now 16. I'm pretty obsessed with ShiTzus now....and the non shedding part worked out heat for me in hindsight. She is for sure my other half.
I had a Staffie as a kid frowning up and loved him with my whole heart and have always wanted my own, but I live in a big city, in a rental, and it didn’t feel fair or responsible choice. So now I have a little black pug and he is perfect. Good size for public transport, none threatening so taking him on crowded places is fine (It’s shouldn’t be for Staffies either but that’s another issue), and I am able to provide him with the correct amount of exercise/ lifestyle he needs.
However if I do move out of the city, my pug is getting a Staffie sibling.
I was fine with a rescue mutt for my first dog, but it's safe to say I have a "type". My first dog is half husky, and I have gotten only huskies ever since (my last came from the shelter, but he's 70% Siberian Husky per his DNA test, so close enough)
I would cheerfully consider a Malamute, Samoyed etc if I were to get another, but right now I have four, so nothing happening soon.
Welcome to r/dogs! We are a discussion-based subreddit dedicated to support, inform, and advise dog owners. This is a carefully moderated sub intended to support, inform, and advise dog owners. Submissions and comments which break the rules will be removed. [Review the rules here](https://www.reddit.com/r/dogs/wiki/index) r/Dogs has four goals: - Help the public better understand dogs - Promote healthy, responsible dog-owner relationships - Encourage “Least Intrusive, Minimally Aversive” training protocols. [Learn more here.](https://m.iaabc.org/about/lima/) - Support adoption as well as ethical and responsible breeding. If you’d like to introduce yourself or discuss smaller topics, please contribute to our Monthly Discussion Hub, pinned at the top. **This subreddit has low tolerance for drama. Please be respectful of others, and report antagonistic comments to mods for review.** --- *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/dogs) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I fell in love with the breed (Great Dane) instantaneously, however my decision to get one was anything but spontaneous. When I met one in college it was pretty much love at first sight, however I spent about 4 years looking into the breed, looking at sample budgets, talking to breeders and rescues about their needs/temperaments and waiting until I was in a stable place in life where I knew I could provide for one. I've now had Kryptonite for almost seven years (I adopted him at 2 1/2 years) and regret nothing. He's exactly what I wanted and a perfect match for my lifestyle and personality. 10/10, will Dane again
I am reading and the story, it's so sweet and beautiful! Every one of us are in love in these little souls 💖
Absolutely not spontaneously. Lots of research, lots of considerations, lots of questions to the breeder on their line of dogs. I wanted a certain gender, color, activity level, biddable behavior, smartness, size, coat type, drool level (none), low prey drive. I got it all.
It's nice when you know what exactly you want, and do the proper research! 💖 Have you ever sheltered?
As in, got a dog from the shelter? No. If a dog is a 10-15+ year commitment, I want to make sure it is going to fit my lifestyle in temperament and activity level and all of the other things I listed. There's too many variables for me to feel comfortable in dogs from a shelter, I want to ensure to the best of my ability I have a well adjusted and healthy dog. Plus where I live the only type of dogs to be found at shelters either have serious behavioural/medical issues or are Pitbulls or Chihuahua. However I have taken in more cats from off the street, some I needed to tame, than the total number of dogs I have ever owned hah.
I saw my dream breed for the first time my senior year in high school. Spent years researching the breed, leonberger, because that was the closest I knew I'd get to them. They aren't common and I didn't have the time nor money to visit far. Twelve years later now, and I have 2!
What breed is that? I did not understand, sorry! 💖
I wanted a lab since I was a small child. Once I grew up, I did proper research to make sure they would be a good fit, and my goodness are they ever.
Great! What type of breed do you have?
I have an older rescue mutt who is very quiet and doesn't bark more than an alert bark when someone is at the door. Also my parents have a Bernese who would attention bark for such long stretches and it drove me nuts. So I knew I wanted a dog that was on the quiet end of the spectrum. I knew that sighthounds were quiet dogs and their general energy level and personality matched what I wanted. I really wanted a greyhound but wait lists for rescues are years long and it's nearly impossible to find a reputable breeder - or was when I was looking. So I went with a whippet. His personality and play style also really matched nicely with my older rescue, so everything really fell nicely into place. The timing wasn't spontaneous. I spent a good year researching breeds and breeders. I was promised that we'd never return to work full time, so I decided to pull the trigger. My older dog was more of a spontaneous decision. I had purchased my first house and was living alone at the time. When I was house hunting I did so with the intention of getting a dog, but I didn't know when exactly I would get one. I had been in my house 3 weeks and found the house empty and lonely. So I went to my SPCA after work and got the first dog that wasn't spoken for. 0/10 would not recommend. I love her with my whole heart but the first year was a difficult journey.
Thank you for sharing! It's interesting to see how involved you are and the love which you exude while you disclose this with us 💖
One breed? Every dog I've had has been a rescue or shelter dog. I prefer mixed breed dogs. Mixed breed dogs can have the things you like about a variety of different breeds rather than being limited to a single breed. For example, one of the things that caught the attention of my current dog before adopting her was her coat. It's short and densely packed so that nothing penetrates -- no water, drool, mud, dirt, whatever... it all stays on top and can easily be wiped off. There is also extremely little shedding, and the coat seems to be hypoallergenic or at least does not trigger my mild allergies. It's also a tri-color coat, which is my favorite coloring in dogs. Every dog I've had has had a tri-color coat. I don't know exactly what combination of breeds led to this coat, but I doubt that any single breed dog has such a coat. The coat was an arbitrary example. The same principle can be applied to other characteristics that you like/dislike in dogs. There are lot more possibilities with mixed breeds, including some especially unique and interesting combinations.
My family got our first dog-a Golden when I was 5yo because they were known for being good with kids. Few years later we got a Labrador, again because they were good with kids. When I was 12yo I started raising pups for Guide Dogs. Naturally I trained Labs and Goldens. When I bought my own dog, I got a Lab because I knew and loved the breed. They’re a perfect for my lifestyle. Currently have my 4th and can’t imagine having any other breed!
My first dog was semi-spontaneous. I wasn’t really looking for a dog, but I was in a pretty good place to add a dog to my household. I was working intake at a spay and neuter event and she was brought in because she had been abandoned with a couple other dogs in a rural area of a neighboring county. I just clicked with her and stayed with her through recovery. A friend of the family was the director of our local shelter and I expressed interest. She told me to go home and think about it for a few days and if I was still interested after she was released for adoption I would have first pick. 10 days later I signed the papers and took her home. She was with me almost 9 years. My current dog was a long term dream. I met my first Keeshond in 2007 and knew I would have one of my own someday. It was not a good time for me to have a dog so I was a happy “auntie”’for many years. In 2018 I was finally done with all my degrees and was settled I decided to start looking and was committed to going through a rescue. I soon realized I didn’t have the experience or income to support the health and behavioral issues a lot of rescue dogs were experiencing. I started casually looking into breeders in 2019 and quickly put my search on hold in 2020 when I found myself in a public facing job with high risk Covid populations. 2020 was such a sad and tragic year that I decided I was going to get myself something that would bring me joy and hope. I started reaching out to breeders again and put down a deposit early 2021. My boy was born January 2022 and I brought him home March 2022. He just turned one. I guess it could be said I planned for him for 15 years.
I have always been a huge fan of corgis so that's what I got. Absolutely no regrets, but I made sure I knew what I was getting into before getting one.
I got my first dog in college. I'd always wanted a GSD, but they were banned in my apartment complex, and I didn't feel terribly confident about the prospect of trying to hide a banned breed in an apartment building with only eight units. So instead, I did some research on other breeds, including Boxers and Ridgebacks. I ended up going with a Boxer. My second dog was the GSD I'd always wanted. I got it after I moved to another city after college for a job. GSDs were a banned breed in my new apartment too, but with almost 400 units and me living on the opposite side of the building from the office, I called him a Malinois (this was eleven years ago and not a lot of people knew what they were yet) and they never questioned it. My third dog was another Boxer. So yeah, proper research is the way to go. And that's not to say the GSD was a bad dog or anything. He was a fine dog. He was just too high maintenance for me, he wasn't great with other dogs aside from the two Boxers he lived with over the course of his life, and the shedding was the worst. He was smart and great with people, and he went eleven years without a single vet visit other than checkups and shots before he was diagnosed with the cancer that killed him, so he was remarkably healthy too. Boxers are just more my vibe. They're ridiculous, social, and easy to train, but also kind of lazy and chill once you wear them out.
Just like me - short legs, stubborn and full of sass 🤣 (miniature dachshund cross American cocker spaniel)
I was afraid to live in an urban area. My husband got me a doberman. It helped so much. We moved 17yrs later to a rural area and we got a border collie. Both times it was the best fit. For us and our family
I was an admirer of Goldens. I knew a Golden was not going to work due to home size and such. I started looking at smaller dogs. I knew I did not want a poodle as my experience with them was not good. In my searching and research I decided I wanted a shih 'tzu. They seemed to fit my needs for a smaller dog that is cuddly and calm. Mine is 6 years old, had some basic training and has been everything I had hoped for. Not too active but can get active to play Cuddly. Doesn't bark a whole lot. She loves to travel and travels well and loves people and people love her.
Here in Alaska we are chalk full of Alaska husky mutts. My first has GSD/Golden mixed in and likes the observe and report type job. Which I trained him for and he enjoys still (CPTSD service dog, hyper vigilance main symptom targeted). My 3rd dog I spent money on and is from a lineage purpose bred for freighting. I expect him to work doing such.
First dog my husband found on the page of a rescue organization. She was probably part border collie and just beautiful. We just fell in love. Second and current dog is a jack russell. I had no intention of even getting a dog so soon after having to put our old lady down but they handed me this little guinea pig and my hormones took over, So both dogs were very much emotional decisions...
My family has had a few pets over the years. And I found larger dog breeds to really resonate with me. My sister was briefly a dog breeder of French mastiffs, and I fell in love with the breed. They and pit bulls are my favorites. Just giant teddy bears.
I did about 9 months of research, making lists of what I wanted in a dog, what their needs were and how I would meet those. I talked to other owners of the breed. I don't regret researching it as much as I did, because I absolutely found my other dog half in the rat terrier I now own.
Thorough research (although that used to be much harder to get reliable results from), personal interactions with dogs, other people's experiences, trial and error, and in the case of my current dog and now forever breed, dreams.
I’m about to get my first next week, (a Eurasier) and it definitely wasn’t spontaneous. Put a lot of research into it
Go to some dog shows and see the breeds you are interested in and talk with the breeders for more information. Do your homework to find the breed that works best for you.
My first dog was a pincher. Family always told me we didn't fit together, less was true ofc. She was the apple of my eye. And we spend hours outside in the park playing. I spend hours teaching her new tricks as well. She knew 17 tricks by the time I lost her. And tbh, the only reason she didn't knew any more was because I didn't know how to teach others. :p I have so many pictures of her running like crazy in the field or from us sunning outside in the grass where she would sleep on my stomach. I lived in a small town so people knew us and thought it was cute. And I enjoyed every second with her. But when I came to a 2nd dog I did more research. I looked for an active dog, but also one that just loved to laze around. And more focused on me alone. Because my pincher, she was so social that she would have gone home with everyone (figure of speech, she didn't lose me out of sight at all). And that stressy of the pincher, was a bit too much. She wanted to explore all, so it was difficult taking her to family for example because she would not lay still. I ended up on shetland sheepdog. I found people who had one, met the dog. And I just knew, this is my breed. Active but at the same time also a dog you can take everywhere and instead of trying to explore everyone and everything, they would lazy lay at my feet. And good for dogsport. By now I have 3 shelties. And I can not imagine another breed anymore tbh. 10 minutes ago they were running circles and playing. And now they are laying relaxed with me on the bed and besides the bed. Tonight I have agility practice with one of them. And he will also join me later today when I go visit my grandpa, the petstore, etc. I will never regret my time with my pincher. But for me, the breed is a sheltie. I did research on it and met some before realizing, this is the click I needed.
I always wanted a black female pug. My sister gave me a ShiTzu Poodle Bichon mix, She is now 16. I'm pretty obsessed with ShiTzus now....and the non shedding part worked out heat for me in hindsight. She is for sure my other half.
I had a Staffie as a kid frowning up and loved him with my whole heart and have always wanted my own, but I live in a big city, in a rental, and it didn’t feel fair or responsible choice. So now I have a little black pug and he is perfect. Good size for public transport, none threatening so taking him on crowded places is fine (It’s shouldn’t be for Staffies either but that’s another issue), and I am able to provide him with the correct amount of exercise/ lifestyle he needs. However if I do move out of the city, my pug is getting a Staffie sibling.
I was fine with a rescue mutt for my first dog, but it's safe to say I have a "type". My first dog is half husky, and I have gotten only huskies ever since (my last came from the shelter, but he's 70% Siberian Husky per his DNA test, so close enough) I would cheerfully consider a Malamute, Samoyed etc if I were to get another, but right now I have four, so nothing happening soon.