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Working Dog Breed Suggestion

S

Struggle

Private
Minuteman
Dec 31, 2018
22
8
I’m pretty sure I don’t want to wade in here but here goes.....

We are looking for a new pup in the next year or so and want to make sure that we aren’t overlooking a breed. We have had bully breeds for over 20 years and want to go to a larger dog, I’m not going to get into the whole pit bulls are the devil discussion (some are).

We are pretty set on getting a Boerboel but also like the characteristics of the Black Russian Terrier. We like confident, biddable, intelligent but aloof with strangers, short haired dogs so the Russian is more than likely out. We are definitely not looking for a Malinois, they’re just a little high strung for us.

We have no problem with muzzling, kenneling or leashing them when visitors are over or for vet visits.
 
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Also consider the Rhodesian Ridgeback, especially if you can get one of the larger (slightly too large for breed standards) ones.
The Boerboel is also an excellent choice if you want a bigger dog as they are like the next size up from Rhodesians (which top out usually around 100 to 150 pounds).

Just with either one, make sure you are able to provide good fast vigorous exercise and running at least once a day, every day & a nice place to sleep in the house with your family & they will do great.
 
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No matter what breed you end up with, please have the dog trained. Doesn't matter if you have a trainer do it, or do it yourself. Having had several smart, but untrained dogs, and now having a fully trained one, it's a huge difference. And I owe the ones prior to the current head of security an apology.
And Malinois is French for "you don't really want one". I wish more people would do some research on breeds before getting in over their heads.
 
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Struggle said:
confident, biddable, intelligent
Click to expand...

Probably not the answer you're looking for but..

Standard Poodle. The only downside is the barking. They alert at everything. You can train some of it out of them and a bark collar will likely be a useful training tool.

Beyond that, intelligent is an understatement, cunning, smart, quick learning, long memory, fast, agile, athletic, more powerful than weight would suggest, I would assume to the leverage they create. NO shedding, very 'clean'. If you get a well bred dog, she will work for you until you say stop. Loyal and never quit. I'm amazed.
 
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Hi,

Ruling Mals, GSD, Dutchies, Bullies, etc out.......

And since you already liked the appearance of the BRT....Giant Schnauzer (And keep trimmed short) would be my recommendation.

IF you decide Boerboel there are a few things to know beforehand:
Elbow/Hip problems, Cherry Eye and GDV are the most common medical conditions facing them. Almost to the point of not worth the risk of raising and training from pup to find out at 2 years old it has horrible hips or such.

Sincerely,
Theis
 
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I agree, we think we have done our due diligence and researched the breeder for health issues and have not turned up any negative information.

THEIS said:
Hi,

Ruling Mals, GSD, Dutchies, Bullies, etc out.......

And since you already liked the appearance of the BRT....Giant Schnauzer (And keep trimmed short) would be my recommendation.

IF you decide Boerboel there are a few things to know beforehand:
Elbow/Hip problems, Cherry Eye and GDV are the most common medical conditions facing them. Almost to the point of not worth the risk of raising and training from pup to find out at 2 years old it has horrible hips or such.

Sincerely,
Theis
Click to expand...
 
kindabitey said:
I thought it was twice? From Jan to June and then from July to Dec.
Click to expand...

Maybe so, but they're worth it.

October-15.jpg
 
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Just a house dog or are you going to work it-Schutzhund etc? Either way I had a female GSD from all working lines-worked 75% out of prey drive and was fantastic at training and even better as a house dog. I just had to throw a tennis ball for her 4 times a day lol.

She was a real confident and playful puppy from good working lines.
 
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The DFC said:
Just a house dog or are you going to work it-Schutzhund etc? Either way I had a female GSD from all working lines-worked 75% out of prey drive and was fantastic at training and even better as a house dog. I just had to throw a tennis ball for her 4 times a day lol.

She was a real confident and playful puppy from good working lines.
Click to expand...

We aren’t looking for a Schutzhund but we aren’t going to turn it down either. A little back story, our kids are getting out of the house and we’re missing the extra curricular activities. I can’t stand sitting still and need need to focus the energy towards the pup.
 
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Struggle said:
We aren’t looking for a Schutzhund but we aren’t going to turn it down either. A little back story, our kids are getting out of the house and we’re missing the extra curricular activities. I can’t stand sitting still and need need to focus the energy towards the pup.
Click to expand...


Might be something to look into. I did it for 6 years and was in a club and it was fun training my dog-she was a fairly high level natural worker that I never once had to use compulsion on. People were good-most were very serious about it-the holy grail-for GSDs at least-was to have a beautiful show dog that could do the work. So half the club was beautiful properly proportioned saddle backed black and tan shepherds that couldn't work. I'd bring my rocket ship black faced blanket back and she'd clean house, lick my face, and back in the kennel. Once home-she knew we were no longer working and it was time to be a home dog. Hardest thing I've ever done is put her down after 12 years.
 
The perfect gsd type in America was an invention of Hollywood.
 
The DFC said:
Might be something to look into. I did it for 6 years and was in a club and it was fun training my dog-she was a fairly high level natural worker that I never once had to use compulsion on. People were good-most were very serious about it-the holy grail-for GSDs at least-was to have a beautiful show dog that could do the work. So half the club was beautiful properly proportioned saddle backed black and tan shepherds that couldn't work. I'd bring my rocket ship black faced blanket back and she'd clean house, lick my face, and back in the kennel. Once home-she knew we were no longer working and it was time to be a home dog. Hardest thing I've ever done is put her down after 12 years.
Click to expand...

I’m glad you had 12 years of quality time. Unfortunately for all of us its difficult when that when that time comes.
 
Best friend I have,super smart and wants to please.
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Or you could go this route,another smart one.
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It takes a lot of work to make a good dog,try to socialize them as much as possible with others after they are trained.
They will take theQ from their owner.
 
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Best dog I ever had was a female Doberman. Smart, protective, excellent with kids. Built like a brick shithouse, 90 lbs and mostly muscle. People wouldn’t dare get out of their car if she was in the yard, just because the way she looked em dead in the eye.
 
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MtnCreek said:
A real pit bull terrier is a smart and great dog. I've had a few and I hate rap and the jigaboos that chant it.
Click to expand...

Kleagle, kleagle, kleagle ... seriously, you're like a recruiting poster.
 
i-fbvjwPd-L.jpg


We're on our second Dane and they've both been exceptional.
Very good watch dogs, exceptional nose and hunting instincts.
But most importantly, the most compassionate, sensitive, and loving friends you could ask for.
 
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More images

Australian Cattle Dog
Dog breed
Description
The Australian Cattle Dog, or simply Cattle Dog, is a breed of herding dog originally developed in Australia for droving cattle over long distances across rough terrain. This breed is a medium-sized, short-coated dog that occurs in two main colour forms. Wikipedia

Life expectancy: 13 – 15 years
Origin: Australia
Temperament: Cautious, Obedient, Energetic, Loyal, Protective, Brave
Weight: Male: 15–16 kg, Female: 14–16 kg
Height: Male: 46–51 cm, Female: 43–48 cm
Colors: Blue, Red
 
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I grew up with German Shepherds as pets, but when I was about 30 I got a male and a female (6 months later) Rottweiler. Rotty's are the best!!!
 
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For those of you suggesting GSD, are you suggesting importation or US bred dogs.
 
MtnCreek said:
Btw, they really do shed A Lot.
Click to expand...
I have two Shiloh Shepherds which are GSD/Malamute with actually more hair and I can say without a shadow of a doubt if hair bothers you then look elsewhere. They say they blow their coat twice a year which is true; however, it is really a non-ending process of vacuuming. Love the dogs - smart. loyal, and affectionate. When he looks at you in the eye you have to be wondering what is he about to do...bad motor-scooter I can say that. And, my female in the below picture.

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JSTARSZ said:
I have two Shiloh Shepherds which are GSD/Malamute with actually more hair and I can say without a shadow of a doubt if hair bothers you then look elsewhere. They say they blow their coat twice a year which is true; however, it is really a non-ending process of vacuuming. Love the dogs - smart. loyal, and affectionate. When he looks at you in the eye you have to be wondering what is he about to do...bad motor-scooter I can say that. And, my female in the below picture.

View attachment 7056709View attachment 7056710
Click to expand...
If someone could figure out what makes dog hair stick to everything but the dog, you'd be rich ?
My Mal sheds constantly.
 
TL/DR: Rescue some shit, pick from those options.

"We like confident, biddable, intelligent but aloof with strangers, short haired dogs..." That will come down to mostly the particular dog and how you raise it. Off the top of my head, Cane Corso, Azores Cattle Dog, Bull Mastiff. Basically, a dog that is assertive but not aggressive, and one that is reasonably intelligent. I'd say Pit Bull as well, but they range from genius to fucking imbecile in intelligence.

Cane Corso if you basically want a Pitbull with a more steadfast attitude all around, but they're not especially dog aggressive or human friendly like pits can be, and they tend to not have the same capacity for stupidity or intelligence. Azores if you want a wise dog with stamina, my dog is half Azores and half Pit with a dash of Plott Hound— he has a bit of duality between his independent Azores nature and his pitbull teddybear nature. Hard breed to find by chance, the Azores, though. He likes fucking with people who are standoffish toward him, otherwise, he's a giant clown with them. His coat is also soft as fuuuuuuck. Bull Mastiffs make great property guard dogs without the wandering tendencies of Shepherds, and they traditionally bay instead of attacking. In the days of old they would guard the farmhouse and tackle anyone they didn't know, frequently the property owner would come home and the dog would be standing on someone's chest baying two inches from their face. Helluva no trespassing sign. Chance of joint dysplasia is real with Mastiffs, however.

But that's just some general suggestions. I look at the specific dog. It took me over a year to find a dog in need of rescue that fit me, but it paid off in spades. I was looking for specifically not a Pit mix, and ended up with one anyway because he clicked with me. As long as you know what you want and that you'll still have to reinforce that with training (lifestyle) then everything will be gravy.
 
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"characteristics of the Black Russian Terrier. We like confident, biddable, intelligent but aloof with strangers,"

Keep in mind that not every dog follows the breed's characteristics. I now have a GSD that is least GSD dog that I have ever seen. He had NONE of the traditional characteristics. He is not loyal, does not want to please his master (yes, he's trained), no interest in my son or anyone who is not dominant over him, no defensive drive, no chase drive, incredibly stubborn, etc, etc.

That said, an import GSD or pup from imported parents is my preference. American GSD have been watered down for breeding (profit) purposes and are no longer have most of the characteristics.
 
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I agree with the OP on the Belgian Malinois. One of the (if not the most) fiercely devoted and motivated breeds around. A non-trained Malinois - not my cup of domesticated tea.

My friend's puppy Malinois and myself below (a few years back - he is a bit larger now). That ball is all that matters, and that is by far an understatement. I believe he was a candidate for a local police K9 training program but failed the testing for selection.

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MtnCreek said:
There’s some gsd experts on here. I’m not one of them.

It took me a while to find the right breeder. A lot of domestic gsds are some type of show breeding. IMHO, that blood should be allowed to die out.
Click to expand...

This.

If you decide on a GSD, find a breeder who breeds 'working' dogs. Their hips are less prone to dysplasia. Show dogs are bred for "looks" and a steep angle in the hips is desired. This promotes the dysplasia. They are also prone to an eye disease, more so at higher elevations, that cause cataract type coating over the eyes. Our GSD was a working bred dog. She didn't have hip dysplasia but I always was concerned about her hips. She did get the eye disease at a fairly young age. Like 2 or 3. She did not like the medication, eye drops, so we forged those. We had her for 11 good years until she got some intestinal/stomach thing and had to put her down. Still don't know to this day what caused the intestinal issues but I suspect the prior "shots" she received shortly before it started.
 
OP, what is your lifestyle like? There are levels of energy that are widely breed dependent, but most working dogs are either geared toward stamina or explosive energy. The bottom line with training any dog and keeping them happy is to tire them out, if you can't keep up with its energy needs the dog will buck training like an unbroken horse. I get exactly zero shit from my dog because I tire him out so that he doesn't have the energy to misbehave before I leave in the morning for work. When I get home, the same thing. Every single day. People always want a Mal or a GSD, then they realize those motherfuckers are serious animals with serious working instincts and requirements. Being able to empty that tank of energy and excitement is paramount to creating a dynamic where you are the leader and provider and they will listen to you. Training should be a lifestyle, and one that is very easy for you to maintain.

The second most important part of bonding with and training a dog is trust. Dogs have no sense of humor, and they don't appreciate being fucked with. I don't yell at my dog, I've put him in time out with a tone of voice that makes him piss himself and then I run his ass for 20 minutes. I knew a guy whose dog was afraid of gunfire, even suppressed. He said he tied the dog to a tree and started shooting while standing next to it, to desensitize it. The goddamn dog never trusted him again as long as he had either a leash or a gun in his hand, fucking never will. It's all about positive rewards, not negative consequences.

Worry about finding the right dog, not necessarily the right breed. The upside is that most dogs can fall into that category for most people with the right lifestyle.
 
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I am partial to GDS's. Maybe think rescue? 2 year old, some of the puppy is out of them, can tell if there are hip issues or can xray to check.
This is my current rescue - Don't mess with his tennis ball!

My first was a German import SchII, would have been III but failed his last tracking. Wasn't accepted by a PD because he wasn't aggressive enough.
He guarded the kids in the front yard waiting on the bus as they played in the morning. Many days he tried load up on the bus as the kids loaded. Driver wasn't happy. I miss him to this day. Worked out well for me.


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Funny all the talk of German Imports. My current Airedale's Sire is a German dog. One of the things I really despise about the AKC is in their quest for perfect teeth, gate, stance etc. they are willing to sacrifice every other thing about the breed.
 
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