Belgian Malinois
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Best dog for the family?
- Thread starter calebp
- Start date
I will not disregard the Malinois as a good dog but I would never recommend them for a family pet. Not fair to the dog or the family. They are hard working 16 hour a day dogs. Same for Border Collie's and a few other working breeds.
A well bred dog DOES make a difference in what type of dog it will be but expect to pay for it. Poor breeding is poor breeding and basically a roll of the dice unless you know the breeders personally and their practices. More popular breeds (labs, shepherds, rotties etc.) will be more available and poorly bred since people typically do it for the money so you are back to possibly being just as well off getting a rescue dog. We actually got our last dog from the Paulding pound and he's a pure boxer that has been a FANTASTIC dog! Had 2 papered boxers previously and while they were both good dogs, one was very healthy and smart (family member/hobby breeder that took great care in breeding practices), the other had several tumors, a few seizures, chronic bad breath (not just typical dog breath) and was impossible to leave alone without getting into something no matter what we did or how old he got. He came from an acquaintance that I doubt took as much care in the breeding. Just some things to consider.
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First of all, stop affording so much importance to breed. You can find any personality in any breed of dog. Described breed characteristics are a vague generality at best. Every dog is different. With that said, focusing on a breed that generally has the characteristics you want is a good starting point because individual dogs within the breed are more likely to exhibit them.
If you want a pure bred, it sounds like you are looking for a good Golden Retriever. There are two basic personalities in Goldens. The first is a very mellow dog that loves nothing more than walking around with a toy in their mouth, there eyes at half cast and a low tail wag. They are almost always looking for affection and are great dogs. This is the type of golden that gives them their reputation. It's also only about 20% of them. The other 80% are live wires that have WAY to much adrenaline pumping through them and they can be a complete pain in the ass without serious training. With training they can be absolutely fantastic dogs, but you need to know what you're doing.
If you are getting a pure bred puppy you need to select that puppy carefully. Go to a breeder that has both the mother and father on sight and interact with the parents to see if you like them. If you do, interact with the entire litter and pick the most average puppy. Don't get a stand out, which is what most people do. The most average puppy is the one that is most likely to reproduce the things you liked about the parents.
If you get a mutt, make sure they are at least 6 months old and interact with them to make sure they have the personality you are looking for. Realize that when you are first interacting with a dog, many times they are on their best behavior and if you see any behavior that is questionable, multiply it by five to get an estimate of what the dog will be like when the honeymoon is over. In a perfect world, if you want a pure bred, you will interact with a pure bred that is at least 6 months old so you can evaluate the personality of that particular dog, rather than the parents and hoping for the best.
Labs are also great dogs, but they do not have the long hair you said you want.
There is good reason that Labs and Goldens are two of the most popular family breeds in the US.
Remember, DON'T make your decision on breed alone. I have worked with Labs that had no instinct to retrieve at all and the worst scars on my body are from a Golden Retriever. Obviously, that is not typical of either breed, but it can happen. Any individual dog from any breed can be very bad news.
If you want a pure bred, it sounds like you are looking for a good Golden Retriever. There are two basic personalities in Goldens. The first is a very mellow dog that loves nothing more than walking around with a toy in their mouth, there eyes at half cast and a low tail wag. They are almost always looking for affection and are great dogs. This is the type of golden that gives them their reputation. It's also only about 20% of them. The other 80% are live wires that have WAY to much adrenaline pumping through them and they can be a complete pain in the ass without serious training. With training they can be absolutely fantastic dogs, but you need to know what you're doing.
If you are getting a pure bred puppy you need to select that puppy carefully. Go to a breeder that has both the mother and father on sight and interact with the parents to see if you like them. If you do, interact with the entire litter and pick the most average puppy. Don't get a stand out, which is what most people do. The most average puppy is the one that is most likely to reproduce the things you liked about the parents.
If you get a mutt, make sure they are at least 6 months old and interact with them to make sure they have the personality you are looking for. Realize that when you are first interacting with a dog, many times they are on their best behavior and if you see any behavior that is questionable, multiply it by five to get an estimate of what the dog will be like when the honeymoon is over. In a perfect world, if you want a pure bred, you will interact with a pure bred that is at least 6 months old so you can evaluate the personality of that particular dog, rather than the parents and hoping for the best.
Labs are also great dogs, but they do not have the long hair you said you want.
There is good reason that Labs and Goldens are two of the most popular family breeds in the US.
Remember, DON'T make your decision on breed alone. I have worked with Labs that had no instinct to retrieve at all and the worst scars on my body are from a Golden Retriever. Obviously, that is not typical of either breed, but it can happen. Any individual dog from any breed can be very bad news.
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This ^^^
Irish Wolfhound. Best family pet you'll find.
