Is This The Wrong Reason To Get A Dog And If It’s Not What Breed Should I Get?
Filed under Care & Training Q&As
Well I’ve been planning on owning two Cavaliers for when I become a grown adult, and I just realized that I might not be to safe! I don’t know exactly when I’ll be getting married, and a single woman is a pretty vulnerable target, if you know what I mean. So, I’ve been thinking I want to rescue one of these breeds:
Greyhound- I’d love to rescue one from a Greyhound Racing Rescue place, they’re so elegant. My one question though is how old do you expect to get these dogs if you rescue them from there?
Rottweiler- I’ve always loved this breed, and I really want to rescue one. My main question for this breed though is training available through obedience classes for this dog?
Brittany- I also want to rescue a Brittany, and my question for this breed is if it’s even a good guard dog?
So please take the time to answer the questions above and also answer if I’m getting a larger dog for the right reasons. I’d love this dog to death, don’t get me wrong. And have any other breed suggestions?
Thanks!
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Rottweilers are beautiful! and can be great with any animals. They do great at obedience classes. You just need to be a firm dominant leader, and make sure they know you’re boss.
I would highly recommend a Rotti to anyone that can handle one.
Edit: I’ve seen many greyhounds in greyhound rescues only about a year old.
Edit: Who cares what people think, and if they avoid you, they’re idiots.
Edit: Merry is GORGEOUS!
Greyhounds.
Deffinately greyhounds for me if I were you!
They are elegant, beautiful dogs and they are wonderful dogs to own.
Merry looks gorgeous! Why not visit the rescue centre?
See the greyhounds and ask the staff anything you want about them.
I definitely think you should go for a greyhound! (:
Good luck!
If you want to feel like you’ve made a real difference as a dog owner, adopt a dog from a shelter or rescue group. There are few other ways to make such a huge difference in another creature’s life.
check this article to help you learn more about these breed and help you decide:http://lnk.nu/dogtime.com/sr0.html
hi,
The goal here is to help you figure out what type of dog best suits you and your personality.
take this quiz:http://tinyurl.com/6gkcok
hope this helps.
i think you should get a dachshund (weiner dog) i got one and his teeth are like razor sharp hes reliable , brave and protects me from anything and hes a great gaurd dog
The size of a dog means nothing, they can be the biggest physically… yet mentally they little wuss bags.
Training is available to all dogs
You can still find a greyhound of any age, unless you wish to get a retiree.
Brittany’s – I have no clue, never owned one.
Look the smallest of dogs are just as good (sometimes even better) at guarding than big dogs. Any dog (if the bond is there) will protect their master… to some degree, Some may just warn, some may physically get between you and an intruder, some may just not let an intruder step foot in your house, some may actually attack.
They are the levels of protection all dogs will have to some degree.
Now my dog BIG would bark then run off but my grandma’s lil Maltese would try his best to not let an intruder past him…. and theres my point… get what ever dog you like, cause ultimately it depends on the dogs personality.
EDIT: but neither will all bigger dogs, like sure, your lab and my dog probably have strength on their side, but what do they do…?? run for it.
I am a single female living alone, this is how I see it and use it.
Now I know my dog wont attack or protect but I have tought him to bark on command and at the sound of the alarm, so far its been enough to ward off unwanted people. Also just the look of a dog can deter people, like say you got the rotti, people automatically assume big, tough, scary dog who could bite, if people see you with a rotti, they’re most likely to think twice about attacking you, as we all have that “self preservation”
So even if which ever dog you choose doesn’t do much physically you can still use bits and pieces of the dog to your advantage to make you look like less of a target.
I own a Greyhound and a Corgi, and in the case of being either attacked or broken into it’s the Corgi who’d be doing the defence. You do realise that the only way a Greyhound would stop a burglary would be if an intruder tripped over them in the dark! I must admit though, that rightly or wrongly people assume a Grey is a mean dog – beggars belief if you’ve ever met one, so if you want size without aggression go for a Grey. I have also owned (until very recently) a Labrador, and they are the same – the physical size of them will do a good job keeping you safe but as to how far they would protect – who knows. Most dogs I think would object to a stranger attacking their owner, but it would be up to the individual dog as to whether they would attack or not. My Corgi definately would try to protect me, my Labrador would 99% have gone for anyone attacking my kids, but my Grey – he once growled (quietly) at an unknown (to him) visitor who picked up my youngest son and swung him round……
Greyhounds can be adopted at virtually any age – some (like my boy) are duds on the racetrack and never even finish training, others race until they are much older. They are truely a magnificent dog.
Getting a dog because you’re worried about being a single woman is not the right reason to get a dog. You get a dog because you love the dog and/or the breed, not because you expect it to protect you. If there are other reasons you love the other breeds you mentioned then by all means, go for it. But don’t choose based on protection ability. Any dog that loves you (which is any dog that you take care of) will guard and protect you. Some are just more intimidating at first glance.
I don’t think rescues generally have an age limit on adoption. I think they’re more concerned with finding someone who can provide some stability. They’ll want to make sure you can afford to provide care and also that you’ll provide a forever home for the dog. They don’t want to have to take the dog back because you had to move to an apartment that wouldn’t let you have him.
I don’t know why you wouldn’t be able to go to obedience classes with a rottie. You might have to sign up for specific classes or something but they should be be available.
I did some quick research and it doesn’t sound like the Brittany would be good for protection but don’t discount the breed on that alone.
Rescue might not be your best option unless the dog is a puppy since you do have a smaller dog. You need to choose a breed whose energy level you are level with a golden retriver may not be the best idea if you don’t want to have a joggin partner or take long walks. its all according to how much time you have to dedicate to excercissing such a large dog.
ETA: in that case a golden would be your best bet because you want an approachable dog on walks but one that could be intimidating if was snarling and protecting you from an intruder. However a warning, since goldens are so popular you willl run into a lot of byb and byb is disguise so choose your breeder carefully
Retired racing greyhounds are usually around 4 years old when they are adopted. As they were used to chase down small moving objects, they usually are bad with small dogs. Some are okay with small dogs, others try and kill them.
I don’t really understand the rottweiler question, but some training classes refuse to accept certain breeds, you’ll have to look for one that allows rottweilers, it shouldn’t be very difficult.
I believe Brittany’s are okay guard dogs. They like people so they aren’t the best guardians in the world, but they are better than Greyhounds. Greyhounds are content to sleep through a burglary.
I think that aside from wanting to be protected, if you still love the idea of having a companion, then it is a great reason to get a dog. Rotts can be trained, any dog can be trained, and with that being said, you can train any dog to be a good gaurd dog. I mean, a little toy breed won’t do much lol. obviously but I personally would go with the Rott as far as the protection thing goes.
I understand why you would want a large dog, but I don’t think it is necessary. I know golden retrievers don’t exactly ward off intruders, but the size of them can scare someone away, and I know that your golden would at least growl or bark if someone were attacking you. I had a golden and we always said the only way she would ward people off was with her wagging tail, but if the kids ever rough housed she would growl at us to stop (it wasn’t a playful ‘I want to join’ growl).
I think if you were to have two cavaliers and a golden retriever in your home, and someone were to try and get in, the fact that there are three dogs, possibly barking, would definitely stop someone in their tracks. Intruders look for easy targets, not people with dogs. This is the same as if you were walking down the street with your dogs and someone were to try to attack you. If you are walking three dogs, unless the person is coming to say hello to the dogs, who in the world would approach a pack of dogs to attack the owner? It most likely wouldn’t happen.
Since you did ask about the other breeds I will answer those questions too.
Greyhounds are gorgeous dogs. They are really couch potatoes, although they do enjoy their walks, and shouldn’t be let off leash as they are so fast and prey driven. Usually from rescues they are between 2 years and 5 years (when their racing career ends because they aren’t quite as young and competitive). Some are as young as 1 year though. They definitely are gorgeous dogs, but I’m not sure they would scare someone. Merry is very cute! I love the white and fawns and she is good with other animals which is obviously important for you.
Rottweilers are wonderful! They do require an owner who is consistent and follows through because they can try to be boss if they are allowed. Usually though, they are just amazing and want to be loved. I have known many rotties that will push their whole body against you like a cat for a body rub. They are a very loyal breed and would definitely ward someone away from their owner if it was needed, but as long as socialized properly they will also be friendly with whoever they meet. These dogs, like any other dog, can go to obedience classes (which are great for all dogs).
Brittanys are fun dogs. I currently own one and he is great! I don’t know that he would ward off an intruder since he only barks at the door because he is excited to see who is there. Brittanys are fairly high energy and need to be walked regularly hopefully with some off leash time to run around. You do have to be careful with them off leash though as they have huge prey drives and it is hard to break that. Brittanys are very attached to their owners, so they can often develop separation anxiety and other nervousness and anxieties which can be worked with, but take a bit more time.
So overall, I think you should just get whichever breed you really want. If you dream of that second cavalier, then go for it. If you are set on a greyhound, go for it. Having three dogs walking down the street automatically makes you a much more difficult target. I only walk one dog who probably wouldn’t know what to do if I got attacked and I still think I’m safer with him than without.
Good luck!