Wow golden retrievers are expensive.

[DCGallim]

Pure breed dogs are expensive. We get $450 per pup for non AKC Bassets and they usually only last a few days before they’re all spoken for. We just had a guy drive from Indiana right before Christmas to get one. We also take the pups to the vet at week 6 to be checked out, I bought my male from a shit head who said he gave them all the shots and a vet check up. After having a puppy with parvovirus I don’t want to put someone else through that.

 

[chiefjason]

I had a buddy with two blue healers. He had one of those buried electric fences with collars. It worked for the most part. But if he was leaving in his truck, they would run behind truck, waiting till last minute, then try and jump in truck knowing they would get a little zap, but that they would then be in dads truck going for a ride! Tough little dogs.

They were also willing to run over wire if they thought they could snag something on other side.

Mine is a hard headed critter for sure. Technically an Australian Cattle dog, the southern hemispheres version of a blue heeler. lol Super protective of the house, with one heck of a nasty sounding bark. But I would not recommend a male (which we have) to someone that is not willing to take charge however it takes. He's not aggressive towards us but the other day he wouldn't stop jumping up on some furniture to bark at a cat in the yard. That got him a short toss across the room to get his attention since he simply would not listen to no. We had to use a choke collar so the wife and kids could control him initially. Now, we can let him out into the yard on his own and he comes back when he's done. We can even hike a bit with him off leash, as long as other dogs are not around. He does not like other dogs, mainly because we don't have time to socialize him the way we need too.

 

[NKD]

Mine is a hard headed critter for sure. Technically an Australian Cattle dog, the southern hemispheres version of a blue heeler. lol Super protective of the house, with one heck of a nasty sounding bark. But I would not recommend a male (which we have) to someone that is not willing to take charge however it takes. He's not aggressive towards us but the other day he wouldn't stop jumping up on some furniture to bark at a cat in the yard. That got him a short toss across the room to get his attention since he simply would not listen to no. We had to use a choke collar so the wife and kids could control him initially. Now, we can let him out into the yard on his own and he comes back when he's done. We can even hike a bit with him off leash, as long as other dogs are not around. He does not like other dogs, mainly because we don't have time to socialize him the way we need too.

@MichaelHK has one of those. Huge male! Probably take a 5lb sledge to the dome to get his attention.

Beautiful dog, and Mike says he is not a pain in the ass at all, hahahahahaha!!!

 

[Burt Gummer]

Mine is a hard headed critter for sure. Technically an Australian Cattle dog, the southern hemispheres version of a blue heeler. lol Super protective of the house, with one heck of a nasty sounding bark. But I would not recommend a male (which we have) to someone that is not willing to take charge however it takes. He's not aggressive towards us but the other day he wouldn't stop jumping up on some furniture to bark at a cat in the yard. That got him a short toss across the room to get his attention since he simply would not listen to no. We had to use a choke collar so the wife and kids could control him initially. Now, we can let him out into the yard on his own and he comes back when he's done. We can even hike a bit with him off leash, as long as other dogs are not around. He does not like other dogs, mainly because we don't have time to socialize him the way we need too.

Haha good friend of mine has a blue heeler. He’s been in quarantine a few times for biting various folks like the UPS man, mailman, etc

 

[SPST]

I've got 2 Cirneco del Etnas. I flew to Seattle to get the first one in 2010. At that time there were only around 250 of them in the US. They are an ancient breed from Sicily that has changed very little in the last 2500 years! I think there are around 400 of them in the states now. Great little dogs but they are sight/scenthounds and will take off after anything smaller than they are.

 

[Get Off My Lawn]

I'm a Rottie fan, they're known for being self-willed (read hardheaded).
The last two I have been amazing and a breeze to train, partially blood lines and I started using "The Monks of New Skete" technique/principles. The dog's attitude is "How can I make you happy?" and I've never had to be heavy handed. I used to use the Kohler Method on the previous dogs, it got poor results in comparison. The Monks charge $3K for 2.5 weeks of training, and over $20K for one of their dogs.
https://www.amazon.com/How-Your-Dog...id=1515006996&sr=8-2&keywords=monks+new+skete
Good luck!

 

[RedneckFur]

Puppies are free, man! Buying a dog is like paying for air or sunshine. Look around, and I'm sure you'll find one free to a good home.

 

[Remshooter]

Absolutely. Looking for a female (I’ve always found they train better) and I’m not someone who cares about perfect color or size. Runts of the litter are sometimes the best dogs.

I agree, in most breeds the females are more tractable and easier to train, also don't piss on everything. I always have them spayed, just cause I don't want to deal with periods or puppies!

 

[chiefjason]

@MichaelHK has one of those. Huge male! Probably take a 5lb sledge to the dome to get his attention.

Beautiful dog, and Mike says he is not a pain in the ass at all, hahahahahaha!!!

Yeah, we were told 30-40 lbs tops. Mine is almost 70! And he's long legged, not the short round kind. The most beautiful dog we have ever owned. He's a little thicker on the shoulders and in the middle than this now. The main problem is we bought him for our youngest daughter. First mistake was buying a male. And unknowingly buying a strong headed wanna be alpha male. She has finally convinced him that she is above him in the pack order, but that took almost 3 years. Mostly her learning to be stern with him. Unfortunately he's become my dog, he's laying by my foot right now.

 

[CZfool68]

Rhodesian Ridgeback. Bred to hunt lions. I wanted one when my wife was pregnant, but she used the veto power. We have several friends with them and they are great. Get one so I can live vicariously through you.

If your wife and son are walking the Ridgeback they will not be a target for mischief.

 

[Chdamn]

View attachment 34613

Rhodesian Ridgeback. Bred to hunt lions. I wanted one when my wife was pregnant, but she used the veto power. We have several friends with them and they are great. Get one so I can live vicariously through you.

If your wife and son are walking the Ridgeback they will not be a target for mischief.

I have a friend that breeds then. Gorgeous dogs but a bit outside my price range.

 

[CZfool68]

I have a friend that breeds then. Gorgeous dogs but a bit outside my price range.

I've never priced them. Maybe that's why the boss used her veto power.

 

[Chdamn]

I've never priced them. Maybe that's why the boss used her veto power.

If I remember correctly they start around 2 grand.

 

[Cluck Norris]

So I’m in the process of figuring out what breed of puppy to get. We’re about ready for a new dog.

I had just about settled on a lab again and thought nah I’ll get a Golden this time. Psssshhhht.

I can find really good lab breeds for $400 and below. I can’t find a golden anywhere for under $1000.

I’m not pulling the trigger just yet but it looks like it’ll be a lab when I do.

you think thats bad look at a French bull dog....

 

[BigTwig]

I always adopted dogs and had been very lucky (had a lab/Chesapeake retriever mix, best dog ever). After losing that dog and my wife's giant mutt 10 years ago we finally decided to get a dog so the kids could have the experience. Looked and looked but everything around here are pits for the most part so ended up having to spend money on a dog.

Found a black lab/golden mix. Gonna be a big boy, has good instincts too.

This is Gunner (8ish weeks old). He has easily doubled if not tripled is size in 2 or 3 weeks (already such a part of the family I can't remember how long we have had him).

 

[CZfool68]

If I remember correctly they start around 2 grand.

Dayum! That's a lot of dog. Guess a mutt from the pound is just fine with me.

 

[MichaelHK]

Yeah, we were told 30-40 lbs tops. Mine is almost 70! And he's long legged, not the short round kind. The most beautiful dog we have ever owned. He's a little thicker on the shoulders and in the middle than this now. The main problem is we bought him for our youngest daughter. First mistake was buying a male. And unknowingly buying a strong headed wanna be alpha male. She has finally convinced him that she is above him in the pack order, but that took almost 3 years. Mostly her learning to be stern with him. Unfortunately he's become my dog, he's laying by my foot right now.

This sounds very much like Gandalf. He's VERY stubborn, but also very smart. You'll notice the pinch and bark collar in all of his pics because, well, that's Gandalf.

It sounds like your dog and mine might be from the same litter. We heard 40ish lbs and gandalf is now a "thin" 80lbs. He's very loyal, protective of the house, and us. He is much more bonded to my fiancé than to me though. He likes to play with me and shows affection, but when push comes to shove she is his person for sure. He's super protective of her.

If we're in public he keeps tabs on us at all times. If one of us goes to the bathroom he'll put his paw on top of the foot of the other person while crying. He always has to account for both of us. If a stranger goes to pet him he will always look to us for permission and reinforcement that it's ok.

When he was a pup he never needed to be taught how to heel so he was naturally great off leash, but as an adult he looks to fight other dogs so he's hardly off leash anymore unless we're hiking in the middle of nowhere. Plus, he likes to eat and roll in poop like no other.

Overall he's a great dog, but he does have stupid tendencies. Also his bark, like other heelers, is ear piercing and he loves to hear it. He knows how his bark collar works, but if he sees something worth barking at (like a cat or god forbid a bicycle goes by) he will bark and get shocked... repeatedly. It's not because he's dumb, it's because he wanted to bark and that's that. You need to be very firm with this breed, but eventually they do listen. I will admit that his training was much more "hand's on" than any other breed I've ever had. He's just that pig headed. We do love him to death though.

 

[MichaelHK]

@MichaelHK has one of those. Huge male! Probably take a 5lb sledge to the dome to get his attention.

Beautiful dog, and Mike says he is not a pain in the ass at all, hahahahahaha!!!

Sometimes I wonder if his sole purpose is to turn my hair the same color as his coat, lol.

 

[Crazy Carl]

You ever consider a wiener dog, Chad? Perfect size for a indoor dog, very loving, super loyal & funny as hell. Very smart & very stubborn, but easy to train if you can figure out what motivates them (food). They're good with kids as long as the kid isn't prone to over-rough housing. Big out-sized personality in a small package, huge heart & no clue that they're not big goods. Pretty long lived as well- 12-15 yrs on average.

 

[chiefjason]

This sounds very much like Gandalf. He's VERY stubborn, but also very smart. You'll notice the pinch and bark collar in all of his pics because, well, that's Gandalf.

It sounds like your dog and mine might be from the same litter. We heard 40ish lbs and gandalf is now a "thin" 80lbs. He's very loyal, protective of the house, and us. He is much more bonded to my fiancé than to me though. He likes to play with me and shows affection, but when push comes to shove she is his person for sure. He's super protective of her.

If we're in public he keeps tabs on us at all times. If one of us goes to the bathroom he'll put his paw on top of the foot of the other person while crying. He always has to account for both of us. If a stranger goes to pet him he will always look to us for permission and reinforcement that it's ok.

When he was a pup he never needed to be taught how to heel so he was naturally great off leash, but as an adult he looks to fight other dogs so he's hardly off leash anymore unless we're hiking in the middle of nowhere. Plus, he likes to eat and roll in poop like no other.

Overall he's a great dog, but he does have stupid tendencies. Also his bark, like other heelers, is ear piercing and he loves to hear it. He knows how his bark collar works, but if he sees something worth barking at (like a cat or god forbid a bicycle goes by) he will bark and get shocked... repeatedly. It's not because he's dumb, it's because he wanted to bark and that's that. You need to be very firm with this breed, but eventually they do listen. I will admit that his training was much more "hand's on" than any other breed I've ever had. He's just that pig headed. We do love him to death though.

Ha, they could be from the same litter the way it sounds. Ours wants to be in the lead when hiking but also stops to keep tabs on everybody. He follows my wife around the house and it drives her nuts, he just sits and stares at her. He listens to me better, but he is more protective of her. Mine will eat anything, and I mean darn near anything. He's finally stopped most of it, except tissues. Used tissues are not safe where he can see them. And he would pick tomatoes off the vine and eat them if we let him do it, he already picks up the ones on the ground. If we had time to train him he would probably be amazing. I trained him to run beside the bike, on a leash, while I ride in on trip around the park. He's managed to not kill us both yet, but I've had to let him go once in a while. Usually because of squirrels. Took him dove hunting once years ago and he still looks at doves waiting for them to fall from the sky. lol

 

[jmgdfther]

I had a female Golden/Yellow Lab mix that I got from my daughter's kindergarten teacher as a 6 week old puppy for free. Best dog I ever had. She knew her yard and wouldn't go outside of it even without a fence. Walked by my side whether on a leash or off. Left uncrated and never went in the house or chewed anything. Played with the cats but they got along. She passed last March at the age of 16. Scared to get another dog because I'm spoiled as to how good she was, but I would get another lab mix if the opportunity comes along again. You will vacuum a lot with a golden especially when they shed their winter coat, like almost hourly.

 

[Chdamn]

I always adopted dogs and had been very lucky (had a lab/Chesapeake retriever mix, best dog ever). After losing that dog and my wife's giant mutt 10 years ago we finally decided to get a dog so the kids could have the experience. Looked and looked but everything around here are pits for the most part so ended up having to spend money on a dog.

Found a black lab/golden mix. Gonna be a big boy, has good instincts too.

This is Gunner (8ish weeks old). He has easily doubled if not tripled is size in 2 or 3 weeks (already such a part of the family I can't remember how long we have had him).

View attachment 34623

I would love to find one. My last lab was a lab retriever mix. They grow big and other than a couple of small details look just like a lab.

Mine was 75 lbs and lean.

 

[CZfool68]

You ever consider a wiener dog, Chad? Perfect size for a indoor dog, very loving, super loyal & funny as hell. Very smart & very stubborn, but easy to train if you can figure out what motivates them (food). They're good with kids as long as the kid isn't prone to over-rough housing. Big out-sized personality in a small package, huge heart & no clue that they're not big goods. Pretty long lived as well- 12-15 yrs on average.

I have 2 dachshunds now and had one prior. I have somewhere around $6k into back surgeries in my life. Great dogs, but stairs, activity and jumping up or down is not their friend.

 

[Crazy Carl]

We've been lucky with ours, I guess. We've got 4- a male pup, a 10 y/o female & 2 11 y/o males & only one of the older males has had any issues with his back (thankfully not requiring surgery). The older 3 all still very active & run & romp, though Bubba has slowed his roll a bit. Hell, Doodlebug can still run down our neighbor's Australian Shepherd. We try to discourage them from jumping, but there's only so much you can do once they get wound up.

 

[Inglis]

That is nothing.

Wait till you get a wife.

Then next kids.

 

[beamernc]

Chad, remember this little girl from when you came down and got the wood? She is almost a year old now and outside protecting the livestock with the others. My daughter brought her in the house this evening, said she was limping and wanted to check her leg and she made a bee line to our bedroom and up on the bed.

 

[Friday]

Bird dogs are my favorite type.
Golden Retriever's are right at the top. You can get them to chase anything..anything. The trick part is getting them to bring it back to you.

 

[DirtySCREW]

Chad..Chad Chad,

Everyone knows you should get a Weiner Dog!!!

Seriously, I have 2 minature Dachshunds now. Awesome dogs!!!


Good luck with your search

DS

 

[Chdamn]

Chad, remember this little girl from when you came down and got the wood? She is almost a year old now and outside protecting the livestock with the others. My daughter brought her in the house this evening, said she was limping and wanted to check her leg and she made a bee line to our bedroom and up on the bed.

View attachment 34642

Lol. That big Bastard probably takes up half the bed.

Gorgeous dogs.

 

[Burt Gummer]

Chad, remember this little girl from when you came down and got the wood? She is almost a year old now and outside protecting the livestock with the others. My daughter brought her in the house this evening, said she was limping and wanted to check her leg and she made a bee line to our bedroom and up on the bed.

View attachment 34642

She sure has grown. She’s beautiful

 

[nchunt101]

I take it you want more of an active/larger dog? I never thought I would want a little dog but my pug/boston mix is a wonderful dog.

 

[NCLivingBrit]

You know the worst part? Not one of the golden retrievers I've met has ever retrieved any damn gold.

 

[NCLivingBrit]

I take it you want more of an active/larger dog? I never thought I would want a little dog but my pug/boston mix is a wonderful dog.

Pugs and Boston's are made of character.

 

[nchunt101]

Pugs and Boston's are made of character.

My dear Bugg is a petty creature.

 

[Remshooter]

Pugs and Boston's are made of character.

Too damn much character! And pugs are smelly little beasts.

 

[Trevillian]

This sounds very much like Gandalf. He's VERY stubborn, but also very smart. You'll notice the pinch and bark collar in all of his pics because, well, that's Gandalf.

It sounds like your dog and mine might be from the same litter. We heard 40ish lbs and gandalf is now a "thin" 80lbs. He's very loyal, protective of the house, and us. He is much more bonded to my fiancé than to me though. He likes to play with me and shows affection, but when push comes to shove she is his person for sure. He's super protective of her.

If we're in public he keeps tabs on us at all times. If one of us goes to the bathroom he'll put his paw on top of the foot of the other person while crying. He always has to account for both of us. If a stranger goes to pet him he will always look to us for permission and reinforcement that it's ok.

When he was a pup he never needed to be taught how to heel so he was naturally great off leash, but as an adult he looks to fight other dogs so he's hardly off leash anymore unless we're hiking in the middle of nowhere. Plus, he likes to eat and roll in poop like no other.

Overall he's a great dog, but he does have stupid tendencies. Also his bark, like other heelers, is ear piercing and he loves to hear it. He knows how his bark collar works, but if he sees something worth barking at (like a cat or god forbid a bicycle goes by) he will bark and get shocked... repeatedly. It's not because he's dumb, it's because he wanted to bark and that's that. You need to be very firm with this breed, but eventually they do listen. I will admit that his training was much more "hand's on" than any other breed I've ever had. He's just that pig headed. We do love him to death though.

The random white tail is amazing

 

[wvsig]

I had a standard Poodle as an kid. Stormy was an amazing dog. Super smart. It was "my fathers" dog but really it adored my mother. Stormy protected mom everywhere they went. As an adult I have always had pound puppies. I had an Australian Shepard Border collie mix. Scout was smarter than most 10 year kids. Lived to 14-16. We were never really sure how old she was when we got her. I had a basset hound springer spaniel mix. She had one blue eye and one brown eye. Black and white springer markings with big floppy Bassett ears. We used to call her a Dr Seuss dog. Rella was a good pup. Super sweet but stubborn.

Now I have 2 Boykin Spaniels. The are amazing little brown dogs. My wife fell in love with the breed so that is what we got. I can tell you if you are looking for a loving dog for the home and a hard worker in the field Boykins are great dogs. They love to please and are more personable than Britneys and Springers IMHO. In the end the up front cost of the dog amortized over the life of the dog added to standard Vet care a $1000 really ends up being $75-$100 a year so yes it is $$ upfront the overall cost of owning the dog for 10 years + is the real expense.

If you choose a purebreed research the breeder . Look for the inherited genetic diseases for whatever breed you pick. They all have them. Always make sure the breeder tests for those genetic issues. Ask for documentation. Good breeders will be happy to provide the info. You will be better off in the long run vs going to a backyard breeder or puppy mill. Avoid puppies mills at all cost. They are a big reason why there are so many dogs in need of rescue and the perpetuation of genetic diseases in popular breeds.

Copper and Penny wish you luck on your dog search.

 

[nchunt101]

Too damn much character! And pugs are smelly little beasts.

For a ten pound dog her farts will clear a room. I will be the first to say Bugg is far from a smart dog and is very stubborn but I have never had a dog that makes me laugh as much. I like to throw a piece of bologna on the porch and watch her struggle with it.

 

[Crazy Carl]

...If you choose a purebreed research the breeder . Look for the inherited genetic diseases for whatever breed you pick. They all have them. Always make sure the breeder tests for those genetic issues. Ask for documentation. Good breeders will be happy to provide the info. You will be better off in the long run vs going to a backyard breeder or puppy mill. Avoid puppies mills at all cost. They are a big reason why there are so many dogs in need of rescue and the perpetuation of genetic diseases in popular breeds.

Copper and Penny wish you luck on your dog search.

I don't agree with many of your posts, but this is spot-on.

Bullshit "conformation" inbreeding has crippled many breeds. Look for breeders working to improve the breed & if it's a hunting/sporting/working breed you're looking for, you need to find a breeder more concerned with their dogs' health & ability to perform the tasks for which the breed was developed than for how they'd score in the show ring.

ETA- mutts are cool, too. Visit a couple of shelters & you never know what kind of wonderful new best friend you might run across.

 

[RetiredUSNChief]

Dog prices are WAY out of hand. Four figures for a dog? I don't think so.

In fact, vet prices are WAY out of hand, as well. One of our cats cost us $680 to die, just the day before. She was acting a bit out of sorts and didn't eat for a couple days. But then she started eating/drinking again, so we didn't worry. Then one of the kids noticed she was bleeding...and pretty listless...the other morning. My wife takes her into the vet, where she died an hour later. $680. She could have stayed home and passed away. (X-rays, exams, etc...probably a tumor, but it would take an autopsy to find out and my wife said "what's the point?")

Then there's the problem of having a wife who militantly doesn't understand proper dog training. My wife drove me nuts after she got our black Pug, Happy.

Happy is one smart cookie. But between my wife (and by proxy our kids) and her Mom, I nearly went insane over that dog the first couple years.

My wife wanted to train Happy to use "piddle pads". These are hospital chucks that he can do his business on, in the place of newspapers. BUT...the kicker is this wasn't part of housetraining him. Nooooooo...it was part of her "get the dog to sh*t and p*ss in the house like a *^%#ing cat" training.

I'm sorry, I'm NOT having a dog being deliberately trained to sh*t and p*ss in the house. Not. Gonna. Happen.

That took MONTHS to get straightened out. Not breaking the dog of sh*tting and p*ssing in the house, but breaking my WIFE of ALLOWING him to sh*t and p*ss in the house.

Another aspect was me training Happy to sit and stay at the door when he wants to go out. He must sit and stay on command while I put his leash on and NOT MOVE from that spot until I open the door and say "OK".

My wife (notice a pattern here?) thought I was being mean to him by making him do this. No kidding. I told her the goal is to train him that it's ONLY all right to go out the door when he's TOLD he can go out. Otherwise what we'll end up with is a dog who will force his way out the door at every opportunity.

Much scoffing and griping over that bit of training...until one day my wife opened the door and Happy slipped right by her and shoved his way out the screen door, lickety-split, ran right out into the middle of the street and down several houses.

My wife was in a panic and yelled at me to "GO GET HAPPY!"

I looked at her and told her "THIS is why he's to be trained the way I told you! He could have ran right out in front of a car and be DEAD right now! And NO, I am NOT going to chase after him! I don't go after Happy...he comes to ME. Chasing him becomes a game and that's ANOTHER thing you don't want. Watch."

I walked out in the middle of the street and yelled "Happy!" He turned and looked at me. I squatted down and said "Come!"

That dog ran back to me as fast as he could...why? Because there's only ONE place in the world he wants to be when I squat down and say "come"...and that's right between my knees, getting all the body rubbing, scratching, and loving he can get.

My mother-in-law? Sweet woman, but drove me nuts with Happy. As a puppy, what does he do on a leash? Pull, that's what he does. And I GET ACCUSED OF STRANGLING HIM! Holy sh*t, that woman drove me NUTS. I broke Happy of this by doing one thing, and teaching my kids to do it as well when they walked him. When Happy pulls...stop. Eventually he learned that pulling only makes you stop and he can't go anywhere then. That gravitated to "heel", eventually.

Mom also had an annoying habit of TOTALLY derailing any form of training with Happy whenever we were walking outside by offering him treats...and allowing him to jump up on her. Any chastising of the dog pretty much got the same response as letting him pull on his leash did.

BUT...I prevailed. Happy is a well mannered dog...and truth be told, he really always was. He was remarkable that way. It was the family that wasn't.