Dog Information

dog breeds?

Im am researching into different dog breeds to buy. Chow Chow, dalmation, doberman, boxer. I have already looked into these breeds, but I just want as much info as I can get before buying one. So if anyone had any personal experiences that would be great. I know most of these breeds needs lots of exercise, socialization, and training, and I have the monet/space/time. Im willing to do whatever it takes. Thanks

Public Comments

1. all these are kind of different, what are you looking for in a dog? i have a dobie and she requires LOTS of work crazy puppies, but overall sweet, loyal, goofy, fun there is nothing like owning a doberman, i would not go for another breed (and i owned others before)
2. I am glad to hear you have the monet, or you could go baroque, trying to maintain a dog. I am also glad to hear you're doing your homework, good for you! Unless you have lots of time, patience, and are in great shape, to run for MILES, the boxer or doberman may be better suited for you and your lifestyle. they require lots of energy, but make great pets for those who may be less inexperienced, as opposed to chow chows and dalmatians. these breeds require a little more experienced handling, and training. boxers and dobies are a little more forgiving, and gentle. they still require firm handling, and training is day to day, but are more gentle and forgiving, than the other two. exercise with all 4 is a Must! no excuses! an hour daily for walks, and more for activities. I hope all goes well, and keep up the homework. I would suggest to you to volunteer at your local dog rescue/animal shelter, and gain more experience with large breed dogs, since this is the types of dogs you are interested in. you will gain a lot of knowledge, priceless experience and handling skills that will come in handy. also, please take your newfound friend, and do sign up for obedience classes, so you will learn all about their needs, and how to best meet them, making your relationship even better.
3. Chows are in general grumpy and not good around children & strangers. They were bred as guard dogs & food. Dalmations have a lot of health problems due to overbreeding. They can be paranoid, deaf, blind or even all three. Dobies are good. They were bred as guard dog's though, so you'll want to socialize them well unless you want a guard dog. Boxers are weird. They can be nice, but they get spooked. My neighbors boxer randomly bit me in the face after I had seen it everyday for 2 years. It was totally unprovoked. Even they had no idea what happened. I'm kind of worried about your choice of dogs. These are all so different. It seems like you've picked them based on looks & not on a specific characteristic like workability or behavior. You need to talk to a vet or a breeder about your lifestyle and they can help you pick out one that will suit you well.
4. Of all the breeds you mentioned, definitely go with the doberman. Find a reputable breeder, and dam and sire of calm, good natured character. I prefer the reds over the black, blue or fawn colors. A highly intelligent dog!! As you may know, chows are unpredictable, and lots of Dalmatian pups are born deaf. The boxer would be my second choice but you MUST find a good breeder.
5. A lot of people make one major mistake, they feel they will always have the same time and money they have now, but a dog's life for the most part is about 15 years or so, you may not want the grooming responsibility a chow chow will take years from now. I wonder why you chose those breeds, have you asked yourself all the important questions, what do I want my ideal dog to be like? What will his grooming and instincts be like. Being a dog owners, dog trainer and groomer myself I have met and looked after ever breed under the sun and then some! My opinions about breeds has changed drastically since I started a boarding business and got to experience 40 different breeds a day and even over night! One thing I have learned is that you can't go by breed alone unless you're looking at looks, energy level, and health issues. No breed has a set personality for every dog, it varies so much!!!! I have met quite a few Chows and this is what I have personally experienced: They shed non-stop and mat very easily. They are sweet natured and tolerant but very shy of strangers. Every one I've met has been shy at first, even fearful. But I have never been bit, even when pulling knots out, which says a lot. One did pee on me though. Another reason I would personally never own one is that it is very hard to tell what they are feeling, unlike other dogs that tell you with their face, voice, tail and hackles, chows are pretty quiet when upset, they usually don't move their tail, their fur is always raised, and their faces show little expression, so they can lash out without warning, if its that kind of dog. Dalmatian- every one I've met is a sweetheart with a smile and a cheerful personality. But everyone I have also met has had allergies, deafness, and even bad vision. There are so many health problems in the breed, although its such a shame. Doberman- best choice yet! Few health problems, wonderful smart mind. I have met only four, all of them were intelligent, kind, HUGE, and barely shed at all. Plus only two barked! Big Annie would try to sit on my lap! lol, but she was so kind to other dogs. Boxer- again, a lot of problems. I have met soooo many! They have become popular and unfortunately its ruining their breed. Some are laid back, some are neurotic, some are healthy, some have every problem under the sun! Some are nice to others, again, some are vicious. You can't tell these days! One of the worst dog I ever met was a Boxer named Roxy, obnoxious as all get up! Barked non-stop, peed when excited, all the time, no training although they had been to three course with her, she jumped, she dug, she bit, she was a picky eater. Yikes. Then again, she was pure-pure bred. My favorite boxer friend is Franky. She is so sweet, smart, loving, energetic yet polite. and she was just a shelter dog. Now days, she will do absolutely anything you want just to keep you in fear of being rejected again. Which brings me to my final word of sage advice from years of intense dog experience: ADOPT! Don't buy, spend that hard earned money on adopting and caring for a thankful heart. At any given time there are plenty of beautiful dogs of pure blood of your choice breed in any shelter! There are that many! I guarantee! Adopt and you won't be sorry. No one will care if your dog has papers, but they will think its really cool that you got such a great dog from a shelter. All the best are from the homeless! petfinder.com or look up the breed of choice on yahoo with the word rescue, and you'll find local breed rescues with purebred dogs! Good luck!
6. Its great that you are looking into the breeds before you make your choice. I have worked at a vet clinic for many years and a a dog training school for many years and have encountered all of those breeds so these are my opinions of them. For the most part the dogs I have met do show the breeds' temperaments and characteristics fairly well. Chow chows are one of the only dogs that I am extremely cautious of approaching. They are very wary of strangers. They often win people over because they are big fluffy dogs, but this can be a danger when the chow turns to attack. Being completely honest here, I have never met a nice one that is well enough socialized to be friendly with strangers. People who own them usually love them, but whatever dog you own you will love. If you plan on bringing your dog out to different places, different situations, meeting new people and new dogs all the time, I would not recommend a chow as it can sometimes be too much for them. I personally do not trust any chow or spitz-type breed which are smaller dogs with similar looks (basically 'cute and fluffy' as many would classify them) - the chow has a shorter snout, but in general I find these breeds hard to read and quick to attack. Dalmations are popular mostly because of 101 Dalmations. I remember as a kid wanting one, but the facts are that they are horrible family pets because they have very little if any tolerance for children. They do require lots of energy to keep them healthy and in shape. There are also many health problems with dalmations including as someone already said, blindness and deafness. I also find these dogs to be a little snappy since they don't have too much patience. Dobermans are amazing dogs. They are very friendly, if brought up with and socialized with kids (under supervision of course) they are good with kids, they are usually good with other dogs as long as socialized as a puppy. They are very, very active and tend to jump up. One of the biggest challenges with them is teaching them not to jump up, but with training, consistency and age they usually learn that jumping is not allowed unless they are invited to. (By the way, the red ones are absolutely stunning!) Boxers are another active dog as you mentioned. I think they are also great dogs who are extremely loving. They always enjoy human companionship. I've never seen a boxer that didn't like kids and wasn't friendly with everyone it met. They can be goofs and they can be lazy (depends on the individual dog), but they are lots of fun. They, like the doberman, like to jump and need to be taught not to jump up on people. If you get a doberman or boxer, I would highly recommend finding a place where you can do some dog sports such as agility since they really excel in these sports. The dalmation would probably enjoy agility as well. No matter which puppy you choose, make sure you do sign up for puppy classes so that you can properly socialize your dog so that they will be well adjusted and welcomed by your community. Good luck and enjoy whichever breed you get!
7. dobermans are extremely easy to train and guarding comes naturally for them. if you get a doberman you will never buy another breed. i got one and she's my baby forever. hey are SUPER smart. i think they are the perfect dog breed. they do require a lot of exercise though. a daily run should be OK if you have a yard. they are soooo sweet.