Someone quote legit advice for Wil since I actually care about animals:

Pick your dog based on how much exercise/time can be devoted to it. A German Sheperd needs a ton of activity or it'll get bored, and a dog that size will destroy a family sofa in the time it takes you to go and buy milk. Other thing is, kids play rough and don't always realise it, best not to leave any dog unsupervised around kids, no matter how much you trust it.

Otherwise, breed temperaments for families I'd always say border terrier or Labrador. Terriers are rugged, playful, great with people, but not always so good with other dogs. Labradors are pretty bomb proof but have a reputation for eating everything, food or otherwise. Some people aren't keen on small breeds, but those things will play, walk, and run for hours.

Most important thing is take your time and pick a breeder with a good background. The best dogs come from breeders with families since you know from day one those puppies have been well treated and well socialised, and you can't over value that when it comes to their suitability around your children.

Yeah, I've heard of the hip displacement thing. And it seems most people I know who have Shepherds say somewhere between 8-10 is when they have serious issues. Still, I really want one. Maybe a few years after the baby is born, so they can grow up together.

To be honest, most pure bred dogs have a list of associated health risks. Labs have issues with hip dysplasia, King Charles Spaniels are the worst with their serious heart problems. It comes from ridiculous standards in dog shows, and one of the recent Crufts winners was criticised for showing how awful the practices have become with some German Sheperds. Poor thing could hardly walk because they want the weird features emphasised.

But that's why it's better to find some breeder who has occasional litters for the enjoyment rather than for show dogs. Your kids aren't going to appreciate how many ribbons it's grandparents won, they will appreciate a dog that's been well socialised.

Gilbert was a mutt, half Shepard and part chow and other things. He looked great but was kind of a pain, very strong willed and disobedient.

Wait wat, don't get a dog from a breeder.

Reputable breeders are fine

I've just read up on that case and the German Shepherd looked in a terrible state.

We'd only ever adopt now.

Yeah, adopt a shelter animal.

I don't know if we're going to be talking at crossed purposes here, but by breeder I just mean anyone who's deliberately had a litter of puppies and put them for sale, not necessarily someone who's a professional. The benefit is that you, ideally, want to know the medical history of the parents, further back if possible, and see the environment that they've been raised in. Puppy farms and pet shop dogs will typically have had nowhere near the same level of human interaction, and may not have been separated from the mother at the appropriate age compared to a dog you get bred in a home with two kids who have spent the last two months doting on them, and a breeder who's taken every care to ensure their health over profitability.

Is absolutely fine, and I've rescued everything from rats to hedgehogs (life growing up with a vet as a parent). Not necessarily ideal if you're looking for something specific and comes with more risks regarding temperament and health, but as I said before it comes down to how much experience and time you have for them.

they are sure. but whats the point?

there are millions of perfectly awesome dogs that are about to get killed at the local shelter. get one of those.

Depends on what you want. Partly I don't know the situation in the US but here if you want an adult dog and are somewhat informed then I say go for a rescue all day long. If you want a puppy then shelters I've had experience don't tend to have trouble moving them to homes, it's older dogs that people tend not to want.

We had a greyhound when I was a kid. She'd been bred to race but wouldn't chase (which was exactly what we wanted since we had cats). The home she'd then moved to had beaten her so badly she only had half a tail left. It was my Dad that really wanted a greyhound, and he was quite down for a while since she was petrified of adult men. Took a few months but she turned into the most perfect pet. Not everyone necessarily wants to put in the level of time and care we did to save her, and whilst that makes me sad, I don't judge people for that.

Yeah, I made that post right before I went to sleep and when I woke up it crossed my mind what I overlooked.

I get the context, that it's a dog that's going to be around a baby and a child so there'd be a different protocol. You can sometimes get puppies at the shelter obv but not if you're looking for a specific breed.


p.s. Maybe I was subconsciously hoping a junkyard dogs eats wil's face.

I punted a miniature poodle once. It had it coming though. Nothing against the species, but this particular one had bitten me once before. I'm a normal sized human, so punching it would have been very silly. It flew through the air in a very awkward way. That surprised me because I had previously thought that all poodles were graceful. I have a friend who is a poodle, so it is ok. Not all poodles are thugs.

BTM2 taking advantage of bite-sized poodles. A full-size woulda Rekt U.

I semi own an amazing dog. He does a backwards cartwheel every time president trump tells a lie.

So it's like a perpetual motion machine of spinning dog!

For any laws regarding pet breeding
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/n...puppy-breeders
or just because ...



Other pets welcome

The point is that you may want something specific. I have adopted several dogs and had good experiences with some of them. Others were messed up. One was so bad that i couldn't handle it and had to take her back. That really upset me. I found out afterwards that they lied to me about her temperament and didn't tell me she had taken meds before for the behavior.

I have also had purebreds. When my son was born, i specifically wanted a dog that would be calm, loyal and sweet. Our shih-tzu was perfect for that. I got her from a reputable breeder in Texas. Drove halfway across the country to get her.

Not everything is black and white in this world.

Well, it's one of those things where the most ethical decision is pretty clear, but living in a first world country typically means ignoring ethical purchases on a daily basis. And long term, if people thought about it properly in advance then the shelters wouldn't be over run in the first place.

Maybe these are just rationalisations for my moral failings though.

My wife has had many, many pets growing up. Almost every single one as been adopted from a shelter. All of them were wacko (except for one cat, which was cool as ****). Her dog (Chesapeake Retreiver) was a huge, huge pain in the ass.

I know this is most likely a stupid question, but does behavior have any ties to getting an animal from a breeder or not?

Different breeds do have different temperaments and behavioural tendencies, but the bulk of it is down to how they're raised. That means how early they're handled, how often, what the parents were like, when they were separated from the mother, how you treat them once you've taken them home. For all but that last one, the only way to control for it is to meet the breeder, visit the puppies, and make your best assessment prior to taking one.

I disagree. I think the genetics has just as much to do with it as anything else. For example, i have never met a nasty shih-tzu. There might be a few in the world, but i've interacted with 100s of them and they are all mellow and loyal. They never bite, almost never chew furniture, etc. Yes, you can ruin them with abuse, but with a breeder, you can meet the puppies' parents, see the environment they were born and raised in, etc. Furthermore, if you need a dog that doesn't shed or an allergy-free dog (Obama's), then a breeder is the best place to find one.

The bottom line is that with pound puppies, you have no idea what you're getting genetically or environmentally. They can be great, but they can be a total disaster as well.