keeshond
 

it's either spelled keeshound or keeshond

they are veryyyyyyyy mild tempered dogs, VERYYY loving, very protective of their owners, veryyyyyyyyyyyyyy friendly, love children

they are black and white and very furry, think a chow, they are big balls of fluff and so great.

my family had one, she died and we bought the same breed and wouldn't ever change. they are great and so underappreciated! you try finding a "keeshond magnet" near impossible!

edited to add - and not many people have them, so you wouldn't be like everyone else! when we walk ours, people stop us all the time and ask about him! you'd be the talk of the neighborhood!

If you are a VERY active person then dalmatians are great dogs. We had one and he was the sweetest dog but think of the dalmatian as a toddler in a dogs body. They are very determined and if they want something will try every which way to acheive their goal. You can punish them and they won't ever do that particular thing again but will figure out another way to acheive their goal - like I said kind of like a human toddler. Again though the dalmatians are very sweet dogs but if you don't have a lot of time to spend with them then I wouldn't get one they need lots of exercise and attention.

I grew up with a german shepherd and hope to get another one some day. Definitely check into that breed.

My strongest recommendation for a dog though is a Rescue Dog. Try getting one from the pound or humane society. Or if you do decide on a particular breed you want then check with the pound or humane society to see if there is a local rescue group for that particular breed. And don't limit yourself to puppies sometimes the older dogs make the best canine friend you'll ever have!!!!!

Good luck,
Carolyn

p.s. Cats make great animal friends too - although we prefer to call our cats "furry humans"

Any kind of lab.

German Shepards are WONDERFUL. I want one so much. My roommate has a chiuaua, which I despise. We could feed it to the german shepard... just kidding. Funny story though - my other roomie left out a package of pecan twirls and Bruiser (my roomie has seen Legally Blonde too many times) ate all of them. He only weighs 4 pounds, so he pretty much ate his weight in pecan twirls. It was hilarious! He was doing laps around the table, which was great because we have hard wood floors, and then he tried to run up the wall. It was the funniest thing I've ever seen!

My best guess is that a lab would be a close approximation to a Golden Retriever.

However, I have my heart set on owning one or two Rhodesian Ridgeback dogs. My dog who recently died was a Ridgeback. The breed is *outstanding*, but not very well known. They are an active lot, so a backyard is essential. They're loyal, protective, good with the family and very intelligent. Because they are so strong and so smart, they do need a sharp owner to train them well.

Here's what they look like (thank you to Emoyeni's Kennel and the Association of Rhodesian Ridgeback Fanciers for the terrific photos):

http://members.ispwest.com/navane/ridgeback1.jpg

Close up!


http://members.ispwest.com/navane/ridgeback2.jpg

Full shot


http://members.ispwest.com/navane/ridgeback3.jpg

Check out the ridge!


Also, here is some information on the Rhodesian Ridgeback courtesy of yahoo! and the AKC.

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General Appearance

The Ridgeback represents a strong, muscular and active dog, symmetrical and balanced in outline. A mature Ridgeback is a handsome, upstanding and athletic dog, capable of great endurance with a fair (good) amount of speed. Of even, dignified temperament, the Ridgeback is devoted and affectionate to his master, reserved with strangers. The peculiarity of this breed is the ridge on the back. The ridge must be regarded as the characteristic feature of the breed.

Owning

The Rhodesian Ridgeback is a breed of dog able to retrieve, track, hunt game, and protect property. Rhodesian Ridgebacks are remarkably clean dogs. They are easy to keep as they are rarely noisy or quarrelsome, unless provoked. The Rhodesian Ridgeback is not the dog for everyone; he needs an owner who will invest the time it takes to build a bond of trust.

Characteristics

A mature Ridgeback should be symmetrical in outline, slightly longer than all but well balanced. Dogs--25 to 27 inches in height; Bitches--24 to 26 inches in height. Desirable weight: Dogs--85 pounds; Bitches--70 pounds. The hallmark of this breed is the ridge on the back which is formed by the air growing in the opposite direction to the rest of the coat. The ridge must be regarded as the characteristic feature of the breed. The ridge should be clearly defined, tapering and symmetrical. It should start immediately behind the shoulders and continue to a point between the prominence of the hips and should contain two identical crowns (whorls) directly opposite each other. The lower edge of the crowns (whorls) should not extend further down the ridge than one third of the ridge.

Temperament

Dignified and even tempered. Reserved with strangers.

Did You Know

The Rhodesian Ridgeback is a large, muscular dog originally bred in South Africa to hunt lions. It is also known as the African lion hound. The peculiarity of this breed is the ridge of hair which grows forward on his back. In 1922, a group of Rhodesian breeders set up a standard for Ridgebacks which has remained virtually unchanged ever since. The Rhodesian Ridgeback was admitted to registry by the AKC in 1955.

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I know, I know, I'm being a bit overzealous. But I hafta tell you I LOVE THESE DOGS!! :D

.....Kelly :)

Rhodesian Ridgeback are great dogs!

I would also like to add my .02 - if you have the time, I mean A LOT of time, and a yard I would HIGHLY suggest getting either an American Pit Bull Terrier or an American Bulldog. They are very loving and very loyal dogs. You have to take the time to train them and socialize them. I know I'm going to get a lot of responses about why you shouldn't get a pit bull - but there are a lot of misconceptions out there. They are not a bad breed of dogs, they are actually one of the best. You can read up on them on the internet through the AKC website and many others. They are absolutly WONDERFUL dogs - I can't wait to get one of my own! :)

Excellent point, and I'm kicking myself for not saying this!

IMHO, almost all dogs are wonderful dogs in one way or another. I bet if you just went to a shelter one day, you'd probably find one -- or more -- awesome dogs. Mixed breeds can be wonderful as well, because as far as I know, they tend to have less trouble with the genetic problems that often plague purebreds.

as you can see labs are entirely too popular.

i'm into small dogs and some large dogs.

alaskan samoyan
lhasa apso
terrier
beagle
greyhound
maltese
french poodle
pomarenian

I love boxers. Very friendly dogs and they're very loyal. They're considered the best dog to get if you have children; since children like to pull on dog's ears and do other things, a boxer will never try to harm them. My boyfriend's family dog is a boxer and it is the sweetest thing. They're very smart too....they've recently been used as a seeing-eye dog.

English Bulldogs
 

I have an English Bulldog, Winston. He is my second one. I can't imagine having any other type of dog! I live in an apartment, and it works out great. He loves to cuddle, especially at night. (He sleeps under the covers with me! ~ I have no idea what I am going to do if I ever get a significant other...) http://www.handykult.de/plaudersmilies.de/dog.gif He even has a set of his own letters!

If I can figure out how to put a picture of him on here, I will...But I highly recommend bulldogs...

Go to your local animal shelter or humane society. Mixed breeds are generally healthier because they arent prone to getting a lot of genetic diseases that pure bred dogs are, and you will be saving a life. I adopted my lab mix Shelbie 3 years ago and June and she is my best girl :)

Re: English Bulldogs
 

I have an English Bulldog too! His name is Nigel & his picture is right here: http://www.buddiesthrubullies.org

Bulldogs are great if you live in an apt - they're not "outside dogs" and certainly don't need that much room to move around (unlike labs).

I also volunteer a lot w/ bulldog rescue...fostering, transporting, etc. :)

BTW, I had Nigel before I met my husband. Love me, love my dog...and he does! ;)

Re: Re: English Bulldogs
 

OMG, how cute is he?!!!

YES! I want a Weimaraner! That's my number-one choice. My family currently has a chow mix and a Westie, but I'm getting close to graduation and when I leave home, I can't take the dogs because my sister would freak. So, I have to get my own. I've got my eye out for Weimaraner breeders...

A muttt for Pete's sake. They are so lovable and there are many that need a home.