OK, so I want a dog

but Mrs. Zoom is hell-bent against it.

I've had dogs my entire life up until the time I met Mrs. Zoom.

(BTW, I've had ferrets, snakes, alligator, pirinahas... as well).

So, I want a dog for me and the kids Mrs. Zoom says she'll have nothing to do with it, nor will it come in the house. Well, we'll see how Mrs. Zoom adapts.

I want a big dog. 60# minimum, 100#+ preferred. My favorites have been a GSD/Husky mix but I can't do a physical fence to keep it in so I think the Husky is out of the mix.

So, I'm thinking of some mix of:
GSD
Border Collie
St. Bernard
Golden Retriever
Lab (black, golden)

I do want a dog that I can leave outdoors 24/7/365 which means cold weather. I'm thinking long hair.

Thoughts?

BTW, Invisible fence may be in my future.

Screw her. She'll only love you 'til the divorce, the dog will love you forever.

How about Irish Wolfhound?

http://www.postare.it/showthread.php?postid=5475754

GSD Good Sensible Dog?

Bamby said:

GSD Good Sensible Dog?

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Yes....also known as German Shepherd Dog.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_Shepherd_Dog

The German Shepherd Dog (GSD, also known as an Alsatian), (German: Deutscher Schäferhund) is a breed of large-sized dog that originates from Germany. German Shepherds are a fairly new breed of dog, with their origins only dating back to 1899. Part of the herding group, shepherds are working dogs developed originally for herding sheep. Their strength, intelligence and obedience often sees them employed in police and military roles in forces around the world. Due to their loyal and protective nature the breed is among the most registered.

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bczoom,
You need one like mine. GSD/Golden/Arctic of some type. He was at 70 lbs until we had to put him on meds that porked him up to 100+. Temperament is perfect. Best behaved dog I have ever seen. He is also my shadow. He likes everybody, especially if you're bringing a pizza to the door But if I get up and walk out of the room, he is at my heels. He will follow me anywhere. I was cleaning the pool one day and got hot. Decided to take a dip to cool down. I ran across the pool deck and jumped in, he followed me. Then he figured out where he was. He never got in the pool again.

Got pictures of the pooch, oh TC18?

While I view a dog as a family member, and should therefore be allowed indoors, the only breed on your list that can truly withstand the elements in western PA would be the St. Bernard.

Other breeds would include: Bernese Mountain dogs, Newfoundlands, Akitas (ask BSkurka about these), Anatolian Shepherds.

St. B's, Berners and Newfies are wicked smart -- and the males can get HUGE. Don't know about the others. And btw, if you're thinking of using an invisible fence (and therefore a shock collar), good luck on the thick coated breeds. Plus, they're a bitch /pun off/ to groom (and they definitely need it -- especially in the summertime).

Changed my avatar to his pic. Let me find some more.

Go I really need to say it .......

Labrador Retriever

These are some of his younger pics. I think the one of him of the deck is the day he came home at 4 months.

I have to agree with JPR, keeping it outside all the time is not a good way to have any dog. Even a St. Bernard, even though it and probably a husky could 'handle' it. It changes the dog and makes it more uncontrollable cause they just want inside.

I would strongly recommend a Great Dane. They are not real active but active enough. They are the easiest dog I've ever trained and I trained St. Bernard's, German Shepards and Husky's. They have such a sweet disposition. Once you spend time with one you'll see why they are called noble.

I have to think, and hope your wife would come around and whatever you get will be welcome in the house. If you can have it in the house short hair would be preferable. Short hair still sheds but not near as bad as long hair. We were looking for a short hair large dog when we lucked into our Great Dane.

St. Bernard's are very loving but the slobbers make a mess. After drinking they end up wiith a cup or two of water in their jawls and it gets all over everything. Otherwise I would have gotten another St. Bernard ..well that plus the long hair were two big strikes against that breed.

This is Christmas of 08

Wow, lots of replies in the last hour. I can tell I'm not alone in having a thing for dogs.

A little history and some thoughts for a new dog.

BTW, All these were while I lived in the snow belt in W. NY. They were outdoor dogs (for the most part). They were let in regularly (every night) but the rule was that they needed to be able to be capable of handling/surviving outdoors during the day. Same applies now. I'm honestly expecting it to end up indoors for periods each day but don't want to HAVE to keep it indoors. When out of the house, it'll have a place to go. Heck, the last dogs I had had a 12x12' heated, insulated dog house with water and food indoors.

My first dog was a Lab. I was 5 years-old. We lived in W. NY, right on Lake Erie (House, back yard, beach, lake). Well, I couldn't keep that darn thing out of the lake or stop it from chasing the birds (mainly seagulls). Although young, I knew the water or birds was going to take the dog away from me. His demise came from chasing a bird across a road and met chrome. Well, I have water, birds... To be honest, they also get a bit too oily for me as it relates to their fur.

Next dog was a Samoyed/GSD mix. Fantastic dog. I'd take another in a heartbeat but to keep them in requires multiple levels of fencing.

Had a Siberian Husky/GSD mix. Like the aforementioned, same thing. Fantastic dog if you can keep them nearby.

Next was a Golden Retriever/St. Bernard. Big, dumb (compared to the previous 2) but friendly as hell. Either breed, or mix is still a contender in my book. It was mainly St. Bernard but it didn't seem to slobber much. Maybe because it was a female.

Bob - I do like the Irish Wolfhound but found they're like a black vehicle. They look good the first 15 minutes after a good cleaning but look like, and seem dirty thereafter.

Jerry - Can you keep your dog in without fencing (the GSD/Golden/Arctic)? My neighbor runs a kennel of sorts. I don't mind my dog eating his dogs but need the dogs in my yard for the scrapping to occur.

JPR - The Newfy's were in consideration but like you said, they're going to get big, real big. If I somehow knew it was going to be a "healthy" big, I'd consider it but I've seen so many just get plain old fat. As for the Akita or similar, I think I'd want to get a mix of some sort. The ones I've known are pretty high strung as pure-breads.

Greg (Big Dog) - A lab is still a consideration but I'll need to change my thoughts into considering a short-haired dog.

Greg - (Doc) - Ahhh, A Great Dane. Another fine contender if I change my mind and consider a short-haired.

Brian,
I couldn't keep him in with the invisible fence. He'd run across it chasing something, then wouldn't come back across after he settled down and tried to come home.

Yeah murph, maybe she was, but actually she was watching me mow the grass and got distracted by the camera

It sounds to me like the question should be from Zoom:
What kind of dog is good in a bachelor apartment.

Our oldest dog is a lab/chow chow mix. Weighs in at 90 lbs. It looks identical to a flat coated retriever. It spent it's first 3 years outside. I had a kennel for it which it used sometimes during the winter, mostly to get out of the wind (or to hide from thunder) but with a heavy double coat it could stand the Texas cold pretty well. The heat got to it during the summer but it would go behind the hedge and dig a hole down to the damp, cool dirt and plonk in it until it cooled off. We started letting it and the other dog come into the house after they'd eaten in the evening but they went back outside before bedtime. Somehow, when I disappeard overseas for a month, it became a full time inside dog. Wonder how that happened? Well the reason was that both the dogs were excellent watch dogs but lousy guard dogs and, when I was gone my wife felt safer with them inside the house. Nobody can approach the gate or come up the driveway without us knowing and I'm usually standing outside waiting for them to arrive.

Our other dog is a lab/heeler mix but she is smaller at just over 60 lbs.

Does your wife object because she thinks it might become an inside dog and doesn't want the hassle of chasing those dust bunnies. If that's the case you might think along the lines of a labradoodle or some other poodle mix. My grandson has a labradoodle and it's approaching 90 lbs, sweet as can be and no shedding. It's an inside dog though and I don't know how it will handle your cold but it loves the Scottish winters.

Smooth Collie!!
First time I ever laid eyes on one was at a dog show.
Omg.. love at first sight. So gentle and beautiful.

Where's Bonehead? Grand Pyrenees!



They can be outside all the time. They might bark a little though!

I like Malamutes. Some of them can get pretty huge.

I saw one once (before I saw the owner) out in the woods and thought it was a wolf it was so damn big.

We've currently got a husky cross (60 pounds) that will go wander if he can, but does not fight other dogs or chase cats and stays close to the property when he does escape.
the other one is a malamute cross (85 pounds) who will chase & kill small animals and recently spent 4 days on walkabout with the local coy/feral dog pack. he's healed up nicely from losing a dominance set to of some sort...
neither one is fazed by our kansas winters - we don't get the snow you do, but we do get the siberian cold fronts.

I've also had good luck with a chow/lab/gsd cross (60 pounds)
a pure bred keeshond (40 pounds - he was small) who actually liked taking naps in ice storms despite the perfectly good insulated dog house available
and friends with great pyr's

ALL of my dogs have been friendly to a fault. they were taught early on that monkeys of all sizes rule and being grumpy at visiting dogs got you yelled at if it escalated beyond the basic 90 second "my house" discussion.
at feeding time they will stare at the food bowl and whine, but will not eat until I tell them to. they've even been trained to "spit it out" and will stop eating until I tell them "ok, go eat".

If you want the dog to be a purely outside pet - get 2.
if it's going to become an inside/outside pet - get 2.
a lonely dog is a disaster.

Akitas - like pit bulls, chows, and gsd's can be territorial and aggressive - especially with young children. be very careful with the purebreds. OTOH, mixes are usually much more even tempered.

our local slow kill shelter has a 13 month old border collie/norwegian elkhound that would be perfect for you, btw... $125 adoption fee covers neuter, shots, and a care package for his firt week home, including a blanket, toys, treats, and a small sack of science diet food. go to petfinder.com and look up heart of jackson humane society "tebo" for a pic.

You guys are making me miss my Golden Retriever. She's been gone nearly 2 years now. Had to put her down due to hip displaysia. She was a big lug whom I loved dearly.

We have two dogs that are most definitely family members. That being said, they both stay outside 99% of the time. They have a nice two story dog pen with a fenced 60' x 60' yard connected to it. They stay in this while we are at work and during the night. We fenced in the immediate three acres around our house just for them and we let them in this area when we get home in the evenings. The dogs only come inside when the temp is below 36 degrees.

I am going to disagree with JPR and Doc about the dogs needing to be inside. Maggy (whom I have had for 14 years) started out sleeping in my parent's basement and therefore would really like be in the house. Lightning (7 years old) has always been outside and has zero interest in coming inside. I honestly believe the only reason she comes in on cold nights is because she gets too lonely without Maggy. When Hurricane Katrina came through and destroyed their pen we had to put them inside. Maggy was thrilled but Lightning didn't last long. We left the wooden door open and Lightning ended up sleeping outside against the screen door just close enough to Maggy but still outside where she was happy.

I have to admit that I became 'sold' on GSD's when one was dumped on me by a relative several years ago. I'd always had dogs around and some obeyed better than others, but they all seemed to wonder. My Shelties were great at keeping moles out of my yard, but the minute the Invisible Fence went down or their batteries in their collar died, they bolted. With my German Shepherds I simply walked them around and showed them the borders and that they are not to get on the driveway, and that is the rules they follow. The batteries have been dead in their Invisible Fence collars for years yet neither GSD has wondered outside of my yard.

On a side note, when I had my Shelties (one died at 16 years old and the other at 17) I went through numerous 'invisible fence' type of collars and containment systems before I shelled out the money for the Invisible Fence brand. None of the other systems even vaguely worked. Most got fried if we had a lightning strike anywhere within 3 counties of where I live. It's been 10 years now with the Invisible Fence and I've had zero problems. Also, with larger dogs, they make longer prongs and can turn up the 'correction' level (how much the dog gets shocked). With the long prongs and turned up, they will make a 90 pound dog scream and jump 5' straight up in the air! On occasion Bruno would get too close to the driveway and would get whacked. He doesn't know what invisible force is on that driveway, but he knows it will knock the living crap outta him.

Good luck!

I was the one who wanted a dog, at first.

My wife reminded me that a dog was like a messy child and I am a super-neat OCD kind of guy. But I kept dreaming about a little dog.

We found a loving Bichon breeder, and I immediately fell in love with the littlest female of a recent litter. I picked her up, she opened her eyes, we locked in a gaze, and I fell in love. I nestled her inside my jacket, where she stayed all night. I felt a sense of loss when I had to hand her back.

The breeder told me that he would let us have her in six to eight weeks after a vet looked them over and they got a panel of shots.

We returned every week or so to see her, and while we were there, my wife started to play with a little boy from the same litter.

At some point, they bonded.

Whe I came to get my little mutt, my wife tagged along. The little boy was still there, and I wound up writing a check to two puppies.

And so every night, the same woman who was against the idea of a dog, now cuddles a little Bichon as she drifts off to sleep...

Me? I'm raising a little diva who abuses me, demands peanut butter, asks that treats be brought to her, won't fetch, cuddles only to stay warm and usually breaks my heart.

In quiet times--when no one is looking--she kisses me on the nose.

Take your wife along with you to a breeder. Trust me.

I have a Shepherd / Lab mix (what I was told by the people I got him from). My wife didn't want it either but now has grown very fond of him. He is protective of the kids, let's my wife know when someone comes down our driveway, is not aggressive at all towards the kids even when they get rough (he just gets away from them). He is about 100 pounds or so. He is kept in a 4 foot fence that he could jump anytime he wants but has no reason to (he has 4 acres to play on). We do let him inside at night when the windchill dips below 20 degree F and on cold days on and off as well as days when the temps. are over 95 degrees F. Sometimes he still wants to stay outside. He makes no messes in the mowed yard but rather goes in the back in the taller unmowed grass.

k-dog said:

He makes no messes in the mowed yard but rather goes in the back in the taller unmowed grass.

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We have litter-box trained our dogs.

While that might sound odd at first, Bichons can have digestive and urinary problems. Many of our friends state that they battle one urinary infection per year.

Our dogs can go anytime they want. Neither one of them has ever had an infection. Sometimes they get excited and dispeptic. The little girl even upchucks in the pan.

Besides, these dogs have a baby-pink skin, not much of a 'sled dog' for 30 degrees below zero in Wisconsin.

And I sure don't want to get up at zero-dark-thirty to watch a snow white dog freezing to death forcing out a little button in stark fear.

It's a lap dog.

bczoom said:

but Mrs. Zoom is hell-bent against it.

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Listen to your wife.

We have two dogs, and even though we like them, having dogs is a PITA.

Gatorboy said:

having dogs is a PITA.

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I agree 100%, but I would fight to protect them--even on a bad day.

First twenty minutes in the morning is literally 'one month in hell.'

They bounce around on the bed, they want tummy rubs, they poop in the pan--several times--I have to cook them breakfast. (A runny poached egg at the bottom of their dishes, covered with oatmeal.) Then peeing.

The little girl waits about ten minutes and then whines for peanut butter.

I dated a redheaded disco queen that was less of a diva.

Then, in the evening when supper is done and the dishes are soaking, she climbs in my lap and dozes. I can hear her breathing, sometimes she snores. Once she actually had a dream and laughed like a human. If you startle her, she snaps awake with "bed head."

I cannot convey the amount of love I have for her.

Yup, In so many ways there's nothing that matches the unconditional love of a good dog. I once had a Duchess (a GSD) that just so tuned into my emotions so to speak it was uncanny. She sensed your emotions such as a washed out down blue horrible day at work. And she would nuzzle and coddle until you just had to pay attention to her. And as you told her about your day she would quietly moan grown etc. in response as if she were talking to you. And she would not let up till I felt better. Damn I loved that dog there will never be another to replace her.

I have the most wonderful dog in the world, she is an GSD cross third generation timber wolf. She will be six this month, on February 14th, she sheds hair in tumbleweeds, but that is a small price to pay for the devotion and friendship she gives me. She is brilliant with everyone, small children, small animals etc., I have only heard her growl once - a small warning growl, when she was protecting me and my friend who was on crutches.