good dog breed options for a first time owner?

sergeidog

sergeidog

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i likely won't be getting a dog for quite some time, but it's something i look forward to in the future and i just like to have things planned out in my head.
i know no breed is necessarily "bad" or "good", but i've only ever owned cats (which i adore btw) so my experience with dogs is lacking and the last thing i would want is to take on a dog i dont have the experience to take care of, for the sake of the pup

im kind of in love with dogs on the larger side because i just think they're really cute, so if anyone has any ideas that would be cool ^-^
or to phrase it as an open question, whats your favorite / current dog breed? what do you like about them? are there any challenges with that specific breed?
 
Depending on how much exercise you like to do, border collies and standard poodles are highly intelligent and trainable. If you're looking for a bigger dog, maybe a doodle of some sort.
 
What is your definition of “larger side”? Are we talking large breeds like 50-70 pounds or like large large (100+ Danes Bernese etc.)
 
If your asking on here am I safe to assume that you expect to do a little additional training :husky_wink: ? In which case, once you know what size you want I would recommend reading about any potential breed's temperament. The Kennel Club's Getting a dog page has a lot of useful links (including an adoption search option and a simple score card comparison for every breed).

Labs are always a safe bet, but I'm biased.
 
GSDs and huskies are amazing breeds, but require a lot of space, exercise, and socialising. Also needs a good vacuum for all the shed fur ;w;
Having said that, they are fantastic dogs and some of my absolute favourites! They are very loyal, kind, protective, and so gosh dang cute :gsd_love:

They are also good for, ahem, other things but given the section you're asking - and the fact that you should never just get a dog because of sex alone - that shouldn't play too big a role. Pick a companion you can look after and love the most ❤️
 
K9Companion said:
GSDs and huskies are amazing breeds, but require a lot of space, exercise, and socialising. Also needs a good vacuum for all the shed fur ;w;
Having said that, they are fantastic dogs and some of my absolute favourites! They are very loyal, kind, protective, and so gosh dang cute :gsd_love:

They are also good for, ahem, other things but given the section you're asking - and the fact that you should never just get a dog because of sex alone - that shouldn't play too big a role. Pick a companion you can look after and love the most ❤️
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Ya this is probably the best advise. A primary question really should be "Which breed can I actually accommodated". Pick breeds based on being able to fulfill all their needs.
Wish I had the time for a husky:husky_sad:
 
K9Companion said:
GSDs and huskies are amazing breeds, but require a lot of space, exercise, and socialising. Also needs a good vacuum for all the shed fur ;w;
Having said that, they are fantastic dogs and some of my absolute favourites! They are very loyal, kind, protective, and so gosh dang cute :gsd_love:

They are also good for, ahem, other things but given the section you're asking - and the fact that you should never just get a dog because of sex alone - that shouldn't play too big a role. Pick a companion you can look after and love the most ❤️
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They have zero dog experience though…so a husky or GSD would be some of the worst ideas. Both require extensive amounts of work and knowledge…and even then are quite a challenge. Neither would be a very wise choice for a beginner.

For a large dog a golden retriever is probably the best option. Pretty easy to train and even the most clueless person can make them have a good temperament towards other people/dogs. While they do have a lot of energy I have found they are a lot more forgiving than a lab. Labs will bug you to no end and can become quite destructive. Poodles can be another good option, but require a very frequent grooming schedule, that many people just don’t follow. Either because they are lazy or cheap. However, Poodle…not doodle. Doodles are garbage.

If they are looking for something even larger than that, a Bernese Mountaim Dog is probably one of the better options. Very smart, loyal, not too high energy, and pretty easy to train. Great Danes are a lovely option, but are going to be a handful if you fumble obedience training early on.
 
For smaller/medium size (especially if you either can have them groomed regularly or deal with the up to floor length double coat yourself), I would say Tibetan Terriers are a decent choice. Super soft fur, cuddly, adaptable, can work with any climate/most living situations.

Otherwise seconding Goldens, Berners and adding Newfoundlands to the list as well for large & agreed on the doodles being bad on the short and long term.
 
hmm, as much as i would ADORE having a gsd, newfoundland or husky, i think my best bet would be a golden retriever. im sure once ive had some more experience and a larger living space i can get a shepherd or a husky one day :) i dont want it to sound like im too focused on breeds, because i would love any dog i had regardless of that, i just want to set me and my future companion up for success

that being said, im finding all the feedback to be pretty interesting! so dont be afraid to add any more details and such
:gsd_happysmile::gsd_happysmile:
 
I am highly biased. Best dog I ever owned was a Rottweiler. She could easily read me and would have done anything to protect me without having said a word. She adjusted her behavior to fit my life, she had been single dog home with violent tendencies towards all other animals but in my home she never hurt anything. Doesn't hurt that they are beautiful breed.
 

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People think they are the best of both worlds (poodle and golden) and I am pretty sure they are actually the worst of both worlds. Low quality parents that are continuously making worse and worse genetics. The only thing they tend to be good at is friendly towards people/dogs. However, they tend to be ridiculously crazy energy, don’t listen, and are pretty dumb.

I’m really not even a huge fan of poodles. Maybe it is the owners, but they always seem to be pretty ‘meh’ temperaments.
 
stevv9312 said:
People think they are the best of both worlds (poodle and golden) and I am pretty sure they are actually the worst of both worlds. Low quality parents that are continuously making worse and worse genetics. The only thing they tend to be good at is friendly towards people/dogs. However, they tend to be ridiculously crazy energy, don’t listen, and are pretty dumb.

I’m really not even a huge fan of poodles. Maybe it is the owners, but they always seem to be pretty ‘meh’ temperaments.
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And people have no idea how difficult it is to properly manage their mixed coats
People are always trying to get me to dematt their dog not realizing that hurts their skin and costs me a ton of time and effort and so I have to charge them ridiculous prices to accommodate for that.
The best thing for 95% of doodles is to have them shaved to under 1/2” every 6-8weeks because mixing a haired breed and a double coat breed creates disastrous results.
They are not hypoallergenic and the majority of them aren’t even non shedding.
A doodle will cost you, please choose a different breed.
 
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