Thank you from the AR09 Dogs!

Hmm cockers get 'the rage' , to be honest I wouldnt have one after the number of nasty ones we had at Battersea Dogs Home, and they get loads of ear problems etc too

[gruntygiggles]

Cockers are mental and gorgeous and problematic all at the same time!

As for Samoyeds or Akitas....Yep.....big and difficult. Both need LOADS of training, discipline and experienced handling due to their temperaments. Not the best at socialising with other dogs/children unless they have lots of socialisation through puppyhood and really effective/experienced handlers!

Gorgeous dogs though!

Ohhh yes + 1 grunty, samoyeds are beautiful but require constant training, Japanese Akitas are fighting dogs, one of the vet nurses got bitten really badly when I was there by one! (although I got bitten by quite a few collies lol, didnt put me off, nothing serious, they just get institutionalised)

Originally Posted by Von Teese

Hmm cockers get 'the rage' , to be honest I wouldnt have one after the number of nasty ones we had at Battersea Dogs Home, and they get loads of ear problems etc too

My old golden cocker had to be put down, because he had 'the rage' aparantly..

I thought it was my fault because I used to fight with him.. Playfully..

He would be fine one minute, then just go off his rocker and go for the nearest person..

Originally Posted by Sally

My old golden cocker had to be put down, because he had 'the rage' aparantly..

I thought it was my fault because I used to fight with him.. Playfully..

He would be fine one minute, then just go off his rocker and go for the nearest person..

Nope, not your fault, its common among the breed!

[gruntygiggles]

Originally Posted by Sally

My old golden cocker had to be put down, because he had 'the rage' aparantly..

I thought it was my fault because I used to fight with him.. Playfully..

He would be fine one minute, then just go off his rocker and go for the nearest person..

Not your fault at all, as VT said, is common and unfortunately, back yard breeders are not helping. Normally I steer clear of KC registered pedigrees as there are only a few breeds that they have actually kept pure. They are getting much better though and any responsible breeder will only breed from bloodlines where there is little or no history of any problems, be they physical, like hip dysplasia, or mental like "the rage" seen in Cockers.

So...if you do get a breed with known problems, go to a reputable breeder and ask for copies of the registration papers of the parent dogs. That way, you can do some independant research into the the bloodlines and be more confident your puppy has been bred from stock with the aim of breeding out the problems. Know what I mean?

If Rich likes large breed dogs, would he consider a Rottweiler. What most people forget about Rotties is that they are actually herding dogs. They were bred to herd and protect, so are like big bully collies....lol.

They are easily trained with a strict handler, are incredibly loyal and yet big and strong enough to satisfy even the giant dog lovers.

Originally Posted by gruntygiggles

If Rich likes large breed dogs, would he consider a Rottweiler. What most people forget about Rotties is that they are actually herding dogs. They were bred to herd and protect, so are like big bully collies....lol.

They are easily trained with a strict handler, are incredibly loyal and yet big and strong enough to satisfy even the giant dog lovers.

I grew up with dogs inc. 2 Samoyeds (not at the same time) and a Border Collie x Boxer. Grandparents and relatives had dogs also.

I'm a firm believer that most things are in the training, attention and handling of any breed and knowing breed tendancies is a must, but working with the animal can sort out most "issues"...

I don't mind Rottie's at all - we met a really "nice but dim" lad called Brodie not so long ago. He was at the local rescue centre. Very calm dog and within 2 minutes he would sit, laydown etc for both of us. So he was very obedient. Reason given for admittence - change in circumstances. So I think he would have been perfect, although I'm not sure MrsT could handle him on her own. We'd have to spend some time with him, walk him etc to see.

[gruntygiggles]

Originally Posted by RichT

I grew up with dogs inc. 2 Samoyeds (not at the same time) and a Border Collie x Boxer. Grandparents and relatives had dogs also.

I'm a firm believer that most things are in the training, attention and handling of any breed and knowing breed tendancies is a must, but working with the animal can sort out most "issues"...

I don't mind Rottie's at all - we met a really "nice but dim" lad called Brodie not so long ago. He was at the local rescue centre. Very calm dog and within 2 minutes he would sit, laydown etc for both of us. So he was very obedient. Reason given for admittence - change in circumstances. So I think he would have been perfect, although I'm not sure MrsT could handle him on her own. We'd have to spend some time with him, walk him etc to see.

He sounds like a hoot! Rich, you onbviously have the experience, so you're not going to have problems whatever dog you get. Sorry......I always try and advise people to be cautious as you always get inexperienced people getting dogs they can't handle and the dog ends up in a rescue. This is not you, so apologies!

I reckon, whatever breed you get and however "testing" they can be, Mrs T will find her inner task master! I used to go out and see clients and for the ones that didn't have the strong voice or assertive manner, I would get them to treat the dog like it was a child about to run in front of a car. You don't ask it nicely to come back, you bl00dy tell it and expect it to and if it doesn't you make it! I had a policewoman once that was scared to stop her dog jumping up on her. I said, "do you let people you're arresting jump all over you?" she said no and from that moment, completely changed the way she was the dog. Because she became more assertive with the dog, she was able to have more fun with it and more cuddles.

The one breed I really want is a South African Boerboel.......they are immense, powerful beasts, but really loyal and loving!

Originally Posted by gruntygiggles

The one breed I really want is a South African Boerboel.......they are immense, powerful beasts, but really loyal and loving!

They are amazing dogs, there used to be one owned by some very wealthy friends of mine who were always having shows on their fields.
They kept a storage of tyres in an old stable because their dog, Hagar, used to bite the tyres of cars whilst they were driving across the fields to the shows and puncture them, but they loved him so much they would rather pay for replacements than spoil his fun..lol...was a bit worrying when you were driving and you felt like you had run over his head....then the 'pop'.

He was the biggest softie ever, aside from his tyre fetish!

Originally Posted by gruntygiggles

He sounds like a hoot! Rich, you onbviously have the experience, so you're not going to have problems whatever dog you get. Sorry......I always try and advise people to be cautious as you always get inexperienced people getting dogs they can't handle and the dog ends up in a rescue. This is not you, so apologies!

I reckon, whatever breed you get and however "testing" they can be, Mrs T will find her inner task master! I used to go out and see clients and for the ones that didn't have the strong voice or assertive manner, I would get them to treat the dog like it was a child about to run in front of a car. You don't ask it nicely to come back, you bl00dy tell it and expect it to and if it doesn't you make it! I had a policewoman once that was scared to stop her dog jumping up on her. I said, "do you let people you're arresting jump all over you?" she said no and from that moment, completely changed the way she was the dog. Because she became more assertive with the dog, she was able to have more fun with it and more cuddles.

The one breed I really want is a South African Boerboel.......they are immense, powerful beasts, but really loyal and loving!

No need to apologise GG - I think we'll be ok so long as we're realistic going in and understand what we're getting into, i.e. breed.

First thing is a bigger place.