A question -

If you are reading this and are an ordinary household, person looking to purchase a puppy. What makes you decide on a particular breed/dog? Is it -

Always had 1 in the family
Seen a lovely 1 at the park
Friend has 1
My tv idol has 1
A cute picture of puppies in a shop window/magazine/internet that are for sale
other reason.

And would you do much homework, researching the dog first, such as join the breed club for instance? Or are you more likely to ask doggy friends, colleagues at work, your own families opinion. Or just contact your nearest breeder that is advertising pups, and ask to visit and take their advice.

Why I chose GSD -  I simply just loved the shape, face, colours and overall intelligence of the GSD. And I wanted a dog with a little threatening presence but harmful enough, for security.

I haven't bought a puppy from a pedigree breeder if you like, but I have rehomed the ones I have had. So my research was minimal, maybe this is totaly the incorrect way to buy a dog.

Has anyone any thoughts?

will be interested in replies.

Think we all will have obtained a dog in any number of ways in our dog owning lives, I started with cockers when I was still in my parents home, working cockers their choice. Then I rescued a series of GSDs all adult when they came to me and having done that for many years I decided I would like to buy a puppy so first choose the breed and then contacted the breed club to find breeders who had or were expecting pups.

I bought my first pet Elkhound, Fred, and joined the breed club, started to go to shows and club events as a spectator and then took a 7 year old bitch from one of the breeders I had met and happened to live near me. After a couple of years I decided I would like to buy a dog for show and got a bitch from the same breeder who let me have Fred, I campaigned my bitch, Elli, and we had loads of fun and some success and that was that I was hooked on the breed.

ok, when I was seeking out a breed of dog which I have now I got the Gwen Bailey book of breeds. I wrote down from that what I wanted in a dog, so the size, biddability(is that a word?), coat type, amount of exercise, ease to get on with others including animals and really I wanted to have a dog that I liked to look at - no point even if the dog was suitable to get it if I thought it ugly..There are many other points she covers in there.
We've always had Lab's growing up and I wanted something very different..

I ended up with 2 breeds on the list and researched them for a few years, before eventually deciding on my breed and I did contact breed clubs and rescue off my own back and in turn ended up at shows to meet the lovely breed.
I then joined 2 clubs and looked through books, year books, spoke to many people and watched shows and worked out what I liked. I contacted a breeder, visited her dogs and waited 2 years for a pup..
Had no intention of showing when I was looking for a dog, but from attending shows(a lot of them) I decided to give it a go and bob's your uncle I really enjoyed it..

Now have 2 boys and I have a feeling it won't stop there... They are an addictive breed(Everyone says that about their own breed right?) :-D

Sue you have prompted my memory I think I had a magazine called What Dog or something like that and I too chose two breeds the Elkhound and the Smooth Collie, can't remember why.

The other breed I looked at was the Samoyed - Do really like them and maybe one day to add to the Bernese.. I'm friends with a breeder so can always have a cuddle of her lot :-D

well, my staffy was because I wanted a compact little cuddle monster that wasn't prone to many health problems, was long living in dog terms and didn't involve much grooming. ta-dah  a staff fitted the bill perfectly.

My rott was because I met a few and fell in love.  I love the black and tan colouring, the slow deliberate movements (in comparison with dobes), the calm aura and the rottie kisses.

My rott has definitely sold me on bigger dogs and I recently met a gorgeous dane called susie that my rott fell in love with so who knows what will be next....

Never had a dog as a child...always knew I would have one though.
Then the time was right.....a litter of 2 labs was drawn o my attention by friend who was having one and asked if I woulod have the other.
So, that was it, no consideation given to anything other than ' a puppy' was available. :(
This time when we were ready to have dogs again, it was a matter of consulting the inter net for breeds that fitted the criteria we set.
Discovered what was coming up over and over again and set to work contacting breed clubs and potential breeders.
:) This was the way to do it.
Numerically a very small breed we were prepard to wait up to a couple of years but luckily it was only about 6 months.
Have never looked back.

Karen

When we decided to get our first dog my husband initially wanted a Malinois as he had had one as a work dog but having never owned a dog before I didn't want a guard type dog so we ended up getting a labrador (who is a lovely family pet). When the time came to get puppy number 2 again the Malinois issue came up. This time I didn't dismiss it but reserached them as best I could, talked to people who had them, looked at size, amount of exercise, grooming etc and we ended up getting one. To cut a long story short we now have 1 labrador & 3 Malinois so I would say that after my initail reservations they were the breed for us. :)

Ken had always had Irish Setters so an Irish Setter was searched - we got the Petplan puppy list - rang a breeder and hit it off - she was fantastic and we had a super dog :)

Similiar experience for the English - having lived with an Irish bought a book on English and again got the Petplan puppy list - found two breeders rang them both up and arranged a 4 hour drive to meet with them. 

I think it was about talking to them that made me feel comfortable - and I guess them with me?

My Gordon we actually looked on the KC puppy list (think the petplan list had been stopped by then?) and also the Gordon Setter breed club puppy list.  Checked out more about health tests etc. though this time!

I guess we were lucky - and it was the fact we had prior knowlege that helped I think in finding the right dog and breeder?

>Seen a lovely 1 at the park

then spent few years begging for one from my parents and reading everything I could get my hands on.
and waiting to grow physically as I was rightly told I'm too small to have one at 8-9 years old :)...
20 years later, still have the same breed.
As I can't really remember time not wanting/having one I have not really had the choice - The breed picked me when I was young and vulnerable :).
I have spent time with various other breeds and have looked in to few other breeds to have as well as my lions but so far have not found a breed I REALLY must have&just feels right...

I'd say 50-50 so far on the research side of things, first time buyers going on instinct, 2nd time round doing more research I reckon.

Ok. Friends parents had BH's when I was a child and there was just something about them I loved and always hoped that one day I would be able to give one a home. They are stuborn, willfull, loyal, sensitive, friendly, bloody minded, live life through their nose, bidable is not a word they have heard of, drive me to distraction (daily) and yet wouldn't change anything about them, apart from when they both sit on my lap or I'm having to get the ladder in to wipe slobber of the wall. Had to wait till my 40's, until then stoped and spoke to anyone who had one, if I saw one when out in the car would stop and get out - still do - and other owners do it to us. They are not for everyone, I understand that, but not when people have to tell me what they don't like about them, each to their own.

We did research, or so we thought. I can't think of any other purchase that has so many pitfalls. Eventually went to a someone who considers/considered themselves one of the top breeders in the UK and was told everything we wanted to hear (load of ****!), but enough of that.  A steep learning curve, just a shame that one has to do it at the expence of the dog. Still wouldn't change things and can't imagine living without them. Two boys, 5 & 6.

I did very little research before getting GSDs. In fact zero. I must be very lucky and fallen on my feet with all 3, because they have all been so easy to live with. They have been just happy to have 3 hourly spaced out walks through the day, 1 last minute wander. And the rest of the time just content with looking out of doors at passers by, or sitting in the garden minding their own business. Very little destruction compared with the stories on the other post, about what they have ruined. Good temperaments, the only possible area I have had problems with is health. Digestive probs mainly, balancing their diets properly,  All had iffy tums. 1 had Lymphoma, but dogs do get cancer. But then researching all breeds you will find health problems, so I don't see how doing much research would have benefited me any.

Maybe I have been just very, very lucky, so far..

My family had always had GSD's, but from English lines. I used to take them to a BAGSD training club, and fell in love with the look and temperament of the 'germanic' dogs that attended the ringcraft classes. I started going to shows and watching the classes, making a note of the dogs I liked, then looking into their breeding. When I got married I already knew just where my pup was coming from, infact I had approached the breeder 12 month previously and booked a puppy from her next litter. Funnily enough the litter was born 4 days early, on the day we got married.

When I started to have health problem, limiting my mobility, I had to accept that I was no longer able to offer a GSD the type of lifestyle they need, so started considering what breed I would have next. At the time my GSD's best friend was a gorgeous Golden Retriever who was such an easy laid back character. I decided to look into the breed and the more I looked, the more they seemed just perfect for my new lifestyle. I started watching them at shows, working out which lines I liked and researching the breed on the internet. By chance I rang a representative of the local Breed Club, and she invited me to go and see her girls. Before the visit I had a nosey on the internet and liked the breeding behind her dogs. It turned out that one of her bitches was in whelp, so we booked a pup from her.

> I had to accept that I was no longer able to offer a GSD the type of lifestyle they need, so started considering what breed I would have next.

I have only ever had GSDs, and have always wondered what another breed such as your Retriever would be like to own, temperament wise and anything else wise. Are they hugely different altogether then? If you have a mo..

Hi Sian

most of us on here are 'ordinary households' or certainly started off that way when making the huge decision to add a puppy to our households.  The conformation showing / agility / flyball /working trials and all other competitive disciplines in the main are a bonus with some of us falling into the 'trap' almost unwittingly (certainly in our household!)

When making the decision to add a dog as a family companion only, we did our research through the KC, multiple books and attending some local open and exemption shows and picking the brains of exhibitors there to research breeds suitable to our family life style.  Our main criteria was the breed of dog not be too large or too small and not a smooth coated breed - beyond that we were very open minded and gradually narrowed things down after some pretty intense investigations :)

What we were also sure of was to avoid puppy farmers and BYB breeders - I think basically we just used common sense.
regards, Teri

Hey Teri

Thanks for you reponse.

Yes, I can see once becoming a dog owner, how many people choose not to just take the dog for walks, and go about their own business around the home (dog and owner), but become more active and find a hobby that the dog is involved in too, such as agility, showing etc and this is brill.

I'm just wondering if doing more research on breed finding though, has become more popular over recent years, rather than when I started out 20+ years ago? With all of today's doggy related media both (good and bad), with "Discover Dogs'", and with more breeds from which to choose from etc. People feel the need to make sure that they are not making a mistake when choosing the correct breed, rather than in past times, when a dog on your street had pups, and dad decided you could have one, whether it was a Jack Russell Terrier or Jack the Heinz57 variety.

Thanks again, and I'm, glad you and your dog(s) enjoy doing stuff/hobbies together.

Sian

My husband was offered a working bred springer spaniel. I said no. ;-) I had 2 young children and didn't want a dog at the time. Said springer joined our family when she was 10 weeks old :-p She was supposed to be kept in a kennel and run, but it wasn't finished so she ended up in the house. When she was due to retire I was checking out the local paper and saw a photo and article about a litter of Large Munsterlanders. After a bit of discussion (well, they look like spaniels, how big can they be :-) type of talk) we went to look at them and came home with a puppy. No real research done, in fact none at all really Had Munsters for 20 years now and wouldn't look elsewhere.

My parents had always had Dobes as pets and so when I left home that was the breed I went for as well, but when the last one went to the bridge I decided that a smaller breed was going to suit us better as a family.  I went to a few champ shows to have a look and then contacted some breeders as I wanted to show the new family member and that was that.  I did as much research as I could but being a numerically small breed I found it hard going and had to dive in at the deep end, possibly my choice of breeder was questionanable but once I was into the breed that is when I was able to find out more.

I had always admired gsd even as a child too much rin tin tin I guess. The first one I had was bred from a friends bitch I had know idea that there should be health checks nor did I ask., I doknow now some were done and she did look into what she was doing.  I was lucky I supose and it all work d out well.
My second dog was a flat coat by now Ihad more idea what I should be doing and what I needed in a particular breed. Research the breed and contacted the breed society and was given details of litters available etc btw fantastic dog
Number 3 knew I wanted to have another gsd so went along the same lines as fcr.
Now comes the odd one ok hands up I didnt do it in right way ! Daughter wanted a chihuahua did my reasearchas before and finally mainly due to size of daughters bank balance got acrossbreed on epupz !!
froma family ho fancied breeding a couple of litters.
Yes Yes I know guilty as charged ! fortunately fromthe point of health she is great at 2 years temperament maybe a little more nervous than I would like but very loving and attractive

I know the breed and will be going through the breed society ( I think you know what that is Polly wink wink )

All I have known since the age of 18mths - 14 yrs is growing up with GSD's (mum used to compete in obedience with them) from 14yrs to 20 we still had GSD's but my mum had added a few Rottweilers to the equation. 

At 19/20 I took on a rescue Staffie - no research (we just looked after her while trying to find her a new home) as she was 12 weeks old and had a very traumatic start to life...7 1/2 yrs later she's still here lol

At 21 I decided I wanted my own dog (as in choosing it from a breeder and researching etc) I didn't want to feel as though I was copying my mum by getting a GSD or a Rottie so hey ho off I went and researched Akita's!  Later that year I brought my fluffy bundle home, I wanted one due to the look of the breed, the aloofness and the challenge...and boy has she been a challenge lol.  She is such a wonderful dog but will be my only one.

I then decided I would go back to what I know and after going back to the lines I loved along came my male Rottweiler...and what a handsome boy he is.  I loved the fact I could really get on with my obedience etc which although I do with my Akita it is not the same.  Since then I have added another Rottie bitch and she is just adorable...most of the time!

I have promised myself that when I do not have my Akita I am going back to my one true love - the GSD and will get myself a lovely bitch.

These are brilliant replies everyone is giving. Sooo many GSDs too :)

I am especially interested in the amount of research everyone does (if much at all) before buying a pup and the outlet this research came from. Also why the specific breed you chose, and if your original choice, was the breed you eventually ended up with.

Cheers everyone.

Excellent imput and interesting stories I'm reading.

Sian

I never had a dog befor but allways wanted one (well except for when i was terrifyed of dogs that is lol) so when i was able to get one i first went to the kennel club site and looked at all the breeds that were mediun to small (wasnt allowed a big dog) and made a list of the breeds i liked the look of. I then went to breedclub sites and other sites and books to read up more about the breeds and crossed off ones that didnt suite my life style. I was left with 2 breeds in then end and fell in love with vallhunds. I then emailed a few breeders with some questions i hadnt found the answer to, and that was my breed search over. Took about 4 month from starting to look at breeds to picking one and finding a breeder.

the only problem was i didnt want a breed that shedded a lot and when reading about the vallhund i hadnt read about the shedding untill i fell in love with the breed and two breeders told me they shed quite a bit lol but its was too late i was in love so ive brought a new hover :)

> so when i was able to get one i first went to the kennel club site and looked at all the breeds that were mediun to small (wasnt allowed a big dog).

Hey JoStockbridge

How old were you when you first purchased your pup and when was this? if you don't mind me asking.

Cheers Sian.

Edited to add, my first dog was born in 1988, and my second 1992.

Well as I said before I have always been animal mad,a nd would read exhaustively on anything that took my fancy.

Basically I am a nerd.  When I looked after the class Guinea pig one summery, I decided I would have my own and did loads of research.

At 18 I was bored with going out to dances/disco's with friends and had a lot of responsibilities on my plate (looking after Dad and younger siblings age 5 to 15 as Mum had walked out), so felt the need of a hobby, with animals of course.  So along came the Rabbits, first an Agouti cross called Hazel, who I took along and entered in the Pet classes at Local shows.  I then got 12 hutches built and started my Rabbitry of pedigree Chocolate English Rabbits, and this lasted for 3 years until I got married and no longer had a garden.

When we moved to Bristol where we were buying a house I already had a puppy booked.

Other half wanted GSD, but they were too big to handle with a baby in my book as a first time dog, and I researched BSD's and liked the Blacks.

She had been paid for and arrived the week after we moved in.  I showed her until my marriage broke down.  Sadly she died at 3 1/2 (was a terrible escape artist and I took my eye off her for a minute).

I was now alone with two pre school children.  The BSD's were just a bit to needy for my present circumstances, and loosing one young was painful.

Had always liked the Spitz breeds, and knew someone with Keeshonds whose temperaments I loved.  They were just too small going from a 24 inch bitch to a 16 inch.  I knew I had seen something bigger with a  more practical coat.  Voilà into dog book, found the name of the breed, contacted breed club, saw them at a show, and liked their temperament and the way they were with my children.  Nice thick coat, but easy to groom.

They suit me down to the ground, active when out, chilled at home, look the part when walking late at night, can be reasonably obedient, though often it's wait a minute while I sniff this.  They treat everyone as a friend unless given cause to think otherwise, perfect hairy family dog.

It was two years before I was able to get back into showing, and able to leave kids with Step Mother.

Now the kids have flown and I have had 7, 6 home-bred.

Being a numerically small breed I found research easier, not like a previous poster at all.  I wrote to the owner of the stud asking for photos and information, same with the people who owned grandparents, and they were all too Harpy to send me photos and details of the past dogs.

Being the nerd I am though one of the first things I did on joining the breed club was buy 10 years back issues of club Journals (those with all the breeder adverts, show and health results and articles), after digesting them and seeing how various lines had evolved, I bought the previous 10 years, and then right back as far as I could go with odd ones.

You really are an anorak :) but probably the best anorak in the world, as the advert goes.

If I'd have known you could dance..

I have always said I could live with any animal, just not humans. LOL

> Other half wanted GSD, but they were too big to handle with a baby in my book as a first time dog, and I researched BSD's and liked the Blacks.

We can see who's the boss in your hoose.

This is one hell of a story sad and joyful.

If you tell me and everyone else anymore though we will have nothin left to talk about at Midland....Just kiddin.

Thanks Sian.

You hope, better buy the ear defenders now. ;)

> I'm just wondering if doing more research on breed finding though, has become more popular over recent years, rather than when I started out 20+ years ago?

I started out over 20 years ago too - with research, which is why I responded :)  I think at the time being a parent of a young child with lots of small friends visiting was the main motivation for ensuring we got a breed which would suit our circumstances in temperament, size, trainability etc.  Through researching various breeds, reading the KCs descriptions of their character, exercise and grooming requirements and then going on to find local shows where we could meet some of the breeds we were drawn to we managed to rule out quite a few for various reasons.

Researching suitability isn't new - at that time a puppy could be bought on impulse from numerous corner pet shops and of course there was often news of a local 'surprise' litter of something or other but we always knew that wasn't for us.  Parental instinct possibly :)

Teri

Perhaps me being single and young at the time (a bit of a risk taker) was a reason I did little research.
Perhaps also like me others do little research, but make a wrong choice, hence rescue centres being full :(

Thanks

Lack of research is so evident in so many of the owners that come to my friends pet obedience classes, but these are the ones wanting it to work.

So many would not do it the same way again, but some just repeat the mistakes.

Example, lady with Westie male, apart from being bad tempered, when had badly slipping patellas, resulting in an early death due to the arthritis pain. 

What did she do after he was first diagnosed, bought another badly bred Westie pup from an advert in the paper.  This one is very shy (despite plenty of socialisation and training) and sweet, looks very untypical with a funny coat, but fortunately no skin issues.

I am sure she doesn't connect poor breeding with her first dogs health issues or her second dogs temperament issues, so probably thinks her way of doing it is fine.

With dumb luck many badly bred and reared dogs will make excellent pets.  Sadly even with the most conscientious efforts by good breeders the occasional dog will have issues.

Hello

We got a dog because I'd always had one as a kid (my Aunty bred GSDs (the old fashioned straight backed ones) and we had a rough collie) and for me the house always feels empty without a furry person around :-).

We waited until our jobs meant we could have a dog (now we live outside London and we can working from home a lot) ... and then we made a list of what we wanted to do with our dog - so a lot of running, mountain biking, long distance mountain walking, agility and obedience. I like a close 1:1 bond with dogs rather than a more independent spirit ... so we ended up with a shortlist of breeds we thought would suit.

I took my husband to Discover Dogs and we ruled out the ones he thought were too big or too intimidating for his family (they're not doggy people and we still wanted invites to visit them!) or ones he just didn't like the look of ;-).

So we ended up with Australian Shepherd, Border Collie, or Kelpie. I love a bit of a coat to cuddle and groom (having had a rough collie!) so that left Border Collie or Aussie. OH preferred the characters of the Aussies at DD rather than the collies so I got on the internet and looked into health issues, contacted the breed club, got a list of upcoming litters, then rang up the breeders with a massive list of questions, and already had in mind I wanted a more 'working' than 'showing' type pup. I picked the breeder who I liked best on the phone and who gave me a good grilling. We went to visit before her bitch was pregnant and fell in love with all her dogs. She was upfront that she would have a hand in which pup we got ...  and that was that ... I couldn't have asked for a pup that was nicer or more suited to us :-).

Hope that helps :-)

Purely pet household here and relatively new to the game, our first dog joined us just over four years ago and the second just a year ago.
I didn't have dogs as a child but hubby did.

I have to say - looks attracted me. We have Weims, saw them at a game fair and thought they looked amazing although we had no idea of the breed and had never knowingly seen one before. Couldn't have a dog then though.
When we finally were in a position - ie someone at home most of the time - we did research the breed. Quickly learned that those amazing looks were going to be a challenge! Went to see breeders with adults only first of all (no cute puppies running around). In that time we saw the best and the worst of breeding I think but we were lucky. The first person we called to see if they were happy to talk to us about Weims was great and really helped us know what to expect from a good breeder. So when we saw bad, we recognised it for what it was. Could so easily have gone the other way...I dread to think what would have happened if we had seen a different kind of breeder first...

Eventually we found a breeder we were very happy with and it's worked out really well.

I just wish I could persuade all of my friends and family that this was the best way to find a healthy pup...not a questionable advert in a free paper...

Researching 20+ years ago was so much harder - no World Wide Web then! Our first dog was inherited from my brother, a farm collie who he had taken 'pity' on then couldn't look after as he was working and lived in the town so she came to us. She was fear aggressive but would have made a fabulous working dog as she lived to herd.

Our next choice was an impulse buy as I had seen Bernese in Switzerland as a teenager and always wanted one - did little research - at that time I knew about HD but thought that only GSD's suffered -WRONG!! My next one was a Swedish Lapphund - again impulse - saw puppies in paper advertised as 'like black samoyeds' and I just had to have one - I'd always wanted a Samoyed but couldn't imagine keeping one clean - a black one was a godsend. We were obviously lucky because each time we managed to get a dog with good breeding behind it and helpful breeders. Our first bernese we got from someone who wasn't his breeder and she had caused a lot of his problems by overfeeding rubbish and over exercising him as a puppy- but we didn't know that! We showed both these dogs and did particularly well with Dakko the Lapphund but they were not bought for showing initially. I remeber looking up 'Swedish Lapphund' on the web in the mid nineties and getting all sorts of 'strange' Swedish sites of a questionable nature and very little about the dog :-D

By the time we got our current dogs we had the full power of the web available so did lots of research and reading but all three breeders we went to were on KC puppy list and all were relatively local. All were bought as pets but all had great breeders who still keep in touch. We have started to show Teasel our PBGV puppy because she has turned out quite nice.

Having said that I did little research before I got my first dogs, I did buy lots of books and join the breed clubs after I got the dogs.

I was never allowed a dog when I lived at home, my parents aren't dog people. OH grew up with dogs.

OH's friend's parents had a working cocker and I fell in love with her.  We just got our first home together when she had pups - it seemed like fate!  So by white and black boy came home.  When we decided on another dog I wanted a show cocker because I wanted the same spaniel zest for life, but slightly less manic!  Found a litter of show cockers with a black bitch available and brought her home.

Knowing what I know now, I should have done alot more research, and view it as lesson learned.

Sian  I had gsd first then flatti then gsd I know the question you asked was probably more geared to goldie butythought I would answer any way lol

Yes I find them very different.Firstly other peoples behaviour; everyone wants to say hi to a retriever but many all ages are wary of gsd no matter how many times you show them all is well. if my gsd barks and yes as you know they can be vocal he's in trouble beople are scared with my flatti no one cared. Both breeds are loyal and mine have been very attached to me but happy to be with others.  The flatti wanted to please all the time wheras the gsd I have found were very intelligent but can be quite wayward if I show any sign of weakness or am not on top form. With both my gsd the key factor has been to have a firm but kind hand and the bitch being easier than my current dog. Not sure if that is because of gender difference
Flatcoat just wanted to be with me and please me. One of my reasons to change breeds at that time was because I then had ayoung family and wanted a dog that was seen as approchable by everyone. It wasnt until I got Whipsa I realised how hard it can be out there with certain breeds 

I grew up with cross bred dogs and lived near a dog home which in those days sold pups to children no questions asked. Most family pets were bought by me on the way home from school on a Friday night with pocket money and usually from the line of dogs waiting to be pts. My mum always said it would have to go back on Monday but none ever did so it worked well - I would be horrified now if my kids could do this. Then followed pups the farmer was drowning and dad rescued etc. The breed I have now I watched walking into Crufts a year after I had decided I would never have another dog and they made me laugh out loud. Later a Papillon agility team came on and again I laughed. I knew that was the dog for me and have never looked back. Research then was the internet and ringing breeders which is how I met my first friend in the breed

Um I went on to the KC website and looked at some breeds. OH allways wanted a BC so he has Jake.
I wanted a cuddly, soft mouth dog, as a child at boarding school they had a white ticked spaniel - used to snap!! but that soft mouth, mornfull eyes touched me in some way.

I read all about asking questions, see both parents ect... I found Whistler on KC website, local (about 10 miles away) visited him at about 5 weeks and fell in love, put down a deposit. Visited again a week later with my son and his partner, paid for him.

Collected him at 8 weeks and never looked back.

I suppose I did check the pedigree, meet Mum at home and saw that all puppies were handled by adults and children - a little girl, I liked the area thay were in, HUGE utility room and access to the garden all fenced in. Alison was really nice Cassie had bred before same Sire and this was her last litter.

Jake was born in a barn, kept outside with about 30 other dogs (BC's) Andy trains sheepdogs and my OH was interviewed by Andy before the litter was born and before he took our money. We paid in advance, picked Jake at 5 weeks, collected him at 8.5 weeks, absolutely wild!!!!!!! never handled and he cried, fought and scratched all the way home. But he's a beauty now, very well trained very gentle I would have another one tomorrow.. We did research as much as possible, got all the papers, food pack in Whistlers case a piece of blanket with Mum's smell.
Jake papers, food pack but no blanket he went in with either breeding bitch for a drink when he felt like it, so he wasn't that fussed.

I suppose its both ends of the spectrum, 1 was a worker one a lap dog, but now we have two lap dogs and feel that we chose very well. Despite neither of us having had, or knowing anyone with the breeds we have ended up with.

> Sian; I had gsd first then flatti then gsd I know the question you asked was probably more geared to goldie butythought I would answer any way lol

Not at all directed necessarily at Goldie I just thought she may have still been there.

I have often wondered the different natures of different breeds, and wondered what if anything I would get if I decided to change breeds when Matey goes, not that he's going anywhere soon I've warned him, he will leave me at the park though for any bitch that shows the slightest interest in him.

I have no idea what a flattie is I thought it was something to do with having a puncture. ;) Honestly, you would think I live up the top of Snowdonia mountain the way I'm so out of touch, but I'm only on the border of N Wales and Chester, but hey we all know I don't get out much. I walk the dog, work and sleep that's as exciting as it gets for me.

It was interesting reading about the difference you found between your breeds, thanks.

I love the GSDs so I will probably never change though.

I think Swedes in general have a slightly different way of doing things when it comes to getting a dog -it is so well known in Sweden that what you do is contact the Kennel Club if you want to buy a dog. (Well, it USED to be, even Sweden has been hit by the poorly bred designer crossbreeds in later years. When I lived there mongrels and crossbreeds basically did not exist.) I grew up with Poodles and Papillons in the family and always wanted one but for various reasons it didn't happen -had lots of other animals but no dog. (Have still never had a Poodle but got my first Papillon finally when I was 39!) When I was 15 I started walking a Golden Retriever for a neighbour who worked and needed a dog walker. Good way to have a dog without the ultimate responsibility and costs. I advertised in the local paper offering to walk a dog. Pretty much as soon as I started walking that Golden, I joined the breed club to learn everything about the breed, got breed books out of the library etc. You couldn't do that here as you need a proposer and seconder to join a breed club! In Sweden I just paid the fee and became a member, simple as that, and learnt a lot from the club magazine and year books. Plus I joined the Swedish KC which has a magazine that caters not just for breeders but your average pet dog owner as well. Lots of general interest articles on training and care etc. Again anyone can join. I was eventually given the dog I was walking as the owner was moving away and couldn't keep him. When he died and it was time for a puppy not only did I know how to find a good breeder, I knew what lines I liked and didn't like, from being a breed club member for years. This was long before the internet of course.But the way I got my first breed was purely accidental.

When I moved to England and obviously wanted a Golden again, I knew instantly which breeder to go for due to my knowledge of pedigrees and different lines, gained from the Swedish breed club. It's a British breed after all so easy to find the same lines. The hard part was joining the breed club here but managed after a year or so.

Cutting out a lot of other goings on, when I met Malinois during several visits to the US and realised it was the breed for me and decided to buy one, it seemed obvious the best way to go about it was to contact the breed note writer in one of the dog papers. Who better to point you in the right direction? The rest is history and for the past 6 years I've been a breed note writer myself and always try to help when people get in touch and want to learn about the breed and find a good breeder.

I'm currently at work and need to crack on, so after my long stroll with Duke tonight, I will be settling down with my milky coffee, Fleetwood Mac on in the background, and study and digest everyones stories with interest. And see if any one else was as dumb as me in not doing any research what so ever when buying a furry friend, though on 1st quick read I think I'm on my own, and very lucky indeed to have gotten away with 3 wonderful dogs.

I'll give my input then.

I'd say I've been pretty lucky in my choice of dogs too. Hubby had an American cocker as a child and wouldn't consider any other breed. I fell in love with Cavaliers after seeing one on a bellringing outing. As I said on another thread, was lucky that I was advised to get a puppy pack from KC when I asked vaguely at work how I find a dog. And was lucky that all 3 breeders of the 3 dogs I have bought in my life turned out reputable people who did the health testing, particularly with the first 2 dogs where I didn't know what questions to ask. And of course I was pretty lucky that the 2 breeds we like are pretty easygoing breeds that are good for first time owners - don't know how you lot manage with your 'expert owner only' type breeds, my spaniels are hard enough work! :-)

When I decided to get a puppy I already had a rescue collie who I did agility with. I wanted a dog that had brains and could do agility to a good standard but wasn't as obbsessive as my collie. So I got an aussie and she is just perfect! Before I got her I had only ever met one (several years before) and had fallen in love with him, did some research on the internet and that was it. Couldn't have wished for a better dog!

Sorry flat coat retriever - flattie shouldnt use shortenings slapped wrist

Always had rescues but adore gsds and always have one in the gang, then the rest of the dogs just sort of happen. I wanted a rescue spaniel as my childhood was surrounded by them, the golden retriever and patterdale just happened as they needed a bit of love and I was there. I love all flavours of dogs but must have one gsd as I love the intelligent look but their very silly and funny ways that make me laugh.

hi Sian!I dont really know why I chose a collie,aged 18.Later,Id explain that I felt Id been a collie in a past life,that somehow,under the skin,Id felt at one with the collie,just a gut feeling,well,im probably mad.Cant explain any better,sorry!I have had other dogs(they "happen" to me!gsds,jack russells,cross breeds,)but given the choice,itd be another collie.I tend to ask advice after the deed as you may have noticed!

your gsds sound lovely.

Long long story shortened as much as possible... Father owned and show'd Border Terriers, I was completely distracted by the Labradors. and decided that 'when I grew up' I would have Labradors.. I married, my husband already had 3 (clinched the deal really :-) ) hubby passed away, and so did the dogs, one by one over the years, and for around 8years I was dogless.. My later partner shot clays, and was also invited onto a pheasant/grouse small private syndicate.. I bought him an ESS for his birthday, and he began Field Trialing.. I bought another ESS for myself (Megan) and joined him :-)  later a 'then' freind had a litter of Labs which I whelped, and I somehow ended up with one of the pups, not exactly planned that way.. but that was really the beginning of the end :-)  I now have 14 Labs.. AND

Today, I brought home my Flatcoated Retriever puppy. after 6 years of research to find the lines that I wanted AND not have the lines that I did'nt want.. It is so much harder weeding out the lines not wanted in a pedigree, than finding a pedigree with the lines wanted... 6 years of waiting for the right pup finally paid off..

And Raymond has been a member of the family for 4 hours now :-) :-)  after  a 13hour round trip to get him

my sister had a munsterlander bitch,and I loved her like my own.What a character!

> It was interesting reading about the difference you found between your breeds, thanks.
>

the differences between breeds can be huge!!!

There are some breeds I would never own, and if they were the only choice I wouldn't; have a dog at all.

The two breeds I have owned have been very different, and one suits me better than the other.

I am very familiar with Dobermans, having been closely associated with my neighbours (6 now dogs and bitches).  I have looked after and known lots of others well.