I am looking for a family dog, I have two children age 8 and 9 they are girls, I live in a large house with 3 acres of land.  I am looking for a dog for security but mainly for a family pet.  I love dogs but have never owned one. I am totally confussed in what type of puppy to buy.  I have had so many opinions from friends, i.e.  boxers, labradors, weimaraner etc that I would like an independent view.  I am aware that it is all about personal choice, but would value anyone comments.

Thanking you so much for taking your time to read this.

Melanie

Why don't you Register with us and then you will be able to answer any pertinant questions that people may ask?

Melody :)

Theres a million and one things to consider when choosing a breed so you are right to take the time to consider each one rather than going ahead and choosing one which may not be as compatible as another may be for you.
You need to decide whether you want a large or small breed- how strong will the dog be when fully grown??  how much time do you want to take for things such as grooming ( some dont need gooming other than a quick brush , others may need clipping regularly etc).
How much time will you have to exercise the dog as some need long walks and execise while others may be happy with a short walk each day. Some breeds can be headstrong or stubborn , others will be more relaxed and easy going in their attitude . Some breeds can be prone to certain health problems. If you have sheep or horses in the area where you live ( you say you have a few acres of land) then is a particular breed better than another in those circumstances.
Theres lots to consider . If you join the board you can ask the opinions of those owners whose breeds you are currently considering and maybe start from there ?
Good luckin you search :)
lel

If you really have no idea what you DO want, perhaps it would be better to make a list of what you DON'T want! :D  eg long/short coat, size, exercise requirements, training,etc.  This will whittle down to a handful and then you need to look at what the breed was originally bred for which usually gives you a good idea of what it will be like as a pet eg tractable, difficult to train etc etc.

You say you are looking for a dog for security?  Hmmmmmm, I expect that is what the dog is hoping for from you!  Security means a lot of different things to a lot of different people. 

If you have not had a dog before I would certainly NOT choose a Weimaraner as they would not be recommended for novice dog owners, particularly the males.  The exercise and training requirements are immense; you would be better off with a nice healthy lab whose parents had been hip scored and eye tested and preferably not one from a "working" strain!