As in how did you decide which breed of dog was the one for you and your family? Coming from a family where we've only ever had rescues/dumpees it all seems a little strange to me, having one breed and seemingly that is it, the whole rescue as well as breeding side. I have a, what I consider, long list of breeds which draw me to them, and of course those that you adore but don't have the same pull, but I haven't been able to put down, 100%, one breed that I could dedicate my dog owning life to. Bulldogs came very, very close to this, after reading about the expense, health problems, other peoples opinions, less than reputable breeders etc. I still felt the same pull. I've felt this about a lot of breeds, admittably, and have had to convince myself to cut them off the list for one reason or another, mostly either rarity (Glen of Imaal) or the fact i've met so many in rescues that need homes I couldn't have a pup from a breeder without feeling guilty (Rottweilers, Bull Terriers).

Is it something that happens when you share your life with one and it clicks, this breed is one you adore and you are willing to put in the time and effort to help, maintain and improve? I mean what drives you to dedicate yourself to a breed, or a select few breeds? Of course i'm mostly asking this of the breeders/exhibitors but also pet owners.

Sorry if this makes little sense, I tend to ramble.

Thank you for reading

Hi  I dont know how it came about that we decided to get a boxer, because when i was a teenager living at home my dad bought my mum a Afghan hound and i was totally hooked on them, but when my son was young we decided to get a dog and it was a boxer we decided upon and seventeen years later we still have boxers, i just adore them and i couldnt image my home without having a boxer or like i have at the moment three boxer clowns sharing my life

As a child we had we had a spaniel and a labx, but there were always Boxers around that belonged to other family members. We have had our own Boxers for more than 40 years. Can't give a coherent or logical explanation as to why they are 'our' breed but, for innumerable reasons, they get themselves so firmly into one's heart and one's mind that it is impossible to consider having anything else. There are many breeds that I admire but I cannot see past a Boxer.

Our dog came from the pound as we couldnt decide on a breed, then realised we didnt need a pedigree to be happy, but there were homeless dogs needing a home. So rescue/rehome whatever. With more experience of dogs both of us are drawn to gundogs. Daughter no 2 loves Staffies, they just click with her personality and she says theyre cute, daughter no 1 has a Weimeraner addiction ( back to gundogs) while son loves Utonagans and Malamutes. The wee one loves Springers. With me its always been Gordon Setters. Initially their majestic looks and presence, now their independent, funny, stubborn personalities.  Large Munsterlanders come close second. Both breeds have a similar personality to our first dog Morse. He conditioned us to active, comic, dogs who do the unexpected. :) So we'll be back to the pound looking for another nutter unless we find a GS or LM needing a home....

Our first family dogs that I remember was inherited from my granddad & were a couple of X breeds who both died of distemper(they were both in their teens tho')

When the last one died my dad bought an Alsatian(I can't bring myself to call her a GSD as she was the epitome of the Alsatian breed standard complete with the very iffy temperament)he had met the breed during the end of the war in Germany & was impressed by the breed, Sadly Sue was everythind a GSD should not be a very pale light boned fear biter despite being bred in the purple by a son of the "great"Avon Prince out of a double G daughter of same. I onger for a "proper"GSD that looked like the ones the policeman at the dog club had so for 2 years I saved up my pocket money(all 1/- 5p in current money)every week & after proving at the dog club that I could work a GSD(I was only 6 at the time I started saving up)I got my first GSD from Gwen Barrington's pure German lines for my 8 birthday unfortunately I spent this birthday in hospital for 6 weeks & my puppy bonded with my brother, I still trained her when I was out of hospital but when my father's wife realized she was going to be better than her "Alsatian"Tina was taken off me & I was dogless again.

I think this made me look for another breed that no one else in the family would want or liked & after reading the comic strip Black Bob BC stories I found my breed, I met a local farmer who had the breed & was hooked, I only had to wait 9 years before I got my second dog a little BC bitch who cost £2-00 less than the vaccinations ! Shea totally filled my desire for a dog & training her was my dream. By the time she was 9 months old we were out of Beginners & working A & B when she was savaged by a GSD doing retrieve at the dog club & she was too frightened to do a retieve or scent for a year & her attacker went for my young GSD dog(long story I was given his mother for training her mother for her owner)in front of his mother Big Big mistake as not only was my Charlie bigger & fitter that the attacker but so was his mother & they flatten the dog without leaving a mark on him. My BC at her next show astounded me by doing the retieve perfectly & the scent & by the end of the season she was C only & by the next year we wer qualified for ticket, Shea also taught me WT & sheep trialling with a degree of success & BC replaced the GSD in my heart

I dabbled with Beardies until the "Potterdales" became the be all & end all & I could not see myself wih one of those(oddly I have just handled a beardie with no potterdale in her breeding & being BC less for the 1st time in 40 some years could see myself with a beardie  again)

I got into Cavaliers by accident when my father's wife's dog handler left the scene & she had no one to take her to shows & show her dog. "Scamp"(yes I know a stupid name)did quite well & from meeting other cavaliers I got to quite like them & got my first one 9 years ago, I now have 4 & they are level pegging with the GSD & Beardies in my affections, but & it's a big but my first love is still the most versatile breed in the world the BC

I will be getting another BC & he will be from working lines like my other three(who spanned 40+ years)I am juts patiently waiting for the right dog to be born

I got into dog training other people's dogs & rescues because of my love of all dogs & the wish to see them all happy & well behaved even if they can be very very naughty(like my cavaliers :D)

i grew up withy golden retrievers and always adored them and they were always very patient with me and kind loving dogs so i always knew i wanted a retriever and a friend of ours got a beautiful chocolate lab that we fell in love with as she has such a sunny nature and loves everyone she meets and the breeders of her were considering another litter so we went for it. i wanted a dog that i could trust to be friendly and laid back and sturdy as i have four children

I was bought up with x breeds but have had pedigree dogs out of choice as an adult...breed usually chosen by my partner.However I saw an elkhound at Crufts on the TV and fell in love!! Did my homework and fell harder....I now have 3...one from the same kennel as the original one I fell in love with!
Archer

I watched Magnum P.I. as a kid and fell in love with Apollo and Zeus, my parent would never agree to get one cos the had such bad press so as soon as I could afford one and only worked part time I got Abby I am hoping to get a rescue one when Abby is out of the Kevin stage.
I love Dobermanns but I have to say my friend has an English Pointer and he is one of the nicest dogs I have ever met.
Mary

I fell in love with dobermanns in 1980 when some american friends took on a bitch - Carly - when her owner was posted abroad with the USAF. At first I was just taken by the shape of her, I had never seen a dobe in the flesh before!! She had a lovely temperament and was so proud. When my rough collie bitch died in 1984 I decided to get a dobermann - I've never been without one (or more) since :) Now I'm a complete dobermaniac :D :D :D

Angela

I wanted a dog of my own, g-parents had boxers and I was showing them but I wanted my own dog, convinced mum who convinced dad!  We went thought the KC illustrated book, a post-it note on each breed!  We went though one by one...dad was going to do the evening walks, so he refused a small dog, post-it notes off.

We also didn't want anything too big (7 year old girl this was for!) so again post-it notes off, also the breed had to be good with children.  And there where other things, not too much coat, not short haired as dad and brother's ashtma played up with short hair.  list went on untill we came down to the 4 setters.  Ended up going for the red and white because we personally liked the look of them the best and it was the smallest breed in showing numbers!

Grandad-parents changed to aussies when there was a judging seminar for them 3 mins from us and so dad and grandad decided to go along, a new breed, they both judged abit, and it was so local they wanted to fill up a spare sunday...he saw one and came home and said "I'm having one" it was that simple!

As you say if what you want to do is dedicate yourself to the maintenance of a beloved breed, it does tend to limit your efforst to one or maybe a couple of breeds for purely practicle purposes.  It is very difficult to carry out a breeding program, when you keep al your oldies in more than one breed, unless you have a lot of time money and space.

In my own quite typical case I keep one from each generation, and already have five well spaced.

I started with a different breed, but then found this one which is my perfect match, and much as I am interested in other breeds and enjoy dogs owned by freinds in other breeds I cannot see myself wanting to live with anything other than Elkhounds, tyhey just suit me.  Most of that is their mental rather than physical characteristics, though the look of them was the first appeal.

for me it was essential that the breed I owned was good with cother dogs, and people.  I also always liked a breed with a coat, but not huge amounts of grooming, and one of at least medium size, prick ears and dry muzzle(no chops or dribbling :D).

Until two years ag we had had two Cavaliers and one Samoyed, we lost the last of these 3 dogs in 2000 (our ruby CKCS), i began to want another dog and made it my mission to get a Staffordshire Bull Terrier, i fell in love with the breed and literally went on and on about it so much that my parents came round to the idea of getting a dog, however they were thinking along the lines of another Cavvie, i just kept asking for a SBT and they eventually began to listen, they now both love the breed and my Dad wants another, we went to discover dogs at earles court, its really good and that is where my parents began to change there minds on the SBT because they saw how lovely they were, we now have another dog a Bulldog and next year where getting a Japanese Chin!

When we bought our first house and decided we could have a dog we just looked in the local paper (in those days there were always lots to choose from) and chose a cocker just because they looked nice!
When we decided we would like another breed alongside the cockers we poured through the books and decided on a dachshund, sent of for a list of current litters from the KC which arrived as a computer printout which ran onto the next breed the Dandie Dinmont, that sparked our interest and although none of those litters were available we duly set of to find one that was.  So you see very little planning or forethough preceded our purchases but we turned up two terrific breeds that we now adore but if anyone reading this is currently thinking of getting their first dog do as I say not do as I do ie do your research :D

My family always had Mini Dachshunds and I just assumed that I would always have them.  When I moved from Canada to UK to get married I had to leave them behind with my family.  We waited a couple of years and then looked for a Dachsie breeder, but none close and none having anything within the next year, so we looked to rescues.  We got Chelsea, our whippet/terrier mix.  We did research on whippets and found all the personality traits she had were whippet traits and we were hooked.  We have 3 dogs total now - Chelsea and 2 whippets, and not even thinking about another breed.  We are completely smitten.

Wendy

Thanks, the replies are all very fascinating.

Pure dumb luck on my part, started looking around for a dog after finally getting my own place when i was offered Kara (An Irish Staff) who needed re-homing due to some behavioral issues which, it became clearly apparent once i had her didnt really exist...

Im totally a bully person now - even had one tattooed on my chest and intend to have bullies for as long as i capable of looking after them..

Andy

Grew up with dogs, infact at one time had five dogs at home, we had poodles mini and a standard, border collies, jack russells and a lab that was rescued, the lab (rosie) had been in an accident got run over, Rosie was in a right old state and had a broken pelvis, they didnt think she would survive but she did and what a fabulous dog she made, i loved that dog so much that when i got my own dog a rescue terrier i named her Rosie, lost her nearly two years ago at the grand old age of 18 years,
couldnt stand being without a dog after losing her, my husband wanted a lab so l was quite pleased remembering what a good dog Rosie the lab was, so along came Toby and we love and spoil him to pieces they are such wonderful dogs.

Heidi

I've always grown up around border collies and they are definately my favourite breed. I also like a really active fun dog thats happy to work with me and not against me which most of the time my border collies fit into that well.

My first husband and I had a black/white English Springer. I always felt that she wasn't big enough for me. I had to bend down to pat her

When my 2nd husband and I were looking for a replacement I saw an photograph in the local paper showing a litter of Large Munsterlander puppies. We went for a look and came home with one. I've had several since, and have just introduced a new puppy to the gang! Wouldn't be without one, or three :D

Throughtout my chidhood i owned a border terrier, 2 GSDs, a cross breed, 2 cats, 6 hamsters, a frog that drowned, 8 birds and 2 rabbits.
In my teens after the dogs had died i was bought a Westie for my birthday, then i rescued a Manchester Terrier cross.

Then i met an Akita, my boyfriend met this same akita 3 years after i did. We were smitten, in awe, we loved it!
Boyfriend became husband, husband wanted a Golden Retriever, i said no bl***y chance, i cant shoot so i cant work it, NO. I said Border, another Westie maby? Hubby said "im 6 foot 1, im 16 stone, i play rugby, im a big guy, IM NOT WALKING A BL***Y WESTIE DOWN THE STREET!!!"
Back to the drawing board. We needed a large breed, trustworthy as a family member thinking forward, Fun to live with, clean, not too keen on murky ponds and easy to train. AKITA!!!
After our first we havent stopped and we are now looking at the showing side of things. We have a show potential pup booked from a different line to what i have now and im soooo excited!!!!

I had always wanted a dog from as early as I can remember. My mum and Dad got me a Westie for my 7th birthday. I remember going to choose it from a kennels that were obviously puppy farmers as so many different breeds and no parents in sight. I chose a retriever that was about four months old but was persuaded by the woman to have the tiny Westie pup as it was "shaking with excitment" her words. Had the pup about seven years but had to be pts due to major health issues, terrible hip displasia amoung other things. When I was 18 my parents said I could have another dog and I decided on a Weimeramer sp because the blacksmith at the stables had one and I thought he was lovely, but impatient me couldnt wait for my friend to get back to me as she was contacting the k.c to see if any litters were due. Going to work one morning saw a boxer out of the bus window and thought he was gorgeous so dragged my friend to Kingston to the pet shop which sold loads of pedigree puppies and bought a boxer puppy. Luckily although he had come from a puppy farm or backyard breeder he had no health probs and although was no where close to looking like the breed standard he was a lovely dog and did really well at the local obedience classes I took him to. He came first in the tests at the end and I was so proud of him. When I left home my parents persuaded me to leave him with them and he lived to the ripe age of 14. I have had a Dane from Dane rescue and have now got a jrx and a staffie. I still love boxers though and although the staff was not my choice (my sons) I have fell in love with that breed too. Funnily enough I have never had a bitch untill I got my Staff but I now I couldnt go back to just dogs and would always have one bitch. They seem to have more complex characters and are more challenging and loving than dogs. Sorry to hve gone on for so long just got carried away tonight.

Well, myself and 3 friends went to the World Dog Show in Spain 13 years ago.  Myself and one friend saw the Spanish Water Dogs being shown my other two friends saw some being worked.  We got talking about these dogs that we'd seen not knowing at this point that we were talking about the same breed.  anyway, they had a mini Discover Dogs there, got talking to the breeder of them and 13 years on I now have 4 living with me and 1 at my parents :d

Before I had Spanish I lived with my parents who had Pomeranian's and Rough Collies and Shelties before them.  My friends all had Tibetan Terriers.

Was brought up with GSD's then when first got married got a rescued 5 week old lab x, we had him for 14 and a half years,then when we lost him, always wanted a goldie, so got one.!!wouldnt change him, he has been hard work at times (is working one) but he has so much character,and personality its what I like in a dog,he is also so loving I knew Goldies were loving but, he sits on you, looks at you then you get a big wet kiss, no I wouldnt change him....Also love Labs, maybe one day?????

Hi
I have a GSD. I have wanted one since I was a little girl, I had been out somewhere and on my way home there was a mini parked in the layby near our house, a beautiful long haired gsd was sitting in the front sit, I thought it was lovely, when I got in I told my mum and her friend about this lovely dog in the car, it was my mums friends dog so my mum told her to bring her in, I feel in love, I wasn't allowed one but have one now! The first dog I had was a gsd collie cross, he was lovely too.
I wouldn't really know what other breed I would go for, my daughter likes chocolate labs.
we will get a second dog sometime in the future it will proberbly be another shepard.
Kayl

We decided to get a boxer as when we were little there was a boxer next door who would let us do any thing to him! We got one but unfortunatly she had something wrong with her heart and died in september aged 8yrs. We hope to get another soon coz we have fallen in love with them!

When my poodle died at the age of 14 and a half.I wasn't going to get another dog but found I couldn,t live without one.
I used to go into a shop to buy my dinner and have a natter.She had a beautiful red Chow.He was 12 years old.
I searched all pet shop in the area for a book on them and went to library.I didnt find any.
I got a paper Our Dogs.The first advert I saw was black Chow Chows.
I went for a bitch and the lady gave me the bitch to hold .She had made a mistake and given me the dog.He snuggled in and I had fallen for him.That was my black boy Chang.
I was lucky when I bought him .I must admit I knew nothing about the breed.
I don't think I would ever want any other breed.
Chow