What breed of dog to get?

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We had a German shepherd/golden retriever mix growing up. He would protect kids with his life and even from grandpa. It was his dog too. He would go out and bring the cows in and pin loose chickens to the ground until we got there to pick them up.

Took on 3 strays one day that came on the property. He was torn up but those three took off for the tall and uncut. Never to be seen again. Loved that dog.
Wait. What are you saying here, @Cnsper ? Those three were never seen again, or your dog was never seen again?
 
If you are a reader or follower of https://survivalblog.com/,

https://survivalblog.com/the-best-all-around-dog-breed/

James Wesley Rawles (JWR) and some of his followers have Rhodesian Ridgebacks. They are $2000 or more to purchase from a breeder. My daughter became a fan of them several years ago and is now the owner of her second one, which spends much time with me. They are absolutely wonderful and very loyal and protective dogs. However, they are hunters and need to be kept away from other animals, unless you have trained them from a very young age. In this quote from his post about dogs, JWR says that they are one man dogs. This is mostly true, but they do have others that they become very fond of. Our current girl is a very sweet dog and greets humans she knows and certain dogs. She is not an alpha, but they can be. She stays away from alpha and otherwise aggressive dogs. She is an observer of other dogs and will watch dogs for a while before she decides whether she will interact with them, or not.

"Those of you that have read my novel (“Patriots”) will recall that I highlighted the Rhodesian Ridgeback breed. This member of the hound family was originally bred in Africa for hunting lions. The Ridgeback has some unusual characteristics: They are known for their propensity for tree-climbing. They are also known for their excellent sense of smell and tracking/trailing ability. They have an unusual band of fur that runs up their spine that has a “grain” that runs in the opposite direction as the rest of the fur on their backs. (Hence the name “Ridgeback.”) They are known as fearless hunters, and highly territorial guard dogs. The drawbacks to the breed are that they tend to be “one man dogs” and do not always bond well with all of the members of a family. They also have tendencies toward both congenital hip dysplasia and less often, dermoid sinus. So make sure you get a written health guarantee from the breeder on both of those points."
 
what great stories and wisdom folks have shared..Whenever I meet a person who does not like dogs..I always wonder what the deal is with them and it's hard to convince a person who has never had a bond with a dog to understand how it is.
A friend I know and worked with long ago never understood the value of, or had any bond with dogs. She was not a fan; until her daughter started having night terrors and bad panic attacks because of the dreams. Somehow they ended up with a family dog who became her daughters companion. The pooch locked onto the girl emotionally and still to this day is her lighthouse during and after her night terrors. Just having her dog with her at night has reduced the frequency of the episodes and if she does have one, the dog is her sole comfort to ground the girl back down to a manageable emotional level.
It took a extreme circumstance to get my friend to understand ..but she has opened her heart finally to the idea and knowledge of this bond between humans and pooches...
 
Well, I don't know where the OP went, but if he tunes in I would say a Great Pyrenees.


https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/great-pyrenees/

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I like the mutts they have not been inbred or altered by anyone. Our dogs have always been mutts. They all live long healthy lives.
Some pure breds are also healthy but harder to find because they have turned into a commodity by breeders.
 
Australian Sheperds were mentioned earlier. Best dog we ever had. Very gentle, great with the whole family, and very protective all at the same time. I would get another one in a heartbeat.

I have it on sound advice although I must admit I have never tried it. You don't pick the dog. Let the dog pick you. It will make for an inseparable bond.
 
Australian Sheperds were mentioned earlier. Best dog we ever had. Very gentle, great with the whole family, and very protective all at the same time. I would get another one in a heartbeat.

I have it on sound advice although I must admit I have never tried it. You don't pick the dog. Let the dog pick you. It will make for an inseparable bond.

Our little Beckys mother was a registered Australian Sheperd but something jumped the fence and so we got two of her female puppies free. Its been a month since we lost her.
I totally agree she could be so sweet yet protective and brave.We still have her sister who is also 13 now.
 
I'm a terrier man myself.

Sorry Lonewolf. I just can't resist. Ad in the paper " Need to re own a dog. Small. Terrier. Barks a lot. Let me know if you are interested, and I will jump over my neighbor's fence, and get it for you."

We had a Cairn Terrier years ago and she was a wonderful dog. I would get another in a heartbeat. I have always wanted a Jack Russell, but I don't think I have the energy to keep up anymore.
 
I've had several Cairn Terriers myself, our last one died 4 years ago literally in my arms, I'd have another one but they arent a common breed.
 
I would get another in a heartbeat. I have always wanted a Jack Russell, but I don't think I have the energy to keep up anymore.

They are cool as all outdoors, I have had 2 of them in the past.
 
I live in Jack Russell territory where the reverend Russell bred the original JR, but I do prefer Cairns.
 
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