Choosing a new dog

Personally, I've only ever picked 1 dog & that was Jasper. I was looking & he just clicked with me. Of course, I wasn't really wanting a dog but I got outvoted by the rest of the family. But from what I've learned with Rocky & Jasper.... I would never go for a boxer again. It's not that I don't like the breed, I just don't think they are a good fit for our family. I actually prefer mixed breed dogs because they are more even tempered in my experience & they are less likely to suffer from a genetic disease like certain pure breeds. And kids, I would not pick a young puppy with kids that are younger than 8 or 10! Oh goodness it has been such a hassle trying to train Jasper and the girls so that they take him outside & stay out there long enough for him to take care of all his business not just 1 or 2, ya know what I mean?

My son has been absolutely wonderful with our dogs ever since he was little, in fact there have been times when he got on better with animals than people. The flip side of that is that he was devastated when our previous dog died, but I am afraid that is part of having pets, learning to say goodbye.

Phoenyxstarr I like mixed breed dogs very much, but most breeds have good traits and in the right circumstances they make good pets. The important thing is to choose the right dog for your family circumstances.

I agree, sometimes it's hard to let go of the "love at first sight" ;) but since I have a dog already, I have to make sure they would be comfortable living with the family and still young. and also, i'd rather adopt than buy. :D

There was a time when it was important to me that a dog was still young, but now my children are older and I wouldn't mind taking on an older dog.

The thing is, he did pick me and if I hadn't taken him, he'd probably be killed because he was walking around an industrial area. We suspect someone dumped him there. We don't have any no-kill shelters here so it was take him or know I was condemning him to death.

Orrymain, that has happened to my mum too. It would take a very hard heart to turn a dog away in those circumstances.

Orrymain, it seems that the dog's luck changed big style when he found you!

There are several factors to consider before choosing a dog. Most importantly, examine your current lifestyle and consider what adjustments you are willing to make for a dog
dog run

I have just joined this forum after reading your top 10 breeds to but when you have children, nowhere on that list was the staffordshire bull terrier. It is renowned for it's love of children, and are also RSPCA recommended as 'nanny dogs', I am maybe biased, as a staffy owner/lover for many years, but I strongly recommend that people research all dogs before they pick one to live with their children, because the list on here, is mainly a load of tosh!