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Can Someone Help Me Pick out the Best Breed of Dog for Our Family?

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I have wanted to have a dog in our family for a long time, but I have a lot of things that I have to consider, and I don't know much about particular breeds. I have never owned a dog as an adult, although I did grow up with dogs, and I love them. I have loved our neighbors' dogs and the dogs of our friends (and they love me too!) but I take pet ownership and responsibility very seriously, and previously have not had the time, or lately the energy, to give a dog a proper home.
Now my children are grown, and I'm not working so I have the time, but I'm having health problems, so I have very little energy. But I have enough energy for almost daily walks and the care a dog would require, and I know there's a dog that would love to be with us. It could actually help my health to have the loving relationship that dogs give.

We are anticipating a move to the country where we will be living on about 10 acres, so a dog could run around, but she or he would need to be big enough and smart enough not to get into trouble with the always possible coyotes, raccoons, even a bear or cougar is possible (Whidbey Island, WA.)

At the same time, I can't handle one of the breeds that requires a very firm hand with discipline, or a lot of athletic stuff – I know I don't have it in me. I can be the boss, but I can't fight them for it. So, for example, a dog that's great with herding cattle is not for me. I need a very laid back, easy going dog.

Also, I love kids. Mine are grown now, but neighbor kids always end up around my yard, or a neice or the child of a friend. And I expect my kids will bring home grandchildren at some point, so I am only interested in breeds that are known to be good with children and family.

But being out in the country and alone a lot of the time, I would love to have a bigger breed. That could be a deterrent to bad guys or animals with a bark or just its size. I would welcome a dog that would feel inclined to be protective, if not aggressive.

We also have cats, so the dog will have to at least tolerate them.

If it's possible, I would rather have a dog with soft fur, rather than wiry, but not lots and lots of fur. It's a lot to keep up with when they are longer-haired, furrier guys.

I'm not afraid of BIG – the bigger the better, for me, the better to hug them with! But I'd trade some of the size for a longer life and better health.

So, in a nutshell – I'm looking for advice on the best dog that is :
great with kids and family
at least tolerant of cats
gentle, easier to train
protective against bad guys / without getting into trouble by excessive aggression
smart enough to take care of itself on a few acres of land
prefers to be where I am, rather than off on its own on the acreage
gentle and loving, likes affection
softer rather than wirey
less fur over more fur
more couch potato, less athlete

So for you dog experts, what is your advice for the most likely breeds for me to look for?

P.S. I would love to get a dog from the shelter, just not very old, because it's sad enough for me when they die, I don't want to get an elder dog that I will fall in love with and lose really soon.
Mixed breeds are great, but I'll still need to know what types of breeds to look for and to ask the shelter people to watch for for me.

I would suggest the following-

- A german shepherd- they are extremely smart and easy to train. They are playful but are not known to be to much to handle. and they would love all that room to run and i havent seen one ever go after a cat (not saying that they never have)

-An American Bulldog- These are amazing dogs. I volunteer at an animal shelter and we just recently adopted one out. She was less than a year but was very smart,well mannered, she never pulled the leash, was great with other animals and ended up going to a family with kids. We now have an older one with the same great traits so i would suggest that these dogs would be a good fit for you also.

-An australian shepherd- These dogs are medium sized and love to run around but are very easily trained and very intelligent. The apartment complex we lived in had a lot of these and they were all quiet and friendly with all other animals and loved kids.

Source: Can Someone Help Me Pick out the Best Breed of Dog for Our Family?

A Small Furry Prayer: Dog Rescue and the Meaning of Life

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Steven Kotler was forty years old, single, and facing an existential crisis when he met Lila, a woman devoted to animal rescue. “Love me, love my dogs” was her rule, and Steven took it to heart. Spurred to move by a housing crisis in Los Angeles, Steven, Lila, and their eight dogs-then ten, then twenty, and then they lost count-bought a postage-stamp-size farm in Chimayo, New Mexico. A Small Furry Prayer chronicles their adventures at Rancho de Chihuahua, the sanctuary they created for their special needs pack.While dog rescue is one of the largest underground movements in America, it is also one of the least understood. An insider look at the “cult and culture” of dog rescue, A Small Furry Prayer weaves personal experience, cultural investigation, and scientific inquiry into a fast-paced, fun-filled narrative that explores what it means to devote one’s life to the furry and the four-legged. Along the way, Kotler combs through every aspect of canine-human relations, from humans’ long history with dogs through brand-new research into the neuroscience of canine companionship, in the end discovering why living in a world made of dog may be the best way to uncover the truth about what it really means to be human.

Source: A Small Furry Prayer: Dog Rescue and the Meaning of Life

Should I Get a Teacup Version of a Dog or the Regular Kind?

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Do have more health problems? Or different personalities? Are there any differences between them besides their size?

The regular kind.
Most toy dogs don't have a minimum weight, and the average person doesn't know that. Poodles go by height instead of weight, but even then, there isn't room for a "smaller than the original" dog to be bred. They are all the same as the regular dogs!

The people who breed teacups don't care about the dogs, and that's just the sad truth of it. If they did, they wouldn't try to make people think that the dogs are anything other than what they are–which is just a plain old standard yorkie/chihuahua/poodle/maltese/whatever… That's called scamming.

Source: Should I Get a Teacup Version of a Dog or the Regular Kind?

Dog Days (diary of a Wimpy Kid Book 4) by Jeff Kinney

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It’s summer vacation the weather’s great and all the kids are having fun outside. So where’s Greg Heffley? Inside his house playing video games with the shades drawn.Greg a self-confessed “indoor person ” is living out his ultimate summer fantasy: no responsibilities and no rules. But Greg’s mom has a different vision for an ideal summer . . . one packed with outdoor activities and “family togetherness.”Whose vision will win out? Or will a new addition to the Heffley family change everything?

Dog Days (Diary of a Wimpy Kid Book 4) by Jeff Kinney (Hardcover)

Source: Dog Days (diary of a Wimpy Kid Book 4) by Jeff Kinney

Cavallini Vintage Dogs 24 Assorted Magnets

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Cavallini Magnet Set Vintage Dogs-24 Assorted Magnets Packaged in a Tin.

Source: Cavallini Vintage Dogs 24 Assorted Magnets

How to Potty Train a Dog?

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I have a year and 2 month old dog and everytime I take her outside to go lofty but if I leave and put her up she poops and pees in my bathroom/her bed for now please help

I suggest taking her outside every hour, on the hour. Set your alarm for every hour, and once it goes off. IMMEDIATELY stop what you are doing, take your dog to where you want it to potty and stay there for about 5 minutes. If she DOES go potty, reward her with a treat and shower her with lots of praise. If not, go back in the house, and take her out 15 minutes later. And if she STILL doesnt go potty, keep taking her out for 5 min, then coming back in for 15 mins, until she pottys! Your dog will finally get the idea that pottying outside is what you want her to do. Keep this up and your dog will be potty trained in abut 2 weeks! Good Luck!

Source: How to Potty Train a Dog?

Help with Grooming Please!?

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My dog is old and has hip dysplasia and arthritis in his legs and he doesn't enjoy grooming very much so we tend to let him be. But he has these mats that are pretty bad and i have been trying to trim them out but my clipper isn't cutting them out. I can't take him to a groomer because its hard on his legs and it also stresses him out. Do you have any tips i could try to help get rid of the mats? Is there a way to sharpen my dog clipper?

Use scissors to (carefully) cut them out. If the mats are large, you can slit them lengthwise to make them more manageable. Your dog can be lying quietly on his side while you do it so its easy on him.

Source: Help with Grooming Please!?

How Often Should I Take My Dog to the Grooming Shop?

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they wash him and trim his hair and clean his ears and cut his nails and clean hiss anas. he is a long-haired wiener dog and just turned a year old last week. he has his first appointment on friday so im just curious how often i should take him?
-thank you(:

Hi Malet ,
You should take him maximum once each two weeks. Because it's not good for dogs to bathe more than that , since his coat's natural oils will be removed. And by taking him once each two weeks you'll also give his nails the chance to grow a little bit.

Source: How Often Should I Take My Dog to the Grooming Shop?

Quick and Easy and Neat Tricks to Teach Your Dog-clicker Training Tips?

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I have one week to teach her a neat trick for obedience class:P Any help? We're also clicker training her it's been around a week on wed. any tips for this?

http://www.doggiebuddy.com/topics/Trainingtopics/traintopic3.html

hopefully you'll find something from that list.

try hide (click when your dog brushes its face with a paw and it will do it again for another treat… then you can label it)
spin
or back

Source: Quick and Easy and Neat Tricks to Teach Your Dog-clicker Training Tips?

What Are the Health Problems the Corgi Breed is Prone to Having (if Any)?

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Currently i have 2 dogs (ive had many more in the past tho) and ive recently been thinking about adopting a corgi. i always research about a breed before hand, so ill have an idea about its personality traits, what to be on the look out for, and what illnesses they are prone to having. so itd be nice if someone can help who has some knowledge on the breed.

The biggest problem with Corgi's is overfeeding by irresponsible owners..

Source: What Are the Health Problems the Corgi Breed is Prone to Having (if Any)?

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