Interested in getting a puppy...
- Thread starter delfin
- Start date
dogs2birds
Cathlete
A friend of mine had one for a very long time and then he ate something and died from complications from the surgery. He was very temperamental and only kind to his own family members. But...they got another one (obviously liked the breed enough and he was VERY protective of their daughter) and he is fabulous! They absolutely adore him.
I don't know if that's very helpful or not. Probably not.
I'm sure you're researching a lot online though. And you might check some rescues (their second one is from a rescue), as there are SO many dogs who need homes. Just a thought.
Good luck and keep us posted!
Susan
"Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened." - Anatole France
http://www.picturetrail.com/dogs2birds
I don't know if that's very helpful or not. Probably not.
I'm sure you're researching a lot online though. And you might check some rescues (their second one is from a rescue), as there are SO many dogs who need homes. Just a thought.Good luck and keep us posted!
Susan
"Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened." - Anatole France
http://www.picturetrail.com/dogs2birds
I don't have any personal experience with the breed, but I did just find this write up on the AKC homepage about them:
"In temperament, the Norwegian Elkhound is bold and energetic, an effective guardian yet normally friendly, with great dignity and independence of character."
Having experience in picking out a few different breeds of dog for ourselves I read that blurb on their temperment as meaning...very protective, strongwilled, and having the propenisty for not having alot of trustworthiness around strangers. I don't know what your household make up is like (children/no children, very social with it not being uncommon to have people over to the house, etc etc...but if you do get this breed of dog make sure...and I can't reiterate this enough as we had a horrible experience with a boxer because of really bad breeding...it either comes from a very trustworthy breeder, or if getting one from a rescue just make sure their temperment has been thoroughly assessed. If you're going the breeder route, make sure to get as much info as possible on mom and dad...and if possible meet them both.
We unfortunately learned first hand what "back yard breeding" can bring about in a breed that has a predisposition for "aggressive" (especially those that have guard dog type behavioral traits) behavior. We had to put our boxer down because he was way too aggressive, we even worked with a behaviorist and she and our vet were the ones that suggested putting him down once we had kids as he was starting to growl at them (he was fine with us but strangers were a completely different story...he was becoming very scary around people he didn't know). He was beyond rehab unfortunately. So just be really diligent in finding a great breeder (which may mean more $$$...but worth it in the long run), do your homework on the breed, and if you do get one get the puppy involved in positive based obedience training as soon as possible.
I've always liked the looks of the Norwegian Elkhound, and the Keeshound (they kind of remind me of the Elkhound) was one we were thinking about before we got our Samoyed which is our current dog. We love our Sammy she's pretty much the antithesis to our boxer...she's almost TOO nice .
Deni
"In temperament, the Norwegian Elkhound is bold and energetic, an effective guardian yet normally friendly, with great dignity and independence of character."
Having experience in picking out a few different breeds of dog for ourselves I read that blurb on their temperment as meaning...very protective, strongwilled, and having the propenisty for not having alot of trustworthiness around strangers. I don't know what your household make up is like (children/no children, very social with it not being uncommon to have people over to the house, etc etc...but if you do get this breed of dog make sure...and I can't reiterate this enough as we had a horrible experience with a boxer because of really bad breeding...it either comes from a very trustworthy breeder, or if getting one from a rescue just make sure their temperment has been thoroughly assessed. If you're going the breeder route, make sure to get as much info as possible on mom and dad...and if possible meet them both.
We unfortunately learned first hand what "back yard breeding" can bring about in a breed that has a predisposition for "aggressive" (especially those that have guard dog type behavioral traits) behavior. We had to put our boxer down because he was way too aggressive, we even worked with a behaviorist and she and our vet were the ones that suggested putting him down once we had kids as he was starting to growl at them (he was fine with us but strangers were a completely different story...he was becoming very scary around people he didn't know). He was beyond rehab unfortunately. So just be really diligent in finding a great breeder (which may mean more $$$...but worth it in the long run), do your homework on the breed, and if you do get one get the puppy involved in positive based obedience training as soon as possible.
I've always liked the looks of the Norwegian Elkhound, and the Keeshound (they kind of remind me of the Elkhound) was one we were thinking about before we got our Samoyed which is our current dog. We love our Sammy she's pretty much the antithesis to our boxer...she's almost TOO nice
.Deni
delfin
Cathlete
Deni, I'm sorry to hear about the problems you had w/your boxer. I've got friends who have boxers, and they are all so friendly, but they'll knock you down when they say hello!
We've got kids, and lots of their friends in and out of the house all the time, so a friendly dog is a must. I agree that finding a reputable breeder is sooo important... and meeting the mom and dad, too. I also think proper socialization is key. Our bulldog was great around family and close friends, but, near the end of her life, had no patience with kids. I'd always have to make sure that she was separated when my kids had friends over, and I can't do that anymore. I think part of the problem was we had our bulldog before we had kids, so she was used to a more "quiet" lifestle. Should we go ahead and get a puppy now, she'll be immersed in a "kid-focused" household.
Thanks so much for all your thoughts and input!
We've got kids, and lots of their friends in and out of the house all the time, so a friendly dog is a must. I agree that finding a reputable breeder is sooo important... and meeting the mom and dad, too. I also think proper socialization is key. Our bulldog was great around family and close friends, but, near the end of her life, had no patience with kids. I'd always have to make sure that she was separated when my kids had friends over, and I can't do that anymore. I think part of the problem was we had our bulldog before we had kids, so she was used to a more "quiet" lifestle. Should we go ahead and get a puppy now, she'll be immersed in a "kid-focused" household.
Thanks so much for all your thoughts and input!
It will most certainly be different raising the puppy around kids. We had our boxer (and our Sammy actually...which I highly recommend by the way...great dogs) pre kids as well, but he had issues long before having kids. We were absolutely devastated by what we had to do but felt reassured somewhat knowing that we had tried EVERYTHING possible to rehab him, he just wasn't wired right. My husband and I still know that one day when the kids are a little older we want to get another boxer, this time around though we would be a lot more diligent and picky about where we got one...and we would get a female and not a male.
Good luck with your search...getting puppies is soooo much fun...well minus the housebreaking part .
Deni
Good luck with your search...getting puppies is soooo much fun...well minus the housebreaking part
.Deni
andtckrtoo
Cathlete
The website "www.dogbreedinfo.com" says they are tempermental but friendly and require a lot of exercise - at least an hour a day of something like running beside a bike. That's a huge commitment to a dog, and believe me, if a dog is not exercised enough, they get destructive. And they are barkers - bred to hold prey at bay and bark to let their owners find them. Can you handle a dog that barks constantly? And they're independent (like other Northern breeds) Bred to think on his/her own. Which means that while they are trainable, they will be the type of dog who will decide on their own whether or not to obey you. If they do not feel it's in their or your best interest, they won't.
If all of this is fine with you - go for it! As long as you know what you're getting into.
I can't emphasize enough how important it is to know the breed and the characteristics - but you cannot train those out of the dog. Way too many dogs end up in the pound because owners like the way they look, but can't handle the way they act.
I think it really depends on what you're looking for in a dog. Don't make the mistake of getting a dog based on appearance. There are plenty of similar looking dogs, that have different temperments. I'd sit down and put together a list of the characteristics you want, then research the dogs to find the breeds with those characteristics. I wanted a dog for Search and Rescue, and I wanted a Border Collie badly. Very badly. But, they, too, require a lot of exercise (they were bred to be able to run 100 miles a day!). So I did my research and settled for an Australian Shepherd. They look fairly similar but the Aussie has an "off" button and will relax. Best decision I ever made. Tucker is a fabulous dog. Both at search and with the family. I wouldn't trade him for a herd of Border Collies now.
If all of this is fine with you - go for it! As long as you know what you're getting into.
I can't emphasize enough how important it is to know the breed and the characteristics - but you cannot train those out of the dog. Way too many dogs end up in the pound because owners like the way they look, but can't handle the way they act.
I think it really depends on what you're looking for in a dog. Don't make the mistake of getting a dog based on appearance. There are plenty of similar looking dogs, that have different temperments. I'd sit down and put together a list of the characteristics you want, then research the dogs to find the breeds with those characteristics. I wanted a dog for Search and Rescue, and I wanted a Border Collie badly. Very badly. But, they, too, require a lot of exercise (they were bred to be able to run 100 miles a day!). So I did my research and settled for an Australian Shepherd. They look fairly similar but the Aussie has an "off" button and will relax. Best decision I ever made. Tucker is a fabulous dog. Both at search and with the family. I wouldn't trade him for a herd of Border Collies now.