Goldenstar
Well-Known Member
Me , I love labs they are great dogs but complete fools if they get no direction.
Worst dog breeds for new pet owners
- Thread starter CorvusCorax
- Start date
CorvusCorax
Deary me...
I can't remember who said it on here, apologies, it may have been Spudlet, but the film Marley and Me, and unscrupulous breeders who jumped on the back of it, (and, my own edit, Pedigree Dogs Exposed and the 'show breeders are baaaaad' message) have done the breed no favours.
We got gobbed off at by a pair last night but it wasn't their fault, they looked as though they'd never been walked, and we also got gobbed off at by the pack of bichacavapoowotsits and I have got so fed up with it I ended up saying to the owner that it wouldn't be acceptable the other way around (three offlead GSDs running up to an onlead, tiny white dog barking and snarling). /rant!!
We got gobbed off at by a pair last night but it wasn't their fault, they looked as though they'd never been walked, and we also got gobbed off at by the pack of bichacavapoowotsits and I have got so fed up with it I ended up saying to the owner that it wouldn't be acceptable the other way around (three offlead GSDs running up to an onlead, tiny white dog barking and snarling). /rant!!
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Arizahn
Well-Known Member
The amount of badly behaved Labradors around here is shocking. And JRTs too. Have noticed a rise in the number of Husky types - tend to see them a lot as small pups, then they seem to disappear 
TarrSteps
Well-Known Member
You're not in Surrey, are you? 
The Husky thing mystifies me on many levels. Partly because I had a dog that had a good dollop in her - although mostly she looked like a coyote. . .) and she LIVED for winter. She'd lie on the lawn in -20C in her little ice bed, and she loved running in the snow more than anything. I wouldn't want a dog I loved to be denied something so innate to its purpose and nature and I can't see how you could substitute another situation for that here. I feel very bad for all the ones I see being leash walked on urban commons.
The Husky thing mystifies me on many levels. Partly because I had a dog that had a good dollop in her - although mostly she looked like a coyote. . .) and she LIVED for winter. She'd lie on the lawn in -20C in her little ice bed, and she loved running in the snow more than anything. I wouldn't want a dog I loved to be denied something so innate to its purpose and nature and I can't see how you could substitute another situation for that here. I feel very bad for all the ones I see being leash walked on urban commons.
PucciNPoni
Well-Known Member
Sorry, haven't read any of the responses - but as CC has already mentioned, that inappropriate breeds are more to do with the dog's intended lifestyle and what the breed was meant to do - not matching. Too often I see this to be the case - people getting a working cocker for a sedentary life style and the dog ends up frustrated. Other mismatches that occur to me are coated breeds where people haven't done the research in to how much maintenance / upkeep they require and then come in to be shaved off once a year (or worse, with owner's expectations of having them look like a show dog after a year of neglect).
I think it more or less just comes down to people buying on impulse (or perhaps merely on looks) or without much consideration for the actual breed's requirements and the knowledge on handling/care and expecting the dog to automatically fit in.
But the most common mismatches I see are elderly first time owners with feisty terriers, young families with coated breeds (ie Lhasa/shih Tzu/ bichon) and parents expecting the four year old child to do the maintenance, apartment dwellers and not much time to spend people with collies.
So as you can see, it's (IMO) not about the specific breed per se - it's more to do with the expectations and then reality of dog ownership not be fully thought out.
Easy, eh?
I think it more or less just comes down to people buying on impulse (or perhaps merely on looks) or without much consideration for the actual breed's requirements and the knowledge on handling/care and expecting the dog to automatically fit in.
But the most common mismatches I see are elderly first time owners with feisty terriers, young families with coated breeds (ie Lhasa/shih Tzu/ bichon) and parents expecting the four year old child to do the maintenance, apartment dwellers and not much time to spend people with collies.
So as you can see, it's (IMO) not about the specific breed per se - it's more to do with the expectations and then reality of dog ownership not be fully thought out.
Easy, eh?
CinnamonChristmasCookie
Fais pas chier!
The 'not good for newbies' list includes big dogs, the 'good for newbies' list is mostly toy breeds, so easier to control. Hmm. On the good list is a pug. It might be a really brilliant dog for an inexperienced owner re temperament, but it's not a breed I'd ever recommend for an inexperienced person cos of the health issues.
satinbaze
Well-Known Member
Try looking up the Buli Kutta probably the most unsuitable dog in the world. My dog warden friend has come across a couple of then and thinks they are a ticking time bomb!!!!!!!
CorvusCorax
Deary me...
Or the big central Asian flock guardians..
The size of a small family saloon, bred to be on their own all day guarding stuff and being prepared to bite things that come near the stuff that they are guarding. But they look coooool!!!!
The size of a small family saloon, bred to be on their own all day guarding stuff and being prepared to bite things that come near the stuff that they are guarding. But they look coooool!!!!
s4sugar
Well-Known Member
Absolutely!
Unfortunately I think we have one locally - his previous dog was a Dogo, sorry Great Dane cross, that had form for attacking dogs & biting owners who intervened and then the guy & dog made a quick exit.
ecrozier
Well-Known Member
Interesting thread. I wonder if the fact its am American list influenced the absence of border collies on there as I would definitely have included them here!
I think those above who say its probably more to do with the owner than the breed are correct though. My first dog was a Rottweiler (unintentionally, he was a friend's dog whose circumstances changed and I took him at 6 months old). He has never been a problem and is the soppiest friendliest dog ever. But they talk about strength etc - well, not compared to 500kg of horse, so I think if you are used to dealing with and expecting manners from horses, you are one step towards keeping a dog 'in check'! Not to say all horse owners control their dogs.... But actually not all control their horses!!
I also see so many idiotic owners with dogs that are entirely unsuitable for them, but then some of them shouldn't have dogs at all as far as I can see - many who buy the latest 'trend', such as the cavapoos etc, don't train any kind of recall, so either utterly lose control in the park or never let them off lead and the poor things spend their lives dragging their owners around choking themselves!! I guess the only difference is that the majority of people will laugh that behaviour off from a small fluffy, whereas if it was my Rott, he would probably have been in trouble very early on!!
I think those above who say its probably more to do with the owner than the breed are correct though. My first dog was a Rottweiler (unintentionally, he was a friend's dog whose circumstances changed and I took him at 6 months old). He has never been a problem and is the soppiest friendliest dog ever. But they talk about strength etc - well, not compared to 500kg of horse, so I think if you are used to dealing with and expecting manners from horses, you are one step towards keeping a dog 'in check'! Not to say all horse owners control their dogs.... But actually not all control their horses!!
I also see so many idiotic owners with dogs that are entirely unsuitable for them, but then some of them shouldn't have dogs at all as far as I can see - many who buy the latest 'trend', such as the cavapoos etc, don't train any kind of recall, so either utterly lose control in the park or never let them off lead and the poor things spend their lives dragging their owners around choking themselves!! I guess the only difference is that the majority of people will laugh that behaviour off from a small fluffy, whereas if it was my Rott, he would probably have been in trouble very early on!!
w1bbler
Well-Known Member
As many have said, first time owners need to think realistically about what they want / need. As a first time dog owner I took on a 3rd hand Australian cattle dog - which is on the list. She had been bought as a pup by a family living in the middle of a large city & spent most of her day locked up as she was too boisterous!
She was given away & 2nd owner found her untrainable, which is when we decided to "have a go". Sounds disasterous, but I wanted a dog to come riding with me & husband wanted a running companion. She most days.comes out for a 2-3 hour hack & regularly gets a 5 or so mile evening run. She is the best companion & very well behaved because her needs (lots of excercise) are met. Training wise we hadn't a clue & it should have been a disaster, but actually it the right type of breed for what we wanted in a dog, so it works.
She was given away & 2nd owner found her untrainable, which is when we decided to "have a go". Sounds disasterous, but I wanted a dog to come riding with me & husband wanted a running companion. She most days.comes out for a 2-3 hour hack & regularly gets a 5 or so mile evening run. She is the best companion & very well behaved because her needs (lots of excercise) are met. Training wise we hadn't a clue & it should have been a disaster, but actually it the right type of breed for what we wanted in a dog, so it works.
Kaylum
Well-Known Member
Exactly there is no excuse for ignorance. When we got our first dog she was a stray. We bought a book on how to look after dogs. 17 years later mum still had her.
Spring Feather
Well-Known Member
Lol I have 3 of them and yes they are incredibly cool dogs. Definitely not suitable for any 'pet' owners, let alone new ones. I absolutely worship my guardian dogs though. I've had dogs all my life (mostly GSDs and Border Collies) but guardian dogs are like no other breeds around. They're so unique and independent and loving and cuddly and virtually untrainable lol! :smile3:
Alexart
Well-Known Member
Agree with the above, I've got an Ovcharka and I hate to think if a novice/pet owner bought one!!:O They really are a breed apart from all others, they are loyal and very friendly to their owners and anyone who is OK'd onto their territory but they're also stubborn, will argue if they disagree on something and mine is not even motivated by food or praise so very hard to train, sit, down, paw, drop it (useful when he's using the JRT as a squeaky toy!) and recall when he feels like it are about as far as we've got and he's 2, his latest trick to avoid being shut in the kennels when we have visitors who don't like dogs is to just roll over and go totally limp so leaving us dragging 8 stone of fur into a stable upside down - trouble is I can't stop laughing when he does it!!
Yet they are so cute and fluffy as pups I'm sure to the unsuspecting puppy buyer they are just a big cuddly ball of fluff - mine lives out 24/7 and has the farm to patrol day and night and that is what he lives for and the colder the weather the better, we gave up keeping him in at night when he was about 5 months old after he put his head straight through a window to bark at the postman - he was totally fine btw!!
I've seen those bully cutta things for sale too and I've heard folk crossing ovcharkas with neapolitan mastiffs, cuttas and pitbulls - can you imagine that - I hate to think - they are so easy to buy as well!!!
I agree with collies too - folk see them on the TV doing all the obedience/flyball/agility etc and automatically think that is what they do and no input is required - we had a few first time owners like that into the vets and they couldn't understand why their cheap but cute puppy from a local farm is now a year old unsocialised, untrained, unexercised and is herding and nipping their flock of kids and having them pts as a result!!! Huskies, most terriers, some hounds and high prey drive dogs I think also need to be off a first time owners list - trouble is most first time owners tend to go on the dogs looks alone and not what the breed was bred for or what they actually need!
Yet they are so cute and fluffy as pups I'm sure to the unsuspecting puppy buyer they are just a big cuddly ball of fluff - mine lives out 24/7 and has the farm to patrol day and night and that is what he lives for and the colder the weather the better, we gave up keeping him in at night when he was about 5 months old after he put his head straight through a window to bark at the postman - he was totally fine btw!! I've seen those bully cutta things for sale too and I've heard folk crossing ovcharkas with neapolitan mastiffs, cuttas and pitbulls - can you imagine that - I hate to think - they are so easy to buy as well!!!
I agree with collies too - folk see them on the TV doing all the obedience/flyball/agility etc and automatically think that is what they do and no input is required - we had a few first time owners like that into the vets and they couldn't understand why their cheap but cute puppy from a local farm is now a year old unsocialised, untrained, unexercised and is herding and nipping their flock of kids and having them pts as a result!!! Huskies, most terriers, some hounds and high prey drive dogs I think also need to be off a first time owners list - trouble is most first time owners tend to go on the dogs looks alone and not what the breed was bred for or what they actually need!
NinjaPony
Well-Known Member
It angers me so much how many problems people could avoid by doing a simple google search on their chosen breed. Wikipedia usually says enough to flag up any big problems, or the breed club preferably. That's all it takes, so it is very frustrating when people end up with a dog that is totally unsuitable for them. And then the dog gets the blame.
Girlracer
Well-Known Member
Totally agree.
Currently doing the being taught by the first one bit....
Would definitely have another but would do things differently from the start.
A very complex breed and having spoken to canine 'novices' so to speak, and realising their total inability to understand quite how hard it is to give a complex animal such as a BC a good life I definitely wouldn't reccomend them to novice owners.
A truely wonderful breed none the less. My dachshund however, lowest maintenance dog you'll ever meet BUT she requires as much running as the BC to be settled and quiet and can be a bit bone idle in her work, but just the same as the BC they were bred for a job and should be treated as such. She is a very 'sporty' dachshund rather than the fashionable 'sausage dogs' you get a lot of.
Spring Feather
Well-Known Member
Is yours a Caucasian Ovcharka? A friend of mine over here has 2 of them. Does your have ears? My friend's ones only have the little stumps. I don't imagine many people have Ovcharkas in the UK? They are definitely not for most normal households that's for sure and are renowned as one of the most challenging of the Livestock Guardian Dog breeds. Any piccies of yours?
I have 2 Akbash and 1 Maremma (aswell as my other very well trained shepherds and collies) and the original Akbash is now around 6 years old and oh my I love her so much! However between 9 months and 2 or 3 years old I honestly could have torn my hair out with her. She was just nothing like any dog I had ever owned before in my life, and I'm a pretty experienced dog person. There was very little research I had to go on when I started looking at buying an Akbash as they were so rare at the time, so I had to kind of wing it with the first Akbash. The other two LGDs were a breeze after her as I had so much more actual experience under my belt by then. I understand them now and I know how to 'train' what is important to them ie. their land boundaries. That was the hardest thing with my first one, trying to get her to figure out where she could go and where she couldn't. There's a saying over here 'Give an Akbash 100 acres and they'll take 200!' and I lived this for a while, constantly having to go racing off in the truck to head her off and chase her back onto the farm. But she's good as gold now. She still does her patrolling but I know her timetable and where she goes. The other 2 guardian dogs are actually very good at coming back when called, and she is pretty good too although she does everything in her own time. If I call her, I know for sure that she'll be back at the farmhouse within 15 minutes and I can live with that.
hula
Well-Known Member
Just looked through that list and found it interesting.
All dogs are individuals. We are now onto our third rottie (she's 7) and now have a rescue irish wolfhound x (7 months).
The rottie is unlike any of the other rotties (or dog) we have had before. We have brought them all up in the same way. She is highly intelligent, opinionated, stubborn, lazy at times and has a very strong guarding instinct. She is also very loving, but I dread to think what would have happened if a novice had bought her over us, as she still has her moments.
Saying that the rottie we had before was a gentle giant, very biddable. The vet even used to comment on how good she was. My youngest cousin (7 at the time) used to walk her (under supervision). I would have totally recommended her as a first dog. Sadly she was pts at 8 due to suddenly falling ill over the course of a week. After an X-ray we believed she had one tumour in her abdomen, so she went to surgery to have it removed. It was then we discovered that she was riddled with cancer, in such an agressive form that the vet reckoned she had only had it 4-6 weeks.
The wolfhound x/lurcher type we have again is different to any of the rotties. You can certainly see the sight hound qualities.
Another difference... The rottie is on a constant diet as she is very prone to putting the beef on. The wolfhound x came to us very underweight after being a stray and is like feeding a bottomless pit and is still underweight! So any advice is appreciated!
All dogs are individuals. We are now onto our third rottie (she's 7) and now have a rescue irish wolfhound x (7 months).
The rottie is unlike any of the other rotties (or dog) we have had before. We have brought them all up in the same way. She is highly intelligent, opinionated, stubborn, lazy at times and has a very strong guarding instinct. She is also very loving, but I dread to think what would have happened if a novice had bought her over us, as she still has her moments.
Saying that the rottie we had before was a gentle giant, very biddable. The vet even used to comment on how good she was. My youngest cousin (7 at the time) used to walk her (under supervision). I would have totally recommended her as a first dog. Sadly she was pts at 8 due to suddenly falling ill over the course of a week. After an X-ray we believed she had one tumour in her abdomen, so she went to surgery to have it removed. It was then we discovered that she was riddled with cancer, in such an agressive form that the vet reckoned she had only had it 4-6 weeks.
The wolfhound x/lurcher type we have again is different to any of the rotties. You can certainly see the sight hound qualities.
Another difference... The rottie is on a constant diet as she is very prone to putting the beef on. The wolfhound x came to us very underweight after being a stray and is like feeding a bottomless pit and is still underweight! So any advice is appreciated!
Arizahn
Well-Known Member
I would suggest worming her if she is due and having her checked by your vet in case of thyroid or pancreas issues.
hula
Well-Known Member
Ahhh I didn't even think of thyroid issues. Thanks!
DabDab
Thinks the luddites had a point...
Gah! This. I can't tell you how many (predominantly black) labradors have had a pop at my friendly dog, whether he is on the lead, or off it (and he's only off if both all dogs are off the lead iykwim - I won't let him run up to a dog on the lead) Their owners stare at me likely its my fault, or give them a cuddle saying 'they're just protective of me' :mad3: Thing is now my dog is starting to get wary of black labs!
I have to say I am not a fan of labs either - About 5 years ago when I was looking after my parents' dog (parsons jack Russell) I had two chocolate labs rip into him for no apparent reason while out walking. One had hold of his neck and while I had my hand in its mouth trying to get him to let go (eventually I walloped him round the head to get him to let go), the owner was shrieking and flapping her hands around. She didn't even manage to get hold of the other one who darted in just before I removed the first one, grabbed at my parents' dog's leg and peeled the skin off it like a banana. He is now a three legged dog.
And her explanation? "they must have picked up some bad vibes from your dog". GIVE ME STRENGTH.
I do genuinely think that there should be some test and licensing process for people to own dogs.
When it comes to breeds - I have a kelpie and as lovely as he is I wouldn't necessarily recommend that breed to a novice owner. Just purely because, even putting the exercise requirement aside, they are very intelligent and sensitive, but yet incredibly willful dogs, so I think they would probably get very upset by unclear training. Fortunately they are not very fashionable to be kept as pets.
Llanali
Well-Known Member
Anything with a strong genetic compulsion to execute a certain behaviour then!!
All of these, except JT I'm afraid- some lurchers, yes you will be able to train to stop chasing. Some, you will NOT.
A Bedlington/whippet may well be stoppable, a pure saluki highly unlikely.
I breed salukis, I have a coming up for 60 year old blood line, that is our pride and joy and well renowned internationally- not boasting, I "inherited" the line after many years assessment by its founder.
I wouldn't home a saluki
With a first time owner- yes, they are beautiful with people and children, yes they sleep 20 hours a day, yes they are clean and quiet. But they chase to kill, they are aloof and not very "friendly" as such. Letting a saluki off in the park is a recipe for disaster for many, that chihuahua is lunch if it runs.
I made a mistake once a year ago. and have just dealt with it this week. I homed a saluki with a well known whippet lady, who came highly recommended. She is hugely experienced with whippets and greyhounds, and I thought made a good saluki match.
Sadly not. She contacted me telling me she had had issues as he had chased a papillon she had staying with her and bitten it. It had really rattled her. An hour on the phone and it became clear she might have had this saluki a year but she still had no idea. She told me he wouldn't say hello to strangers, and that he would sprint after pheasants on an estate.... :0 well no, he won't bound to a stranger like Lassie, and WHAT THE **** did you think you were doing letting a saluki off on a game reserve!!!
Obviously, I went to
Collect him immediately- we always, always have dogs back, though fortunately it's only ever been due to bereavement before.
Any way, I have re homed him this week to a saluki home. First time I homed a saluki to a non previous saluki home and look where it got me and the dog.
My point was, that there are breeds not suited to novices, but that those novices aren't necessarily first time owners of any dog, but first time
Owners of a specific type.
I wouldn't home a saluki with a Labrador owner unless they were a huge exception to
Some generalisation- as above, the people that laugh and dote on the lab that legs it around out of control shagging legs, might not be first time owners but would be disastrous for a saluki,
Leo Walker
Well-Known Member
A saluki is a totally different kettle of fish to a whippet. Especially if she had the small showing type whippets. My Oh tends to think my working bred whippet is very badly behaved a lot of the time, well he did until I took him to a lure racing event. Now he understands that what he thinks is "naughtiness" is actually just his natural instincts, and actually he is pretty well behaved for a whippet/lurcher. But if something runs, unless I'm really, really quick, hes going to chase it, he cant help himself
I love the look of salukis, I saw a video of them working antelopes out in the desert. The owners were following in jeeps while the pack of salukis ran and ran and ran in what must have been boiling temperatures. Amazing dogs! but no way could I manage one!
I love the look of salukis, I saw a video of them working antelopes out in the desert. The owners were following in jeeps while the pack of salukis ran and ran and ran in what must have been boiling temperatures. Amazing dogs! but no way could I manage one!
SadKen
Well-Known Member
If you aren't prepared to walk it, don't buy it - no matter what breed it is!
On the 'must have owned this breed before' I fully appreciate why this edict would be made and think it's sensible. However, how does one manage to get one's first ever type of the breed in the first place? My OH got a GSD who was a superstar (later my stepdog) with no trouble, but we had to audition for our current two, showing pics of our old lad and explaining the care routine. As I say - sensible, and made us feel happy we were buying from people who cared where they went, but must be tricky the first time you want a dog of a particular breed!
On the 'must have owned this breed before' I fully appreciate why this edict would be made and think it's sensible. However, how does one manage to get one's first ever type of the breed in the first place? My OH got a GSD who was a superstar (later my stepdog) with no trouble, but we had to audition for our current two, showing pics of our old lad and explaining the care routine. As I say - sensible, and made us feel happy we were buying from people who cared where they went, but must be tricky the first time you want a dog of a particular breed!
Spring Feather
Well-Known Member
None of the dogs I own at the moment have ever been on a walk in their lives.
blackcob
🖖
Perhaps that should read 'work' rather than walk!
I'd wear my legs down to stumps trying to walk mine sufficiently, we cover a lot more ground with wheels on. And this week it's finally cold enough to do some distance. Yay!
I'd wear my legs down to stumps trying to walk mine sufficiently, we cover a lot more ground with wheels on. And this week it's finally cold enough to do some distance. Yay!
Spring Feather
Well-Known Member
Ah yes much better! Now mine do plenty of that :smile3:
Mince Pie
Well-Known Member
Totally agree with this! My dog is a Welsh Sheepdog, so higher energy than a BC
There were many times in the first 18 months with Dog where I thought I couldn't cope SadKen
Well-Known Member
Work, walk.... Either way, exercise!