Puppy Names

These are the names I like so far. I've been thinking about them for the last few weeks.
Fox
Boomer
Remmy
Winchester
Rye
Dixie
Dark
Mojo
Ren
Styx
Binks
Redd
Shadow
Ram
Pixie
Pax
Colt
Arrow
Knight
Chase
Ruu
Rhubarb
Von/Vaughn/ Van
Freja/Freya
Ebon
Roux
Jun (pronounced June)
Jiro
Rei (" Ray)
Gunther (" Ginter)
Koi
Wolf/ Wolfe/ Wolfhardt
Mischa
Kane/Cain
Kohl
Klaus
Blitz
Sable
Onyx
Inky
Blacker
Blackmail
Okra
Kuro
Curry
Axel
Nox
Ice
Saffron
Hawthorn
Shiv
Shiva
Aspen
Loki
Ashen
Striker
Sabre

Done!

So these are the six breeds that I desperately love. They are all large breeds that should do well around Rainey and the cats.

If anyone knows something about these breeds that would make them unsuitable as family pets, please leave me a comment.

I'm so happy that I will be getting a dog. I don't think anyone knows how important it is to me.
There's a reason why dogs are considered man's best friend and I can't wait to find my best friend. :)

German Shepards

The last breed that I love is the German Shepard. During my last year of high school we had a k-9 unit come in to give a demonstration. I think the dog's name was Buck, and he was just amazing. I fell in love with this breed that day.

I know german shepards sometimes get a bad rap because they are often used as police dogs. However their characteristics are not all that terrible.

An article on them states, "The German Shepherd Dog is unusually intelligent and unconditionally loyal, obedient, brave, and protective. It is known for its fearlessness but it is by no means hostile or aggressive. German Shepherd Dogs are poignant and devoted, making wonderful companions and ideal watchdogs. They are highly versatile and can fit in with many different lifestyles."

They get along with children and other animals fine if they are socialized together from a young age.

Downsides:

They are very territorial and are not friendly with strangers as labs and goldens are. They make excelent guard dogs, and will fight to protect our family. However the UPS man will not like coming to our house with a German Shepard around. :)

Golden Retrievers

This breed has many of the same characteristics as the Labs. However this breed is generally more calm than the other.

I've always had a soft spot for goldens because of the movie "Homeward Bound." The ending never fails to make me cry when the boy and his old dog are reunited after the great journey and there's that tense moment where the audience believes that the dog couldn't make it home.

They are less independent that Labradors and need more of their family's attention.

They will also try to protect their family, but usually wouldn't hurt a fly.

Downsides:

Won't work as a guard dog. But I'm looking for a companion dog, so that isn't a big deal.

They have longer coats than labs and need more grooming.

Labs!

I love Labradors. Jenny, our family dog when I was a kid, was part Lab.

My favorite are black labs, but I like silver and chocolate labs too. For some reason I don't like yellow labs as much. However I love golden red on a yellow lab.

Good Points:

Listed as one of the best breeds around children and other pets.

Widely considered to be the most popular breed in the world.

Not too territorial.

Very Faithful and loving which is important to me.

Usually live 10-12 years which is higher than some breeds.

So darn precious!

Problems:

They can become obese very easily and will beg for food and ingest inedible things when available. Becasue they are so sweet people tend to give them more treats and this can lead to later health issues related to obesity.

This probably won't be too much of a problem because I don't plan to free feed my dog. In a dog manuel that I read recently it said that most dog breeds like stability and routine in their days and like to be fed around the same time every day. I also learned that puppies need a lot of food, but need to take it in small portions every few hours because their stomachs are tiny.

Huskies and Malamutes

Now I know that the two are completely different in temperment and care, but they are similar enough that one post should do.

I love the way that they appear. They remind me of wolves which are my favorite animal. I know that Mom thinks that they are ugly, but if I had to pick any dog breed I would pick a husky or a Malamute. Just seeing one of these puppies makes me grin.

Huskies are independent and strong-willed.

They are supposed to be good with kids, but would need to be trained to accept the cats.

They only shed twice a year, but need to be brushed every week.

Problems:

Huskies are prone to hip dysplasia. However, according to this article from the Siberian Huskie Club of America http://www.shca.org/shcahp4d.htm in a study done on 12,000 huskies only 2.2% were actually dysplastic. This was a few years ago, so the percentage may have gone up or down. Also, if the family history is available, we could check to see if any had hip dysplasia.

Another problem which I'm not sure is true is that huskies are highstrung. A lot of them get left at shelters because the people don't have the energy and time to give huskies the care they need.

Malamutes would be the better choice for us because they are friendly, affectionate, and loyal and generally do well with kids. They weigh about 20 pounds more than huskies. So about 75-85 pounds.

The only big problem that I can think of is that they can be huge. If we get it from the pound we won't really know if the parents were "giant" malamutes (around 140 pounders) or not until the puppy reaches full size.

Also, the profile says that they need at least an hour of hard exercise every day for either breed. I would be forced to exercise. T_T (This might actually be a good thing).

Bernese Mountain Dogs

So the first breed that I'm considering is the Bernese Mountain Dog. I think they are beautiful and perfect for Alaska as they have a heavy coat.

I want a large dog and Berners can get up to 105 pounds.

They are very smart and loyal although they take a little more patience to train than some dogs. They are very obedient.

They are very protective and good with little kids (important) and other pets.

Some downsides would be:

That they are more prone to cancer than most breeds, but we can check their family history and I will be sure to pray every night that mine doesn't. Even if I don't get this breed I will still add him to my prayer list of people and pets to keep safe and healthy.

That they shed seasonally, but I will brush him as often as needed. You know I will because my room and clothes will garner the most loose fur if I don't.

Doggies!

Okay...so I will be adding several posts about dogs in the next few days. Hopefully if every thing works out in my favor I will be getting a dog soon.
Mainly this is for my Mom and Tom's benefit so they can see the different breeds and understand why I like them and then discuss with me whether they would be a good match for our family. I used to do this as a child, write a mini-essay to convince them to let me do something. Usually it works. :)
It will be my dog, but I understand that the rest of my family has to live with my pet too. So the main concerns are whether the dog breed is good with small children (if he ever bites Rainey he will be gone) and cats, how much it barks, how loving it is, how difficult to maintain and train, and whether my parents think it's as cute as I do (I want my dog to get enough love and if my Mom doesn't think he's adorable she might not pet him lol).