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This is my first post here despite lingering and reading other peoples experiences for the last 8 months. You'll have to excuse my shyness but where I live anything outside a M/F relationship is considered perverse.I'm currently living in a fairly spacious appartment but within the next year I'll be moving to a place with 4 acres of open terrain. I'm looking at getting a male sheep dog, either a marrema or a akbash but I've only had limited experience with an akbash. I've heard that most working dogs don't have much of a personality which is why I'm afraid of getting one so if any of you know better please tell me I have several years experience of having a border collie/unknown hybrid and a chow chow/unknown hybrid which were both great lovers and had a good personality One of the great things I loved about my chow chow was he would bite my neck and shoulders when we mated up until he tied. Wasn't hard enough to draw blood but was still a great sensation that I've never had another dog replicate. I'm wondering if that was him asserting dominance or if thats just considered an aggressive personality and also curious if anyone else has had a canine campanion do that, so any ideas there would help ;D
well I think just about every dog breed is considered a working dog in some form, every dog has personality id say
Hey there!From what I know working dogs mostly got plenty of temperament and personality. Of course every dog is different but if you take my fav breed, rotts, they got some pretty heavy personality and a high drive. But that doesn't mean you'll have good sex Letting em mount and ride you is deffinatly a dominant act from em. But that doesn't mean that you don't have to teach your dog you're boss. They know then when it's game time and when to chill.The biting on the neck and shoulders, I would just consider as an instinct to keep you in place and to breed you my rott does it as well sometimes, but only when he's very needy and when he doesn't find his mark.Wish ya plenty of fun with yer new dog!
Thanks fer the replies QUOTE well I think just about every dog breed is considered a working dog in some form, every dog has personality id sayI didn't really mean that I wasn't sure if they had no personality but rather the strength of their personality. From my experience with various other animals is that some are very social & have a higher emotional standing with their owner and will stick by your side while others keep to themselves and don't show/have interest in a lot of things.QUOTE Hey there!From what I know working dogs mostly got plenty of temperament and personality. Of course every dog is different but if you take my fav breed, rotts, they got some pretty heavy personality and a high drive. But that doesn't mean you'll have good sex Letting em mount and ride you is deffinatly a dominant act from em. But that doesn't mean that you don't have to teach your dog you're boss. They know then when it's game time and when to chill.The biting on the neck and shoulders, I would just consider as an instinct to keep you in place and to breed you my rott does it as well sometimes, but only when he's very needy and when he doesn't find his mark.Wish ya plenty of fun with yer new dog! Don't get me wrong, I love the dominant thing cause he was the boss, no need to teach him otherwise I had to give up both of my dogs when I moved a year ago so it's been far too long and I'm just looking to get a great sole companion. I've been focused on sheep dogs because of their overall size in general (not the package) and they look really cool I haven't seen many posts concerning owners of maremma or akbash breeds so I was a little afraid they wouldn't make a good companion.
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As for the marema and other large herd dogs, they are working dogs, far more thatn GSD's and other "domesticated" herding dogs. These dogs need a work. Life as indoor family dog could easily turn out to make them problem dogs.Read all you can about these dogs, and talk to/visit folks who have these dogs, and see how they work/live. They are not just dogs...
The Maremma and the Akbash are both Livestock Guardians, and, like was mentioned, they will need firm yet fiar training, as well, and pehraps most importantly, a job to do to remain a happy companion. The Livestock Guardian breeds are very independant, maybe this is what was meant by them not having a strong personality. Despite there independance, they are protective, it's a part of their nature, and will defend their owner and land. Their history makes for a guardian that acts now and asks questions later, so if not handled correctly and properly, they could become a liability. The difficulty in training, and need for experienced handling comes from their independance combined with their intelligance, -- this means they will not always follow your commands, and ther'es not a chance in hell they're listen to you if they aren't motivated or see no reason for the command.This by no means indicates a weak personalty, they can be wonderful companions, but life requirements must be met to allow this, and don't expect adog that will want to be with you 24 - 7, or come to you for cuddling, since they're far from the "velcrow" personality of other working breeds, which is understandable considering they were bred to live out in the pastures, where they could best protect the flocks.An interesting characteristic of the livestock guardians though... With socialisation, they can be downright maternal with children and small animals, which is something you don't see in other working breeds because of the high drive temperments of other breeds.
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Thanks fer the replies again and the vote wire I have been reading quite a bit but most of the information I've found is general and I've never read of any personal experiences with those breeds.QUOTE The Maremma and the Akbash are both Livestock Guardians, and, like was mentioned, they will need firm yet fiar training, as well, and pehraps most importantly, a job to do to remain a happy companion. The Livestock Guardian breeds are very independant, maybe this is what was meant by them not having a strong personality.That was what I meant about the personality was independance levels. I have no problem training dogs but from what I'm seeing here looks to me like I better start looking around at other breeds I'd prefer a dog with more of an indoor personality that would be in the house with me more than outside so looks like that won't be a herding dog. I've been around a lot of german sheperds and I just never really liked their personality, they just seemed a little too hyper for me. I'm looking for a dog that is fairly large and isn't overly hyper and would hang around for a cuddle If any of you know of a site with information pictures of the various breeds please post them.I don't have a lot of experience with larger dogs of 100+ pounds so thats why this is still pretty new to me and as the title states I'm open to suggestions. I like longhaired dogs and if they are protective thats a plus. Hybrid is just as good as purebred to me. Thanks again
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Well, dont kill your dream yet. Thore would be clubs that train these dogs for herding, we even have one here, and if we have, you'll have too Ask them wha tyou wan tto know, talk about your interest in these dogs (at least the decent part of it). And talk to different people in that club, one might be friendlier than the other. I too have a breeed that i fancy a lot, and I have made my studies. I also took contact to a club, and they offered me a visit where I had the chance for handling one of these dogs myself. See what doors you manage to open. Most clubs would be open to new members, and also ready to let you experience if these dogs are nothing for you when it comes to their dalily keeping.If you find that these dogs are nothing for you after all, there are other breeds that are like them, but not the same. There are the bernese dogs, and the leonberger, just what I remember without looking anything up.
Maybe look into the Mastiff-type breeds, Great Danes have a very low energy level (They're one of the most renound "couch potatos" of the dog world, but if you find their motivation, they will be happy to join you for jobs, etc) Bull Mastiffs are also great dogs that don't have the high energy level like German Shepherds,... These guys are all very personable, people-orientated, and just plain sweethearts if you ask me personally! And the Mastiff-types I've met, as far as cuddling go, they sure think they can fit all of themselves in your lap, and won't hold back from trying. Feel free to PM me if you'd like more info... I've worked with all sorts of breeds. Hope you find the perfect dog for you!
Thanks a lot QUOTE Well, dont kill your dream yet. Thore would be clubs that train these dogs for herding, we even have one here, and if we have, you'll have too Ask them wha tyou wan tto know, talk about your interest in these dogs (at least the decent part of it). And talk to different people in that club, one might be friendlier than the other. I too have a breeed that i fancy a lot, and I have made my studies. I also took contact to a club, and they offered me a visit where I had the chance for handling one of these dogs myself. See what doors you manage to open. Most clubs would be open to new members, and also ready to let you experience if these dogs are nothing for you when it comes to their dalily keeping.If you find that these dogs are nothing for you after all, there are other breeds that are like them, but not the same. There are the bernese dogs, and the leonberger, just what I remember without looking anything up.I'll look into these clubs but I'm fairly sure there are not any of these clubs around close to where I live and I can't often leave for an entire day because I work as a web designer/developer and always gotta have the phone on and a computer plugged in.I checked out those breeds on a few different web sites too. I don't have the time today to check them out in depth too much but they defiantly look like a good start.QUOTE Maybe look into the Mastiff-type breeds, Great Danes have a very low energy level (They're one of the most renound "couch potatos" of the dog world, but if you find their motivation, they will be happy to join you for jobs, etc) Bull Mastiffs are also great dogs that don't have the high energy level like German Shepherds,... These guys are all very personable, people-orientated, and just plain sweethearts if you ask me personally! And the Mastiff-types I've met, as far as cuddling go, they sure think they can fit all of themselves in your lap, and won't hold back from trying. Feel free to PM me if you'd like more info... I've worked with all sorts of breeds. Hope you find the perfect dog for you!Wow, hard to imagine a 200+ pound dog mounting me. Would be more like smothering me It's defiantly very appealing though. It's still going to be a month at least before I do decide. $800+ for mastiff pups isn't overly exciting but I'm really considering it. I'll drop you a PM soon as I get some free time.Thanks again fer the help
I don't know a great deal about herding dogs except for the fun I may have had with them in the past. I know that any German Shepherd that I've encountered was a very gentle lover and most any Rottie that I've encountered was very vivacious and well, just plain horned up. I am a giant breed lover myself and have have lots of expericens with Danes, Saints, Neufies, Wolfhounds and Mastiffs. It may be hard to imagine a 200 pound dog making love to you, however it's also incredibly sensual when you look up and there is a 30 pound head resting at your shoulder and sometimes nipping at your neck or licking your ear:)There are a hundred different dogs for a hundred different personalitiies. Find the one that is most suited to your lifestyle and then narrow the field from there! Don't end up with the wrong dog as his life and yours might be a mismatch and miserable.
Some comparisons:Maremmas: Up to 110 lbs.Akbash: Up to 130 lbs.Leonbergers: Up to 176 lbs.Great Danes: Usually up to around 150 lbs.Bull Mastiff: Up to 130 lbs.English Mastiff: Up to 200 lbs.Tibetan Mastiff: Up to 160 lbs.Neapolitan Mastiff: Up to 150 lbs.Burnese Mountain Dog: Up to 130 lbs.Greater Swiss Mountain Dog: Up to 140 lbs.Ever considered these? They might be of interest to you as well, and I've heard tons of good things about them, including how they make good house dogs. Kuvasc: Up to 95 lbs. (A livestock guardian breed, but they are somewhat less independant then the Akbash and Maremma)Komondor: Up to 130 lbs. (Again, another livestock guardian type, more family-devoted, easy to train but needs an incredible amount of socialisation)Great Pyrenese: Up to 125 lbs. (Marvelous dogs, bond extremely well with whomever raises it, again, it needs a fair deal of socialisation, but is entirely worth the return of loyalty and protection)
QUOTE I don't know a great deal about herding dogs except for the fun I may have had with them in the past. I know that any German Shepherd that I've encountered was a very gentle lover and most any Rottie that I've encountered was very vivacious and well, just plain horned up. I am a giant breed lover myself and have have lots of expericens with Danes, Saints, Neufies, Wolfhounds and Mastiffs. It may be hard to imagine a 200 pound dog making love to you, however it's also incredibly sensual when you look up and there is a 30 pound head resting at your shoulder and sometimes nipping at your neck or licking your ear:)There are a hundred different dogs for a hundred different personalitiies. Find the one that is most suited to your lifestyle and then narrow the field from there! Don't end up with the wrong dog as his life and yours might be a mismatch and miserable. Never been with a rottweiler before but I was with a german shepherd for around 6 months. We had a great connection but I didn't really like the overall personality oh him. That would indeed be a lovely thing, a 30 pound head resting on my shoulder Thanks a lot for the post, and I love your stories just haven't commented yet QUOTE Some comparisons:Maremmas: Up to 110 lbs.Akbash: Up to 130 lbs.Leonbergers: Up to 176 lbs.Great Danes: Usually up to around 150 lbs.Bull Mastiff: Up to 130 lbs.English Mastiff: Up to 200 lbs.Tibetan Mastiff: Up to 160 lbs.Neapolitan Mastiff: Up to 150 lbs.Burnese Mountain Dog: Up to 130 lbs.Greater Swiss Mountain Dog: Up to 140 lbs.Ever considered these? They might be of interest to you as well, and I've heard tons of good things about them, including how they make good house dogs. Kuvasc: Up to 95 lbs. (A livestock guardian breed, but they are somewhat less independant then the Akbash and Maremma)Komondor: Up to 130 lbs. (Again, another livestock guardian type, more family-devoted, easy to train but needs an incredible amount of socialisation)Great Pyrenese: Up to 125 lbs. (Marvelous dogs, bond extremely well with whomever raises it, again, it needs a fair deal of socialisation, but is entirely worth the return of loyalty and protection) That helped a LOT. I couldn't seem to find a list of the larger breeds other than the most common. I've looked at them all quite a bit so far but I'm still deciding. The three I'm interested in most is the Great Pyrenese, Bernese Mountain Dog and the Kuvasz. The Tibetan Mastiff is also a consideration. The first two are really nice looking dogs and are also pretty versatile for my options. Although I'm moving into the country soon, I've moved around a lot in my life so I need to make sure if I end up in an apartment again I won't be risking giving him up.Thanks again for all the great advice. All I can do now is learn some more about these dogs on my own.
I think you'll have a lot of luck with the Great Pyr and Burnese personally ... Let us know how the research goes!
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