So, basically in the future, a few years from now, I'd like to officially have a dog. Let's leave aside the matter of how much exercise, space and food the dog would need, I'll have that solved and planned once I define which breed I'll be aiming for. What's sure is that it'll solved no matter which breed ends being chosen. I have three concrete breeds in mind, although somewhat common, I think they'd be good picks: Labrador Retriever, Golden Retriever and German Shepard. My concerns here are the following: friendliness of the breed towards strangers, amount of hair shed and playfulness. I ask this here because I think hearing experiences from people owning these breeds would be better instead of finding textbook answers, so, if you own, have owned or even know somebody who has owned one of these breeds...what were your experiences with them?
First of all let me just say that you have chosen some of the best breeds. I have had both a German Shepherd and Labrador Retriever. They were loving dogs, obedient dogs, but also very good watch dogs. To this day I miss Lady my German Shepherd, and Rocky my Lab. I didn't realize how lucky I was though to have these breeds, because they aren't easy to come by. Why, because they are easy to train and are great companions, so many want them
I agree with pafjlh, 100%! All of those breeds are loyal & loving companions. I just lost my baby last year after 13 years. She was a Sheppard/Lab/Chow mix but mainly looked like a Sheppard. Sheppard's & Retriever's tend to shed where as the Lab doesn't shed as much, has shorter hair and loves the water. Personally, I prefer the mixed breeds and shelter rescues as they have so much love to give and need a 2nd chance. No matter what choice you make, you will have made a friend for life. Enjoy!
We only had a Labrador Retriever and a German Shepherd, and I noticed that both were very friendly, even towards other dogs and not really hostile towards our cats. They do bark when they hear strange noises or when they see foreign people. They really make great choices, in my opinion.
I have had german Shepherd and I believe it is one of the best friend that I have had till now. They are very lovely and totally worth it to have them. I believe that they a great companion on any given day.
The most important thing with ALL breeds as far as friendliness to strangers in socialization. All breeds should meet many new people from as soon as you bring them home and throughout their lives. There is a critical socialization period from 8-12 weeks that should not be missed. I've owned german shepherds and felt they shed more than labs BUT my skin allergies react to labs but not to german shepherd fur. I think this is because dogs bred for water retrieval have a different type or amount of skin oil than other breeds. I don't know if that's a factor for you but it might be something to consider. All three breeds will shed some amount, probably worse at certain times a year. I went with a doodle because I don't like shedding.
I would suggest that you not be too adamant about getting one of those breeds specifically, and keep an open mind when you are looking over some potential dogs to adopt. I would also 2nd the recommendation to get your dogs from a shelter vs. a breeder. There are tons of incredible dogs waiting to be adopted at these shelters, and they'll typically fall in love with you in an instant for rescuing them. I adopted a coonhound mix back in 1994 from a local shelter and she was one of the best dogs we have ever had - a total sweetheart and very affectionate. She even slept in our bed each night, that's how attached she was to us. We also took in two stray dogs a couple years later - a terrier mix and a beagle. Both were fantastic dogs too, but they each have their own personalities. Plus it was like having one of each size - small (the beagle), medium (the terrier mix) and large (the coonhound mix). Terriers are full of energy, and can be rather loud when they get excited. You need to be patient with how hyper they are, but they remain full of energy into their senior years too, which is nice - they don't become all lethargic. Beagles are like big babies, all the ones us and our friends have owned always have a child like quality to them - but they can also be rather stubborn, so be aware that it can be hard to break them of bad habbits. They also like to wander off, lol. All of our dogs had smooth coats which didn't need shaved or trimmed. While this is certainly convenient, all dogs have an undercoat which will still shed throughout the year.
