Best Dog Breed

Find the local rescue organizations within driving distance and see what they have. Getting a rescue dog is a better idea for these reasons.

1. Rescue dogs are seldom purebred, which means fewer health problems.

2. Rescue dogs are typically not puppies, so you can get a good idea of the personality your dog will have.

3. The foster owner can tell you a lot about the dog's personality. This alone is enough reason to get a rescue dog. Personality is way, way, way more important than the general characteristics of a breed.

Be prepared to pay for your dog in food and vet bills.

Don't get a dog just to run with you. The dog that can run 10 miles is not necessarily the dog you want in your house the other 22 hours of the day. We have a border collie. Love him, but he is a high maintenance dog.

Bobs Burgers wrote:

Sorry. Rain.

Almost.

Everyone that runs with their lab must have the "American" or field lab. Show Labs, or English Labs, are built like a brick s**t house.

Source: I have an English Lab. Only gets maybe two miles at ~9min pace. He can sprint, but after 20min, he's wiped and won't keep up with a herding dog. The dog is tough as anything, though.

And it's not because he is overweight. I watch to make sure I can see a rib or two. Overweight dogs = hip and joint issues later in their lives.

Bobs Burgers wrote:

Chuck Darwin wrote:

Beagle?

Sorry. Biegel

Great dogs. Super energetic, friendly and playful. Gotta reign in that energy though or they can get out of hand (chewing, barking, etc)

It's spelled Bagel.

John Clendon wrote:

Everyone that runs with their lab must have the "American" or field lab. Show Labs, or English Labs, are built like a brick s**t house.

Source: I have an English Lab. Only gets maybe two miles at ~9min pace. He can sprint, but after 20min, he's wiped and won't keep up with a herding dog. The dog is tough as anything, though.

And it's not because he is overweight. I watch to make sure I can see a rib or two. Overweight dogs = hip and joint issues later in their lives.

How can he possibly be as tough as anything when almost everything is tougher than him?

Australian Shepherd is a very high maintenance dog. Only people who understand its needs very well and intend to dote on the dog full time, and/or have a working ranch ,should ever have one.

I'll take a medium sized german shepherd mix any day.

I'll add support for aussie shepherds, great dogs.

Vote goes to Samoyeds. Can be a pain in the butt though with all the shedding, but they're SO FLUFFY

We have both an Aussie and a German Shepherd. The GSD keeps the Aussie company so that we don't have to "dote on him full time", as we both work full time and leave the dogs home alone all day. There's a lot of truth to your comment, though. The Aussie would be very unhappy and probably develop problematic bad habits if he were left alone all day. The GSD, in contrast, is very calm and quiet and seems like he would be perfectly happy to just lie around all day doing nothing.

But here's my point. Our GSD is six years old and has no specific health problems, but he's a big wimp. He moves very awkwardly, has a very low pain threshold and gets tired awfully quickly. We have taken him on numerous hiking trips and he's completely wasted after 6-9 miles of hiking. Several times he has simply flopped down in the trail and refused to move for quite ak while until he got his energy back. Our Aussie is nine years old, kind of chunky with a short choppy stride, but he seems impervious to heat, cold, or pain, and he can keep going all day. We get back from a day-long hike at elevation and he still wants to run and play. That's the kind of dog I want! We are planning a multi-day backpack trip next summer and we're afraid we'll have to board the GSD because he isn't physically tough enough to accompany us. Our Aussie can do anything that my husband and I can do, and he can fit into our 3-man tent pretty comfortably.

English Bull Terrier

English Bull Terrier

American Bulldog }

Viszla } together

Irish Terrier

Schnollie bitsa part this and part that. Mini Schnauzer Border Collie mix.

Loved them all.

As I get older I pick smaller and weaker dogs.

John Clendon wrote:

Everyone that runs with their lab must have the "American" or field lab. Show Labs, or English Labs, are built like a brick s**t house.

Source: I have an English Lab. Only gets maybe two miles at ~9min pace. He can sprint, but after 20min, he's wiped and won't keep up with a herding dog. The dog is tough as anything, though.

And it's not because he is overweight. I watch to make sure I can see a rib or two. Overweight dogs = hip and joint issues later in their lives.

I know my dogs pretty well and a lab that get tired that easily is fat, poorly bred, has a serious health problem or is vastly under exercised. Probably some combination of all 4. Nobody expects a lab to keep up with a herding dog, but it darn well should go more than 20 minutes. You don't have a tough dog.

The reason labs are so popular is because unlike most sporting breeds they will get fat and lazy if you let them, and they are fairly stupid so doing that doesn't have many consequences. Pointers and setters won't truck that nonsense.

John Clendon wrote:

Everyone that runs with their lab must have the "American" or field lab. Show Labs, or English Labs, are built like a brick s**t house.

Source: I have an English Lab. Only gets maybe two miles at ~9min pace. He can sprint, but after 20min, he's wiped and won't keep up with a herding dog. The dog is tough as anything, though.

Interesting. I don't know a whole lot about that stuff but I would guess my dog is a field Lab, then. In all the AKC "standards" she's too much dog - a bit too tall, a bit too long (and therefore a bit too heavy) but given her size she's lean and fast. Her parents were bigger-than-average Labs too. I don't run with her all the time but when she comes along she has no problem keeping up.

gahuga wrote:

[quote]John Clendon wrote:

Interesting. I don't know a whole lot about that stuff but I would guess my dog is a field Lab, then. In all the AKC "standards" she's too much dog - a bit too tall, a bit too long (and therefore a bit too heavy) but given her size she's lean and fast. Her parents were bigger-than-average Labs too. I don't run with her all the time but when she comes along she has no problem keeping up.

There is a difference as far as physical attributes go. I'm fairly sure their temperament is the same.

English (Show)

American (Field)

All depends what you want in them. The American labs are definitely more athletic.

See the Rolling Stones: "Under My Thumb"

Ain't no betta!

For most people the best answer is "a cat".

If you know what you're doing and actually have the time and energy to commit to a dog then the possibilities are limitless. I'm a big fan of the belgians (have a malinois in my family) but will be adding a heeler in the near future.

Doberman Pinscher for anyone who is active/a runner. Incredibly athletic, impeccable endurance, ain't nobody gonna make fun of your short shorts with one running along with you, one of the most intelligent and trainable breeds, very loyal and willing to please, and once you get your run done for the day they'll likely spend the rest of the day on the couch.....untill tomorrow, where you better take it for another run.

Downfalls: If you don't know how to properly assert yourself as the alpha the Doberman will be the alpha. But if you show you're the leader of the pack they will be loyal to the point of death. Trust me.

Plus if you have a tiny spouse or significant other who you want to be safe while out on runs you can just send your doberman with her and never be worried.

Bounty hunter.

I know my dogs pretty well too and am astounded to see you call the Labrador Retriever fairly stupid when it is clear that they are stupid beyond belief. You are too kind and that is a rarity here at LRC

Labradors, stupid? A below average Labrador would crack the top-10 for IQ's on this forum.