i want a dog too.

i love the multi-colored dog idea. i would have never thought of that.

aww, such cuties.

my dogs are the best ever. (i am their mother, so I am very proud).
they came from www.petfinder.com both are rescues... mix of Jack Russell, sporty and fun, but not too big that they are a pain, LOADS of personality. I grew up with big dogs (golden retrievers, labs, etc)... these little (medium) dogs are the best- they travel well too... and in a not-so big house they are so much more manageable.
Penelope & Paisley are their names. I can send photos if you wanna see 'em.

yes please!

also erika, i'm searching for something i wanted to ask you about.

get a spriner spaniel...i've had 3 and each one has been amazing. they arent little and yappy...mid sized, loving, active, great health history. there are springer rescue organizations that are great too (thats how i got my last one and she's adorable)

we have a rhodesian ridgeback that we ADORE. she is SOFT, but not fluffy soft, which means no super long white hairs on your black north face fleece. they don't bark. they are loyal, but also very, very friendly. ours is a little swimmer, atheltic and a snuggle bunny in bed. they are red with white spots now and again, but not really multi color. either way, when you do get a puppy make sure to post all about it!!!!
(did those puppies on your site ever find homes??)

I have a 3 year old miniature Daschund (Henry is on my blog) and he is the best dog ever!! (Henry is my first dog) He loves the outdoors, children, people who want to hold him, other animals, playing fetch, and cuddling. Henry is very loyal to me and very sweet. (he gives kisses on comand)I know you want a bigger dog, but you should consider a daschund because they have the best personality! My advice would be to find a good breeder and visit the home to see the dog you want as a puppy. I met Henry when he was 2 weeks old and the breeder only had 3 puppies total. I really belive he is such a good dog because his environment where he was born was loving and he had a lot of attention. (Also, read Marley and Me)

OK you know I'm partial to my St. Bernard...and I totally forgot to mention to you - she is SILENT! No barks unless you're playing with her and she gets excited. People ring the doorbell and no ridiculous barking or antics. Just puppy dog eyes and lots of sniffing. And wanting to be loved on. She's so darn sweet.

You can come visit her if you'd like.

I have a Tibetan Terrier that I adore. He is very fluffy and has a great personality. I swear he is really more like a kid than a dog. Chesapeakes can be biters, so I would not recommend. I grew up with friends that had them.

My parents have a Golden Retriever and Ellie is the best dog in the world! You really can't go wrong with a Golden.

My old boss had a Chesapeake Bay Retriever and, though they're beautiful dogs, they just will NOT tire out! So unless you have hours upon hours to play catch and take your pup running, you may want to consider a different breed.

We have a black merle Great Dane named Fable. She's the biggest cutie ever.

When we started looking we knew we needed something big, or else our soon-to-be two year old would just steam roll right over her. We were going for Great Danes or Mastiffs. Both are awesome with kids, can take some abuse because of their size and are total poeple dogs.

Fable is awesome, the kids "love" on her, she never barks, super easy to crate and house train. She does take up some space, but it's funny to see her try and turn around in the hallway and get stuck. She'll go anywhere we go, although we still haven't taken her camping yet. She doesn't give company trouble, unless they pet her and then she's attached to their hip, waiting for more lovin'. Just an all around great dog.

When and if you do get a dog, take a look at a "Biologically appropriate raw food" diet or barf for short. I highly recommend it and if you have the option, also look into delayed spay/neutering until the dog reaches sexual maturity (but only if you're absolutely certain you can keep the dog away from others until it gets fixed). Both of these options make for a super healthy.

Oh, and I hate to sound preachy, but docking and cropping is cosmetic surgery. Do dogs really need that? :-)

Don't forget to tattoo/chip them too!

look at fable! i love her!

Ummm --- totally on board with your chesapeake retriever! We had a black and a chocolate lab and both were good sports, active, love the water, and more personality than you know what to do with.

So those are my votes. But I've found awfully cute contenders that have a lab mix in them on petfinder as well.

ML and I actually saw a redbone coonhound in texas last summer, and then stumbled upon one on wall street here in NYC last night! Beautiful creatures, although I'm a little concerned about the volume level...

I love my basset hound. If you want to meet her, you can!

i work in a dog daycare/boarding/training facility and i honestly don't see the big fuss with goldens and labs. most the regulars we have are neurotic. aussies are a yes vote. they usually LOVE water and have tons of energy and like to snuggle. i would personally love either a bull terrier or corgi or an irish wolfhound, but as i don't have my own place now i have to keep wishing...

kbear, i would love to meet her! and you! maybe we could take a walk one evening since we're so close?

you can email me: foohqwah@aol.com

my beloved pup who is still living with my dubmass ex looks like the hunky male version of Erika's dogs. He's a rat terrier/chihuahua mix and not at all yappy.

Please use petfinder.com. They link you up to no-kill shelters where you can find doggies that no one wants because they're all going to these hillbilly breeders most of whom do not follow animal welfare procedures. PLEAAASSSEEE don't support dog breeders. So many wonderful mixes are in shelters wondering why no one wants them.

We got our sweet girl from the Wake County shelter. We weren't sure of her breed originally, but think she is huskie/chow. She is a great size (about 40lbs), really quite, super energetic, but can handle being home alone during the day, and can keep up with us on runs.

I've never had a purebred dogs, I think with mutts you get the best of all the breeds. Those first couple mixes you showed were adorable. But do watch out for hounds, our friends have a couple and they are SO loud.

Best of luck, and have fun with the search. We were really impressed with Wake and I know how you are feeling wanting a dog so bad. It is as good as you imagine!

jean, do you think we can find a puppy at wake?

and i'll meet your dog next thursday!

There were lots of puppies when we went, a lot of boxer/pitt bull mixes though. Our friends just got an awesome 10 month old poodle/doberman mix from there that totally looks like an irish wolfhound. You can search on their website or through petfinder.com. But I was really impressed with the staff and the cleanliness, I was worried I was going to get overwhelmed. Can't wait for you to meet Sadie, she is definitely multi-colored!

http://search.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=11388523

Ahhhh! Ollie!!

Or Pebbles!
http://search.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=11263045

There are some good multi-colored ones!

I am going to be totally annoying and send you puppy links now.. just warning.

I grew up with goldens and now have one of my own. They are hands down the sweetest dogs around. They have a wonderful personality and are great with kids. Good luck!

I have two golden retrievers and would HIGHLY recommend them!

Growing up I had quite a few dogs (boxers, cocker spaniels, pugs and German shepherds). All of them were good dogs, but none of them were as good as my current golden retrievers. The goldens LOVE to swim (I live in the south so this is a necessity to keeping cool). We travel quite a bit with them and they do great. My oldest is an Animal Assisted Therapy Partner with our local Children’s Hospital; they are great with children, other dogs and even cats.

Goldens do shed, but we give ours a “summer” cut in the warm months. It helps them stay cool and it helps my vacuum!

Happy hunting!

You might look at a Catahoula. They come in all colors, are incredibly smart and protective but also very friendly and playful. Originally bred to find lost cattle and fight off wild hogs, they are tough but also very gentle with kiddos.
We have a 10 month old grey/brown merle named Geronimo and he LOVES swimming in the lake. He NEVER barks unless someone he hasn't met comes on our property. So far, he's our perfect pet. Might check them out. You can find plenty on Petfinder!

I used to have a golden that was the smartest dog ever. Seriously. And sweet. But she never shut up. She barked all day long. When she wasn't barking she was "waaahhh"ing at me! We have boxers now. They stare at me with their droopy little lips and I give in to whatever they want.

I have to say, don't leave out samoyed mixes...they are so very awesome. We have a golden/samoyed mix and she is the very, very best dog in the world.
Good luck!
xo
Melissa

I hope you get your dog soon. Is it me, or is your sweetie making you wait and awfully long time?
Just make sure you read this before choosing:
http://www.dooce.com/daily-chuck/2008/07/16/decapitator

I have a dog named sam. She is a lab, not a she-she trendy lab. She is a lab. I can not remember life without a lab. I have been smothered in kisses by labby love my entire life. If no one had one, I would. Take a look see at my bloggie to see my doggie. Dogs are truly a wooman's best friend, end of story.
There is nothing quite like being flea bitten. I highly recommend it.

We had to leave our Chow/Golden mix, Happy, behind when we moved overseas a year ago. He is the best dog ever, a big red-headed love muffin. He was too old to make the journey and now lives with my sister-in-law.

We have an American bulldog, still a puppy (around 10 months), I can say with all honesty...She is the best dog ever! Seriously, they are a great breed...big (up to 85 lbs), smart, sweet, cuddly. They are mulit-colored---a combo of tans, browns, brindle, sometimes with black spots. She's not a big barker...only when people come to the door (and not always then), very people oriented, she's atheletic, but not super high energy, very easy to train, and was housebroken with minimum effort. We found her breeders on-line with puppy finder.

we have a minature goldendoodle (poodle - golden retriever mix)and she is the best! smart, sweet, cute and doesn't shed much. she is 30 pounds -- so not too big and not too small.
check out our breeders website
www.goldendoodle.net

Ahhh! So many coments! I am a golden retreiver girl all the way! Right now, my golden lives with my parents (we have a weight requirement for our HOA), and so we also have a Papillion. Ours is smaller than most, but usually they are a great mid sized dog. VERRRRY smart. So snuggly, loves to travel, and catches on very quickly to any gentle scolding. You should definitely try to rescue a golden... I know they have some great websites available!

Good luck on your hunt!

I have had two yellow labs from shelters, both great. The current one has a few issues but nothing serious.

If you're having children any time soon, Chesapeakes are not good. They can be nasty and do bite.

Also, read up about Australian Shepards. They have endless energy. There was a vet on the Diane Rehm show this week talking about the NYT article on medicating dogs. Almost everyone who called in with a problem with their dog had an Aussie Shepard.

Mixed breeds are usually good. Shelter dogs are the BEST!!!

I have the most adorable boxer you have ever seen - the best dog I've had in my life. Please don't confuse boxers and pit bulls. Pit bulls are terriers and boxers, like Am. bull dogs are mastiffs. Loyal, non aggressive, sweet as pie and totally gorgeous. I think. Swimmers? hmmm...Rosie has not had the opportunity, but she doesn't like to walk through dewy grass in the morning. :)

I've grown up with golden retrievers and labs. Both are wonderful, friendly breeds that love people. Very good family dogs, loyal, and very trainable. Right now I have a black lab/collie mix from the shelter, and she's such a sweet dog. She's also highly intelligent and aware of what she's expected to do. Any of these breeds are also very affectionate, but they also have a fair amount of energy and definitely enjoy their walks.

Keep us posted on what you decide!

all those dogs are very slobbery and hairy.

we had a pit bull and she was amazing. we are watching a lab right now who is really nice but needy and has hip issues nad slobbers and sneezes all the time.

really all you should care about is how the individual dog IS. some people just get LUCKY with the dog they pick. there are horrible dogs of every type and all have their drawbacks. i would say avoid a black dog. the dog that is staying with us is black and i am fantasizing about when he leaves so i can clean everything. there is black hair on EVERYTHIng. I can't keep up.

i really like king cavalier charles spaniels (something like that). they tend to seem smart and if they get lots of attention they are good dogs. i also like french bulldogs and boston terriers, but they might be too small for you. they tend to get anxious if they aren't given alot of attention, but you are good at that.


if you haven't had your own dog before, i would suggest thinking about getting a rescue dog and finding one that has a good temperment and behavior already. that will increase the chance that the dog isnt crazy. if you really want a puppy, make sure you do LOTS of research on the people selling the dogs. inbreeding = anxiety, yappy, crazy.


good luck. all dogs are good with cats if they have been raised with them.

I have three dogs and I do a ton of rescue work. Aussies are a challenge, wonderful dogs but not for the novice. I have two shetland sheepdogs and a border collie mix. They are all a good size (between 25-45 lbs), I grew up with labs and they are fantastic dogs but for me a little large. My shelties are really great, one rarely barks but the other is a yapper so I think it depends on the dog. Both love cats and are very good dogs. Joepa, my sheltie is a blue merle: http://luckylucychance.blogspot.com/2008/01/welcome-to-family.html .
Whatever you decide though, there are so many wonderful rescues just make sure you do your research! Good luck :)

I'm a tad late to the party, but oh well. We have 7-month-old Australian Shepherd - Border collie mix, and while she can definitely be a handful and does have high energy, she is a dream. Super, super smart and full of life. She motivates us to get off couch and go outside, which is nice.

She has a pretty thick coat (it is curly and adorable!) but I don't think she sheds nearly as much as some labs that I've had. She's also on the small side of large breeds, so we get the "big dog" fun without such a big dog, if that makes sense.

I grew up with lots and lots of big and small breeds (labs, german shepherds, Aussies, a maltese, a pappillion [spell much?], Jack Russells and an assortment of muts -- what? my dad's a vet ...) and there are great dogs in all of them. I agree with several others, rescued dogs are the absolute best, it's like they know and they are so grateful.

Good luck with your search! Can't wait to see what you get! And tell hubby that when the right dog comes along, he's going to have to jump on the bandwagon :)