Yorkie

[Planey]

It is a well-known fact (well I know it anyway) that the best breeds by far are the blue heeler and the kelpie. If you don't know what they then I feel sad for you.

The border collie is close behind, while if you want a bigger, more solid dog then the Rhodesian Ridgeback would be an excellent choice.

Just don't get any sort of dog with the word "terrier" in its name.

Graeme

[bonnie]

It is a well-known fact (well I know it anyway) that the best breeds by far are the blue heeler and the kelpie. If you don't know what they then I feel sad for you.

The border collie is close behind, while if you want a bigger, more solid dog then the Rhodesian Ridgeback would be an excellent choice.

Just don't get any sort of dog with the word "terrier" in its name.

Graeme

Blue Heelers are great dogs. Sometimes tho they can present a problem with kids. They want to herd them like the livestock.

A friend of mine had one,Blue was a great dog and about as smart as they come,but used to get her toddler son screaming. The dog went crazy when Ronny was on the swing.He wanted Ronny on the ground and away from what he perceived as danger.

At ourdoor birthday parties Blue had his paws full trying to keep His herd" together

[Planey]

You are so right Bonnie. I very conveniently ignored this part of their makeup (kelpies and border collies are a lot like this as well).

I was focusing on the part of their character that emphasises their loyalty, their intelligence, their trainability (is this a real word?)

Now all of the first three breeds I mentioned are bred to be working dogs, and thus they need plenty of space and plenty of exercise. Given this the "herding" instinct may not be so obvious as in the case you mentioned. But then again, maybe not?

I should not have made such a bold statement as i did originally. I should have just said that these breeds are the ones that appeal most to me. i am aware of the principle od different strokes...

Graeme

[bonnie]

You are so right Bonnie. I very conveniently ignored this part of their makeup (kelpies and border collies are a lot like this as well).

I was focusing on the part of their character that emphasises their loyalty, their intelligence, their trainability (is this a real word?)

Now all of the first three breeds I mentioned are bred to be working dogs, and thus they need plenty of space and plenty of exercise. Given this the "herding" instinct may not be so obvious as in the case you mentioned. But then again, maybe not?

I should not have made such a bold statement as i did originally. I should have just said that these breeds are the ones that appeal most to me. i am aware of the principle od different strokes...

Graeme

No problem . I find animals so interesting,especially dogs and what they can sense or understand without being able to talk. Dogs I believe have the most amazing way to know

It is a little strange to see these dogs trying to herd their "sheep" LOL

My sisters each had a dog. We were on our way home from church

when we were hit by a drunk driver and they were killed.

My sister's dog Pal went to the neighbors that afternoon and stayed there. The neighbors couldn't understand why he kept crying.

My parents tried for a while to keep Pal confined hoping he would forget. He always got lose and went back to the neighbors. My parents ended up giving the dog to the neighbors.

How do they know?

[Planey]

How do they know?

You hear many stories of animals and their unusual behaviour, which leads you to believe they are much more astute than we have previously believed. They may not have the ability to be as logical and as abstract in their thinking as humans, but it seems they may have ways of 'knowing' things that seem wonderful to us, who do not have the same ability and cannot understand it..

Dogs seems especially gifted in this regard.

Graeme

[aldona]

Quote:

The affection of animals for man seems to approach so closely to human intelligence that it is a mystery. We need to consider these things. The animals were created by God. They see, they hear, they use their organs as faithfully as human beings use theirs. They are the Lord's creatures. And His word declares, "A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast." (Proverbs 12:10.)

Ellen G. White - Manuscript Releases Volume Seven [Nos. 419-525] (1990), page 422, paragraph 1

Quote:

The intelligence displayed by many dumb animals approaches so closely to human intelligence that it is a mystery. The animals see and hear and love and fear and suffer. They use their organs far more faithfully than many human beings use theirs. They manifest sympathy and tenderness toward their companions in suffering. Many animals show an affection for those who have charge of them, far superior to the affection shown by some of the human race. They form attachments for man which are not broken without great suffering to them.

Ellen G. White - Life and Health, September 1, 1905, paragraph 11

hang on, I'm quoting E.G. White??? Something must be wrong...

(removes tongue from cheek)

aldona

[Bravus]

Quote:

It is a well-known fact (well I know it anyway) that the best breeds by far are the blue heeler and the kelpie. If you don't know what they then I feel sad for you.

The border collie is close behind, while if you want a bigger, more solid dog then the Rhodesian Ridgeback would be an excellent choice.

We have a blue heeler (cross something, possibly kelpie) who is an absolute angel and awesome. And a border collie who is driving me up the wall at the moment. It's just that he's young and stupid, and needs a certain minor surgery as a matter of some urgency. He barks all the time and escapes from the yard.

I just have to keep reminding myself that (a) our angel blue heeler was a massive pain at this age too and ( they're working dogs with lots of energy who need lots of exercise and attention.

[GreatLakesGramma]

My son and his now-ex roommate had a pit bull-German shepherd mix. She is a big dog. They both work, so she spent a lot of time in her cage, and even when they were home, they didn't spend much time walking her or playing with her. When we went to visit them for a week, she stayed as close to me as she could manage, because I talked to her and petted her. I don't know which of them has her now that they don't live together any more. I keep forgetting to ask when I talk to my son on the phone.