What dogs do you own, what breeds are they, and how do they differ?

T

I've frankly become a little tired with all of the mythology and nonsense surrounding different breeds. It can start to almost resemble pokemon trading cards when people start describing how this breed is like this and that breed is like that, each breed developing a unique mythology that rarely aligns with reality. I want to hear about the reality. I want to hear just about your individual dogs. Maybe this thread will take off and be a hit, get lots of responses and then it will become an interesting reference and we'll might notice real trends in certain breeds. I don't want your agendas or biases to speak, don't try and hype up your central asian ovcharka over your sarplaninac (or whatever) because you prefer ovcharkas. Just tell me about your dogs honestly or this thread has no value. I'll start. I own a 6 year old male australian bandog, so approximately (very approximate) 70 % neo mastiff 25% amstaff and 5% boxer/boston terrier. And a 3 year old female bandog that is predominantly dogue de bordeaux x apbt.

The ddb x is generally more intelligent and cunning. She's alert and manipulative. She will win any contest of wits between the pair. If she wants a certain bed for example she will get it, and the fact the neo cross might be sleeping on it at the time makes no difference. She'll simply fake a bark and send him running to the fence to investigate at which point she will steal the bed. She's also generally quicker and more agile, more nimble on her feet. She can zig and zag and evade the neo cross, even leap over his back when he's trying to get her in a play fight. She will catch annoying flies that buzz around her head while the neo cross will try to flee from them. She seems to have much better eyesight in general and hearing. She also has a sharper nose for fresh hot scents, she'll pick up on the fact a wild deer or wallaby is in some bushes nearby before the neo x will. She's much smaller, shorter and fatter than the neo x, but is about as fast (possibly a step slower). I don't know why she's fat honestly, she eats much less than the neo x who is almost like skin and bone a lot of the time, and they both get tonnes of exercise. Way more than the vast majority of pet dogs. It's really like she's just an example of what bandog breeders used to say that if you keep crossing bandogs you just end up with a poorly formed pitbull. Her weird little ball shape seems to be a genetic flaw, but one that doesn't seem to hold her back much physically. Like I said she's a good runner, good climber, good jumper. She's sure footed with good balance. She can balance on her front legs and do other weird things. She likes to stay close when off lead in the wilderness, will chase wild animals and like I said will pick up fresh hot scents of animals nearby and investigate, but isn't particularly interested in being a hunter. Just likes to fool around and be silly in the bush, doesn't have any "bush smarts". The neo x is much more interested and serious about hunting and the wilderness, as I will explain later. She's a real character, a clown even, with lots of personality and lots of energy. And she doesn't drool. That would be her positives, her negatives are she's a bit gutless quite honestly, likes to stand behind the neo x when threatened, and this is after starting the trouble in the first place. She's a bit dog aggressive, can be trusted one on one with nice dogs but likes to stir up other dogs and growl and lunge at them and encourage them to fight. If they're a bit iffy at all there will be trouble, they have to be very nice submissive dogs for things to run smoothly. She's especially bad when she's with my neo x, like she obviously really wants to start a fight if he's there in support. She'll be much better behaved meeting a dog if you just so much as walk the neo 20 metres away. I'd question her guardian abilities, she's more just an alarm dog for the neo x. I never had her temperament tested (which I did do with the neo x), but I have a feeling she would react nervously to a suspicious decoy, and lean back into the handler and bark. Just a hunch based on what I have seen from her in day to day life. She's generally distrustful, she doesn't like being rolled over onto her back and gets suspicious if you have some kind of treatment or something to give her (like flea and tick drops on the back or whatever). The neo x meanwhile is just putty in your hands. She's always testing the neo x for dominance it seems, he'll whip her in their little disagreements and she'll quickly submit but she picks at him and tests him all the time. And will also take it upon herself to discipline him if she picks up that he's acting submissively to me like he did something wrong. Generally if he acts submissively towards me (which he does a lot, unnecessarily) she'll jump on the opportunity and attack him. Not seriously or anything, they have never had anything resembling a serious fight, but it's also more than play. I think disciplinary action is the best way to describe it. She's a bit fat like I said, and short/stockily framed, and has a small head. She has bad skin that seems to readily have allergic reactions to different things. She'll often get itchy red marks all over her belly and "goggles" of smooth skin around her eyes. It's nothing serious just a reaction to climate and/or certain plants and it goes away. Her skin generally seems sensitive and delicate compared to the neo x. She often has lots of scuffs and scabs from where the neo x gently mouthed her in play fights. Meanwhile she can sometimes really chew on the neo x hard but she never breaks his skin at all. My neo x is relatively what a lot of people would call "dopey". Really relaxed and laid back and honestly not the sharpest tool in the shed. There's none of that craftiness or cunning, he seems to have a really honest even naive brain. What you see is what you get, which I don't think is altogether bad. He's a dog, doesn't need to solve quadratic equations. He's not as quick and agile like I said, or as quick to snap things with his mouth, but he is extremely dexterous and flexible. Can bend his spine and all his limbs in all sorts of directions and sometimes he will casually sleep with his neck twisted back over his shoulders to the point where the top of his head is almost touching his back. Can also really grab things with his paws, have even seen him use his back paws to hold down an aggressive dog while holding down another aggressive dog with his front paws. He has big soft feet and long toes which, along with the dexterous limbs, allow for this "grappling", but the downside would be a low tolerance for prickles. Thorny prickly ground will pull him up before it pulls up my female. While on the topic of his feet, his toes are webbed, which I suppose all dogs toes are but because they're so spread out they make great paddles and he's an excellent confident swimmer. The female is also a pretty good swimmer but seems less confident and paddles a bit frantically in the water. My male seems more comfortable and does long relaxed strides. He's willing to swim further, and seems willing to swim extremely far if you don't call him back. Once setting his sights on an island in the distance off shore and seemingly intended to just swim over to it before I managed to convince him to come back. The female swims a certain distance and then visibly gets a little worried and has to head back. the male also swims much lower in the water, with just the top of his head sticking out like a crocodile, while the female floats more on the surface with a good top half of her torso sticking out. Could just be the aforementioned body fat percentage issue. But the neo x also doesn't mind going under water, head and all, sometimes. Especially if there is a water dragon or something seeking refuge under the surface. His ease and comfort in the water seems more than just an individual quirk, and I've heard similar from other neo owners, I'm guessing it could speak of some newfoundland influence in the history of the neo. Also should mention even on a freezing winter night he'll dive into a creek given half the chance looking for eels and lizards. Which brings me to his predatory nature. I wouldn't say he has a high "prey drive" in the way it is often described. In fact I'd say it's subdued, with the ddb x a little more eager to chase balls and things. But the neo x is a genuine "outdoorsman". He generally gets to work when he's out in the wilderness, searching for scent trails, analysing where animals have been laying or digging or urinating/defecating. He'll be silent when he's in this mode, even refrain from panting, and he remembers areas where he has seen animals before. He'll stalk up to these areas from down wind, slinking low in the grass like a cat. Like I said the ddb x seems to have a slightly sharper nose for smelling animals close by on the breeze, but both dogs are pretty close in this department, and then at finding older scent trails and generally reading scent, understanding what it is saying and where it's coming from and where the animal was going etc, the neo x seems much better. When both dogs see an animal the ddb x will just wildly chase, but the neo x will try and think one step ahead of the quarry, like if it's running towards a thicket the neo x will head towards the other side to try and cut it off, etc. Also the ddb will just give up after a very short chase, it really seems to be playing and like if it caught up to the animal it would be at a loss at what to do with it. The neo x doesn't range far compared to a real hunting dog, he'll give up pretty soon and won't get too far away, but he'll go much further than the ddb x, and while he's chasing he's obviously genuinely trying to get the animal. He has unfortunately caught a few animals, mostly in my yard while I was asleep, and he actually eats them, often their whole body leaving just clumps of fur and a surgically removed stomach in the middle of the lawn. This is something I've never had any dog do, even a serious working line pig dog I had when I was younger, it would kill things but not eat them. My neo x eats what he kills if given the chance, and wastes very little. (I ofcourse take the dirty wild animal carcasses away from him if I can, because who knows what parasites and etc they could have, but sometimes he eats them before I get the opportunity). I feel compelled now to mention while it's on my mind that the ddb x is a real digger, while the neo never digs unless it's to bury excess of some animal carcass, and even then he seems to not really know what he's doing, digging a bit with one paw lazily before crudely shovelling bark and dirt over the carcass with his nose. My neo x is extremely biddable and extremely sensitive to correction. It really only takes touching the brim of your hat for him to melt into the ground like he's going to get a serious beating, but he's never had a serious beating in his life. The ddb x is more hardheaded and can get fixated on something and ignore your threats to the point where you can hit her with your hat and she'll keep ignoring you. Sometimes annoyingly you'll want to stop her from attacking the neo x, and go to hit her with the hat but this will just make the neo x cower, which makes the ddb x attack him more. It's like if just those two are playing by themselves he'll dominate and discipline her and beat her up as required, but once I get involved he completely submits and turns into a pacifist and then she takes the opportunity to attack. He's generally very good with other dogs, he'll even tolerate being attacked if he doesn't deem the other dog a serious threat. But if he does deem the dog a serious threat he'll attack intensely and then it can be extremely hard to stop him. It takes a lot for a dog to be a serious threat. They have to first be a capable dog of size and strength and then have genuinely sinister intentions. His guardian instinct and nerve/temperament has been tested by a professional and with no training of any kind he passed with flying colours and showed all the right signs. Turning it on when the decoy was acting aggressively/suspicious and then relaxing once he acted normal. I'm not that well versed in the world of PP and etc, but I know the trainer/decoy was very impressed and that my dog was superior to a lot of the other dogs there that had been doing it for a while and were still being worked on to show more confidence and etc. As mentioned I can do anything with him or to him and he just fully trusts you and relaxes. I feel I could probably perform surgery on him and he'd just wait patiently for me to finish. Unlike the ddb x which panics about getting sprayed on the back with a bit of insect repellent, or just being rolled over and inspected in general. There was a time when i was out in the bush with my neo x and we came across a fence that he couldn't jump over or crawl under on his belly, so I told him to lay down on his side and then he just laid still like a corpse while I dragged him under the fence by his feet. Couldn't do this with my other dog, or any other dog I've known. He's generally just very calm and relaxed, a confident and secure dog that is a good citizen and a gentlemen, but can turn it on when it is called for and is not at all lacking in courage and intensity and won't be easily phased by punishment. But yeah he's pretty simple and dopey. Doesn't seem to understand he has to get out of your way and stuff like that. He also drools a lot and seems to aim to get his drool on your pants. His skin is tough like I said, but it can develop fungal problems if it's moist in certain parts for too long. Between his toes especially seem to get pink and sore if you're not careful. He also has problems with his ears. You have to dry them out a lot or he'll scratch them incessantly and injure them, but he's really very healthy and in his 6 nearly 7 years hasn't really needed to go to the vet. He's very fit and lean will jog with me for long distances, but has the bad habit of leaping at me and barking in my face when I'm running. He just seems to get excited by people running, and bicycles and motorbikes excite him even more which isn't good. He's good with kids, both of them are, but the neo x seems especially gentle and attentive with them. If one child is tormenting another he'll even step in and try to gentley separate them, and then nose butt the aggressor in the belly as if to tell him to stop it. Hmm, that's about all I can think of at the moment, sorry if it's all a bit disjointed and longwinded just relaying differences and notable characteristics as I think of them. Might later get into previous dogs I have owned. I don't expect you all to follow this post as a guide, but would just like to know about your dogs, all the better if you have multiple dogs of different breeds and can compare them to one another (who's the boss, which is more alert, etc). I hope to see if there are any identifiable trends with certain breeds having certain quirks, and also how different types differ. It COULD be a very interesting thread IMO, here's hoping.

wow, that's a lot of info :) I've got a 9 year old Female English Bulldog, a 6 year old male Tosa, a 4 year old female Tosa and a 1.5year female Tosa. They are all individuals and fairly different in many ways. The main commonality is dog aggression in the Tosas, definately have to watch them around other dogs, usually avoid those altogether. But, extremely loving and gentle with dog and human family members. My Tosas are very athletic, as are most of the breed, but i've seen some very sad athletic specimens in my time. The Bulldog, stubborn and has a very strong drive for "attacking" certain things. For instance, my vacuum cleaner mainly, but also my cordless drill, brooms, water from garden hose, fireworks, any flame like lighters or candles, even tried attacking my lawn mower. And LOVES tug of war, she can lock on to something for over an hour at a time. I think she is one of those "throwback" Bulldogs, very athletic and focused.

T

[QUOTE]wow, that's a lot of info [/QUOTE] Lol, yeah, really just tried to cover everything I could think of. Turns out I pay very close attention to my dogs, probably need a life of my own, haha. Thanks for your input. What I've noticed about english bulldogs I've known is someone forgot to tell them they're "ruined", they seem to retain a lot of the legendary bulldog mentality and determination, just sadly in bodies that can't throw them around as they would like. I've always been curious about what tosas are like as they simply don't exist in australia. With their dog aggression are they aggressive towards any and every dog? Like almost in a predatory sense? Or is it just other large dominant types of dog? Oh and now that you mention it I should have added the lawnmower to motorbikes and bicycles in the list of things my male likes to attack. Wheels in general it seems.

I spend most of my time with my dogs, i could probably write at least as much as you do, but just wanted to sum it up !teeth My little bulldog is a little less roly-poly than most, tight, well muscled and likes to jump. She's only about 15" at the shoulder, but can spring about 4' in the air straight up when she's after something i have. She also doesn't have any trouble in the heat, spends most of her days outdoors in the summer, just baking herself in the sun. We can hit 100F here with humidity. Tosas vary in degree of dog aggression, depends on genetics and to a large extent socialization. I take my dogs to dogparks when they're less than 1 year, so I don't have major problems with aggression. I still can't take them around other unfamiliar off leash dogs once they're mature. ie. i would be in big trouble if i took any of the adults to a dogpark. My male gets along with most dogs, but hates intact males of any size and temperament. It's like the smell of testosterone just sets off the gladiator. He's fine with HIS puppies though. I think he would bite a female dog if she really wanted to fight, or if she tried to be aggressive to me. My females are a bit milder, but very dominant with all other dogs ie. tail and hair up, a fight just waiting to happen if i wasn't careful. All my dogs get along extremely well, i don't tolerate any dominance or growling etc. in my pack. I've known a few Tosas who weren't dog aggressive, and some who are the poster children for BSL. Most Tosas have manageable dog aggression if you train and socialize them properly.

T

Yeah I kind of gathered tosas aren't necessarily the kind of dog to be feverishly dragging on the lead after every little cocker spaniel they see. And that's good news about your bulldog being in good shape. I have a feeling they're not all as bad as we like to make out. This thread might show that to be the case. Thanks for your input. Feel free to come back in with notes about your dogs as you think of them, the more pointless little details the better honestly. I hope for this thread to become a comprehensive reference of testimonies. :)

[quote1292974043=Tonedog] Yeah I kind of gathered tosas aren't necessarily the kind of dog to be feverishly dragging on the lead after every little cocker spaniel they see. [/quote1292974043] I would be in trouble if any one of them decided to drag me, as they can easily do so :( For me, it's more mental control over them than physical. When walking on city streets, i do give other dogs a wide berth, preferably 10-20ft or so. And i carry pepper spray just in case my dogs get out of control and lock on to another dog. I walk them with regular flat collars and 6' leashes, but if i need more control of them (like going to Petsmart), gentle leaders work fine. Tosas can get that way, just like any dog, if someone doesn't know how to control them....

T

Bump- was really hoping more people would post, if you can't be bothered reading my long post I'll put it this way- Tell me about your dogs! :)

M

Ok, my dog, just a mutt, a plain old mean dog. Mix of abd and pit with a little mastiff blood.(45kgs) She is 6 years old and was a very dominant dog. To be honest most people would have got rid but she has become a more capable dog with age. Take her for long long walks and she is very prey driven, especially with small mamals except her boss, the family cat. Very defensive to the point she will not tolerate strangers in the house and is very aloof when walking in the city. She does not like being petted by anyone except trusted family members. I kind of like having in a strange way such a loyal dog. Dog friendly to some extent but does not tolerate in-tact females. [br][link={e_FILE}public/1293723106_12968_FT77179_various1_002.jpg][img:width=500&height=333]{e_FILE}public/1293723106_12968_FT77179_various1_002_.jpg">[/link][br][br][link={e_FILE}public/1293723107_12968_FT77179_various1_003.jpg][img:width=500&height=750]{e_FILE}public/1293723107_12968_FT77179_various1_003_.jpg">[/link][br][br][link={e_FILE}public/1293723107_12968_FT77179_various1_039.jpg][img:width=500&height=375]{e_FILE}public/1293723107_12968_FT77179_various1_039_.jpg">[/link][br]

Two. Both bullbreeds types. I say types because one seeems to have a dash of AB blood and I found the other abandoned in a park so I am not sure if she is pure or not. Most likely not. My male, Boss, is very dominant of other dogs but he is very forgiving of puppies and older dogs. Boss knows the basic commands and he has the best recall of any dog I have personally seen in person. He will drag ass at times but when I really call him he comes running. But I must admt that Boss can be very hard headed at times. Boss is an extreme extrovert but he is also a decent alarm dog. He does a good job of alerting me when someone is near my home, car or campsite. In fact he really turns on when we go camping. He tends to be a very happy go lucky dog but once it starts getting dark he's all business. He's everything that I could want in a dog and, if I say so myself, he is a damn handsome fellow.. Patty Cakes is my female. She is spayed. Boss found her in the park. She was dehydrated and underweight. Early on she broke her leg and had to have surgery. Patty is now about 50 pounds of twisted steel and sex appeal and she is fast. Her nickname is Mach Two Trish. She is also very alert and will let me know when someone is around. She is very affectionate but also very rough and an Alpha bitch to her heart. But she is still a puppy so I am not sure what sort of dog she will turn out to be but she is off to a good start. I do not know how to post pics so I will link to a few vids of my dogs. Here are my dogs at a campsite playing wrestle/tag. This was Pattys first time camping and she loved it. [youtube=]ZqQZ-UJZHWI[/youtube] A more recent vid of them chasing each other around in the woods. [youtube=]FuIIXunKf6w[/youtube] All in all I reckon I got to cool dogs and I give them a pretty good dog life.

BOERBOEL (SABT): Female, 18 months, spayed three weeks ago. She's not particularly smart, nor does she have an endearing personality - she's needy, bull-headed and a complete bitch to my other dog. That said, she is the most affectionate dog I've ever owned, is extremely protective of her people and her vehicle, and 100% wary of strangers outside of our home. Sleeping and eating are her favorite activities, but she does get the 'zoomies' when she's walking off leash or in the backyard and is really, really fast with quick turns on a dime like a cutting horse. She has had some health issues (hence the spaying) --demodex, pancreatitis --both of which I'm having some success with natural treatments but I still remain very wary, overall, about her viability in terms of normal Boerboel life expectancy. I have a very strong preference for female dogs and I'm hopeful that as she matures, she'll mellow out a bit on that bitchiness as all my other females have. GREAT PYR MIX (75/25): My first male, 10 months, in tact. The farmer who was selling these dogs was quite keen to be rid of them so I got this boy at what the vet estimated was 5 weeks. He was walking perfectly on a leash by 8 weeks, understood basic commands almost instinctively and has the best overall demeanor of any dog I've ever owned - not picky, not needy, nothing phases him and, bless his heart, he puts up with my Boerboel's bitchiness, only pushing back when he really feels strongly about something. He is EXTREMELY territorial - this house and yard are HIS to defend and, like all GPs, he's gotta make sure everybody in the neighborhood knows it - he's a big time barker! My only "complaint" with him is that he's not particularly affectionate but that seems to be improving as he gets older and more comfortable with his place in our little pack.

T

Thanks a lot guys. Really interesting comparison between the bull/mastiff type in the boerboel and the LGD type in the pyranees. It seems a common theme with bull/mastiff types being very affectionate (even overly so to the point of being needy), while lgds are more independent and aloof, and it makes sense when you understand the history of these dogs, with bull/mastiff types always being close to people and doing something for them, while LGDs were out in the pasture with the sheep. Maybe more testimonies will outline this trend more clearly. Bossofboss, nice name for a dog my neo x is named boss as well. Sounds like you have some typical bullbreeds, I myself have quite a bit of experience with bullbreeds, might do a comparison of sbts and ebts I have known later.

[quote1293764772=tosamama] wow, that's a lot of info :) I've got a 9 year old Female English Bulldog, a 6 year old male Tosa, a 4 year old female Tosa and a 1.5year female Tosa. They are all individuals and fairly different in many ways. The main commonality is dog aggression in the Tosas, definately have to watch them around other dogs, usually avoid those altogether. But, extremely loving and gentle with dog and human family members. My Tosas are very athletic, as are most of the breed, but i've seen some very sad athletic specimens in my time. The Bulldog, stubborn and has a very strong drive for "attacking" certain things. For instance, my vacuum cleaner mainly, but also my cordless drill, brooms, water from garden hose, fireworks, any flame like lighters or candles, even tried attacking my lawn mower. And LOVES tug of war, she can lock on to something for over an hour at a time. I think she is one of those "throwback" Bulldogs, very athletic and focused. [/quote1293764772] Congrads on having a 9yr old English Bulldog. How did you do it? I am not trying to be funny. I am honestly curious. I rarely hear about EBs living that long.

[quote1293764957=Tonedog] Thanks a lot guys. Really interesting comparison between the bull/mastiff type in the boerboel and the LGD type in the pyranees. It seems a common theme with bull/mastiff types being very affectionate (even overly so to the point of being needy), while lgds are more independent and aloof, and it makes sense when you understand the history of these dogs, with bull/mastiff types always being close to people and doing something for them, while LGDs were out in the pasture with the sheep. Maybe more testimonies will outline this trend more clearly. Bossofboss, nice name for a dog my neo x is named boss as well. Sounds like you have some typical bullbreeds, I myself have quite a bit of experience with bullbreeds, might do a comparison of sbts and ebts I have known later. [/quote1293764957] I love the name Boss. A dog named Boss can have a million nicknames. Boss has been: Boss Dog. Big Boss. Lil' Boss. Boss Hog. Boss Man. Boss Baby. Baby Boss. Boss Farter. I look forward to seeing you compare SBT to the EBT.

T

Boss farter, I'll have to get on that one. The funny thing is I have quite a few friends where their nickname is part of their name with "fart" on the end. Like "brayfart" for brady, and "leerentfart" for this guy I know whose last name is lerrentveld. I thought only me and my stupid friends would do that lol.

Dogs I own at the moment.. Well, I have a 6 year old Doberman who is way to clever and manipulative for her own good and knows exactly how to put my other dogs in their place! She's an excellent watch over my home, protective around my children and the bestest friend I could ever possibly have, she can read my mind and knows exactly how I am feeling most days. She gets on great with other dogs that tend not to push their luck, she hasn't much patience with puppies or bolshy dogs and does tend to put them in their place rather quickly, that said, there is absolutely no malice in her and it's always done in the nicest way possible. For a Dobermann I know they get a pretty bad rap healthwise, but she's rather healthy, moves like a greyhound when she want's something badly enough, her age isn't stopping her doing anything at the moment and she certainly hasn't slowed down, not one grey hair round her muzzle either! She's looking rather good for her 6 years haha LOL She loves meeting new people but can be rather guardy first time around with adults, men especially - not that she's ever had any bad experiences with men whatsoever, I just find she seems to take to and accept women a lot easier than men. I find when people come into the home for the first time, she has to greet them first before I do, afterall, I may know them, but she doesn't so just has to check first that all is okay :) As for kids she's absolutely great, babies, toddlers, teenagers - she's one in a million and 110% bombproof as a dog goes, I've had no issues with her at all as far as children are concerned. She's been extremely easy to train, latches on to commands very quickly and has been an absolute pleasure to own from day one. Her recall is excellent, I've always been very confident walking her offlead she's never been a problem and never raised any issues, she's an all round easy going dog. In the home she's always the first to raise an alarm if she hears anything untoward, but she is the hardest to shut up, a simple ''leave it command'' simply isn't enough, I've found over time it's best if I allow her to ''wind'' herself down. To say she has any bad points would be a lie as she's always been an easy going kind of dog, the only bad point she does have is that she likes her ''home comforts'' which of course I don't deprive her of, she sleeps my side of the bed in her own bed, and likes lazing on the sofa's so if that's the worst of her bad points, I'd say I was rather lucky to escape most things many Dobermann owners tend to complain of.. My next dog is my Corso..He's 11 months old. Again, from day one he's been a pleasure to have and a good all rounder, though I am starting find out he's quite the watch dog whether this had been taught to him by my Dobermann I'm not quite sure, or whether these are his natural guarding instincts kicking in, I'm also quite not sure. He's my first Corso, so I have nothing to compare him to, though I find he's relatively easy going and gets along with people as long as they are not ''pushy'' with him, he has to get to know people in his own time and decide whether to accept them, though so far he's never presented a problem. He's been really easy to train compared to some of the breeds I have been used to in the past, picking things up really easily, he's really surprised me in that respect. He knows every single word I say to him and at just 11 months old he's mature if that makes sense for his age, he seems to take everything in and weigh up as to whether in his own mind it's worth doing, 99% of the time it is and he does listen to what you say. He gets on with other dogs no problem at all, he's so far never showed any kind of aggression towards any dog so I suppose all the socialization I've done with him has gone a long way, he's easy either way. One thing I have found is, he does seem to have a high prey drive, he will go after smaller animals, mainly wild ones, squirrels & the local wildlife he seems to have a problem with and will give chase, so can't be trusted offlead. He can clear six foot fencing no problem and is extremely agile I have to have eyes on him all of the time, especially if he's alone in the garden ;) Again, kids, no problems there he's been very accepting of babies, toddlers, teenagers - he seems to have a special bond with them and sticks to them like glue he's never far from a childs side if there's one around. I do have to watch him around the home, he will steal things from food to nicking the washing off the line and rolling it in dirt, he's become quite good at that, so it looks like I'm destined to use the indoor dryer until I find a way to stop this, again he likes his home comforts but prefers to sleep downstairs in his bed, usually waking me in the mornings if he can hear anything going on, which is usually nothing but the cat trying to get in...He likes going swimming, and loves the water which I've found is a good way of keeping him in shape for his 11 months he looks great I just hope he continues on and up. But as Corso's go for me he's been easy as I say compared to breeds I am used to, again he's been a pleasure. Next is my Bullmastiff, Harvey, he's coming up to two years old. Harvey, Harvey, Harvey, what do I say about Harvey? He's one of the most easy going, loyal dogs I've ever had the pleasure of owning, he's been extremely easy from the moment I brought him home, I was always told never to keep two male mastiffs together, ever, but they must have broken the mold when my two we're made, they are best buddies and inseperable. Where my Bullmastiff goes, my Corso follows there has never ever been an issue with these two and I doubt there ever will be, they have been extremely close from day one. Harvey is an excellent all rounder, patient, kind and loving always welcoming to new people, new dogs, never ever been an issue with anyone or anything he's very accepting of all lifeforms and as easygoing as they come, doubt anyone has told him he's a Bullmastiff and I'm not about to either ;) Harvey just loves life and exales it into everyone he meets, he really is as soft as butter and a true gentleman to form, there's nothing or no-one he don't love, he has no cross words for anyone or anything he accepts all into his path. He's a useless watchdog, preferring the others do the job he was born for, no malice in him whatsoever infact I can probably count the amount of times he's barked on one hand, which was in play with the other two. Kids and adults are bowled over by Harvey, they just love him you can't help but not to love him he's just such an easy going chap, he's happy to be lying at your feet, or out on a walk he's easy either way he's never ever been any kind of problem for me, ever. He's taught me so much in these almost two years of owning him, he's taught me to accept everyone in the way he does and to just go with the flow of life, since owning Harvey I've generally become more laid back, but then again that could be me just getting older though I doubt it. I've never had a Bullmastiff like him before they say there are exceptions to every rule and molds we're certainly broke when he was made as I doubt I'll find another like he, he's been an absolute diamond of a dog, I've nothing bad to say about him at all, he's just as they say ''a gentle giant'' and he truely is and I love and respect him with all my heart, of course loving all my dogs in equal measures but there is something truely special about him ;)

I truly enjoyed reading about your canine companions! Please keep posting about your dogs please...... I just lost my bandog day after Christmas so I'm not ready to write about him.;( I stated in another thread that with my physical problems I would never be able to share my home with another large breed dog. But oh how I love them!!! I'm seriously looking at the Bullmastiff, but not decided yet. The Bullmastiff because they don't seem to need as much exercise as all the others. Which would be great for me if this is true. I am a bit limited to short walks, definitely no running hiking etc.....

Hi currently i share my house with bella (american bulldog) and mendel (pitbull). they are both rescues, they love each other deeply, and they are different has water and wine.... bella come to me when i saw an ad to sell her when i was living in croatia, i end up trading her for a video camera, best deal i ever made. the guy was selling her because he had in the yard several fighting pitbulls and sometimes they would get loose and attack her, and he before loses the money that he spent on her decided to sell her. she came to me skinny full of health problems and took a few months for her to be well and gain 6kg to be ok. she didnÂ´t knew what a leash was or a collar, she was living in a yard and i present her with a life of living in y house and very often in my bed... after she became healthy and more confidente, she became a bit agressive towards other people. i had to teach her how to behave. now she is much better, she loves kids and avoids confrotations with other dogs, i can walk with her without a leash has she his very odedient with great personality. sheÂ´s loyal like no dog i ever had. right now iÂ´m living with aunt and girlfriend they go with her outside for a walk and feed her when i canÂ´t and she still barks when they came inside the house, everytime... she has a fixation for me that is incredible, she only obeys me only truly happy when she sees me. excelent guardian dog and pet, very loving, loves to sleep with me, to cuddle and to share my pillow.... about mendel he was rescued from the streets from a friend of mine. local gipsys were using it for dog fights and living in the street, almost skin and bone, then my friend had to move away and i thought would be a great oportunity to give bella a companion. so he came here, both became great friends love to play with each other, and to sleep together. he is like a candy very sweet, glued to me very jelous of bella, if iÂ´m petting bella he jumps on me to be peted. not a mean bone in his body. with a lot of prey drive, balls, toys, cats lol he loves to play and to eat ;) and these are the 2 sweethearts that share my life with.... [br][link={e_FILE}public/1294013095_2584_FT77179_dscf0396.jpg][img:width=500&height=335]{e_FILE}public/1294013095_2584_FT77179_dscf0396_.jpg">[/link][br][br][link={e_FILE}public/1294013095_2584_FT77179_dscf0406.jpg][img:width=500&height=335]{e_FILE}public/1294013095_2584_FT77179_dscf0406_.jpg">[/link][br][br][link={e_FILE}public/1294013095_2584_FT77179_dscf0400.jpg][img:width=500&height=335]{e_FILE}public/1294013095_2584_FT77179_dscf0400_.jpg">[/link][br][br][link={e_FILE}public/1294013095_2584_FT77179_dscf0398.jpg][img:width=500&height=335]{e_FILE}public/1294013095_2584_FT77179_dscf0398_.jpg">[/link][br]

more of bella: [br][link={e_FILE}public/1294013260_2584_FT77179_a1.jpg][img:width=500&height=750]{e_FILE}public/1294013260_2584_FT77179_a1_.jpg">[/link][br][br][link={e_FILE}public/1294013260_2584_FT77179_a2.jpg][img:width=500&height=747]{e_FILE}public/1294013260_2584_FT77179_a2_.jpg">[/link][br] i feel myself very lucky to call these my friends, i have been blessed to be surrounded with such love from them...

[quote1294037544=AwiBrandy] I truly enjoyed reading about your canine companions! Please keep posting about your dogs please...... I just lost my bandog day after Christmas so I'm not ready to write about him.;( I stated in another thread that with my physical problems I would never be able to share my home with another large breed dog. But oh how I love them!!! I'm seriously looking at the Bullmastiff, but not decided yet. The Bullmastiff because they don't seem to need as much exercise as all the others. Which would be great for me if this is true. I am a bit limited to short walks, definitely no running hiking etc..... [/quote1294037544] Bullmastiffs only need short walks until they are approx 2 - 3 years old (which is when they tend to hit maturity) as the soft bones and ligaments are still forming. After then they do need to be kept in shape as under exercising them they can tend to become fat/overweight which is when health problems can start to kick in. If you're looking at large breeds that only need short walks I'd seriously recommend the St Bernard, I had one though I lost him some time ago now, he lived till quite an age too as St Bernards go loosing him just before his 9th Birthday, in his prime he was just short of 17 stones but the dreaded ''C'' (Cancer) took him, having a tumor in his stomach that couldn't be removed due to it being attached to all his vital organs, I kept him comfortable until it was possible, then obviously I had to make a decision which tore my heart completely in two. He was happy with two half hour walks each day, all his energy being drained upon excitement of me producing his lead, he'd pull for about 2/3 minutes then that was him done by the time we'd reached home after half an hour, he was done - after his evening walk he'd sleep the rest of the night through until his next morning walk - obviously in between those walks he was more than happy to relieve himself in the garden - but I found he was more than happy with those two half hour walks each day - he definately wasn't a sprinter, though in saying that, nor was he lazy - he was just contented with what he had. Here he is..

I'll tell you a little more about Bruno, he was quite the watch dog...Always putting intruders off with his bark (though it was was much worse that his bite)..He was extremely loyal until the very end, attempted to bite the vet coming in, in my bid to show him my final act of kindness - though he never really did like vets, but he'd never done that before which shocked me into almost thinking he wasn't quite ready to leave me just yet, but he was in so much pain and had no quality of life. He loved children, even though I had none at the time of owning him, he was a true child magnet. The downside of owning him was he didn't at all like strange dogs and he could be prone to aggressive traits around them, the slobber and drooling was another whereever he was loose I always had never ending trails of the stuff to clean up, so kept wet wipes/mops and his towels closeby at all times, the loud snoring was another issue - used to send ripples through my house at the time, I could hear him when I was upstairs and he was down!. The grooming was another issue, I used to have to brush him outside twice a day unless I wanted everything covered in hair - which is pretty hard to remove once it starts getting everywhere, even with a good vaccume cleaner. He was a great dog and I miss him still. I've always in my own mind said I'd have another St Bernard but I admit he's left a huge hole still, he's imprinted in my life and he enriched it in more ways I thought we're possible so I've never ever felt quite ready for another St Bernard since I lost him. Bruno was also quite stubborn, but far from stupid, I'm told this by every other St Bernard owner. He was always 100% and could be trusted to keep my home safe when I wasn't there, he could be trusted around people too which gets a big fat thumbs up from me, he was super and I enjoyed every single second I had with him. See that's the thing when you choose to become a dog owner, their lives compared to ours are so short, when you do loose them the bottom of your world falls out and this huge hole is left, yet we continue to do it ourselves over and over again - they teach us so many things in such a short space of time, teach us to be better people...If that makes sense. So, every second with them makes it all completely worth it. I'm sorry you've lost you're dog at what should have been a happy time of year my heart truely goes out to you and I hope you at some point you are able to move forward and give you're love to another dog real soon. x

[quote1294097568=BossofBoss] Congrads on having a 9yr old English Bulldog. How did you do it? I am not trying to be funny. I am honestly curious. I rarely hear about EBs living that long. [/quote1294097568] She's had her health problems, mostly skin, hypothyroidism and an ingrown tail which was surgically removed at age 4. Moved from city to country 4 years ago, and she's really taken to it. Haven't had any major issues with her health since. Feed her Canidae or Natural Balance canned food which helps with her allergies. She loves fruit, whatever i'm eating my dogs get some, especially blueberries. And lots of exercise. She can't keep up on walks or runs with my big dogs, but I make sure she gets about 1hr of exercise a day and fairly hard exercise at that. My sister thinks I'm mean to make her so tired until she's huffing and puffing, but she loves a good work out! She's in incredible shape for any 9 year old dog, but especially a Bulldog. Only sign of aging, is her teeth are a bit worn down from playing tug of war.

Hi Nicc, thank you for sharing your thoughts & love for your lost friend as well as for the understanding on my loss.XXXX You are righ,t the hole left will never be filled by any other. Also thank you for sharing your knowledge on the BM. Guess I won't be getting a BM either.;( Although I think St. Bernards are great, they are not for me. There is way to much grooming involved with the breed. My Nehron was a pitie/mastiff mix. We believe the mastiff in him was that of the American Bulldog. He was a teeny tiny baby when I adopted him at the pound. He was reportedly 6 weeks old, weighed 6 lbs., and fit in the palm of my hand. I adopted him as a "Red Nose Pit Bull puppy". At his 4th. month vet visit with a new vet, he weighed in at 50 lbs with no fat. The vet pulled up the skin on his back, and stated "this is not a Pit Bull, he still has a whole lot more growing to go. This dog will be huge". And that he was!! My Nehron got to grow to 160 lbs. of pure loving muscle. He was a great watch dog simply because of his size & bark.lol People all over were terrified of him until they got to know him. Once introduced they all saw that he was just a lovable giant muscle. Not a single mean bone in him. He was great with my grandchildren, and other animals. It wasn't until the end that he decided that it was great fun to watch our cats zoom away when he would make like he was going to chase them. He never really did/nor could he chase them.LOL He would pick up his head, stare at them, and make like he was going to launch after them.LOL He always had a goofy look about him at home, but when out in public he would put on a majestic, ferocious, vigilant look. Always amazed me how he could do this. He lived his life with 3 other pits. One of those pits was a blue nose who ended up being given up because of her tyranny towards Nehron, and my granddaughters. She was a tiny pit, but apparently a vicious monster. She would out of the blue go after Nehron. Nehron out weighed her by over 100 lbs., and yet she always end up hurting him pretty seriously. Guess she could cause she was so much smaller, and could get under him without any problems. Nehron lived the remainder of his life with a male 80lb. pit, and a 60lb. female pit with no issues. Only fight that could have ensued had we not been vigilante would have been during feeding times since my son's male pit is a bit of a food aggressive dog, He is fine with my female pit, as well as with me taking food away.;) Yes, I do have 2 other dogs to give my love to! Which I do, but there is nothing like having a big dog around.;) Guess, I will just have to get use to never having another molosser.;( This makes me very very sad....

Well I have 5 Tm mastiff & 2 Maremma as far as big breeds go atm but have had neos, rotties & shepards as well & grew up arong bull arabs & different pigging breed crosses. My TM's guard the boundries where as the Maremmas stay closer to the house & sheep. The TM dose not mess about it's all or nothing & he seems to kill with little to no marks on fox or wild dog yet the meremmas just seem to scare them off. TM's make their own desicion mainly but seem good at it thank godness. The rotties where like littel soilders & would do anything for me. Neo's I found a little slow till I added some bullarab to the mix. I love Aussie bandogs in general.

I currently have American bulldog, Original Mountain cur, OMC x apbt (redboy/jocko), Workman Farm Mastiff's. I used to have 6 AB's on my yard but now I'm down to 2. The AB's are prey/fight monsters eager to please can direct them on anything, stable and willing to engage with nice defense as well, pretty standard description for what I like in AB's. The mountain cur is nice though I would like him to have a little better nose with that said he will bay up nice. The OMC x apbt is a good dog personality wise and would make more of a family pet than hog dog truth be told. He falls short of a good bay dog and a good bulldog and depending on how he feels he may or may not show up when you need him. This dog is handler sensitive as hell also so unless you have a good bond with him he will be off or never start, he was given to me by a friend so I think how he was raised and the fact he has moved around may be a part of the problem. The Mastiffs are great farm dogs big strong, have more prey than most modern mastiff types though less than true herders, hounds, bulldogs, etc, they are well rounded in drives overall and have a medium dense coat and live outside year round freezing or not. They work well in a pack will kill a coyote if they can get close enough. Overall good dogs though we have run into issues with dominant males being allowed together.

I own 4 Great Pyrenees, 3 of them live with me and one is in co-ownership. Whit this breed I have 6 years experience and dogs from different lines and different nature. I will start with Brenda, she is 5 years old and female. Very elegant, calm in nature. Brenda is the alfa of the house, doiminant to other dogs but very sweet to her own family. To stranges she is distrustful but warms up when see's me acting freindy toward the new people. She very much acts on the way I act to strangers. Just now she has had her first litter and she is a very kind and loving mother. Me and Brenda work togther with the puppies and our assigments are shared. I think of Brenda as the most intellignet dog I own. My second pyr is Mia, she is 3 years old and female. Very friendly towards all other dogs and people except to our alfa female Brenda. Mia can not stand her ... the reason, is that Mia wants to be the alfa but does not have what it takes to be alfa. But poor dog does not realize it herself. Mia is very outgoing and always ready to please, very alert to my signals. Also reads my body language and act on it. She is also jeous ... when Mia is being hugged than no one else can come to ask for a hug :) Mia has a sense of humor, sometimes she surprises me with her actions. Mia adores , no loves children ... she just goes crazy when they come over. My third pyr is called Iber, heris 1,5 years old and a male. There is one word to discribe him and that is SUNSHINE. I call him that because he is always happy, always in a good mood, always ready to please, always so keen on attention. I think males are so much different than females. Females are more independent but males they ask more attention and love. Iber is funny he has learned to mimic human expression and thay is a SMILE. So when i come home he is there to greet me with a big smile. Does it to friends too. Iber is a great guardian, he hears everythign and alerts. When something serious is going on her come to my bedroom window and wakes me up. Iber does not always act on my body language like the girls ... he feels like he is guardian and act like that. To him, i have to say it is okay it is a friend. My co-owned pyr is named Betty, she is 2 years old and a female. She is shy agressive and I am so glad that her owners have not given up on her and still want to keep her even she is a problem dog. Betty is everything what a Great Pyrenees can not be! Since i am a breeder of this breed than many of you may wonder if I will ever breed from her then the answer is NO. The temperment is very important thing in a breed ...I have owned and seen mÂ´any different temperament in Great Pyrenees and know exactly what I want to pass on in the breed. Almost forgot ... I also own a 7 year old Cavalier King Charels Spaneil male, he is wonderful dog. Spot listens only when he thinks is is necessery and he alos thinks he is a big white dog ... I wonder why? hahaha

I have a 6.5 year old Boxer, Joe and a 17 month old Cane Corso. Our Boxer, affectionately known as the "idiot". He is hyper, goofy and smart enough to make people think he is stupid while he opens all the doors in the house, and I am talking round knobs. He won't do silly dog tricks, he farts and snores, can clear a 6 ft fence from a standstill, he talks back when I tell him not to and costs us a fortune in vet bills. He gets along with everyone and everything as long as they get along with him. He hangs with horses, cows, dogs, cats, nothing phases the old boy. I trust him with my life and know that if I put him in the yard with my son NO ONE is coming in. He is protective, calm and patient with kids, he is my goofy old man. He has a great personality and is a huge part of our family, and is a pet only. Aurora del'Agreste is our Pretty pretty princess. She is a cool dog. Really, could take her any/every where and she goes with it. She is aloof with strangers, not aggressive or fearful, just truly doesn't care/has no interest in them. Is is aware of her surroundings, yet relaxed, unless she shouldn't be. She is sensitive to her people, picks up on what ever is going on with us. She is easy to train, wants to please, everyone who meets her is impressed. She has great type for a Corso, correct expression, and good bone. We co-own her with her breeder. She is showing in conformation, has her CGN, is a working Therapy dog, and we are starting her Rally O titles shortly. She is a regal looking dog until you are invited in to the house. Then the change occurs, she wiggle butts and winds like a cat around and through your legs. Men she bags, hard, with her nose. As her guard is down she becomes the goofy lapdog love bug she is. She plays hard with her friends, all the while she will never completely take her eyes off us. She is a favorite among the kids at the bus stop, as she will comply and do the stupid dog tricks they ask of her and will allow them to handler her. My son walks her, although she has over 60lbs on him, she will respond to his verbal commands regardless as to what is around. With Joe and us she tries to bully, push around to get affection, she is a dominant breed and although a sweet heart princess, we still have to watch her pushy attitude daily, she is after all a Corso :)[br][link={e_FILE}public/1296489726_17465_FT77179_just_pictures_jan_2011_011.jpg][img:width=500&height=375]{e_FILE}public/1296489726_17465_FT77179_just_pictures_jan_2011_011_.jpg">[/link][br]

I rarely do this but I'm going to bump this thread and respectfully ask for more members to post in it. I really enjoy reading first hand accounts of what it is like living with different dog breeds. Just for fun. A short vid of my dogs and I fooling around in the snow. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYiuRgJfeak

Tonedog you write: "I own a 6 year old male australian bandog, so approximately (very approximate) 70 % neo mastiff 25% amstaff and 5% boxer/ boston terrier. And a 3 year old female bandog that is predominantly dogue de bordeaux x apbt." "... she's a bit gutless quite honestly, likes to stand behind the neo x when threatened," "I'd question her guardian abilities, she's more just an alarm dog for the neo x. I never had her temperament tested (which I did do with the neo x), but I have a feeling she would react nervously to a suspicious decoy, and lean back into the handler and bark. Just a hunch based on what I have seen from her in day to day life." "My neo x is relatively what a lot of people would call "dopey". Really relaxed and laid back and honestly not the sharpest tool in the shed. There's none of that craftiness or cunning, he seems to have a really honest even naive brain. " "My neo x is extremely biddable and extremely sensitive to correction. It really only takes touching the brim of your hat for him to melt into the ground like he's going to get a serious beating, but he's never had a serious beating in his life." This is your idea of what bandogges are? Whom is the breeder that you have bought these dogs from and what is their breeding history? Do they temperament test their dogs? Do they penn hip test their dogs? Do they do any type of working their dogs?

T

Yes remarkably I'm the only person in the world it seems whose dogs are in any way less than supernaturally perfect. Lol. Like I said in the other thread, yes my female dog is a poorly bred piece of crap (who I'm still rather fond of btw), my male dog is from one of the best breeders in the world and is amazing. That last quote is not a negative at all, it's a positive thing any bandog breeder should aspire for. The quote above it isn't a bad thing either, I'm light heartedly teasing his docile friendly temperament, but again it's actually a positive attribute indicative of genuine relaxed confidence. It means nothing in the face of the fact he's been temperament tested and with no training has incredibly solid nerves and a perfect on/off switch. He's really a testament to outstanding breeding rarely matched in the modern world.

K

I have a Great Pyrenees x Bernese Mountain Dog cross. She is 15 months old, 105 pounds and is a sweet girl. She has a lot of energy and loves her evening walks every night. I get the what kind of dog is she? question all the time on our walks, quite the attention getter! She sheds like mad and you will find her hair in places you couldn't imagine, but it is such a beautiful coat. Loves being outside in the cold, not so much in the summer. Oh yeah, she drools too! Not nearly as bad as our past boxer, but more than we expected. She's been pretty quick to pick up obedience and would be even better if we were more consistant with it. Slowly but surely, she is getting more and more freedom in the house, have to work on the kids as much as her so they don't leave toys around that Sasha likes to chew on. She doesn't require that much attention in the house but doesn't pass it up when she gets it. When in the yard, she shows a lot of the Pyr traits, gives the perimeter a walk then usually lays down at the highest point of the yard. It's pretty neat seeing her natural instinct take over. She does love to pay catch with a tennis ball and quite agile for a big girl. When she has been with other dogs, she is very submissive to them and plays great with them whether big or small. Her size can be a little too much for the small dogs but it is out of no intent from her. She thinks every dog or even person is just there to play with her! Overall, she is a great dog and couldn't ask for anything more. We toss around getting her a roommate, but not sure I am ready to do the puppy thing again already. Here is a picture of her from this weekend on our walk.[br][link={e_FILE}public/1299596069_1518_FT77179_sasha2.jpg][img:width=500&height=305]{e_FILE}public/1299596069_1518_FT77179_sasha2_.jpg">[/link][br]