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Looking for a family dog and fishing companion...

4K views 33 replies 21 participants last post by  cfarnwide 
#1 ·
So I have agreed to get a new addition to the family but I have some requirements. A dog.

Originally we had planned to get a Beagle, they sounded perfect but after research have found it is impossible to get them to break the habit of chasing a scent. I want a dog that will stay on the boat while I am fishing with out having to keep them on a leash.

1) Must be a female
2) Must be a small breed (10-30lbs)
3) Must have short hair (minimal shedding)
4) good with children
5) good with strangers
6) must be a good fishing buddy when I go solo.

Anyone have any suggestions? I am looking for a pure breed.
 
#3 ·
A bit bigger than you may want, but I have had spanials almost all of my life.
Great companions and love childern.
[My wife is a babysetter]
Springers, like I have now,shed a bit, but not bad.
My ****ers and britneys didn't shed at all.
The one thing that they do require like many other breeds, is grooming once in a while.
They are a great choice for a family pet.
 
#8 ·
I have a 50 lb lab for sale on ksl. She is a small for a lab and a purebred, she is great with children. She doesnt mind the water but would not be in it so much that you couldnt fish. She is 4 years old. She is in Perfect health. She doesnt shed. The only reason we are getting rid of her is because we hunt ducks and she doesnt do that. Here is a link, http://www.ksl.com/?nid=218&ad=2425272&cat=&lpid= PM me if you have questions. I know she is a little bigger than you are looking for but I think she has the energy to keep up with you fishing and for the kids where another breed may not.
 
#9 ·
CBR said:
1) Must be a female
2) Must be a small breed (10-30lbs)
3) Must have short hair (minimal shedding)
4) good with children
5) good with strangers
6) must be a good fishing buddy when I go solo.

Anyone have any suggestions? I am looking for a pure breed.
I've got one of those and he's just a random mutt that showed up on my doorstep one day. Do a dog a favor and save a life at your local pound. The dogs you'll get there will more than likely be just as good as any high strung purebred and just might turn out to be one of the best dogs you've ever owned. The price for adoption isn't bad either, especially when they throw in a spay/neuter and microchipping for a small fee just because of the adoption. I certainly have never had any reason to look beyond a dogs "appearance" to make sure it was worthy of a little love and companionship... mine have all been great mutts.
 
#11 ·
.45 said:
Except for the weight problem.....I would recommend a 'Lab'....but my lab weigh's in at 125 lbs.. :shock:
Ditto .45... Labs are a great breed unconditional and hands down in my book. Good with kids, affectionate, great all around dog. You and your family won't go wrong with a "LAB".. females weigh a little under 80lbs. Sorry, I can't go into anymore detail as the tears are starting to well up... :cry: .45 knows the story. But Labs are the best IMO for an all around "pup." :!: :!: :wink: :wink:
 
#13 ·
I will second the idea of a lab, why the weight restriction? Is this an inflatable boat from which you fish? If you go the lab route, I would recommend an older dog, the one mentioned above could be good. The pups just chew everything that they can get ahold of.

Grandpa D said:
A bit bigger than you may want, but I have had spanials almost all of my life.
Great companions and love childern.
[My wife is a babysetter]
Springers, like I have now,shed a bit, but not bad.
My ****ers and britneys didn't shed at all.
The one thing that they do require like many other breeds, is grooming once in a while.
They are a great choice for a family pet.
FYI the ****ers are known as being aggressive at times based on the way that the breed has been so inbred for so many years, I know this from a close friend who had one and had his nephews bitten twice in the face.
 
#15 ·
We have shih tzu and they are wonderful family and lap dogs. We take them out in the boat they don't take up much room and Gizmo likes to give the fish a little kiss before we put them back in the water. They are not good cold weather dogs or swimmers though and we will not fend off any wild animals for you but loyal. If you get a female you can breed her and the puppies will sell for 400-700 each. Gizmo has paid for herself several times over and we kept a female pup from our last litter Coda is her name.
 
#16 ·
orvis1 said:
We have shih tzu and they are wonderful family and lap dogs. We take them out in the boat they don't take up much room and Gizmo likes to give the fish a little kiss before we put them back in the water. They are not good cold weather dogs or swimmers though and we will not fend off any wild animals for you but loyal. If you get a female you can breed her and the puppies will sell for 400-700 each. Gizmo has paid for herself several times over and we kept a female pup from our last litter Coda is her name.
The one thing wrong with this statement is Shih tzu. :wink: :D Just playing with you. I have two black lab mixes and they are both 60 lbs. Great companions, big enough to protect us, but still small compared to other labs. They are great with my six month boy also. :D
 
#18 ·
FishGlyph said:
Riverrat77 said:
Do a dog a favor and save a life at your local pound. The dogs you'll get there will more than likely be just as good as any high strung purebred and just might turn out to be one of the best dogs you've ever owned. The price for adoption isn't bad either, especially when they throw in a spay/neuter and microchipping for a small fee just because of the adoption. I certainly have never had any reason to look beyond a dogs "appearance" to make sure it was worthy of a little love and companionship... mine have all been great mutts.
+100

I was able to adopt a GSP/lab mix from one of the animal shelters and she has a wonderful demeanor and great with kids, other dogs and strangers... and a great judge of character. :D She's topped off at a weight of 48 lbs. Good luck in your search CBR.
BTW both of my dogs were free. The one dog was abanded and I found her shivering and starving so I kept her, and the other was someones who couldn't have a dog anymore. I couldn't agree with you more Riverrat77!
 
#19 ·
orvis1 said:
Trust me if the man of the house got to pick the pet we would have a bulldog. But I live with 2 women and was outvoted so wussy dogs I have. They make my wife and daughter happy and that in turn makes me happy.
What type of bulldog are you talking about? If it is an American Bulldog, you should have got one. I adopted a pit a few years ago and she is the greatest dog I've ever been around, more loyal than one could imagine a dog being, great with people, loves kids, hates other dogs and gets confused when fishing, and wonders why I keep throwing things she can't retrieve. Loves to swim and even pulls the boat when swimming, but not the kind of dog for the novice and not a fun fishing companion. Excellent gaurd against anything.
 
#20 ·
Well, here is the thing. My space is limited. I live in a 1800 sq foot home so a bigger dog would dominate especially with 2 young daughters and my wife. I am out numbered. I don't want a pug although they have been suggested by several people, bulldogs also have been suggested but the wife things they are ugly. Ya see what I am dealing with?

So I need to find a good option to make everyone happy, kids want something they can walk, play fetch with, and have as a friend. I want a pup that I can have a a fishing buddy when I go fishing solo on the boat (20 ft bass boat), and the wife wants something that is obedient (after training) and has minimal to no shedding.

Any of those cross bred dogs work? Haven't they found a way to breed the scent trail of a beagle? Thats the only **** thing keeping me from getting one. I have met some awesome beagles (indoors) that are great companions.

Thanks for all the advice so far.
 
#21 ·
Thats a tough bill to fill there. I can think of some breeds that would work well on the boat, but not sure if they are sturdy enough for the kids to play with. Other dogs that come to my mind would take a bit of extra responsibilty and the wife might fear them at first, but would fit your description. The hard part is finding one that won't be an energetic burden while fishing.
 
#23 ·
I have a great lab, but they wouldn't fit your requirements based on the shedding alone. I might look into the King Charles if you want a pure breed. My friend has one and he's a great family dog. It's true that he doesn't always listen, but I tend to think that's more of a training deficiency than a fault in the breed. Regardless of how good the breed is you still need to train a dog properly if you want him to obey you. Once you decide on a dog be sure to get some good training literature.
 
#26 ·
CBR said:
1) Must be a female
2) Must be a small breed (10-30lbs)
3) Must have short hair (minimal shedding)
4) good with children
5) good with strangers
6) must be a good fishing buddy when I go solo.

Anyone have any suggestions? I am looking for a pure breed.
Okay, you're not going to like this, but you just described a miniature poodle. Yeah, I know the image that comes to mind, but they actually meet every one of the qualities you just mentioned with the exception of short hair, but they don't really shed, so maybe that doesn't matter.

I'm not talking about the yappy toys or the full-sized standard poodles, I'm talking about the 15- to 20-pound miniatures. They're loyal, they like strangers, they're outgoing (if they're socialized properly when young), they're very smart, they're good with kids, kids like them, they're highly trainable, they like the outdoors, and they're good swimmers. I mean, poodles were originally bred as retrievers until people started giving them those ridiculous hair cuts that ruined their image. Seriously, a miniature poodle with a non-offensive hair cut might just be your dog.
 
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