Posted on 04/05/2012 10:29:35 AM PDT by C19fan
When most of us think of caring for the family dog, we have in mind a sedate walk around the block once a day, maybe an obedience class when he's a pup, a good brushing once a week and lots of hanging out together watching TV at night. And then there is that special breed of dog - the high-energy, need-a-job-to-do, groom-challenging kind that comes in all looks and sizes, but shares one commonality: He is undeniably high-maintenance.
(Excerpt) Read more at shine.yahoo.com ...
We enjoy a nice, low-maintenance Rottweiler. Food and outside in the morning and afternoon. Sleeps on the couch for the other 23 1/2 hours. A few baths a year and a trip to the vet. Nice.
I’ve had three Labradors; two Blacks, currently one Yellow - and I want to add a Chocolate to the mix. (I currently also have a Basset Hound; maintenance free if you don’t mind slobbering, LOL!) I adore the Lab breed.
However, I DO live on a farm and we DO spend a lot of time outdoors, so aside from a few gnawed shoes along the way, they’ve not been the trouble others seem to have with them.
Just as with trees, shrubs, perennial plants and husbands; the right one for the right place makes ALL the difference in performance! :)
I read that story yesterday. I can certainly testify about the border collie. We had a border collie/wolf mix. That was one creative dog! He could climb trees, sniff out all sorts of stuff and was on the go, all the time. Around Christmas one year, we put the presents on the top of the fridge to keep him from investigating the packages while we were gone. We returned and found that dog lying on the top of the fridge with some curl ribbon hanging out of his mouth.
Wolf mix!! You should post a photo.
That’s a hard one to match, Jemian!
I have two Australian Shepherds. Definitely high maintenance, but absolutely worth the trouble. They must be entertained, or else. They also shed like the dickens. Unfortunately, Aussie fur does not make strong yarn (someone tried, on YouTube), otherwise we’d have an endless supply of fiber for weaving.
NO! Dont do it! Chocolates are evil!
One of mine is anyways. We call her “Trouble” She loves to counter surf when your back is turned. This weekend she dug two metal tins out of a box, chewed them open and ate 31 dark chocolate candies. Third or forth time she has been been to the vet for eating the wrong thing. Once ate 2-3 pounds of bird seed... Pooped it for a week.
I love Labs, they are the best dogs in the world. She is my big “Goofy Girl”.
Shes the one that stands in the middle of all the trash on the floor with the look “What did you expect? I am a dog!”
She’s a rescue, and we always say “Well, we know why she was given up before!” :)
I would like to know the opposite: the 10 lowest maintenance dog breeds: basset hounds ?, ???
Yeah - my Labs were all through friends or ‘Pound Found.’ They’ve made me keep my house in order, that’s for sure!
Now that I think about it, about 25 years ago the first one ate an entire floor-standing houseplant while we were gone for the evening. I mean it was GONE - just some dirt and the pot remained.
Never did find ANY pieces of that plant, she never pooped it out (we checked - Ewww!) and she lived to be 15, so I guess it was Labrador Aliens, LOL!
“I don’t know what kind of dog he is, but before I cut off his tail and painted him yellow, he was a alligator.”
OMGosh that is the funniest thing and a great visual....
My first lab ate a couch while I was at work one day.
I came home and the entire living room was covered with stuffing. He entered the hole he burrowed and was sleeping in there like a bear in a cave.
He’s long gone and sorely missed. We got him in 1977 and he died of cancer in 1980. Great dog and very loyal.
I would like to know the opposite: the 10 lowest maintenance dog breeds: basset hounds ?, ???
Rhodesian Ridgeback. Smart, delight to train, loyal, gentle with family, death on enemies, doesn’t chase cattle, or deer. Death on mountain lions. Does not bark. Hound personality. Short hair. Lives outside, never bathes.
We live on 20 acres. We can leave for several days and she will not leave the yard. They have a strong pack instinct.
This is our 6th Ridgeback, Mango.
Jack Russells don’t need a lot of maintenance but they do need to move.
I didn’t see the breed that includes Hillary and Chelsea Clinton, Barbara Waters, Rosie O’Donnell, Whoopie Goldberg, Susan Estrich, Mara Liasson, et. al.
My daughter had a Ridgeback and he was everything you mentioned. We miss him. I have a poodle, and they are great for certain allergies. I am extremely allergic to my sister’s Goldens, but not my poodle. But they are high maintenance. If you don’t want to groom a dog, do not get a poodle. Although, they are the smartest dog out there.
That reminds me of a dingo who owned me once. Although he recognized me as Alpha, he certainly had a mind of his own.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.