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.
I think dead dogs would occupy all 10 slots.
JUST KIDDING! IT'S A JOKE!
I've got 2 cairn terriers, born diggers. I think I would rather have gophers in my yard than our two little earth movers. Still, they are sturdy little gals and will always let us know when someone new is approaching the house. Of course their bark is more "Hey! Come play with us!", than "Hey! Stay away or we'll eat you!"
We have had one for 5 years now and we love her. We do work at home and she is like a shadow. They call them Velcro dogs to. Yes she sheds but that is it. Other than brushing every few months and a bath. Nothing more than any other dog. Had 2 goldens retrievers before and they used to stink all the time.
I have a golden. If he isn’t a lap dog, he is outside chasing everything, none of which he catches. He takes to training well and all he wants is to have his belly scratched.
I hate articles that fail to simply list what their talking about, forcing others to jump through a pages of photos etc.,
And when the SHTF and it is TEOTWAWKI you can feed him zombies.
We did a lot of research and settled on a Havanese. Perfect house pet—calm, loving, smart, one of the so-called “non shredders”— low maintenance if you keep the fur cut short.
I’m thinking that I want to get a golden at some time. I’m not ready for an additional dog right now. But goldens are my sometime-in-the-future breed.
My JR does like love and attention, however. If she doesn’t get that, she’ll do stuff like eat a rug. She did that to my sister in law and that’s how I ended up with the dog :)
Rotties are nice. We have a Beagle who sleeps 22 out of 24 hours per day in his petbed. Rising only to take a walk, eat a meal or beg for treats. Our Chihuahua is a love sponge and also easy to deal with.
One of our Corgis has a non-standard “fluffy” coat. She certainly requires far more grooming than her standard nephew.
My Dobie is very high maintenance. Not in terms of grooming (what’s that) but in terms of need for exercise, attention and affection. Also most people couldn’t control him - very willful and very strong.
Don’t tell chet99 about this... wait... never mind ;)
I met Ridgebacks he hard way.. on a ranch, and they were both grown...
If they weren’t raised knowing you since they were pups, they will shred you to pieces. I was always running for projection (or scooting away quickly, with them on my tail, on a motorcycle). They only time they were at piece with me was when I was horseback, they went anywhere I went when I was riding :)
The day that changed all of that was one day when I was riding horseback and was in a mild gallop... the red one was on my right and the black one was on my left. As soon as my horse was startled and jumped, I turned around to see what it dodged and saw the red one jump too, and it was scared... Happened to be a 5 1/2 foo Diamondback rattler.. lol... anyway, that day, we ran pretty hard most of the day and they were both exhausted and panting under a tree. I dismounted and was able to get close enough (slowly, of course) to them to pet hem.
From that day on, anything that threatened me or looked at me funny was dogfood.. They were great :D
Sorry about any typos.. I am having to pound on the KB because I spilled some ice tea (sweetened) on it a couple of days ago.. and it is not being friendly atm :/) ;)
Mines name is Maggie and this year she joins Gus a black Lab as my new tracking team. She’s already found 2 Black Bucks, 3 Axis and 7 hog’s. One of the hogs was a 337 lb boar that was far from dead and she would let it get away, she was raising hell. She officialy goes to work this fall when deer season opens, I usually get 3 to 5 calls a month to go find wounded buck’s.
Must not have passed mustard with their “boss”?
Snake fear is in the blood. Mango avoids suspicious sticks.
Love her for that. We have lots of snakes.
My condolances for your keyboard. Note to self: Do not wash keyboard with alcohol. Makes monitor do weird things and die.
Yep. Everything you said.
Our Aussie is a loved member of the family but he is definitely high maintenance.
Shedding? LOL!. I’ve often considered starting a mattress factory.
Thanks Joe, how did I guess a Yorkie would be on that list, lol. Lots of long fine hair.
versus "Lord Of The Frogs"
...;D
Ahh...you are brutal!! ROFLOL!!
My chihuahua is a mix of long/short hair and requires a brushing once or twice a week. Other than that, loves to warm my lap at all times.
A *black* Ridgeback??
LOL!
*Love* #2!
He snorkels?
Totally cool dog, CC.
:)
For later -
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