shakran

First off, dumb dogs are easier to train than smart dogs. Smart dogs are harder to train because they actually think about your command and whether they want to do it or not. It's amazing how people see a dog capable of independant thought and automatically assumes the dog is stupid because the dog won't be a mindless automaton.

Second off, breed is somewhat less important than where you get it from as far as whether the dog is safe or not. Basset Hounds are famous for being nearly perfect with children, but Bassets bought from pet stores may well attack a kid.

Long story short, you need to get whatever dog you decide to get from a reputable breeder. Pet stores rarely if ever do that, btw, they get them from puppy mills. Look the term up on google to see why you don't want a dog from one.

You do not want one from some backyard breeder who forces his dog to spit out puppies every damn year so he can sell them. That's not a reputable breeder. Your best bet is to find a mailing list dealing with the breed you choose, and join it for awhile. You'll get contacts to GOOD breeders. Sure, they're more expensive, but they don't abuse their dogs, they work to keep genetic abnormalities out of their lines (backyard breeders generally give you a blank look when you ask them about this - they'll breed their dog to anything that comes along), and they know what to do with the puppies so that the puppies will start their development properly.

If your breeder does not INSIST that you sign a contract saying that if you ever for any reason decide to get rid of the dog, you must give it back to the breeder, look elsewhere, because the breeder isn't reputable.

If your breeder tries to get you to take the puppy before it is at LEAST 8 weeks old, look elsewhere. Puppies taken earlier often have many problems down the road. They need that much time to socialize with the other dogs.

Insist on touring the kennels at your breeders. They should be relatively clean (but keep in mind these ARE puppies and they don't know to go outside yet. You'll be able to tell if they keep it clean enough), warm, and generally comfortable looking. If the dogs are all in wire cages with nothing on the bottom, 3 or 4 dogs to a cage, you've found yourself a puppy mill. Try not to kill the breeder as you're leaving, no matter how tempting it may be.

AKC registered puppies means precisely dick. It's kind of like drivers licenses. Just because someone is licensed to drive doesn't mean he can actually drive. And just because a dog is AKC registered doesn't mean it meets the breed standard or has come from a line of dogs that has been carefully screened for genetic problems.



Basically, you need to do a LOT more research than asking a general discussion forum if you want to give yourself a good chance of having a healthy dog who does not display behavior abnormalities. And above all, NO backyard breeder, puppy mill, or pet store dogs. They're generally nothing but trouble, and even if you get lucky, your money is going to support one of the cruelest industries in this country.

Oh, and BTW, a good breeder should ALWAYS want to come to your home and check it out. Good breeders care about where their puppies end up. If the breeder doesn't care to inspect his puppy's future home, that's a warning sign.

Also, breeders who do it right NEVER make money on the dogs - in fact, they lose money. They're not doing it for profit, they're doing it because they love the breed and want to ensure that it continues.