I maybe possibly in the market for a dog. I was just wondering what are good dogs, i prefer bigger ones and not small ones that yap constantly, lol. What are st bernerds like?

cheers

There's no such thing as a good dog or a bad dog- just dogs which are a good fit for your household and dogs which aren't a good fit.

St Bernards are generally lovely, but along with many breeds they have characteristics which take some understanding and coping with- like needing rather a large space in your house and needing someone who doesn't mind being covered with slobber and dog hair constantly.

I've got a German Shepherd- they're loyal to the ends of the earth and slobber a lot less than St Bernards, but their fur kills vacuum cleaners and they're LOUD! They're also into everything, take a very firm hand so as not to let them rule the house sometimes and need lots of occupying and challenging to prevent boredom.

I'm sure that every dog owner can tell you the ups and downs of their breed, but you can find most of them by doing web searches.

You could also find lots of information about different breeds with things like this (http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/search.htm) search.

Superblade-maybe you could post a bit about your lifestyle and hobbies etc, along with the kind of things you personally want in a dog-the more people know about these things the easier it will be to recommend a breed that might possibly be suitable :)

Go to a rescue centre, spend a bit of time watching and playing with the dogs and one [or more] of them will adopt you as a friend. Never fails for me.

You also need to think on the costs of insurance, spaying, vaccinating day to day "maintenance" like toys and feeding...

there's many other considerations:-

there's house training (sometimes even an older, rescued dog may need housebreaking)

How much exercise each breed needs (some breeds can get by on short walks, others need longer walks.)

You also have to think about how much time you can devote to the animal. Will it be left for long periods to become destructive?

As above from plain talker , and as youre on the market for a larger dog,Id go for a mastiff or ddb type doggy.
Obviously if you can check its back ground thats even better. But if you rescue one , remember it will have little info with it , however!! how well derserving a rescue dog would be. theyve usally been treated awfully, left with physical and mental scars then abandoned and these bigger doggies tend to be left behind as theyre often feared when really theyre very grateful gentle giants.......good luck!!:)

I`d always go for a german shepherd(obviously;))
beautiful, highly intelligent(sometimes not so:hihi:), loving, loyal and would guard you with their life.
But everyones different. definitely go look round a rescue, theres loads of big breeds in centres all over the country, I think a lot of people get them as little fur balls not thinking how they are gonna cope when they are big strong adults, then just get rid, very sad for the poor animal thats done nowt wrong.

Go to a rescue centre, spend a bit of time watching and playing with the dogs and one [or more] of them will adopt you as a friend. Never fails for me.

I second that. But do keep in mind that some dogs' behaviour in kennels/boarding is not always indicative of their true nature, as they are often under stress and simply "out of their element."

A good plan is to have a good talk with folks at rescues about your lifestyle, experience, any changes to that you can foresee, other animals in your life (not just in your home), and what traits you feel you value most in a dog. The people that work hands-on with the animals really do have a better sense of their personalities than anyone, and will usually do their best to match you with the right pooch.

There is a gorgeous dog named Bruce at the RSPCA Bawtry who has been there for nearly a year; my husband and I fell in love with him, but he doesn't get on with cats, and was just too big for our home. I'd love to see someone take him home.

i too prefer big dogs i have had a newfoundland who slobbered and shed hair

at the moment i have a staffie who is fabulous
and my 11 month old brindle bullmastiff who is a fantastic dog he is my 2nd and i would recommend big dogs

Newfoundlands are my all-time favourite dogs (followed closely by Pugs.) Never met a grumpy one yet.

thanks people, i'l let you know how it goes.

we have a german shepherd, a gsd cross collie and a jrt who had 6 pus so house full at mo not to mention the other 18 aminals we have. i never liked jrt's before but Lucy is one of a kind and i wouldnt part with her ever, im considering keeping one of the pups. i used to have great danes who are obviously a very large dog but so placid and docile at times but do take up one hell of a space and money . good luck with your search x

I love anything with a bit of labrador in it - you can rely on them for love and loyalty. Good luck x

gotta be a retired greyhound, loyal lazy and loving!!!!

gotta be a retired greyhound, loyal lazy and loving!!!!

Also retired race dogs are generally healthy as they are primarily bred to be healthy, not for looks or to a breed standard.

As a bonus greyhounds are generally a very quiet breed, only time ours bark is when the leads come out for a walk and that will only be one or two barks out of excitement.

Also if you like sitting on the couch, hounds may not be for you as they take over the sofa!