As a vet I see a lot of breeds that I wouldn't recommend wholesale to just anyone -- and for various reasons -- health, temperament, energy level etc. Of course there are exceptions to all! A practice I worked at saw a lot of Soft Coated Wheaton's -- cute dogs, but most were really hyper -- and all came from the same breeder (who was a "breeder" -- 'nugh said!). I've been chewed on by Rotti's & shepherds and have really come to distrust what I call "the Rotti look" -- high domed (hydrocephalic head), small narrowly set squinting eyes -- these dogs almost always try to eat people!). Then there's the little pit poodles & Chihuahuas (and a lot of Yorkies) -- most are very snappy, nervous dogs. Standard poodles seem to be very nice all round dogs, some definitely high energy. Jack Russels are more dog than I have energy for, and a lot are of questionable temperament. I actually know of 2 nice ChowChows, but only 2. Seen some very sweet as well as some very mean English bulldogs, which is bad news as you can't muzzle them. American cockers not only have a bad temperament rap but lots of health problems -- thyroid, skin, submissive piddling, ears, ears, ears, and ears. I've heard the theory that the reason they often are snappy is because they live with such an awful headache/earache all the time ...... Yet I'm seeing more and more really sweet American cockers these days :-) Shih Tzu's & Bichons are adorable puppies (you wouldn't believe how many of them get named after gremlins or ewoks!), and can also grow up snappy given the wrong home environment. Dalamations are usually brought home for the wrong reasons, people don't realize these are working dogs that need to be active. Speaking of high energy -- did I mention a certain Berner/Border collie cross rescue boy?! Hyper labs, sweet labs, fat labs on a daily basis, not too many nasty ones. The same for Goldens, except throw in the skin problems and cancers. Collies are usually very sweet, but it takes a special person to live with the coat (& keep it nice) and the unique bark. Ditto shelties but usually tend to be shy also. The fox hound types have a sweet dignity about them that is very appealing -- I've met some fabulous ones. One client has the coolest Beauceron, although I understand they're not all like her. I've met several really nice Norfolk Terriers this year -- nice size, happy temperaments, fairly low maintenance coats.
I chose my English Cocker for several reasons -- I've never had to muzzle one, I've never seen "cocker ears" in one, they're happy & fun-loving & smart, and their average lifespan is 14-15 yrs. with old age being the leading cause of death! Having recently lost a beloved Berner (now 2) to cancer at too young an age, that was really appealing! And I haven't regretted Devyn for a heartbeat. He's just like a mini Berner temperament-wise (the super socialized, never met a person or animal they didn't like type), and he's so portable. "Shoulder" is one of our favourite commands -- where he assumes the carry position of front legs on my shoulder and butt supported on my hip, saucy smile as ever. "He'ssodamncute" is his middle name and of course he's very spoiled and very very loved. Shedding's not a problem, but coat care may be an issue for some -- I strip/clip him myself usually about every 3-4 weeks, as I choose to keep as much length as possible on his coat and like to keep him looking spiffy. The silky hair (not thick like the American cockers) really tends to tangle easily, especially when wet, so it requires combing fairly regularly. I know I will always have one along with my Berner(s)! OK, enough of my gushing already! sue(Aeryn with Devyn & Rowyn)
