If you didn't have a yorkie...
 

and you wanted a larger breed dog, which breed would you choose? My sister wants to get a dog. She has mild allergies and it would be ideal to get her a low shedding dog. But she lives out in the country on a farm. She has a ton of room for a doggie to have lots of fun running and playing. She has four children, 9, 7, 5, 3 months. Now, I'm looking into getting her a puppy, but am not sure which would be best for her and her family. Now, she loves Tila and would love to get a yorkie, but she would rather have an outdoor dog. I know whatever dog she gets will be well taken care of and loved very much. Here's the thing, she loves Malamutes. Her husband loves Rotties. Now, neither wants to get either breed, it's a he said, she said thing. If she gets her choice, he gets his, and she doesn't want a rottie. So the agreement is they can't have either. Now, what breed should they go with? My sister was thinking a German Shepherd, because she is home with the kids by herself all the time. Her husband works out of town farther North in Alberta, he comes home 7 days out of a month!! She's thinking a breed that can be gentle with the kids and one that will protect them. I was thinking it was a good choice. But I read the list of "dangerous" dog breeds. Not sure when it was complied. The Malemute was on there, the German Shepherd was on the list, and what I was thinking because there's a local breeder, is a Boxer. But it is on the list as well. Now I know I shouldn't base my total decision on the list. Sooo, after more thinking I was thinking a Golden Retriever because there is also a local breeder a few towns over. Now I'm thinking it will be okay indoors if she changes her mind, but with the hair and allergies, she would probably keep it outdoors when the weather permits, there is somewhere for him/her to stay when the weather is too bad. Argh, Alberta winters. And it would be good with the kids. I know it's up to her and she has made the decision to get a new puppy sometime this year, they just can't decide what breed. I'm thinking I'm going to surprise her kids, (i'll tell her before, lol) of getting the golden, the kids birthdays are grouped all together in the summer, except the little guy. Does anyone have any experience with any of the breeds mentioned? Any advice or more information I can look through? Thanks everyone. This is just a information gathering stage no ultimate decision has been made, so please if I've written anything that may irk anyone, I'm sorry beforehand.

i don't know of any large dog breeds that are hypoallergenic.. since she has allergies. here's a list of some off of wiki

Hypoallergenic dog breed - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I love the Golden Retrievers. I also like Labs. They are great around kids.

My daughter and her husband had a german shepherd/black lab mix, and he was absolutely the best dog I've ever seen around her kids. He was very protective, always watching them out in the backyard. He always stayed right where they were. He was quite large, but such a gentle giant. He recently passed away, he was 11 years old.

Not sure what larger breed would be good for someone with allergies. I don't know any of the larger breeds that are hypoallergenic.

golden retrivers are super adorable but i think they shed a lot

since she has young children, how about regular size (the really big one) poodle?
i hear they're great with children

Well, I'm not a big dog type of gal ;) but my friend has a Labradoodle and it is as big as a lab but with hair similar to a poodle . It doesn't shed and is a BIG dog ! My dh always wanted a French Bulldog or a Boxer , but the biggest I could do would be a Frenchie :D

My SIL always wanted a Newfoundland , they are BIG and have lots of hair but I have always heard they were wonderful dogs.

what about a standard poodle or standard schnauzer? She can get them groomed short. We had a schnauzer when we were younger and my dad was allergic and he did not show any signs of being allergic.

I was also going to suggest a standard poodle. They're low-shedding dogs, athletic and very intelligent, and most that I have known have been very patient with kids.

I adore goldens, but if shedding is an issue, I would definitely steer clear! They shed a ton.

The different -Doodle hybrids are generally marketed as being non-shedding, but it is mostly a toss-up with those-- some of them shed, some of them don't. If that is really an important issue, a purebred is a much safer bet.

How about a giant schnauzer?

a boxer!! :wub: love them!
i also love great danes.. but they only live to about 7 years old :( ..i don't know if i could do that!! :(

Poodles are very, very smart... And they are barkers too. Low shedding, however thei coats need to be maintained . I know that the labs are an exellent breed for children to be around, however, I believe they shed.

I have terrible animal allergies...
 

...so I am a good person to answer this!

The only large breed of dog I know of that is low on the allergy scale is the standard poodle. And don't think of them as fussy little housepets...standard poodles were originally bred as hunting dogs and rank near the top in doggie IQ!

I have had no allergy problems with my Maltese or my cousin's poodle, but my Foxy affects me so badly I have had to relegate her to being a yard dog.

The other dogs mentioned...German Shepherds, Labs, Goldens...are great dogs, but not if you have allergies.

The key to picking an allergy-friendly dog is its coat: does it shed? Then you shouldn't get one. Does it need regular haircuts? Then it will be a low-dander dog.

:animal-pa

If I were to get a big dog and didn't have yorkies I would have to choose between a Husky, a Mastiff or Pitt (yeah, yeah-they aren't for everyone)

If i didnt have yorkies, i would go with a black lab or a golden retriever. I use to have a black lab and he was great around everybody and my son has a golden but its only a puppy. My brother has a chocolate lab and he stays in the house and he loves everybody. I think they do shed a lot but if they are going to keep it outside then it wouldnt matter, would it? JMO but i would stay clear of rotties,german shepherd, especially pit bulls but i guess i have seen to much on tv about those so im really scared of those kind of dogs but thats just me. My daughter has a rottie and no way do i get around it and she dont trust it enough to let her kids around it. But i think its according to how its raised and trained.Good luck with finding the right dog.

The only kind of big dog I would have is a golden retriever

I personally love Golden Retrievers BUT there is a dog that is hypoallergenic and big. It's a Portuguese Water Dog. They are AMAZING in person. Some of the pictures online make them look kind of weird because of their hair cut, but they are really pretty and are gentle even as puppies. My friend has one.

Oh btw, I think ANY dog no matter what the size or breed would try to protect it's owner if it felt necessary.

Golden Retrievers are awesome. I loved growing up with my Golden, Daisy.

Boxers, believe it or not, are also GREAT family dogs. They have a thin coat and require basically no grooming. But they're not the greatest outside dogs because their coat is so thin. They love running around and excersise though.

If you want a non-shedding Golden-type dog, you could go for the Goldendoodle??

I had a boxer that I got when I was ten. She was the sweetest dog ever. WE lived in the country and strangers would not get out of the car in our yard because she looked so fierce. They'd blow the horn. So that is a plus. The dog we have outside now just took up with us. He's a mixed breed and sweet as can be but very loyal. He will growl at strangers. Maybe you could get a shelter dog if you don't have an affinity to one particular breed.

I would have to say a Basset. Of course, I DO have one, so it's the best of both worlds, I suppose.
I will say that I have always had a love for Pekes as well. (not large breed, I know) I have owned several and did some handling with them looooong ago. I will in the future, have another one, strictly as a pet to love and spoil. But for now, I'm sticking with my Yorkies. :p

Bassets are one of my favorites! I have never had one, but I have always adored them.
I love a lot of dog breeds, so this is a tough question. Besides Bassets, I love American Bull Dogs (NOT pitts) because my dad used to be a breeder, still has one, and they are hands down one of the best ever family dogs, Giant Schnauzer, although I don't know a lot about temperment with them and wouldn't want to deal with the grooming, love the Weimaraner, I love setters and spaniels, although I don't like the long hair shedding aspect even though the short hairs to do long is just more airborne, and great dane.
:D

I would suggest either the standard poodle, standard schnauzer, or the porteguese water dog. I don't believe any of them shed, and they are hypoallergenic. I'm not 100% positive, though. Personally, I would go for the poodle. :)

Labs are tied with Yorkies in my family! Not sure about any of the other details. We've owned both now and with 5 boys in the house to add to the voting---It's Labs and now Yorkies! Good luck.

Standard poodle!!!

I had one growing up and he was the BEST! Dexter was extremely smart, a little goofy and a total love bug. He would sit on the floor next to the couch and rest his head on my lap! I loved that dog so much. Their hair is a bit of work, but you'll get that with any hypoallergenic dog. I recommend standard poodles to anyone who's looking for a great big dog. They are awesome with kids and small dogs too!

If she's in the country and has a lot of property, blue heelers are awesome dogs! More between a mid-size and large, but they are very sturdy in build. We have a blue heeler named "Ruby" and she is the biggest sweetie you could ever meet. They are extremely smart, courageous and loyal. Even when outdoors they love to be by their masters side. Lots of fun if there are children in the family as they are high energy and love to perform.

I have always like the Bouvier, or the giant schnauzer for a big dog. Bouviers are great farm dogs. I love that breed.

Not to worry. . .
 

I love golden retrievers too. My mum's golden, Ben, is very old now and has always been the most gentle sweetest dog. If I didnt have a yorkie I would have one. I also like Rottweilers. Of the non-shedding types I like Poodles. I've heard they are really good with children and are very intelligent xxx xx

Why doesn't your sister go to the shelter and get a dog from there? There are TONS of bigger dogs needing homes.

If I didn't have my yorkie, I definitely would have a German Shepherd. That's the next dog I want on my list. At the time, I had cockatiels in my house so a big dog was out of the question, plus I'm still living with my parents so I don't know how the shedding would have gone over. The birds have since then passed away, but now my brother moved back home and he lives in the basement with his cat. So until I get my own place, I won't be getting a shepherd for awhile.

It's definitely a tough choice and it makes it a little hard since a lot of the large breed dogs shed. I'm sure she'll find one that will work in their family perfectly.

I definitely think it's worth checking out a shelter. Sadly, with this economy, it is a "buyers market' when it comes to shelter dogs. Over the past two months, I've seen some incredible dogs come through, including heartbreakingly adorable rottie pups, boxer pups, and the most gorgeous, intelligent chocolate lab / pit mix puppy you can imagine. Of course, the dogs are always great, but many more people are surrendering puppies and pure breds than last year.

Your sister's allergies are probably the biggest factor, so I would recommend looking for the hypoallergenic breeds, possibly at a rescue that specializes in that breed.

MY pick...hands down.. STANDARD POODLE!! I have a 2 yr.old and a 3 yr. old standard poodle(s) and a 1 yr. old yorkie. They are smart (sometimes too smart) and adapt well . Highly trainable and they make great campions! They don't shed and don't let the fufu appearance fool you...Great all around dogs!!