Could you own a big dog like a Caucasion Shepard?

[buster poser]

It's the Jack Russell life for me. Big dogs = big mounds, and many other things that are just more difficult to manage with a furry roommate or two. I'm a big guy and I love my little dogs.

We had two for a short while, one for 16 years. I loved ‘em both terribly but the noise, the animal aggressiveness/prey drive, and the relative difficulty in training them were too much for us. Loveliest breed I’d never have again.

 

[Spox]

Last animals I had were my cat and a lonjghaired shepherd border collie cross, he was an absolute sweetheart. My partner had a huge shorthaired shepherd and a collie and a few years after we split she died and I adopted her dogs. So there I was, three dogs and a cat living in a one bedroom flat in skid row. Circumstances outwith my control meant I had to rehome her dogs and my cat and I kept the shepherd collie cross. I had him from a pup and he went everywhere with me, we'd walk right across the city and back. After almost a decade he got spooked by a binbag on the kerb, ran onto the road and hit by a car. I'd just had an operation on my back and was told not to lift even a bag of shopping, I went out onto the road and when I picked him up felt all of the stitches inside me burst. I got him to the vets and they said he'd be ok and to leave him with them overnight, next day was Christmas Eve and he wasn't ok and I had to have him put down that day and it broke my heart and I have never kept another animal since, that's twenty one years and I still dream about him.

I have considered another dog but after my back going last year I can't take on a responsibility which I would need to ask others to cover for me if my back goes again like last year. Dogs are great though, I smile at them as they are passing and sometimes stop to chat to them outside stores if they give off a vibe of approachability.

 

[Ed Driscoll]

I love the Caucasion Shepard, but no way could I come close to providing what it needs. Or maybe a Kangal, less work than a CS but still a giant dog. Take it down a notch to a Rottweiler or?

Could you own one?

Caucasian Shepard
]https://images.app.goo.gl/GPMsj4baHNqDKh3S7[/URL]

That's not a dog -- it's a Wookie!

 

[Stanford Guitar]

If you're going to own a working breed, you should have a place for the breed to work. Otherwise, you'll end up with a destructive animal.

 

[Lone_Poor_Boy]

If you're going to own a working breed, you should have a place for the breed to work. Otherwise, you'll end up with a destructive animal.

Match your dog to what time and space you will have for them. Not just what you desire. I hurt when I see huge dogs in apartments. But not as much as when I see a dog chained to a tree.

 

[Killing Floor]

Own? Or room with? But I would love to squish those furry cheeks.

 

[bgmacaw]

One reason I wouldn't want a very large dog (and some smaller breeds) is the short lifespan. I'd hate to have one that only made it to 7 or so years.

Another is the food cost. To feed a large dog a healthy, home prepared, diet like we give our little 10-16 pound dogs, it would get very expensive.

And, as others have mentioned, I'm not young anymore so keeping up with a high energy, larger dog, would be challenging for me, not to mention my wife. About the largest we want to go would be a standard poodle. I've had border collies in the past but they would be too high energy for me now.

 

[MickM]

I love the Caucasion Shepard, but no way could I come close to providing what it needs. Or maybe a Kangal, less work than a CS but still a giant dog. Take it down a notch to a Rottweiler or?

Could you own one?

Caucasian Shepard
]https://images.app.goo.gl/GPMsj4baHNqDKh3S7[/URL]

It's been 5 months since my dog Lily died and I think this thread finally settled me on what breed she was. At the shelter I got her as an 8 week old pup with zero info on her parents background but they said they "thought" she was a border collie/shepherd mix. Never sat well with me as she didn't have the snout, jaws, ears or tail of either one of those breeds.
Anyway when I saw the pics here I thought bingo! She was usually between 95-105lbs which is on the small side but everything else is Lily. Can't believe it. I never heard of a Caucasian Shepherd and the Vet, groomer etc never mentioned the breed. She may have been a mix but she had the nose, ears, tail, temperament etc and life expectancy (12 yrs.). I also compared puppy pics to those on line and she's a ringer.
Many thanks for starting this thread. Pretty sure I posted one of these pics before.

 

[Fretting out]

We always had boxers and a bull terrier (spuds McKenzie) growing up so I’d say the are medium large

Never had a desire to have small dogs

Since getting Lois , she’s a dachshund mix between the size of a standard and mini I don’t think I’ll ever have a bigger dog again

I have nothing against them, just not for me

 

[Fretting out]

One reason I wouldn't want a very large dog (and some smaller breeds) is the short lifespan. I'd hate to have one that only made it to 7 or so years.

Another is the food cost. To feed a large dog a healthy, home prepared, diet like we give our little 10-16 pound dogs, it would get very expensive.

And, as others have mentioned, I'm not young anymore so keeping up with a high energy, larger dog, would be challenging for me, not to mention my wife. About the largest we want to go would be a standard poodle. I've had border collies in the past but they would be too high energy for me now.

I’m Curious, what does a home prepared dog diet consist of?

 

[rghill]

We will be getting a French/English Bulldog mix. She is about 40 lbs and I am starting to think this is the ideal sized dog. I will need to remember to post a NDD when it's official.

In the past I had Labs that tipped the scale at over 90 lbs, and I did love having large dogs. My daughter has a Great Dane. He can be the funniest dog, a giant lap dog.

 

[TheFuzzDog]

Could? Yes.
Would? No.

 

[Mjark]

I love the Caucasion Shepard...Could you own one?

No my 50 lb dog is all I can handle and I doubt I could if he was younger. He's 12 and still very strong.

 

[CV Jee Beez]

Yes! I have a Newfie so I'm more than half the way there.

 

[bgmacaw]

I’m Curious, what does a home prepared dog diet consist of?

We use a mixture of chicken, brown rice and vegetables, typically carrots. We usually cook this in our Insta-Pot. Both dogs are rather picky/spoiled and won't eat supposedly healthier mixtures with higher percentage of rice and veggies.

 

[1955]

Our dog is 120 lbs, in a weirdly dense package of redbone coon hound, and lovable, stubborn slobber. I lifted him off the vet table yesterday, it felt like trying to body slam Andre The Giant.

 

[985plowboy]

90 pounds is about max for my Catahoulas.
That’s plenty big enough.

 

[Hodgo88]

I have a 117lb (mildly fat) Rottweiler. He's great!

My next dog will probably be bigger. Short lifespans do suck, but it beats having to convince yourself that your Pomeranian isn't a cat.

 

[dougstrum]

When I met my wife I had a 90lb dog, he was half St Bernard, great dog, love big dogs.
The current family canine is 50lb and she is big enough for us.

 

[Skully]

It's the Jack Russell life for me. Big dogs = big mounds, and many other things that are just more difficult to manage with a furry roommate or two. I'm a big guy and I love my little dogs.

Why are people afraid of big poops? They're no big deal.

For me, giant breed dogs are the way to go. They're not as crazy active as smaller (small to large-sized) dogs. And, if you get the right breed, like a Newf, they're very sweet-tempered.

Lord Byron's famous "Epitaph to a Dog" was written about his Newf. It reads, in part:

Near this Spot
are deposited the Remains of one
who possessed Beauty without Vanity,
Strength without Insolence,
Courage without Ferosity,
and all the virtues of Man without his Vices.
This praise, which would be unmeaning Flattery
if inscribed over human Ashes,
is but a just tribute to the Memory
BOATSWAIN, a DOG,
who was born in Newfoundland May 1803
and died at Newstead Nov. 18th, 1808.