I read a few----I thought some were a bit more practical than others----the lancashire heeler one was very honest! Good for whoever wrote it. Also the foxhound.

rune

Dalmatian

The Dalmatian has a very distinctive appearance, being either black spotted, or liver spotted, the spots standing out well on the pure white background colour of his coat. As a puppy he is born pure white, making it impossible to know whether his spots will be black or liver.

The breed was very popular in Britain during the Regency period, and was known as the ‘carriage dog’, as he was used to run under or beside all types of carriages, from those of the gentry to the mail coach. He also used to run ahead of the horse-drawn fire engines of London, earning himself the name ‘Firehouse Dog’. When running with carriages or coaches he was termed ‘Marathon Runner’ and he is indeed a breed of incredible endurance, travelling over long distances at a moderate speed. An excellent companion and house-dog, he has a sporting side to his nature, with a good nose and a soft mouth. An active, agile dog, strong and muscular, who enjoys plenty of exercise and is more suited to country life than the town.
Breed Group- Utility
Vulnerable Breed- No
Size- Large
How much exercise? -2 hours a day or more
Length of coat- Short
How much grooming?- Once a week
Supposedly sheds?*- Yes
Town or Country- Either
Type of home- Large House
Minimum Garden Size- Large
Lifespan- Over 10 Years

I agree with all of this, although they probably need groomed everyday if you don't want thousands of tiny white hairs covering everything.
Cooper def has a sporting side to him, he is very good at pointing and finding game (and killing it) but he would much rather eat it than give it back to you

I remember that feeling! So I went with the sites/books I'd read which said 'terrier looks without the terrier temperament'! Because that's what I wanted in a dog. Pepper hadn't read that!!! and she is 100% confident, independent, high prey-drive terrier, through and through! Not all schnauzers are like that, you need to meet as many as you can, talk to as many owners/breeders as you can, but remember dogs have their own personalities and breed traits can only ever be a guide. Expect the unexpected and you'll do fine!

Thanks, but we really need Mini - she's the expert on the breed!

Right need to get mine out...

J.

Thats what I typically try to go by but it helps to find accurate info about about the dog so we I know roughly what to expect.

This is what they say about the English Setter:

One of the most glamorous of all breeds, the English Setter has the ability to attract not only those who admire a stylish worker, but also those who want a dog capable of being a cheerful companion.

His coat has an overall basis of white, flecked generously with black, lemon or liver, with the black or liver occasionally intermingled with tan into a tricolour. The flecking is referred to by the cognoscenti as ‘belton’, thus lemon belton or orange belton. A longish, fairly lean head on a slightly arched neck, well-set shoulders and firm straight bone, a deep chest and strong muscular hindquarters are the hallmarks of a handsome breed that should combine elegance, quality and stamina under a silky, easily groomed coat.

Development of the English Setter into the breed as we know it today began around the mid-1800s. The breed was shown at the first dog show in Newcastle in 1859.
Breed Group Gundog
Vulnerable Breed No
Size Large
How much exercise? 2 hours a day or more
Length of coat Medium
How much grooming? More than once a week
Supposedly sheds?* Yes
Town or Country Either Type of home Large House
Minimum Garden Size Large
Lifespan Over 10 Years *
The Gundog Breed Group
Dogs that were originally trained to find live game and/or to retrieve game that had been shot and wounded. This group is divided into four categories - Retriever, Spaniels, Hunt/Point/Retrieve, Pointers and Setters although many of the breeds are capable of doing the same work as the other sub-groups. They make good companions, their temperament making them ideal all-round family dogs.

I would say that it is generally quite good, but they say these dogs are easily groomed, they don't mention that they should be brushed every day or that they should be trimmed to prevent matted feet etc.

It also doesn't mention how naughty they are and that they don't have good recall

hmm - I guess most of that is accurate - but of course you can get short coats....mine does not get brushed more than once a week (usually)..and exercise.....mine probably does not get that every day - but I do a fair amount of training.

yep, knots knots knots

The Estrela mountain range is in the central part of Portugal and the Estrela is the Portuguese relation of the flock-guarding dogs that can be found anywhere from Asia halfway across the world to the shores of the Atlantic.


The breed standard isn’t joking when it describes this dog as sturdy and well built: he is made on a generous scale, and that goes for his nature as well. His devotees say that he is almost too good with children, as he tends to tow his owners towards them at high speed!


He is relatively trainable in the basics of good canine behaviour, but doesn’t consider that retrieving is any part of a dog’s normal way of life. He is easy to groom and a good trencherman, being unfaddy in his appetite.


Lest he should appear to be altogether too good to be true, it is worth noting that he has a loud voice, which he delights in using at frequent intervals, not always at the most convenient moments. He is also a prodigious leaper, so runs have to be well made to confine him, if that is the way an owner reckons to keep him.


This is a breed that has built a small but dedicated following in the UK and has much to commend it if a large dog is appropriate.

[Hmmmm.....I think this description is a bit, wellllllll.....lets just say it doesn't exactly prepare someone for what an Estrela actually is! I've never known an Estrela towing owners towards children, although the breed do tend to really like kids, they are standoffish with anyone they don't know. I think 'trainable' is pushing it a bit, they are independent and will only do things for you if they agree that it's a good idea. Dan is trainable but is the exception to the norm. I agree about easy to groom, particularly if they are house dogs. Unfaddy??? Not on your life! Estrelas are terrible to feed and often self starve. Yes they are noisy, unless you train them not to be, and they do like to escape and go wandering. I don't like the last bit though - these dogs are not suitable for the average pet owner. They are very guardy, independent, and for people who are willing to accept that they are still quite primitive in their behaviour at times. There is also a bit at the bottom on the website abour pastoral dogs in general, and it describes them as herders. These dogs are NOT herders and will never respond to commands in the same way as collies etc.

I agree. I don't have a big garden but my dogs aren't short of exercise either. In fact I have a damaged fence panel at the moment so the garden isn't secure and they aren't let out, and it hasn't affected them at all.

Most of that is accurate,apart from the retaliation bit,I have found that Staffords as a rule will not start a fight,they will go out of there way to avoid trouble but should it come there way then they as a rule will not back down to a challenge.