DISQUS

rgf610 · 9 months ago

I couldn't get here fast enough after reading your tweet about this article. When I was younger, I had big dogs. We had a lab, a german shepard, and a pitbull (All at different times). After getting our first house, my wife wanted a dog. We went to the pet store and fell in love with a pug. I could not agree more with you that there is a bond between a man and their dog. Great article.

Bernie Franks · 9 months ago

Great article. Mrs. Franks and I have been talking about getting a dog, though as much as we both want one, we know that it will be a while yet before we're able to get out of apartment living, and we're both drawn to breeds that would need lots of outdoor activity. This is a nice quick list to take a gander at.

lucas · 9 months ago

No miniature pinscher? lol

Anthony Piselli · 9 months ago

What about the lovable Jack Russell Terrier?

lord_galathon · 9 months ago

Excellent list, I've had Pugs since childhood (over 30 years) and they're very affectionate. I'm dying to get a Bulldog but our house is small and we already have a miniature Pug, also Bulldogs are very expensive in my area. They'll set me back 1000$ from a breeder and I'm not getting a pet shop animal other than a hamster or guinea pig.

Incidentally, guinea pigs are surprisingly amiable pets. My wife and I got one for our daughter last winter and we both fell in love with it, it's cute, it wants attention and squeaks to get food. As a bonus it will play with the Pug when we're not home as it's about 3/4 of its size!

Jean-Yves Mead · 9 months ago

A fine article, but you missed the manliest of small dogs - the Jack Russell terrier. Bright, scrappy, and endlessly active, it's very much a man's best friend.

clarkson456 · 9 months ago

I've had a lot of dogs, including one purebred Dalmation. The best dogs that I've ever had were mutts, especially the strays that some idiot threw out of a car. They are the most loving and loyal of any dog. There is no doubt in my mind that the stray mutt is the true "king of all breeds."

John Cox · 9 months ago

What about the Standard Poodle (sans the ridiculous haircut)? They are quite smart and affable. Another great one is the Irish Wolf or Scottish Deer Hound.

Franko · 9 months ago

What about Shetland Sheepdogs (collie family), Aussie Sheepdogs, Wolf-hybrids, and Blue Heelers? I ask this because I'm having a hard time deciding between the ones I listed and some of the ones you listed.

Joe C. · 9 months ago

i grew up with miniature dachshunds, or wiener dogs. i'm not completely surprised that they didn't make the list though. there are tons of breeds out there, many of them being a lot more masculine than dachshunds. they were bred to hunt, however, and hunt they do... and dig, and bark, and shred toys...

very lovable though. pretty sure when i get a dog of my own, i will refer back to this list. thanks a lot!

Scott · 9 months ago

My wife and I just rescued a English and American Bulldog mix about 4 months ago, and he is AMAZING. He is extremely playful (from the american), but also enjoys lying around (english), but what cracks me up is how affectionate he is.

In getting a rescue (especially ones that have been abused in the past), they tend to be extra affectionate, and this added to the bulldog affectionate level puts him at a 10 out of 5. Its so funny, because he wishes he was a 10 pound lap dog, so he will come and lay on your lap and fall asleep cuddling... but he weighs 85 pounds. It is always a highlight of my day coming downstairs to see the dog asleep on my wife's lap, since he weighs almost as much as she does.

If you are looking at getting a dog, I would HIGHLY urge you to get it through a rescue organization. Not only are you saving the dog's life and helping a most-likely underf-unded organization, but your new companion will be EXTREMELY greatful.

Kari · 9 months ago

Ever since I was a child my parents have kept a mutty Australian sheep dog. Without a doubt the sheep dogs are some of the most patient, kind, friendly, loving, and intelligent dogs I've ever been around. Raider is companionable, affectionate, loyal, and protective. He gets along well with our cats and he likes children, too.

I would unreservedly recommend sheepdog-mutts to anyone who is considering a dog and doesn't want to buy from a breeder. Just be sure you have the space to keep one.

Greg A. · 9 months ago

I just have to say Mutt's are definitely the way to go. One of mine was an unwanted puppy and the other was a ASPCA dog. Both had issues behaviorally but it was nothing a little bit of training couldn't fix. Great article!

kim · 9 months ago

what about papillions?

Ted · 9 months ago

You missed the mark on the Rotweiler. Having had Rotties for over 20 years I can tell you that they score much higher in these areas than you scored them.

Playfulness: More playful than my Golden Retriever

Affection level: Just as affectionate as the G. R.

Friendliness towards other dogs: Gets alon great with the Golden Retriever

Friendliness toward other pets: and the cat

Friendliness toward strangers: will lick you to death.

Both dogs are over 3 years old

Like most dogs rotties are a product of their enviornment.

Lukasz · 9 months ago

Regardless of what sort of dog you may want, check with your local humane society or rescue organization. (There's a rescue organization available for almost every breed.) Too many people get decide to spend several hundred dollars on a puppy, when there are hundreds of dogs in their area in need of a good home.

Uberhack · 9 months ago

Can't imagine not having a dog by my side. My German Shepherd, Indy, is as much a member of our family as anyone else. In response to the scoring system of friendliness, affection and playfulness, much of that is trainable behavior as well as dependent on the personality of each individual dog.
German Shepherds do need to have a job to keep their heads straight, though. Indy's is tennis ball fetch. He takes his job seriously.

Brett · 9 months ago

@Ted-

We didn't come up with the "stats" ourselves-they came from the Encyclopedia of Dog Breeds. Obviously, they are simply averages and as we stated, do not account for dogs' individual personalities or training.

Kevin · 9 months ago

Unfortunately, just two weeks ago (2/17) we put down my 13 year old German Shepherd mutt that we rescued as a stray from the local Humane Society 13 years ago.

Always a faithful companion, and much missed.

As already stated above, check the local shelters before spending all that money on a pure bred dog. Our mutt was the heathiest dog of any of our friends that also had dogs. Not once did we have any heath issues with her. Our friends spent WAY more money in vet bills! Don't discount the mutt!

K

Chris · 9 months ago

What no corgis? This list is incomplete.

Pete · 9 months ago

Err what about English Springer Spaniels? I know this is all a matter of opinion, but we have had two of them, and dogs don’t come much more playful and trustworthy with kids. There are a couple of German Shepherds near here that are a danger to dogs and anyone else in reach. I realise there are plenty of well behaved ones too.

Daphne · 9 months ago

This is a great list! It would be nice to see some more smaller dogs, corgis, chihuahuas, daschounds, terriers, poodles, those sorts! But awesome list anyways!!

James · 8 months ago

Daphne,

These are manly dogs, that's why the dogs you mentioned didn't make the list.

Greg T · 9 months ago

One thing people need to remember when looking at purebreeds is the history of inbreeding and the medical issues that can lead too. It's not a reason not to get one, but it is something to keep in mind. The humane society described my first dog as a "Husky/Ger Shepard/Lab mix with something else we can't ID" and he was incredibly healthy until his last few months. The mixing of breeds can help offset the risks of illnesses, though as the author pointed out, mutts can be a crapshoot. In which case you could get multiple issues.

srgonzo · 9 months ago

Of course you can't include every single breed of dog, but what about one of the core breeds, like the Mastiff? Personally, I've always wanted a bullmastiff, but I haven't been able to acquire one.

amyd5 · 9 months ago

The cha-weiner doesn't get a shout out? (chawawa dachsund mix)...definately negative number on the manly scale.

Ryan · 9 months ago

A note to college kids - Getting a dog in college is quite popular (at least it was a few years ago when I was in school). Keep in mind the burden it can place on your social life and the responsibilities YOU (not your roommates) should assume. You owe it to yourself, your roommates and the dog.

Richard · 9 months ago

If you have kids here's something to bear in mind: out of the 190 breeds of dogs the UK Kennel Club recognises, it only recommends two breeds for families with children: the Staffordshire Bull Terrier (look vicious, but are softer and sweeter than cotton candy) and the Chesapeake Bay Retriever (you don't train these dogs, you negotiate with them - not for inexperienced dog owners).

The big advantage of mongrels is that they tend to be healthier. But always ask who the mutt's parents were. It'll give you an idea of their temperament. And bear in mind a mutt can end up with the bad qualities of its parents' breeds, not just the good.

The more intelligent dogs demand training. For instance a Collies' instinct is to herd - dogs down the park don't like being herded.

I grew up with a beagle. I can confirm that it'd never write a novel or fly a fighter biplane. It took us about 10 years to get him to sit on command. But as he had arthritis in his hips by then, I think it was more discomfort than obedience that made him sit.

hickchick · 9 months ago

@Frank
As someone who has had several Red Heelers, you really need to be honest with yourself about how much time and space you have. If you live on a farm, they are great dogs that can entertain themselves without too much supervision. They always want to be close to their herd, so they won't wander too much and they're incredibly smart.
However, if you live in a city you are going to need to devote at least a couple hours a day to exercising them and training them. There is nothing worse than having to get rid of your dog because he made the mistake of trying to herd an unsuspecting jogger. They will also be incredibly protective of their house and people, so they must be socialized and trained to tolerate new people.
These dogs are becoming more popular all the time because they're great dogs, but they're also one of the most surrendered and abandoned.

Gerad · 9 months ago

Kudos for including mutts on the list! Being a mix, they tend to have had genetic diseases that purebreds would have bred out of them and will spend their lives showing you how much they appreciate you for rescuing them. In my experience it has been the dog that picked me rather than the other way around. :)

Laura · 9 months ago

I guess I have one odd German Shepherd because he loves everybody. Over the 2 years my fiance and I have had him he's only ever growled at one person (and that was our landlord haha). He is the absolute sweetest dog I've ever owned to the point of obnoxiousness. I was a little suprised to see that they tend to bite more often than other breeds, maybe I just got lucky or maybe we did a great job raising him.

That being said, all other points are spot-on. I feel I should emphasis the loyalty factor. Our German will NOT leave my side when we take the dogs to the off-leash park. Our other dogs will run off in all directions, but he stays firm by my side, its really rather endearing. Since my fiance works nights, it makes me feel 100% safe with our German in the house. However with such devotion also comes very bad seperation anxiety. He does not take kindly to being left alone, so after coming home to many a shredded shoe, we had to get him some extra training in that area.

All our other dogs are mutts, so I just had to put my two cents in on the one pure-breed we do have. German Shepherds are SO loyal and loving not to mention absolutely brilliant when it comes to learning new commands and tricks. I hate to rank my dogs, but he's surely the best behaved and most well-rounded dog we've ever owned.

Liam · 9 months ago

Another vote for the Jack Russell, in my family I have always been surrounded by them. Excellent house dogs although they do bugger off the second they get the smell of rabbit up the nostrils, and they're naughty- last Christmas our smooth haired Jack Russell bitch was seen running for dear life to the garage carrying a shoulder of pork half the size of her.

I was interested by your choices of gundog. I have worked on grouse shoots on in the North Pennines with pointers of all kinds, mainly English, and also done some grouse counts with them, and the amount of exercise they need and the distances they can roam is something very few people can give them. Spaniels on the other hand are superb little dogs, still boisterous and energetic but not quite so rangey as a pointer! I love cocker spaniels, the determination and joy with which they take to their work is great to watch!

Steve · 9 months ago

Although I'd like to get a lab or a retriever of some form for running, hunting, fishing and mountain biking - my gf has two daucshunds (sp?) that are very endearing - I love 'em too -

Mark · 9 months ago

@ srgonzo

I've had Bullmastiffs ever since I was given one as a present when I was 15. I was very disappointed at the time (I wanted a corgi, but my parents hated them), but when I met my puppy it was love at first sight. Now, 20 years later, I will never, ever have a different breed of dog. They are an awesome pet, are fanatically loyal to their entire family (not just their owner) and are wonderful around children. They are also as active or as lazy as you want them to be. A seriously class dog.

One thing to note; if you're getting a big dog of any breed, I'd recommend getting a papered purebred. For the simple reason that with dogs that size you want to know what you're getting. You can't afford to have a dog that size with a mean temperament.

Feb · 9 months ago

As a dog handler, my opinion varies slightly from this list on dogs who are appropriate 'family dogs', considering that the top breeds on this list are responsible for the most bites to people in general than any other breeds. No matter what breed a person gets, they need to do HEAVY research and take obedience classes with their new puppy or dog. I hate to see when people wait untill 3 years after they get a golden and decide "Oh hey, I can't control my dog" or those who see the Charmin commercials and run out to get a lab puppy that then turns into Mini-Marley.

Some of the best 'Family Dogs' I've ever seen where, in fact, animal shelter pit mixes and shepherd mixes.

I would like to have seen mutts get a better review here. Most people I know in the dog circles have never had near the problems with mixed breeds as they did with purebreds, including health issues, socialization, introductions to family life, etc.

This is a nice article, but please, no one base your choice of a dog off of it!!

Molly · 9 months ago

You have rottweilers rated with low affection and playfulness. Obviously you've never known a well brought up rottweiler!

ramirez · 9 months ago

WHAT? no mention of the bright, and noble chihuahua??

now, i know, i know the stereotype, but they are NOT always yappy little shaking runts. there is no such thing as a "teacup" chihuahua, those are bred out runts.

a standard, healthy chihuahua will be about 8-9 lbs and will be as hearty as any other dog if treated like a dog. if the owner carries them around and treats them like a furry baby, they will be mean, spoiled, annoying, and whiney. a chihuahua that is treated with dignity will be loyal, calm, well tempered, and a worthy companion throughout life. also, if you live in the city, they thrive in an apartment setting.

the chihuahua is a fierce and noble protector of mexico, where they roam the plains, free, in huge heards in their native province of Chihuahua

Craig · 9 months ago

In my experience with hundreds of dogs, pure-bred animals are more likely to present physical and psychological problems than mutts.

If you really want a pure-bred dog, there are plenty in the shelters about to be put down. Regardless, don't support the puppy mills; don't buy from pet stores.

Wes · 9 months ago

how could you leave out american pit bull terriers? For active men looking for a dog with unwavering loyalty and a uniquely american history, there is no substitute.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pit_bull

Arkanabar T'verrick Ilarsadin · 9 months ago

We have a pair of mongrels, one a border collie/chow mix, the other border collie/feist / unknown. They are both remarkably healthy and good natured, and learn quickly and well, more so than our pure-bred Yorkshire Terriers.

Dachshunds may not look manly, but a hound bred to chase badgers down into their holes, kill them, and drag their cooling carcasses back to the surface, are courageous and lively dogs.

I will echo the suggestion that you check with a breed rescue organization before going to a breeder. Nearly every breed club registered with the AKC ( www.akc.org ) has a parallel rescue organization. Greyhounds in particular have a huge population needing rescue. They are bred in huge numbers for the dog tracks, and the racing organizations have little or no desire to keep them once they reach retirement age.

Greg · 9 months ago

My family's had Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers for nearly 20 years (which means 2 dogs, as they live for about 15 years).

Tollers are intelligent, reasonably easy to train and are wonderfully happy and friendly dogs. Around people, the tail tends to wag the dog, they get so excited sometimes. The Toller will also retrieve until it's ready to fall over from exhaustion, so exercise caution when playing fetch.

A caveat: When running full-out, a Toller can herniate their back if their hindquarters go out from under them. Also, at a full out run, Tollers are fully capable of catching rabbits or squirrels if they have a head start!

For more information:
http://www.akc.org/breeds/nova_scotia_duck_toll...

My two cents, for what it's worth.

Jeff · 9 months ago

No love for the American Pit Bull Terrier? I have never lived without a dog, having everything from pugs to cocker spaniels to German Shepherds. No dog has been better than the past 3 pitties I have rescued. They are an amazing breed...intelligent, loyal and tremendously goofy, despite being maligned by a misinformed public buying into alarmist media reports.

There are so many loving pits that are in shelters that need homes. Go visit one and see what you think. They aren't the monsters many (ignorantly) believe they are.

The AKC lists them as ideal family dogs. I agree.

Antony Hands · 9 months ago

Where's the Westie? The West Highland White Terrier is the GREATEST DOG that ever lived. Well in my opinion anyway. :o) Also if you are doing a guide for dogs for guys it should have a category "Pickupability" ie. How much does the dog help you meet women! For example.....Doberman, one bone, Westie, 20 bones!

fish tank aquariums · 9 months ago

Great article...you really did your research on this one! I have two Labs and love them! If you want a family dog retrievers of any kind are a great way to go.

GW · 9 months ago

No mention of greyhounds? Thought a high energy breed because of their racing, greyhounds are just the opposite. They're sprinters who love to run for a short time, then they morph into couch potatoes the remaining 23 3/4 hours of the day. They're gentle and make wonderful pets. You may have to watch some for prey instinct when it comes to small furry critters since they're sighthounds.

Oh, and about those roaming herds of chihuahuas...

http://message.snopes.com/showthread.php?t=24702

Richard · 9 months ago

So, I had a dog, but he died. The wife has decreed, "No more indoor pets!" But I miss having a furry friend nearby, and can't stand that idea of by buddy suffering in the cold winters of Utah. Any suggestions on how I can get my wife to understand the unique bond between man and dog?

Thanks for a great article.

Nicci · 9 months ago

Keep in mind that every dog is a product of his/her environment AS WELL AS his inherent nature. As a groomer for the past 10 years, I have had my fair share of diamonds in the rough and exceptions to the rule. (ie. A very obedient and calm Yorkie who's breed is notoriously difficult to train compared to an aggressive and anxious 8 year old Golden who's breed is an American favorite.)

The one thing to keep in mind is no matter what breed, each dog needs a loving and devoted family. Obedience training is not only fun and educational for the entire family, but it keeps the dog socialized and his mind busy. Who doesn't want a well-behaved pseudo-human where everyone he encounters says, "What a great dog!"