What is the best breed of dog for military families?

Question

Keeping in mind that we could travel anywhere in the world- What medium sized breeds are pretty universally accepted? I would hate to adopt a pet just to give him up on a deployment.

Answer 1

Military family here!-

we have 4 dogs, 2 large breed, 2 small they've traveled all over the place w/us as well.

im also a volunteer at every SPCA in every town we've been to.

i would highly suggest a no-kill shelter like the SPCA or a breed rescue. those places have adult and younger dogs who personalities have already been experienced and they would know best what dog would be a good match with you.

when you get a puppy you never know the out come. they might be a great pet, but then when you move you discover that they puke the whole trip! or they HATE car rides.

etc.

my hubby and i found that most adult dogs are easier to gage as far as temperament and personality. dont get me wrong, puppies are cute, but as the mother of 4 children between the ages of 12 yrs and 11 months i can tell you the last thing in the world i would want would be a puppy to potty train, and young children to keep out of the oops'es that puppies make on your floor.

i know you said you'd prefer a medium sized dog, but i can think of one breed that is wonderful w/children, loves other pets, and is happy-go-lucky, low shedding etc.

the Bichon Frise.

for something a bit more sturdy than that i would say a Havanese (cousin to the Bichon but looks more like a Shih Tzu)

medium sized dogs that *I* am familiar with and know are great with kids would be:

border collie (but they require TONS of mental and physical stimulation, if bored they can become destructive)

and Shetland Sheep dog (sheltie)- i grew up w/this breed. they are lovely dogs..but shed twice a year, so be prepared for buckets of hair! but they are worth the effort. this dog also needs mental stimulation.

i would suggest taking a dog breed quiz first to see what breeds are suggested, then research the c**p outta the breeds suggested! (google- What breed is right for me?)

other than that...a good 'ol Heinz 57 mutt is not so bad, and shelters are FULL of them!

Edit:

im sorry but i have to chime in here. i do NOT understand what everyone's deal is w/telling her she needs to be "settled". that's ridiculous. military life is never "settled" and that does NOT mean that she cannot be a good pet owner.

ive dealt w/many deployments w/out my husband. i'm a big girl i stay in my own home and raise my kids and take care of my dogs. if anyone has to go run home to mommy and daddy when a husband deploys they have other issues at hand.

there ARE responsible pet owners of EVERY walk of life. i just cannot wrap my head around this mind set that military families dont make good owners...because to be quite honest...considering that i am a military family, and volunteer w/the SPCA most of the turn ins *I* see in our shelter are from civilian families that didn't realize what a big responsibilty it was. being military we tend to expect the unexpected, thus we know what hard work is!! we'd have to, to keep our family together.

my oldest dog is 8 yrs old. that dog has been w/us all OVER the place he's happy and healthy, well fed, loved, and excersied EVERY day!

why is living w/my family "sad for him"? he's doing just fine, as are the other 3 dogs, ages 7 1/2 yrs , 7yrs , & 4yrs (in Sept). i swear damned if you do, damned if you dont!

take the dog w/us and we are "cruel" for dragging them around w/us. Dont take the dog and we are cruel for not keeping them w/our family.

make up your minds people!

Answer 2

My stepfather would let my mother get a dog, and then when they got a new assignment she had to give her dog away.  It was mean and hateful.  Wait until you are out of the military.

Answer 3

do not get a dog right now.

what if hubby gets deployed somewhere you can't go and you have to do something else?

i know a bunch of military wives that when their hubbys got sent to Iraq, they moved back in with their parents. anything can happen, and it's not fair to a dog to be that unsettled.

TD if you want. i'm a Navy Brat. i had to give up 3 dogs as a kid because of transfers. i know first hand how CRUEL it can be to a dogs mind.

and why can't you TRAIN YOUR KIDS to treat a dog with respect? do you think dogs are smarter than your kids? by age 2, my son knew not to pull hair, tails etc. if you can't train your kids, medium sized dogs bite harder.

Answer 4

Basenji is medium sized and great travel dogs!  but you also might want to consider a toy dog because they are easy to care for!!!!  Also if you do decide to get a dog you want to make sure that it doesn't get carsick!  

hope i helped!

Answer 5

a small one!! LOL, really, they have to be able to live with the family when you are stuck in a tiny on-post apartment without a yard. They have to be able to move with the family every 4 years.

I have a Yorkie that LOVES to travel and fits just about anywhere - even when on-post housing loses our reservations and we are living in a Motel 6 for a week!!

And make sure you have arrangements for the dog when you are stationed overseas or are deployed. My Yorkie will go to live with my mom if we are ever stationed overseas. We lived with her when I first got him and he's comfortable there.

It's a big commitment, make sure you can fit one into your lifestyle before you get a dog.

Answer 6

Hi....

I was a military wife and I had to rescue a lot of dogs people just left because moving and deployments.  If you have it in your mind that you will take the dog no matter what (its hard to find pet friendly places and shipping a dog out of country), then go for it.  Why not adopt one.  I had a Bulldog, Pug, and Dacshshund while I was part of the military.  Some other good breeds would be (probably the smaller the better though) Australian Shepherd, Bassett Hound, Scottish Terrier, Westie, and so on.  Thank you for what you are doing too!  

  

Answer 7

I've lived my whole life in the military.  My mom was AD and now my husband is.  And we have ALWAYS had dogs.  Great danes, a westie, an otterhound, a mutt, and now I've got a lab and a mix.

It is less about size (we took large dogs overseas on many occassions...England, Germany, Italy, Iran even!) but matters more about how much work you are willing to do.  It can cost a lot of money to travel around with animals, and some countries (such as the UK at the time we went...I don't know about now,) require quarintine for a period of time.  You also have to be willing to live off the economy in a foreign country, because most military housing does not allow dogs, particularly large ones.

I'm glad you understand that you could not just give up the dog because of a move.  That's part of the reason us military families get bad reputations as dog owners because some people don't understand they aren't disposable.

Answer 8

I would say to wait until you are more settled. When deployed to other countries, your dog will have to be in quaranteen, and that's not fair to the dog.