We're planning to get a dog, were considering getting a spitz, but can't decide which breed, my brother is considering an elkhound, should we get a dog or a female dog? which is more compatible with my cats? and will a nuetured female have those, uh, discharges? my youngest brother is 6, which spitz will be most friendly towards him? which types are noisy? help anyone??


p.s. i have no idea where this



Edited to remove profanity. Even if you're just talking about the dog, please don't use the word.
~Mopiece

When you have young kids, you really need a dog that has a good personality. If possible, you really need to be able to see the dog in person and see how it reacts towards kids.

For which is more compatible with cats? Well that you need to research yourself. Buying a dog is a big responsibility. Bigger then some people realize actually. Since Spitz just refers to a big group of dogs, it's hard to say. What you really need to do is research the dog breeds you're considering. You need to know about the breed before you get one.

And no, once a female dog is neutered, then it won't go through with the regular female cycle.

I don't think getting along with/not getting along with cats can be determined by breed. It depends on the individual dog.

As for getting along with kids, that usually can be determined by breed.

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

This wiki entry contains links to many of the different breeds of spitze.

Well...

First, whatever amount of work you are expecting to have to do for the dog, multiply it by about 10.

With kids/cats I've had good experience with yellow labs and this little mutt dog that we thought might be some kind of springer spaniel mix or something.
The labs are kind of like furniture pieces, but are somewhat protective of children.
The little dog was very overenergetic and enjoyed playing with the cats we had. (no joke, playing, not hurting/chasing)


Edit: oh yea... and labs are really loud bye the way

thank you all, wow, so many breeds, i already started researching, but wanted the advice of people who already have experiences with dogs, what is better, a puppy or an adult, i mean puppies are ver adorable, but i'm guessing they need more care right?

Puppies rip things up more but you can shape their personalities more than a full grown dogs. I'd get a pup.

we have a huge yard outside, and i don't think he'll want to go inside

First of all, puppies need all sorts of training. They need to be trained to listen to you, and become house broken. The latter is very important! Puppies are adorable, but they need a lot of work, not to mention medical bills. you may want to have your dog neutered, and sometimes the puppies aren't vaccinated. This costs a lot of money. Puppies that are raised around cats generally put up with them.

Adult dogs may have lower medical bills at first, but sometimes they become sick in their old age. You may not have this kind of dog for as long as a puppy. Some of these dogs are difficult to train, as they have been around for longer and may have developed bad habits and such. Adults may not get along with cats or children depending on how they were brought up. They require less effort, and time, though. Adult dogs tend to be calmer than puppies, but this depends on the breed and way they were brought up.

Both puppies and adults will require care. Some breeds have illnesses that are known to happen. For instance Mastiffs tend to suffer from Hip Dysplasia.

Puppies on the other hand, like Yuffie said, need vaccinations. Adult dogs do too, but not as frequently, and not as much.

Also, puppies you'll need to train them, and you'll need to socialize them. If you get a puppy, then you should be able to get it to be okay with the cats and kids.

With adult dogs, their personalities are going to pretty much be set in stone. If they don't like cats, then you're probably not going to be able to change that.

hmm, this is a tough choice, each has advantages & disadvantages, but if we get the puppy from a good breeder, it should be vaccinated right? i mean responsible breeders should do that

It depends on the breeder, and depends on how old the puppy is when you adopt it.

Also, even if it is vaccinated, the puppy will need more vaccinations soon.

8-10 weeks old should be old enough for it to adopt to its new home, am i wrong?

No, that is old enough to be adopted. If you know the breeder you're going to adopt it from, then you should get into contact with the breeder to find out if the puppy will be up to date on its vaccinations.

that makes a good point, we're just waiting for the cold to go away before adopting because our house is draughty and the puppy would get cold, might get sick, extra bills lol, plus sick puppies break hearts ;(