I need your opinions on which dog to get for the outdoors.

[Telamonian]

Hey everyone

I was wondering if anyone can tell me their opinions on which type of dog would be suitable to outdoor living. A friend and I decided to live at cottage up in Nova Scotia, Canada. Kinda of an off-the-grid living style. Now my best friend has had many dogs before all bigger and stronger dogs (Boxer, and Mastiffs) which might be suitable for the harsh winters and exhausting daily works. But i've never really had pets, only when i was very young so no real experience.
If anyone can list some great outdoor dogs that can tolerate this type of life style i would be greatful. And also i would like a companion dog for those lonely times in the woods..haha

[Chaser]

Will the dog be LIVING outside, or just spending a lot of time outdoors with you?

[Mia101]

Akita! Just make sure to socialize it REALLY well from a VERY young age.

They will want to be indoors with you too, though. They are 'partner' oriented.

[Etown_Chick]

Newfoundlands are made for the outdoors, a truly canadian breed.
Burnese Mountain dogs.
There's two ideas.

[kungfuMao]

I've never had them before but wouldn't boxers and mastiffs get cold in the harsh climate?
They have very short coats...

Maybe a german shepherd or a husky?

[Telamonian]

They will be living indoors, but most of the time they'll be outdoors with us. The boxer and the mastiff seem to be doing alright in nova scotia but they've been indoors and havent truly experienced the cold winter yet

[ownedbycats]

Bernese mountain dogs have serious genetic health and temperament problems unless very carefully bred. If you do decide on this breed research your breeder very,very carefully.

[happycats]

Great pyraneese
Kuvasz
St bernard
Husky
Malamute

[shirley1011]

If you aren't looking for a larger breed the Norwegian Elkhounds are fun little dogs and just love being outdoors...love the snow and hate to come in once they are out there playing.

[Longblades]

suitable for the harsh winters and exhausting daily works.

Could you explain what you mean by this? You have said the dog will live indoors so where does the harsh come in? And the exhausting daily work? Are the dog(s) going to be required to do some kind of work? Are you planning to get more than one dog? I feel like I need more clues.

[Telamonian]

Sorry, i didnt give enough information. well like i said, it would off the grid living jobs can vary, for example, the water tank is about 5-6 acres away from the cottage so we'll need to constantly bring water back to the cottage. they're really minor jobs like pulling gallon-ed water, pulling small broken branchs of trees (we just need kinda extra man power to help around when needed) i know i'm kinda asking alot out of these dogs. the boxer is handling it really well, but the mastiff is feels a little stressed out. we've notice him sleep alot more than usual could be a sign of fatigue or he just really hates it out here LOL!

Shirley1011 and happycats mentioned some good breeds. malamute and elkhounds are great dogs. and siberian huskies have a great lineage.

[clm]

If you have other dogs, a Mal could be a problem. Otherwise, you couldn't ask for a better work dog than that. A Kuvasz would be my choice, I just love that breed. Bernese mountain dogs, Newfs, St. Bernards, Great Pyrs are all also good draft dogs with great cold resistant coats as well, but remember, the cold resistant dogs are not going to like hot summer work either, so you gotta keep that in mind too.

clm

[Telamonian]

Originally Posted by clm

If you have other dogs, a Mal could be a problem. Otherwise, you couldn't ask for a better work dog than that.

we're gonna give the mastiff away to a relative but keep the boxer. Why would another dog be a problem with a Mal?

[clm]

Mals are know for being great with people, but not so tolerant of other dogs.

clm

[babymomma]

Same sex aggression is a big things in Mals. Be careful if looking for a Breeder for mals though. I would look more for a working bred mal then a show bred mal. Way too many mals are being bred "over the top" these days. Same with German shepherds, many breeders are breeding for HUGE dogs when really they arent supposed to be all that big and end up with joint/hip issues.

[clm]

I've known female mals just as intollerant of other dogs as males. Like any breed, they all have issues so you need to choose your breeder with extreme care a not rush into anything when it comes to any breed of dog. If you decide to get a mix or purebred that is in foster care, you have the benefit of knowing how the dog is with other dogs from the foster mom. That's a win, win as far as I'm concerned.

clm

[happycats]

Originally Posted by Telamonian

we're gonna give the mastiff away to a relative but keep the boxer. Why would another dog be a problem with a Mal?

So your getting rid of the mastiff? So what happens when you get one of the dogs we've mentioned,and you decide to move on.....to civilization, will you get rid of it too ?

[clm]

Originally Posted by happycats

So your getting rid of the mastiff? So what happens when you get one of the dogs we've mentioned,and you decide to move on.....to civilization, will you get rid of it too ?

Oh, I didn't see that. Why are you getting rid of the mastiff? Pets are for life as far as I'm concerned. If you're not prepared to love and care for an animal for the whole of it's existance, then don't get one. Just my

clm

[Tundra_Queen]

I thought I had read that Great Pyrs are very territorial and don't really get along with other dogs.

Frenchy could tell u more about that.

[Mia101]

Why does everyone have to be so judgmental on these sites?

Y'all didn't even give her a chance to ask why the Mastiff is with a relative.

If my dog were to become unhappy with my lifestyle, I've love her enough to let her live with my mom or another that would give her better.

[Longblades]

Thanks for the extra info. I didn't realize you already had two dogs. No comments from me on working dogs, know nothing about that.

I'm really curious about your living arrangements though. Care to share more about this endeavour? School project? TV show replicating the life of pioneers? I know when we canoe trip having a short trip to get water is a prime consideration so 5 or 6 acres away sounds like a real hardship. Acres? Are you in farming country? Acres just sounds like a strange way to express distance.

The whole thing sounds very interesting. Every canoe trip I've been on I hated to come back to civilization and wanted to stay out forever. But then the practicalities would assail me, like, how would I renew my library books?

[Telamonian]

I just wanted an opinion not to be judged by the decisions we're making. Like i said before, my best friend owns both the mastiff and the boxer. From what i know, the Mastiff was adopted from a violent owner that mistreated/abused the dog. He's become really shy/scared (around me) and plus having him out here is not helping. he's been sleeping, hiding in dark places where no one really goes, whines at night. We're scared that if he becomes sick or something happens to him we wont get help fast enough, so we're giving him to relatives that we know can take care of him. He'll be happy there. he loves kids and they have 2 little boys and a girl. Now that we're down a helping paw, i decided that i want to get a dog of my own. i've never really owned a dog so i just needed help deciding, is all.

[Telamonian]

Originally Posted by Longblades

I'm really curious about your living arrangements though. Care to share more about this endeavour? School project? TV show replicating the life of pioneers? I know when we canoe trip having a short trip to get water is a prime consideration so 5 or 6 acres away sounds like a real hardship. Acres? Are you in farming country? Acres just sounds like a strange way to express distance.

The whole thing sounds very interesting. Every canoe trip I've been on I hated to come back to civilization and wanted to stay out forever. But then the practicalities would assail me, like, how would I renew my library books?

My bestfriend's parents recently passed away. They had some land in Nova Scotia which he inherited. It a small place, really great. we're working on making it self-sufficient. solar panels, wind turbines, hydroPump(for water) etc...
Once i found out he had this place, i kinda convinced him would a great idea to just live there. I love the outdoors. Its like camping but without the tents and the going back home part

[clm]

Originally Posted by Mia101

Why does everyone have to be so judgmental on these sites?

Y'all didn't even give her a chance to ask why the Mastiff is with a relative.

If my dog were to become unhappy with my lifestyle, I've love her enough to let her live with my mom or another that would give her better.

We're intitled to our opinions too. If that comes across as being judgmental then so be it. I adjust my lifestye for my pets, I don't give them away because they all of a sudden don't fit in.

clm

[Frenchy]

Originally Posted by clm

I adjust my lifestye for my pets, I don't give them away because they all of a sudden don't fit in.

clm

Yep , same here A pet is for life.

I don't know what to tell you Telamonian .... may I ask how many years you want to live there ? What if you do get that "outside" dog and it doesn't work well in summer because it's too hot. What if you decide to move after a year or 2 , what if the dog gets hip displesia and other health problems .... what then ? You say you need to move water and tree branches ... wouldn't it be better to get a 4 wheelers ?

as for Pyrenees , I do own one. It's not a breed for everyone. You need to get one as a puppy from a good breeder so you can socialize it , if you want a good dog. But living where you live , you won't be able to socialize it. If you get an adult one , it might not like your dog. Pyrenees are very territorial , and also very large , they can do great arm to another dog. Also the cost of feeding , vet , have you considered it ? Mine is 160 lbs , do you know how much kibble they eat ? A LOT ! Also , pyrenees are working dogs but mostly to keep an eye on sheeps and livestock. Not sure they would be good to pull

one more thing , what are the dogs available in your area ? It's nice to research your breeds but , do they have those types of dogs there ?

[catlover2]

A couple of other breeds you might consider is a Bouvier (good for pulling and guarding)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bouvier_des_Flandres

and perhaps a Keeshond, if you prefer a smaller breed:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keeshond

[happycats]

Originally Posted by clm

We're intitled to our opinions too. If that comes across as being judgmental then so be it. I adjust my lifestye for my pets, I don't give them away because they all of a sudden don't fit in.

clm

Yup, pets for life and yup that's my "opinion"

[Bina]

The Bouvier des Flandres is a fantastic breed, but they require lots of brushing and clipping to keep the coat decent.
My friend has Newfoundland dogs which are bred for this climate and work well. She does carting and skijoring with hers.
We have 5 acres and a large strong dog could easily pull a light cart around here.
I refuse to buy a noisy ATV.

[Telamonian]

i respect your opinions and i'm glad to see there also some suggestions. But do you seriously think i'll get a dog and than get rid of it when i'm done needing it lol. you cant jump to conclusions like that, thats not an opinion. And what kinda of a person would i be to let a small dog pull loads of branchs by its self. All I said is there are two of us,and at times we will need the help with some heavy work and i need a dog that can help out when we need the help. Trees fall all of the time out here and sometimes block essential routes, we need to clear them. But thanks for the help anyways...

[shane2010]

Hi there, I own a couple of indoor dogs called dachshunds. I know when I went out to a farm a neighbor had a Border Collie. They are the most intelligent dog in the world. The owner was using it to heard cattle and it wasnt properly trained it just knew what its master wanted. I tossed a tennis ball for it and it was so excited it cuaght the ball brought it back to me and dropped it at my feet. I just met the dog and I fell in love with it. They love the wide open space and love interacting with humans. I hope this helps in your decision.

Regards,

Shane