[nagdu] Really big dogs

[Tracy Carcione]

My mom bred Irish wolfhounds.  I love them; they're wonderful dogs. We
used to joke about having one as a guide dog, and laugh at the idea of
taking one on the city bus.  No matter how hard a wolfie might try to curl
up, there's still a whole lot of dog there.
We also had a St. Bernard when I was a teenager.  She was a lot of dog,
too.  I love big dogs, but I wouldn't want one for a guide, for purely
practical considerations.
Tracy

> Well then, with the average king shepherd about 30 inches at the withers
> and weighing in between 120-140 pounds, I'm guessing that would qualify to
> you as OMG. But to put things in perspective, I go regularly to a house
> that contains both a St. Bernard and an English mastiff, so there you have
> it. The mastiff (extremely adorable and loveable) can curl up nicely in a
> corner and be as unobtrusive as a rug. I think it largely depends on the
> dog. Also, dogs are den-loving creatures, so they are well accustomed to
> fitting into smaller places. I plan to visit the breeder and examine an
> adult dog to see how prohibitive its size may be to guide work. Bailey is
> already quite a large dog, so I am well used to either fighting him for
> leg room, or using him as a foot stool when need be. I believe that the
> king shepherd's height is due largely to long legs, and its weight to
> heavy bones and muscle. Once again, if you wish to learn more about the
> King, visit the website:
> http://www.kingshepherd.com
> It is very accessible. Just click "standard" to get a very in-depth
> description of the breed.
> Alright, midterm time. I will talk later.
> Sincerely,
> Robert Hooper
> Hooper.90 at buckeyemail.osu.edu
> The Ohio State University, Department of Psychology; Department of
> Neuroscience
> 572 Stinchcomb Drive #3
> Columbus, Ohio 43202
> (740) 856-8195
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
> Of Julie J.
> Sent: Tuesday, September 25, 2012 12:26 PM
> To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Really big dogs
>
> I prefer a tall dog.  Monty is 26  inches at the shoulder or very close to
> that.  He was just at the vet and weighed in at 78 pounds.  That is a
> lower weight for him.  He's usually in the 80 to 82 range, but he looks
> really good.  I'm crediting the new food and the added longer routes this
> summer.
>
> anyway what I wanted to say is that lifestyle does play a part in how
> often a dog will need to fit into tight spaces.  I think it also depends
> on the dog though.  If you have a tall dog that is leggy, I think it's
> easier for them to curl up and fit into small spaces.  I do think there is
> a limit though.  A 110 pound dog is absolutely huge.  I like me a big dog,
> but I think that would be too big for me to deal with on a daily basis.
>
> I guess for me there's big and then there's OMG!
>
> Julie
>
>
>
>
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