Looking to get another dog, but not sure what breed to go with

My suggestion will be contrary to your plans.  I would get a bitch, spayed from a herding breed rescue.  Intimidation in the form of *** ears, ligthening speed of reaction and agility will address just about every problem.  You have numerous options and the dogs from the herding group tend to be more biddible, which is where you get the quick response to commands.  A dog that is moving forward menacingly that stops when commanded will imply a high level of training that many confuse with protection level.  It is a lot safer on your insurance as well.  (gsd, belgians, aussies, cattle dogs, briard, bouv as possibles)

As to breeding and showing, pick that stock after you had selected your breed of focus and have developed a strong mentorship with some good breeders.  That will enable you to go about finding all the issues that will need to be addressed in any future particpation in competitive dog sport leading to your own kennel plans.

Just from the experiences that I've had with the few Dogo breeders that I know, a reputable breeder would likely not place a puppy with you.  Along with concerns about so many males living in one house, I am sure that the breeder would be concerned about the fact that a Dogo should easily be able to kill Dagger if the need arises.

I, personally, would not add another dog to my pack  if I had any concerns about dog aggression.

Just out of curiosity, what makes Mugen a breeding quality dog?  Has he been shown, or worked to prove his worth to the breed?  What are his strengths, & weaknesses?  Has he been OFA-ed & checked by a veterinary opthamologist? 

I think MRV gave you some excellent advice. If you want to get into showing, start with a spayed/neutered dog and compete in obedience, agility, tracking, herding (if you get a herding breed), rally, or other breed specific sports. DO NOT get a rottie, and DO NOT, DO NOT, DO NOT get a dogo. As Bevo said, the only dogo breeder who would place a puppy with someone with your level of experience would be a highly irresponsible breeder. I honestly don't mean that as a slam against you; we were all inexperienced at one time. But step one is to get the experience, and step 2 is to get the type of dog that needs a highly experienced trainer. I like Rotties a lot, but I don't recommend ANY guardian type breed to someone who hasn't at least trained a dog through a CDX, or OA, or comparably challenging title first.

Get a nice rescue aussie (there are a ton of them available), or a smooth collie (tri colors look like a dobie mix to most people and that alone will be intimidating enough to deter most folks), or a cattle dog. I wouldn't even recommend a belgian for most inexperienced people except maybe a very welll socialized terv, nor would I suggest a briard or GSD or bouv. If you think you can stand the hair, your idea of a newfie isn't bad, and you could add a bernese mtn dog, or a greater Swiss mtn dog (smooth coat) to that list. These dogs are plenty intimidating enough just by virtue of their size, they will put on a display of protecting you if need be, and most important, they are much more likely to protect you from being bankrupted and in debt for the rest of your life for biting the neighbor kid who wandered into your back yard. Get some experience training these dogs to do something a little more complex than sitting and coming on command, get an introduction to the dog show world through some fun performance activities, and then decide if you have the dedication to manage and train a dog that is wired to be protective.

 Thanks everyone for the wonderful advice, I'd never even thought of a herding breed having never owned one personally. I adore Australians so I will look more into that breed. They're defiantly gorgeous dogs, I'm actually putting a story together (I would love to publish a book one day) about the animals used in WWII and the main character is a coydog named Loyal who is half Australian shepherd 

Thanks on the warning also about the Dogo, my friend is training right now with search and rescue and she considered the breed because her boyfriend's family have been breeding Dogo's for show and working competitions for years, which is why the idea popped into my head to consider the breed, but if it isn't right for me it just isn't right for me. I had just seen them in photos with other mixed gender hunting dogs and thought that maybe I'd look into them.

I will say I'm disappointed about the verdict on the Rotties, I just love the breed so much they're so beautiful, but once again I wouldn't want to put my boys in danger, and I worry even a large female who decided to want all the food to herself or a the squeaky toy could cause them serious injuries even in a small scrap, for she'd out weigh both of them at full maturity. 

I do love giant docile breeds, they're laid back like me lol, and I would love to get a Newfoundland they're beautiful and have just the right amount of energy, also would be wonderful with children, and I have a 4 year old niece right now who'd love to have a dog she could just lay on, but the fur IS a major consideration. As for brushing and grooming I already got a full work load but I wouldn't mind that, its just cleaning up after all the hair. Are there any short haired breeds or ones that just don't shed as much, that would be big enough to intimidate but gentle enough to be with my boys no matter its gender?I love English Mastiffs as well, but once again I wouldn't want fights, even if he was neutered a scrap would end terribly, but they're also short lived dogs, with a lot of health issues and that's what has kept them out of the running so far.

Also you had mentioned getting into sports before getting into conformation and that's great advice, so far I've only had one mentor about getting into showing and she lives all the way in Great Britain, but she raises English Staffies. She does it all agility, obedience, ect. and so often I find I need advice and I have no where to turn, so that's why I come to these forums 

I really wanted to do athletic things with Mugen, he is so smart (though stubborn) and has so much energy. He is three and I want to start scootering with him for his own exercise and I had intended on putting him in weight pull, but really I don't know if he'd enjoy that. First things first I have not had him tested yet, that was asked, but yes I will be doing so, a whole body health check, before I even dare put a harness on him because I am worried about his back and hips in general. What I really want to do it take an agility class with him, I think that would be a wonderful outlet for his energy, he is a beautiful male, very well put together, though more of a racier strain having the longer legs, instead of the shorter more compacted bodies that show husky's have today. In the future, far off as it seems, I'd love to breed husky's for what they were bred to do, pull sleds, but also for show too. Both examples are gorgeous dogs. Anyway, IF Mugen checks out healthy (if not I would have him neutered not wanting to pass on health problems to puppies), I'd like to compete with him, THEN breed him. My only problem of course is my busy schedule at the moment, which of course is why I'm not getting a pup right yet, it wouldn't be fair to the poor thing. Mugen is grown and very well house broken, so can be left alone while I'm at work and at classes, but a puppy, never. When I do get a puppy though, I want to compete in an area that breed would fit into, even if I never get that chance with Mugen.

At this time I live in Arkansas also, which is very hot for my husky, and would be torture to a newfie, but when I go to graduate school I plan on moving to Colorado, or perhaps even further northward. 

Thanks again everyone for the kind advice, so many forums would snap at me and preach at me assuming I've never done my homework, and that because I mention I wish to breed one of my dogs in the future I'm irresponsible from the get go, but everyone on here asks questions and is firm, but only because they are concerned for the betterment of the dog's breed and the future health of puppies. I can't remember how many times I've mentioned buying from a breeder and getting my hide end chewed out because "I should never buy from a breeder I should go to a shelter". I agree that this should be the first place to look and there are so many dogs out there that need help, and I WILL look there, but I would like a puppy and those, thankfully, are hard to find at shelters because they get homes so quickly. I'm not against an older dog either, I will look around at breed specific rescues, but I am a firm believer that without RESPONSIBLE breeders, there would be no dog breeds. Its like that poor woman that sold a GSD puppy to a senator and got death threats, DEATH threats, from members of PETA. That is ridiculous, but also completely off topic here lol! Anyway thanks everyone!

buster the show dog

I think MRV gave you some excellent advice. If you want to get into showing, start with a spayed/neutered dog and compete in obedience, agility, tracking, herding (if you get a herding breed), rally, or other breed specific sports.

 While that is one way to go about it, what's wrong with someone interested in conformation showing getting a dog to show?

 Actually, I wouldn't recommend an Aussie.  Some of them, while smart and biddable, sometimes don't take kindly to other dogs right in their faces, and if you have an aggression problem in the household, adding a herder to the mix could be trouble.  They can be snarky in telling another dog to get out of their line of sight. 

Rottweilers and Dogos are great dogs for the right owner, but that isn't you - at least not yet.  Those breeds have a tendency toward dog aggression in some lines, and you do not want to go there, trust me.

One of the best things you could do is to get a herding mix from a rescue - one that will allow your dogs to meet the new dog to insure that they get along.  If you can't find a dog that gets along, don't adopt - you'll just be adding fuel to the fire.  Also, consider taking one of your current dogs and training it for a sport.  You'll learn a lot training an adult dog, and it's great preparation for the day when you can get the pup of your dreams:-)  Give clicker training a try with each of your current dogs.  You might be surprised, once you learn how to clicker train, at how much influence you can actually have over your dogs' behavior, and how smart they are!

There are free lessons at www.clickerlessons.com

Have you ever thought about an old style English Labrador Retriever.  When well socialized, they usually love other dogs, cats, kids, and remain playful their whole lives (unlike a lot of the herders who often decide not to like playing with other dogs once they hit age 3).  They are also capable of many of the dog sports, including agility.  

 If you are going to be in CO for grad school, I would wait and look into getting an Aussie out there. CO has a ton of great Aussie folks, who would be excellent mentors in the breed -- working or conformation. It's a great state for Aussie owners!

 Also, my best advice for getting into a new breed is to join a breed club to learn more about the dogs and find people who are active with the breed. That's how I got my start in Aussies, and the friends and contacts I have made through the club have provided such a great start for me in the breed. It's great to have a group of mentors and folks to bounce ideas and questions off.


 

 FWIW With dogs who aren't always good with other dogs, I have had the best luck bringing in young (under 4 month old) puppies and letting them grow up with the resident dogs. I have had the worst luck bringing adult dogs in, even if they seem fine at first.

 Hounds are generally fairly tolerant of other dogs. A female of any breed would be the best bet with male aggressive dogs but you would obviously have to keep your intact boy away from her while she's in season.

  If Huskies are what you want to be involved in, why not look more into getting another Sibe? or start showing the one you already have?

AgileGSD

buster the show dog

I think MRV gave you some excellent advice. If you want to get into showing, start with a spayed/neutered dog and compete in obedience, agility, tracking, herding (if you get a herding breed), rally, or other breed specific sports.

 While that is one way to go about it, what's wrong with someone interested in conformation showing getting a dog to show?

Well, nothing I suppose. Although I think rescuing a dog would be lovely, I certainly have nothing against getting a dog from a good selective careful breeder either, having done exactly that myself a half dozen times. But, if the OP's eventual goal is to own a guardian type breed, I think it's far more important that she get the training experience that would come with doing some sort of performance activity than what she'll get by sticking with the conformation ring.

Conformation is a high investment, low reward sort of activity. If one gets a rare breed for conformation one will spend thousands of dollars traveling many hundreds of miles to find a half dozen other members of that breed to compete against. And there's no guarantee that you'll come home with the rosette. If one gets a common breed, then the competition is fierce, and most breeders of these popular breeds won't sell a really promising show prospect to a complete novice without a lot of strings attached. Performance on the other hand offers a series of rewards from earning titles which are achievable by just about any dog with a half way competent trainer, to class placements, to high in trial honors to advanced titles. One is exposed to a lot more breeds, and learns a lot more about the temperaments of individual dogs, and tendencies within a variety of breeds hanging around the agility or obedience ring than hanging around the conformation ring. And if the OP decides after she's put her CDX and NA on her Greater Swiss Mountain Dog that she really wants a Rottie or a dogo, responsible breeders are far more likely to want to sell her a promising puppy with that training background than they would be to someone who won a couple conformation class placements.

Here's something to think about as far as the breeding potential of your current male dog.  My first dog, a Samoyed, was a show dog.  He got his conformation championship easily and also an obedience title.  Guess how many times he was bred.  Once.  A champion dog.

The main reason he wasn't used is because his background was unknown.  The father came from show lines but he personally was not shown.  His mother was not a show dog, she was a pet from Hawaii.  There were show dogs in her background but they came from Australia and New Zealand so nobody in my area was familiar with the bloodlines.

Do you know the background behind your dog?  Accomplishments and health clearances on his parents, grandparents, siblings, cousins, etc?  What areas they were strong in and what areas could stand to be improved?

Consider it from the point of view of the owner of the female, who is the one chosing which stud to use.  They know the background of their female, her strengths and weaknesses and also those of her parents, grandparents, siblings, etc.  They have a goal for the breeding, whether it is performance or conformation or both.  They are spending a lot of money and time to do the very best breeding they can.  It is a huge investment.  Hopes and dreams are riding on it.  How many successful and well known huskies are in this country in sled racing?  How many in conformation?  Some do both.  So which stud dog do you think they will choose?  One with a proven competition record, who comes from a pedigree known to perform well in a certain venue, with a detailed history of dogs with clear hips, eyes etc in the pedigree.  Or an unknown dog from an unknown background.  This unknown dog may have relatives who are weak in areas that the female is also weak.  They certainly don't want to risk doubling up on faults.  

Say for example that one thing a breeder wants to improve on their female is a longer upper arm.  A long upper arm gives a dog a more efficient gait.  Even if your dog has a long upper arm, that breeder does not know if your dog comes from a line known to be strong in that area.  He could have two parents with average length, and littermates who all had shorter upper arms than him.  That would make it unlikely that your male could produce puppies with upper arms that are longer than the mothers.

The truth is that any breeder who is producing dogs of the caliber you seem to want, is not going to be interested in breeding to your dog. 

If you acquire a quality female husky of your own that proves to be worthy of breeding, will the very best match for her turn out to be your dog?  Out of all the huskies available?  No, sorry but he won't be the best choice.

I'm sure your dog is great, but without the depth of pedigree information on health and performance then he's not a good candidate for breeding. 

If you go ahead and neuter him, it will make it a lot easier to get the kind of dog you want.  Top quality breeders are going to be concerned about selling to a home with an intact male.  They would generally only do this with someone they already know and trust.

What about a Finnish Lapphund?

They are a herding spitz, so think a biddable Sibe. They are extremely friendly, love all dogs and people, and they are drop dead gorgeous. My Lappie is incredibly gentle, laid back, and easy to get along with. He is a pleasure at all times, and that is with the bare minimum of training and socialisation. He loves to lie in the room you are in and doze, but he's capable of doing dog sports (although he's a particularly lazy Lappie). He's pretty flexible about exercise and generally just lies around being a living teddy bear until you have something else for him to do.

Here's my boy posing:

AgileGSD

While that is one way to go about it, what's wrong with someone interested in conformation showing getting a dog to show?

I started that way with dobermans long ago and when I switched to conformation it was with Belgians (which were the dogs I was looking for all along).  I think the performance part of showing is a nice introduction to competitive dog sport.  There is less feeling of politics effecting the outcome.  It is a great way to get rid of show jitters and develop some ring craft.

While conformation may be incredibly easy for some to pick up, I found it to be quite challenging.  I also believe if you start with performance sports and make contacts there, it will be easier to find conformation options. 

I do think signing up for the national clubs magazine newsletter is a good idea.  I find it disheartening that many clubs are not allowing newbie or non owners to be members.  At least the magazine has contact information for folks and you can start building your mentorship group.

mrv

AgileGSD

While that is one way to go about it, what's wrong with someone interested in conformation showing getting a dog to show?

I started that way with dobermans long ago and when I switched to conformation it was with Belgians (which were the dogs I was looking for all along).  I think the performance part of showing is a nice introduction to competitive dog sport.  There is less feeling of politics effecting the outcome.  It is a great way to get rid of show jitters and develop some ring craft.

 I started off in performance as well, so I don't think that is wrong either. But if someone is for sure interested in conformation and has to worry about how many dogs they have, it makes more sense to get a show potential dog from the start. The only issue I see is getting a bitch and rushing into breeding as soon as she turns two, without really knowing the breed well enough. That is generally solved though by working with an experienced breeder or getting a male to start with (maybe not in this situation). Often breeders are happy to find homes for quality male puppies that would keep them intact and try showing them.