Breed suggestions

Lol, I don't think I've ever seen my boys latch onto the other's ear...they go more for the back of the neck or the throat area. I'm single and I'll probably to have continue working 40 hours a week, so having a dog that will spend lots of time resting while I'm gone (and asleep) is definitely a must-have. I'm not very social so I do spend alot of non-work time with them though so I don't really think they're "neglected". We play ALOT, and they have their individual time with me. Thatcher prefers chase, Hap prefers fetch, lol.

So, Mom asked me why I even wanted a third dog. I told her: because right now, each of my dogs fills their own special place in my heart and I think having another would have its own unique way of being happy and making me happy, I can afford it (and should be able to do so even better after I finish my masters), I have the time and dedication, I'm hoping that having a younger dog around will ( a ) keep Hap lively and ( b ) give Thatcher a playmate as Hap gets older and winds down and ( c ) I thought it'd be easier in the way off dark future for the remaining dog to transition after one has passed. Both of my mixed mutts come from breeds (at least the ones that I'm clearly able to see them) that have a very long lifespan, so I'm not too worried about that last one. Are these stupid reasons? Am I selfish for wanting another dog, even though I already have two?? We're all really happy together...I guess I just feel like I'm still missing something..which is how I felt before Thatcher came back home. Sigh... this is why I'm thinking about these things NOW so that I don't make a mistake that would be bad for me, my already dog-family, or a new dog.

hapnthatch

The thought of only 6-8 years is way too little time for me though.

I love dogs who are high energy, high drive, sometimes stubborn, always intelligent, constantly up my butt & ready to go from sunup to sundown kinda dogs, so I won't kid you with a breed recommendation, but I will comment on the quote above.

I love a breed who is riddled with health issues.  I am fully aware that I may lose one or both of my dobes at a relatively young age.  I am ok with this because I would rather spend 6 great years with a dog that matches my lifestyle perfectly, than 15 years with a dog that, I love, but that doesn't really fit my lifestyle.  For me, anything short of forever is "too little time" and with that in mind, I focus on what I can & can't live with as opposed to life span.

If Bevo were to pass away tomorrow, I would be devastated, & heartbroken.  But once the shock wore off, I would also be thrilled that I got to spend the last 7 years with a dog who was "my other half."  I wouldn't regret, for a second, my decision to go with a dobe, & I would not hesitate to do it all over again...even with a shorter life span.

Amanda's right, the age thing is always so unpredictable. I wouldn't base my choice of breed on how long the dog is going to live. "It's the quality of life, not the quantity" is what a really good vet I worked for use to tell many owners when they had some serious choices to make. My dog Georgia was only 4 when she had to leave this world. I would have never guessed she would have such serious health problems when I adopted her at a year old. It was difficult for me to let her go but I knew that the 3 years I gave her were most amazing 3 years that she lived.

hapnthatch

Do you think a young GSD would have the same issues if the older dogs are already in the house?

 

  The dog to dog issues with GSDs tend to come with maturity. As a breed they are prone to same sex aggression, often directed at familiar dogs (ie: dogs that they live with, called "interdog aggression";). Interdog aggression is something that is very hard to predict because it generally isn't a problem until all dogs involved are mature. Some dogs can have the tendency towards it but be fine with one, two or three same sex dogs but the fourth puts them over the edge. With others, even one mature same sex dog living in the household is too much. And others have issues with certain same sex dogs and not with others.

  Liesje is right that they are not dog park type dogs. Most mature GSDs have little interest in interacting with strange dogs and some are pretty intolerant of interactions with strange dogs. This is true of a lot of the herding breeds - most have little interest in interacting with dogs outside of the family once they are mature. Not all of them are as prone to the same sex aggression as GSDs though.

  If you are interested in a herding breed but want a dog who isn't too pushy but still easy to train and generally gets along well with everyone (not guardy, likes people and other dogs). I'd suggest looking into smooth collies. Smoothies don't have the coat care that the roughs do but have the same sweet, gentle nature that collies are known for. Collies are good house dogs, moderate energy (love to play but content to chill out) and very in tune with their people. But they don't tend to be as high drive that many other herding breed have, were never used for guarding, aren't prone to having reactive/sharp temperaments and as a rule, they are generally very good natured and tolerant dogs.

The Collie Club of America has an excellent guide to the breed: http://www.collieclubofamerica.org/cfd/index.html 

or for low bandwidth: http://www.collieclubofamerica.org/meet_the_collie2.html

 

  

 

 

 

Just be prepared for their MOUTHS. Collie mouths..are legendary. I love that about Leo's. They are a QUIET...breed.

This might sound nuts coming from a scenthound person...but my THREE HOUNDS bark less than the Aussie and terrier next door...MUCH less. It is incredible how much some herders like to vocalize, and it's just so high pitched *shudder*

I can walk past a house and listen to the barking and tell ya that a GSD lives there, without seeing the dog, too...LOL!

Lol, I noticed the other day that Thatcher has started making a bird-warble kind of noise when he sees dogs pass by our house.

After reading the collies guide, it sounds like they would be a good fit for my family (good w/kids-if necessary, good w/other animals, very into their person)...I'm just worried that they'd still be too energetic/smart/easily bored for a single-person home who has to work full-time.

So...does anyone know specific differences between goldens and labs? They seem fairly similar to my novice eyes?

hapnthatch

Lol, I noticed the other day that Thatcher has started making a bird-warble kind of noise when he sees dogs pass by our house.

After reading the collies guide, it sounds like they would be a good fit for my family (good w/kids-if necessary, good w/other animals, very into their person)...I'm just worried that they'd still be too energetic/smart/easily bored for a single-person home who has to work full-time.

So...does anyone know specific differences between goldens and labs? They seem fairly similar to my novice eyes?

 

 

 Honestly Collies are likely to be less of a problem than Labs or Goldens if you're worried about energy level. Herding breeds tend to be really good in the house - active dogs, love to do thing but able to chill out in the house and Collies probably even more so. I really don't see working being an issue with them, providing that you give them proper exercise when you're at home. Sporting breeds tend to be more of the "boundless energy" sorts and it is very hard to wear young Labs and Goldens out and they tend to be very busy around the house. And both of those breeds tend to have very long puppyhoods and are prone to being quite destructive as youngsters (which means, it can be a long time before the dog would be trustworthy loose in the house while you worked).

 I'm not saying you should get a Collie but if you think they won't work out because of their energy level, then definitely don't get a Lab or Golden. The Doggy Daycare I worked at was full of Labs, Goldens and Weims for a reason ;)

Oh... I guess Thatcher's just a special lazy boy then, lol. He likes to play chase and run but he can always laze around for hours. That's why I thought golden/lab might be a good fit.

Two young Aussies and an old Lab here.The Aussies are good in the house.They earned free roam in the house while we were gone light years before the Lab did.One of my Aussies is from strong herding lines[the female]and is so reliable that if I'm leaving for work while my 13 year old son is home I declare the dog's in charge till I get back:) I've heard about that "broken glass" bark but mine have a deep roo roo roo that I only hear if someone's at the door.I agree with AgileGSD on the energy levels as well.Our Lab took hours to tire as a youngster but the herders are able to be satisfied with light exercise for the body and more mental stimulation.Kudos Hapnthatch for thinking this through beforehand.

I've had experience with both collies and goldens, and on average I would say that collies are less likely to become bored/destructive in a home with a single person who works full time. I am a single person who works full time, and the collies I've had have been fine with a good long walk in the morning and evening, and weekend training. They are not lazy - I've had a couple collies who were excellent herders and very nice tracking dogs. But when there isn't anything in particular to do, they're also terrific couch anchors. Many retrievers, if they don't come from field lines, eventually mature to the point of being fine with this lifestyle as well, but in my experience they can take a long time to mature. I sort of agree that you need to be careful about barkiness in collies. The ones I've had were actually pretty darned quiet and it's not like I worked hard to achieve that, but that's at least partly because they don't have a lot to bark at where I live. The road is 200 yds away and visually blocked by trees and only very lightly traveled. If you live in a suburban area with lots of people passing by, plan on keeping collies indoors when you aren't home, preferably in a room where they can't see the sidewalk or road in front of the house, or they will drive the neighbors crazy. But, then again, the retrievers I've lived with have barked at pedestrians and bicyclists passing by too.

Have you thought about some of the Nordic herders? I have two Nordic herders, a Swedish Vallhund (wee bit bigger than a corgi) and a Finnish Lapphund (BC sized). I like Nordic herders because they are like a traditional herding breed toned down and made more social. The Lappie especially is a social butterfly. He loves to play and hang out with us. He's very much into lying around watching the world go by. He's a delight to cuddle and pretty easy to train, although he has his spitz moments of independence. Lappies are a lot like a Samoyed in temperament. These dogs are very much part of the family. They will hang loose when you are hanging loose and be active when you are active. They won't be bouncing off the walls if they miss a walk. Mine get about a 30 minute off leash run a day and spend about an hour playing with each other in the yard a day. Sometimes more. The Vall is more biddable, and he's the toughest little dog I've ever met, but he's pretty noisy and needs a lot of mental stimulation. The Lappie is about the easiest dog I've met. He barely needed training and he is so laid back he takes everything in his stride. Lappies were my choice when I decided a Leo was too big. My Lappie is particularly easy and laid back, but it seems most of them are easy going dogs, especially the boys.

corvus

Lappies are a lot like a Samoyed in temperament. These dogs are very much part of the family. They will hang loose when you are hanging loose and be active when you are active. They won't be bouncing off the walls if they miss a walk. Mine get about a 30 minute off leash run a day and spend about an hour playing with each other in the yard a day. Sometimes more.

 

  This is actually how most herding breeds are IME.

My suggestion would be a retriever. Shop the shelters for one that looks mostly retriever. But I'm fond of Goldens. I do crate mine when gone though and particularly I would suggest that if you are getting a very young one. Destruction has been an issue with my female whom I've had since a pup and is not an issue with my male who was a rescue. I don't know why, he just leaves stuff alone, its nice.

hapnthatch

I definitely want a medium-large breed (although the beaglets pictures almost made me change my mind). I want a breed that is easy to get along with other dogs who will play with the ones I currently have...I'd like a dog that wants to be with me and our other "pack members" as opposed to one who would rather be by himself or stand-offish. Since hopefully I'll get this dog at a younger age than my other two, I'm hoping it'll be a tad bit easier to train him since he'll be younger, so I'd be willing to work with him, but I'm really more of a "let's play" than a "let's train" person. I definitely want an active dog as both my other dogs are, but not a real "working" dog.

Have you thought about a Samoyed?  They are very playful, and get along with other dogs.  Samoyeds are a lot more people oriented than the other northern breeds, so much so that they generally make lousy outdoor dogs.  Friendly with strangers, but usually more reserved than say a Golden or Lab.  Basic training is a very good idea, but they aren't a breed that you have to stay on top of all the time.  They learn quickly, especially if you make training a game.  They are independent thinkers though, and smart.  Their ideas may not always coincide with yours...  Hence the recommendation for basic training ;)

Downsides are the grooming (not hard but it is time consuming), some lines are barkers (not a problem at our house because I have a strict "never reward dogs who bark" policy.)  And playful is one of those traits that has a flip side; the other side of playful is getting into trouble.  When they play the games we want, it's good.  When they play games of their own it can mean mayhem.  This is a breed that needs to be crated longer before being trustworthy in the house.  I had one that was good loose in the house at 9 months, and one that wasn't trustworthy until almost two and a half.  (of course the bad one is much smarter and more playful than the "good" one LOL)  They are an active breed, but they don't need the level of exercise that a Siberian or a hunting breed requires.

Samoyeds are happy fun loving playful dogs.  Is it cheating to insert a gratuitous puppy picture? 

" mce_src="">

I love the puppy picture! I'd actually never heard of a Samoyed before... is it sam-oi (like coin?)-ed? Although breeding and everything else plays into it of course, their average lifespan is great (as far as dogs go- I think). I love all that gorgeous white fur. I'm happiest when my dogs are WITH, really "with" like in my space, lol so no worries about being an outside dog. "Samoyeds may sleep with their tails over their noses to provide additional warmth." << that sounds so cute. It sounds like they're pretty playful which is great because Thatcher LOVES to play. Hap likes playing too but he'd rather fetch than anything else. Both of my dogs CAN get bored and destructive so I have lots of experience in buying new toys and playing around even when exhausted, lol.