What breed of dog for me? *Thanks for all the help, we have decided*

   I'm thinking one of the terriers might be a good fit.  Cairns & Westies go about 15-20 pounds, are not seasonal shedders, and get along with horses without any herding problems.  Their coat will help if you are outside in inclement weather working with horses, the double coat is almost waterproof.  A terrier will also do double duty as a ratter, something tells me with the feed around for horses you might be worried about freeloaders sneaking an easy meal.  Any terrier will put a stop to that.

  On the smaller side a Norwich or Norfolk terrier is a little over 10 pounds.  One interesting one I spotted at the last dog show I attended was the Gen of Imaal  terrier,  built much like a Westie, but in the 35 pound range, with a bit of cream coloration to the coat.  If you are looking for a more sturdy dog in the terrier class this is a sturdy dog.  If you plan on moving to Texas the lighter color might be an advantage with the sun.  I have an Aussie terrier now, the black does adsorb quite a bit of heat from the sun.

If you're dead set on a purebred, i really don't know. A rhodesian ridgeback might be a good fit, but they're not really for the novice owner. Maybe bonita of bwana can weigh in here. a lot of horse people around here own ridgebacks. But they're definitely not small. My RR weighs 92 lbs, but is very laid back and fantastic in the house.

Hmmmm, horses and German Shepherds often go hand-in-hand.  If size doesn't matter, what about a laid back (maybe American line) German Shepherd?  Yes they are an energetic "working" breed, but I have met plenty that are suited just fine as "family" dogs and don't need to be running 10 miles a day.  Just ask Glenda, she has six of them!  If you find a good breeder that understands what you want, you can find one to meet your lifestyle.  Now the shedding....you'd have to compromise there!  Most well bred, well trained GSDs I've met are not barkers.  They often give alert barks, but they don't yap at everyone and everything.  The only time my Kenya barks is when she hears our back door open.  She is well behaved and quiet at shows and other placed in public.  GSDs are often very easy to train (especially a laid back one) and just want to be with you and please you.  I've yet to meet one that doesn't travel well, they like to be along with their person.

If you get a puppy, it should not be running trails or anything like that until 2 years of age anyway, so running with the horses is already out of the question.
 

Hmm.... I haven't thought of German Shepherds. They kind of scary me. A little to big. Aren't they supposed to be agressive?

I wouldn't be taking the dog on the trails at all. I don't trail ride that much, I ride in arenas and show most of the time. When I do trail ride I don't take dogs with me. Most of the time I would be riding the dog would be in the house so I don't have to worry about it and can focus on riding.

 About the terriers: I've heard that terriers like to bark....a lot. Also aren't they supper energetic? 

HorseLover

Hmm.... I haven't thought of German Shepherds. They kind of scary me. A little to big. Aren't they supposed to be agressive?

Absolutely not.  My GSD is purebred, conformation champion and weighs 55lbs, 21".  They come in a variety of "sizes", colors, coat patterns, coat textures, and there's quite a spectrum as far as how energetic or drivey the dog can be.

HorseLover

Hmm.... I haven't thought of German Shepherds. They kind of scary me. A little to big. Aren't they supposed to be agressive?

I wouldn't be taking the dog on the trails at all. I don't trail ride that much, I ride in arenas and show most of the time. When I do trail ride I don't take dogs with me. Most of the time I would be riding the dog would be in the house so I don't have to worry about it and can focus on riding.

 About the terriers: I've heard that terriers like to bark....a lot. Also aren't they supper energetic? 

i have a 3.5 year old german shepherd. He may be one of the LEAST aggressive dogs i've ever met.

most terriers bark quite a bit. they are energetic as well.

Hmm.... I haven't thought of German Shepherds. They kind of scary me. A little to big. Aren't they supposed to be agressive?

*FOCL!!*

The German Shepherd Dog should be imposing, and aggression IS part of the breed, however, the standard calls for a dog that holds its ground.  Basically, the dog is not supposed to initiate the attack....outward aggression upon first meeting is NOT correct for the breed.  The dog should calmly hold its ground and assess the situation and should not aggress before being aggressed upon.

Now, if you choose to bring a fight to the GSD, the GSD (if it is a proper and stable dog) is going to fight back.  But to openly show aggression towards a non threatening human is a SERIOUS fault in temperament.

They are a WONDERFUL breed for a first timer, as long as you know what you're getting yourself into


 

   Terriers are no more barky than other breeds, much of this depends on the training, or lack of it.  The barkyest dog in my area is a Siberian Husky down the street.  They leave it tied in the yard for endless hours.  The quietest is a poodle owned by a retired woman, this little dog is her companion & best friend, I've heard it bark a couple of times when they are out.  She tells him that's enough, he stops, so much for yappy little dogs.

  From my experiences terriers are more aware of their surroundings than other dogs, and do seem to notice things out of the ordinary a little more easily.  This is a sign to sound the alarm for most dogs.  Teach the dog speak, no speak is pretty easy after that.  All dogs require training, some things you need to work on more than others, each dog is an individual regardless of breed.  I would rather have to work on speak/no speak than any sort of aggression issue, or fear issue.  

  You sound like a busy younger person.  A dog with a bit more energy might be to your advantage.  I've got an Aussie terrier now, that just turned 1 year.  He'll tag along to go do yardwork for a few hours at the aunt's house, keeping busy, helping in a dog sort of way.  We come home, and I goof off on the computer for a couple of hours, he naps in his crate behind me.  I'm pushing 50, while not exactly a spring chicken I do keep busy, but certainly not like when I was younger.  When I was younger the terriers I owned would poop out eventually, taking a nap while I kept going.

  Just an idea for you since you are undecided, you could have a basset with a high energy level, you could have a jack russell that is a couch potato.

Most mixes are wonderful dogs, so if you aren't set on a specific breed (ie. just wanting any purebred) you could find a wonderful companion.  They may be skinny and have dull coats in a shelter setting if they aren't getting proper care/good food, but with some loving attention they would likely turn out just fine.

Breed wise, perhaps a Standard Schnauzer? They're a working breed, but the ones I have met haven't been what I would call hyper (and I have lazy Chows, so I'm inclined to think many things are hyper) 

I don't know of any dog that is going to be content sitting on the sidelines for 3-4 hours while you work with your horses. If you want a companion dog, you need to be prepared for it to be WITH you at all times.

I have a small, mutt from the shelter. He's the greatest dog, to me. He doesn't bark, he could, but I've trained him not to. He's not nippy, jumpy, or any of those typical 'little dog' things. I don't want a little ankle biting dog - that's not my type of thing - so I've trained him NOT to do those things. A dog is what you make it. Any dog, adult or puppy will be influenced through how you train it and what you do with it. If you are picking a dog soley on looks (ie, not wanting a mutt, GDS's are scary looking) then I really think you need to do some more research on owning a dog before getting one. Dogs take work.

Yes, dogs in shelters are skinng. Why? Because they are depressed. The owner they devoted themselves to dropped them off in that scary place - where survival of the fittest becomes the mindset for most. I really don't think you are in the position, time wise, to get a young pup. Maybe something around 10 months would be better for you. That dog may have a better idea on housetraining, and may already know some basic commands. We've adopted out many mixed breed dogs to farms, and they have done excellent with the horses and people.

There are also breed specific rescues out there as well.  Many of them foster the dogs for a few weeks to several months in order to prepare them for their new homes and also give them vet care and training to help you get started once the dog comes to your home.  Many fostered dogs are very healthy, all they need is a loving home.  Foster groups also rescue puppies all the time and you might have an easier time finding a dog from them rather then going to a breeder. 

I've seen the worst that have come from breeders and some of the purebreds have many genitic flaws due to poor breeding. There are also many good breeders out there but are a rare find.  A breed specific rescue knows what to look for in that breed and can warn you ahead of time before your given something you may not want.  Many will go out of their way to find the right match for you, you may not be so lucky with a breeder being as kind IMO.

I don't know where you live now but below is a link for a rescue for Aussies I found online, since you mentioned them.  Just take a look at the Aussies available for adaption, they are beautiful and very healthy looking.  There is even a female mother dog with 7 puppies who all need homes!

http://norcalaussierescue.com/raSept04.htm

Even if you don't live in California these people can at least help you find someone in your area who can help you.  It's a very tight community in the rescue world, I've been there several times, and many will even transport a dog to you if they think your the right owner for the dog they have in mind.  Even if things don't work you many are willing to even take the dog back.  There are several more rescues, just do a search online and see what you find.

Okay, I don't think any puppy in the world is going to be cool just sitting there and not barking/getting into trouble for 3-4 hours while you work with your horse. Something to think about. And not barking a lot is something you have to teach your dog. If your dog is ignored and bored, he'll probably start barking. So if horses are your life (and I'm jealous you get to have them!) then you really really really need to consider if you're going to have time to train a dog to be the companion you want. We get a lot of dogs at the shelter that are given up because they seemed like a good idea at the time and then they realize that that puppy that was so cute is a crap ton of work and barks, pees on the rug, needs exercise, socialization, mental stimulation, fun, attention, food, etc...

 
[rant] And yeah, the shelter dogs look like crap because people neglected them. Not because they're defective. PEOPLE are defective.  Please don't use the "they look like crap" argument. I'm going to be honest-- it kind of infuriates me that you're blaming the dogs for their poor condition. Not everyone wants a rescue. Not everyone wants a shelter dog and I understand that! I work at shelter and have referred people to reputable breeders and my next dog will probably be from a breeder. But how sad to say you're no good because you're a mutt or because you're neglected. Yeah, shame on them for being born and not being purebred so they got neglected. [/rant]

 
But I was thinking a bichon may be a good choice for you too. Or a poodle. They're smart and mostly nice little buggers. I've only met a handful of nasty poodles. Most are quite sweet and they don't *tend* to be yappy, but again, that is usually a learned thing.  Grooming is a consideration but keeping them in a puppy cut would be easy and keep them easy to clean.

ETA: well, haha. I see you don't like poodles. Not being bitey and yappy is usually a training/socialization thing, btw. That's something YOU must teach the dog not to be. Occasionally one will have a straight up defective temperament but most of the time, it's a training socialization issue.
 

 Honestly, the *best* dogs I have ever seen around horses (and I worked at a horse barn for 10 years where many of the employees, plus the owner and trainer brought their dogs) were both mutts.  The first one was my aunt's dog.  According to the shelter and vet, she was likely a rat terrier/border collie mix (only about 20-30 lbs).  She was *awesome* with my horse.  She never chased or harassed her, would hang out in the pasture while I rode, and was awesome at following on trails.  I would give my right arm to find a dog like her again in my lifetime.

The second was my dad's dog, a malamute/bouvier mix.  She was bigger, roughly 90 lbs, but was great with my horse.  Actually, she lived in the pasture and barn with my horse for many years and my mare mourned her when she died.  She actually saved my mare from a very sticky situation at one point.  My stepdad had tied my mare out on a long line to graze in our yard.  Although my parents were outside, they did not notice that my mare had tried to roll and gotten herself tangled in the line and was struggling.  The dog saw this and barked in a frantic kind of way that we had never heard before and my parents came running and were able to free the horse.

Other than those two, the only purebred that I have heard does really well with horses is the dalmatian.  I knew a woman with a pair of them, and they loved her horse.  The horse had an eye condition that caused her to get eye discharge, and the male dalmatian would clean her eyes for her.   

RidgebackGermansShep

If you're dead set on a purebred, i really don't know. A rhodesian ridgeback might be a good fit, but they're not really for the novice owner. Maybe bonita of bwana can weigh in here. a lot of horse people around here own ridgebacks. But they're definitely not small. My RR weighs 92 lbs, but is very laid back and fantastic in the house.

I would not place a RR puppy in this situation, I would consider an older dog 2.5 or older , retired show dog or rescue.  Ridgebacks have wicked strong prey drive and while an experienced owner would be able to properly train an newbie would have to have amazing luck to get an RR pup to fit into your life style.

I have 9 Ridgebacks of all different ages and adore the breed , because we adore the breed we are super careful about placements.  I will not place a pup with a family when they say  this will be my 6-10 year olds dog, they have to take care of it and train it ..... Ridgebacks and kids are awesome togther and it is hard to imagine a better friend for a child BUT  it is a family project, a family responsibility.  Classes fot training and socialization are essential and I think the OP would be better off with a dog that not only has some basic training done but is old enough to run with her and the horse.

Ridgebacks ran the African veldt with hunters all day long, they took advantage of breaks and were ready to go when the hunters mounted back up. Great all terrain dogs but as others have said you do not run a pup , that is begging for health issues .

Bonita of Bwana

Thanks for all the help. :)

I'm pretty sure I want to stick to a smaller dog after thinking about it for a while. I've never been around larger dogs before, the largest dog I have been around is a lab. I still like mini/toy aussies. I know that they are not really a breed. What are their temperments like and any info about them would be apprecated. Also I was thinking maybe a Bichon Frise? What are their temperments like and any info on them would also be apprecated. Can Bichon Frises go outside much? or do they have to stay inside 24/7? Do you think either breed would be a good match with me? Thanks again.