Husky or Shepherd: Which is best for me (New question...see last post)

I'm on the lookout for a Norwegian Elkhound myself. Perhaps you can find a rescue elkie to love. I love them. They are smart but not velcro, usually around 35 lbs, perfect for the climate I live in, and have the same good northern dog habits and instincts that huskies do without the extreme exercise needs. NOT that they don't need a lot of exercise! But they aren't DRIVEN. Bouncy and active, and they can be barky, too. They are an old breed created for hunting moose in Norway, and what they do is bark at and distract the moose so the hunter can get a shot.

They are very trainable and fun!

There are some nice elkhound rescues around in the Lower 48. There are NO elkhounds in Alaska. [] But you could check here for dogs available http://elkhoundrescue.org/

ORIGINAL: Pwca

One thing to seriously keep in mind about GSDs is that it can be VERY tough to find rental housing with one.

From what you *haven't* said, I suspect that part of the appeal of these breeds is the 'wild' appearance? Pointy ears, brush tail, wolfy looking?

Some other breeds to explore:


Keeshond (more coat maintanance, less exercise, good size for apartment/rental housing, trainable, and a good 'first dog' personality)
Norweigian Elkhound (not as low key as Keesies, fairly high energy but not as guardy as a GSD or or QUITE as independent as a husky, and much less likely to be banned.
American Eskimo (more coat maintanance, lots available in rescue, variety of sizes, can be barky, but cute, spitz-y looking, and can be a really nice pet.)
A chow MIX- I wouldn't recommend a purebred chow to a novice dog owner, but some of the chow mixes aer fantastic.

One common thread in these breeds though, is that while spitz-type breeds CAN be pretty prey-driven, most won't be great frisbee dogs- retrieving gets boring pretty fast for them. All of them are moderate energy- they'll be perfectly able to keep up with you on hikes or outdoor activities (except for perhaps the smallest variety of Eskies), but will also be able to adapt to life DURING the work week when you don't have 3-4 hours to go and hike with them each evening. Unless you're a seriously extreme athelete running marathons or hiking very long distances, most dogs larger than the toys will keep up just fine. Indy (who is a corgi) keeps up fine with the horses on trail rides up to 15 miles or so, although he definately sleeps well the next day. He's done longer rides once in a whiel but those are usually with him getting carried part of the way or on rides where we take long breaks.

Alright. I had some time and looked into your suggestions. My favorite is the American Eskimo. The show dogs I tend to not like as it appears it is commonplace in showdogs to let their coat grow out to quite a long length. The pictures I see of them with a long but trimmed coat they look amazing.

Through my own looking I also like the characteristics of the Finish Spitz. They seem less energetic than the huskies but still have the artic characteristics and maybe easier to train.

Thanks for the suggestions, I like that I am getting a wider range of dogs to look into. Now I can go check to see what breeds are available and which fall in love with me.

You dont' HAVE to rule out a gsd, but look to get a bit older one who has already gotten past the insanity stage, and KNOW that you must have a great sense of humor and not be too attached to your furniture.  And understand what you might be getting into.
 
I have ONE boy who I don't worry about crating.  But, he'd gone to another home and came back after a couple months and something happened there to really change him.  He'd always been a snugglebug as a little one and very well behaved, but they managed to undo his crate, leash and potty training and thot he was the devils own spawn.  Destructive, argumentative, blah, blah, blah....so home he came.  I honestly was a little concerned that I was really going to have my hands full but the poor guy was so intimidated that we had to encourage him to play with TOYS......nothing that the woman had complained about was true once he was back in my home, so what went on, I flat don't know.  However, I DO know that I can NOT crate Tyler when I go out and when I come back he'll make a beeline from the couch to the water bowl.  I finally figured out that telling him to lay down and be a good boy and watch the house, to HIM meant not to leave the sofa.  Not even for a drink.  BUT THAT IS NOT TYPICAL GERMAN SHEPHERD BEHAVIOR!!!
 
If you really do want either a husky or a gsd, work with rescues.  Foster homes can tell you exactly what sort of behavior to expect.  I honestly can give new owners more information on my foster pups than I could on my OWN dogs.  My own aren't going anywhere and I need to be able to honestly access the pups for proper placement.  Included in their paperwork is a growth chart even...what the pup weighed at birth and then the chart of weight gain through the days and weeks.  That info might be handy for the vet to have, or it might just be a little treasure for the "baby book".  But, the point being, a GOOD rescue with really good foster homes, you'll know exactly what to expect from the dog you take home, regardless of the breed.
 
I don't think that any of us want to discourage you from your hearts desire.  We just REALLY want for you to be ready to keep the commitment you make when you bring that dog home.

I still believe you can get that wolfy, natural dog 'look' in a mixed breed which may have a more subdued personality than a purebred. Dogs like mine, with the pointy ears, short to medium coat, and 'wild, natural' appearance are very common in shelters. I believe they are husky x shepherd crosses in many cases. People ask me all the time if she is a dingo, part coyote, etc! Take a look at petfinder, under the "Young" and "Adult" ages, and see what neat, unique dogs there are. You might also search by breed on petfinder, I would use "shepherd" and see what you get.

If you're looking for a dog with a "wolfy" appearance, check out the Utonagan.  This is a fairly new "breed" developed specifically to look like a wolf without actually using wolves or wolf hybrids.  It has both siberian huskies and GSDs in it's ancestry (as well as Malamutes).  It has not been bred as a working dog but purely for companionship and looks and so (reading between the lines) I would think that this would not be as high maintenance as these breeds, with less drive to work.  Availability and cost could well be an issue though!   And because they are new and relatively unknown researching so you can be prepared will be harder.

Just google "utonagan" and take a looksie

Wait.  Is that truly the goal?  The appearance of the dog only?

I think so - a companion dog that looks like a wolf without using wolves or wolf hybrids.  Of course ethical breeders breed for good temperament and good health, that goes without saying.  But whereas some dogs have been bred to herd sheep, or guard property, or assist humans in hunting, this one is not bred for a purpose other than companionship.  But I could well be wrong.  "Utonagan" means "spirit of the wolf" or something like that. 

It isn't a good idea picking a dog based on looks only.
Maybe the GSDs and Husky owners should write in detail about the super destructive trait in those two breeds, basically all the things that have been eaten, chewed on, or about serious digging.
 
Nothing wrong with liking a certain look, but the rest should come into play big time, because when the dog is home and the new wears off, and all the trouble starts one might think twice about keeping the dog.

Well that all depends, border collies for the most part are not good "pets" unless there is lots of mental and physical exercise.  They can learn to tolerate periods of inactivity, as can many dogs.  Unfortunately, they can develop other behaviors to cope with the pent up energy that can be very problematic.

I think you should consider a whippet.  Hounds dont mind being lazy, they can turn it on very easily when asked to play.  And other than NEVER being left off lead unless in a secure fenced area and providing coats for weather protection,  a whippet might be just what you are looking for.  You could easily click and treat an alarm bark, and in most cases that is all you need.
 
I know that really doesnt fit your visual picture, but you get a cuddle bunny, a neat dog, a compact easy to care for package, and one that wont raise alarms landlords and insurance carriers.  Being an individual who looked for rentals with 2 dobermans, there were many sleepless nights and even one eviction when all dogs over 20 pounds were outlawed in our apartment complex; would never want to go through that again.

That's exactly why I posted the "who knew" stuff in my first post on this thread.  I've had dogs for my entire adult life and NOTHING prepared me for the destructiveness of a shepherd pup.  But, honestly, I dont' think that I could LIST all the stuff that they've eaten.....I'd completely max out the fourm and then they'd have to make a NEW one! []
 
And I do agree, basing a decision on looks alone isn't a good idea.

Glenda, I have been super careful with the newest one "Tanner", but he has eaten shoes, chewed on our new deck, the X-mas lights have suffered, thank God they were unplugged, blankets shredded, solar lights taken apart, DH PS2 controller demolished......argh, like you said, it's a never ending story.
 
It takes a boat load of patience...............[8D][]
 
Maybe tomorrow I will start with Huskies[&:]

ORIGINAL: glenmar

That's exactly why I posted the "who knew" stuff in my first post on this thread.  I've had dogs for my entire adult life and NOTHING prepared me for the destructiveness of a shepherd pup.  But, honestly, I dont' think that I could LIST all the stuff that they've eaten.....I'd completely max out the fourm and then they'd have to make a NEW one! []

And I do agree, basing a decision on looks alone isn't a good idea.

 
If I was basing this on looks alone I would have just gone out and bought the one I thought looked the coolest and let it be at that. The whole point of asking here is to try to get one that matches my personality...looks and characteristics wise. Out of curiosity I went and searched for apartments near where a possible job lead is and quite a few accept dogs up to 80 lbs with no restrictions on any of the dogs mentioned in this thread.
 
I am still curious about the Finish Spitz...anyone ever handled/owned one?

For the most part I don't have to worry about five of the six.  Every now and then Thunder will decide to chew something up....like the time he took ONE of my new sandles off the top of the roll top desk and ate it......but THEO, now that's a horse of a different color.  He chews on everything.  But not outside.  Outside he is fine.  Inside, he'll go steal a pillow off my bed and bring it and lay down beside me to chew on it.....blankets don't stand a chance with him.....I really have to keep a CONSTANT eye on him or he'll chew up the most inappropriate things and INGEST them.  He'll be two in July so why he continues to do this is completely beyond me.  But, he's a shepherd.

FInish spitz  very noise yodeling dog,,, not good for apartment dwelling

Wait!  YOU have prick ears and a wild look??  [][][]  Sorry, couldn't resist that one!
 
I didn't have the impression that you were going to base a decision on looks, but just wanted to be sure.  I applaud you for all the research you are doing and for THINKING ahead.  Do consider what you'll be doing 5 or 10 or 15 years from now and the possibility of having a family.  That's going to be a factor in not only WHAT you bring home, but how you train and socialize as well.
 
Breed standard for a gsd is 65-90 pounds I believe, so you should be ok there, especially if you are "shopping" rescues and getting a dog that's already full grown.