Breed Info/Suggestions

[Lyzelle]

My husband and I are looking to add another dog to our household, but we've been stuck on what to focus on for a while now. Every week it is a different breed, breeder, or shelter dog. We know, roughly, what we want, but without any actual experience with some of these breeds, it's making it rather hard to decide. We don't mind going either route - breeder or shelter - and we aren't in a rush, we just want to make sure we find that perfect fit.

We are USAF, and some breeds are obviously banned on base....Akitas, Pitbulls/Bully Breeds, Dobermans, Siberian Huskies, Wolf Hybrids, Rotties. Yeah, Siberian Huskies are banned. But not Malamutes. It's an interesting list. Zander was Grandfathered in, and also put "under the table", listed as a Husky, but not what kind of Husky.

Anywho, our requirements. Some of you may have already seen this on another forum:

Aesthetics:

• We like big dogs, so something over 40lbs and 20in would be awesome. Medium-sized snuggler that can hold their own against Zander and my clumsy feet wouldn't be terrible, though.
• I'm okay with grooming, but if it can be avoided I'd like something that doesn't take hours to do. Wash and wear would be nice.
• DH has a weird thing with wire-haired/beard/mustache dogs.

Personality:

• High energy; This dog will be our running partner and Zander's playmate. Easily 3 hours of hard exercise a day. An off button would be nice, though.
• Loyal; For once, I'd like a breed that doesn't run off at every opportunity!
• Smart/Stubborn; We don't mind a challenge, as long as it is worth it in the end.
• Willing to Please; Independent is okay, but we'd like a dog that loves its people and/or loves a JOB.
• Affectionate; Something that loves it's people, not just one person. There's two people in this marriage! Lol. But I would prefer it not to love every person it came across.
• A dog that can take a rough and tumble would be nice. I'm not particularly fond of "soft" dogs, and a skittish breed wouldn't be good in this situation.
• Personality! Stoic dogs aren't our thing.
• Room to work with; something that can keep learning, keep growing, and every day is something new. Dogs with drive, I guess is what I'm trying to say?

This will be mostly DH's dog, and he's new to dogs. But I've been rescuing/fostering for quite a while, and have experienced Mastiffs, Sibes, GSDs/mixes, so on. Hard dogs don't scare me. Soft/skittish/nervous/easily offended dogs do.

Breeds we are interested in/have been suggested to us:
Border Collie
Belgian Malinois (hah, I wanted to write Maliraptor )
Australian Cattle Dog
Beauceron
German Shorthair Pointer
Doberman

Any breeder suggestions would be great too!

[CaliTerp07]

What about a ridgeback?

[Lyzelle]

Originally Posted by CaliTerp07

What about a ridgeback?

I dunno. I don't know much about Ridgebacks. I've always been interested in them, though.

[Kat09Tails]

How about a GSD?

[Lyzelle]

Originally Posted by Kat09Tails

How about a GSD?

I've met some GSDs, and had a GSD/Sibe mix. I enjoy them, but I believe breeding is extremely important for temperament, and it isn't a breed I would likely get anytime soon without extensive, hardcore breeder and pedigree research. The majority of dogs I've seen have been obsessive, aggressive/skittish, barkers, high energy but no consistent drive, either too stand-offish or too affectionate....just all over the board.

I'd prefer a breed that isn't as prone to bad breeding, and much more consistent in temperament. I'm willing to consider them, and open to the possibility of getting a good GSD, I'm just not getting my hopes up on them. Wish for the best, expect the worst type of thing.

[Aleron]

Originally Posted by Lyzelle

I've met some GSDs, and had a GSD/Sibe mix. I enjoy them, but I believe breeding is extremely important for temperament, and it isn't a breed I would likely get anytime soon without extensive, hardcore breeder and pedigree research. The majority of dogs I've seen have been obsessive, aggressive/skittish, barkers, high energy but no consistent drive, either too stand-offish or too affectionate....just all over the board.

I'd prefer a breed that isn't as prone to bad breeding, and much more consistent in temperament. I'm willing to consider them, and open to the possibility of getting a good GSD, I'm just not getting my hopes up on them. Wish for the best, expect the worst type of thing.

I'd say this should rule out Mals for you too. It's far, far easier to find a good GSD breeder than a good Mal breeder just based on the volume of GSD breeders to pick from. Belgians are obsessive type dogs for sure, can definitely be barkers, are of course, high energy, there can a huge range of temperaments in them, even within litters and they are more prone to being "nervy" than GSDs. There's some good info in this thread about Belgians in general: http://www.chazhound.com/forums/show...=150872&page=2


Of course, you could find a Mal that fits your description but it's not much different than finding a GSD that does - it requires a lot of research, knowing what you want and where you're most likely to find it. If you opt for a Mal, I can't help but mention Mal rescue, as they always have plenty of dogs can help you pick out a dog that is a good fit for you.

[AdrianneIsabel]

Originally Posted by Lyzelle

I've met some GSDs, and had a GSD/Sibe mix. I enjoy them, but I believe breeding is extremely important for temperament, and it isn't a breed I would likely get anytime soon without extensive, hardcore breeder and pedigree research. The majority of dogs I've seen have been obsessive, aggressive/skittish, barkers, high energy but no consistent drive, either too stand-offish or too affectionate....just all over the board.

I'd prefer a breed that isn't as prone to bad breeding, and much more consistent in temperament. I'm willing to consider them, and open to the possibility of getting a good GSD, I'm just not getting my hopes up on them. Wish for the best, expect the worst type of thing.

My malinois are obsessive, then again most every herding breed is. They can be aggressive. Sloan has intense prey drive and is a very naturally offensive dog, Backup is naturally defensive and extremely intense in the car, plus he has some issues with strange dogs. Backup is a BIG barker and Sloan isn't she can be a troublesome whiner though when she wants out of her crate in the morning. They are extremely high energy and even through attempts at training they have a minimal off switch, meaning they do quiet in their crates but that is it and that is only at home - at training all bets are off. They have strong drives however they may be too standoffish for most people, Sloan wants nothing to do with strangers but will tolerate a pat or two. Backup is similar, he ignores people usually but when you gain my boys attention he is a "plaster into you" dog.

I love them but they are a pretty specific type of dog, imo.

I would say with work you can find mellower malinois, easier as a whole and less stressful-to-own dogs. I would consider, as was posted, a rescue adult with a known temperament though because even some of the "mellower" conformation only lines throw dogs that look "crazy" to the average owner.

[Lyzelle]

Originally Posted by AdrianneIsabel

My malinois are obsessive, then again most every herding breed is. They can be aggressive. Sloan has intense prey drive and is a very naturally offensive dog, Backup is naturally defensive and extremely intense in the car, plus he has some issues with strange dogs. Backup is a BIG barker and Sloan isn't she can be a troublesome whiner though when she wants out of her crate in the morning. They are extremely high energy and even through attempts at training they have a minimal off switch, meaning they do quiet in their crates but that is it and that is only at home - at training all bets are off. They have strong drives however they may be too standoffish for most people, Sloan wants nothing to do with strangers but will tolerate a pat or two. Backup is similar, he ignores people usually but when you gain my boys attention he is a "plaster into you" dog.

I love them but they are a pretty specific type of dog, imo.

I would say with work you can find mellower malinois, easier as a whole and less stressful-to-own dogs. I would consider, as was posted, a rescue adult with a known temperament though because even some of the "mellower" conformation only lines throw dogs that look "crazy" to the average owner.

I like the comparison between your dogs, thank you. An adult rescue is definitely possible. At least then we would mostly know what we are getting, which means less surprises. Which, for me, is always nice.

I don't mind herding/working breeds, as long as their temperament swings in favor of "Depends on training/raising/etc". I also don't mind the extra leg work if it depends on breeding or if a specific breeder is known for consistent dogs. But if it is luck of the draw, all bets are off the table. I'd like to know, in a nutshell, what I'm getting so I know what path to take with DH and said dog.

I guess that's what I meant with by "room to work with", too. Sibes can be extremely prey-driven, obsessive, stubborn, loud, annoying dogs. But with the right owner/training/raising...they're workable. Nothing is really set into stone.

[Aleron]

Originally Posted by stafinois

Why Ot Vitosha?

To the OP, I think that a GSP would be a good fit. They are every other dog around here. Hardy dogs with generally good dispositions. A lot of people keep them as outdoor dogs (which I think is a crime in Iowa winters) so they much be pretty tolerant of temperature extremes.

I do think that the right Malinois could be a good match, and echo the others with checking out breed rescue. The breed does vary a lot in temperament. My last Malinois had no off switch and was quite intolerant of people and animals outside the immediate family. My new pup so far seems quite social and sensible.

The reason I suggested ruling a Mal out was because Lyzelle said GSDs weren't on the list because of the wide range of temperaments, need for hardcore research to find what you're looking for and temperament tendencies that weren't appealing. It sounded like if those things made a GSD unsuitable, they'd make Belgians unsuitable too. I think the right GSD or Mal could definitely work but they both have similar tendencies and requirements in many ways. But yeah, not all Mals are going to be unreasonable, crazy, weird, biters without off switches LOL

[monkeys23]

Originally Posted by Aleron

The reason I suggested ruling a Mal out was because Lyzelle said GSDs weren't on the list because of the wide range of temperaments, need for hardcore research to find what you're looking for and temperament tendencies that weren't appealing. It sounded like if those things made a GSD unsuitable, they'd make Belgians unsuitable too. I think the right GSD or Mal could definitely work but they both have similar tendencies and requirements in many ways. But yeah, not all Mals are going to be unreasonable, crazy, weird, biters without off switches LOL

I think these are all good things to consider!