So...breeds?

[houlahoops]

I'm definitely torn on the idea of rescue.

On the one hand, my rescue dogs (including Mammoth) were everything I could have asked for and more. Mammoth was my heart dog, and Bailey came in closely behind. But:

1) I really, really missed the puppy stage with both of them. It sounds silly, but to be completely honest I'm a little afraid of dogs, and I was leery of both of our boys before I really bonded. But puppies...you get to know their personality when they're little, and if you do your training and socialization, you're going to know your dog's behavior patterns before he gets big enough to be scary.

2) It's hard to know what the temperament of a very young shelter puppy is going to be. There's none of the reassurance of meeting the parents to ensure that, hey, they aren't HA or dysplastic at the age of seven or eight. I know there are no guarantees...but the health testing makes me feel...less afraid.

3) To me, very few things would outright disqualify a dog, but at a shelter I would be more likely to take home a dog I felt bad for, or a dog that I bonded with based on looks, rather than something that would actually fit my lifestyle and personality.

But then on the other hand:

1) Finding breeders sucks.

2) Shelter dogs are super awesome and I know I would fall in love regardless of his personality.

3) Sometimes there are puppies in shelters.

How drivey are working GSPs? Depending on the dog I might be interested in doing some trialing or hunting work. They don't appeal to me aesthetically but I've never met one in person and I typically LOVE bird dog personalities (my dad had a setter/Brittany cross for hunting). The drool is eh...I don't mind hair all over the house but my sister's Basset...-shudder-

I like the look of Gordon Setters for sure! What are their temperaments like?

Mals are awesome from a distance, but I think I would be terrified of living with one. It will be my first solo dog, and without reinforcements I think it would just be too much dog!

I like Koolies but the expense is an object (also the barking).

I love the way Collie barks sound, actually...so it's not so much the frequency but more the tone haha. Mammoth hardly bothered me at all unless he was whining (which was most of the time) and he was a very talkative guy.

I know nothing about Vizlas! They are upper-crust dogs around here haha. -goes to check them out-

Thanks, everyone for helping me sate my puppy lust by making real plans haha

[houlahoops]

(That said, what will actually happen:

1. Emmy goes to shelter
2. Emmy falls in love with first dog she sees
3. Emmy comes home and posts to Chaz about it)

[AdrianneIsabel]

I grew up with a couple GSP and one was chill. He was solid liver, about 90lbs, big, hunting stock flunky, and EASY. Slept on the couch, loved my brother, and respected cats and property boundaries with ease. That said he died from meningitis and my dad got another hunting GSP, he was not a flunky and way too much for our busy lifestyle at the time. My dad gave him to a working home and tried again. The third was a happy median, more energy than Groucho but not as spastic as Zeppo, we had him for years.

They are awesome dogs and I've not seen them be drooly, their bark can be atrocious though, my client in Vegas had one that split ear drums.

They tend to be dog friendly and people friendly. They're busy dogs but loving and loyal. I would totally consider them if the mals were not my energy sucking dogs.

[*blackrose]

They are awesome dogs and I've not seen them be drooly, their bark can be atrocious though, my client in Vegas had one that split ear drums.

^ So much this. We had a Viszla puppy and a GSP puppy (both around 10 months of age) in the kennels this weekend at the same time. I was about ready to shoot myself, and I was listening to them through a wall and door halfway across the clinic. O.o

That being said, when I was reading your criteria, those were the first two breeds I thought of.

[Julee]

Rescuerescuerescue

If you wanted to meet at least one parent, I'm sure it wouldn't be hard to find a newborn litter with their mother either in the shelter or a foster home. In the few years I worked in a shelter, we had like 7...? mothers with litters born there, and a few more mothers come in with young litters.

[Kootenay]

My Rough Collie fits pretty much all those criteria. He's an awesome dog! Happy to go all day hiking or horse riding but also totally content to sleep around the house, really easy all around dog.

My friend's Coolie also would suit, and he's from a Canadian breeder and was very reasonably priced (I saw you say that the price of Coolies was a turn off). He also rarely barks, probably less than my Collie!

[oakash]

I 2nd or 3rd the GSP idea. Simply because I'm hooked. We've been calling Jack a pointer X but every single pointer person I've come across has told me that he's most likely a fieldbred purebred. He is awesome. He doesn't drool, but he's the only one we've had so he may be special.

He does bark, but we've encouraged that because we like our dogs to bark since we live on the edge of some iffy areas. He doesn't chew much, even though he's around a year old. Well, he doesn't chew stuff unless he's in my room. He's decided that if its in my room it is the best thing ever to chew. He's a couch potato half the time, but if he's ready to go anywhere and do anything at anytime of the day. At the dog park, he RUNS non-stop. From tree to tree, or just around as fast as he can for the joy of it. He's amazing to watch.

[meepitsmeagan]

Originally Posted by houlahoops

How drivey are working GSPs? Depending on the dog I might be interested in doing some trialing or hunting work. They don't appeal to me aesthetically but I've never met one in person and I typically LOVE bird dog personalities (my dad had a setter/Brittany cross for hunting). The drool is eh...I don't mind hair all over the house but my sister's Basset...-shudder-

Thanks, everyone for helping me sate my puppy lust by making real plans haha

Have you considered a Wirehaired Pointing Griffon or a German Wirehaired Pointer? GWP's are pretty much the same as a GSP, just with the wire coat. Do you know what kind of hunting you would be interested in? Would you want more of a retriever, or a pointer? Do you want a close working dog, or a dog that is one to go out a ways? GSP's are pretty well known for being dogs that work from a distance. Griffon's have a tendency to have a better off-switch, and be a little more chill and versatile. They are known for being a closer worker, with a lot of natural instinct in both retrieves and holding points. They tend to be a little smaller than your average GSP/GWP They also have adorable beards.

Originally Posted by Kootenay

(I saw you say that the price of Coolies was a turn off)

Erm, scratch the Griff off the list. You are looking at $800-$1200 for a reputable breeder pup.

[AdrianneIsabel]

That isn't even a dent in Koolie, I believe.

[yv0nne]

Dying to know now ..what is the average cost of Koolie (including plane ticket ahah)?! PS I'm expecting something outrageous so don't disappoint me!!

Penn DOES drool and it is gross. It's slimy and sort of gross but mostly funny because it doesn't sling everywhere or anything. It mostly stays in her jowls or dribbles on wherever she's sleeping. It definitely has a very strange texture.

And her bark is horrifying. I'm so grateful she doesn't feel the need to use it much. It's loud, sharp and strong. If she demands attention with her bark, I think the people 7 blocks away want to come over and give her attention so she'll shut up ahah