Which Breed?

The 5 breeds I'm currently considering are: The American Eskimo, Shetland Sheepdog, Portuguese Water Dog, Australian Sheperd, and the Pembroke Welsh Corgi. The dog would be a family pet and show dog, living with kids and other amimals. I might also be doing some performance events. Which breed do you think I should go with?

Do you plan on working the dog at all? If you don't plan on having the dog be a working dog first, and a show dog second, then please cross out the Aussie Shepherd and Pembroke Welsh Corgi. These breeds are meant to WORK, not stand nicely for a judge. Also, if they are not provided with a steady job, they could become destructive. They are WONDERFUL breeds and I love them, but they are very high energy and I see your priorities are that the dog will be a show and family dog first, and a working dog second. I don't see you getting along well with an Aussie or Corgi.

The Shelties are SUCH individuals, it's kind of hard to tell you what the breed will definitely be like. Some are very shy and can be fearful or even fear biters, and some are very outgoing, bold, hard dogs, and everything inbetween. Most shelties do well in obedience and agility.

I don't know much about the portugese water dog, but from what I've heard, they are also very high energy and would like a job, possibly agility or flyball would be fun for them. They are a better match for you than the Aussie and Corgi IMO.

The Eskie, I believe, is a good choice for you, particularly the larger sizes. They are active but generally not too active. Training is a must, as is with all dogs. They do LOVE being fussed on and primped (I've groomed a lot of eskies and every single one adored being blow-dried and brushed) and they will also give working a good shot, but I don't believe that they NEED to work as much as the other breeds you mentioned, and they could generally be more happy as a pet and show dog than the working breeds you are considering.

good luck in your search.

Grace has given you excellent advice.

I'll add that the Aussie will herd EVERYTHING; the other animals, the kids . . . they can also be quite protective, self motivated and can be downright mule-headed at times, and they will sometimes make you wonder if you haven't gotten a dog that's smarter than you are - all things that I happen to adore in a dog - but not a dog for an inexperienced or novice handler.

Ditto that for the corgi, but add a VERY 'crazy dog' hyper personality (almost all the pembrokes have this personality, in my experience).

AND, unlike the Aussies, who can use their size and strenth to intimidate the sheep into moving, the Corgi must use his teeth to make the sheep respect him. Because of that, unless he has a consistent job, whether it be herding or agility or flyball, or even obedience, he will get bored. And when he gets bored, he is going to nip at your heels with every step you take.
So, unless you want to put the work into training an 'ankle biter' to herd sheep, ducks or what have you, I really wouldn't recommend a Corgi.. They're cool litle dogs, very feisty, but unless you are a hardcore working home, they're difficult to manage.

Aussie's are great dog but they need alot of exercise and attention.