Help on choosing a breed,Welsh Springer Spaniel,lab,or a Bernese mountain dog?(ACD)

Puppy

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#21
thanks but im not looking for a low exercise demand dog.I've researched for a few months now and after looking at many breeds the ones i said in the 1st post are the ones we are deciding on.thanks for the advice melissa but im not sure if you was being negative.
 

Melissa_W

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#22
Oh no, I wasn't trying to be negative at all. Maybe it's just because I have a sheltie, but the exercise regimen you proposed is low to medium, in my opinion. But shelties are very active. As for how much research you have done, I probably just got the wrong impression. Sorry if I offended. Anyway, I won't say anything else on the matter. Good luck!


"in terms of excercise the dog (this is when it is nessesary,like teenager and adult when its bones are fully grown,as a pup needs less) will get a 15 min walk in the morning,a 25-40 min run around in a park on the majority of days,or more time on the weekends.if not able to take to the park then a long walk,and then in the evening a 10-20min walk. this will be tied in with play sessions in the garden etc.on the jogging side we'll see when we'll do that,probably in the 2nd walk/run around."
 

Puppy

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#23
no its ok keep posting if you have anything to say.im not offended now,i just misunderstood your post.

whats your sheltie's exercise plan?please be as detailed as you can as it would help me alot.thanks.
 
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stirder

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#24
I agree with melissa, how much excercise is a lot, and how much is low is a matter of opinion. I have a 19 month old male german shepherd, imported from belgium, bred of german showlines, and a little german working lines. (first I will explain his typical day before we got his baby sister...a 12 week australian cattle dog/blue heeler) he got 3 walks a day, plus play in the back yard, plus play inside the house. his day started by going into the backyard to do his business while I got his food ready. he would chase the squirrels up the 2 trees and then run back and forth all over the yard looking for a way to get to them; then he would eat his breakfast; come back inside and get a lot of attention and not really excercise for about 20 minutes while digesting; go for a 1.5 mile walk around the neighborhood; spend the rest of the morning chilling out, playing with his toys, and would maybe have one running fit around the living room and kitchen (figure about a 1/8-1/4 mile worth of running), and about every hour or 2 a trip outside in which he chases the squirrels again if they are back; at about noon he gets another walk...usually 1.5-2 miles; then repeat the morning in house and back yard activities; dinner at around 5pm and repeat the breakfast ritual; about 20 minutes later another walk usually 2-3 miles depending on how tired daddy is; repeat the in house and backyard activities untill around 9-11pm. 3 days a week and saturdays he goes tracking in the fields and woods about a mile or two away, during tracking he walks anywhere from 3-6 miles through cotton fields, corn fields, open woods, thick woods with a lot of brush and thorns, across 4 creeks (really 1 creek in 4 different places with varying steepness of banks and depth of water), across a rope and board bridge (the owner of the property loves to tag along and was nice enough to build it as a suprise for us), over a huge pile of rubble (concrete, boards, iron rebar), and then through a pasture with about 30 cows and a huge black angus x longhorn bull, through the stable and to a different ending place evey time (and a different route everytime).
this past saturday afternoon we rescued a 12 week old female australian cattle dog. so basically striders excercise is the same, but now he rests in the house a lot less and chases and gets chased by the little girl. he goes in the backyard a lot more due to her frequent potty break needs and everytime they go out (about every 30 minutes) they run like crazy and chase each other. so his routine has changed in that she provides him with about double the excercise he used to get.
so to me, what you descride is very very low excercise requirements. but I also understand the fact that too many people here your description probably seems very very high. its all a matter of opinion/perspective. Im not saying that from what you describe you wont be able to provide adequate excercise, I think its possible that you may need to provide more...but you describe more excercise than many owners even think about providing. I just intended to show you MY perspective, and why I think and probably why melissa thought you were describing somewhat low excercise.
the dogs you are considering do have lower excercise needs, not extremely lower, but enough. but just be prepared, you may have to increase the length or frequency of walks and Im sure you are but be prepared to do a lot of ball or frisbee throwing in the back yard.
and good luck!!! I think all the breeds you mentioned would be great. personally I prefer the bernese but I may never get one due to the shorter life span.
 

Dakotah_2009

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#25
Fandogg said:
this is easy...

labs are the best dogs
bernese mountain dogs are the best looking
welsh springer spaniels are ok to

dont get a cattle dog

I agree w/ you there! BMD are very good looking!!!
 

Puppy

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#26
wow thats alot of exercise! i would say that is a very very high exercise plan.
but the thing is that i work,and does my husband,but by the time we get one,which is planned for next year around january(you might be thinging its a long way away to be choosing a breed,but i want to be as prepared as possible before we get one)my hours might be reduced,but then again they might not.so that plan would be a minimum,which could change.

so,if that stays as the exercise my dog will get,do you think the dog will show signs of boredom and the problems that come along with that?

please be honest as i need as much feedback as i can get.

thanks.
 

bridey_01

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#27
I love Australian cattle dogs, kelpies, border collies. I just can't get enough of them but I admit they arn't suited as companion animals (in most situations) but if i had to choose a dog from such strong working lines that would be a good companion I would choose the cattle, (every second household here has one:)) As for the BMD, very beautiful, very gentle dog. Heaps of grooming, maybe a little slobber here and there and they have a VERY high risk of crippling hip displasia (at least in australia). I must admit I havn't met a WSS. I would recommend a weim though, they are fantastic dogs.
 
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stirder

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#28
I think it sounds pretty good, as for getting bored and digging/chewing/barking non-stop/other boredom issues...it depends on the individual dog. personally I think weims and labs are higher energy, Ive heard wss's are a bit lower but I wouldnt swear on that. how long would the dog be left alone each day? inside or outside?
 

Melissa_W

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#29
bridey, I agree! I adore the herding breeds. I really want to get a border collie, but I am waiting until I graduate college.

As far as the exercise my sheltie gets he, runs around the house like mad in the morning waiting to go out. Then we go running for about 40 min. Then we play a bit, throw the bone, throw the ball, run around the table and the like for 10 or 20 min. During the day while we are gone, (if I am taking classes) he studiously watches the house. Every time he sees someone out the back window, he barks and runs to the front window and then he goes back to the back window and repeats. This is essentially constant while we are gone, though he naps sometimes too. Those shelties LOVE to bark. :eek: In the afternoon we will do a walk (maybe 20 mins) and then some activity to wear him out like frisbee, ball, or bike riding (I bike, he runs) (maybe 30 mins) and we'll do some obidience to wear him out mentally (maybe 15-20 mins) He'll rest for a while after that. But he's ready to go as soon as my boyfriend gets home from work, and they will play together for a while. (maybe 20-30 mins) Then he will wait a while. Then he will bug me to play with him again, and I do unless I am really busy with school. But if I don't, he'll bug my boyfriend, and if he won't, over to the window he goes to do his "job". But when I do have time, we'll play hide an seek, get the bone, who has the bone, or we'll work on tricks for a bit. (Maybe 20 mins, more if I can) Then he waits a while. Many times he still has energy left in the evening, so he'll usually watch out the window and do the behavior described above until it's too dark to see anything outside. Then he gets an evening walk and playtime. (About 45 mins total) So you see, if we aren't keeping him busy, he will busy himself, which is typical of the herding breeds. The only time he will rest is in the afternoon after we really wear him out. Also there are things that we do on the weekends, like doing the trails at the park, going swimming, etc. I honestly wish that I had time to do competitive agility or obidience with him, but I just can't while I am in college. Even spending as much time with him as possible, he has still developed his own "job" of watching the house. Luckily, it doesn't really bother me. I admit though that I can slack off a bit on this schedule during midterms and finals. :( Hell, during those times I barely have time to eat. But I do my best. Luckily he doesn't punish me too much when I slack off on him.
 
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#30
Herding breeds are super high energy, physically and mentally. They were bred to spend basically their whole day out and about working. They never tire. Tippy has a lot of border collie in her, and I try to take her for long walks every day and do a little training at least once a week to keep her busy.

Labs are also high energy. From what I've seen though, many are just happy to play a game of fetch with you - their biggest need is to be with you and get enough physical contact with you. My lab gets upset if she feels she doesn't get enough time with me.
 

bubbatd

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#31
I still feel since all of the breeds have their " issues " ...that's why I recommend finding an older dog that fits your family .
 

Puppy

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#32
thanks for all of the advice guys. is there anyone out there who knows someone with a WSS or someone who owns any?
 
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#33
No, I don't know that breed too well. But I know any Springer should have access to water if you want him/her to be REALLY happy! They LOVE water. If you could take him/her to a lake and let it play, they'll be in heaven! Most dogs need exercise. I have a lab and am guilty with not "working with him" like I should. He's pretty much my velcro and content with anything we do. BUT, when I got him, he was an untrained rogue (as and adult rescue). It took time for him to settle in to a routine... whatever it is...
 

bridey_01

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#34
I love shelties! Sounds like yours is a handful. I've always loved the herding breeds for their intelligence, though they can be very very demanding. I have found my rough collie Azlan isnt nearly as high energy as my kelpie.
 

Melissa_W

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#35
I saw a Kelpie on "Dog with Jobs" and fell in love with it. But it seems like every website I have ever gone to really discourages you from getting one unless it's going to be used for herding. Even more so than the border. So that scared me away a bit. Is it really so challenging as they say?
 

Dakotah_2009

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#36
I don't think Kelpies are as bad as Borders about herding. I think that if you want a Kelpie get it and see what you think, or research and see what you think.
 

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