What Are We Looking For?

Okay, life is once again clearer and more settled and I can narrow my criteria down to something more specific, especially now that I've shared my dog-want with the boyfriend. Here goes!

Size: We're looking for something medium to large. I like anything 35lbs and up, but not looking for the potential health problems that come with giant breeds. A

Personality: We both like intelligent, biddable, handler-focused dogs. Oh, and velcro is a plus. Doesn't have to be glued or hanging off the hip, but quite aware of its people. Even thought it shouldn't matter in the area, I'd prefer something initially reserved with strangers, and that wouldn't swing the door open for them to set up cookies and tea. Noise isn't an issue, although no high-pitched ear shattering barks. Even better if it sounds intimidating, but not required.

Energy: I personally like an active dog with a good off-switch. Settles well, but always game for when I want to get out the house and have fun. We'll be living within an hour of the beach, and probably in a remote, rural area of the state. Walks will probably be through fields, with space enough to play fetch and frisbee once or twice a day. Depending on the area, walks would probably on a long-line and could be reasonably long. But the dog shouldn't be obnoxious and stir crazy if we miss it once or twice. I'd like to come home from work without it spinning repeatedly in circles and running up a wall.

Coat/Grooming: I like smooth coated dogs or dogs with fur. Poodle-type curly or wiry coats aren't really my thing, and we'd like something that didn't require extensive grooming like combing, clipping, trimming of all sorts or professional grooming. A good brushing every few days or week would be fine. And not to sound petty, but I like things that come in a variety of colors. Never been attracted to dogs that I couldn't tell apart from a distance.

With other animals: I've got a cat, so it needs to be able to get along. I'd prefer something not very reactive, but it won't be a high traffic area where it would really be an issue.

Health: Pretty healthy. No breeds riddled with myriad health issues.

I think that's it. Plus I think I have more criteria than the boyfriend, he's open enough and mostly just "ehh."

Welshies fit a lot of your requirements. Active but with a good off switch. Velcro and want to be with their people. I would say they're fairly biddable but with a bit of an independent streak. 35-55lbs. Fur. They don't really require any grooming other than brushing out and checking for mats every 1-2 weeks, though I think they look better if you neaten up their feet and ears. For the amount of coat the males can have they are surprisingly low maintenance.

They are also reserved with strangers, unlike some of the sporting breeds. Watsons till loves to meet people, but at 2 years old he generally ignores them until I tell him to greet, or they make really obvious signs that they want to pet him. That wasn't the result of training, just his natural personality to be friendly but not over the top with new people. Some Welshies just really don't care about strangers at all. They are good watch dogs and tend to have a big bark for their size, but they don't tend to go on and on with the barking once you've confirmed there's nothing to bark at.

The only negative is that they only come in one color, but they do come in pretty patterns!

For other breeds, I think a lot of herding and sporting breeds fit pretty well, and even some of the hounds. The first things that came to mind are lab, golden, aussie, or even something like a redbone coonhound.

There's a Welshie in one of my classes that I actually really like (I'm not a huge spaniel person, don't care for most of the ESS that I see/interact with, but I like this Welshie a lot), and he is a lot more handler focused and more of a "worker" than the ESS I've met.

His owner says he's awesome to work with, but a total sh*t to live with. He is pretty take it or leave it with people, more interested in other dogs than he is people but still controllable, he lets me pet him to practice the CGC style petting, but he really could care less.

So, if Welshie's are like him, I vote that. And also I'd like one. He's soooooo handsome.

As much as I complain about Watson's ability to focus, I do think he's better than many ESS and even goldens at his age. Overall Welshies seem to have a more calm head on their shoulders than ESS, even when they are being nutty.

Watson is actually way better to live with than work with some times. He's calm around the house for the most part, with the exception of wild time in the evening. He's very cuddly and sweet. He is also more interested in dogs than people, unless it's his people. He was much more interested in strangers as a puppy and almost licked the judge in conformation on a number of occasions. Now he wiggles and goes to meet people, but usually gets bored with them after a couple pets.

You know, I've secretly had Watson envy for a while

Welshies really are gorgeous, and reading your posts about him, he sounds like a dog I could work with. Plus not too big or small, great temperament. They really do fit all the criteria and I always keep them on my radar.

They are cool dogs! I think most people who generally want an active dog with a good off switch, who is pretty velcro would get along with a Welshie. For the most part they are "easy" dogs without a whole lot of quirks, but with enough drive and energy to have fun with.

Tollers fit your bill nicely other than perhaps the colour... however depending on where you are its not something you need to worry about. You would likely have the only toller. They are not like your typical retrievers. Around here they often out number BC in agility. Amazing off switches for such active biddable dogs.

I also think tollers would be a good fit

I guess those breed selectors I played with have been kinda accurate after all! Tollers and Welshies, neat. Both really attract so far, now I just have to find a way to meet them one day.

Of course the SO now says he wants something "protective that an ill-meaning stranger would have to reckon with and never forget." What's with men and the big bad dog thing? I mean, protective is kind of in and out of my criteria because I wouldn't want to choose a protective breed whose temperament was way in over my head but I don't want a dog to say, "so even though this is the country here comes this weird guy I'm just gonna let him do whatever."

I'd never want to rely on a dog for safety but have deterrent breeds or deterrent temperaments in an area this remote has been shown to be more effective than alarms and pepper spray, thanks to some examples from neighbors.

A Welshie would bark at someone acting strange or menacing, and it would be a big dog bark. But they don't really look intimidating at all and they are very unlikely to back up that bark.

Aussies have a protective streak, but again they don't look the part of the big bad guard dog either.

Oh, and you're in Philly? There are a lot of Welshie people very close to you and Nationals is in Maryland in April next year. The PA/NJ area is a Welshie hot spot.

Oh awesome! Good to know, now I can snuffle out all the Welshies hiding around here.

I'm getting a better handle on figuring out the kind of energy I want in a dog, and just comparing it to my experience. In a way, Nina's energy comes across now how I've heard people describe some herders but she also had...gundoggy qualities too. All wrapped up in bully breed coating.

She had the ability to settle inexplicably well in the house. She would just lie down and her relaxed was flat out "I'm going to sleep." But if I did anything at all she was up on her feet ready to go, like, "SO MA, WUT WE GUNNA DO!" Very go go outside but picky. She wanted to do what she wanted. It didn't matter if I wanted to fetch and not flirtpole. "You're gonna throw the ball there? Cool I'm gonna pick it up and deposit it next to the flirtpole and now I'm dragging the pole with me." Despite wanting something in it for her she was pretty focused and eager to please in training. Very easy to get along with because she wanted to work with me and have fun, and even the reactivity would have been less of a hill without outside pressure.

The way she was so on top of her environment and just ready to face whatever it was that happened to be different (rustle in the bush, a thing moved, the dog looked at her) makes me think herder sometimes, now, but she had a variety of traits that would fit different types of dogs they seemed signature for.

Overall I think with the right dog I could do Aussie, Welshie, perhaps GSD if we want to go larger, and a few other breeds (don't know what they are yet). Most sporting dog energy is a little all over the place for me, and I like the focus of herders but I also like how some sporters like Welshies just know when lights out is really lights out.

Watson's mom lives in Bucks County and is having a litter in a couple weeks. I think they're looking for puppy buyers.

Just sayin'

Ohmygosh ohmygosh ohmygosh why'dyoutellmethattttt.

I could probably never convince my dad to let me have another dog in the house but it would be so perfect. Oooooh.

And it's kind of sad and funny at the same time because despite not being a dog man, he repeatedly asked me if I wanted to give up dogs entirely and that I could pick a smaller more mellow one but I went and got a cat.

I want.

Most natural big guardian breeds actually don't do much. They get between what they feel is a threat and there owner. Then generally block your path and give what they feel is a threat the hard stare. If the other still keeps coming they will give the big dog bark two or three times and stare. The threat needs to actually after the show, get within arms reach before they take it to the next level.

Well, the adolescents are exactly mellow. Haha. He would probably see a young Welshie and be like "this is the mellow dog you picked?!"

There are actually all kinds of people having litters this spring in your area. PM me if you're ever interested in talking to breeders and meeting dogs. They would be happy to meet if you tell them I sent you.

Oh definitely! Hopefully by then I'll have more range of transportation. I need a license and a car so I can get out into the dog world more.