Does such a breed exist?

I'm not planning on getting a new dog at the moment. My life is in too much flux. But I am starting the process of looking for my next dog. My next dog will be trained to assist me as I have hearing issues that are getting worse and I am looking to go back to school so I will want help with that as well as sensory integration issues that cause me to 'overload' and zone out. The dog will be trained to help me get out of an area with a hand signal. I also love dog sport and will likely do flyball, agility or canine freestyle with this dog, depending on which clubs I like in the new area I'm moving to.

I'm a high energy person who is moving from Canada to Texas, so I'm really not sure what breeds would be best in that kind of climate. Here is my wish list!

1) 20-40 lbs.
2) Able to be taught tasks such as pawing or nosing when my name is called, when a baby cries, when a car horn blares
3) Able to recognize when I've been still too long and nudge me then and/or help me get to an escape route.
4) Athletic enough to keep up with an active human who is interested in dog sport
5) Should go without saying, maybe, but biddable. I don't wanna be fighting the dog to want to do what I want.
6) Voice must be non-screechy. So no mini schnauzers or any of those voiced terriers.
7) Heat tolerant.
8) Prefer a coat that is soft to the touch or a nice flat coat like a hound.
9) Would prefer a dog that's not overly social but that isn't massively territorial either.
10) Prefer a dog that is relatively good with children, provided good socialization occurs.
11) Purely aesthetic and not necessary, but I tend to like dogs that are either very leggy (danes, italian greyhounds) or very stub-legged (corgis, vallhunds).
12) Dog must have a face. I prefer dogs with a decent amount of snout.
13) Durable and healthy--minimal known health issues within the breed.
14) Preferably not too stunningly beautiful. I have a Dane now and flashy dogs are not my thing because they attract douchecanoes.
15) I LOVE pit-types but because of rental restrictions where I am moving to it would make it very hard for my partner and I to find housing, so I would prefer to avoid pit-types, as much as it breaks my heart to be moving to a place where they're legal and not get one.

Edit to add: And I should add that I want my dog to be incredibly happy with my lifestyle. My dane has never been able to keep up with me, even when he was a baby.

Just some thoughts that popped in my mind.

- Standard poodle: Towards the upper end of your identified weight range with soft coat, also matches other aesthetic preferences you mentioned like legginess, long snout, etc. It's an intelligent breed that could learn the things you have explained. They're generally good with children/people and can do agility!

- Shetland sheepdog: Definitely an intelligent dog able to excel in all dog sports. They aren't leggy but they fall within your weight range and have a soft coat.

- Golden Retriever: I consider them to be middle of the road in every category. I think they're great dogs even if I'd never own a retriever-type dog. They're awesome family dogs, they can be fun active companions and I think they can fulfill the needs of so many different people/lifestyles. I feel like they mould to what their owners are (as with more dogs, but I find Golden's especially) (ETA: I know they are larger, but they're just one of those breeds I don't consider "big")

Deckers rat terriers, without question, a nice one would fit your goals.

One of our members, Lizzybeth, trains hearing dogs professionally for a service dog organization. From what I understand they use all different breeds and mixes from whippet mixes to great danes.

It's such a specialized set of tasks and requires such specialized abilities that they look for individual dogs who are stable and sound enough to do the work vs. working with a specific breed. Hopefully she'll see this thread and chime in. I think she said that when she's screening shelters for candidates that only about 1 in 1000 is considered.

Edit: because I fail at grammar

Responding to each suggested breed not to be an argumentative jerk, but because feedback helps narrow things down more and helps you learn more about what I'm looking for.



Standard poodle is definitely one I'm looking at. They're not my favourite in terms of head shape, but I do like their coats and I've always wanted to dread a dog.

It may be a regional thing, but most of the Shetland sheep dogs I've met have been really nervous and skittish. I don't know if we have a rash of poor breeders in the area or if this is a breed trait. If it's just the region I grew up in/live in now, then I would be much more interested. My dane is a skittish, terrified creature and I'd like something a bit more bold.

I don't like how much golden retrievers shed and they're much larger than I want. I really want to be able to pick up my dog in an emergency and I'm a small person. I also saw a dog come off an a-frame onto the owner's head once and both parties were injured, so I'd like something small enough I could conceivably catch it if it flew off an a-frame onto my head. 40 lbs is my limit for what I can catch.

Rat terriers are one my partner keeps recommending and that is on my list.

If the dog is going to be a service dog and you're in the US, breed is irrelevant when it comes to housing, thanks to the FHA.

OP, I second the SPoo suggestion, unless, as the PP said, you can take advantage of moving out of this god forsaken province and of the exception to the rental rules for service dogs and get a pit. ;-)

Have you looked into Patterdale terriers at all? They're pretty awesome and fit a lot of what you're looking for as well.

My partner is in graduate school and we don't know where she's going to end up working in the US when she's done and there's a possibility of the UK. Her field is very specialized, so we don't get to choose and we could be moving several times at the very beginning of her career. Unfortunately, several municipalities have upheld breed bans when service dog handlers appealed so it makes me reluctant. I want a pit so bad, but it's not appropriate until we find out where she's going to end up. I don't want to end up in a city with a breed ban and have to exist on the outskirts only and not be able to go into town, either. The dog after the one I'm starting to look for now will more than likely be a pittie type, once we're settled enough to have our own house in a known safe town.

And I will look into Patterdale terriers (Also I really wish that this forum had a like option, because you guys are coming back with AMAZING feedback! I really hope to become a member of this community, you guys are awesome!)

1. Dreading a dog sounds epic!
2. Aren't standard poodles pretty **** huge? They're not pick-up-able!

Smaller standards are on the borderline of where I want to be, I think, and I DO want a female, so I figure if I either rescue a smaller adult who has a good personality or get a female from a smaller line, I can probably stick within my weight range or within 5 lbs. I can always lift a few weights for 5 lbs of extra lifting power, but 10 lbs or more would be too much.

Having had two DRTs, both were from a hearing dog program (kennel clearing due to a divorce), I recommend them and can answer questions if you have any.

Standard Poodles are any Poodle over 15", however most from Standard lines are going to be bigger to much bigger. For your needs and wants, I'd probably look more at larger Minis and less at Standards. A nice medium sized Poodle I think Minis have better overall health, SPoos are sadly, often not a very healthy or long lived breed.

I'm afraid a corded Poodle would attract LOTS of attention LOL. Of course with Poodles, one benefit is your dog can go from fancy to looking like some kind of pointer mix or terrier mix or a Kerry Blue or...or... with just a hair cut.

Shelties are known for barking and yeah, shyness and weirdness about stuff can be pretty common, so probably not LOL

What about that middle size? Not the minis, but the mini/standard mixes? I can't think of the name - Midi, maybe? My understanding is that it is a recognized subset in many countries, but not the US. There are however breeders here. We have one in our agility club (with her tail! I love it!) and she's a super size - probably 18" and I'd guess about 30 lbs? Maybe even a bit under. She's Meg's height, but lighter and leggier in build. Very cool dog (and a smoking fast agility dog).

I like mini poodles in agility more than the standards. Or at least the ones I've seen have been faster and seem to jump smoother.

Shelties are great dogs but can be rather soft. Shyness is not uncommon. It depends on the individual and line really. There are some very bold dogs out there for sure. My first two Shelties were absolutely not shy or timid at all. But they both had awful awful barks.

I think they are called kleins or moyens, depending on where you are. And yeah I agree they are such a nice moderate size

The klein Poodles would be the size you want.

Or you could just get a Border Collie.

Moyen is the term I had heard. Where the heck did I get Midi?

I'm not opposed to a poodle, but they're definitely not my favourite. I really don't like taking dogs to groomers regularly--I never even remember to get my own cut. I get my hair cut down basically to a short pixie and then get around to getting it cut when I can put it in a ponytail. That's part of why I'd pretty much have to dread it. Once the cording is done, it's relatively easy to maintain at home. But it *is* a lot more flashy than I want. I'm definitely interested in more animals with coats like the rat terriers. Does anyone know if a Viszla would be appropriate, it's a breed my partner had mentioned?

DRTs are definitely a strong contender.

Vizslas aren't 20-40lbs and they ARE stunningly beautiful...