Can anybody out there think of a breed with these traits:
- Minimal grooming (smooth or short coat much preferred. Hairless is ok too.)
- Minimal exercise requirements
- Not known for DA or SSA
- Friendly and happy with people and other dogs
- Eager to learn and willing to please
- Large (50lbs and over)
- Relatively healthy and known to live generally at least 10 years
- Not too noisy (doesn't want a dog that will bark at every little thing)
- Ability to be off leash reliably (no hounds)
This person wants a dog basically as a nice, easy to live with companion. She enjoys going to dog parks occassionally, but mostly this dog will recieve leashed walks and play time in the back yard. This dog will be taken to obedience classes, and while the person enjoys training, she has no desire to ever trial or compete in any venue in any way. This person is used to dogs that can be a bit head strong (Rottweilers, Dobermans) and can handle that, but mostly she'd be better with a dog who enjoys working with it's owner and is eager and willing to please. This person does not do well with dogs that are intense or high energy, and does not want to deal with aggression or reactivity if she can help it (will not get rid of the dog if it develops an issue, though). This person is a fantastic dog owner but is looking for an easy to live with dog in comparison to the dogs she has now, who are not a good match for her, but she makes do and loves them anyway.
Does anybody know of a breed out there that fits this description? I thought maybe a (show bred) Lab would be good, but she finds them very unappealing to look at. Not that that means they're automatically ruled out, but we all know that appearance does play a role in what we like to live with. I thought maybe a Smooth Collie would be good too, but I don't know much about their energy levels... and the barking might be an issue. Not sure how trainable they are to not bark at everything. The ones I've been in dog classes with seemed really easy going and nice to be around, though. Any suggestions or experiences you can share about any breed you feel fit the above description would be greatly appreciated! This person had a Rottweiler in the past that fit all of her requirements perfectly, but the Rottweilers I know now don't seem quite as laid back as she was.
- Minimal grooming (smooth or short coat much preferred. Hairless is ok too.)
- Minimal exercise requirements
- Not known for DA or SSA
- Friendly and happy with people and other dogs
- Eager to learn and willing to please
- Large (50lbs and over)
- Relatively healthy and known to live generally at least 10 years
- Not too noisy (doesn't want a dog that will bark at every little thing)
- Ability to be off leash reliably (no hounds)
This person wants a dog basically as a nice, easy to live with companion. She enjoys going to dog parks occassionally, but mostly this dog will recieve leashed walks and play time in the back yard. This dog will be taken to obedience classes, and while the person enjoys training, she has no desire to ever trial or compete in any venue in any way. This person is used to dogs that can be a bit head strong (Rottweilers, Dobermans) and can handle that, but mostly she'd be better with a dog who enjoys working with it's owner and is eager and willing to please. This person does not do well with dogs that are intense or high energy, and does not want to deal with aggression or reactivity if she can help it (will not get rid of the dog if it develops an issue, though). This person is a fantastic dog owner but is looking for an easy to live with dog in comparison to the dogs she has now, who are not a good match for her, but she makes do and loves them anyway.
Does anybody know of a breed out there that fits this description? I thought maybe a (show bred) Lab would be good, but she finds them very unappealing to look at. Not that that means they're automatically ruled out, but we all know that appearance does play a role in what we like to live with. I thought maybe a Smooth Collie would be good too, but I don't know much about their energy levels... and the barking might be an issue. Not sure how trainable they are to not bark at everything. The ones I've been in dog classes with seemed really easy going and nice to be around, though. Any suggestions or experiences you can share about any breed you feel fit the above description would be greatly appreciated! This person had a Rottweiler in the past that fit all of her requirements perfectly, but the Rottweilers I know now don't seem quite as laid back as she was.