After loosing another puppy, a random bred mutt someone dumped in our driveway, I was torn between two ideas, #1 a GSD because I wanted a dog who I could do "agility" with and I'm a big dog person who already had one big dog still around, or #2 I didn't like the idea of having a dog that big IN the house (Maddy lived in the mudroom, she wouldn't enter the house, no matter how hard my father tried), so I was looking tentatively at Powderpuff Chinese crested, but they just weren't what I wanted. Then it sparked, and I started looking at Corgi's, and Pems in particular as my family thought Cardi's were hideous. Pems were perfect! They truly are a big dog, without the big dog height, and perfect for starting up in sports. As for similar breeds, as I said the only one really similar is the Cardi, and my family thinks their ugly compared to Pems, even though I was initially more attracted to Pems too myself, my family pulled the same thing with my next choice, as I was looking at other big dogs for after Maddy would leave, they immediately struck down Smooth collies, I later did too just because I can't stand the current state of their health (too much cancer, to short a life span).
After loosing Maddy I already had Beaucerons picked out but it wasn't easy. I started looking at truly large dogs again and instantly decided not to go with another Border collie or GSD because I CAN'T STAND the politics in the breeds, can't do it. I checked off the Aussie, Belgian Tervs/Sheepdogs, Rough collies, and other similar breeds because I decided I never want to deal with that kind of coat again on a daily basis! I've for a long time also checked off everything "bearded", I can't stand dirty beards! Makes me want to heave every time. Checked off everything under 20", I wanted a BIG dog, but not chunky big, between wanted an athlete and I prefer my big dogs tall not heavy. I also wanted another herding dog, although I quickly looked at the Japanese Akita Inu (more of a "looks" thing, than anything else), I like Dobies don't get me wrong, they're very similar in looks to the Beauceron (to which Enda gets call "Dobie and what?" by nearly everyone!) and they're great, but between not being a herding breed, and that short coat (I prefer my dogs fit my climate, COLD winters!), not for me. I ended up narrowing down to a few breeds, and actually didn't even to care to know what a Beauceron really was at one point, not until I actually found out by chance they were a herding breed, when it came down to them or a Kelpie, I chose the Beauceron because I also wanted to "show" my next dog as long as I was buying from a breeder again, and they were just going on full AKC recognition where Kelpies I still don't see them getting back into AKC any time soon. Oh, and I did look into the ACD for a long while, really got into them, but ultimately decided against one for two reasons. Biggest, that I found they're normal temperament wouldn't have meshed with Jinjo at all! And, if I got one it would have to be a rescue, because of how many were/are in rescue out here
. Don't think I'll ever even own one now though, unless a perfect little rescue does come along.