Help Us Agree on a Breed!!

sillysally

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#1
DH and I have been discussing dog breeds since a couple of family members have added new dogs. The thing is that we have a hard time agreeing on a breed for the most part. I think I should have a bigger say since I am the one who does the exercising and training--he will if I ask him but not on his own--but obviously hr will be living with the dog too. He would prefer to own only one lab at a time and while he likes Jack, is not a fan of the breed in general. The only breed he has completely nixed are newfies--the drool and hair combo grosses him out.

We live in town in a roughly 1800 square foot house. We have a yard with a 6 ft privacy fence--I wouldn't call it large but it is big for a town yard.

What DH wants:

-an off switch
-nothing too small (think chi or Maltese)
-a dog that likes to be with their people but not constantly in your face
-a dog that is somewhat reserved with strangers, or at least not an over the top greeter
-a dog that is at least somewhat interested in pleasing its people, some hard headedness is ok with him but I think something that tends to blow him off a lot would annoy him
-good with kids


What I want:

-an off switch
-a dog that is not too likely to be nervy or shy
-a dog with a young lab or young pit bullish energy level--a bit less active than that is fine, but I don't know if I want to go much more active
-could at least be trained not to bother the birds
-I want to avoid dog aggression--it doesn't have to be a "ZOMG!!!! FRIEND!!!" type dog, but I would prefer not to have to crate and rotate and would like to be able to foster with minimal drama
-nothing super tiny or Dane sized
-don't want fila type guardiness, some guardiness is ok (but not necessary), but I don't want a dog that is going to take matters into its own hands (or mouth)
-the less grooming the better, but ultimately I would be fine with lots of grooming for the right dog
-some barking is for a reason is fine, but I don't want a dog that barks to hear itself bark
-a dog that is at least moderately biddable, I like biddability (or biddableness-lol), but its not necessary for the dog to be super-duper handler focused
-a dog that will be good with kids, as well as fine with kids friends that come over to play, etc.


Any ideas? I'm at a loss...
 

Catsi

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#2
Mmm... I'm not really good at these, but what about a Pointer? Yes energy levels are high, but maybe not as high as a lab or some of the other gundogs? My impression of them is that they definitely have an off-switch. But I think they fit the bill in the grooming, kids, lack of DA and biddability departments. Maybe someone with more experience with them could give you a better idea though?

Whippet - one of the more biddable of the sighthounds and certainly not known for DA. Not highly active either. Very easy care coat.
 
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#10
Aussie sound about perfect. Minus the grooming, but really, an occasional brush out is all you really need. The shedding can be rough, but the coat is actually pretty easy to care for.

They are biddableand usually non-dog aggressive. Can be aloof with strangers, but if well socialized are very friendly. They are tight-lipped dogs, so no drool, active, but usually with a good off-switch.
 

Zoom

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#11
I was thinking your list sounded pretty Aussie as well. You can find lines with more moderate coats than others, so you can stack the deck as much as is possible as far as easy coat care goes. They are/should be pretty wash n' wear anyway, but the amount of shedding/undercoat will vary by dog/line.
 

Saeleofu

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#12
-could at least be trained not to bother the birds
We have chickens and Logan's favorite passtime is staring at them. No barking, to lunging, just watching. And the chickens go up to the fence and watch him, too. It's adorable lol.


Aside from your requirement for not being barky, and your husband's requirement of not loving every stranger, a smooth collie would be an excellent fit. However, Logan knows that although he LOVES everyone, he is not allowed to solicit attention, and ignores people when we're out somewhere. Given permission to socialize, he's all over everyone lol. You can also train the barkiness out, though it takes a lot of work. As long as Logan gets a good amount of exercise or other stimulation (even riding in the car for a couple hours) he's quiet and calm. If he's stuck in the house all day he does get a little barky.
 
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#13
Minus the grooming, the dog described in your OP sounds exactly like a Jack lol. Although I don't think he's 100% typical of any breed, so that probably doesn't help you!

And as for the grooming, I clip him down every 6-8 weeks, quickly run a brush through him every couple days, and pretty much just leave him be the rest of the time. There is minimal to no shedding, and he doesn't really tangle or mat, either.
 
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#15
Aussie came to mind for me, too.

O'Reilly was totally wash and wear. He'd get so muddy I'd swear I was going to have to spend the next week cleaning him up, but he'd dry off and miraculously be spotless. Never seen anything like it! His coat was easy to keep up, too, just normal brushing and he was fine.
 

PetDogPro

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#16
Most of the Pointers that I’ve had have been quite active. Out of the suggestions I think the golden retriever is good for you and I kind of like collies too. An Aussie or Brittany may also work. I suggest looking at the dog’s individual temperament and personality. I have seen very calm pointers and off the wall crazy Goldens. Breed traits give us an idea of what we are getting, but we need to look at the individual dog to make the final decision.
 

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