Next Dog Breed?

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#1
Hey everyone! Well, since we are moving to Texas in the months of May-June, there is a possibility of a new puppy coming to chaz in 2013! (but early 2014 is more likely) But, I need help deciding on a breed, so here we go:

My favorite breed is the GSD, and there is a possibility I may get one, but shedding is an issue for my parents. My mom dislikes germs, ahaha.

--low-medium shedding is best (but not mandatory.)
--The dog must be 50+ pounds
--I'm interested in either flyball or agility, though I'm unsure which
--I am willing to brush the dog daily, but I am not willing to clip fur
--We will be active (at least one walk or jog everyday, with many play times in between.)
--I don't mind a dog that learns a bit slower.
--I personally like dogs that like cuddling/human attention.
--Dog must be loyal
--I don't mind whether dog is wary of strangers or not
--Dog must be ok with other dogs (it will be socialized)
--Dog must be active, but with an off switch

I have experience with BC mixes, and GSD mixes.

Any suggestions are welcome :)
 
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#3
Thanks for the suggestion! I just read up a bit on English shepherds, and I really like what I'm seeing so far! :)
 

Toller_08

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#4
A Doberman might work as sort of a GSD alternative, except for the other dogs thing. Same sex aggression is common in the breed, especially among males, so they're not recommended as being necessarily dog park type dogs. But I find GSDs to be very much the same way in that regard.

Just based on my own dogs: I take them to lots of doggy social gatherings and I often take them to dog parks as well, always with an issue thus far. Both of my dogs, while not really into playing with dogs they don't know, are good with other dogs. Their breeder often has huge Dober dinners and there can easily be 13+ Dobes in her house and playing in the yard with seldom an issue (only seen two minor scuffles in 8 years). So it can happen. But they're not really a breed to go into if you're expecting and requiring a dog loving type dog, so it's something to be aware of. I find the girls tend to want to be "fun police" too, which is Keira, so I keep a watchful eye on her. She's not to an extreme and it's easy to get her to stop trying to control dogs' fun, otherwise her dog park days would be done. But I've seen other dober girls who are much more controlling and huge Fun Police type dogs who I would never take to a park or a big dog gathering.

Other than that, the Dobermans I've been around can be described as all of your points on your list.

They're:

- Low shedding (compared to a double coated breed anyway)
- Super attached and want to be with/near their people. Preferably on top of and touching at all times haha.
- Active/high energy but settle well and are pretty content with just doing whatever you're doing, whether it's something active or just a lazy day (as adults - puppies/adolescents can be trying)
- Can be good Flyball and Agility dogs, although honestly Agility scares me with Ripley. Keira's smaller frame/size seems much better suited/less risk for injury due to clumsy-ness.
- Between 60-80lbs on average
- Very trainable. A little more distracted IME than a lot of dogs, but they grasp things quickly once you find their focus and motivator. Can be a little hard headed sometimes and many tend to think a lot.
- Should be accepting and tolerant of new people. Most are aloof/reserved, but not in an unfriendly way. To a Doberman life really is all about their person and generally other people don't matter much to them. Mine will solicit attention from other people at home, because they can't resist a hand that pets, but they're definitely not in your face friendly type dogs.

I'm sure there are lots of other breeds as well that could work, and no guarantees that a Doberman is just the right one. Based on your list they hit what you want based on my own experiences, so I figured I'd toss them out there. And I know a lot of GSD people have been quite happy looking into Dobermans when a GSD no longer fit their lifestyle (usually due to barking or shedding and size is what I hear most often).
 
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#5
Yes I've heard of household SSA in GSDs. If you were to take them to a dog park / dog gathering-like setting, are they tolerant of new dogs? I'm unsure of whether or not we will be put into this situation or not, but just making sure.
If I do get another dog, it will be a male, since Crystal has mild SSA.

Thanks for the suggestions and information, I appreciate it. :)
 

Toller_08

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#6
Yes I've heard of household SSA in GSDs. If you were to take them to a dog park / dog gathering-like setting, are they tolerant of new dogs? I'm unsure of whether or not we will be put into this situation or not, but just making sure.
If I do get another dog, it will be a male, since Crystal has mild SSA.
Not sure if you were asking about my dogs are about GSDs... I'm assuming mine, but ignore me if I totally read that wrong haha.

My dogs are fine meeting new dogs, going to dog parks, dog gatherings, etc. Never a problem. My breeder's dogs seem more dog tolerant (esepcially same sex tolerant) than a lot of Dobermans, at least around this area and also compared to stories I hear on my Doberman forum. I would not allow another male to live in the house with Ripley permanently, as interhouse SSA is way too risky and common in the breed and especially in males, but he's fine meeting other males and having playdates with male dogs he also knows. Like I said, Keira can be a bit of a Fun Police type dog, but it's easily kept in check and mostly she just sniffs, does a quick tail twitch (Ki's version of a wag) and moves along without a care in the world. Ripley ignores a lot of dogs in the same sort of way, but he also loves playing with new dogs, male or female. My Dobermans are very dog social and I can say the same for 98% of the Dobermans I know from their breeder (of which there are many) regardless of their age or gender. But there are a lot of other Dobermans I'd never consider taking to parks or dog social gatherings. It greatly seems to depend on the dog, and perhaps lines too. I think if one considers a Doberman they should be aware that they may or may not get a doggy social type dog to take to parks and such. I feel fortunate that I can do so safely, although I also know that there could come a day that that could change, although honestly with my two I really don't foresee that happening based on them themselves and their relatives.
 
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#7
Yes, I was asking about Dobermans :)
Could SSA be prevented if I were to seek out parents that didn't show any SSA? I understand that it can't be fully prevented 100%, but would having parents/pedigree which lacks SSA make it easier to get a pup that won't develop it? I apologize for bombarding you with questions, lol.

(Please excuse typos, this was written on my cell phone.)
 

TahlzK

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#8
I feel like an idiot but what does SSA mean? I always see it and I don't know the meaning behind it.

Does it possibly mean same sex aggression?
 

crazedACD

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#10
What about some sort of Pointer? German Shorthair or Wirehair? Seems like they would fit the bill. Skye is some sort of Pointer mix and doesn't shed near as much as a GSD.
 
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#11
I know this is extremely picky, but I don't really prefer their look. :p I love their personality and everything (I've met a bunch of GSPs), but don't prefer the way Pointers look.
 

GraceTW22

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#12
If you are going to be in Texas, check out JP Yousha with www.chromadane.com - her dogs have done very well in dog sports, and she is a real force to be reckoned with when it comes to researching and ensuring the health of the breed, being the chairwoman of the GDCA Health and Welfare Committee. She co-bred Marlin and has been extremely supportive. I know a dane isn't the usual thought when it comes to a dogsport dog, but large, low shedding, enjoying activity but also happy to snooze on the couch, MAJOR snugglers, well.... You know where my mind went ;)
 

Toller_08

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#13
Yes, I was asking about Dobermans :)
Could SSA be prevented if I were to seek out parents that didn't show any SSA? I understand that it can't be fully prevented 100%, but would having parents/pedigree which lacks SSA make it easier to get a pup that won't develop it? I apologize for bombarding you with questions, lol.

(Please excuse typos, this was written on my cell phone.)
To be honest, I really don't know. I don't think there is ever any way to guarantee it. There's no denying that the breed is highly prone to SSA. I used my breeder's dogs as an example as just based on them it appears that SSA might have some genetic relation (since her dogs are pretty much all easy going with other dogs), but even with that, she refuses to sell a male puppy to a home with an existing male dog and she's also very picky when placing female puppies in homes with existing female dogs as a precautionary measure. Most breeders do the same, whether the litter's parents/relatives showed any SSA or not. It's just part of the breed.

So no, there's not really a way to prevent it. If there was, I'd probably be more apt to have more Dobermans in the future. It seems it's way more common than not just according to my Doberman forum. I just seem kind of fortunate that I personally don't know many truly SSA Dobermans and mine are not either. And the couple of SSA aggressive dogs I do know are only that way with dogs that live with them and are fine meeting new dogs. Life would not be nearly as much fun for my dogs or me if they were same sex aggressive because so much of my life involves being around other dogs and large groups of dogs and also, there is nowhere here really other than off leash parks to exercise them properly.

That's why I said that match everything on your list except perhaps the part about being doggy social necessarily. :)

Hopefully that's worded ok... it's kind of hard to explain.
 
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#14
So no, there's not really a way to prevent it. If there was, I'd probably be more apt to have more Dobermans in the future. It seems it's way more common than not just according to my Doberman forum. I just seem kind of fortunate that I personally don't know many truly SSA Dobermans and mine are not either. And the couple of SSA aggressive dogs I do know are only that way with dogs that live with them and are fine meeting new dogs. Life would not be nearly as much fun for my dogs or me if they were same sex aggressive because so much of my life involves being around other dogs and large groups of dogs and also, there is nowhere here really other than off leash parks to exercise them properly.
With the bolded part, that is what I've heard from in GSDs. They are fine with new dogs, and dogs in dog park situations, but don't tolerate dogs of the same gender living in the same house as them. Shedding and SSA are the only real cons I see with the GSD, and SSA is the only con I really see with a Dobie.

I'm really on the fence, at the moment. I've never really been extremely into dog events, and I'm unsure if I even will be with this future dog. I'll keep Dobies in mind, but the SSA is a bit worrying for me. Of course, it depends how many dog events are around my area in the first place.
 

milos_mommy

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#15
I wouldn't recommend a doberman for what you're looking for. A collie, either rough or smooth, came to mind.
 

monkeys23

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#16
I live with two GSD mix bitches. They get along with each other beautifully. The issues we had early on were resource guarding related to their RR boy buddies (Scout's owner right before me owns the younger one and her daughter the older RR/lab mix boy) and me, once we worked through that and they built a bond we've had zero issues. IMO none of the issues we had early on were SSA.

They are very social with other dogs both male and female and Lily has really helped Scout develop healther dog/dog social skills. Scout can be really unsure and also gets overexcited at times, but thats because she wasn't properly socialized as a puppy and she also tends toward being a sensitive girl genetically. The longer I live with Scout the more I realize how big an impact her first (very inexperienced) owner had on her early development.

My mini Aussie foster I had last year was a total douche to my parent's BC. Some BC's can tend toward SSA too... but my parent's dog Will is a super mellow and very social guy. The one we had when I was a kid was not at all social with other dogs, people/kids/bunnies/cats/horses yes, but not other dogs... but I suspect the zero socialization growing up had a big role in that...
Zack's (my former foster) new momma tells me he is still pretty douchey to other male dogs despite being neutered and having gotten a ton of socialization in the past year and change. Their only other dog is an almost 9yr old BC female though. There is a reason I didn't place him with people who had another male. ;)
 
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#17
I'm assuming smooth Collies shed as much as rough Collies, yes?

Thanks for the information and suggestions everyone. :)

At the moment I am really leaning towards English Shepherds or another German Shepherd. That could change, of course. ;)
 

Aleron

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#18
I agree with what has been said about SSA. I haven't have a Dobe but I have always gotten the idea their SSA issues were similar to GSDs in that it was more about dogs they lived with than dogs they didn't know. Except with males, some males are going to be manly with other manly males but that's true in a lot of breeds.

I'm assuming smooth Collies shed as much as rough Collies, yes?

Thanks for the information and suggestions everyone. :)

At the moment I am really leaning towards English Shepherds or another German Shepherd. That could change, of course. ;)
Smooth Collies shed as much as regular coated GSDs, if that helps. As long as you are getting a male, it shouldn't matter unless you plan to have 3 dogs in the future.
 
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#19
Smooth Collies shed as much as regular coated GSDs, if that helps. As long as you are getting a male, it shouldn't matter unless you plan to have 3 dogs in the future.
Thanks for putting that in GSD terms, :D After getting this 2nd dog, I won't be getting another until I move out, and at that time Crystal will be staying behind with my parents, since she is technically 'their' dog, so household SSA probably won't affect me much.
 
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#20
At the moment I am really leaning towards English Shepherds or another German Shepherd. That could change, of course. ;)
I've heard that English Shepherds aren't great dog park dogs, they tend to be bossy, if that's what you're looking for. Hudson is great with other dogs currently, but can get a bit annoyed when other dogs are too loud.
 

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