Dalmatians? (What breed should I have?)

[Romy]

Gordon setter!

That is all.

[nikkiluvsu15]

Originally Posted by milos_mommy

I think a viszla might be a good choice for you!

I think a Vizsla might be a little bit to high-energy for what she's looking for.

I always love to give out this youtube video - is it crazy that it makes me want my Vizsla even more?
Are you fit enough for a Vizsla ? - YouTube

Not that Harleigh is the normal Lab, but V's are generally more energetic than her. Especially when they are younger-younger adults.... energy galore!

Someone who has had Labs was asking me about a Vizsla not long ago and here was a bit of what I gave her - maybe it'll help you! (will not you miles_mommy, I'm talking about the OP lol)

However, compared to Labs they aren't THAT much different. They are more prone to be nervous and they ARE really energetic. Even a tad more energetic than Harleigh and she has some energy.

They are also like a Lab in the fact that they are definitely a "velcro" breed. They absolutely LOVE their humans and generally love everyone else (but do require a TON of socialization - more than many other breeds).

Overall, they are a pretty healthy breed. However, seizures and epilepsy are concerns for many. As well as hip and eye, bleeding disorders, skin problems and cancer. I'm not sure just how prominent they are, but they are a concern.

They are also a very CLEAN breed, meaning that they most times don't stink and they just keep clean.

Plus, the one thing that I absolutely LOVE about V's is that there isn't much of a "spilt" between the show/field world... generally all the breeders have tried to maintain the true Vizsla look and maintain what they were bred for.

One major difference between the two is that they aren't AS biddable as a Lab. However, they aren't as stubborn as many other pointer breeds and they are a VERY, VERY soft dog.

Here are some resources if you want to read a bit more about them (and just take a look at how gorgeous her dogs are - OMG ***9829;).
Annian Vizslas - A Small Breeder Of Excellence (the breeder I've been in contact with for a little while)
Vizsla Information » Moonlight Vizslas
Vizslas: What's Good About 'Em? What's Bad About 'Em?
Vizsla Health, Care & Health Problems

This is long, but very thorough. If you get the chance to read it, it is a very good read (and interesting... at least to me ).
http://vcaweb.org/download/Vizsla-He...s_Final-V3.pdf

(sorry for the novel, lol)

[~Dixie's_Mom~]

Thanks so much for all the help, and in-depth info!!!!

I'll definitely consider everyone's input! Thinking about it lately though, I think I want to stick with smaller dogs, for Chloe's sake. I said originally that I didn't want to do that, because it would limit what kind of dogs I can have in the future, but I'll cross that bridge when I get to it. Chloe's my heart dog, and one of the main reasons I want another dog, is so that she can have someone to play with, because she loves Violet and wants to play with her, but isn't allowed because of the size difference. So I think I'll probably end up going with a Chihuahua, or a small-breed rescue pup. (Around here there are tons of Chihuahua, Jack Russell, and Toy Fox Terrier puppy mixes in rescue.)

[milos_mommy]

I think that if you got the right medium-sized dog, there would be no reason Chloe couldn't play with them. I know you're nervous about her being hurt especially after she was attacked, but if the larger dog is socialized well with small dogs and is a breed not known for DA, prey drive, or being an extremely rough wrestler, I don't see why they couldn't wrestle, chase, or play bitey-face with a smaller dog. I know plenty of families with big X small dog combos, who play together very well (I also know a few who need to be CLOSELY supervised or who aren't allowed to play, but those are largely families with bully-type breeds, or dogs who wildly play with dogs their own size and don't have much experience with the little ones).

[~Dixie's_Mom~]

Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. Especially if it's a dog that's medium SIZED, but doesn't weigh much/has a lighter build, so it's not like...stepping on her and rolling over and crushing her when they're wrestling. XD

[nikkiluvsu15]

Yeah, Harleigh is 62-65 pounds and she absolutely LOVES small dogs. I just dogsat my friends Yorkie/Poodle mix and all they did for 3 days was play. lol

I think it not only depends on the breed, but also the personality of the dog.

[Dekka]

I know I say this all the time, but what about a whippet or LHW? They meet all your criteria. And likely safer than a lot of the terrier mixes with Chloe.

[HayleyMarie]

Originally Posted by Dekka

I know I say this all the time, but what about a whippet or LHW? They meet all your criteria. And likely safer than a lot of the terrier mixes with Chloe.

I was just going to say the same thing. A terrier mix is smaller, but they have a very different playing style. At least I know mine do, and they dont put up with alot of crap.

When Teagan plays its very rough playing, she can easily dish out what my 85 pound Bouvier does when they play.

[~Dixie's_Mom~]

Actually, a Whippet or Long haired Whippet sounds perfect! I think they're beautiful, and they do fit my criteria. Thank you Dekka!!!

Nikki: That is so cool! Yeah, Violet loves to play with Chloe, she just gets too rough. She does a lot of pawing while playing, and is very mouthy.

[Southpaw]

I think a "larger" dog could work just fine. Juno loves playing with small dogs and she's always been very gentle with them. Some breeds have distinct playing styles, maybe try to stay away from the ones that tend to like body slamming. It's not a guarantee--even Juno greatly prefers chasing over wrestling or other physical play--but its something to consider.

You'll probably find that your wish list will change though. The dog I thought I wanted a couple years ago is not the same dog I would want today.