Let's see what you think (breed recommendations)

Eventually I'm going to be ready to get a dog of my own (several years down the road) and I want thinking about what I'd like. Though I'll probably end up with a shelter mutt like it seems that I always do, I do enjoy pondering about which purebred dogs would fit my bill. Can you help me out?

I've listed the traits below in order of importance that they fit what I like (ie. temperament is crucial, looks not so much)

Temperament
-Human oriented (Doesn’t need to be the next Lassie, but I don’t want a dog that doesn’t even come to say ‘hi’ when I walk in the door or one that turns a blind eye every time I ask it to ‘come’ or ‘sit.’)

-Not prone to being shy or aggressive towards strangers inside and outside of the home (doesn’t need to be everybody’s best friend, but must at least ignore/tolerate other people)
-Good with other dogs and other small animals (inside at least)
-Good with kids, though it won't be living with them (at least while it's young).

Energy
-I want a weekend warrior; the kind of dog that will be ready to go when I want to go for hikes, long walks, or trips into town, but won’t be wired inside. My hikes aren’t terribly long (usually 3-5 miles) and I go when I can. I want a dog that will be excited (and able) to do things like that with me, but a dog that is also happy to lie by my feet while I’m watching TV or working.

-I also like to train tricks, but don’t want to be committed to a rigorous training schedule.
- I want a dog that takes everything in stride.
-I will let the dog out and walk it on a regular day and am happy to provide kong toys, bones, and training sessions, but that’s it.

Think of a middle aged sporting dog (5-8 years old)… the dog that sleeps during the day by your side until you tell it that something exciting is about to happen at which point it’s up and ready to go. That’s what I like. Medium energy is probably the best way to put it.

-I’m also not sure what my living circumstances will be, so I’d prefer a dog that is adaptable to apartment living and isn’t on most banned breed lists.


Noise
I don’t like barking. I can deal with a dog that barks when it sees another dog out the window or a stranger walking up the drive, but I absolutely do not want a dog that barks for the sheer joy of barking. To be honest, I’d rather have a dog that would let a robber into the house without a peep than a dog that barks at every Jane and John it sees.

Trainability
I don’t want a dog that thinks “what’s in it for me†every time I ask it to do something. On the other hand, I don’t necessarily need a dog that is constantly trying to figure out what it can do for me (woudn’t mind it, but not necessary). I want a relatively biddable dog, provided that I use the appropriate reinforcement.

-Prefer medium-soft dogs, but as long as I don't feel like I'm trying to train a pet-rock, I think I'll be okay.

Grooming
-I don’t mind grooming or shedding
-Don’t want anything too challenging, but I’m quite fine with a brush and a pair of scissors.

Size
-I prefer bigger sized dogs, but it’s just a preference

Looks
-I like long hair (but not Lhasa apso touch the floor long), prick ears and a sturdy build. But this is absolutely trivial when put next to all of the above comments.

My current list:
Newfoundland
Bernese Mountain Dog
Spinone Italiano
Greyhound
Shiloh Shepherd

I'd also love anecdotal stuff that you can tell me about the breeds that I mentioned above.

A golden would fit your whole list, I think.

First breeds that popped into my head were Golden Retriever, Flat coat retriever, and English shepherd

Thanks guys. My main concerns with most of the sporting breeds is their energy level as younger dogs. I suppose I could get an adult dog to begin with, but in the case that I did get a younger dog, I'd worry that they wouldn't be content with my lifestyle. Of course, our last family dog was a lab/golden mix and she was great, but I don't know if she was the exception rather than the rule. But I do love their demeanor. Worked with one at the vet clinic the other day and he was the most wiggly, lovey little guy. He literally just melted whenever we'd pet him. Belle (my old dog) was a barker though. Not like a sheltie or anything, but definitely not a quiet dog. She'd bark while chasing squirrels, bark at everyone that passed the house or came to the door, and bark whenever she heard a weird noise. She also loved to bark at motorcycles. Are most goldens and flat coats big barkers?

Sounds like Belle was mildly reactive. Lucy is the same way. It can be trained out with a little work and patience.

I'd worry about some of the dogs on your list if you're looking at apartment living in your future. Most apartments have weight limits (50 lbs is generous--most are 25 or 35), and nearly all have breed restrictions. The shepherd, the berner, and the newfie are all going to be difficult to find an apartment for.

Depending on the weather where you live and liking hikes I'd not recommend a newfie - hot weather is really tough on them.

Not just because this is the breed of my choice but I think a standard poodle fits all your criteria. Yes grooming is a little more than a brush and quick snip with shears but doing a short all over clip every 6-8 weeks with a little brushing in between times is pretty easy. They are ready & willing to be as active as you want but are also quite content to veg out with you. Training is an absolute joy. They are very friendly with adults & children and other dogs. Up until a few years ago we always had house cats as well and they got along great with them - actually the cats ruled the roost. Although when outside a squirrel or wandering, running neighborhood cat is definitely something to chase. They are a water retriever so they do love to swim if given the opportunity. Farley weighs about 65 lbs and Chloe is 50-55 lbs.

I'm not sure if he's the norm for the breed, but that sounds a lot like the Greater Swiss Mountain Dog I know. He's super super easy going with people and other dogs, likes to run around at the dog park but doesn't need a lot of exercise to be happy. He just loves his mom. I don't think I've ever heard him bark and she's mentioned how quiet he is before.

No prick ears and he doesn't have a super long coat, but he's a really sturdy well built dog.

How about a clumber spaniel?

Location? 5 miles in nice, cool weather isn't much for any dog (excluding some toys and bulldogs perhaps) but 5 miles in 100f weather, or below 0 can be trouble.

Greyhounds can be cold sensitive, and also prone to training difficulty. Shilo is going to get pegged as a GSD and banned from apartments. Berners have such huge longevity problems.

Spinones are going to be on the upper end of the energy scale, maybe not as bad as the retrievers, but they are pointers.

Formosan Mountain Dog? I have a friend with 2, and even though I think they may be smaller than you want, they seem to fit everything else. Very gogogo when you want them to be, but alright to chill on the couch with you when not. Their size would be more suitable to apartment living, too

I would nix the Flat-Coated Retriever tbh, but a lot of Goldens would probably be right up your alley...though you'd have to picky on lines. Wouldn't want a field bred one.

What about a Bouvier De Flanders. They seem to match your criteria pretty close. Emme actually does not bark too often. She can get a little barky when she is outside. But we are ok with that because she is a country dog.

Wow, thanks for all of the thoughts guys! Let's see...

Poodles were actually on our list before we got Boo. My dad read about them in some breed book and was set on a poodle. We went to visit one at the local animal shelter, but she'd been adopted before we got there. Definitely something to think about for the future.

I've never thought about Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs. Any reason why those might be better than a berner? I've been a fan of berners for forever.

Clumbers are the same as the Greater Swiss Mountain dogs. I'm not particularly a fan of spaniels, though tbh, they do sound like a good fit for me.

Never even heard of that other mountain dog mentioned. I'll look it up.

As for bouvs, I worry about their protectiveness. Are they very protective?


ETA: location. Where I am right now, we have hot summers (80s-90s) and coldish winters (20s-30s), but we're talking in the future once I'm settled into whatever I'm doing, so I don't have a clue where I'll be.

Bouves can be but not overly. I've had three Bouves and they have only been protective when they needed to be. All were great with people coming in and out of the yard ect ect. I could take these dogs anywhere and everywhere.

But if there was an actual danger for example. When my first Bouve Shadow was still alive a drunk guy came to out door at 3 in the morning. My dad answered the door shadow right away knew somthing was wrong. She never made a move, but held her ground with a stare and her body presence also a growl.

The guy knew that if he made a move towards my dad there was going to be trouble so he turned away really fast and left our place.

And this was a dog that never did that sort of thing.

Bouves are mostly big, fun goof balls.

My GSD/Sibe mixes fit every part of that bill actually. You can find ones that have lower exercise requirements than Lily has... I know Scout can be content with a couple walks a day and some fetch or tug. Its a pretty kick ass mix and I see them in shelters ALL THE TIME. THey aren't as obnoxiously clingy as I find sporting breeds to be, but they are definitely very loving and are always happy to see me. THey never bark unless something is seriously very very wrong or we're at training and they are working. OR if Scout is wanting another dog to play with her... part of that is not having the greatest upbringing for her breed type though. They are friendly to all (there have been very few people that Lily alerted on from the get go and she has been right every single time) and Scout is still gentle with kids even after being abused by and terrified of them. Given the crappy genetic pool she came from that says a lot.

A well bred West German working line GSD would also fit the bill. They are extremely nice dogs all around, just the complete package. Actually a lot of very nice west german and DDR(east german)/Czech/etc. cross working line dogs are being produced that seem to be a great balance between the various lines.

GSD's can be same sex aggressive as they mature out, but if you have two dogs of opposite sex you should not have a problem. And depending on the lines a responsible owner can easily manage several same sex dogs, BUT I wouldn't necesarily recommend it unless your collecting dogs for a purpose like working them in Schutzhund or SAR or something.

They do have high prey drive, but being raised around cats by a responsible owner it should pose no problem. I wouldn't expect them to be okay with strange cats necesarily though. But thats the same with any dog really.

Some are more barky than others it just depends on the lines, but if you are on top of things you can train a puppy to not be overly barky very very easily. If you'd rather have an adult or young adult, many times good breeders get back young adults who didn't fit whatever training for sport/work that the first placement wanted to do (for example a family friend got a two year old bitch of west/east german lines that had been raised with a littermate as an SAR prospect, she's now 12 and has had a great life as a pet/protector/therapy dog) OR you could get a retired brood bitch of 5yrs + for a very reasonable price. I've even seen dogs listed that were good with cats, etc.

There are obviously some really great dogs in rescue too, its just a matter of being able to know what you are looking for and having the dog really thoroughly evaluated beforehand. Also, a really reputable breeder can talk to you about what to look for temperament wise even if you go the rescue route and not the breeder route. Just throwing that out there.

If you end up getting a mellow male pup/adult and would like a female to go with him Scout my foster is still available to the right home.

I don't think Greyhounds do too well with small animals. And Newfs and BMDs don't have long life spans. I don't know about Spinone's or Shiloh Shepherds.

Have you thought about a Schnauzer? I don't know much about them but they seem to fit your list for the most part. Either giant or standard.

I also think Sibes fit as well. The ones I have worked with haven't been super "OMG HAI YOUR HOME!" But they aren't as independent and uncaring as people think.

Standard Poodles are great dogs, I can vouch for that. I've been raised with them (all my extended family has them) since birth. They love everyone and everything. But they aren't that 'omg wiggle till my butt falls off' type, if you know what I mean?

Though, I would worry about weight restrictions with actually all the breeds you listed. You might want to think about a smaller sized breed till you have a stable living place?

Clumbers are rather un-spaniel like. They're too big for the stereotypical bouncing and exuberance.

Thanks guys! Where to begin? I'm not a schnauzer person. Maybe I shouldn't say that seeing as I've only briefly met a few, but that whole "look" of dog just really doesn't appeal to me. I would definitely consider looking into shepherd mixes.

I will have to look into clumber spaniels.

As for greys being safe with small animals, it's really dependent on the dog. We researched that breed as well (before getting Boo) and the hounds are "cat tested" before leaving the rescue. Obviously, this only applies to indoor small animals, but I've heard of many greys coexisting quite happily with small furry friends. The only real issue that I have with them and small animals is that I would enjoy having a dog that could be let off leash and obviously I would have to give that desire up with a greyhound. Don't get me wrong, I know people have done it, but with all of the stories that I've heard, I wouldn't risk it.

News and berners do have short lifespans; however I don't know if that would be a deal-breaker for me. I like bigger dogs, and generally, the bigger a dog gets, the shorter its lifespan gets. It's a tradeoff. I absolutely understand the whole apartment thing with the size, though. Of course, by the time that I do get a dog, I'll know a lot more about my current (future) living situation than I can predict for myself now.

It seems to be a toss up as to whether a retriever is going to be a barker or not. Enzo RARELY ever barks. Seriously, I can count on one hand the number of times she's barked, and she lives with a dog who LOVES to hear himself bark.

Though, there are some Labs at work who love to bark, but I think that's more a lack of training on their owners part than them liking to bark. Most Goldens I've met have been fairly quiet dogs. Except for the energy, I'd look for a dual purpose bred Golden if that was my list. Even then it's possible you can find one who would be wonderfully happy in that situation, perhaps a puppy who isn't birdy.

Enzo is not a birdy dog. She's just a pound or two shy of fifty pounds, short coat. She sheds some, but not terribly badly. Her undercoat disappeared after we had her spayed and never came back in correctly. She does require a jacket here in the winter, when the weather gets into the teens. She's asleep under my feet and has been all day, but if I got up and got the bike out, she'd be raring to go.