This is maybe a year or two out. That way Rowan will be 8/9, so not too old, and Riff will be 3/4, so not so young and crazy!
- I prefer between 25-50 lbs, with 30-35 being ideal. Could go a bit bigger or smaller for the right dog, but nothing tiny or huge.
- Trainable, eager to please. I like intelligent but don't need it as long as the dog is relatively easy to teach. Rowan is problematically intelligent AND pretty easy to train; Riff is kind of dumb but also not very easy to train which I find to be a frustrating combo.
- I like a Velcro dog, but I have two dogs with SA already and am really tired of dealing with it. Ideally the dog would be happy to shadow me when I'm around, but be independent enough to handle being alone for periods of time (usually not more than 4 hours.)
- I really want an affectionate/cuddly person. I'm very touchy-feely and want a dog that can at least tolerate that, although I'd prefer they enjoy it too
- I want a dog with enough drive and "oomph" to enjoy playing dog sports, but I don't want a dog that is so go-go-go that they need a job all the time. I'm willing to sacrifice some drive for that; I'd like to put a few titles on the dog (agility, maybe rally) but don't need a real high end competition dog.
- MUST GET ALONG WITH OTHER DOGS. This is huge. Rowan has a very low tolerance for rudeness, so while there's certainly a training aspect on this requirement (learning boundaries, proper greetings etc) I really need an easygoing dog that is ok with Rowan being a little bit of a bossy punk. This one is a little hard to pinpoint because his favorite dogs and some of his best friends are cattle dogs/cattle dog mixes which are just as pushy and snarky as him. However they've all had good dog sense; they seem to read each other well and never push over each other's thresholds. The real problem is crazy, excitable oblivious dogs (like sweet Riffers) who has no idea how obnoxious he's being.
- I prefer a coat I can bury my fingers in, so like a lab's fur or thicker/longer is my preference. I could go for a smooth coat for the right dog, it's just not my favorite. High grooming requirements are ok, not my favorite thing to deal with but it's a compromise I'd be willing to make.
- Ideally will get along with cats in the house as well. I don't have one now but likely will in the dog's lifetime. They would never be left alone together, I just don't want the dog constantly chasing the cat either.
- Temperament with strangers doesn't really matter. I like anything from aloof to extremely friendly. Rowan thinks everyone is his best friend but I would be just as happy with a dog who didn't care.
- I'd LOVE a dog I could train to go hiking and stuff off leash.
I have a list of potentials, but I'm curious what you guys would suggest!
- I prefer between 25-50 lbs, with 30-35 being ideal. Could go a bit bigger or smaller for the right dog, but nothing tiny or huge.
- Trainable, eager to please. I like intelligent but don't need it as long as the dog is relatively easy to teach. Rowan is problematically intelligent AND pretty easy to train; Riff is kind of dumb but also not very easy to train which I find to be a frustrating combo.
- I like a Velcro dog, but I have two dogs with SA already and am really tired of dealing with it. Ideally the dog would be happy to shadow me when I'm around, but be independent enough to handle being alone for periods of time (usually not more than 4 hours.)
- I really want an affectionate/cuddly person. I'm very touchy-feely and want a dog that can at least tolerate that, although I'd prefer they enjoy it too
- I want a dog with enough drive and "oomph" to enjoy playing dog sports, but I don't want a dog that is so go-go-go that they need a job all the time. I'm willing to sacrifice some drive for that; I'd like to put a few titles on the dog (agility, maybe rally) but don't need a real high end competition dog.
- MUST GET ALONG WITH OTHER DOGS. This is huge. Rowan has a very low tolerance for rudeness, so while there's certainly a training aspect on this requirement (learning boundaries, proper greetings etc) I really need an easygoing dog that is ok with Rowan being a little bit of a bossy punk. This one is a little hard to pinpoint because his favorite dogs and some of his best friends are cattle dogs/cattle dog mixes which are just as pushy and snarky as him. However they've all had good dog sense; they seem to read each other well and never push over each other's thresholds. The real problem is crazy, excitable oblivious dogs (like sweet Riffers) who has no idea how obnoxious he's being.
- I prefer a coat I can bury my fingers in, so like a lab's fur or thicker/longer is my preference. I could go for a smooth coat for the right dog, it's just not my favorite. High grooming requirements are ok, not my favorite thing to deal with but it's a compromise I'd be willing to make.
- Ideally will get along with cats in the house as well. I don't have one now but likely will in the dog's lifetime. They would never be left alone together, I just don't want the dog constantly chasing the cat either.
- Temperament with strangers doesn't really matter. I like anything from aloof to extremely friendly. Rowan thinks everyone is his best friend but I would be just as happy with a dog who didn't care.
- I'd LOVE a dog I could train to go hiking and stuff off leash.
I have a list of potentials, but I'm curious what you guys would suggest!