It's a bittersweet moment. My husband and I have been talking about for the last few days. We both hate to face it, but it's time to consider our next dog.
Our dearly beloved Voodoo has started showing some signs of aging. Voodoo is a truly outstanding watchdog and guardian--everything we wanted in our "working" dog--but now we have to see if there's a breed out there who can fill his shoes when he retires. We're talking about adding a new dog in 2-3 years. I figure it might take that long to find a breed and breeder that's exactly what we're looking for.
Here's what we're looking for:
- Natural guardian/watchdog instinct. That's the most important factor for us. Even though this dog will be a pet (of course!), we also require he/she to be a good protection or deterrent dog. If anything, we'd rather have a dog with too much of that drive than too little.
- Trainable. I don't necessarily mean super-intelligent. I mean a dog who is willing to work with people and isn't too aloof or independent.
- Large. We both love big dogs, the bigger the better.
- Not a heavy shedder. We can deal with moderate shedding, but nothing like a Newfoundland or Great Pyr.
- I don't like excessive drool. So no English Mastiffs, which is too bad. I love those big guys.
So far, we're thinking maybe a rottie, fila or bouvier. I've heard that Black Russian Terriers or Giant Schnauzers might be a good fit for us, too, but I don't know much about them.
Thoughts?
Our dearly beloved Voodoo has started showing some signs of aging. Voodoo is a truly outstanding watchdog and guardian--everything we wanted in our "working" dog--but now we have to see if there's a breed out there who can fill his shoes when he retires. We're talking about adding a new dog in 2-3 years. I figure it might take that long to find a breed and breeder that's exactly what we're looking for.
Here's what we're looking for:
- Natural guardian/watchdog instinct. That's the most important factor for us. Even though this dog will be a pet (of course!), we also require he/she to be a good protection or deterrent dog. If anything, we'd rather have a dog with too much of that drive than too little.
- Trainable. I don't necessarily mean super-intelligent. I mean a dog who is willing to work with people and isn't too aloof or independent.
- Large. We both love big dogs, the bigger the better.
- Not a heavy shedder. We can deal with moderate shedding, but nothing like a Newfoundland or Great Pyr.
- I don't like excessive drool. So no English Mastiffs, which is too bad. I love those big guys.
So far, we're thinking maybe a rottie, fila or bouvier. I've heard that Black Russian Terriers or Giant Schnauzers might be a good fit for us, too, but I don't know much about them.
Thoughts?