Have you looked into the Bouvier De Flanders at all?
They might be somthing to look into.
My personal experiance has always been a positive one with the breed.
- Medium to Large sized (between 40 - 120 lbs)
They can range from 80-100lbs give or take. My females have always been 80 lbs and our late male was about 110 lb, but he was huge
- High drive, but with the ability to easily settle. I do not want a dog with nervous energy or a dog that is constantly "GO GO GO". I need a dog that can quickly switch off, content to lie on the couch when it is hailing outside, or when I am sick.
They are very easy to settle. Ok to just lay around and cuddle on the couch with you. Emme my present Bouve is not a nervouse dog but not a hard dog. She is more in the middle. Very Biddable.
She is also high energy and likes jobs to do. She goes hunting all day on the farm. And she thinks its her job to protect her yard from the coyotes and other unwelcome animals.
She is only a year old so she still has alot of maturing to do
- I appreciate a dog that makes me laugh, but overall I prefer serious dogs. I am not a big fan of "bouncy", perpetually goofy dogs. Emphasis on "perpetually", I like a dog that can be silly, just do not want it 24/7.
Emme can be bouncy at times. She loves to play and chase you around and chase her around, but she in no way a lab type of bouncy. She settles down quite easily. My late female Bouve was very seriouse and took her job of protecting the farm and her childern very seriouse.
But again Emme still has a little while to mature and grow
- I can deal with a relatively vocal dog, but one that can be easily trained to be quiet. Barking when people knock on the door, vocalizing to demand rewards, etc. is not a problem, but my neighbors used to own a Sheltie and that was too much for me.
Bouves seem to be very guardy. My bouves have never been barky, only when there is coyotes barking or someone drove into the yard. We also train the dogs to bark at the door when they want inside instead of scratching at it.
- Low maintenance coat. I can deal with any amount of shedding, but would rather not have to take a dog to the groomer's regularly (bathe and brush the dog at home and be done with it).
Bouves dont shed very much, its not noticeable at all. The coat can grow curly and you would have to devote daily brushing to keep the matts out. We just cut our dogs short. Kinnda like a schnauzer cut in the summer and let it grow out in the winter. Wash, rinse repeat.
- I cannot deal with excessive slobber. German Shepherd slobber is more than enough.
- I need the dog to be okay with children and cats.
In my experiance my dogs have been awesome with children. Loved them and worshiped them.
- Handler/owner oriented, I do not want a dog that believes every person with a treat is his/her new best friend.
Emme loves alot of people and is friendly towards them, but my past Bouves pretty much ignored strangers.
But They all have been very very handler orientated. Very focused on you. Emme learns very fast and listens very well. She is always focused on you.
- Fairly biddable ("eager to please").
Pretty much explains the Bouver
- I am okay with dealing with same sex aggression and a dog that does not do well at the dog park.
Bouves can be SSA or DA. That is what we are dealing with right now with Emme. She is great with my dog, but strange dogs are there to kill. But she is coming along nicely since her handler focus is so good. Its easy to snap her out of wanting to eat other dogs lol
They might be somthing to look into.
My personal experiance has always been a positive one with the breed.
- Medium to Large sized (between 40 - 120 lbs)
They can range from 80-100lbs give or take. My females have always been 80 lbs and our late male was about 110 lb, but he was huge
- High drive, but with the ability to easily settle. I do not want a dog with nervous energy or a dog that is constantly "GO GO GO". I need a dog that can quickly switch off, content to lie on the couch when it is hailing outside, or when I am sick.
They are very easy to settle. Ok to just lay around and cuddle on the couch with you. Emme my present Bouve is not a nervouse dog but not a hard dog. She is more in the middle. Very Biddable.
She is also high energy and likes jobs to do. She goes hunting all day on the farm. And she thinks its her job to protect her yard from the coyotes and other unwelcome animals.
She is only a year old so she still has alot of maturing to do
- I appreciate a dog that makes me laugh, but overall I prefer serious dogs. I am not a big fan of "bouncy", perpetually goofy dogs. Emphasis on "perpetually", I like a dog that can be silly, just do not want it 24/7.
Emme can be bouncy at times. She loves to play and chase you around and chase her around, but she in no way a lab type of bouncy. She settles down quite easily. My late female Bouve was very seriouse and took her job of protecting the farm and her childern very seriouse.
But again Emme still has a little while to mature and grow
- I can deal with a relatively vocal dog, but one that can be easily trained to be quiet. Barking when people knock on the door, vocalizing to demand rewards, etc. is not a problem, but my neighbors used to own a Sheltie and that was too much for me.
Bouves seem to be very guardy. My bouves have never been barky, only when there is coyotes barking or someone drove into the yard. We also train the dogs to bark at the door when they want inside instead of scratching at it.
- Low maintenance coat. I can deal with any amount of shedding, but would rather not have to take a dog to the groomer's regularly (bathe and brush the dog at home and be done with it).
Bouves dont shed very much, its not noticeable at all. The coat can grow curly and you would have to devote daily brushing to keep the matts out. We just cut our dogs short. Kinnda like a schnauzer cut in the summer and let it grow out in the winter. Wash, rinse repeat.
- I cannot deal with excessive slobber. German Shepherd slobber is more than enough.
- I need the dog to be okay with children and cats.
In my experiance my dogs have been awesome with children. Loved them and worshiped them.
- Handler/owner oriented, I do not want a dog that believes every person with a treat is his/her new best friend.
Emme loves alot of people and is friendly towards them, but my past Bouves pretty much ignored strangers.
But They all have been very very handler orientated. Very focused on you. Emme learns very fast and listens very well. She is always focused on you.
- Fairly biddable ("eager to please").
Pretty much explains the Bouver
- I am okay with dealing with same sex aggression and a dog that does not do well at the dog park.
Bouves can be SSA or DA. That is what we are dealing with right now with Emme. She is great with my dog, but strange dogs are there to kill. But she is coming along nicely since her handler focus is so good. Its easy to snap her out of wanting to eat other dogs lol