Whoa, thank you for all the help, guys! Some of those sites I reviewed lightly last night, and from what I saw, I liked, so I'll take that as a good sign. I'll probably look at them more closely later, when I'm in more of a 'lurking' mood, I guess.
Alright, prepare for long winds ahead.
To make it a little clearer- My boyfriend and I should be renting a house with a yard this coming winter/spring, and we'd like to get another dog, for lots of reasons. I guess the two primary reasons are as follows -
*It would greatly help my dog's separation anxiety. And for a while now, I've generally just wanted him to have a buddy.
*My boyfriend wants his "own dog". We both "share" my dog, but he wants a puppy to bond with/train, etc. Don't worry- he'll be doing independent research, too, but he's going to be away, starting tomorrow, for four months working outside of a town with little to no internet connection, and little to no resources(small mountain town lacking free internet usage, with a teeny tiny little library). And since I'm super excited(and it's probably just a good/responsible idea), I thought I would start looking now. (Oh, and just for good measure - in the event that we should break apart, these dogs would both be going with their respective owner. ie - my dog comes with me, his dog goes with him. We are both really very civil people, and not the type of folks who adopt a dog as a symbol of their relationship, and then dump it later. We've both stated we would rather be homeless than give away a dog.)
We are currently leaning towards "purebred" rescues, though we'd like to check out the breeder scene as well. The rescue scene just feels better for us. However, talking to breeders just might be a good experience.
The three breeds we discussed were Australian Shepherds, BCs, and APBTs.
I currently have an Aussie, and we both couldn't think of a more perfect dog.
However, boyfriend is interested in a dog that is small and light(think lady BCs?), as Happy, our Aussiedog is a little stockier than his own preferences. And possibly even more active.
As for APBTs, this breed is beloved by both of us, and we understand how passionate and amazing these dogs can be. However, I feel like a shepherd's temperament would be more suited to our lifestyle, and I don't know if a terrier-style drive is something we're ultimately looking for. We also house smaller animals, so that could very well be an issue.
So, it currently looks like the lean is toward BCs. We both agreed we would rather have a 'pet quality' working dog(if possible?). Not only are they preferable for our circumstances, but we probably won't be showing any time soon(and by that, I mean never). I also believe my dog was from working lines, so I feel as though I have an idea of what working dogs are like.
So, we're looking for a sharp dog with high drive and high training ability. A dog that could possibly go on week-long hiking trips in various climates, with frequent bouts of various physical activities. Strong mental stamina with the ability to learn a myriad of tricks is also in the mix.
Again, thanks so much for all the recommendations and advice. We are also open to the prospect of different breeds, as well as
any advice for our situation. I'm a bit young and I've never dealt with actually going to a reputable breeder/rescue before, and I'm excited to do so. My only dog came to me at a young age, and I believe he was born from an Amish family farm who chose to breed their working dogs.
And seriously, if you read all that, gold star.