Still can't decide what breed to pick... Help?

[Spirit2010]

Well, I still can't decide... It is driving me crazy not knowing what breed! Ok, here is my profile on what I want.

Size-Medium or Small
Coat-not much grooming.
Grooming-not much, maybe a brushing occasionally
Health Problems-not many.
Training-easy.

Are there any breeds like this? Because I want a breed, that can supply me with this. A German Shepard Dog? A Lab? What? eek! I am soo confused! I don't know what to get! (yes, this dog is going to be a female, so it will be smaller than usual. ) sort of. lol. But, which to chose, what breed? I know it is up to me, but I would like some suggestions. Thank you for reading!

 

[bonster]

What about a mixed breed? A mutt! From a shelter?

I can understand wanting an easy to train dog that doesn't need much work, little grooming, will be healthy etc - but are you prepared in case you take on a dog and all your wishes don't come true?

 

[Spirit2010]

yep, bonster. I am. I know that, because of my Lab Hershey. We weren't ready for a puppy when we go him 6 years ago. But, my mom doesn't want a shelter dog, I tried to talk to her about it, she said "no" Poor shelter doggie. I wanted that first, before a purebred, believe it or not.

 

[MomOf7]

Get a LAB!!! LOL Im not biased or anything

 

[Spirit2010]

hehe, I am thinking now, German Shepard, for some reason. lol. And my buddy boy is a lab. lol, thanks! Still is not sure.

 

[RD]

How about energy levels. Do you want an active dog or one that's content to chill out in the house for most of the day?

 

[Laurelin]

hehe, I am thinking now, German Shepard, for some reason. lol. And my buddy boy is a lab. lol, thanks! Still is not sure.

I thought you said small or medium? German Shepherds are what I'd call a large breed dog, definitely not a small breed.

GSDs can have lots of drive and energy. I'd recommend looking at breeds you are interested in and comparing them to what you want.

 

[Spirit2010]

Thats true. O.O eek, will still look. I have noo clue, what I am going to want, I know that is one thing I forgot, but hey, everyone forgets things, once in a while, right?

 

[Brattina88]

http://www.k9country.com/perl/dogBreed.pl

try that quiz... I'll try to think of one

 

[Spirit2010]

No breeds were found. that match me. She wants a large breed. ug.

 

[Laurelin]

Holy cow! I take those tests a lot and always end up with breeds that I don't particularly care for. This one, I got matched to two breeds- Shelties and papillons. Talk about accuracy.

 

[ihartgonzo]

energy level? guarding instinct? dog sports/activities? kids? There are tons of factors that go into finding the perfect breed for you. =) I definitely suggest going to as many dog shows & activities as possible. You can meet dogs who are good examples of their breed, talk to the breeders, and get one-on-one contact instead of stuff over the internet. A lot of websites are biased about dog breeds, or don't provide realistic information... for example, a website with breed info might mention that Border Collies are high energy, but not get into just how much mental & physical exertion they require from their owner every day... which is lots. Once you narrow down your list of breeds, you can start contacting local clubs for those breeds and reputable breeders for more info.

 

[Laurelin]

energy level? guarding instinct? dog sports/activities? kids? There are tons of factors that go into finding the perfect breed for you. =) I definitely suggest going to as many dog shows & activities as possible. You can meet dogs who are good examples of their breed, talk to the breeders, and get one-on-one contact instead of stuff over the internet. A lot of websites are biased about dog breeds, or don't provide realistic information... for example, a website with breed info might mention that Border Collies are high energy, but not get into just how much mental & physical exertion they require from their owner every day... which is lots. Once you narrow down your list of breeds, you can start contacting local clubs for those breeds and reputable breeders for more info.

That's a great suggestion, when we were looking into getting our third dog, we were interested in a toy breed (looking into paps, min pins, and chinese cresteds in particular) and we went to a show and talked to a bunch of people and met a bunch of dogs. They were a lot of help.

 

[Shahrazade]

Hm.... what about a Welsh Corgi? Not that I'm biased or anything... I say as my Corgi mix fetches his squeaky tennis ball... Small-mid size, sheds but doesn't have a long fussy coat, higher energy level but not on par with a border collie or certain hounds, and very trainable in my experience.

 

[rottenrotti]

What a great pic... What do they look like as pups?

 

[Zoom]

What about the gun-dog group? Viszla, German Shorthair Pointer, German Wirehaired Pointer, etc. They are a little on the larger side, but are easy to groom and fairly easy to train.

 

[Shahrazade]

What a great pic... What do they look like as pups?

Which pic are you looking at?

 

[Dulce Pit Bull]

I would say a Boxer. But I think I already said that before. Maybe that was someone else.

How about a Chihuahua?

 

[Herschel]

Other than the small-to-medium bit, I was going to say Lab. (Well bred)

If you already have a lab that is your best friend, why do you need another dog? (I'm not saying you shouldn't have another, but what else are you looking for?)

 

[MafiaPrincess]

You have multiple threads going on sort of the same topic. I'm not sure which one you are checking..
I see you want to do conformation with your new puppy. Some breeds the ring is so competitive it's really hard for a newbie to break into, other breeds are more relaxed as to the behind the scenes camaraderie and nice or not so niceness. Some breeds will need an awesome mentor to help you learn to groom properly.
Seems like you are rushing it some. Take a deep breath, you don't have to choose this second. You might actually regret your choice if made too hastily. You'll love any dog you got because it would be your furbaby, but if you have specific goals, you may want to slow down a bit.