Suggestions for a short-haired, large breed dog

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#1
I am looking to get a large breed dog, anywhere from 75 to 150 pounds. I would very much prefer a dog that would be fairly easy to train, and get along well with other dogs (mainly toy breeds) and cats without having dominance issues, as well as that I would prefer a short haired dog.

I don't have the most active lifestyle, but that would easily change with a larger dog in the picture. I actually love to go for long walks but I haven't been able to due to not feeling very secure and an anxiety disorder, which is one of the reasons for my desire in getting a bigger dog. I have two chihuahuas and a cat, so any dominate dog breeds or dogs with a high prey drive will not work. I do also have my family visit, they bring their dogs when they come and I also petsit for them, all of their dogs are toy breeds, and my mother has a mutt that weighs about 3-3.5 pounds, so I'm a bit worried she might be mistaken for something else, which is why it's important that the dog has a low prey drive, of course the new dog would be properly introduced, however, that doesn't always mean one of the smaller dogs wouldn't be mistaken for something else. I have no problem training a larger dog, but I would much rather prefer an easier to train breed due to some of the complications with having other animals.

The main reason I would like to get a large breed dog is for a loyal companion, I do not do well at all around people, so I much rather prefer to have the company of animals. As I've said, I do like to get outside, however, my chihuahuas tire out quickly, so I'd like a dog that has the stamina to go for longer walks. I have a lot of free time on my hands so the dog will definitely not be deprived of attention. As far as finically, I'm very much able to support another dog.

From what I've read I like the idea of having a great dane, it seems like the breed would make a good fit, but I'd like some insight from great dane owners and I would like to explore my other options as well. I do really like the Doberman breed, but I'm not sure they would be a good choice since I read they're not great around smaller dogs, however, I'm not sure if that's true. I also really like bloodhounds, but once again, I've read they're not the best choice with small breed dogs. -- Bulldogs, mastiffs and hound breeds are a favourite of mine, if anyone could suggest a breed of the mastiff type that fits what I'm looking for, it would be appreciated. I know retriever dogs would probably be the number one choice, but I'm not a huge fan of them, I think I'd prefer a dog with a different look. Once again, I would strongly prefer a short haired breed.

Thank you for taking the time to read my post, and thanks in advance for any helpful replies, and I apologize about how long my post is.
 

Cold

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#2
Greater Swiss Mountain Dog? My friend has one along with a minituare schnauzer, and the two do great together, and doesn't have a problem with the various types of wildlife that he comes across in the yard.
 

Sparrow

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#3
I did think of Great Danes while reading your post. The ones I have met have done well with small dogs and don't seem to have really strong prey drive of the sort that would cause problems in your situation.
 

SizzleDog

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#4
Tons of Dobermans are actually very good with small dogs, but they're not a breed that matches your other requirements. They're also on the very end of your spectrum, size-wise. Neither one of my Dobermans is over 65lbs.
 

Romy

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#5
You should get a dog that fits your current lifestyle instead of planning to change your activity level once you have a dog. Puppies need the most exercise of all and they're not exactly bodyguard material.

That said, most breeds that are "lazy" are also more than happy to get active when you're ready to. Great danes are like that, though they can be extremely active as puppies. I'd urge you to look into young adult dogs that are starting to settle down.

What kind of training experience do you have? The reason I ask is because you want easily trained, but that means different things to different people. For example I think borzois are easily trained, even though most lists put them on the top 10 hardest to train. And German shepherds kind of drive me crazy. lol.
 

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