Breed suggestions?
- Thread starter AliciaD
- Start date
Size: 60-90lbs, preferably under 27 inches, but I'm flexible.
Hudson is small for an English Shepherd, the whole litter is. They have a lot of Wilson line dogs in their past and I've heard Wilson line dogs can be small. he is 35 lbs, probably 19" - 19.5" at the shoulder. That said, earlier this year at the NE English Shepherd gathering, he was the smallest adult. The 6 month old puppies were around his size, but most of the adults ran 50+.
Hudson (little one on the left) is 13 or 14 months in the picture. His buddy Archie (on the right) is around 20 months. Hudson is 35 lbs, Archie is pushing 80.
Coat: Cold tolerant, I like fluffy dogs. Prefer to be able to take care of the coat myself, but am willing to go to a groomers if needed.
Hudson loves the cold. LOVES IT. Now that we have hit winter time, he thinks it's appropriate to have 20 minute zoomies outside. He has to wait until it's dark because the sun might warm him up too much. Crazy dog.
Health: Nothing particularly prone to health issues, or if there are health issues in the breed they can be avoided through proper testing and sound breeding practices (since I intend to go the breeder route).
MDR1 and hips are really the only thing. A lot of breeders that I've talked to, test both.
Energy Level: Can be a weekend warrior. Has an off switch. Can be chill in the home, but is also fun and active outside.
This is basically me, especially with winter knocking at our door. It's dark when I leave and dark when I get home. Hudson is pretty content most days to play fetch in the yard, or kick a ball around. I'm working from home right now and he is sleeping on his bed. He can get whinny if he thinks I'm being boring.
I tend to have a quiet life, go for a walk and play a game outside each day but other than that leave the hiking and lake trips for the weekend. I'd like a dog that can make trips with me to Farmers Markets, and tolerates strangers but is mostly aloof- I can spend a lot of time socializing the dog and making positive experiences. I like to do training, and want a dog that likes it too. I like guarding instinct, and one person dogs. I don't want to have to worry about dog-aggression, but I wouldn't rule a breed out if there's a small risk of DA. Must be able to live with cats, LOL
English Shepherds are suppose to be aloof with strangers. Hudson isn't aware of this, he's pretty sure most people were put on this earth to pet him and is shameless in his love of attention. I regularly have to tell him to get some self respect and stop wiggling on the floor. That said, we normally don't have visitors, but I'm home at my parents house right now. He does bark when someone comes to the door without any coaching. he started barking and both my dad and I looked at each other and told Huddy to stop it, there wasn't anything to bark about. What we didn't know was that my mom had just gotten home. Hudson thought we were stupid. Hudson lives with a cat. He does terrorize her some, but I think that's because she is very inconsistent with him. Sometimes she wants to play and others she would like to eat his face
Doesn't have to be great with kids, since I don't spend a lot of time with children.
Hudson does very well with my niece (2) who he has only met 3 or 4 times. he did great with my nephew (6 months) who he has never met. And by 'great' I mean he ignored the naked baby on the floor.
I love Chow Chows, but I'm not sure if Next Dog could/should be a Chow, so I'm perusing other options. I like other Asian Spitz types, like Akitas. I've also looked into and are considering Karelian Bear Dogs, and Gordon Setters. I'm actually liking Gordon Setters a lot now, but they're pretty different from what I usually go for so it might just be a phase,
Thanks![/QUOTE]
Basically, all of these things. LOL
Hudson is small for an English Shepherd, the whole litter is. They have a lot of Wilson line dogs in their past and I've heard Wilson line dogs can be small. he is 35 lbs, probably 19" - 19.5" at the shoulder. That said, earlier this year at the NE English Shepherd gathering, he was the smallest adult. The 6 month old puppies were around his size, but most of the adults ran 50+.
Hudson (little one on the left) is 13 or 14 months in the picture. His buddy Archie (on the right) is around 20 months. Hudson is 35 lbs, Archie is pushing 80.
Coat: Cold tolerant, I like fluffy dogs. Prefer to be able to take care of the coat myself, but am willing to go to a groomers if needed.
Hudson loves the cold. LOVES IT. Now that we have hit winter time, he thinks it's appropriate to have 20 minute zoomies outside. He has to wait until it's dark because the sun might warm him up too much. Crazy dog.
Health: Nothing particularly prone to health issues, or if there are health issues in the breed they can be avoided through proper testing and sound breeding practices (since I intend to go the breeder route).
MDR1 and hips are really the only thing. A lot of breeders that I've talked to, test both.
Energy Level: Can be a weekend warrior. Has an off switch. Can be chill in the home, but is also fun and active outside.
This is basically me, especially with winter knocking at our door. It's dark when I leave and dark when I get home. Hudson is pretty content most days to play fetch in the yard, or kick a ball around. I'm working from home right now and he is sleeping on his bed. He can get whinny if he thinks I'm being boring.
I tend to have a quiet life, go for a walk and play a game outside each day but other than that leave the hiking and lake trips for the weekend. I'd like a dog that can make trips with me to Farmers Markets, and tolerates strangers but is mostly aloof- I can spend a lot of time socializing the dog and making positive experiences. I like to do training, and want a dog that likes it too. I like guarding instinct, and one person dogs. I don't want to have to worry about dog-aggression, but I wouldn't rule a breed out if there's a small risk of DA. Must be able to live with cats, LOL
English Shepherds are suppose to be aloof with strangers. Hudson isn't aware of this, he's pretty sure most people were put on this earth to pet him and is shameless in his love of attention. I regularly have to tell him to get some self respect and stop wiggling on the floor. That said, we normally don't have visitors, but I'm home at my parents house right now. He does bark when someone comes to the door without any coaching. he started barking and both my dad and I looked at each other and told Huddy to stop it, there wasn't anything to bark about. What we didn't know was that my mom had just gotten home. Hudson thought we were stupid. Hudson lives with a cat. He does terrorize her some, but I think that's because she is very inconsistent with him. Sometimes she wants to play and others she would like to eat his face
Doesn't have to be great with kids, since I don't spend a lot of time with children.
Hudson does very well with my niece (2) who he has only met 3 or 4 times. he did great with my nephew (6 months) who he has never met. And by 'great' I mean he ignored the naked baby on the floor.
I love Chow Chows, but I'm not sure if Next Dog could/should be a Chow, so I'm perusing other options. I like other Asian Spitz types, like Akitas. I've also looked into and are considering Karelian Bear Dogs, and Gordon Setters. I'm actually liking Gordon Setters a lot now, but they're pretty different from what I usually go for so it might just be a phase,
Thanks![/QUOTE]
I think an English Shepherd would be a good fit, or, similarly, maybe an Aussie.
A female ES could fall slightly under your size preference (I find most are 45-55 pounds, but it is not uncommon for them to be more or less), but a male would most likely be 60 pounds or more.
Very cold tolerant! Easy care, teflon coat. No need for pro grooming unless you want to have them blown out when they're blowing coat.
Overall a healthy breed. MDR1 is not terribly uncommon, but a good breeder should test parents. It's simple in the way that a dog either has it, or doesn't I would personally hold out for a breeder that tests hips (either OFA or PennHip) as that is another ailment in the breed. Some working breeders don't test, but a lot do. It also might be worth it to ask your breeder if there's any history of seizures - they should have a good understanding of their dogs' bloodlines and history.
English Shepherds tend to have an AWESOME off switch! Even Quinn, who tends to be a little higher energy than many, has always had a very natural off switch that I've been sure to nurture. Like any breed, bad habits can be formed, but I would say that if you're careful to maintain that off switch, it does tend to be a breed trait.
Most ESs tend to be slightly aloof - at least, a polite disinterest in strangers/preference for their people. I have met a couple friendly ones (Quinn is like this, too), but for the most part I think most of them are fairly "eh" about strangers. Even Quinn, who loves just about anyone, will bark very seriously if anyone tries to come into the house uninvited.
Living with cats also shouldn't be an issue, especially if you'd be getting a puppy.
A female ES could fall slightly under your size preference (I find most are 45-55 pounds, but it is not uncommon for them to be more or less), but a male would most likely be 60 pounds or more.
Very cold tolerant! Easy care, teflon coat. No need for pro grooming unless you want to have them blown out when they're blowing coat.
Overall a healthy breed. MDR1 is not terribly uncommon, but a good breeder should test parents. It's simple in the way that a dog either has it, or doesn't
I would personally hold out for a breeder that tests hips (either OFA or PennHip) as that is another ailment in the breed. Some working breeders don't test, but a lot do. It also might be worth it to ask your breeder if there's any history of seizures - they should have a good understanding of their dogs' bloodlines and history.English Shepherds tend to have an AWESOME off switch! Even Quinn, who tends to be a little higher energy than many, has always had a very natural off switch that I've been sure to nurture. Like any breed, bad habits can be formed, but I would say that if you're careful to maintain that off switch, it does tend to be a breed trait.
Most ESs tend to be slightly aloof - at least, a polite disinterest in strangers/preference for their people. I have met a couple friendly ones (Quinn is like this, too), but for the most part I think most of them are fairly "eh" about strangers. Even Quinn, who loves just about anyone, will bark very seriously if anyone tries to come into the house uninvited.
Living with cats also shouldn't be an issue, especially if you'd be getting a puppy.