Are you happy with your breed/dog choice?

Just curious. Chazhound is becoming slow and I like threads that answer questions and we seem to be lacking lately!

Obviously we all love our dogs, but for those of you who chose a specific breed (or breeds), are you happy with your choice? Would you do it again? Those of you with rescues or rehomes, are you happy with your choice in dog? Even those that did buy from a breeder, do you think the dog you ended up with was a good match for you (whether you chose or your breeder did)?

For myself...

I'm happy that we chose to get our first Doberman in 2005. It's hard to imagine that I've spent almost ten years with the breed! I love Dobermans, and he was a great dog. However, I think that we should have given some more thought as to where our next two came from. I love their breeder, don't get me wrong, but the type of dog that her last three litters produced wasn't really the best match for us. But I'm glad we ended up with the dogs that we did anyway. Keira taught me so much about what it is to live with a high demand, independent, devious dog. I wish I'd known more when she was a puppy and I think I could have accomplished many more things with her, but in her own right, she still grew into a fantastic dog and I miss many, many things about her. Ripley was kind of a whim and as much as I love him, he's definitely not matured into the bombproof, brave dog I thought he'd be. His suspicious, beyond needy, leash reactive, etc. A lot of work. He's super sweet and I do love him, but if I'm being honest, he's not really the right type of dog for our lifestyle. We make it work though. And most days it's really not work at all, just sometimes depending on what the situation is. I think I'd like another female Dobe someday, but not too soon. If it happens, she'll likely be the last though, and it'll be dependent on what else I have at the time. I think I'd enjoy a Doberman more if it was my only dog or one of two.

I am also super happy that I made a choice all those years ago to get a Toller. I still love them and always will, and while there was a small seed of doubt for a short while, I know that I will definitely have more. I didn't really end up with in Dance what I was expecting in some ways, but in many ways she's exactly what I'd hoped for. She's hilarious, always playful, happy, upbeat and has a never ending smile. She's also mischevious and naughty, which sometimes is a small problem, but it's also pretty cute. The only things I'd change about her is her weirdness with people and her grouchyness/zero tolerance for shenanigans toward other dogs as she gets older (but the latter to be honest seems to be a bit of a breed thing). So yeah, I might have gotten exactly the dog I'd hoped for if I'd gone to another breeder or had a different choice in puppy (Dance was the only one available), but I love my Dancey regardless and wouldn't trade her for the world. She's brought so much joy.

And I don't even have to say it, but obviously I am thrilled with my choice in getting Journey. There was a small period of time that I'd wondered what my life with a Koolie would have been like (or even another Toller - I'd come pretty close to a Toller puppy instead), but from day one I've never had a single moment of regret regarding Journey. To be honest, I think I love her a tiny bit more than the breed though. I'd absolutely love another Aussie, don't get me wrong, and I now love the breed in general... but would it be even close to another Journey? I'm kind of afraid that I might have set the expectation too high. I know I will definitely have another, but I'll purposely be seeking a relative for fear of a dog from a different breeder not being what I want. Journey and I have definitely had our ups and downs, and there is one thing that she does that I wish she didn't, but all in all she's amazing and I don't believe there could have been a better dog made for me if I'd chosen all the components myself. I definitely lucked out in that way.

I'm really torn as to whether my next dog will be another Aussie or another Toller. Guess we'll see when it happens. Probably another Aussie, but after that I'm sure it'll be another Toller. I don't really have a big desire to venture out to a different breed at this point.

I'm happy with Roxie, definitely. She's a challenge sometimes, and keeps me on my toes. I don't know where I'd be without her. I will always adopt her again, without a doubt. She really is a great dog and makes me laugh every day. The bad things are pretty tolerable, even though they're really frustrating. Roxie's really taught me a lot.

Honestly, having Roxie has really torn me up when it comes to NextDog. On the one hand, I am set on getting a retired Greyhound. On the other... I really want either a Boxer or JRT. I love Roxie's sighthound side and her Boxer-ish and terrier-ish side.

I think Roxie is a really good middle of the road dog, because I couldn't really decide exactly what I wanted when I got her. Any other dog, and I'm not sure I would be satisfied. As it is though, I am getting more ready to branch out towards other breeds, because I'd really like to have one or two more with Roxie. However, I'm just trying to really enjoy every day that I get with Roxie alone, because she really is the perfect dog for me and I'll never get her again.

Good thread idea!

For me, a Boxer was not a good fit, mainly for the lack of a reliable offleash dog. She's great, she taught me a ton, but I would not seek another. She's hilarious and fun, but also a witch and I can get those traits with an ACD. Ha! I will say, she's super bombproof and I never worry about taking her anywhere. I picked her carefully and don't regret my choice at all even if she isn't the cattle dog or border collie I had intended on. However, as I stated, I personally wouldn't seek another though hubs loves them so who knows.

Oh boy. Rider. Uh, I regret him. He's neurotic and nervous and very difficult to engage with. However, he had taught me so much about drive building and confidence stuff that he set me up beautifully for true ACD temperament. I don't think a puppy would have turned out nearly as nice without the experiences he face me. He's a super sweet dog and a major lover and when he engages and has fun he is a blast. I probably won't actively seek an adult rescue again, though (or a BC for that matter). If the perfect home ever came along for him, I can't say I wouldn't consider it as sometimes I think he would do much better in a low-key environment where someone had more time to further his socialization. He's also a fantastic snuggler.

No regrets on Tulsa, my choice to go breeder, or her breed. Breeder picked 2 puppies suitable for my wants, I chose better conformation over herding drive as I knew at this point in my life working cattle wouldn't be available. I'm grateful I got to spend time with her breeder and both her parents before getting her as I fully knew what to expect. The only thing I would change (goes for the breed as a whole) is more angulation in the rear. I think squid and I are going to do amazing things together and she is already my heart and soul. I cannot imagine myself with a different breed and if I only was allowed one dog for myself they would be it. My 6 years of research paid off, even if I go out impatient a few times.

Well, I got Jackson with this in mind: "I want my OWN dog and it has to be hypoallergenic since my stepdad is allergic".

LOL. It consisted of all of a week of me looking at puppies online and finding an ad for 8 week old Yorkie puppies in Baltimore City. $500 later and Jackson was in my arms.

I had an initial freak out moment of "what did I just do?" but honestly, once I got him home, we bonded right away.

I'll never forget when I went to my first Yorkie meetup and all the adult dogs were like 4lbs and 5lbs and here I come with this 9 month old 13lb monster lol. I had NO idea Yorkies were actually supposed to be that small.

So yeah I was clueless. Jackson is literally the perfect dog for me. Sure he has a few quirks I could do without, but overall, I can't even imagine a better dog for me and I'm so scared of getting another because I'm afraid I'll just never have that same immediate bond and my standards are really high now lol.

Would I seek out another yorkie? No. Most I meet are not really my type of dog. Jackson just happens to be kind of special. To me anyway. But I don't dislike Yorkies at all, and always get happy when I see another in public, and I enjoy looking at pictures etc. I wouldn't turn down another BYB-type Yorkie similar to Jackson in temperament if it was the right match. And I'll always hold a special place in my heart for Yorkies... well and Silky Terriers.

But I really have my eye on a few other breeds that I want to try that would likely happen way before I ever get another yorkie, if ever.

To me, Jackson is just one of a kind, and it still amazes me to think how quickly and easily I just went out, bought a dog, and lucked out for the most part. I'm way too paranoid about that now and question everything and analyze everything. Now I wish I had some of that ignorance back again haha.

Greyhounds are the only breed I have ever owned, though I have babysat and fostered others. Maybe it's just the dogs I looked after... But other breeds irk me to live with. Greyhounds are just so easy in the house. Low key, quiet, clean. Even Kili who is, to me, a total sh!t disturber, is reasonably easy to live with. They do not all meet my desires for training though, as a breed as a whole. Chosen carefully, however, they are pretty darn perfect.

I have no regrets in the individual dogs that we have. They both have their quirks and traits that drive me nuts, but they are still the right dogs for us and I can't imagine my life without them.

My next dog will also be a greyhound. I think one day I'd like a border collie... but I'm not totally sure if I'll ever get up the nerve to take the plunge into a different breed.

Well I don't really have a breed, but I'm more of a type girl anyway. And yes, I'm perfectly happy with our current dogs.

Nope. He's a rehome, and I hate the Lab/Springer HAPPYHAPPYHAPPY OMG ILU temperament. I hate the coat and the drool. Never. ****ing. Again.

I can honestly say I've never been happier with a dog before I got Chomper. Don't get me wrong, I love all our other dogs, but they never have really fit what I've wanted in a dog. Chomper is everything and more! I do plan to own Miniature Australian Shepherds for the rest of my life, I may have something else thrown in in time, but I'll always have his breed.

-Those of you who chose a specific breed (or breeds), are you happy with your choice?

I'm incredibly happy with my choice. I started out with wanting a golden, a much more typical dog SD prospect wise, but when I got further into owner training it was the trainers themselves that suggested a herding breed (since in their opinion, a more handler oriented dog would be more likely to alert or be more in-tune with me instead of the environment) which brought me to border collies, I met a few, I worked with some and something just didn't...mesh. The kind of quiet serious ones I met just didn't match my personality or how I trained, I kept thinking "Come on! This should be fun! It's ok!"...upon hearing that my trainers first instinct was "check out aussies"

From there I kept the whole herding breed option open, looking at breeders and individual dogs in breeding programs rather than breeds as a whole (which is pretty useless these days)
...and ended up with a breeder I'm so happy with who matched me with a perfect dog for what I wanted.


-Would you do it again? Those of you with rescues or rehomes, are you happy with your choice in dog? Even those that did buy from a breeder, do you think the dog you ended up with was a good match for you (whether you chose or your breeder did)?

I would definitely do it again.
Merlin is a perfect match, personality and temperament wise. And I think he is a gorgeous dog. His breeder waits a long time before matching pups and it's a process but I believe it truly is for the best.

We have our ups/downs and moments of uncertainty, especially because I had NEVER owned a high energy breed or such an exuberant large breed. Living in the city in an apartment especially. There were moments early on of "is this the right thing? Who raises an aussie in an apartment?". I had Kenya the GSD at my parents home with a huge yard, and Romeo the tiny lazy chi lol

He is happy and devoted and SO HAPPY and always ready to learn and do something fun, but settles down and is happy to cuddle and laze around. I'm very happy with him.

We faced some mild dog reactivity. Two behaviorists later I discovered it was a ME issue and the kind of hectic environments I was pushing him into was causing it and making the issue worse by how I dealt with it once he was showing signs of stress. Working through that together was a big deal.

Will I have aussies again?
Like Devan, I'm not sure. Especially because the litter won't be repeated, I don't know if another one could measure up :rofl1: I don't think I'll ever be the person to have more than one dog at once, but if I did I don't think I could resist another aussie as long as it was a Merlin relative or from the same family

I love JRTs. Dekka has been the dog of a lifetime. The bestest most awesomest dog to walk the planet Ok I could be a bit biased...

But I am very picky and don't love ALL JRTs. When Kat was killed it killed a lot of the passion I had for really doing JRT things, so that and life changes my next dog won't be a JRT (as seen in other thread)

I will always have a JRT I think. They are just such fun dogs. They meet you on your level and don't have a subservient bone in their body. I think doing dog sports with JRTs has made me a better trainer.

Watson is the first dog I got to choose for myself, and the first time I've had a dog that wasn't a miniature schnauzer.

I love the breed. They are just good, sweet, fun, happy, crazy dogs. I wanted a dog who was velcro and cuddly, and the breed embodies that. He's also cuddly without being in your face and obnoxious about it, which I love. He is good with people, good with most dogs, and just generally easy going. He is definitely higher drive than I expected, and he is not always an easy dog because he is a wild child and can be quickly overstimulated. Convincing him to do things my way sometimes takes a lot of creativity, but he is always fun and always sweet. He's also super easy in the house. Every couple months I notice he's matured even more, and I think he will be just a super fantastic awesome dog in another year or two. He has so much personality.

I will admit that there are some Welshie traits I see that I don't want in my next dog. Some are shy, and some are reserved out in public to the point of being shrinking violets. I love dogs who have a spark to them and are a little crazy, so I will choose the breeding of my next dog carefully. I'll probably end up with a female either from a Watson litter, or from one of his relatives.

There are some herding breeds I want to try, but I can't really imagine getting a sporting dog other than a Welshie from now on.

Obviously we all love our dogs, but for those of you who chose a specific breed (or breeds), are you happy with your choice?

Yes, both for the Flatcoat and the Bordercollie. Not all dogs of either breed would be a good match for me (a lot of FCRs are too scattered or goofy or low-key or just too big for me even if they are still high drive on the general dog spectrum; BCs even more so but add in tendency toward extreme reactivity and OCD) but the dogs I have and the lines they are from are exactly what I love to see in a dog.

Those of you with rescues or rehomes, are you happy with your choice in dog?

Absolutely. I got really lucky with both Kim and Webby. And when they get bored with whatever crazy thing I am doing, the younger two are always happy to pick up the slack . Both Kim and Web are such clever, uniquely awesome personalities who have taught me so much, made my life infinitely better, and with whom I have shared more laughs than I can count.

In some ways they are less well suited to the path my life ended up taking: Kim in terms of softness and structural soundness, Webster in terms of how he holds up to pressure and structural limitations. The personality traits we worked through and all threw of us were better and happier for it, but the structure issues are something else entirely and the reason Kim was effectively retired at only five years old. Both are sound now and I'd like to keep then that way into old age...and for Kim especially that goal is not compatible with agility competition.

Even those that did buy from a breeder, do you think the dog you ended up with was a good match for you (whether you chose or your breeder did)?

The breeders matched Mira and I and they nailed it. Drive that just doesn't quit, level head, incredible focus, very people oriented, honest, biddable (for me anyway, apparently she develops selective honesty with others), athletic, loves laughter and smiles and thrives in the presence of joy and returns it tenfold. Although to be fair I think at least one or two of her sisters also would have been a perfect match haha.

Lodin was the only puppy available when the breeder called but she predicted, and was absolutely correct, that even if they had all been available he would have been my first choice. He's also exactly what I was looking for: endless drive, clear headed, sensible, creative, athletic, incredibly socially stable, cute as a button...haha.

Would you do it again?

Yes. But not any time soon

I am going to have a really rough time deciding between a Flatcoat and a BorderCollie next time around. Which is fortunately very very far off. A lot will depend on who is breeding who at that time, and whether I want to add a boy or a girl (no boy FCRs). And I am open to the right rescue dog as well.

Rescue:
I would absolutely get Leo again, every single time. He is the absolutely perfect border collie mix for the first time owner.
-High energy but with an off switch
-Biddable but not OCD
-high toy drive but not obsessive
-super smart but not naughty/destructive
-soft, but not overly submissive. He does not shut down easily and forgives right away.
-quietest dog I have ever met

Sure, there were times that I despaired a bit in the beginning, but only because I was a first time owner and wasn't confident in myself as a trainer. But we worked through a lot, and most of his "issues" are very very minor. He is "leash reactive" but all he does is occasionally pull and bark, usually only before he has been exercised. He "resource guards", but its only a small growl and only for bully sticks when he knows that I am actually taking it away (I learned to trade).
Basically, he is the perfect dog to make mistakes on and still turn into a great dog. I think I am a decent trainer, but definitely not perfect and definitely could train better, and yet he is a pretty **** well-trained dog. I basically never take treats with me on outings, and yet he has evolved from a puppy who would ditch me for a dog he spotted 100 yards away with no recall, to a dog with whom I can play Frisbee with off-leash at a human park, with 100% confidence that he will not go say hi to a dog 10 yards away, and that he will recall every time.

I would definitely also get another border collie, because I like their type. But now that Leo has been so perfect, I would be really picky and only get the border collie best suited for me. Looking to go with a purebred puppy next time though, so that might be tricky.

I know what you mean about the breed vs your particular dog. I think there are some amazing individuals within the breed, but I've met some real duds too that would steer me away from the breed completely if I didn't have firsthand knowledge that they're not all like that.

It's no secret that I think Cohen is kind of awesome. She's well behaved in the house. She's never once gone into the garbage or stolen anything off the counter. She alerts at the doorbell but is easily quieted. She's friendly towards select people and largely indifferent to anything else. She's hugely food motivated and her toy drive is coming along nicely. She has a wonderful work ethic. We've dealt with some dog reactivity, she's not dog social and she's quick to excite, and when she's excited she barks. A lot. She doesn't settle particularly well in the house, but I think that's more my training failure than anything. My husband would prefer a quieter, calmer version.

My family got into Aussies by accident. We decided we wanted a puppy, we found an ad in the paper advertising Australian Shepherds and we went to go see them without having the first clue what the breed was. The farmer/breeder chose our puppy for us and we ended up with the calmest, most laid back Aussie I had ever met.

When our first Aussie died, my father was contemplating another, or a border collie. I talked him out of a BC since I felt they were too intense for what he wanted. So Aussie it was!

I was the one to choose the breeder. My dad was the one to choose the puppy. I liked a cute white-headed mismark, but he was drawn to the busybody with the nicer markings. Looking back, a BC would probably have been no more work than Cohen. She was a crazy puppy. My dad passed away and she became mine.

Cohen is a great match for me. She's introduced me into the crazy world of dog sports. She's always by my side and she's always up for anything I ask of her. However, I'm looking at BCs as my next dog because I pretty much want a dog like Cohen but just a bit more. Faster. More intense. But with a better off switch! I've been keeping tabs on localish Aussie breeders and none of them are breeding the type of dog I'm really interested in.



As for Megatron, would I do a chihuahua again? Hell no! Not my kind of dog at all.

She was a pet store purchase, bought as a gift for someone's aging mother. She was "gifted" to my husband's family when the aging woman decided that the dog was too much for her. But this was after Mega spent the first year of her life gated in a kitchen with no contact with the outside world. She immediately bonded with my husband in her new home, so, years later when we married, Mega and he were a package deal.

She's barky, anxious and sound sensitive. At home she values comfort above all else. She hops up onto people's laps (except mine) uninvited. She has been difficult to house train. She's reactive. On the plus side, she's hugely food motivated, is fun to play with in short spurts, she's actually pretty fun and spunky outside of the house, and she's come leaps and bounds since I first got her.

To her credit, she's a much better dog now than she used to be. I'm just not one for lap dogs. People seem to think that the most appealing part of owning a lap dog is having a dog in your lap, and that just isn't for me.

I'll preface this by saying that Tucker is not mine, he was never intended to be mine, he's mostly mom's. But I live with him, he's a family pet basically.

I love Tucker and he's taught me so, so much about fear and aggression that I can't imagine I'd have ever learned without owning a dog like him. He's also the first puppy I've lived with since I was a small child, so I learned a lot about puppies too. But I can't exactly say I'm glad we chose him, I mean I'm glad we got him instead of someone else who would have returned him (or worse), but he's aggressive and it's hard to live with. I would never rehome him though, we love him and he loves us. His life is good, he wouldn't be better off in most other homes. I would have been devastated if they had decided not to keep him.

We got him as a 10 week old puppy from a rescue without meeting him first. They are fostered in the south and transported up once they are adopted. Mom chose him based on looks and size (she needed something small, with her physical issues she's basically like a 70 year old). I wanted to avoid terriers for the most part because of the cats. At 10 weeks I didn't really think to be worried about his temperament, I've always found puppies that young to be fairly generic and they didn't say anything about him being shy or anything on petfinder. Mom insisted on a puppy even though I thought an adult would be better for them. She wanted to "raise him right" to make sure he didn't get any behavior issues. Mom now recommends that everyone get adult dogs

He's stranger aggressive and has bitten two people, luckily without breaking skin. Our house is an official "do not knock" house with the post office. Having people over is exhausting for me and stressful for him. I don't get to enjoy the guests, I manage the dog. I let mom manage him once and someone got bit. If it's one person it's not a big deal, I can still be in the room with the guest and relax, but if it's a party it can be pretty awful.

He's dog aggressive, basically the same as with people, if he gets to know the dog he's wonderful (he LOVES his dog friends and is very appropriate and socially competent with them), if it's a stranger he is aggressive. This makes walks more difficult. It's not that big of a deal, what's a bigger problem is he barks when dogs walk by the house. After having Max who was silent, like barked three times in his life and it was one or two halfhearted woofs silent, it drives my mother insane. If he has a really bad barking day it can put her in tears. I don't think the barking is really that odd, lots of dogs bark when dogs go by their house, but it's the number one behavior issue as far as my mom's concerned. The one okay thing about it is I think we'd still be able to get him used to other dogs if we had to. Like if I got my own dog I think he'd be able to be friends with it if we introduced them carefully. In fact I think he'd really like another dog to play with.


All that said he's not really a BAD dog for my parents, as a house pet. As a puppy he was too much but now he's really good. Not destructive, moderate energy, not terribly demanding, not aggressive towards anyone in the home for the most part (he guards his vomit a little), house broken. If he wasn't aggressive he'd be just about perfect for them. His only other issue is he is controlling with the cats, he gets over aroused if they try to play or fight, but it's improving with training and I have little doubt we can get that under control. If he wasn't dog aggressive we wouldn't have the barking and then he'd be excellent in the house. I still have hope we can work through the dog aggression, well the reactivity part. The human aggression is a problem but is such an infrequent problem that it doesn't really bother my parents that much.

If he were MY dog, the aggression, both dog and human, would be a major issue. I want dogs that I can take places, that's very, very important to me. If I can't bring it anywhere it's like having another cat, not a dog. He's also not anywhere near affectionate enough for me. It's a good level for my parents. Dad doesn't cuddle, mom likes a morning snuggle but does not like a dog demanding affection when she's doing something else. I like a dog that would literally snuggle for hours and want more. Tucker likes a few minutes of petting and then he's done. So not my preference. I like dogs who are head over heels in love with you, absolutely adore you and want to be interacting with you every chance they get. He just doesn't really satisfy my dog needs. I can't bring him places, he's not that into affection, and for some reason he's not that fun to train. I could own him without regret if I had a second dog that DID satisfy those needs, but right now it's almost like not having a dog for me.

So no, he wasn't a good choice for my parents or for me. They can't handle his aggression and I sort of can now (neither bites occurred while he was under my control FWIW) but wish I didn't have to. His behavior otherwise is fine for them but you can't ignore the aggression, it's kind of a big deal.

This has not turned me off of rescues, I will likely always get shelter/rescue dogs, but I will NEVER buy a dog without meeting it again. I will also most likely never get a puppy, I did not like puppy Tucker one bit. My parents won't own another dog, they really don't have the energy for it and have discovered they are much more cat people. The cats give them all of the affection and entertainment they want without having to do the chores of training, taking out, exercising (which I love but they don't). Though I will say mom likes Tucker the most of the animals on an emotional level because he likes her more than the rest of us, none of the other animals have ever chosen mom as their person and you can tell she really likes that Tucker loves her so much.

I have never really loved just one breed, and have been on a quest to sort of figure out what I like.

Rottweiler was not a terribly good match. Loved her, but she was too large and not as light and athletic as I like. I don't think I'm a good match for large, powerful working dogs.

JRTs---had three poor examples of the breed, and while they were extremely funny and full of personality, they were too tenacious and moody. And I'm super particular about what they look like. Will likely never own one again.

Lab mix, Jackie Loo -- I'm happy with the dog, he was a great "first dog" for me and could do everything I wanted (except he was born dog reactive and has zero dog social skills and he's too short legged and heavy to be terribly athletic). I will likely never own a Lab (or mix therof) again.

Crossertons - He was kind of a whim and we really lucked out. He's been the perfect addition. He's totally crazy, super active, willing to try anything and likes to cuddle. I want a pack of Crossbones.

Which leads us to next dog, which will be my first breeder dog. We chose Rat Terrier because they have the look, size and fun, bubbly, active personality that we love about Crossbone without his no-touch, snarky shyness. I've yet to meet any RTs from this particular breeder, but I've seen many videos, lots of pictures and heard from lots of happy puppy owners. I hope that it's sufficient and we end up with a good one!

Obviously we all love our dogs, but for those of you who chose a specific breed (or breeds), are you happy with your choice? The two specific breeds I chose were my Ibizan and my Xoloitzcuintli. I'm very happy with my choice.

Would you do it again? Definitely. My next Ibizan will be coming from a breeder though and will hopefully be the start of a new line that I'm going to be working on with the breeder (who also happens to be one of my closest friends). I will definitely definitely own another Xolo as well. I'm going to end up showing Itztli a little as well and if he turns out to be a really nice example of the breed then pending health tests he may end up being bred once and I'll end up with a puppy from that litter. That's not my priority with him right now though so it's just a thought in the back of my head and something my breeder and I have discussed.

Those of you with rescues or rehomes, are you happy with your choice in dog?
I guess I can answer this since three of my dogs fall into this category. Bamm- I'm happy with him and not happy with him if that makes sense. I love him and I would cross mountains for him, but if I had it to do again I probably wouldn't have adopted him since he truly isn't the best match for me. He is a very anxious dog. I'm a very anxious person. We have a tendency to really bring out the anxiety in each other. Cricket- I got her from RD when Grace still lived in Mexico. I would choose to bring her home again a thousand times over. Never have I had a dog more perfect for me. She's my heart dog through and trough. Joey- I love him and he is a great breed for me, but sometimes I wish I had held off and stayed on the list I was on to get a puppy from a breeder. He's a fun corky dog though and I'm definitely happy with him.

Even those that did buy from a breeder, do you think the dog you ended up with was a good match for you (whether you chose or your breeder did)?
Itztli is the only dog I've purchased from a breeder. He is still a puppy though so I don't know if I can answer this fully just yet, but so far he is proving to be exactly what I wanted. My breeder chose him for me and I think she matched us well.

With the papillons it is complicated.

Summer has been a great dog, lots of fun to have and the best intro agility dog ever. She is so fun to work with and has been a total joy to own. Makes me sad she's getting older.

Mia... I love that dog so much. I am so sad about her health though. She is without a doubt the funniest, most obnoxious, and most wonderful dog on the planet. I just wish she was healthy.

I don't know that I'd get a papillon again to be honest. I don't even know at this point if I'd ever get a breeder dog again... Maybe. I'm a little burnt out between Mia and a lot of friends' dogs that have had issues. I feel like I like the idea of well bred dogs but not so much the practice? In practice my mutts and BYB dogs have been healthier and more stable temperamentally. Or at least I've had terrible luck and it's worn me out a bit. But on the other hand, I love paps and they're so wonderful to have around. I am not sure I CAN be without them. But realistically they are too small and too likely to be not dog friendly for me. But so fun to train and so nice to own... I don't know.

As far as Hank goes, I'm super happy with him so far. But he is young and it's been a week so.... I don't expect him to stay the same as he is now. He is a better size for me than the paps are. He is more dog tolerant so far and more confident. Not as worried about physical things. He has a lot of drive to play and a lot of energy but is well rounded and just nice to be around. Super confident and friendly with people. He is very very handler focused. Very athletic. Super trainable. I really really like him a lot. At this rate, he has the most wonderful temperament of any dog I've had.

I could definitely see myself going with another young adult rescue/rehome/shelter dog that appeals. I feel like I had a decent checklist going to get Hank. Obviously time will tell but he's fitting me well.

With three of them I sure hope so.

Sometimes I think about getting another breed but I really have no idea when I ever will. I keep hoping I will meet a nice guy who has border collies. TA-DA. At this point and with our plans for the future with Payton, and then hopefully with the next dog after that, I just don't know when I'll ever be looking at something besides a sheltie.

Yes. At the time in my life, my breed choice was perfect. My breeder selected Eve for me, and her choice was fantastic. I have never regretted this dog, and I regret everything I've ever done at one point or another.

Now that I've entered that horrible stage of life where I work full time for almost no money, and have no time or money to devote to dog stuff, I'm extremely glad I got my bc while I lived at home. There is no way I can envision myself being able to get a new dog again in the near future. Guess that means eve needs to live forever.