Breed recommendations ...

I'd be curious what people come up with for me. I'm just musing over what other large breed out there could satisfy me if I couldn't have my Collies. The traits I'm listing are what my Collies currently give me, so it would be another breed that can compare ...

General:
Size: ~ 50-70 lbs
Height: min 22 in
Coat: Short, minimal grooming (will accept a 'groomed' breed, just don't want to brush daily or maintain a long coat).
Color: Don't want a solid colored dog - prefer some type of patterning.

Temperament:
Strangers: Aloof but warms up (with my permission).
Other animals: No unwarranted dog aggression
General appearance: Prefer a muzzle - no brachycephalics - and not too lippy. Want prick or tipped ears. No long ears, although a moderate drop ear is okay.
Guard/Watchdog: Want a warning barker, and if called upon, a dog that can defend me. I'm not looking for a PP dog ... but I don't want one that will run or cower either.
Athleticism: Able to do multiple sports ... versatile and athletic a must!

Other:
BSL: Can't do a breed common in BSL, so the bullys are out (as much as I love them ...).
Service work: As my Collies relatives and offspring have done service and guide work, I'd like a breed with potential to help others, though not a requirement ...


Breeds I've considered:

Bouvier
German Wirehaired Pointer
Wirehaired Pointing Griffon
Beaceron
Australian Cattle Dog

Breeds I'm not interested in:
Standard Poodle
(don't want hairy ear canals)

Belgians (Shep, Terv)
Australian Shepherd
(Fall into the 'too much hair' category)

German Shepherd
Belgian Malinois
(Too 'sharp' for me)



Soooo, let's see what you guys come up with!

BMC
mcnab
kelpie
redline airedale ( mogollons, less intense but still very good tough dogs compared to german & some larger dale lines)
thats off the top of my head, give me a minute to think about it.

The Airedale interests me - especially if it's a working line. I've seen some goofballs in the ring, but I know they've been used for large game in years past. Tell me more!

Edit - I just went to his website (googled redline Airedales). Are those smooth dogs or have they been shaved? A few of those smooth coated dogs took my breath away!

The McNabs and Kelpies may end up being too small ... don't they run 40lbs or less? Honestly, 50 lbs is really as small as I want to go ...

BMC = Black Mouth Curr, I assume? How's their non-hunting performance work? Are they focused enough on the handler for agility and obedience competition?

I was going to say Beauceron...

ETA: Pops, what type of hunting style do 'Dales have? The pictures of that site suggest they can both tree and catch?

Giant Schnauzer.. One of the most amazing agility dogs I have ever seen is a GS.

Colliewog
all curs are very handler focused & work to please you even if they aren't especially interested in what you want to do. so in that regard catahoulas would work as well and there is a LA state penn line used for mantracking. at least 1 cat has been PP sport trained. they are regarded by houndsmen as DA but mostly they just don't take any crap and wind up kicking the crap out of hound bullies.
mcnab & kelpies also can go as big as 50# so like any breed it's finding the line you want.
the dales come like the originals smooth, broken, & rough (also wooly like the show dogs).

Zoom
yes they tree & catch. they GENERALLY run silent like a cur and aren't necessarily cold trailers but if you're a good hunter who knows how to put the dogs where they can find a track they can run you'll catch more w/ gritty silent dogs like dales, BMCs & catahoulas.

Meg is a Mountain Cur (and far smaller than your requested size), but her handler focus is fantastic. She certainly has a decent amount of prey drive when we are out in the woods, but I can call her off most of the time (rabbits are her weakness) if needed. Her handler focus has actually been the harder part of agility for us - she can be tough to get obstacle focus and distance on. I had serious fears with the "hound" type image I had in my mind of what she would be like to work with, but she has far surpassed my expectations of her!

*pops her head in*
CHIHUAHUAS FTW!!!!!


lol j/k

I was going to say field bred lab

Yeah, a DanexChi maybe!

Labs aren't what I want watchdog-wise ... and that's pretty high on the list. The two Pointers I listed (WPG and GWP) are more aloof than most pointing breeds I've seen and not as timid, especially the boys.