I don't think it exists.

Basenjis have strong snarky tendencies and certainly are not a breed traditionally considered willing to work with their owner.

What about Entlebuchers? I know you said it had to fit exactly and they are a bit heavier than your preference. Weight can be misleading though, as these dogs are the same height range as many others mentioned, such as whippets - 16-20". They are described as "cheerful", tend to get along well with other dogs, very devoted to their people, very strudy and love to work with their people. I have been totally impressed with what I have seen with this breed in agility.

FAQ

What a minute...I think the breed does exsist!

A Danish-Swedish Farmdog. They are an all purpose farm dog who have both herding and huinting instinct, good with people and other dogs, short wash and wear coat, have moderate head type, known for their trainability and are sturdy dogs fit your size range. And if you're a fan of terrier looks, they look sort of like a smooth haired terrier but they aren't

Is the Danish/Swedish Farmdog the right choice for your lifestyle?

ACD? Double coat though....

I knew Shibas had a thicker coat than a single coat, but I figured it wasn't as bad as a Corgi or GSD coat I stand corrected!

Sounds like a hound would fit the criteria.

WANT. There's a breeder semi somewhat near me too.....

LOL. They are cool, that's for sure. Why live vicariously? You should just go for it!

Forgot about this when I mentioned Beagles. They have a strong willingness to work, for sure. But they have their own work plan and nevermind yours. I found that inside the house, little Splash was very easy to teach new things to. Outside, where all the cool scents were, forget it. It was a real chore to keep his attention on my agenda. LOL.

I considered them and have been quite impressed by them as performance dogs. Very cool dogs

Why don't you just keep Katie, permanently?

You could shave Abe and take him!

Please please take him

German Pinscher was going to be my suggestion. I'm not positive how they are usually with other dogs, though. They're not in the terrier group, so I figured it was safe.

Or a dalmatian, although they can also have DA tendencies....and they're usually bigger than 30 lbs, but one on the small side could definitely fit the range.

I think beagles and basenjis are both too independent minded and don't have the "drive" that you mean by "drive".

I think I'd look for some kind of breed that ALMOST fit the requirements (like viszla, or boston terrier) and then search shelters for a mix that had the personality but was a bit smaller, less terrier-like, etc. Or decide what you could compromise on, for example, a viszla who was 35 lbs would be just about perfect, but they're rarely under 40 lbs....

Whats wrong with a short double coat vs single coat?

Working line Springer Spaniel. You can probably find one under 30. A Cocker would usually fall under 30lbs, but your options on coat length get narrower. Female Springers can be very light, and also have little coat.

This one would be too big, but it gives you an idea on coat possibilities. I wouldn't be surprised if it was single coated actually.

I thought the same about a Brittany but really, those Danish-Swedish Farmdogs seem to pretty much fit the bill.

Because she can't mingle with other dogs.


Husband said no to Beagles, Entles and DSFDs. Literally the ONLY breed I've shown him that he likes is the Portugese Podengo Medio, which only partially fits the requirement list... and mostly MY requirements. Heh.

Obviously we need to stay a 3-dog +1 foster household.... just the way I want it.

Just want to say that I think you should get a fourth dog. You have taken care of way more than four dogs, I think you can handle it.

Though honestly, it is just that I have puppy fever and I would love more pictures from you since your really great camera wise.

I think this is more of a case of not WANTING to handle it. There's definitely a difference between "handling" and "enjoying." I'm taking care of 8 dogs at the moment, but it will be very nice when it goes back to just my two

Adam's friend has one, and OMG does he shed. I was literally pulling handfuls of fur off of him one time, lol. Amazing personality, though.

Exactly. We were up to seven once... 5 personals + 2 fosters. It was stressful. I didn't like it.

Five was rough... four was doable.... but I'm really, really liking three. If we were to go back up to four, it would have to be a really special fourth dog.

And for the record, we will never adopt a foster dog - that's why they're fosters - they aren't here permanently, they are just here until their forever homes discover them.

You do realize that you just jinxed yourself, right? :rofl1:

Nope, LOL that was the agreement when we started fostering - absolutely no failed fosters.

But husband does like the look of German Pinschers, and I did manage to find a GP breeder whose dogs actually look nice, and they're fully health tested. SO we'll see.