Breed Info/Suggestions

My husband and I are looking to add another dog to our household, but we've been stuck on what to focus on for a while now. Every week it is a different breed, breeder, or shelter dog. We know, roughly, what we want, but without any actual experience with some of these breeds, it's making it rather hard to decide. We don't mind going either route - breeder or shelter - and we aren't in a rush, we just want to make sure we find that perfect fit.

We are USAF, and some breeds are obviously banned on base....Akitas, Pitbulls/Bully Breeds, Dobermans, Siberian Huskies, Wolf Hybrids, Rotties. Yeah, Siberian Huskies are banned. But not Malamutes. It's an interesting list. Zander was Grandfathered in, and also put "under the table", listed as a Husky, but not what kind of Husky.

Anywho, our requirements. Some of you may have already seen this on another forum:

Aesthetics:

• We like big dogs, so something over 40lbs and 20in would be awesome. Medium-sized snuggler that can hold their own against Zander and my clumsy feet wouldn't be terrible, though.
• I'm okay with grooming, but if it can be avoided I'd like something that doesn't take hours to do. Wash and wear would be nice.
• DH has a weird thing with wire-haired/beard/mustache dogs.

Personality:

• High energy; This dog will be our running partner and Zander's playmate. Easily 3 hours of hard exercise a day. An off button would be nice, though.
• Loyal; For once, I'd like a breed that doesn't run off at every opportunity!
• Smart/Stubborn; We don't mind a challenge, as long as it is worth it in the end.
• Willing to Please; Independent is okay, but we'd like a dog that loves its people and/or loves a JOB.
• Affectionate; Something that loves it's people, not just one person. There's two people in this marriage! Lol. But I would prefer it not to love every person it came across.
• A dog that can take a rough and tumble would be nice. I'm not particularly fond of "soft" dogs, and a skittish breed wouldn't be good in this situation.
• Personality! Stoic dogs aren't our thing.
• Room to work with; something that can keep learning, keep growing, and every day is something new. Dogs with drive, I guess is what I'm trying to say?

This will be mostly DH's dog, and he's new to dogs. But I've been rescuing/fostering for quite a while, and have experienced Mastiffs, Sibes, GSDs/mixes, so on. Hard dogs don't scare me. Soft/skittish/nervous/easily offended dogs do.

Breeds we are interested in/have been suggested to us:
Border Collie
Belgian Malinois (hah, I wanted to write Maliraptor )
Australian Cattle Dog
Beauceron
German Shorthair Pointer
Doberman

Any breeder suggestions would be great too!

What about a ridgeback?

I dunno. I don't know much about Ridgebacks. :rofl1: I've always been interested in them, though.

How about a GSD?

I've met some GSDs, and had a GSD/Sibe mix. I enjoy them, but I believe breeding is extremely important for temperament, and it isn't a breed I would likely get anytime soon without extensive, hardcore breeder and pedigree research. The majority of dogs I've seen have been obsessive, aggressive/skittish, barkers, high energy but no consistent drive, either too stand-offish or too affectionate....just all over the board.

I'd prefer a breed that isn't as prone to bad breeding, and much more consistent in temperament. I'm willing to consider them, and open to the possibility of getting a good GSD, I'm just not getting my hopes up on them. Wish for the best, expect the worst type of thing.

I'd say this should rule out Mals for you too. It's far, far easier to find a good GSD breeder than a good Mal breeder just based on the volume of GSD breeders to pick from. Belgians are obsessive type dogs for sure, can definitely be barkers, are of course, high energy, there can a huge range of temperaments in them, even within litters and they are more prone to being "nervy" than GSDs. There's some good info in this thread about Belgians in general: http://www.chazhound.com/forums/showthread.php?t=150872&page=2


Of course, you could find a Mal that fits your description but it's not much different than finding a GSD that does - it requires a lot of research, knowing what you want and where you're most likely to find it. If you opt for a Mal, I can't help but mention Mal rescue, as they always have plenty of dogs can help you pick out a dog that is a good fit for you.

Just to clarify - are you getting this dog while you're in base, or off? I just noticed that Dobermans are on your interested list, but they can't be on base.

Thanks for the heads up. Consistent, reliable temperament is pretty important to me since this would be DH's first dog. I don't mind individual personalities, but I don't like meeting one nervy dog, then another confident, stable dog, and then another dog that's off the charts crazy. I don't mind little surprises, but big surprises aren't so nice, especially within one breeding program. Training can definitely make the difference, but I know breeding goes a long way, too.

Dobermans were suggested to us, and they seem like very interesting dogs, but if we were to consider a Doberman, it would be at least 3-5 years into the future. They aren't on the "never" list, but they aren't on the "anytime soon" list, either. But I've noticed a lot of Dobe owners on here, so I figured I'd ask for info while I could.

My malinois are obsessive, then again most every herding breed is. They can be aggressive. Sloan has intense prey drive and is a very naturally offensive dog, Backup is naturally defensive and extremely intense in the car, plus he has some issues with strange dogs. Backup is a BIG barker and Sloan isn't she can be a troublesome whiner though when she wants out of her crate in the morning. They are extremely high energy and even through attempts at training they have a minimal off switch, meaning they do quiet in their crates but that is it and that is only at home - at training all bets are off. They have strong drives however they may be too standoffish for most people, Sloan wants nothing to do with strangers but will tolerate a pat or two. Backup is similar, he ignores people usually but when you gain my boys attention he is a "plaster into you" dog.

I love them but they are a pretty specific type of dog, imo.

I would say with work you can find mellower malinois, easier as a whole and less stressful-to-own dogs. I would consider, as was posted, a rescue adult with a known temperament though because even some of the "mellower" conformation only lines throw dogs that look "crazy" to the average owner.

I like the comparison between your dogs, thank you. An adult rescue is definitely possible. At least then we would mostly know what we are getting, which means less surprises. Which, for me, is always nice.

I don't mind herding/working breeds, as long as their temperament swings in favor of "Depends on training/raising/etc". I also don't mind the extra leg work if it depends on breeding or if a specific breeder is known for consistent dogs. But if it is luck of the draw, all bets are off the table. I'd like to know, in a nutshell, what I'm getting so I know what path to take with DH and said dog.

I guess that's what I meant with by "room to work with", too. Sibes can be extremely prey-driven, obsessive, stubborn, loud, annoying dogs. But with the right owner/training/raising...they're workable. Nothing is really set into stone.

VERSATILE! Hah! Finally found the word I'm looking for. I mean a versatile dog. Something stable, but at the very least versatile, easier to work with and train, nothing set in stone, but not all over the charts unknown, either. Middle ground.

Whew. I thought that was going to drive me crazy, trying to clarify what I meant.

Honestly malinois and acd sound like they would fit your initial post but they're both very tough, very rotten, happy to bite you (trust me, training does not solve this), and noisy dogs.

Now, I'm notorious for telling the bad first. I figure if people can hear and stomach the "ugly" of a breed they can start considering the "pretty".

Currently I just xpen'd my two in the dining room/outside (after a long weekend of agility) because my pit bulls and I need a break. LOL I am cut, bruised, and scratched after the weekend. My elbow was hyper extended holding Sloan back while she screamed into and shook her wubba while driving up with watching other dogs run.

I love them but they're boogers. If you decide they will suit you you'll be thrilled, they're too much fun.

I do the same thing when I tell people about Sibes and Mastiffs. I give them all the worst first. I prefer it that way. Then you know that if you can deal with the worst, the only left is all the better stuff! Lol.

One thing that really turns me off in your last post was the biting. I don't typically like mouthy dogs, and I know DH doesn't either. I've heard mixed reviews about that on the ACDs, too. Some are mouthy, some aren't.

I think I would almost prefer to start fostering dogs again, rather than settle on one breed, breeder, or pick something up at the shelter. If I don't like it, it isn't a long-term commitment and I'm doing some good. I'm so out of the way though, I really doubt if any rescues or such would foster dogs out to me. Not to mention this place is pretty much inaccessible during the winter.

And the biggest issue of all is really taking myself out of the equation and trying to really think about what would be a best match for DH. I'll be backseat driving, that's about it. But I would of course like I dog I could live with and work with, too. Especially if it ends up being a not-so-great match for DH.

Don't get a Mal!!! Unless of course you do look into an adult rescue with known temperament. To me though, if this dog is going to be your DH's "first" dog, a Mal may be too much. My extended family is all scared of my little 40lb Mal because of her crazy puppy biting. She was never mean or aggressive toward them, but I guess not everyone likes being "attacked" by a dog who has momentarily lost her brain. They do tend to be mouthy as a breed, combine that with low frustration tolerance, high reactivity, and bites are going to happen!

But really, they can't be that bad, look at all of us here who love them! (And our many many scars....)

This is what I was going to suggest, LOL. Honestly, the "wants" you listed could qualify a dozen or more breeds, and even more if you're looking at individual temperments rather than breed generalizations. I think if you focus on individual dogs with the size, grooming requirements, and general energy level you're looking for and start fostering based on those things, you'll find your dog in no time.

I see that you have a Pointer on the list, but what about a nice field-bred Lab? I think that you'd have an easier time finding the stable temperament that you're looking for, along with the willingness to please.

Check this guy out! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rG9mAbG5OuU

That's a great idea, we borrowed Malinois first actually (instead of fostering) but the girls we borrowed were a lot softer (though high energy) than my two.

To be honest if you're squeamish about being nailed they're not ideal for you, imo.

I grew up with GSP, they're awesome dogs. INSANELY high energy but none of the biteyness.

What about a german wirehaired pointer? They sound perfect for you.

I think there is something wrong with me Adrianne, everytime I see you give someone the speal about the bad parts it just makes me get even more excited to someday own one. Just not normal, LOL.

Since you are into northern breeds, have you thought about Malamutes at all? Since they are weirdly accepted and not on the can't own list, lol. They are goofy awesome dogs. I have had a world of fun with every single one I've ever met and there are a LOT in rescue needing good northern breed homes. Same things of not being able to trust off leash though, which kinda sucks.

Whatever breed you get, you should probably get one of the opposite sex as your current dogs. The shepherd breeds especially can often be same sex DA.