Go, go, go...or slow, slow, slow?
- Thread starter Doberluv
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My tiny dogs hang on my every word and follow me to every room, waiting for me to do something fun. I can't do much of anything without Mia thinking it's time for her. I think that's more of a breed/individual dog thing than size. 
Jackson is super focused on me, NEEDS exercise and attention and training or else he will drive me absolutely crazy. Of course, he's a terrier too. I think Chi's are in general known for being more laid back and easy. But I will say I've met some very active Chi's over the years. These two that were being fostered by someone I knew were absolutely crazy with drive and energy, I loved it.
If I keep working this same schedule, I will not be getting another border collie or high energy dog. I can't do it. Love dogs that are into me, love energy and enthusiasm and drive because it's so fun when it comes to training, but I just can't live with that. Unless I can find a dog-related job that will allow me to spend more time with my dogs, Eve will probably be my last high drive working dog.
I have both. Ivan is go go go and keep on going. Good thing about him is with the new yard he can grab a toy and go play with it outside. Peewee is much more slow,slow. He does enjoy taking Steven to work, when I am home to walk with him though. But for the most part he is content to lay around.
Someday though I wouldn't mind having a combination of the two.
Someday though I wouldn't mind having a combination of the two.
Me too. My dogs are ready to go when I am. If they want to be out and about but I am being lazy they will find a bone or toy to play with or take another nap. If I want to hike for a few hours they are right at my side.
If I had to choose I think they are more slow slow slow than go go go. But they manage a nice balance. They will do crazy zoomies anytime I put them in the fenced off part of the yard but if they don't get their zoomies you can't tell by their behavior.
It's great having that middle ground and I think it's a large part why I am hesitant to stray from 'my breed'.
If I had to choose I think they are more slow slow slow than go go go. But they manage a nice balance. They will do crazy zoomies anytime I put them in the fenced off part of the yard but if they don't get their zoomies you can't tell by their behavior.
It's great having that middle ground and I think it's a large part why I am hesitant to stray from 'my breed'.
I don't mind lazy dogs. I cannot stand slow dogs. I find it impossible to wait 30 seconds for a mastiff to sit. But I don't care if they lay on the couch all day.
Mostly I prefer working breeds that get me out there and doing something. Otherwise I'd be happy to sit around the house all day long, lazin' it out.
Mostly I prefer working breeds that get me out there and doing something. Otherwise I'd be happy to sit around the house all day long, lazin' it out.
Well, if I were to get back into agility or something like that, I'd want a dog with a little more get up and go. LOL. Jose` might have been okay when he was younger, temperament wise. He can get pretty revved up. But his knees aren't great even though he isn't too troubled by them and can run and jump still. Chulita was a speed demon when she was young. She could get revved up and run so fast, she was a blur. I kid you not. Those little Chihuahuas can zoom. But she's really showing her age lately. As far as their purpose...to be house pets, they're just the right balance for me. They always kept right up on our hikes with the big dogs. They zoomed and were excited to go. Around the house, I think a dog that is too intense and itching to do something all the time (my son's dog, Toker) drives me a little batty sometimes. LOL. Even Lyric wasn't like Toker is that way. Toker, a pit mix (we think) is very high energy, even at 12 years old.
^This.
Seabees was pretty much my ideal dog - she would play-play-play if you wanted to and she was up for anything at the drop of a hat, but when I didn't want to do anything and stimuli were low, she'd just lay down and chill, grab a bone and chew on it, or otherwise keep herself occupied (constructively! LOL). It didn't matter if I had been gone all day and she was crated, she'd still chill when I chilled. And yet she would have been capable going all day long if I wanted her to.
Seabees was pretty much my ideal dog - she would play-play-play if you wanted to and she was up for anything at the drop of a hat, but when I didn't want to do anything and stimuli were low, she'd just lay down and chill, grab a bone and chew on it, or otherwise keep herself occupied (constructively! LOL). It didn't matter if I had been gone all day and she was crated, she'd still chill when I chilled. And yet she would have been capable going all day long if I wanted her to.
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I'm getting old and less mobil, but all my dogs are happy to take as many naps with me as I like. My two oldest (Belgian Shepherds) have developed enough injuries that they cannot do excessive exercise anymore. Not as good for them as it is for me. My Malinois likes nice easy walks with me. My Laekenois wants to run, but has some sore hips.
My youngest (Dutch Shepherd) is happy to go outside alone and survey his domain for evil rabbits and squirrels if I'm inside busy on the computer. (While the Belgians are inside watching my every move.) Typical of his breed, he needs to run, so I take him to a vacant field in an office park where he can run and explore and I can stand in one place and watch him.
One of our club officers has 3 long-hair Dutch Shepherds. Her young female will run around the house three times when she first lets her outside. They have to do it, but they are nice quiet dogs in the house. (except when the evil critters are lurking outside)
I just remembered an incident with my Dutch boy driving home from a dog show. He was 18 months at the time and just spent 3 long days at shows and in the car. I stopped at a truck stop so we could have some space for exercise. I drove all the way to the back near some farmer's crops and put him on a 15 foot lead.
He was really sniffy, so I dropped the lead to give him some room. He wandered around sniffing for a couple of minutes, then he looked at me with a glint in his eye, and took off running full speed into the farmer's field in a straight line.
Just before he was out of sight, he stopped, turned around and ran back to me on the same track he took going out. He came up to me and laughed in my face!! He's a momma's dog, and never leaves my sight, and that's what he did that day.
My youngest (Dutch Shepherd) is happy to go outside alone and survey his domain for evil rabbits and squirrels if I'm inside busy on the computer. (While the Belgians are inside watching my every move.) Typical of his breed, he needs to run, so I take him to a vacant field in an office park where he can run and explore and I can stand in one place and watch him.
One of our club officers has 3 long-hair Dutch Shepherds. Her young female will run around the house three times when she first lets her outside. They have to do it, but they are nice quiet dogs in the house. (except when the evil critters are lurking outside)
I just remembered an incident with my Dutch boy driving home from a dog show. He was 18 months at the time and just spent 3 long days at shows and in the car. I stopped at a truck stop so we could have some space for exercise. I drove all the way to the back near some farmer's crops and put him on a 15 foot lead.
He was really sniffy, so I dropped the lead to give him some room. He wandered around sniffing for a couple of minutes, then he looked at me with a glint in his eye, and took off running full speed into the farmer's field in a straight line.
Just before he was out of sight, he stopped, turned around and ran back to me on the same track he took going out. He came up to me and laughed in my face!! He's a momma's dog, and never leaves my sight, and that's what he did that day.
My dogs right now haven't had anything really today. Mia did get a 15 min ball session at 6 am but that's it. They had to be penned while I was working then I had to run to the store. It's been a long day for them. They've been exercised a lot all weekend. But not yesterday.
I came home and they ran outside for a bit then came in. Mia is walking around and chewing her chewies and is now climbing in my lap wanting attention. Now she's whining and jumped off the couch. Now she's back to me, paw on me and whine. Up and down off the couch repeatedly. Jump up to lick me then back for the chew... Summer has been doing laps (walking) around the house and now has a chew. I don't mind that my two really don't lay still. As long as they are relatively behaving. I can tune them out really well. We will probably end up doing a short walk and training and certainly a good ball game before bed.
I came home and they ran outside for a bit then came in. Mia is walking around and chewing her chewies and is now climbing in my lap wanting attention. Now she's whining and jumped off the couch. Now she's back to me, paw on me and whine. Up and down off the couch repeatedly. Jump up to lick me then back for the chew... Summer has been doing laps (walking) around the house and now has a chew. I don't mind that my two really don't lay still. As long as they are relatively behaving. I can tune them out really well. We will probably end up doing a short walk and training and certainly a good ball game before bed.
I'm finding little by little that I am less and less interested in being a serious dog sport competitor, and more looking for a dog that is great at being outdoors for things like hiking, camping, skijoring, etc. I still want to dabble in things like agility, rally, tracking, and so on, but I don't think I'll ever be the person who spends every weekend possibly at a trial or at the training club.
Because of that I am also finding that I am less interested in (well, just as interested, but less SUITED for) high drive/serious competition/more geared towards behavior problem type dogs. I still someday want to own an ACD, absolutely. But I think my next few dogs will be more low/different drive and higher energy. I'm thinking breeds like scent hounds, sporting breeds, OES, maybe a husky (if Ryan gets his way). Breeds that can go all day long, but seem to be less prone to reactivity/noise phobias/sharpness. If that makes sense.
Because of that I am also finding that I am less interested in (well, just as interested, but less SUITED for) high drive/serious competition/more geared towards behavior problem type dogs. I still someday want to own an ACD, absolutely. But I think my next few dogs will be more low/different drive and higher energy. I'm thinking breeds like scent hounds, sporting breeds, OES, maybe a husky (if Ryan gets his way). Breeds that can go all day long, but seem to be less prone to reactivity/noise phobias/sharpness. If that makes sense.
I really like lazy dogs. Because I am a lazy person. But unfortunately, all the breeds that I am interested in... are not known for being lazy.
At 3.5 years old Juno is finally starting to turn into my ideal. She is not bouncing off the walls crazy anymore... most of the time. We go for a walk or two most days of the week, go to the dog park a couple times a month, maybe get her a bone to chew on once in a while, and she's pretty content to hang out otherwise. But she'll go 100mph all day long if you ask her to. This afternoon, she was laying in a chair outside on the deck, basking in the sun, totally relaxed and chilled out. I stepped out there for a second and she FLEW off the chair, ran down into the yard and was all "OHMAGAW LET'S PLAY!!!! :banana:"
Lucy is lazy lazy lazy, and most of the time that suits me just fine, BUT what I don't like is that she is not capable of increasing her energy level. She only has one speed and that is 0 lol. So that kind of sucks because I can't do fun and exciting things with her, because she doesn't want to be removed from the couch. It's okay because Juno is there to balance her out, but I wouldn't like it if she was my only dog.
At 3.5 years old Juno is finally starting to turn into my ideal. She is not bouncing off the walls crazy anymore... most of the time. We go for a walk or two most days of the week, go to the dog park a couple times a month, maybe get her a bone to chew on once in a while, and she's pretty content to hang out otherwise. But she'll go 100mph all day long if you ask her to. This afternoon, she was laying in a chair outside on the deck, basking in the sun, totally relaxed and chilled out. I stepped out there for a second and she FLEW off the chair, ran down into the yard and was all "OHMAGAW LET'S PLAY!!!! :banana:"
Lucy is lazy lazy lazy, and most of the time that suits me just fine, BUT what I don't like is that she is not capable of increasing her energy level. She only has one speed and that is 0 lol. So that kind of sucks because I can't do fun and exciting things with her, because she doesn't want to be removed from the couch. It's okay because Juno is there to balance her out, but I wouldn't like it if she was my only dog.
Well in a perfect world go, go, go when *I* want to go, and slow, slow, slow when *I* want to be slow.
But in the real world if those were my only two choices, I'd pick go, go, go. Although I tend to be lazy, if I had a lazy dog then I'd just laze around the house even more than I do. Go, go, go dogs help keep me active and trying new things.
But in the real world if those were my only two choices, I'd pick go, go, go. Although I tend to be lazy, if I had a lazy dog then I'd just laze around the house even more than I do. Go, go, go dogs help keep me active and trying new things.