Breed Suggestions

Finkie_Mom

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#1
Not anytime soon, but being now hooked to agility has made me think about the possibility of other breeds. I LOVE my Finkies, but they are not really all about that kind of thing usually (Kimma is an exception, unfortunately).

So here are some things I would like in a dog:
- Drivey, but not ridiculously so
- I love my independent dogs, but I would like a dog that also wants to please. So basically take my Finkies and make them more biddable :p
- I don't mind grooming, but I prefer a more wash and wear coat. The need for professional grooming wouldn't be a turn off, but ideally it would be something I could just do and maintain by myself. Shedding doesn't bug me, but due to my allergies, I seem to do better with longer-haired breeds
- Between 10-60 lbs
- Aloof with strangers
- I enjoy having a rare breed, so I wouldn't mind keeping that trend going
- Not DA or SSA
- Doesn't have to be particularly cuddly or velcro
- Noise doesn't bother me (obviously LOL)
- Medium-high energy, as this dog would mainly (hopefully) be used for agility

Thanks in advance :D
 

HayleyMarie

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#2
well I would say a Westie, They sound perfect, but some of them can be SSA or DA, but I am sure it would be no problem finding a breeder with dogs that do not add up to that.

Teagan is not SSA/DA, but she does not put up with rude crap.
 

BostonBanker

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#5
Icelandic Sheepdog? One of the members of our agility club who ran Shibas for years got one for similar reasons. Still similar to the things he liked about the nordic breeds, but with more drive and bidability.

She is a very cool dog and runs well at the masters level. Good lord the barking though. I could never do that piece!
 

PWCorgi

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#6
Icelandic Sheepdog? One of the members of our agility club who ran Shibas for years got one for similar reasons. Still similar to the things he liked about the nordic breeds, but with more drive and bidability.

She is a very cool dog and runs well at the masters level. Good lord the barking though. I could never do that piece!
I have loved the Icelandic Sheepdogs that I have met, save the barking!! So if barking doesn't bother you, then I second this suggestion :p
 

JacksonsMom

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#7
Border Terrier? Okay, I'm probably biased, since I am HOPING to get one. But they pretty much fit the criteria. Including the 'rare' breed (they're fairly rare, at least, IMO. I never see them. And they're a healthy breed). No shedding so long as you don't shave the coat. Hand stripped a few times a year, so I hear. Never heard of any DA/SSA from any of the breeders I've spoken to. Great house pets, good with kids, but most do fantastic in agility and dog sports.
 

Finkie_Mom

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#8
well I would say a Westie, They sound perfect, but some of them can be SSA or DA, but I am sure it would be no problem finding a breeder with dogs that do not add up to that.

Teagan is not SSA/DA, but she does not put up with rude crap.
Hmmmm I actually have never considered any terriers! I love the look of Westies, but I'm not QUITE sure they are "me" if that makes sense... I will keep an eye out for more at events and see if I can't meet a few :)

Woah. Now I totally wouldn't have thought of a Kelpie LOL. What about them (in your experience) fits my sort of random criteria???

More Finkies! Or at least more pictures of them! :)
Hahahaha I swear I don't post a lot of pics because I feel like everyone is sick of them by now :D

Icelandic Sheepdog? One of the members of our agility club who ran Shibas for years got one for similar reasons. Still similar to the things he liked about the nordic breeds, but with more drive and bidability.

She is a very cool dog and runs well at the masters level. Good lord the barking though. I could never do that piece!
Ohhhh those are PRETTY. Again, never would have thought of them. I would definitely have to meet a few before deciding. Wonder if there are any breeders near me... I don't think I've seen any at trials near me, but then again, I haven't been to too many trials anyway :p

I have loved the Icelandic Sheepdogs that I have met, save the barking!! So if barking doesn't bother you, then I second this suggestion :p
Yeah, barking is fine. As it is, Kimma is in the other room barking at something or other and I honestly hardly notice anymore. My DH on the other hand does, but I take care of the dogs, so which to get are ultimately my decision ;)

Border Terrier? Okay, I'm probably biased, since I am HOPING to get one. But they pretty much fit the criteria. Including the 'rare' breed (they're fairly rare, at least, IMO. I never see them. And they're a healthy breed). No shedding so long as you don't shave the coat. Hand stripped a few times a year, so I hear. Never heard of any DA/SSA from any of the breeders I've spoken to. Great house pets, good with kids, but most do fantastic in agility and dog sports.
Again, not sure about the terrier..... But I have hear they are good little agility dogs. Would have to meet some.
 

Emily

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#9
A good Cardi would fit the bill just about perfectly! A nice blend of biddability and independence! They can be dog snarky but are rarely seriously SSA or DA. There are occasionally blood feuds that happen between individuals, but most are more than capable of living with other dogs.

Coat care is nothing at all - I like to bathe/blow out Keeva regularly to keep the shedding down, but it's a self cleaning coat that sheds dirt super easily.
 

FG167

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#10
So here are some things I would like in a dog:
- Drivey, but not ridiculously so
- I love my independent dogs, but I would like a dog that also wants to please. So basically take my Finkies and make them more biddable :p
- I don't mind grooming, but I prefer a more wash and wear coat.
- Between 10-60 lbs
- Aloof with strangers
- I enjoy having a rare breed, so I wouldn't mind keeping that trend going
- Not DA or SSA
- Doesn't have to be particularly cuddly or velcro
- Noise doesn't bother me (obviously LOL)
- Medium-high energy, as this dog would mainly (hopefully) be used for agility

Thanks in advance :D
Ok, so I only have Limit to go off of and he's from true working stock...

-He has great drive. He loves food and has excellent tugging and good ball drive. He is not extreme like Kastle though. He outs easily, is possessive enough the toy has value, but not so much he will fight me for it. He will do almost anything for food.

-He is independent but sensitive. If I need nothing of him, he will entertain himself...for HOURS (I've seen him play with a bug for a solid hour or a chew toy for up to 4.5 hours while I do chores around the house). Same when we are out and about. He will take everything in and run around but the second I want to engage, he's there. He tries REALLY hard for me. However, he can sometimes reach a point where he's frustrated and try to blow me off. This is getting less and less frequent with age. He does need a strong, confident handler though.

-His coat is awesome! He has a pretty decent undercoat but his outer coat is harsh and short. He doesn't shed much (so far), and it is THE easiest of my dogs to do a quick clean up on.

-He weighs 42 lbs at 8 months, doubt he'll get much heavier.

-He doesn't approach strangers but is pleasant and sweet when they come up for pets....I'm not sure how much is him and how much he learned from Kastle. He's pretty independent though so I think he doesn't see the point in approaching people he doesn't know.

-Breed is pretty rare.

-They're meant to herd with other herders so are frequently in packs...him and Kastle don't get along fantastically but it is not disrupting having them out with me together with toys etc. I think that has more to do with loving me. He's fantastic with all of the other dogs he knows so far but he doesn't know a ton. I brought him out at agility tourney this weekend and he wasn't reactive at all unless a dog came into his face and then he came to me.

-He loves to cuddle...when he feels like it. I'd say about 30% of his time with me in the house he is cuddling, the other 70% he is playing with toys or Eden. Or sleeping.

-He is pretty loud...but no more than our other herders.

-He's medium-high exactly. He needs some exercise and fun time every day but not a ton and he's content to do it with or without me.

He's young and it's possible he is not to standard but I find him a LOVELY balance to Kastle's extreme drive, extreme clinginess, higher energy etc. He was an easy pup to crate and house train, he's polite in his crate, he can run in the pack or by himself. He's just well rounded in terms of drive and energy...IMO.

A good Cardi would fit the bill just about perfectly! A nice blend of biddability and independence! They can be dog snarky but are rarely seriously SSA or DA. There are occasionally blood feuds that happen between individuals, but most are more than capable of living with other dogs.

Coat care is nothing at all - I like to bathe/blow out Keeva regularly to keep the shedding down, but it's a self cleaning coat that sheds dirt super easily.
Ooooo agree!!! Eden is not at all to standard, but Poppy is and she is VERY similar to Limit...although a bit more handler sensitive. Less toy drive but higher food drive.
 

DJEtzel

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#11
If your goal is more competitive agility, why not go for a border collie? They fit everything except the rare breed thing, but you could always try to look for a rare color I guess?
 

MandyPug

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#12
Besides wanting a breed that is aloof with strangers, a FCR could work! I find they're not "zomg molest all strangers with kisses" in the way they'd go out of their way to stop focusing on the task at hand to visit a stranger, but most flat coats don't know what a stranger is when introduced. From my experience they seem to fit everything else.
 

crazedACD

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#13
I was almost thinking Pyr Shep...but I don't know a whole lot about them other than what people have written on this forum :D. Maybe the pyrshep people could chime in.
 

BostonBanker

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#14
Ohhhh those are PRETTY. Again, never would have thought of them. I would definitely have to meet a few before deciding. Wonder if there are any breeders near me... I don't think I've seen any at trials near me, but then again, I haven't been to too many trials anyway
I know the one that I know was imported from Iceland. I don't think it was hugely expensive. She is really a very cool dog. Handy size (runs 16" championship), quite fast, and has been fairly competitive both is USDAA, AKC, and AAC. She was the top Icelandic at AKC Nationals or Invitationals or whatever they had recently, and I believe ran clear in every round.

She's also a "short" coat, which is apparently relative, but I like it better than the really puffy ones. It's still longer than the Finkies I think, but not 'poof' everywhere!
 

Laurelin

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#15
If your goal is more competitive agility, why not go for a border collie? They fit everything except the rare breed thing, but you could always try to look for a rare color I guess?
Getting a BC just for the agility aspect is not a good idea. There are plenty of breeds that can be competitive in agility. It is much better to go with a dog that fits what you want as a pet first and foremost.

I love BCs but I hate the notion that 'Well, I want a competitive agility dog... better go get myself a BC'. It doesn't do the owners, the individual dogs, or the breed any favors.

Anyways, my first thought was some of the herding spitz. I don't know how they compare to Finkies but I really like Icelandic sheepdogs. Maybe Sammy? German spitz? Lapphund? I really do like the Icelandic spitz idea.
 

Aleron

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#16
I was almost thinking Pyr Shep...but I don't know a whole lot about them other than what people have written on this forum :D. Maybe the pyrshep people could chime in.
The list was too vague for me to suggest a PyrShep. It didn't include things like "I think like frenetic, hyper, ADD dogs are way fun" so...

Looking at the list Pyrsheps are...

- drivey

-a combination of biddable and independent

- grooming requirements vary depending on coat type

- definitely between 10-60 lbs

- their breed standard calls for them to be distrustful of strangers (a bit more than "aloof")

- they are rare

- they aren't overly prone to DA or SSA...but they are bossy

- they're very affectionate and sometimes obsessive over their people. They want to be with their people all the time. I wouldn't say they are velcro dogs because that implies that they would be stuck in one spot for any length of time.

- They do bark but I don't think they bark as much as Finkies

- They obviously have great potential as agility dogs and are on the high energy side of things.

But...they're PyrSheps :) They need a lot of socialization and exposure as puppies. They may or may not care to have strangers touch or interact with them. They've got a hyper, frantic aspect to them...it's part of their charm if they're the right breed for you :) A Belgian friend of mine told me not to get one because "they're too hyper to do anything with". There is a tendency with them to be alarmists. They can develop phobias. To me, they are really best suited for herding breed enthusiasts or someone who really enjoys wild, crazy, hyper dogs and who is able to not sweat the small stuff behavior wise.


Anyways, my first thought was some of the herding spitz. I don't know how they compare to Finkies but I really like Icelandic sheepdogs. Maybe Sammy? German spitz? Lapphund? I really do like the Icelandic spitz idea.
Other than the Icelandic, I'm not sure any of the others would have much more drive and desire for agility than a Finkie.
 

DJEtzel

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#17
Getting a BC just for the agility aspect is not a good idea. There are plenty of breeds that can be competitive in agility. It is much better to go with a dog that fits what you want as a pet first and foremost.

I love BCs but I hate the notion that 'Well, I want a competitive agility dog... better go get myself a BC'. It doesn't do the owners, the individual dogs, or the breed any favors.

Anyways, my first thought was some of the herding spitz. I don't know how they compare to Finkies but I really like Icelandic sheepdogs. Maybe Sammy? German spitz? Lapphund? I really do like the Icelandic spitz idea.
But.... they fit all of her criteria (minus the rare breed thing that wasn't a must and I noted...) AND are good agile dogs... That's why I recommended them.
 

MandyPug

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#18
Getting a BC just for the agility aspect is not a good idea. There are plenty of breeds that can be competitive in agility. It is much better to go with a dog that fits what you want as a pet first and foremost.

I love BCs but I hate the notion that 'Well, I want a competitive agility dog... better go get myself a BC'. It doesn't do the owners, the individual dogs, or the breed any favors.
^ this.

It's a common mistake that a lot of people make. Want to be competitive? Get a BC. Doesn't work that way. They can be some of the most challenging dogs to train too.

They may be an option, but BCs are weird. There's no other way to say it but they're quirky and that doesn't mesh with a lot of people.
 

Shai

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#19
The Vallhunds I've met would fit your criteria pretty well. Drivey, tough, yet work-minded. More athletic than many other dwarf breeds with more moderate length of leg and back...they are quick. No idea how they are health-wise though.

I like the Icelandic Sheepdog idea but don't know enough about them to recommend one.

^ this.

It's a common mistake that a lot of people make. Want to be competitive? Get a BC. Doesn't work that way. They can be some of the most challenging dogs to train too.

They may be an option, but BCs are weird. There's no other way to say it but they're quirky and that doesn't mesh with a lot of people.
I think BCs hold the record on most-likely-to-backfire in agility lol. SO many people get one to be more competitive or to be recognized as a "real" agility handler and end up incredibly frustrated and/or switching to another breed.
 

DJEtzel

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#20
^ this.

It's a common mistake that a lot of people make. Want to be competitive? Get a BC. Doesn't work that way. They can be some of the most challenging dogs to train too.

They may be an option, but BCs are weird. There's no other way to say it but they're quirky and that doesn't mesh with a lot of people.
There are SOOOO many lines of BCs out there that a lot are. Doing the proper research is certainly necessary, but challenging to train? I don't know if I'd go that far... This is the second BC pup I've raised from different lines and the ease at which they learn and figure out what you want of them because of their biddability is astounding.

Obviously getting any dog for an ego trip is not a good idea, but BCs ARE the perfect size and shape for agility with extreme biddability, but not completely velcro that goes great with the sport. Find the right lines that don't have quirky, neurotic dogs, and you're golden.
 

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