thinking of getting another dog....

[stirder]

I currently have a 1 1/2 year old german shepherd. my wife has a cat. she wants a dog that is her dog. like strider is both of ours but more mine, she wants one thats more hers. she loves smaller dogs, terriers, corgis, pomeranians, sckipperke (spelling?), etc.
I already have a few ideas that we are leaning towards, including golden retriever, lab, and australian cattle dog, but I was hoping some of you guys would suggest a few YOU think would be good. doesnt HAVE to be small but she deffinetly doesnt want one bigger than a gsd, so saints and newfies, danes and filas, etc are out. like I said I have a short list of breeds we are considering, but before I list all of them I'd like to hear your thoughts. thanks..

 

[poeluvr]

australian cattle dogs are nice pets there like the goldens of australia plus they're really original..in my opinion

 

[stirder]

maybe a better way would be to list the breeds we are considering. first off, as I said it has to live with a high drive gsd, and a cat even though the cat is in 2 seperate rooms that dogs dont have acces too. okay (no specific order of this list)...golden, lab, australian cattle dog/blue heeler, corgi, jack russel/parson russel, feist terrier, catahoula leopard dog (dog of many names), black mouth cur, mountain cur, another gsd, doberman, mix. I think thats all of them. we are leaning more towards...golden, lab, aussie, corgi, catahoula, doberman, mix. again, none of those are in order of preferance.
I have trained dogs in many areas for over 12 years so even one of the more energetic or dominant breeds is a consideration, but this is mainly going to be my wifes dog. she wants to train it, and maybe do therapy work. since she doesnt have any experience training dogs we would prefer a more laid back dog, or even lazy dog if it is easy for a beginner to train (under my guidance of course).
we take a walk everyday (atleast one), atleast 1-2 miles a day. if less we take more than one. totally indoor dog, except for playing with us outside, taking walks, etc. we once or twice a year go for a week long hiking/camping trip with the dog/dogs in the wilderness. my dog is very exuberant and energetic, not hyper, not hsy at all about meeting new dogs. this has scared some dogs we have met, they are more cautious about introductions, especially when they are smaller than he is (hes 24 inches tall and 94 pounds). so we need a confident dog, or confident puppy. all interaction atleast in the beginning will be closely supervised. I have a hundred things on my mind right now so its hard to think. feel free to ask any questions you want, and I will add info as it comes to me.

 

[poeluvr]

ok i change to a jack russell, you guys probably need some fun, which is where he would come in. but would the german get along with it i wonder?
I think people r stumped by not how much you would take care of it. bcuz im sure a trainer is proof enough but what personality you would want

 

[stirder]

hard to define exactly...the two jack russels I had were the sweatest funniest dogs I ever met, but they were also a pain in the neck at times, a little TOO energetic and confident. Personally the top of my list is a golden or a lab. I think their personalities are the best suited to my wife. easy going, eager to please, content to laze around the house all day as long as they get some fun and excercise. she prefers small dogs. no matter what their personality, I worry about (mostly puppy stage, as adult terriers wouldnt allow him to do it) the big playfull german shepherd stepping on them. not a big worry, he loves puppies and thinks hes their mommy, but still a worry as he is still much a puppy himself and sometimes plays too hard. i think a golden, lab, or aussie pup would be perfect for my wife, and be able to get along fine with strider, under supervision. mostly wondering about the smaller dogs, if anybody has one AND a big energetic dog, how they get along. the only small dogs Ive ever had personally were the 2 jack russels. and as far as training I mostly work with big dogs, breeds that do schutzhund, police k-9, and search and rescue.

 

[poeluvr]

ok then the aussie. they actually arethe sweetest dog i met. They are so hardy . like the australian golden retreiver, i think of them as. i have a huge gut feeling this would be good.
my mom and i are already talking about when poe is three, us getting a new dog. i want a big dog either malamute or the cattle dog.
hey what about a malamute? for you?

 

[BigDog2191]

Anatolian shepherd
Labrador Retreiver
Boxer
American Staffordshire Terrier
American Pitbull Terrier
Australian shepherd
Golden Retreiver

Those are some I thought of. Good luck.

 

[stirder]

had an anatolian. independant, aloof, not right for my wife. boxer I think is to energetic for her. if it was me it would be gsd, tibetan mastiff, or anatolian. for her I think best big dog is golden, lab, or cattle dog. dont know too much about little dogs as far as getting along with the german shepherd.
oh...thank you so much for the responses so far.

 

[gaddylovesdogs]

Labs and Goldens are energetic dogs and need lots of exercise. As puppies and sometimes as young adults, they are VERY hyper. And there is no end to a lab's shedding!!!

 

[poeluvr]

hey what about a malamute? for you?

 

[stirder]

shedding isnt a problem, as Ive said I have had a golden before, for 13 years. been around a lot of them and I wouldnt call them hyper. they deffinetly have energy, but arent hyper, from my experience anyway...less than cattle dogs.

 

[poeluvr]

r u sure no malamute?

 

[stirder]

Ive trained quite a few and dont think it would be the right match for my wife. in some ways but they are a little too hard headed in my experience, and cant be trusted off leash.

 

[gaddylovesdogs]

shedding isnt a problem, as Ive said I have had a golden before, for 13 years. been around a lot of them and I wouldnt call them hyper. they deffinetly have energy, but arent hyper, from my experience anyway...less than cattle dogs.

My Lab is very calm, but as puppies up until they're about two...gosh, they're active and energetic!!

 

[stirder]

well yeah, cant argue that. I will say this though...not as active as a gsd of the same age. and that energy level when young is good, it can keep up with butt head (strider).

 

[Babyblue5290]

Ive trained quite a few and dont think it would be the right match for my wife. in some ways but they are a little too hard headed in my experience, and cant be trusted off leash.

Yeah...your definetly right...most are pretty stubborn (hard headed) and can't be trusted off leash....I wish you luck in finding a good match

 

[Dakotah_2009]

Ok personallly I would say a Cattle Dog
1. Because I own one and they r great pets
2. They r very loyal and easy easy easy to train....my pup is 4 months old and knows sit,stay,come,down,down (sort of), and is getting to the tricks already
3. I think they would be one of the best dogs for your wife other than a Golden


Thats it sorry if I sound pushing or snotty I'm not trying to be.

 

[stirder]

actually thats exactly what I want, people to say what they have and give reasons why they think it would be perfect for her, or horrible for her. you didnt sound pushy or snotty, you sounded like you know the breed and understood the questions. not saying no one else did, I appreciate all the posts so far. opinions are just a lot more beleivable when they are based on what you have, or have had.
again thank you everyone very very much for all the replies.
personally I still have MY list narrowed down to aussie, golden or lab. she is basing her list on which is the cutest. luckily she knows that I know a lot more than she does about dogs and training, so she gave me veto power

 

[Rose's Gal]

Hmm...if you wanted a small dog, I'd say Corgi. But I am confused by what you consider "small". lol
Corgis shed about as much as a GSD does. They are highly trainable, and have the activity level that could keep up with a GSD. When socialized, they can get along well with a cat. So ya, reading your wants, I just thought: Corgi.

 

[Dakotah_2009]

Ok just wnated to make sure I didn't sound pushy, and thanks for saying I wasn't pushy. I've read a book Cattle Dogs and a 350 page book on Goldens, this was before I thought I was getting the Cattle Dog. But Cattle DOgs are get pets really they are. Um let me ask u a question where do you live? Like what state?......I was asking cause I know someone who has Cattle Dogs if you are interested in getting one. How about this will you go to the chatroom and lets talk there if you want . Thanks