What dog breed(s) would be good for this situation?

[MyBirdIsEvil]

Sure is handsome.

Thanks!

I guess I mean that it hasn't been hugely OVER bred by profit driven irresponsible breeders

I get what you mean, I just didn't want anyone thinking it's not possible to get a byb collie or a poorly bred one. There's people out there breeding them just for looks (they just want a lassie-dog), with no account of temperment, or anything else. This is more prevalent in a lot of breeds, but it still happens in collies.
That's what happened with our collie, he has the classic temperment and look, but he also has hip dysplasia, which is probably why the guy took him and a couple of his littermates to the pet store. They were already fully socialized and partially housebroken, but they were useless for breeding or show. We've yet to run into more than a couple people around here that have even seen a collie in person, and from what I've found out there's only 1or 2 people that breed them around here, so apparently someone discretely took them to the petstore before anyone found out they had genetic problems.

[LM1313]

Houses cost so MUCH!! They recommend that you save up 20% of the price of the house . . . I'm going to be saving forever.

Anyway, back on the dog issue, right now these are my top choices.

Beagle - I've always liked them. They're small, but sturdy. They're friendly and usually good with other pets. They have an easy to care for coat. They're cute! Also, my mom had them before I was born, so she may be able to provide firsthand training insights. However, I've heard that once off-leash they'll zone out and follow their nose. I'm wondering what that would mean for agility training.

Brittany Spaniel - I think this might be "the breed". They're active, but not insanely so. They're good with people and animals. They're easy to train. Their coat only needs brushing a few times a week. They have more dual champions (field and show) than all the other sporting breeds combined. Even though I don't hunt, that pleases me because I feel a breed should always be able to fulfill its original purpose well. And their rescue organization is VERY well organized and has people in every state, including Washington! Scroll down to TJ, he is even in the same city as I am! Ah, if only my current apartment allowed me to adopt more pets . . . http://www.americanbrittanyrescue.or...=view&sid=1#WA

Labrador or Golden Retriever - Both breeds that I love. Finding either through a rescue or a mix through the animal shelter would be easy, too.

Collie (smooth) - I've always liked them . . . Big, beautiful dogs who a lot of people don't even recognize as being the same breed as Lassie. I'm not sure how common they are compared to rough collies, though.

[Prin]

Originally Posted by LM1313

Brittany Spaniel - I think this might be "the breed". They're active, but not insanely so. They're good with people and animals. They're easy to train. Their coat only needs brushing a few times a week. They have more dual champions (field and show) than all the other sporting breeds combined. Even though I don't hunt, that pleases me because I feel a breed should always be able to fulfill its original purpose well.

Honestly, I've met a few brittanies and they were sooo riled up. Not sure these are good for an apartment. The ones I know were in the city, exercised fairly adequately and still managed to eat themselves. IMO, it's a pretty hardcore hunting breed.

My friend's mom got a smooth collie as a rescue. It can happen (once in a while). He's so smart and gentle.

[canning4aliving]

Great danes are known as the "gentle giant". Very much laid back and not really into rough-housing but they do enjoy your company very much. Not much grooming needed except basics/Teeth, and hair once in a while...They sound ferocious when they bark and PPL just assume they are vicious because of their size (actually VERY untrue)! ( breeder for 14 yrs) Our beloved JUDGE went with us everywhere and the kids won trophies in 4-H with them..They really want to please and be your 125lb lap dog! He passed away years ago and we miss him like it was yesterday!
Great Dane rescue is on the net...they could help you I am sure....

[jessi76]

Originally Posted by Prin

Honestly, I've met a few brittanies and they were sooo riled up. Not sure these are good for an apartment. The ones I know were in the city, exercised fairly adequately and still managed to eat themselves. IMO, it's a pretty hardcore hunting breed.

I agree. my mom has one.... and oh dear god, someone please get that dog a vallum or 5. (and she's seven yrs old! acts like she's seven MONTHS old) she's a spaz. a total spaz. a brilliant dog, a brilliant hunter, but can be very demanding. (of course my mom's dog is spoiled rotten, so I'm sure that's most of her problem)

[LM1313]

Yikes, I didn't know they were so, er . . . spaztastic?

I like Great Danes, but isn't their average lifespan eight to ten years?

[Prin]

Yeah, it's pretty short, but FULL of love. I don't know, to me life-span is the last criteria because none of them stay long enough.

[Shelties3]

You want to give a dog lots of exercise, and you want one that is "huggable". The idea of a collie is a good one, but why don't you consider a sheltie? They are a smaller collie, but if you get one that is toward the larger size of the spectrum (sheltie standard is 13" to 16" at the shoulder) they weigh around 25-30lb (although very easily overweight). They are very huggable, loveable, SUPER easy to train.

They do well with small space, so even your apartment is ok. They like to play, fetch and work. They require little food, if they don't have a full length coat (to the floor) like mine do, they require little grooming, but do shed a bit. They like to cuddle, they like loves, and my oldest (3 yaer old male) plays with the cat next door. We just told him it was a puppy, and never said the "kitty" word, and they play and wrestle and chase. They LOVE kids, make wonderful watchdogs, but would like them to death, if they didn't make the intruder fall over from watching them spin in their excitedness to see someone that may give them attention!

They have wonderful temperments and great personalities, plus, they look like a hoity toity breed, that doesn't need as much time and effort as a fru-fru breed! No hair clipping (except toes), almost no ear problems, just some brushing, and teeth brushing!

[OntarioGreys]

The average life span on a great dane is more like 6 to 8 years old.

Many labs can be very hyper especially young adults, my former lab needed 6 hours of hard exercise a day, and there have been several posts that have come up here with others that seen the hyperness as well, they are bred to work all day out hunting

If you look at most large breeds they are working breeds that require stamina/endurance to do their job, so they have higher energy needs and many need something to do to keep them from going stir crazy.


Greyhounds are a bit different, they are sprinters much like a cheetah they must conserve energy to make one all out run at high speed to capture game. Greyhound on the track are raced only every 3rd day much like they would if still a wild breed hunting their own game, for example a large hare can provide them with sufficent food for 3 days before they need to hunt again. Inbetween hunts/races they mostly sleep to recover energy to make another high speed hunt. For this reason they make ideal apartment dogs with walking recommedations being 2 15 minute walks and one half hour walk to keep them sufficiently exercised, and if you can find a fenced in place to let them have a brief run once a week then all the better, this also results in lower feeding costs I have a young more active 65 lb girl and an 82 pound couch potato, both get a total of 1 1/2 cups of EVO a day, if you were feeding a food like Canidae you may need 3 cups for a larger male. If they are feeling particularly playful indoosr they may grab a stuffed sqeaky toy tossing and pouncing around with it for a 5 or 10 minutes. And the majority will rarely bark, As for size range tiny female 45lb to a large male just over 100lbs, even at 2 years old most retired track greys are pretty much settled down.

[rainbow]

Originally Posted by LM1313

But I am hesitant to get a dog that looks too much like Ebony did (she was a lab mix) because I don't want to feel like I'm just "replacing" her and also I'm worried that I would compare the new dog with her too much.

I thought the same thing. I had two huskies that I loved dearly and didn't want another purebred husky especially because some of them they look so much alike.

However, I did end up getting another husky (story too long to go into unnecessary details) and I couldn't be happier. The one I have now has slightly different markings than my last black/white but is completely different personality wise than my two previous ones. Just something for you to think about especially if you don't mind what the lab is mixed with.

[LM1313]

Just a quick update . . . I am definitely going to have to get a purebred if I want to do agility, because the ONLY agility competitions in town are the AKC ones. The closest USDAA competition is on the other side of the state! How annoying! So I'm definitely going to get a purebred UNLESS the AKC decides to open agility competition to spayed/neutered mutts, which I hope and pray they will!

Question: Let's say you get a purebred from a rescue, but without "papers". Can it compete in AKC events?

[Prin]

I thought the AKC allowed mutts in agility now...

[ILoveMutts!]

http://www.toller.ca/

[mafiaprincess]

No Prin.. You can get an event number for an AKC recognized breed, that has no paperwork.. (ie Cider from a petstore.. has to look like the breed to get the number on top of following other things like needing to chip your pet)
But, they only talked about mutts in sports.. it hasn't happened yet.

Yes LM. Cider could do AKC or CKC agility if we got her chipped with the brand they want, showed spay proof sent 2 photos and paid them our money.