Breed recommendations

Get a border terrier! Ours is the sweetest little thing. He is show bred and doesn’t have much drive at all - if a rodent runs under his nose in the yard he will get it but he doesn’t go looking for them. I suspect he would chase sheep but as he doesn’t come across them day to day it’s not something I have addressed. He’s totally horse proof - ignores all their antics in the field and I happily ride around him. That was easy to train as a pup.

He loved a walk but afternoons are ‘nap time’. Adores children and attention. His only down side is he will go for a little stroll if he gets bored, sometimes that takes him under the fence and off on a jolly… it’s not deliberate escaping, he just follows his nose. He’s not neutered but has no idea what his tackle is for 🤣
 
druid said:
Lancashire heeler?
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Oh, yes, why hadn't I thought of them....there is actually one round the corner from here who I met while I was out riding. A tiny scrap of a puppy appeared from dense fern into our path and gave us a big dog 'thou shalt not pass' bark. I was sat there just contemplating what to do when an out of breath, stressed looking man came running up the hill behind us, wheezed the word 'escaped' as he passed me and the horse, scooped up the puppy and ran back down the hill.

I've seen some quite dumpy, low slung ones though. Are the slightly more athletic looking ones hard to come by?
 
DabDab said:
Oh, yes, why hadn't I thought of them....there is actually one round the corner from here who I met while I was out riding. A tiny scrap of a puppy appeared from dense fern into our path and gave us a big dog 'thou shalt not pass' bark. I was sat there just contemplating what to do when an out of breath, stressed looking man came running up the hill behind us, wheezed the word 'escaped' as he passed me and the horse, scooped up the puppy and ran back down the hill.

I've seen some quite dumpy, low slung ones though. Are the slightly more athletic looking ones hard to come by?
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I was going to suggest a Lancashire heeler too. A lot of Kelpie people seem to have them, so they must be a good mix. There are quite a few that are too deep and heavy you are right, but despite the short legs they can be very athletic. My older boy who I lost a couple of months ago was very on the leg, when I got my current lad I wanted another tall one but ended up with Zig who is very short on the leg and actually a bit of a funny shape. But he is far faster than the old boy, whizzes round the agility ring and has a good attempt at running with my daughters whippets, though has never caught them. It is all about keeping them slim and fit. If you are interested there is a very good fb page Lancashire Heeler World which would give you an idea what they breed is like.
 
I would say a Border Collie if they aren't off the cards for you in terms of choice.

Sid who is my Mum's Border Collie despite being from herding bloodlines and being born on a farm, has absolutely no interest in sheep or doing what he was bred to do aha! He is super chilled, really trainable, great for a snuggle in the evening and adores his afternoon naps. The only thing that he does do is get a bit barky when it's time for his walks but that is mainly cause I made a big fuss of it when he was younger, so it's a bad habit that I've installed in him (whoops!). Bar that though he is a total dude to have around the house, he'll happily nap anywhere, entertains himself by playing with his toys on his own or he'll go into the back garden, sit on his raised platform and watch the world go by. I can totally see why they are my Mum's fave breed - the perfect mix of intelligence, loyalty and generally a nice person to have around :)
 
The Fuzzy Furry said:
One of my local friends has a Sheltie, had from a puppy. She's an experienced dog and horse person, Sheltie has older Springer x in household, who is v well behaved.
Whilst Sheltie is v well bred (he's a house pet) he's a blooming trial..... he walks on lead to heel beautifully, but is an absolute noisy eejit.
Friend has asked me (tongue in cheek) to swap my Shih for him! I'm sure it's only because mine is a good mouser at her yard, rarely gives tongue (hers debates the off switch frequently) and unless there are squirrels around, mine recalls, her Sheltie doesn't.
My maternal grandmother used to breed Shelties, but I've only seen very few over the years.
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Agree, IME quite vocal and coats need work.
 
I have 4 terrier mixes that are definitely work. I really like the look of the cattle dogs and years in the future when I am dog less I would like a pair of them.
 
Thistle said:
I have a huge soft spot for a staffie (pref a rehome) , would probably fulfil your criteria, not very terrier like, very loyal, mine have been grea with other dogs,people, children etc. Generally don't chase or herd and can turn their paw to anything.
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Aw, yes, staffies are fab dogs - it's such a shame they are a bit too easy to acquire/too popular/too often end up needing rehoming. I've rarely met a bad one tbh.
 
Clodagh said:
I used to dog sit a heeler in Oz for a man on a FIFO contract. Lovely, lovely dog but way harder than any kelpie. Very challenging. He was gorgeous though and trainable but needed to be monitored AT ALL TIMES!
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Someone I know has one (blackcob will have also seen him) and he looks very cool 🤣 I appreciate I am quite insane.
 
CorvusCorax said:
Someone I know has one (blackcob will have also seen him) and he looks very cool 🤣 I appreciate I am quite insane.
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He was gorgeous, called Floyd. Sadly after the bloke changed jobs he had him full time and he got out and bit someone badly and was PTS. They are, as you know, bred to intimidate cattle in the outback. Cyclists are like crack 😁
 
Clodagh said:
I used to dog sit a heeler in Oz for a man on a FIFO contract. Lovely, lovely dog but way harder than any kelpie. Very challenging. He was gorgeous though and trainable but needed to be monitored AT ALL TIMES!
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As in a blue heeler/cattle dog ? I think they are quite tough dogs but real characters.
 
Thanks for the suggestions all, has most definitely helped.

Am now mulling over corgi, Lancashire heeler, schipperke, or waiting on the right collie or Kelpie rehome.

Aus cattle dog is undoubtedly a very cool breed. They are what we set out looking at 15-16 years ago before we got our first Kelpie but we decided against because a)bloodlines in this country are (or weren't then) especially easy to trace, b) they have a bite and absolutely know how to use it so you do have to be a bit careful with them, and c) the absolute best ones appeared to be in single dog homes with owners who had devoted a lot of time to making them well rounded. So yes, definitely less energetic and bonkers than a Kelpie but also more of an edge to them (speaking in general terms).

Also love staffies but have known/spent time with a lot and they can be a bit hit and miss with dog aggression amongst their own pack (more so than with strange dogs I think). If we just had the Kelpie I might consider it but my little one spins and squeaks when excited, and I absolutely need to stack things in favour of getting something that doesn't get overstimulated by that and go in for a bite.

Not a fan of Australian terriers, sorry.
 
DabDab said:
Thanks for the suggestions all, has most definitely helped.

Am now mulling over corgi, Lancashire heeler, schipperke, or waiting on the right collie or Kelpie rehome.

Aus cattle dog is undoubtedly a very cool breed. They are what we set out looking at 15-16 years ago before we got our first Kelpie but we decided against because a)bloodlines in this country are (or weren't then) especially easy to trace, b) they have a bite and absolutely know how to use it so you do have to be a bit careful with them, and c) the absolute best ones appeared to be in single dog homes with owners who had devoted a lot of time to making them well rounded. So yes, definitely less energetic and bonkers than a Kelpie but also more of an edge to them (speaking in general terms).

Also love staffies but have known/spent time with a lot and they can be a bit hit and miss with dog aggression amongst their own pack (more so than with strange dogs I think). If we just had the Kelpie I might consider it but my little one spins and squeaks when excited, and I absolutely need to stack things in favour of getting something that doesn't get overstimulated by that and go in for a bite.

Not a fan of Australian terriers, sorry.
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Have a look at at Kelpie Welfare they have some lovely dogs
 
DabDab said:
Am I allowed to ask what is being cooked?! (Assuming it is a dog, if it is a lemon tart or a hamster then I'm not that fussed)
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Schipperkes, sadly not of my dog's doing, I am just acting as intermediary for people looking and this is a nice pairing if it works out. There's hardly any to be had so you do have to make yourself known and then wait, unfortunately.
 
Indy said:
Have a look at at Kelpie Welfare they have some lovely dogs
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Yes, great shout, I do follow them on Facebook actually (the only reason I have Facebook is dog pages and to buy things on marketplace 😂). I couldn't see anything that seemed like quite the right fit, but will look again in case I missed something.
 
blackcob said:
Schipperkes, sadly not of my dog's doing, I am just acting as intermediary for people looking and this is a nice pairing if it works out. There's hardly any to be had so you do have to make yourself known and then wait, unfortunately.
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Oh cool.
Yes, had a good look through the breed site last night and figured that would be the case. They are very smart little dogs though.
 
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