Jenko109
Well-Known Member
This is a long ass way off, well I hope so anyway.
I'm thinking of what breed I want for my next dog. I don't intend to get another until my older two are gone, leaving behind just my whippet.
I initially liked the idea of two whippets, but I'm a soft touch with the pointy things and allow them to sleep in my bed. I cannot deal with a second whippet in the bed, so am ruling out sight hounds. I know they can be trained to not sleep in the bed, but where sight hounds are concerned, they are spoilt with me.
So no sighthounds.
My next tickbox is to avoid anything prone to reactivity. I have a reactive GSD x atm. All my own fault for lack of socialising. She isn't terrible. We go to agility and obedience classes with other dogs and she does well, just that initial first reaction to a new dog is to go bat shit. I understand that any dog will need the work put in and I of course will not make the same mistakes again, however am keen to avoid anything that is more likely to have reactivity. I considered getting an older rescue, something like a GSD, but every dog I see in rescue seems to already be reactive or have guarding issues etc. How easy is it to come by a well socialised GSD in rescue?
So nothing likely to be reactive.
Exercise requirements. My crew tend to do a quick 20 minutes round the block first thing in the morning on lead. Then a 45 minute forest/field play at lunch time, off lead. Weekends will be longer forest walks. We also do bits of agility and obedience. So really high energy dogs are unlikely to work, I don't think I can commit enough time to exercising something like a spaniel.
So medium energy requirements.
A few more tick boxes
- Nothing that is going to cost an arm and a leg in maintenance like regular coat clipping
- Medium ish sized dogs - no bigger than a GSD, no smaller than a whippet.
- A breed which is bred to work with the handler, rather than on its own.
- Goes without saying, but nothing with a mashed in face
The obvious is probably a labrador but they just do not sing to me!
I'm thinking of what breed I want for my next dog. I don't intend to get another until my older two are gone, leaving behind just my whippet.
I initially liked the idea of two whippets, but I'm a soft touch with the pointy things and allow them to sleep in my bed. I cannot deal with a second whippet in the bed, so am ruling out sight hounds. I know they can be trained to not sleep in the bed, but where sight hounds are concerned, they are spoilt with me.
So no sighthounds.
My next tickbox is to avoid anything prone to reactivity. I have a reactive GSD x atm. All my own fault for lack of socialising. She isn't terrible. We go to agility and obedience classes with other dogs and she does well, just that initial first reaction to a new dog is to go bat shit. I understand that any dog will need the work put in and I of course will not make the same mistakes again, however am keen to avoid anything that is more likely to have reactivity. I considered getting an older rescue, something like a GSD, but every dog I see in rescue seems to already be reactive or have guarding issues etc. How easy is it to come by a well socialised GSD in rescue?
So nothing likely to be reactive.
Exercise requirements. My crew tend to do a quick 20 minutes round the block first thing in the morning on lead. Then a 45 minute forest/field play at lunch time, off lead. Weekends will be longer forest walks. We also do bits of agility and obedience. So really high energy dogs are unlikely to work, I don't think I can commit enough time to exercising something like a spaniel.
So medium energy requirements.
A few more tick boxes
- Nothing that is going to cost an arm and a leg in maintenance like regular coat clipping
- Medium ish sized dogs - no bigger than a GSD, no smaller than a whippet.
- A breed which is bred to work with the handler, rather than on its own.
- Goes without saying, but nothing with a mashed in face
The obvious is probably a labrador but they just do not sing to me!
I do plan to have one or two when I'm old and creaky though. 
