What breed of dog would you get?

m3gan

m3gan

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Very sadly we had to have our Belgian Shepherd Pts 3 weeks ago, he was 15 and had given us so much in his life and it was a terrible decision to make, but finally he was too poorly to carry on. We miss him hugely.

I am now faced with making the choice of should we get another dog, I have realised that we cannot have a puppy because I have to work 3 days a week and it would not be fair to leave a puppy , but we are considering an older dog. I would be able to get a dog walker in to walk him or her 3 times a week when I am at work all day. I could walk the dog morning and partner evenings.

We have been to two rescue centres but they don't have anything suitable ATM. I have seen a border collie bitch advertised who is 11mnths old and is Kennel club registered. She is for sale by the breeder as she was breed for working sheep but is scared of them! That would suit me fine as we live on the edge of the moor where we have lots of sheep and the main worry is that they will chase them.

My concerns are that firstly a border collie might be manic and need loads of excercise, secondly the dog has been kept outside the house so is not house trained, thirdly, I would hope to get a dog to accompany me when riding, but would she be afraid of horses?

Any thoughts or advice gratefully received !

If anybody has any recomended breeds that go out with horses please tell!
 
If you are looking for a rescue I would recommend a staffie as there are so many needing homes and they make lovely family dogs.

I'm going for a Dogue De Bordeaux although I appreciate they are too big for some people.

Good luck in your search though, its always very hard getting another having lost a dog and try not to compare them.
 
I know there are two adult Australian Cattle dogs up for adoption at the moment, they are a lot less manic than some collies can be and much less timid, but are still herders which are the best sorts for riding out! PM me and I can put you in touch if you are interested.

I would avoid sight and scent hounds as ones that stay with you are usually the exception rather than the rule and you really need an active sort with good conformation if you are taking a dog on long hacks.
 
LHS thank you for your reply.

I did notice that there were quite a few Staffies and Staffie Crosses at the rescue homes. I am rather nervous of getting one as they do have a bit of a bad reputation, which I am sure is only a small minority of dogs, but not knowing their history is a bit tricky!
 
I would be wary of the BC simply because you will be out at work and they do need LOTS of exercise.

How about a rescue greyhoud? There are lots of smaller rescues that it may be worth you looking up other than the big ones.
 
m3gan said:
If anybody has any recomended breeds that go out with horses please tell!
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My old GSD was a star around the horses and did many, many miles over the years running along side me riding. I'd love to have another one. :)
 
KarynK said:
I know there are two adult Australian Cattle dogs up for adoption at the moment, they are a lot less manic than some collies can be and much less timid, but are still herders which are the best sorts for riding out! PM me and I can put you in touch if you are interested.

I would avoid sight and scent hounds as ones that stay with you are usually the exception rather than the rule and you really need an active sort with good conformation if you are taking a dog on long hacks.
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Good suggestions!
 
It is very helpful to hear all your advice and suggestions, thank you all very much.

KarynK - I have pmd you!
 
Well I would say a whippet but that is just me! For you I would seriously consider an ex racing greyhound. They are used to being left in kennels most of the day so aren't bothered by working owners and CAN be trained to come riding with you - just start on a bike so you can use a lunge line for the initial road sense bit.

Stay away from the collies unless you can give them a serious daily amount of work and mental stimulation otherwise they get a bit mental :eek:
 
What type of Belgian shep did you have?

You could try a rescue/older GSD who hasn't made the grade for showing or another Belgian (although I do like to watch them work EK, the working bred Malis are just a tad too intense for me :o)
 
A dog to go out with a horse has to be a Dalmatian. I regularly see a lady out hacking with hers alongside. They were originally used as carriage dogs and ran behind (and under?) the carriage.
 
I wouldn't go for the BC 'scared' of sheep tbh........I would not be surprised if it ended up a sheep worrier if not kept in check. They need heaps of exercise - mentally and physically, and if you're worried about meeting sheep on hacks I just wouldn't go there.

My personal fave would always be a gundog...but then the suggestion about the dalmatian is worth considering? They followed carriages as guard dogs I believe...so do have the potential to show guarding instinct. May be seen as a good or a bad thing depending on what you want.....?

I personally love pointers/setters/viszlas.......but may be quite tricky to train to stay with you on a hack?
 
KarynK said:
I know there are two adult Australian Cattle dogs up for adoption at the moment, they are a lot less manic than some collies can be and much less timid, but are still herders which are the best sorts for riding out! PM me and I can put you in touch if you are interested.

I would avoid sight and scent hounds as ones that stay with you are usually the exception rather than the rule and you really need an active sort with good conformation if you are taking a dog on long hacks.
Click to expand...

I always remember watching Lucinda Green on tv when I was younger x-country schooling and hacking out with her ACD "Tomato", she said he's the best dog to ride out with. Plus I love the look of them :)
 
Yes I blame Lucinda and Tomato, she brought him to a cross country clinic I was on and that led eventually to my two!!!

They are quite independent as a breed and do not get as highly strung as sheep herders, they will take as much exercise as you give them but do not end up doing wall of death if you don't take as far for a while

They are really tough, little beggers that are agile and versitle, and very intelligent but loyal and affectionate to their owners and a select few people that they like. To the stupid human trying to attract their attention they show total indifference!!! They are ideal for people with horses as the lifestyle suits them, they are a smaller dog and are sound with good conformation and don’t go off looking for things to kill, mine are also fairly indifferent to other dogs and never bark in response to others and will not start trouble but will defend themselves.

They can turn a paw to anything and are good at obediance, working trials, agility and there is one that goes beating, but they can be noisey! Because they are intelligent and tough though I would not recommend them to novice dog owners unless they intended to get support with their early training!!
 
My two (Vizsla x Ridgy and Vizsla x Wirehaired pointer) are pretty good but do have the tendency to bugger off if something pops up they can chase. Not for long, I never worry they wont come back and no roads around.

However, the best dog I had for riding out with was my Dalmation Murph - would trot for miles, not horse shy in the least and needed plenty of miles to keep him trim.
 
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