which breed? Can't make up my mind!

MotherOfChickens

MotherOfChickens

MotherDucker
Joined
3 May 2007
Messages
16,639
Location
Weathertop
Visit site
Ok, I am obsessing about this a bit-its what I do. We recently lost our Irish setter. We have a little staffy x beagle rescue. I have come to the conclusion that I no longer find keeping dogs singly acceptable (not judging anyone for doing it, if I could give a single dog all my attention it might be different). I would like a pup, not a rescue, and ideally this would be August onwards (we're having some building work done and there are other reasons).

I know what I don't want-full bred staffy or other bull breed, BCs, beardies, sighthounds, pointers, huskies, spaniels, labradors, GSD, and have ruled out terriers-as much as I love some of them. There are various reasons for each breed, some I couldn't offer a suitable home to, some because of where I am and some I have had before etc. I keep poultry and ducks, cats and horses-I am surrounded by sheep and also cattle in the summer (i.e. there is a stock fence between my property and the sheep, I also have a walled, enclosed back garden).

I am considering a working bred setter (either Irish or IRAW) and getting professional training (i.e. one used to setters). The other breeds under consideration are beagles, standard poodles and possibly smooth collies. Out of the three, I suspect smooth collies are the 'easiest'.

I am also not adverse to a decent cross breed-and I don't mean a hybrid for £850 but a proper mongrel. Saw some advertised yesterday staffy x rottie x beagle x collie and they looked fab.

Every time I see a picture of a setter I think my mind is made up but I know how high maintenance they can be on every level. I've read a lot about beagles and behaviour problems but many of these owners seem completely clueless and bought one as a first dog.However, both of these make my heart sing in a way the smooth collies and cross breed pups don't.

Anyone got any great ideas? :)
 
Last edited:
you seem to have ruled out most breeds, I can only think of the toy breeds like Pomeranian, Chihuahua etc, or the other end of the scale, rottie or Doberman.. good luck it sounds like you will have a long search!!!!!
just thought how about a munsterlander?
 
Working setters are wonderful dogs but if you think a Pointer is unsuitable then I'd imagine a setter would be too? If you're going to work with a suitable trainer then either breed would be fine. I like standard poodles very much, intelligent trainable dogs - I know one that works as a gundog and is a lovely creature. Smooth collies are a soft spot for me but like any herding breed need a "job" to some extent.
 
splashgirl45 said:
you seem to have ruled out most breeds, I can only think of the toy breeds like Pomeranian, Chihuahua etc, or the other end of the scale, rottie or Doberman.. good luck it sounds like you will have a long search!!!!!
just thought how about a munsterlander?
Click to expand...

yikes, no toy breeds-I think beagles are on the wee side. I do love rotties fwiw but OH wouldn't go for one. I will google munsterlanders :)

There are other breeds such as spinones, otter hounds ( I like a shaggy dog), flat coats, Standard Schnauzers that I have in the back of my head that I've not looked at seriously but have known examples of.

Quite by luck today we met a couple of setters, a small family of 4 beagles and a rather splendid bearded collie (I've had one, always glad to admire them from afar!). So I had a lovely chat with the beagle people and I've just had a working setter breeder contact me about a visit.
 
druid said:
Working setters are wonderful dogs but if you think a Pointer is unsuitable then I'd imagine a setter would be too? If you're going to work with a suitable trainer then either breed would be fine. I like standard poodles very much, intelligent trainable dogs - I know one that works as a gundog and is a lovely creature. Smooth collies are a soft spot for me but like any herding breed need a "job" to some extent.
Click to expand...


I have a confession about pointers-they just don't do it for me (apologies). There are lots around here and I probably have the same unfounded prejudice against them that people do about setters when they've not known one well. When the last dog was a youngster, we didn't live in sheep country and by the time we did, he was too old to take any notice (i.e. 9!). But I do remember what he was like with deer and birds so not under any illusions.

I do love the poodles, had a toy growing up and have known several standards-they are fab dogs.
 
If you want a pet DO NOT get a pointer or a setter from working lines! That is based on several decades of breeding, owning, working, and training them!

Why is it people wanting a pet go for active working breeds that have been bred for centuries to be hyperactive with a passion for hunting in spite of all the advice out there not to do it? OK, some will be 'lucky', but if those hunting instincts are once awakened they will usually be channelled into some sort of activity that you might find inconvenient.
 
Dry Rot said:
If you want a pet DO NOT get a pointer or a setter from working lines! That is based on several decades of breeding, owning, working, and training them!

Why is it people wanting a pet go for active working breeds that have been bred for centuries to be hyperactive with a passion for hunting in spite of all the advice out there not to do it? OK, some will be 'lucky', but if those hunting instincts are once awakened they will usually be channelled into some sort of activity that you might find inconvenient.
Click to expand...

thanks for your input-the reason for going (potentially) with a working bred setter is to avoid the myriad of health problems in the show bred setters which I've kept for a couple of decades.

If I go down that route, it will be after much research and only if I feel I can meet the commitment to training and working the dog as it should be. I have been chatting to several working breeders over several months and I've still not decided or convinced so not jumping into anything. I was to go to watch some field trials in March but a bout of the flu put paid to that-will try and make some later on.

I've even found someone who works setters under falcons (I can hear you rolling your eyes DR! ;) ) and I still wasn't daft enough to jump right in. I am missing my old dog, though trying to not let it cloud my judgement.
 
Last edited:
Poodle, I have 2 toys atm and my next will be a standard, only reason for having toys is the issue of not enough space for a bigger dog atm. Love the breed, intelligent, trainable, lots of energy, I do agility and canicross with my younger one, thinking of doing fly ball too. My older one is 12 now but I used to do agility with her :) Both dogs are brilliant around horses, and other animals, children, guests etc, just absolutely fab dogs to be around. And the big bonus of no hair anywhere! My fave breed by far :)
My parents have a Russian Black Terrier, yes I know you said no terriers but google this one, it's not your ''typical'' terrier breed :) He's a lovely chilled out goofy dog, also very intelligent and very happy. Doesn't particularly enjoy running, he's much more of the rough and tumble with another dog, tug of war, that type of dog rather than the chase a ball/stick/run around like crazy type :) lovely dog thou, doesn't shed very much, and doesn't bark very much at all, only ever heard him bark twice in the last 2 years and that was mid play with another dog x
 
Poodle. There's the most amazing, elegant, beautiful standard I see sometimes. I could really fancy one.

Given how similar springers look to mumsterlanders, are the temperaments generally similar? My youngsters are nearly as big as mumsterlanders, oversized badly bred things!

How about a Gordon setter if you can find a good breeder who has health tested? I confess I love the look of English setters, so I'd be keen on that too.
 
I am a flatcoat person so obviously think the breed is wonderful. Some people seem to think they are a bit too lively but all mine, over 40years , have been easy to train, biddable, keen to work and be with you. Love people, dogs and children and steady with all livestock.
I have always kept a lurcher too, but that's another story. If I tried another breed I fancy Smooth Collies or a Munsterlander. I worked one of my flatcoats in a gun dog class with one and it was lovely.
Cinnamontoast, it was nothing like a springer, taller, slimmer built, and not nearly as busy!!
 
cinnamontoast said:
he temperaments generally similar? My youngsters are nearly as big as mumsterlanders, oversized badly bred things!

How about a Gordon setter if you can find a good breeder who has health tested? I confess I love the look of English setters, so I'd be keen on that too.
Click to expand...

Gordons have a rep for being even harder to train than the other types ;) lovely looking dogs though. The only English setters I know have wrse health issues than the Irish I've had-again, beautiful dogs. My Irishes were tested and/or genetically free of all the usual setter conditions. I'm pretty convinced that some of the problems I've experienced have been brought about by early castration as well though.
 
I have a poodle and I love him dearly but he is high maintenance. Super intelligent but prefers to use his brains for himself. He is also snooty, is not at all interested in other dogs except other poodles/crosses, which I am told is typical, if I had another I would get a bitch. Rotties make wonderful crossbreeds in my experience.
 
Chiffy said:
I am a flatcoat person so obviously think the breed is wonderful. Some people seem to think they are a bit too lively but all mine, over 40years , have been easy to train, biddable, keen to work and be with you. Love people, dogs and children and steady with all livestock.
Click to expand...

I've not known any personally this decade but did know three over the years plus those that used to come in the practice. Of the three I knew, not one made it to 8 yo-whats the health status like these days?
 
I've recently acquired a working type English Setter, no history on her but thought to be about 18 months. So far she's proving very easy - certainly much easier than the Spinones I've had! Very settled in the house but fast outside. Maybe think about one of the rare breed spaniels - there are several about and all can be trained to work if that's what you want to do. they are of course smaller than ESS.
 
Dalmatian? Friends have some 2 dogs are wildly different, but the dog is very active. Love their characters ( though we had some unpleasant electric fencing accidents with no 1 dally....she spent a lot of time with my Staffords, copied their behaviour and didn't realise she was getting bigger than them...)
 
What is it you want from a dog?!

A breed a few friends of mine have are Australian Shepherds and they are wonderful tempered and versatile mid sized dogs. I'd have one in a flash if they didn't have quite so much hair!!

I'm hopefully just about to rehome a Manchester terrier bitch
 
oh, love the Manchester terriers :)

Dalmations have crossed my mind, will think on them.


I hadn't considered Aussie shepherds tbh-hairy though and how collie like are they? I've had a BC and a beardie, I never want another one. I know I said Smooths but that would be decided after I'd met some first-the breeders I've contacted tell me they are nowhere near as intense as BCs.

what do I want? I think that can be met by many dogs tbh. The rescue we have is pretty much perfect apart from her slight tendency to go overboard with other dogs at times and her overwhelming urge to eat poo (well, anything really its just there's a lot of poo around here). It seems to be very difficult to find a good, old fashioned mutt these days (as she is) and I've no interest in jugs, puggles or the Boebel x mastiffs or huskitas being sold in Glasgow :O
 
The Aussie shepherds I know have little in common with boarder collies,
Less neurotic/OCD. Slightly lazier and more level headed. I can't fault the ones I know, good all round active pets. But yes, way too much hair for my liking.
 
MoC, that is a terrible statistic you have quoted for flatcoats. I lost my first flatcoat (many years ago) to bone cancer at the age of 9. All my others have lived to low teens and died of old age.
The Flatcoated Retriever Society have done an enormous amount to improve health. All those years ago I was asked to send off my dogs X-rays for their research programme.
 
Sorry MoC, bad choice of words by me. Personally I wish all dogs lived much longer, they just grow up from silly puppyhood and you have a few years of the perfect companion and then they start to get old. So wish we had them twice as long. Mind you, flatcoats are known as the Peter Pans of the dog world, full of fun and energy to the end. It's just sad parting with them.
 
Get a Newf! We adore ours, they have a long life expectancy for a giant breed and the sayings about their temperament are right on the money. Ours is very active outdoors and loves a long walk but just flops in the house. He's intelligent and has been very trainable despite having come to us at 2 as a bit of a thug. We couldn't ask for a better family dog, he's 100% with our tiny terrier and absolutely worships her, and I can trust him with all our small furries.
 
tabithakat64 said:
Standard poodle, Australian Shepherd or as you've said an Irish setter. If you'd be open to a rescue then take a look at Pod's there are several rescues such as http://www.ibizanhoundrescue.com/ and they are lovely dogs.
Click to expand...

From my experience from earlier this year, poodle and setter rescue won't consider me because I work full time. It does also seem, having followed them for a while, that the setters going through rescue have problems.

Ibizan hounds are stunning, but just not an option due to our location which is why I ruled out sighthounds-plus I have cats.
 
Possum said:
Get a Newf! We adore ours, they have a long life expectancy for a giant breed and the sayings about their temperament are right on the money. Ours is very active outdoors and loves a long walk but just flops in the house. He's intelligent and has been very trainable despite having come to us at 2 as a bit of a thug. We couldn't ask for a better family dog, he's 100% with our tiny terrier and absolutely worships her, and I can trust him with all our small furries.
Click to expand...

If she doesn't want the hair of an australian sheepdog I can't see a newfie being on the cards!
 
ester said:
If she doesn't want the hair of an australian sheepdog I can't see a newfie being on the cards!
Click to expand...

To be honest, the hair's not terrible other than the couple of months he's blowing his coat. My parents' springer was far worse! The slobber on the other hand... :p
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top