Dog breed suggestion

[twobone]

Hi,

Can you give me some suggestions on a dog breed. Here are my criteria:

-Small/medium sized dog. My wife has a bad back so she needs something that will not yank her off her feet
-Short hair and not a major shedder
-Something that has at least some traditional dog energy. I want my young boys to be able to play fetch and rough-house wrestle a bit with this dog...I don't want a foo-foo lap dog
-Not a major barker like a hound
-Good with kids and other dogs
-Something with lots of personality
-Easy to train with a mellow disposition


For reference, I used to own a Boxer/lab cross. She was a wonderful dog on all accounts. My wife used to own a Bichon-Frise.

We are looking for something "in the middle"

[Rikao4]

go to your nearest animal shelter..
he or she is waiting for you..
you both will know..
take your kids...


Rika

[911dean]

I absolutely love my boxer. Medium sized male with very short hair.

[Steve Carlton]

Maybe Dog Breed Selector & Puppy Finder - Choosing a Dog will help, I dunno.

I'd be curious about a Wheaton Terrier or a Tibetan Terrier myself. A Jack Russell Terrier doesn't exactly fit your criteria, but it might not be too far away. This should be an interesting thread.

[Jim Richards]

Mini Schnauzers are great, but a fair number of individual dogs are pretty barky. You'd have to pick one with the right temperament. Another similar-sized dog I'd consider would be a Welsh Terrier. Both the Mini Schnauzer and the Welsh Terrier have hair, not fur, so shedding is a non-issue.

[scottmandue]

Originally Posted by Rikao4

go to your nearest animal shelter..
he or she is waiting for you..
you both will know..
take your kids...


Rika

I pick up a BYD breed from the pound (Big Yellow Dog) not the brightest bulb on the tree but very huggable, lovable, and just what I needed at that point in my life.

Find a medium size dog with some collie in the mix and that should work for the fetching.

[5String43]

+1 on selecting a shelter dog. You will find a wonderful animal and you just might save a life.

[atcjorg]

australian sheppards, smart as heck lower maint than a border collie great with kids and other pets

[Hugh R]

Mutt from the pound is all around the best. Less inbreeding issues. Like Riko said.

[Seahawk]

I love the Mutt thing - my Mom was the president of the local SPCA for years.

But. Corgie if you can.

[gacook]

Originally Posted by Jim Richards

Mini Schnauzers are great, but a fair number of individual dogs are pretty barky. You'd have to pick one with the right temperament. Another similar-sized dog I'd consider would be a Welsh Terrier. Both the Mini Schnauzer and the Welsh Terrier have hair, not fur, so shedding is a non-issue.

This. My absolute favorite dog ever was my Mini Schnauzer. Best dog we ever had...

[Jim Richards]

Ours is a hoot!

But, she's a rescue dog with 6 months of trauma (puppy mill) in her life before we rescued her. She scares easily and barks too much (and too loudly!). Some I've seen that came from breeders are calm/relaxed. YMMV.

[rsa964]

Yes Schnauzers!

[Seahawk]

Originally Posted by Jim Richards

Ours is a hoot!.

If I remember, brave as well. Good call.

[Jim Richards]

Mine's ready to protect the longhoods.

[VincentVega]

Good stuff Jim. I thought your dog was calm and collected compared to my GSP. Everything is relative I suppose.

I've never had luck when trying to specific dog attributes. Each time I wanted something specific I ended up with something close but not quite and a handful of other 'issues'.

Good luck

[gacook]

Originally Posted by Jim Richards

Ours is a hoot!

But, she's a rescue dog with 6 months of trauma (puppy mill) in her life before we rescued her. She scares easily and barks too much (and too loudly!). Some I've seen that came from breeders are calm/relaxed. YMMV.

Ours was my ex-wife's and my "first kid." Wasn't a rescue dog (though I've had a couple of those, too), but he was still awesome. And he taught me that living in Arizona (lots of dirt), buying white furniture, and then getting an indoor/outdoor dog was really, really stupid...

[Jim Richards]

Hahaha!

[RANDY P]

This guy is the perfect dog- well trained, obedient and loves people. Will look after ur wife, follow her around.


rjp

[Joe Bob]

Try the Dachshund rescue network.....