What breed would work best for us?

Only problem with the breeds you have listed is that they all require more grooming than you seem to want to partake in. From double coats and heavy shedding …

Although I did notice a previous answerer suggest a Hungarian Vizsla. Excellent suggestion. Very high energy and pretty much no grooming requirements. A quick once a week wipe down with a coat cloth will do. They’re more akin to a cat in terms of cleanliness. (That’s not to say they won’t love rolling in mud…)

Only thing is, I’d be a little concerned of any deeper chested breed and playing frisbee. All that jumping about, you’d have to be cautious to avoid bloat.

Seems like you’d be able to offer a wonderful home, but I’d suggest either making a compromise in the grooming requirements you’re willing to work with or start considering different breeds.

Lol well I’ll point out one big flaw. You want little to no grooming requirements and you’ve got some high maintenance breeds. Like Australian Shepherds would be a great choice especially if you want to do frisbee, but they require a lot of grooming. GSDs have thick double coats and shed like Crazy so they’d require a lot of brushing.

I suggest you google dog breed selector quizzes and take many and go from there. You’re ability to provide so much would be a great home for any dog. But remember, some dogs, like the GSD for instance, are Not for first time dog owners. I suggest you enroll in obedience classes right away if you still try to take on a harder breed like a shepherd.

The German Shepherd is a wonderful breed, but they do shed quite a bit!

The Belgian Malinois is a great dog, but requires LOTS of training (can be easily trained) and needs a firm owner that will give him/her a job! Socialization from an early age is a must!

The Dutch Shepherd is one of my absolute favorites! Like the Malinois, it needs a firm owner and stay consistent with training.

Good luck with you’re new dog!

Source(s): I’ve owned GSD’s, Dalmatians, Siberian Huskies, & Yorkies

All of the above breeds would work well in your lifestyle.

The one with the least grooming requirements would be the Belgian Malinois.

Some other breeds you may want to consider:

– Hungarian Vizsla

– Spinone Italiano

– German Pointer

All three of the above breeds are active, sporting dogs that would do very well with your active lifestyle.

As you say, you’re fond of herding breeds, so I thought I’d throw a few more options out there.

– Entlebucher Mountain Dog (great dog for active, woodsy people)

– Collie (comes in ‘smooth’ short coat, for easy coat upkeep)

– Australian Cattle Dog (AKA Heeler). They’re smaller than what you’d like though, slightly larger than the Aussie Shepherd. But they have a nice, short coat and are just as active.

Keep in mind that though herding dogs are highly intelligent, they will often be more difficult to train than most of the sporting breeds. Remember that intelligence doesn’t mean easy to train.

Also, it sounds like you’ve put a lot of thought into getting this dog, so you may already know this, but make sure you find a reputable breeder. BEWARE for the back yard breeder.

These people breed dogs to make a buck and often know nothing about the genetics behind them. A poorly bred dog will often suffer from major health and behavioral issues.

It’s important to make sure that your breeder’s dogs have passed breed related health and temperament screenings. They should make it obvious that they breed their dogs only to help preserve the integrity of their breed, not for financial gain (though a well bred dog does cost a lot to breed, and therefore, will cost a little to buy, but crappy breeders tend to charge the same prices for worthless dogs).

I think you should consider the labradoodle. It is adorable, friendly, very easy to train, about 70-90 pounds, easy to groom, very loyal with its owners, family oriented, loves to swim, and it is an amazing dog.

Or I would recommend the aussi doodle, which has the exact same temperment, but has no lab whatsoever in it.

Good luck with the search!

Source(s): Dog lover

I’m sorry to hear about your experiences with labs 🙁 I’ve always had positive experiences with them, but there are so many out there that anything can happen. German Shepherds are fantastic dogs. VERY intelligent and active. They love to learn and love love love their people. Their downside is that they can be overprotective, so you would have to learn about preventing that in your training of the pup.

A doberman pinscher fits the bill. They are very intelligent and trainable, have very short hair that is easy to groom, have extreme amounts of stamina, legendary loyalty, are very loving with their circle of people, and can be very intimidating when needed. I would also recommend a border collie, they have all your requirements except they have a bit higher grooming needs but not much.

I would say a Australian Shepard or Collie would fit your life style best, but keep in mind most shepards do require a fair amount of grooming.

Australian cattle dog

I think you are looking for a King Charles Cavalier I have one and he is so lovable! The only thing he doesn’t like to do is swim, but that is probably from no experience at it. There the kind of dog that loves to sit by you all day (or when ever your home) and most of the time there very well behaved. And, they don’t shed!