tedington

nekhbet- i'm not 100% sure i understand your comments? its not that i'm not commited to agility or obedience (i've never actually done it but something i am interested in trying). its just that i want a dog that will enjoy it and thrive. i was at an obedience club with my old dog and we got to a fairly high level BUT he didn't really enjoy it. i wanted to training using his toy as a reward (because he loved toys even more then food) but the instructors were not keen on that idea- said it was too much of a distraction to the other dogs. then i wanted to use food bu that was a bit frowned upon to. their idea of marching around for an hour was pretty boring. i like to train more like work hard for a bit, have a break/play, work hard again, reward with toy/play etc. rather then just praise as a 'reward'. while i believe praise is important i think dogs deserve a reward when they have done the right thing and my boy was very toy motivated i left that club but continued training on my own. while he was never going to be an obedience champion, i was pretty proud of his level of training. so my next dog will definitely be going to training classes and i will be doing stuff at home, on walks etc. if they dont ever get to competition level then thats fine with me. they will be my companion/mate/cuddle bum first and foremost. also if anyone can recommend a good obedience/agility club that doesn't mind using positive training in adelaide let me know i dont want an independent dog. i want a dog that likes having cuddles and wants to spend time with me. my routine is changeable and will do my upmost to ensure my dog has everything they need to be happy. if that means getting up a 4.00 and taking them for a walk then so be it!! but i also dont really want a dog that is going to tear up the house if they only get 1 walk a day instead of the usual 2. while i do have a bit of stuff going on when i'm home after work and weekends, the dog will not be alone at all. what sammy ballerina said about pointers has shot them pretty high up the list! a dog that loves going for walks but also happy to chill out. i would like to do a bit more with to the training side though when you say dobermanns need to know you are the leader what exactly does this mean? just having rules such as sit before dinner/going out the door etc? walking nicely? play only when i want to? and when you say they will take over what does that mean? resource guarding? pushy for attention? just to clear somethings up thanks again!

thanks again for the thoughts. i have been to quite a few dog shows. they are an excellent day out!! i always end up hanging around the gun dog ring. my last dog was from the pound. he died far to young which is why i would like to get a pup from a proper breeder this time. so any necessary health tests have been done and there is some degree of safety in that regard. i understand that things can still go wrong even when every health test has been done. i would really like a pup but am open to an older dog (such as ex-show or something) from a breeder. i love greyhounds but i have a cat and a rabbit so i think i would be waiting quite a long time for a suitable dog. another reason i would like a pup, so they are exposed to the other pets from a young age. this is the list i have atm: 1. Vizsla (love the look and nature, but i'm not sure about the energy. and a few i have met are really boisterous and a little out of control. is this the breed or the owners not laying down the rules?) 2. Pointer (again i love the look. i have only met one as a pet and loved her nature and personality. the ones at the shows are just devine! i dont know a lot about them though) 3. German short-haired or wire-haired pointer (lovely dogs have met a few short-haired dogs but only a couple wires) 4. Dobermann (not sure. these guys sound awesome personality wise and obiously very impressive to look at. but i'm not sure if i could handle the training side. they sound pretty full on) 5. Dalmatian (had one as a kid great dogs. but a few i have met havent seemed to enjoy training? thoughts?) 6. Labrador (fantastic dogs have a very soft spot for them, but maybe a bit too 'common' and my parents have one. would like something a little bit different.) 7. Brittany (these dogs seem like awesome little characters all the ones i have met seem like real fun dogs) 8. English or Welsh springers (gorgeous dogs. i lean a bit more towards the welsh) 9. Standard Poodle (again very beautiful dogs especially in their show clip! i dont think i could handle that but in a pet clip sure.) so thats it so far anyone with comments or advice please feel free. any breeds that i've overlooked let me know or any on the list that you think would be unsuitable definitely let me know. i would really like to hear from anyone who owns these breeds what they like, dont like any little quirks etc. thanks again!

thanks for the quick replies. most of the dogs on your list dancinbcs are on my list especially the ones in bold. i guess i didnt really make it clear that i have a 'short' list of breeds i like and ones i dont like and really wanted peoples opinions on what would suit me to see if i was on the right track or not. i seem to be quite attracted to a lot of the breeds in the gun dog class. i like border collies and australian shepherds but i'm not sure about the exercise needs. smooth collies are out simply because i dont really like the look. i guess i havent really been thinking about what i dont want and more what i do. so i need to rethink a bit more...

hi everyone i've been a long time reader but have only just decided to become a member! i need some help deciding on what breed would suit me. this has been a long process for me, i've been researching for over a year!! so i thought i would dip into the wealth of knowledge on this forum. i now feel i am in the best situation to get a dog as i have recently moved into a new house with an awesome backyard (instead of the small place i was living in!) i cant decide what breed would suit me. there are just so many lovely dogs out there- i want them all! i really want to make the right decision but i keep changing my mind as to what i want! so i guess i should give a bit of info on my life i work 5 days a week. the hours vary a bit but usually 8-4 sometimes a bit longer (never later then 5) sometimes a bit earlier (never before 2) with a 15m trip to and from work. grooming is not concern for me but i lean towards smooth/short coated dogs more (purely on looks alone). so low-medium maintenance coat wise, something that wouldnt need to be brushed every day but every few days i could cope with my dog would be able to come to work with me sometimes, so they would need to be fairly friendly and also pretty easy going. exercise wise- i walk in the morning before work about 15-30mins and again after work about 30m-1hr. i had small mutt who was reasonably high energy but lived happily in the flat as long as he had a walk everyday. so most days would get at least an hours exercise, involving off lead walking, sometimes ball/toy games, training. i also go to the beach regularly over summer, so sometime swimming. i took my boy to training from puppy school up until he was about 2. so my new dog will be going to training classes as well. i did some obedience work but not very seriously (i found it a bit boring- sorry!! plus my dog wasnt really that into it) i would like to get into agility. mostly i would be training to have a well-mannered companion. i do have some regular social things late evenings/nights a few times a week. nothing serious eg. netball one night. but it does mean i will be out sometimes for a couple hours. these are the times when i would be planning to take my dog to work so they aren't home alone a lot. but when i am home it will be all about them! playing, walking, cuddling, training or just hanging out. so i dont really know what else to say about my life. i have a housemate who is a nurse so she is quite often home when i'm not. but the dog will be mine and i wont expect her to do anything serious with him/her. as to what i want in a dog- i ideally am after a medium-large dog. prefer short/smooth coat but that is not super important. energy levels- i want a playful dog and one that is happy to go for walks, but if they didnt get a lot (say only 40m) they arent going to tear the house down wanting to play. training wise i think a breed that wants to work with me and fairly easy to train. i dont want a constant battle of wills! that may sound a bit slack but i want them to enjoy training as well. so i just read back and i'm pretty vague sorry!! but i really dont know! there are just so many beautiful dogs out there and they all sound great! i've been to countless breeders websites and done numerous breed selector things i've got heaps of breed books. its too hard i want them all!! if there is something i've missed let me know. thanks in advance!! teddi