Breed consideration

[sandgrubber]

8 hours ago, Amazetl said:

What are blue heelers like with other dogs? I always thought they were more of a one dog situation. I’d prefer to have a dog that is happy to laze around a lot of the time and then go on big walks around the property off leash as well as into town to do plenty of socialising to sights and sounds and people etc. Don’t they have a lot of energy? Thanks. 

Based on working in a boarding kennel,  some blueys are good with other dogs, some aren't.   They are famous for bailing people up

 

[Amazetl]

48 minutes ago, Purdie said:

Italian Spinone.   ?                 

Ooo I really love the other Italian breed the Bracco Italiano. Does anyone know if they are a bit protective? I don’t want an aggressive dog, more thought of one that looks scary to strangers and has a deep bark and will step up if they feel something is out of the normal. I don’t want a dog that will go and hide or get behind me. My Goldens get behind my Lab if they perceive a danger and my Lab stands in front of me. He is huge and excellent at just standing in front and stretching his stance out. I noticed he began to do this from puppyhood BUT he is also super friendly, which is great because well socialised to see the difference between normal and something amiss. 

 

I kind of want a more dog than my Lab though, as in one that looks more the part. He is also getting old now. 

 

I really love the Ridgeback and what is described about them on this thread really makes me want one more but I’m still a bit weary of higher energy levels and being too much dog for me. 

[Jetta]

Amazeti, From working with all different dog breeds for many years I would say that Lab's have much higher energy levels than Ridgebacks so I wouldn't be deterred thinking Ridgies are too much dog at all.

[Purdie]

Some info

 

https://dogell.com/en/compare-dog-breeds/rhodesian-ridgeback-vs-weimaraner

[Lhok]

20 hours ago, Deeds said:

Spanish Water Dog?  Komondor?  

Komondorok are serious livestock guardian dogs, they can be very dog aggressive and human aggressive too. I would imagine if some of the other breeds of dog in the list are too much dog Komondorok would certainly be too much, and the dreads might be too much grooming. 

--Lhok

Edited September 5, 2022 by Lhok

[Amazetl]

I’m not really after a livestock guarding dog, although I love many breeds that do that. I’m more after one that will stay close to the house and follow me around the property, and be good with my retrievers. Be alert but well socialised so they can tell the difference between what’s normal and what isn’t. Prefer one who would stay close and stand out in front or bail up, not bite, and prefer one with a deep bark and one that makes you not want to step forward incase and backs you up rather than charges and pins etc. 

[Purdie]

Bouvier des Flanders ,Wirehaired Vizla ,Airedale .?

I don't think you can go far wrong with a big black Labrador with a deep bark.

A Heeler could work but they do best when given a job to do and lots of mental activities.

A bored Heeler will soon get in to mischief however if you can put in the time for formal training and are an active person

then you will have a good dog.

Of your list I think an Irish Wolfhound however they will wander off if not contained behind high fences.

My Wolfhound cross once jumped a 7 foot fence when I went to go out without her.

 

 

Edited September 6, 2022 by Purdie
spelling

[Amazetl]

I’m wondering whether I should go for another Lab but black. I’ve also considered the Curly Coat as they are a bit more stranger aware, I like the Chesapeake Bay Retriever too but I’m a little alarmed that everywhere I read about them they can be dog aggressive. 

 

The Irish Wolfhound feels to me to be one of the better choices but as you say I’m concerned of keeping them contained as I’d prefer to have them off leash while outside of the enclosed fenced area (would still have farm fencing but that’s not much fence for any dog).

 

Interesting about the Wirehaired Vizsla. Are they a bit more protective than the Vizsla? Are there other gun dogs that might do a good job? 

 

I know some are pretty decent at offering protection but then many also have lines that are more highly strung so difficult to discern. I know not all stay close to owner either. 

 

Thanks for all the ideas. If anyone has any more I’m always curious to learn what might be suitable.

 

[Purdie]

Flat Coated Retrievers,I don't know much about them.

Love the look of the Curly Coats.

Wirehaired Vizsla are on my want to own list.

They were developed from crossing Hungarian Vizsla with German Wirehaired pointers and other breeds.

 

[Amazetl]

As far as I can tell the Curly is more stranger aware than the Flat. They seem a bit more like the Golden, super friendly. But they are darker colours so appearance wise…

 

Everybody and anybody comes right up to my Goldens and reaches out to them and everything without asking and does soft sweet talk to them because they look so soft natured and so happy. And they are. I’m sure their colour has something to do with it too. 

 

No one does that to my big brown lab. 

 

I think my problem with a gundog for this purpose is that they’re going to have more energy. They’d fit in better with my current dogs but I kind of want a dog that will play some but enjoy just lazing around and keeping watch. 

[Deeds]

I had 2 curly coats when I was a teenager.  A black and a liver curly coat.  Loved them to death.  Smart, obedient and easy to train and eager to please.  Lovely smart dogs.  

[Purdie]

Bernese Mountain Dog. ?

[Amazetl]

I met some Curly Coats and wow they were so beautiful. One was the liver colour and reminded me so much of my choc lab just curly, with how he was a big puppy rolling around and having fun. I really wanted one right then. They are a bit easier to come by than some of the other rarer retrievers. Read that they are more alert to strangers, not as social and friendly to everyone like a lab or a golden but still good natured. 

 

I love the Bernese Mountain Dog. We used to have one live down the street and he was huge but played so well with my Lab. They are definitely something I’ve thought of. I didn’t initially put them on my list because some sites say they are good at guarding and some say they really aren’t. But they are big so that itself would be a deterrent. 

 

 

[Rebanne]

any dog you get may fail in the guarding bit or may be too eager to guard. You are not going to know until they are an adult. Personally I think breeds like GSD's, Rotties , Dobes, Ridgebacks fit your criteria. I think a cattledog will go for the heels of someone, not that would worry me. What sort of people turn up at your house and how often that you need a guarding dog?

[Dogsfevr]

Any breed that has some guarding instinct will require you to train it to know right from wrong , that doesnt equate to socializing it as a dog with a tendancy to be aloof wont want to meet every Tom,Dick & Harry thats not how they work . 
Some breeds due to there guarding aspect dont want to share with other dogs as you may want .
I think you need to seriously decide what you really want from this dog & what will best fit into the already established household ,the humans in the house & there ability to control said dog & expectations & how much work you want to put in time ensuring its brain is stimulated well in job mode & pet mode .Guards dogs dont just laze around they need there outlet just as much .
If you want guarding then you need to accept what comes with that & and if the GSD or Rotti intimidate you  a dog in guard mode will probably freak you this will be important in your ability to control a dog .

German wirehaired Pointers are good alert dogs & very loyal to there humans .

The biggest factor is most crimes these days dont get fazed with dogs especially the routine dog that charges to the fence & can be wacked with a 4x2 or eat what is thrown to them to be baited .

I had a GSD who was one off the few that actually did his guarding correctly & we had a dog handler from the Army who was scared off him because he worked correctly ,as he said a lost art to witness a dog safe guard itself & leave the human second guessing what its plan was .



 

[Amazetl]

The dog isn’t going to just laze around. There will be lots of happenings and walks around the property and then also in town. I’m also big on obedience and other dog activities but I do have the retrievers and was hoping to have a dog who is more happy to relax a lot. The dog will also live inside. 

 

Everything I have read about some of the dogs I’m thinking of says to socialise them to normal everyday sights and sounds, not make them be petted by everyone etc but for them to distinguish between someone who is acting normal to someone who they should be wary of. I don’t want a dog who has never seen a large gruff guy for instance, I want that to be normal to them. To know that they aren’t more dangerous than anyone else. But if that person or any other started acting unusual and threatening for them to then take notice. 

 

No one in particular coming around, just anyone curious, that sort of thing. It’s more for me to feel safer. 

 

I don’t want to train any protection dog for protection. I just want their natural abilities to kick in if they feel they need to, like my Lab does. 

 

I’m not a sociable person so don’t want neighbours thinking they can just drop by etc either. I also don’t want liability so another reason for just those natural instincts to kick in. This won’t happen until I end up buying some land. I’m not really planning to have farm animals except some horses perhaps. 

 

I also want to be able to take the dog with me if I’m on my own doing things and feel safe as I am someone who sometimes starts imagining this or that could happen and have had past trauma so a lot is to feel secure (emotionally too) more than anything.

 

Edited to add, I forgot to say that I’ve got nothing against German Shepherds and Rottweilers but I just don’t fully trust them. I prefer Shepherds though. I work with one and he is a lovely lovely dog but also dog reactive which really makes me sad as I have a multi dog household and I just don’t want to take risks with them. I have a lot of experience with large large dogs. My extended family used to have Wolfhounds. I also knew a couple of lovely cattle dogs and at least one was really aloof and fine with other dogs but I also knew another who would act very intimidating towards anyone and other dogs. 

 

Thanks everyone. 

Edited September 6, 2022 by Amazetl
Forgot to add

[Deeds]

We have a lot of Bernese Mountain dogs in my suburb.  They get a lot of cancer and are notorious for not living very long .    Some of them I have known have gotten cancer and died at 2 years of age.  The owners have told me they get a lot of health problems.

[Amazetl]

Yeah it’s really sad. I don’t think many make it past 8 but there are some lines that are getting longer. But then you could get one who doesn’t make it past two. A lot of Goldens have similar problems but not to the same extent. Even in my older girl’s lines there were several who died at a year or two from cancers. I’ve read from some people that however long you get with them is worth it, and then others say they’ll never have one again because that can’t take the heartbreak. 

[Deeds]

That's why Irish Wolfhounds are called "the heartbreak breed"  because of their short life span.  IW's are prone to Osteosarcoma and epilepsy .  This has been well documented.

[Amazetl]

Yeah almost all the giant breeds don’t live long sadly.