Choosing A Breed

[JulesP]

Another t/j from the forced retrieve thread......

How many people pick a breed of dog because they want to do a particular dog sport? Or did you buy your dog and then choose a sport to do with it. Which came first the breed or the sport?

For me it was that I had always loved border collies and when I got my first little bouncey fluff ball I thought I had better do something to keep his mind active so went down the obedience trail path. Whilst I enjoy obedience training I can't see myself buying a different breed if borders didnt suit doing it. And if the border I have now isn't into doing it then I just will not bother.

[sandyl]

We got our Border Collie first. Then heard about agility. So we started in that.

My next dog, will either be another Border Collie or a Belgian Shepherd. But most likely a Border.

[dogdude]

My fav's have always been Bull Terriers and I got hooked after I fell in love with the breed. Found them extremely hard to train but managed to train a trial winner. I love obedience and trialling and I always promised myself a working dog to kick butt with but just couldnt choose a breed that I didnt like when it came to the crunch. I did make a slight deviation though and now train a Stafford. My hair is now starting to grow back and they now allow me to take off my straight jacket on weekends

[wheres my rock]

staffys have an excellent reputation in the trial ring with many 200's and class winners.

My first dg was a cross and we then found trialling he went through too ud but my second dog i chose for natural retrive and a good nose but with high drive thinking what i needed for the trial ring i chose a gsp and she was an amazing trial dog.

since then companionship and ease around the house lower exercise requirements became more important so we had the whippet who would have been a great tril dog then our sheltie who is great though his nerves suck and his knees pop hes probably not going to trial much as he may not be physically able hubby has a bc hes always loved them and wanted a good wrking dog

At present im als trianing a german spitz who is very sweet Dino is young but i think he'll be a lovely trial dog he has a veryy strong desire to please and is a piglet.

so i guess we have changed our focus as our lives have changed and each time have chosen our breed based on different criteria however if i was a dead serious trial person still and wanted hgh scores lots of ribbons and to win top dog my first choice would always be the gsp

[jesomil]

My first trialling dog (rotty) i had as a pet then got into trialling through the local club. The next dog i got as a showdog then happened to also get into trialling.

My current trialling dog i researched for and got the best breeding for the traits i was after. It has really been worthwhile.

I will in future only get dogs that fit whatever i am wanting to do with them. I really want to get another rotty down the track and would love a working line Malinios to compete with.

[RealityBites]

I decided what I wanted to do with a dog first and THEN picked breed. Have had German Shepherds (Picked them because wanted to compete in obedience) and then decided wanted to do obedience and agilty amd wanted something with an easy care coat, so was a toss up between Kelpie and Dobe for next dog, and picked Dobe!! Which was a great choice................I'm hooked now

[J...]

I really wanted to do agility, I looked at getting a kelpie or a BC but having grown up with kelpies as working dogs, I couldn't do it.... I have this "thing" about working dogs in town backyards.... don't get me wrong I'm not criticising anyone here, thats just my choice. :D I'm still not sure I could do it. ;)

I love labradors but hadn't seen any competing so wondered how they would go in agility (I have now though!)

So when a friend mentioned one of her kids school teachers had kelpie x lab pups FTGH (registered sire and dam, just a mismate litter ) I decided that was a pretty good halfway mark She's well bred for a mutt!!! ;)

What my next dog will be I have no idea - but I'm well and truly hooked on agility, Darcy's doing a great job of teaching me how to handle a fast dog so it will have to be another quick one!!!

[wheres my rock]

if you like agility but dont want a working dog maybe a nova scotia

[weisnjac]

I wanted a small breed with attitude + which I could show and do obedience, tracking & agility.

I found myself a Jack Russell Terrier and they are perfect for all the above!

I am also going to have a crack at Earth Dog next year which is something I would never have thought of when looking for a breed.

[Staff'n'Toller]

I chose my Toller purely with agility in mind. After my little Stafford who has luxating patella's and OCD in her elbows (but loves agility) I wanted a medium sized, sound dog, with the health testing behind him who had longish hair to deal with the Melbourne winter. I find him just as demanding as when my Kelpie was young. But he is an awesome dog and he has an off switch.

We may get into retrieving if his deep water swimming improves and I can refine his mouth hold.

Mel.

Edited December 9, 2006 by Staff'n'Toller

[J...]

I have actually considered a Toller after seeing them at Ballarat and the K9 workshop, but seriously considered adopting a rescue dog as well.

Won't be for a while yet, Darcy keeps me on my toes for now

[PAX]

I picked my current pup for the sports I like, agility and obedience and the lifestyle of our family. I have a Koolie but now I have the herding bug too.

Most of all I wanted a dog that was easy to live with, sound and friendly to all. I think I got that but ask me in two more years.

[helen]

The fact I wanted to do obedience or agility did influence my choice, especially relating to size, I decided a medium size dog would be best.

Most people thought I should get a working dog breed but I didn't want one as I don't believe they suit me. I looked at gundogs as that group contains my favorite breeds (especially Brittanys and springers). I love their nature and I like the fact that they can be very active when needed and a very settled house dog as well. Brittany was a natural choice for me and one I am glad I made.

[Sayreovi]

I wanted a dog to do agility and flyball with, i wouldnt have gotten a breed that couldnt do it well. So i guess the sport came before the breed.

Though my favourite breeds are the ones suited to the sports so i didnt have to stray far lol

[sidoney]

I have had Vizslas for some time and have done lots of different dog sports with them, as well as show. I currently mainly do agility.

I taught agility for some time and wanted to try a "rocket dog" for the experience and so I could learn and pass on what I had learned to students with them. Have long loved Aussie working dogs - had a cattle dog for 16 years - but they are too heavy so since I also love Kelpies I got one. I am not so keen on long coated dogs.

Vizslas came before dog sports, however I was doing some bunny shooting at the time I chose one, so did choose something that would be good for that - was raised with gundogs though. Agility came before Kelpie but love for Kelpies predated agility.

Also have a short coated BC that my daughter is training - was a foster.

I think in the end for me, the breed of dog and the activities I do with the dog are intertwined, they go together.

Edited December 12, 2006 by sidoney

[poodlefan]

I chose the breed first. I took Ted to dog training because I didn't know anything about training dogs and wanted a well behaved one. The interest in dog sports kind of grew from there.

I'm not really a "dog for the job" kind of person. I think I'd always pick the breed I wanted to have and then find activities to do with it. Like Helen I'm not really a working dog person (too much intensity for me) and these days it's pretty much a high drive working dog that you need to win in agility.

Maybe a gundog next. . or a toy. .. or a...

So many breeds... so little time.

[dogdayz]

I got my collie rough as a pet but after starting obedience school thought i might like to do that. Got my weim to show but that didnt work out so then looked for what else i could do. We now dabble in a number of dogs sports, with mixed results, but always fun. So i have basically made my activities and aims to suit my dogs.

I would love an agility dog, neither my current dogs really suit agility, and i would love an aussie shepherd, but at the same time my OH would like another staffy, and in my heart the collie roughs will always be number 1 for me. My suspicion is our future household will be collie and staffy based, and the dogsports will be made to fit the dog.

[leopuppy04]

I had a kelpie as my first dog and have always been attracted to active, good-looking (IMO!) dogs. My 2 favourite breeds were/are Border Collies and Goldens. I didn't like the snappiness of some borders and I wanted something slightly more 'intelligent/ driven' than a Golden. Also, mum wouldn't let me get a Golden coz they are 'too big' (shhh... don't tell her that Leo is as big as a F Goldie!). I wanted a dog with drive enough to compete in obedience & agility but also have an 'off switch'. At the time, I didn't think about showing. I wanted a 'different' looking dog. I needed something that would get along great with other dogs and people - after my experience with my last dog, I didn't want to go through that again!!!! Along came the Aussies. They had the 'beauty' 'brains' 'versatility' and reasonably calm nature (ok, ok so i'm talking them up!). I'd be the first to say that they aren't the smartest breed out there, but they aren't the dumbest either. Leo has fitted me like a glove and though i'd like to still own a border, golden and possibly a poodle down the track, i'd always have an aussie by my side . I got *exactly* what I was after, although Leo isn't quite as 'high drive' as I would like although still 'full on'!

Thats my story and i'm stickin to it

[MonElite]

I have got the breed first and than discovered few extra sports.

Im totally hooked on dobes, they might not be the best in all sorts of sports but can participate in many.

[Seita]

I got my first dog (mind you I was 12) because I wanted a dog, I ended up with an interesting bitzer who I unfortunately lost quite early on. I took her to training because I wanted a "smart" dog (keep remembering I was 12) but I got hooked on obedience... hence came the border collie cross, who unfortunately didn't turn out to be the obedience dog I wanted. I got him to compeition level obedience (with much effort!) but because non peds were not yet recognised at this time (1998ish) I decided to get a purebred (of course a border collie) to compete with. I love doing obedience and agility and the borders just fit this hobby. I'm also contemplating doing some herding in the future as my current pup shows a lot of potential, but thats more of a the hobby matches the breed thing rather than the other way round. My next pup will be picked based on its level of drive and suitability to the type of training I use. If I ever get a different breed I'll probably consider taking up a hobby that suits that particular breed, but for the time being its bcs all the way!!