help me find the right breed for us

[bremen]

we want to get a puppy in the next year.

we want a young puppy from a breeder. there is no compromise there.  we have both grown up  with shelter dogs adopted when older, and want a puppy once in our lives.

we want a larger, calm dog.

we will be living in an apartment in a large city.

the dog will always have someone at home, but not have a yard to run around in.

living in a city, we will walk everywhere.

the dog needs to be one that can be left unattended (tied out in fron of a store while i go in for a few things), and not want to get into too much trouble.

we do not want a small dog. ideal is 40-60lb range. 

we would take the dog for walks everal times per day, and to the off leash dog park daily, so the dog would get plenty of excercise, but in scheduled increments, not just running around the backyard.

short hair is also highly prefered.

so, to sum it all up:

we want a big calm dog that does well in cities, crowds, apartments, but also loves a good run each day.

the dog will have lots of attention, but not too much space.

and, before you say greyhound, df can't stand them. he jsut hates the way greyhounds look, and absloutely does not want one. nor anything similar, such as italian greyhound or whippet.

so, does the breed we are looking for exist? are our requests too picky? are we horrible people who don't even deserve a dog?

thanks for all replies.

[WildDoula]

Not horrible at all. You know what you want in a dog, and you deserve it!

I would suggest a lab, they are great dogs!

Just make sure whichever breeder you choose certifies their breeding stock with either OFA or Penn Hip to protect against hip dysplasia, and any additional health testing never hurts. 

[bremen]

i have had several labs throughout my life, and they have not had the kind of personality i am looking for.

my labs were much better suited to the suburbs. my labs were quite high energy, needing to go outside and run around every few hours. they also need a lot of attention, and are prone to destruction when they are bored.

i am trying to find out as much as i can about dog breeds as i can now, but there are jsut so many out there, and not all will be available in all areas, either.

[tinuviel_k]

You are describing my dog almost exactly. She'll be about 55-65 lbs, she is calm, loves to go out and exercise, but is happy to be inside at home with us. At eight months old is already reliable enough to be home alone for three hours without getting into mischief... Unfortunately I can't really help you with a breed because she IS a shelter mutt: we adopted her from a rescue litter at 9 weeks old.
Near as I can guess she is part border collie, German shepherd dog, and Aussie shepherd. There might be more in there, though. Most of those breeds have high energy, so I'm not sure where she gets her laid-back chill attitude from. We picked the mellow one of the litter and I am so glad we did!

Bernese mountain dogs are calm, but the females can weigh 80-110 lbs. That is pretty big. They also don't live as long as other dog breeds. But they are fabulous! Not sure how one would be in an apartment, though.

How about an English bulldog? I LOVE that breed. They have such amazing personalities, and they do quite well in an apartment setting. At 50-55 lbs they are right in your weight range.
http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/bulldog.htm

[nd_deadhead]

There's nothing horrible about wanting specific things in a dog, and you have obviously given this a lot of thought. I have to admit, "greyhound" is the first breed that came to mind when I read your description! But I can understand your DH's point. I don't like blue-eyed dogs, regardless of the breed. There's nothing logical about it, it's just how I feel.

I will say this, though - even if you find a breed, and an individual dog within that breed, that fits your criteria exactly, that isn't going to happen until the pup is close to a year old. I can't tell you how many times I threatened to send our dog back to the breeder when he was a pup! And like you, we researched the right breed, knew how much time and energy a puppy would involve, and I still got frustrated. If I were to do it again, I'd get a young adult dog from a breeder, to avoid the rowdy puppy stage. Our breeder occasionally has dogs that don't like the show ring, and need forever homes.

Be forewarned that short hair doesn't translate into less shedding. Our neighbor's pug sheds like crazy; so did the beagle my family had when I was a kid.

Good luck with your search! If you hit on a couple of breeds that strike your fancy, contact a couple of breeders. The good ones will be perfectly honest about the traits of their dogs. When I first called my breeder, she asked if I'd ever had a Cardigan Welsh Corgi before (I hadn't). She said "We have two sins - we bark and we shed". Any breeder who tells you their dogs are perfect is not going to be very helpful.

[Ldavis24]

Hmm I was going to say a Bernese Mountain Dog too, although that is a big dog...

I was also going to suggest any breed of mastiff (they are often referred to as giant couch potatoes)...They are huge though, but they are very very adaptable at living in cities because they are so lazy.

I can't stand the look of a greyhound either, they just weird me out, I don't know why...Sorry to all the greyhound owners out there...

Maybe a bull dog would be good for your family? They can have a lot of health problems, but are on the lower end of the weight side so they wouldn't be huge?

You have very specific guidelines which can be good and bad at the same time. It's good because you have clearly put a lot of thought into! Bad because it just might take a while to figure out which breed..

I am not a huge lab fan..To me they are VERY active and they stink, literally. Ugh, I can't stand that oily coat...Anyway...

I think based on all you have written a bull-dog would be my vote. You can get different breeds of bulldog and they are very exercise challenged due to their squashed noses...Not too small not too big!

Good luck...

[zebra15]

Just my opinion here. I have a French Bulldog. Shes about 20-25 lbs and I love her. She is very low energy so a walk or 2 a day would be 'ok' with her.  Probably potty walks would be just fine too.  She has been calm since the day she came home. IMO she doesnt shed (no allergys bothered here).  She loveable, cuddles and sleeps!.  Now for the negative, she does snort. The breed has shortened nasal passages and some dogs snort more than others.  And she has horrid gas.  This can be 'fixed' by diet: she is chicken free and grain free.  She can be stubborn too.

Unlike the fullsize bulldogs the frenchies dont drool!

My roommate has a bernese mtn dog and that that is HUGE 100lbs and is like he!! on wheels.  IDK if the dog needs more training, excercise or what but there is no way I would have that dog in an apt. OY!

[bremen]

bull dogs are not a possibility for us either. i want to be able to take my dog to off-leash dog parks, and bulldogs are banned from off-leash parks in our city. mastiff personality seems great, but i am a bit nervous about having a dog that size.  i want a dog that i could carry in an emergency. i could carry a 60 pound dog home if it got unjured, but not a 100 dog.

so, any other suggestions for a medium-large breed?

thanks for all the replies so far

[lonegirl]

Golden Retriever

Yeah, they have long hair, but I love em and they are easily maintained with a daily brush.

[nd_deadhead]

I have a Cardigan Welsh Corgi, who fits all your requirements except the hair one. They are medium-sized (30 - 35 pounds - would be more if they had full-sized legs), smart, easy-going. They are known to bark, but with this in mind, we worked on training ours not to bark from the day we brought him home, and it worked. He has a double coat, and does shed a lot, but if I brushed him a couple of times a week he would shed a lot less. He loves to play outside in all weather, and enjoys hanging out with us, but he isn't needy. He's as content lazing around the house as he is tromping through the woods with us.

[carfreemama]

Any luck yet? I'll need to do some breed research again. Like you, I was determined this time to get a puppy. In fact, we had decided on a pug and were actively researching breeders. We had always had older shelter dogs and it just broke my heart to have to say goodbye too often.

And then someone e-mailed me about Sparky. Sparky was 5 or 6 when we adopted him and it is now almost 2 years later. This is not to deter you from puppyhood, just thought I'd mention breeds, in case...

He's a border collie-ducktoller-golden retriever mix and like a pp's dog, incredibly laid-back at home. We live in the city without a car and he is two different dogs. Inside the house, he lies on his back on the couch; unless he is snuggling with us. Outside, he can run and play for hours. He is PERFECT. I don't know how each of those breeds would be on their own. I know I have always wanted a Nova Scotia Ducktolling Retriever. They are beautiful dogs and they do fit your weight requirements perfectly. I'll see if I can find a link. They are smaller retrievers. We live in Nova Scotia and I had never seen one before I moved here. Really great dogs, the more I think about it.

[Zach'smom]

You may not want to give up on the idea of a shelter dog.  We are looking for a companion for our dog, but we do want an older dog.  When I was at the shelter there were more puppies and young dogs then older dogs.  It's a good time of year for puppies.  It may be worthwhile to take a trip to the shelter and hang out with some puppies and see what you like.  There are a lot of different personalities and activity levels within a breed.  A mutt puppy might be just what you are looking for.

[bremen]

it is still too soon for us to actually be searching for a puppy.

we aren't even in the right country yet!

i have found that there are a lot more greyhound or similar mixes in germany than there are here.

we are still probably 6 months off from actually getting a puppy. maybe longer.

i just like to think things out ahead of time.

thanks for all the suggestions!

[Ldavis24]

Originally Posted by Zach'smom 

You may not want to give up on the idea of a shelter dog.  We are looking for a companion for our dog, but we do want an older dog.  When I was at the shelter there were more puppies and young dogs then older dogs.  It's a good time of year for puppies.  It may be worthwhile to take a trip to the shelter and hang out with some puppies and see what you like.  There are a lot of different personalities and activity levels within a breed.  A mutt puppy might be just what you are looking for.

Not to mention that mutt puppies generally tend to be much much healthier in the long run than your average purebred...None of that pesky recessive gene issues popping up...

I didn't want to push a shelter dog because you seemed so set upon a purebred but there are also purebred rescue operations all over the country that could hook you up with a puppy...

Save a shelter dog...

Also Zach's mom, our dog's look almost exactly the same!

[chewynotcrunchy]

Llewellyn Setters are sweet, medium-sized, intelligent- good family dogs!  They do have long hair, however.  I am also a fan of corgis.  A boxer may be too high strung for your situation, but are the right size and have a wonderful temperament...

[countrygirl28]

nak

just want to throw my 2 cents in.  like many others i would like to suggest a breed that we own - goldendoodle.  technically, they are obviously a mixed breed, but they tend to fit all your requirements except having short hair.  ours has a fantastic temparment - he's laid back and lounges around at home but loves to go for walks, swim, and play fetch.  he's constantly at our feet when we're home, but he does just fine if we have to leave him.  he absolutely loves other people (especially kids) and our groomer always jokes that she's gonna hold him hostage and keep him because he's so sweet!  i know for some people the long hair/grooming thing is a deal breaker, but i'm a sucker for a shaggy face, and doodles are adorable, imo.  our dog looks like a teddy bear!  

good luck in your search for a new family member; it's so much fun!

[Arduinna]

The biggest obstacle see is you say you want a calm dog. Regardless of how calm the breed is known to be as as adult, puppies are not known to be calm and the medium+ size breeds take longer to mature than small breeds so you could easily be looking at years before the dog matures into calm. If calmness is a high priority for you then I'd seriously consider getting an adult dog so that you avoid the hyper puppy stage and also know that the dog has a calm disposition, because even within a breed known for it there are dogs that just aren't and you won't know you have one until it's grown.

[ollyoxenfree]

Bulldog was my first thought too. It's too bad that's not an option. 

Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers are wonderful dogs, but the hair!! It's long, with a dense undercoat. They shed a lot, and it's definitely not easy upkeep, especially if the dog is in the bush a lot. 

Brittany spaniels are really sweet, good family dogs with mostly shorter coats, but tend to be energetic. I think one would do fine with the kind of exercise schedule you are describing, but there are always variations in temperaments even among purebreeds. 

Portuguese water dogs? Too big? 

Australian Cattle dog (Blue heeler)? I love these dogs. Short hair, not too big, very smart and trainable. They have lots of energy, but again, I think it would be manageable with a long daily walk and off-leash playtime. 

With respect to energy levels and exercise needs, my sister prefers working dogs to sporting dogs. She finds that sporting dogs ALWAYS want to play, no matter how much exercise they are given. A working dog is pretty content to relax until it's called upon to do it's job, as long as it gets a good workout everyday. For most family pets, a good long walk and play time equates to "doing it's job". I'm sure there are many exceptions, but I see some truth based on the sporting and working breeds we've owned and known over the years. 

[Zach'smom]

Originally Posted by Ldavis24 

Not to mention that mutt puppies generally tend to be much much healthier in the long run than your average purebred...None of that pesky recessive gene issues popping up...

I didn't want to push a shelter dog because you seemed so set upon a purebred but there are also purebred rescue operations all over the country that could hook you up with a puppy...

Save a shelter dog...

Also Zach's mom, our dog's look almost exactly the same!

Adorable!!!!  Big, black shelter dogs are the best!!!  Timber is 2 (the vet estimates)  and is 80 pounds of love!

[treeoflife3]

I strongly recommend you reconsider supporting the breeder industry (even the best breeders help keep puppy mills alive simply by making it okay to continue to buy from people who make sure more animals are born despite overfull shelters) and adopt from a breed specific rescue once you choose the breed you want.  I also want to give a vote for brittany spaniels.  They are lovely dogs.  I used to have a neighbor with a couple of them.  it is true though, puppies won't be calm and the bigger the dog, the longer it'll take to mature.  Although this can be true for smaller dogs too.  My grandma's little dog didn't chill out til he was 3 or 4.  Now he is GREAT, but lordy was he hyper and all over the place before then.  I personally couldn't have a puppy... I need the calmer 4+ year old adult dog hehe.