Help! I'm looking for a dog breed that....

[RiverOtter]

I was thinking with rarer breeds, there'd be fewer irreputable backyard breeders, and shorter wait lists for puppies.

Sadly, no. The rarer a breed, the fewer people breeding fewer dogs. And keeping a tighter hold on them - they want to sell them to other fanciers. Which opens a market for people breeding "rare" breeds for profit ... and those are the people most likely to sell you a pup in the next 3 months.

Try this
http://fayeivywild.com/puppies

 

[Critter721]

There was someone a while back that gave me two recommendations....one I said I'd look into, and one that I said was a spitz type breed. Then they said that they thought that despite the spitzyness, it seemed like a really good fit. Anyone remember what breed it was? May have started with s?

I suggested Samoyed, but I'm not sure anymore. According to AKC website, they have "a strong urge to run away and roam," so I think they would need a fenced yard more than some other breeds you're considering.

Other spitz type breeds that I think are a good fit for you and not insanely hard to find in the US are Keeshond (which I just learned plural is Keeshonden, not Keeshonds) and American Eskimo Dog.

 

[black_cat]

Samoyeds are literally bred to be SMILING and if that's not the best thing to breed for I don't know what is, but after looking at them, I'm not sure if it's quite right for us either..... I'll look at the keeshond! Eskies are already on my list.

 

[black_cat]

Sadly, no. The rarer a breed, the fewer people breeding fewer dogs. And keeping a tighter hold on them - they want to sell them to other fanciers. Which opens a market for people breeding "rare" breeds for profit ... and those are the people most likely to sell you a pup in the next 3 months.

Oh.......

Try this
http://fayeivywild.com/puppies

Aren't all the puppies already reserved?

 

[NatJ]

There was someone a while back that gave me two recommendations....one I said I'd look into, and one that I said was a spitz type breed. Then they said that they thought that despite the spitzyness, it seemed like a really good fit. Anyone remember what breed it was? May have started with s?

Schipperke?
Spitz-type, starts with an S, I'm pretty sure it's been mentioned in this thread.

Icelandic Sheepdog? (Got an S in the second word.)

Samoyed? (I see in a later post that you already got reminded of that one again.)

 

[black_cat]

I currently have a list of 15 breeds that I've put into a slide show with basic info to show my parents. These are breeds that are either A) breeds that my mom wanted me to check out or B) breeds that might fit well with us.
These include:
-Miniature Schnauzer
-West Highland Terrier
-Scottish Terrier
-Pembroke Welsh Corgi
-Shetland Sheepdog
-Australian Labradoodle
-Miniature American Shepherd
-Miniature Goldendoodle
-American Eskimo Dog
-Cocker Spaniel
-Welsh Springer Spaniel
-Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
-Eurasier
-Keeshond
-Golden Cocker Retriever

Each slide has a few words on these criteria:
Energy Level
Size
Borkiness
Intelligence
Need for more mental stimulation beyond regular exercise/training
Grooming needs
Health issues
Notes

Each slide also has a picture.
Does this sound good? (good breeds and not missing any important criteria about breed)

 

[Aquira]

I will add that schnauzers can be rather barky (at least, from the miniatures I've known/met)

 

[black_cat]

I will add that schnauzers can be rather barky (at least, from the miniatures I've known/met)

I think that they're too high maintenance for us, but my mom had asked me to check them out.

 

[black_cat]

Here's an example of one of the slides- the health issues aren't filled out yet because those are no fun to research so I'm doing them last lol

 

[Aquira]

I think that they're too high maintenance for us, but my mom had asked me to check them out.

If you have things like sticker bushes or such, the burrs get in their fur real bad. They require lots of brushing (though if you keep them short like a puppy cut, it's a bit better). And their hair grows constantly so that's another thing.
Also... The beards are a huge turnoff for me. Only because they often will go straight from the water bowl and seek out your skin to touch with their gross wet beards lol.