Help me find my future dog breed?

[Amelise]

I saw that OP did not want a dog that drools, and did not want a brachcephalic (short-nosed) dog.

The short-faced ones are obvious as soon as you look at them, so no trouble avoiding them at a shelter.

For drooling, you want to avoid any dog with loose dangly lips. A nice trim muzzle, with enough lips to close but not flop around, gives the dog the most ability to control their drooling.

(I'm not making a point for or against a given breed or mix, just commenting that certain traits can be recognized even if no-one knows any history of the dog or it ancestry.)

Thanks for the tips! It’s helpful to know what to look out for because a lot of puppies look pretty different from how they look as adults.
I tip that I think is true for picking a more chill puppy out of a litter is to choose the one that does not run up to you right away, but is also playing and interacting with the other puppies.

 

[Amelise]

I was going to suggest Bostons but then I read they didn’t want smooshed faces I don’t think. But they’re so cute!!!!

I can’t deny they are cute, lol!

 

[ShrekDawg]

I can’t deny they are cute, lol!

I really want one eventually lol

 

[NatJ]

Thanks for the tips! It’s helpful to know what to look out for because a lot of puppies look pretty different from how they look as adults.

Yes, looking for short faces and tidy lips is more obvious in adult dogs than in puppies. For any breed that is known to have loose lips and drool a lot, the lips are much more obvious in photos of adults than in photos of puppies.

If you get a puppy from a breeder, you can make some guesses by looking at the mother, and maybe the father if he's available. With one from a shelter, that is not possible, but it is more likely that the puppy will be older so you will be able to tell more from its own appearance.

I tip that I think is true for picking a more chill puppy out of a litter is to choose the one that does not run up to you right away, but is also playing and interacting with the other puppies.

I once picked a puppy that met that description. He grew up into a dog that was suspicious of anyone new (which is why he stood back when I first met the litter) but happy to play with those he knew (like his littermates, or me and family after he knew us.)

So I would say that interaction with littermates does not always predict how the puppy will behave with people, especially ones he does not know.

If you can, try asking the owner of the litter if they can tell anything about the puppies' temperaments. I visited one litter where the breeder picked out a specific puppy as being more chill than the rest. That puppy was happy to interact gently with people while the littermates remained in a pen. For comparison, the breeder picked out a different puppy that was much more energetic and pushy when it was the only puppy out of the pen. Both puppies seemed equally happy to meet new people, and did not hesitate to come up and play with the strangers. Having the rest of the puppies in the pen, with just one out at a time, made it easier to see the differences in how they reacted to people.

 

[StinkyAcres]

How about a Boxer? Raised ours from a puppy and he was amazing around small animals. Boxers are very friendly but also good guard dogs. They have a good amount of energy and tend to stay quite active into their senior years. Yes, they do literally bounce off the walls as puppies, but they don't stay like that. They are considered brachycephalic but many don't have problems related to that. They are prone to tumors, however.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Labrador, but not chocolate. I taught basic obedience for a local community college in NM for 15+ years and every choc Lab that came through my class was an ADHD dingbat. That was over 15 years ago though so maybe the breed has improved. Sorry you've decided against longhaired dogs, or I would enthusiastically recommend Goldens and Shelties. People don't think of Shelties as LGD but I've had two that keep coyotes away, and have had (and currently have) Goldens that I absolutely trust with my chickens, whether I'm home or not. Here's Sammy, helping himself to a mealworm or two.

 

[SpotTheCat]

I would recommend a German Shepard or GSD to be the easiest to keep groomed with a slicker.
They are tied to the masters and easy to train.

It's hard to find a mellow German Shepard! Bred to be guard/ working dogs, and MUST be trained! Many are neurotic, poorly bred, and difficult.

Mary

The line matters a lot with GSDs. I would say mine is mellow but she is still not a easy dog, her excitement levels will go from 0 to hackles, up barking and so times lunging a few seconds. She is going to grow out of it with maturity and training

She has also almost redirected that excitement into biting me a show line would probably not be like that but I really don't think they are what the Amelise is looking for

Yes this was something else I was thinking about. There’s a lot of puppies in shelters, and a lot of short haired dogs in shelters. Adopting a puppy is a bit of a gamble on the personality but I suppose if the dog is adopted young enough she can be socialized and trained very well.
Also more viable to me because it seems like min pins are pretty expensive.

Pit bulls are known for their high prey drive and drive to actually kill the animal.Not all of them from rescue will be like that, specially the mixes but if thats one of the very few things that you don't want, I would avoid any bully looking puppy

You can play with the puppies and see their reaction to the toy probably not going to be the most accurate way to test for prey drive but might give you some idea.Keep in mind though that a lot of things like prey drive, will only really start appearing once the puppy starts maturing

If you get a rescue you need to be prepared to deal with the potential behaviour issues (resource guarding, sensitivity to grooming and handling, reactivity, nervousness, etc) some dogs won't have any behaviour issues but most do from the rescues (the puppy won't be a clean slate!). The more prepared you are for the dog to have them, the better it will be for the dog

There are also breed rescues you can look into (I don't know if they are a thing where you are)

 

[Vixen with Chickens]

Miniature pinscher? But I heard they’re a bit difficult to train.

google says ''Miniature Pinschers are intelligent and eager to please, which can make them relatively easy to train. However, they can also be independent thinkers and may challenge their owners from time to time. Early socialisation and positive reinforcement are crucial for training success with Min Pins.''

Sounds like it fits to me.

 

[Vixen with Chickens]

You can play with the puppies and see their reaction to the toy probably not going to be the most accurate way to test for prey drive but might give you some idea.Keep in mind though that a lot of things like prey drive, will only really start appearing once the puppy starts maturing

I wouldn't judge from toy play, my dog was a toy killer as a puppy lol, he would growl so ferociously and shake his toy so hard back and forth that I hope it didn't give him any brain damage lol. And I have no worries or problems leaving him alone with the chickens, watching and guarding the chickens is his favorite hobby.

 

[SpotTheCat]

I wouldn't judge from toy play, my dog was a toy killer as a puppy lol, he would growl so ferociously and shake his toy so hard back and forth that I hope it didn't give him any brain damage lol. And I have no worries or problems leaving him alone with the chickens, watching and guarding the chickens is his favorite hobby.

Like I said not very accurate! But a puppy that has more interest in chasing a toy will probably be more interested in chasing animals, then a puppy that has less interest