Let me help you find the best dog breed that matches your life style and needs:

[FerretzLoverz]

I have been intimately involved with Canine and specifically Livestock Guardian dogs and sheepdogs and Sheppard breeds for almost forty years.

My last dog was( it is the first time I am using was for him instead of is) a Shetland Sheepdog who filled the last 15 years of my Canadian Life with joy and passed away ten day ago.

I have kept Caucasian Sheppard as a pet and guard dog for years. I used to live in Iran and moved to Canada 16 years ago. My last dog was a Caucasian Sheppard/ German Sheppard mix who her first litter was the lucky number of 13 puppies.

More than anything I am passionate about dogs and dog breeds.

When my dog Delta was young I used to take him to the local dog park so he can socialize with other dogs and I can also improve my social skills . There in the park was a young Japanese lady around 24 years old. She had a German Sheppard that was big and full of curiosity and energy. She was a very petit girl weighing less than the dog. Dog was too energetic and wild to be off leash so he was always pulling her toward whatever he wanted to sniff or play with.

She was always tired since she was working all day and in the afternoon even the thought of walking her dog was a painful chore. Plus her dog was notoriously infamous for playing harsh with smaller dogs. We all liked her but not her dog.

On day after couple of years knowing each other I asked her what was the reason she picked German Sheppard . She said when she was a kid back in Japan she used to watch a TV show staring a German Sheppard so she followed her raw childhood dream.
I think almost every country has a long lasting TV show staring German Sheppard . I know we had two of them in Iran. Inspector Rex was one of them.

How many bored German Sheppard and frustrated owner are victim of Hollywood and dog TV shows, only God knows

For choosing Shetland Sheepdog when I moved to Canada I used three different online website and answered their question honestly and they gave me a list of ten breed each. Shetland Sheepdog was top three in all three websites. It worked for me.

Now I know a lot more about breeds and dogs in general. If you are thinking about choosing a breed to fit the bill , I think I can help you choose the right breed. Specially I know a lot about Livestock Guardian Dogs and larger dogs in general.

Give it a go, what do you have to lose ? It is just a suggestion but can save you a lot of headaches the wrong breed may and will create for you.

That Japanese friend of mine now has a small dog. I suggested the breed to her. Every now and then I used to take my dog to old neighborhood and she looked happy when her small well behaved dog was playing with other dogs. She was the same owner, it was just the right breed.

Anybody thinking about a new dog?

How about me I love aussies,german Shepard and huskys

 

[Badchickenpun]

This is a really nice thread. We have been talking about getting a puppy in a few years.
I have a friend that is really passionate about rescuing dogs, she has adopted MANY dogs over the years, especially the hard to place ones. Her and her husband have hearts of gold.
She posts frequently about "puppy mills" and warns about the dangers of keeping them going.
I am very confused about all this... what makes a puppy mill different from a breeder? Is it belonging to an association? Is it having pure breeding? There are a lot of Amish around us and it seems like the counties that have the highest quantity of puppy mills have higher percentages of Amish... Does not automatically mean that these dogs are being bred and treated poorly? I hate the idea that some people might be unfairly lumped in with the title "puppy mill" just because they don't pay a special organization a fee to come in and certify them...
Anyway. Would love to hear about good organizations around the US (I'm in Indiana) that can connect people with good breeders and dogs. We really like the Border Collies, seem about the right size and we have three acres, which I think would give them plenty of room to run and play.

 

[littledog]

I am very confused about all this... what makes a puppy mill different from a breeder? Is it belonging to an association? Is it having pure breeding? There are a lot of Amish around us and it seems like the counties that have the highest quantity of puppy mills have higher percentages of Amish... Does not automatically mean that these dogs are being bred and treated poorly?

I'm no dog breeding expert, but my opinion is the difference between a puppy mill and a reputable breeder is whether they're selling puppies to make money, or to improve the breed, as well as how often they breed and how they treat the dogs in their care.
It's not all about papers - registering your puppies with a breed organization might seem to some like it's just for status, but it can also mean a requirement to do health tests on your dog parents to make sure you're not breeding dogs with genetic defects common to that breed. Improving the breed means you love that breed and what the dogs can do, so you try to breed out whatever health issues or behavior faults that breed might be susceptible to. So you neuter and sell for less as "pet quality" any animal who might have conformation defects or genetic health concerns.
Puppy mills, on the other hand, are more interested in breeding purebreds to other purebreds, or "designer dogs" from various popular crosses, without regard to their health or genetics. Many of them have papers, too! But they're not interested in improving the breed, they just want to breed a ton of puppies that are a popular breed, to sell and make money.
Treating them well or poorly can vary. But most reputable breeders, whether they're selling you a show-quality, breeding-quality puppy or a pet-quality puppy, give you vet records with proof of worming, first vaccinations, microchip, either already neutered or a contract requiring you to neuter along with a neutering discount, allow you to interact with the puppy's parents, and have done some basic socialization and puppy training.

I don't know anything about Amish dog-breeding practices, but I know plenty about how many of them treat the horses they breed, working them hard from a young age until they're crippled and then throwing them away at the local slaughter auction, so it wouldn't surprise me to hear some of them breed dogs just to make money.
That's not to say every Amish breeder is like this, many of them care about their animals and breed them and sell them according to the highest ethics. But if you buy an animal from them, do your due diligence.

 

[1cock2hens]

I live where the Mennonite community does alot of dog breeding. They aren't who you want your dogs from. They breed the poor dogs back to back never letting them rest, most are kept in cages and they are fed the minimum. They are treated like livestock.

 

[littledog]

OK, sorry my last post was so serious - please advise us on our next dog!
We're very experienced dog people, in my life I've had as a child, an Australian Terrier, Beagle, German Shepherd, Labrador. As an adult, two Golden Retrievers, a Labrador/German Shepherd mix, a Border Collie/Blue Heeler mix, and a Maltese.
My partner grew up with a wolfhound, a cocker spaniel, several others, another Maltese as an adult, and the Border Collie/Blue heeler, second Maltese and second Golden Retriever we had together.
All the dogs were our best friends and taught us so much! We love the country life, and have chickens, horses, cats and various wildlife we like to protect. Both of us have calm and low-drama personalities, but we still like being outside, having dogs with us when we work outside, planting trees on our property, gardening, or going for trailrides with our horses.
But we're getting older now, so we would like our next dog to be under 40 lbs, so that when he or she gets old and we're ancient, we can still lift them without making them uncomfortable or breaking our own backs. But not so small we could step on them or trip over them!
We like to walk around town and on the river trails next to our house, so we would like a dog who enjoys long, slow distances on the leash and accepts and enjoys meeting other dogs and people.
I guess what we want is a 20-40 lb dog, who loves cats and other animals, obedient to going on walks on a leash in town, friendly to bigger animals like horses but can protect themselves, friendly to human strangers but can sense if they're not safe, energetic and playful running around in our own field but likes to stay with us, and enjoys chilling with us on the couch watching movies after a fun day outside.
Basically perfect unicorn dog!

 

[SandyRiverChick]

Go to a local dog show to get exposed to many different breeds. You need to get a physical feel for what dog is best for you. It's a feeling that comes from inside you and not from quiz's that match you with a breed. I can tell you that I do not feel passionate about the breeds that quiz's match me with, not even remotely. But when I go to dog shows my heart swells when I walk past certain breeds and it takes me the long way around those that I don't care for. It's so easy to find dog shows and they are very fun to attend, meet different breeds and even breeders. Walk up to the stall of the dog breed that makes your heart pound and talk to that person. People running puppy mills are not that person, they don't need a CH in front of their dogs names.

 

[Feathers of Eden]

This is a really nice thread. We have been talking about getting a puppy in a few years.
I have a friend that is really passionate about rescuing dogs, she has adopted MANY dogs over the years, especially the hard to place ones. Her and her husband have hearts of gold.
She posts frequently about "puppy mills" and warns about the dangers of keeping them going.
I am very confused about all this... what makes a puppy mill different from a breeder? Is it belonging to an association? Is it having pure breeding? There are a lot of Amish around us and it seems like the counties that have the highest quantity of puppy mills have higher percentages of Amish... Does not automatically mean that these dogs are being bred and treated poorly? I hate the idea that some people might be unfairly lumped in with the title "puppy mill" just because they don't pay a special organization a fee to come in and certify them...
Anyway. Would love to hear about good organizations around the US (I'm in Indiana) that can connect people with good breeders and dogs. We really like the Border Collies, seem about the right size and we have three acres, which I think would give them plenty of room to run and play.

I wish I had an answer but I don't .
I have seen some puppy mills that were awful but functional and profitable for the owner.
I know that most of the good and responsible breeders don't make enough money to call their breeding efforts a carrier .
I know most of the people(not BYC members) acquire their puppy out of an impulse without knowing what they really getting into. This is where I think I can help .helping people find their best match before they make a mistake . Because their mistake to choose wrong breed could easily lead to a dog in shelter or strayed or abandoned.
I say the next comment by little dog covers most of the things I wanted to say.

I'm no dog breeding expert, but my opinion is the difference between a puppy mill and a reputable breeder is whether they're selling puppies to make money, or to improve the breed, as well as how often they breed and how they treat the dogs in their care.
It's not all about papers - registering your puppies with a breed organization might seem to some like it's just for status, but it can also mean a requirement to do health tests on your dog parents to make sure you're not breeding dogs with genetic defects common to that breed. Improving the breed means you love that breed and what the dogs can do, so you try to breed out whatever health issues or behavior faults that breed might be susceptible to. So you neuter and sell for less as "pet quality" any animal who might have conformation defects or genetic health concerns.
Puppy mills, on the other hand, are more interested in breeding purebreds to other purebreds, or "designer dogs" from various popular crosses, without regard to their health or genetics. Many of them have papers, too! But they're not interested in improving the breed, they just want to breed a ton of puppies that are a popular breed, to sell and make money.
Treating them well or poorly can vary. But most reputable breeders, whether they're selling you a show-quality, breeding-quality puppy or a pet-quality puppy, give you vet records with proof of worming, first vaccinations, microchip, either already neutered or a contract requiring you to neuter along with a neutering discount, allow you to interact with the puppy's parents, and have done some basic socialization and puppy training.

I don't know anything about Amish dog-breeding practices, but I know plenty about how many of them treat the horses they breed, working them hard from a young age until they're crippled and then throwing them away at the local slaughter auction, so it wouldn't surprise me to hear some of them breed dogs just to make money.
That's not to say every Amish breeder is like this, many of them care about their animals and breed them and sell them according to the highest ethics. But if you buy an animal from them, do your due diligence.

Thanks for your great comment. Loved it all.

I would like to start a thread about Amish and Mennonites and empty my judgmental brain about them but this thread is not about them .

I live where the Mennonite community does alot of dog breeding. They aren't who you want your dogs from. They breed the poor dogs back to back never letting them rest, most are kept in cages and they are fed the minimum. They are treated like livestock.

I had a roommate who worked for Mennonites for a year. I hardly remember a positive thing he said about them. My roommate was a very half of the glass full type of person.

OK, sorry my last post was so serious - please advise us on our next dog!
We're very experienced dog people, in my life I've had as a child, an Australian Terrier, Beagle, German Shepherd, Labrador. As an adult, two Golden Retrievers, a Labrador/German Shepherd mix, a Border Collie/Blue Heeler mix, and a Maltese.
My partner grew up with a wolfhound, a cocker spaniel, several others, another Maltese as an adult, and the Border Collie/Blue heeler, second Maltese and second Golden Retriever we had together.
All the dogs were our best friends and taught us so much! We love the country life, and have chickens, horses, cats and various wildlife we like to protect. Both of us have calm and low-drama personalities, but we still like being outside, having dogs with us when we work outside, planting trees on our property, gardening, or going for trailrides with our horses.
But we're getting older now, so we would like our next dog to be under 40 lbs, so that when he or she gets old and we're ancient, we can still lift them without making them uncomfortable or breaking our own backs. But not so small we could step on them or trip over them!
We like to walk around town and on the river trails next to our house, so we would like a dog who enjoys long, slow distances on the leash and accepts and enjoys meeting other dogs and people.
I guess what we want is a 20-40 lb dog, who loves cats and other animals, obedient to going on walks on a leash in town, friendly to bigger animals like horses but can protect themselves, friendly to human strangers but can sense if they're not safe, energetic and playful running around in our own field but likes to stay with us, and enjoys chilling with us on the couch watching movies after a fun day outside.
Basically perfect unicorn dog!

First of all.
May I be your next pet? I will behave I swear.
You are living my dream and have my respect . I really do not know what breed to suggest and trust me when I say I have been thinking about your case for a while.
I like you to look at three breeds that came to my mind the first time I read your comment.
1. Keeshond
2.Kai ken
3.Rough collie

 

[littledog]

First of all.
May I be your next pet? I will behave I swear.
You are living my dream and have my respect . I really do not know what breed to suggest and trust me when I say I have been thinking about your case for a while.
I like you to look at three breeds that came to my mind the first time I read your comment.
1. Keeshond
2.Kai ken
3.Rough collie

LOL, of course we would love you as our next pet, but only if you weigh under 40 lbs.

Keeshond! Great recommendation! I love those dogs, not sure about their personality but a lady who lives near my Mom in her assisted-living complex has a Keeshond. That dog is so cute and sweet, but my Mom thinks she "looks like a little pig." (My Mom is not a dog person, at all)

I've never heard of a Kai Ken? Better google it.
Rough Collie - that's like Lassie, right? Probably too big for us.

 

[SandyRiverChick]

Rough Collie - that's like Lassie, right? Probably too big for us.

Have you ever been around Shelties (Shetland Sheepdog)? They are smaller than Collies and incredible with Horses and on trails since they are herding dogs. I had Newfoundlands and a Sheltie with my horses and they hated the big dogs, they'd lay ears flat back and bite them if they came near but my much smaller Sheltie, they respected and let him trot right next to their legs. Horses just know. Anyhow, I'm no dog expert but I did assist with a Phd. thesis in breed specific traits and Shelties are not only good with horses, they are wicked smart, I trained and showed mine. He was absolutely gorgeous too. They come in Tri color, sable and blue merle. They're not great with toddlers but since you don't have those..... ?? Just an idea.

 

[Feathers of Eden]

LOL, of course we would love you as our next pet, but only if you weigh under 40 lbs.

Keeshond! Great recommendation! I love those dogs, not sure about their personality but a lady who lives near my Mom in her assisted-living complex has a Keeshond. That dog is so cute and sweet, but my Mom thinks she "looks like a little pig." (My Mom is not a dog person, at all)

I've never heard of a Kai Ken? Better google it.
Rough Collie - that's like Lassie, right? Probably too big for us.

Despite all the expectation you mentioned you may have from your next dog I think being made to be a perfect family companion is what you are trying to find . Keeshond is not a serious dog and understand your situation and adapts to it. It is a retirement era dog companion imho.