I have the dog you’re looking for. She’s a 35lb dark brown mutt from a rescue. I really believe she is a mix of about 4 different breeds because none of them is prominent enough to seem like half. I see lab, pit bull (eyes), beagle, and who knows what else. She has a sweet, loving lab personality, a little marred by being timid from whatever happened to her before I got her. She’s big enough to play with my 55lb golden mix, and small enough that she’s not a big dog. She has plenty of energy and endurance for anything we may choose to do.
I can’t say enough good things about my Russell Terrier - he is fantastic. He adores (ADORES!) my kids, is great with our cats (yes, cats!), goes with us to soccer games, keeps up with us while hiking, other activities, is well behaved in the house (to be fair, we did lots of obedience classes), is snuggly at night before bedtime, happily goes in his crate when we leave the house…just fantastic.
He is not hyper like many think of with JRTs - some have told me when the AKC started calling them two breeds (Russells and Parsons) that the taller Parsons were more of the hunt-driven, hyper dogs than the Russells. He is happy with 1-2 miles of walking a day. Today we went on a 1mi walk this morning and he has been sacked out on his bed next to the computer I am working on most of the day.
He’s the bomb…
The best hiking dog I ever met on the trail (and I have done A LOT of hiking) was a Miniature Poodle – the medium size, not the toy. She was extremely agile and athletic, rock scrambled with ease, loved water crossings but somehow managed to avoid turning into a muddy mess. She also didn’t tend to hare off on the enticing scent of some woodland creature. Didn’t overheat in the summer, and didn’t really mind the cold either. Even her coat seemed to collect fewer burrs and twigs than other dogs.
[QUOTE=yellowbritches;8786662]
Those more familiar with the breed, is it my imagination, or are the Cardigans a little more quiet and reserved? I have another friend who has Pembroke and a Cardigan. Her Cardigan is very chill and even a bit aloof.[/QUOTE]
Cardigans are absolutely more chill - I’ve had them for over 40 years and prefer their goofy-yet-serious temperaments. They are very trainable, and mine kept up fine with hiking/farm life when they were younger. They are truly adaptable to an athletic lifestyle or couch lifestyle - as long as they are with you they don’t care.
This is a great page describing differences between Pems and Cardis: http://c-myste.com/info/about-corgis/
Another vote for cardigans. I’m an owner–had them my whole life growing up. They are great, great family dogs and do not act small in anyway. They have as much energy as you have–the big thing is they want to be with you at all times. Cardis are more reserved than pems. I also think they’re quieter overall, but a lot of that just depends on the dog. Both Cardis and Pems exude personality–they’re quirky little dogs but not neurotic as some other herding breeds can be when the sheep can’t be found.
I have a mini poodle (she is on the bigger side for minis-- she is 21 pounds, but tall), she is the bomb!!! I LOVE HER!!! I take her to the farm and she runs with the other dogs (2 labs, 2 corgis, 1 basset), jumps over the corgis because they can’t run fast enough for her, and often out-runs the labs. She loves to run and play, but she also chills out too-- it is interesting she very much feeds off of our activity level, if we are having a lazy day, she is lazy, if not, she is active. Loves car rides, very social, I also do volunteer pet therapy work with her.
I agree with Delyth about everything!!! Bailey (my dog), doesn’t seem to get over heated in the summer, but she does get cold…but with her Rambo, she doesn’t get cold! We also keep her hair fairly short though. Doesn’t attract hardly any burrs/prickers/etc. Bailey doesn’t go in the stream, but I think that is because we took her swimming at a doggie pool when she was young and I think that traumatized her (we were trying to play, she obviously didn’t think it was play)…but she loves sprinklers, slip and slides, wash stalls… comes when called, and even if she does get on a scent, she comes right away if I call her.
Can you tell that I think poodles rock? 
Miniature poodles are great. They are tough little dogs - it’s just the outside that’s frou-frou.
How about the Blue Lacy? Never heard of it before; it is amazing what you can find on Petfinder.
Females are small enough
Although, as a herding dog, it might be too active. But I think it would be cool to own a breed which no one has ever heard of.
[URL=“https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Lacy”]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Lacy
[QUOTE=animaldoc;8790422]
I can’t say enough good things about my Russell Terrier - he is fantastic. He adores (ADORES!) my kids, is great with our cats (yes, cats!), goes with us to soccer games, keeps up with us while hiking, other activities, is well behaved in the house (to be fair, we did lots of obedience classes), is snuggly at night before bedtime, happily goes in his crate when we leave the house…just fantastic.
He is not hyper like many think of with JRTs - some have told me when the AKC started calling them two breeds (Russells and Parsons) that the taller Parsons were more of the hunt-driven, hyper dogs than the Russells. He is happy with 1-2 miles of walking a day. Today we went on a 1mi walk this morning and he has been sacked out on his bed next to the computer I am working on most of the day.
He’s the bomb…[/QUOTE]
The JRT my son adopted this summer is a doll too. Very friendly, even with strange kids. Sweet, spunky.
Alas we learned last night, VERY fearful of thunderstorms, but snuggling helps. 
