I just don’t get how people can make this sort of mistake. Have they no experience of small dogs? The main reason I’ve never liked a lot of the small dogs I’ve known was their high energy. (And yappy barks.)
Yes, as I’ve said before I would like a Toy Poodle at my age, if I were in the market for any dog. I have experience of Poodles and they converted me from my childhood negative impression of them.
But small = less energy? Where do people get that?
I teach dog obedience and we tell people that mental work tires a dog out. We ask our students what did your dog do when you left class. The reply is “went to sleep”.
I have always liked dogs. Had a mutt when I was little, a cocker spaniel (and auntie to my parents two), and 2 beagles in my adult life.
It would be a small dog due to living situation. And NOT a dog that needs professional grooming. That is a hard stop for me. I loved my beagles. Such happy and entertaining dogs. I was looking at Papillons for a bit. I love their intelligence.
All that said, I don’t currently have a dog and have no plans to get one (or two). My living situation is such that said dog cannot access the yard from the house (old trailer park—dinky yards). None of my doors exit to green. They have to be physically escorted out to the yard. I could litter train for some potty outings but they still need exercise.
I have helped my friend with her (many) dogs and boy, that scene just doesn’t interest me anymore. She has 5 dogs. 2 were supposed to be service dogs but washed out after $$$$$ for training. She can’t even walk them because they are big and strong and can pull her over. The service dogs were supposed to be for stability and brace dogs for her physical issues. Both are dog reactive 
. Her first mistake was thinking she could raise and train them herself.
I have gone to lots of classes with her and there are so many people that should not have dogs. My beagles were attacked twice by loose dogs that the owners said wouldn’t do that? WTH? Can you tell me why your 80 pound lab has my 25 lb beagle’s neck in her mouth?
Anyway, just ranting here. IF I do ever get another dog it will be a small breed primarily for companionship but definitely get a dose obedience training. I still don’t think my living situation is very fair to a dog. I am currently my Mother’s caregiver too which is yet another reason to at least hold off.
Susan
Have you ever seen Wolfgang2242 on either Insta or FB? He only adopts older dogs and he always has a wolfhound in his pack. I used to be more active in following him, but when Englebert passed away that really hit me, and he was not even mine!
He has a pig named Bikini, and a handful of chickens and a turkey!
https://www.instagram.com/wolfgang2242/?hl=en he has an FB but his Insta is updated weekly.
I hadn’t heard of him until I saw the Wash Post article show up in my Apple News feed, but I’ve always done the same, except on a smaller scale! 
I’ve made an exception to my older-dogs-only adoption rule with Hudson (he’s almost 3–he was 2 when I took him in) and he reminds me every day why I prefer the older guys when he’s racing across the back of the couch, wanting to wrestle with my hand, or trying to take on the cats (who are larger than him)! 
Only the show GSDs have that. All the others are normal.
I had Corgis (both types) for twenty years or so, and then working-type Aussie for another twenty. I gave up on corgis because the wonderful “American” type I started with in 1980 (more like the original farm dog, and less like a plush toy than the English type, which took over the US scene when quarantine regulations were relaxed) I just could not find any longer. So I went to working-bred Aussies and fooled around with livestock herding and stockdog trials for another 20 years. Then I moved to a farm with a public right of way right through the middle of it. Most of the working type come pre-installed with guarding behavior. I just couldn’t struggle with that. When my last two Aussies died I got an English Shepherd, sired by a friend’s dog who is famous for his awesome temperament. My Badger is two now, and needs a social secretary to keep track of all the dogs and children who want to come over and play with him. He follows my horse on the trails, running two miles for every one we do. He cannot be tired out.
English Shepherds are closely related to Aussies, being the east-of-the-Rockies version of the general-purpose farm and ranch dog which was ubiquitous in the 19th and earlier 20th centuries in rural America. But they never had a show club take them up, so they never got that standardized-for-appearance breeding thing. They just went on being a farm dog. I don’t have training stock any more, so I went to a gal’s farm to try him out on sheep a couple months ago. I was very impressed; he’s a natural at it, and about three times as biddable as any green Aussie I’ve started (mostly they just lose their marbles with excitement for a while). So, sheep are in our future. When the ground thaws.
THIS. A million times THIS. I had “show line” GSDs my whole life and then got an Eastern working line bitch a couple years ago. They are really two separate breeds, there is as much difference as similarity.
My ”show” line black and tans all had a very noble, almost aloof personality except around their favorite person. They would kinda stand guard over the family but weren’t “in your pocket”. They were high energy but it was enough letting them run around the barnyard and maybe throw the ball a couple times.
My working line girl is HIGH OCTANE. I made the mistake of thinking if I just ran her hard she would tire. She did not. She became a lean, high endurance pain in the ass. So now I hide scent discrimination prizes for her, bury some, etc and THAT will get her brain tired. Also taking her out beyond the barnyard where her nose is working on new stuff.
She is also 100% sloppy submissive and kind of pathetic personality. I know she would take a bullet for me, but not out of noble purpose but just because she is SO submissive, if I told her, “go run out into gunfire” she would look at me sheepishly and do it. I’m told they are bred this way to be more trainable.
I had a golden retriever growing up, and five mutts as an adult. I usually go for a lab or retriever mix. The first one was lab/chow, second lab mix of unknown type, third they said was a golden mix, but I think she had some shepherd too (was a dark golden color all over with some random dark hair). My current two are mutts who I tested with Embark.
The first one I always thought was maybe 25% lab, 25% pit bull, and at least two more breeds since nothing really stood out. To my surprise 10 years later, she’s neither of those things, and instead boxer, golden retriever, great pyrenees, rottweiler, and wait for it…Boston terrier. She’s a 40lb dog.
For the second one, I got a quick look at the mother, who looked like a lab/pit mix. All the babies were GSD color. She turned out to be GSD, coonhound, bloodhound, pit bull and lab. She looks like someone stretched GSD skin over a coonhound body.
I’ve had great luck with all my mutts and would probably continue with them, but there’s just been too much of a pit bull influx for my tastes. I might go to a breeder, and I might be old enough by then to start thinking about something slightly smaller (40-50lbs). It may be a while. I’ve always had two at once, but my 4 year old has some fear issues and resource guards things from my other dog (but never people). I’m not sure if I’ll want to bring a new dog into the mix when my 12 year old goes.
As a young adult sharing a place with my sister, we had a Picard cross that was great. He looked like a Picard but smaller. So smart and personable. I loved that dog.
Sis loved him so much that she now has a full Picard, after having a Pekinese (spawned of the Devil, that one), 2 Podal shepherds, a small mutt, and a Chihuaha cross. I think I’ve posted pics of her current Picard before, she was so cute as a pup!
I had a coonhound/shepherd mix back in my younger days. He was the best dog ever: Shepherd smarts, (rocked his obedience classes) great off leash, his hunting instincts were not really there 
He loved everything and everyone on the planet. He would run across a golf course in the winter to say HI to strangers on cross country skis. Down a trail in the woods to say HI to some poor woman who was bird watching. The list goes on. He made me laugh every single day. Its been 17 years and I still miss him.
I have an Aussie boy who is working on his Versatility title. He is quite the thinker when it comes to stock. We started him on ducks. No leaping, jumping, barking or trying to herd them like a demon dog. He was curious and controlled. This fall we tried him on sheep in a herding clinic. Again, he was calm and thoughtful, really reading the sheep. He’s got a super temperament: great with kids, people, other dogs.
I have a blue girl who is terrific with my chickens. Even as a pup she figured out on her own that the chickens must go into the hen house at night and being an Aussie, she took that job on all by herself 
When we say, “it’s time to put the chickens to bed,” she is at the door. I don’t know how she does it, but she knows when one chicken is missing and will go on patrol to find the errant hen and drive the squawking bird back to the hen house.
@MadTrotter, I like a dog with moderate drive. For me, some Aussie stock dog lines are just too “drivey” for me. I want a farm dog not a twist and shout dog. While I appreciate a submissive dog, a dog that is too soft is kind of tricky to live with because they are so sensitive. I like a dog that’s a little cheeky, has a sense of humor and tons of character.
Your blue girl sounds just like my lovely Bonnie, my first Aussie, who taught me how useful a savvy herding dog can be, starting with the chickens when she was 12 weeks old. She too would never leave one hen outside, and would find them no matter where they decided to hide. How I miss her! She saved my butt out in the field many a day. She died two years ago age 19. And it sounds like you have a real keeper with your boy, as well. Treasure them!
List of my favorite breeds, all sizes. My criteria are always: easy all-weather coat, very bright and trainable (two different things), not crazy high-powered, and dog shaped – no distortions.
Tiny: Papillon. Among the very brightest and most obedient toys. I am not a tiny breed person at all, but if, say, I was confined to indoors, God forbid. But I’d probably just get a rat. Great pets, rats.
Small: Border Terrier Trainable, tough, easy care coat. Not as high powered and aggressive as other small terriers, but still, all terrier.
Medium: (35 to 55 lbs) My favorite size – too big to be easy prey, can keep up with a horse, but still fits into most situations. Brittany, working Aussie, English Shepherd All of these breeds are super trainable, athletic, easy coats.
Big but not gigantic: some GSDs – some working lines just too high-powered, show lines too distorted. Flat Coated Retriever, a rarer but charming breed.
Giant: none. Huge dogs are short-lived, impractical, and even more expensive than more ordinary sized dogs.
I’ll play this game. If I had to choose my next dog based on size
Tiny: I’d probably look to a rescue since I doubt I’d need something purpose bred.
Small: Wire haired dachshund (Teckel) for tracking.
Medium: A Brittany or a Small Munsterlander. Maybe an English cocker if I wanted to try a flushing breed.
Large: A German Shorthair, though I do like most of the versatile breeds. And I grew up with field bred labs and chessies so I could always fall in love with one of those dogs.
Giant: I have to agree that the shorter life spans and high propensity for health issues is a real turnoff. My current dog is supposedly part Bernese Mountain Dog, and a couple friends have them as well. They’re lovely dogs, but the coat is a lot. Especially if they get wet or dirty. A bloodhound at the top of the standard is a pretty big dog, I always thought they’d be cool to track with. But I imagine they’re too independent and vocal for my liking.
I think my next dog ( if I could afford it) would be a Golden. I had one my husband and I got a few days after we got back from our honeymoon ( moving the horses 2000 miles east).
She was the best dog and I think after 20+ years without a Golden in my life, it will be time for a repeat
Ideally, I’d want a responsibly bred, medium-drive GSD. I follow a breeder on FB who breeds just that and has a waiting list for puppies, dozens and dozens of satisfied owners, several of whom come back for more. She posts pictures of her puppy litters and her adults, and I get a fix from that at the moment. I’m not even on the waiting list yet because first, I need to improve fencing on the place, and second, I can’t afford her dogs yet. They aren’t cheap, but they are exactly what I’m looking for.
I’ve had several dogs in life. Had a Bernese Mountain Dog many years ago who was marvelous, probably closest to my ideal that I’ve had, but the coat was just too much in this climate. She had her own personal fan in summer.
My dog tastes are:
Large. I like large ones, like pushing 100 pounds large. For this reason, I absolutely want a purebred from a responsible breeder with known and responsibly bred parents. I will rescue cats all day, but in something the size I like, I want 100% known history and genetics for my dog. Not that that guarantees you results, but it helps.
Trainable, including trainable to live in peace with cats. The cats are primary, and that isn’t going to change. Any dog who becomes a threat to them would lose his home promptly.
A bit aloof, not friendly to strangers. If Jack the Ripper comes calling one night, I don’t want them to offer him a guided tour.
Dark. I am a woman living alone in the country, so part of the reason for a dog is a deterrent. I don’t really want a protection dog per se, but I want something that, if Jack the Ripper comes around casing homes, Jack will take one look at and move on. I’ve read several places that as a general rule, a dark dog is more intimidating in appearance than a light-colored dog of the same weight. Besides, I just think they look cool. I like dark-colored horses, too, dark bays and blacks. Not as much as fan of chestnut, and not a fan at all of chrome. Of course, the individual is the important thing, but as a general guideline, I like dark dogs.
LARGE bark. See deterrent above. I want something that can sound like the Hound of the Baskervilles, and then will shut up if told that’s enough. I cannot stand small yappers.
It sounds like you’d love a Newfoundland.
Ticks many boxes, but the hair in the summer would be too much for the dog here.
I met the coolest giant schnauzer a few weeks ago that would check all your boxes. Really cool dog, very aloof and super intelligent.
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