Hi, I have a friend who wants to add a new addition to her household..... she has a border terrier, and a collie/gsd cross both male neutered.
She works with dogs and her dogs go to work with her and both are of very good temperament.
She is interested in Italian spinones, grand basset griffon vendeen, st Bernard's and alaskan malamutes.....??? any opinions/insight on these lovely breeds i could pass on would be most helpful.

Thanks in advance

Well I am biased, but I have actually just posted about how great my breeds (Spins) are with terriers.

Although they completely different,( the terrier will be the boss :) the Spins require gentle handling to bring out in best of them as they are sensitive souls but they adored my parson.

They complement each other beautifully (he was a very feisty chap and they taught him to tolerate other creatures) hopefully I will have another rescue terrier as fab as him in the near future :)

Spins are fantastic dogs who tolerate everyone are gentle giants and extremely intelligent, always trying to second guess you. They do like their walks and respond well to training and of course their coat needs to be stripped, (although as your friend already has a terrier I am sure they are already used to this).
If you can put up with losing the comfiest spot in the house to them and the Spinny slop (which is like no other), then they are deffo the dog for your friend.

Please feel free to PM me for advice if you need to, or you could contact the Breed Club (ISCGB) and they will be able to guide your friend. HTH:) Dxxx

I too am biased, and would have to say St Bernard every time (but have to admit to not having experience of the others).  I just can't fault them for temperament, personality and pure comedy value.  However, she does have 2 high energy dogs who I doubt a St. would keep up with (although I have no doubt he'd try), he'd have to have very limited exercise for the first couple of years, and he will slobber over everything including the other dogs!!  I don't know what she does for a living but she'd also have to consider the practicalities of taking such a large dog to work (and whether she could fit all 3 in her car at once?).  When you have a St in a multi dog household you will find you have to change drinking water several times a day - I've never known a dog to drink from the same bowl as a St (it looks just like a bowl of snot by the time they've finished!!)

I would never try to influence a Friend in bred choice.

With dogs it really is one mans meat is another mans poison.

There are lots of breeds others consider ideal that I could not live with (floppy ears, drooly, needy, hyper, smooth coated, very small or large), and I am sure my ideal breed ;) (wilful, hairy, vocal if not discouraged firmly) would be some peoples nightmare.

What I would encourage them to do is think outside of the box of the breeds they know and see most of.  Make a list of things they could not put up with in a canine companion, then preferred traits, and go from there to the breed clubs.

It's not long now til Crufts and Discover Dogs - a wonderful opportunity for someone at the early stages of making a doggy decision :)

dito to ridgie lover...

Thank you :), will pass on info.

She is going to Crufts so i am sure she will speak to the right people there :)
She is just interested in the those breeds,  so i am sure she will pick out the right dog for her lifestyle, i know very little about the breeds, so would never recommend a breed for her :) though we did look a little into the spinones :) She just wanted a insight into their characteristics from people that live with them.

So much choice i think that's her problem :)
Thanks :)

Brainless.... were you secretly describing a Weim? LOL :-)

does fit come to think of it, LOL, but ideal for someone else. 

Now at first glance it would suit me on colour.

Ideal for me... but totally understand why not for everyone! Just made me chuckle as this is exactly how I would describe my girl :-)