i am looking for another dogbut not sure what breed i am wanting i want whats best for the dog and a dog that is most likely going to fit in with my life style.
i am 15 and have got 4 dogs 2 border collies 1 rottie x collie and a lurcher
i am looking for a medium to large breed that i can do some kind of sport with ie agility obedience or something a bit less common. it will get lots of country walks as i am iright in the middle of the cannock chase. and will also be doing dog classes. i really want one with papers and all relevent health checks so i know i am not buying from someone who is just in it for the money.
i have looked at several different breeds these being nova soctia duck tolling retriever husky alaskan malamute akita dalmation.
as anyone got any ideas on any breeds that would be best suited and a bit about them
thanx hannah

Flatcoat? How about BSD?

i like flat coats dont think mom n dad will let me have a bsd and they dont like gsd's as they have both been bitten by them when they were younger i think there gorgous though.
what do you think a flatcoat would be like on an agility coarse

Border Terrier will suit you perfectly

Geoff :)

want something a bit bigger and i also have rabbits and i dont think i terrier would go right with the rabbit
they are good at mini agility though and really quick

An Akita is not for you!
If you want to do agility you would have a steady but solid companion if he/she felt like taking part but with a pack of dogs like the one you already have would be asking for trouble. They are a very dog-dominant breed that requires firm handling and an even temper. A fight for dominance would be at the top of an Akita's list should you take one on.
However, the border terrier is a wonderful little dog and what it lacks in size it makes up for in personality. As for the rabbit, well, if it doesn't play fetch with the dogs and run free it should be safe enough in a covered run or its hutch.
Best of luck finding your perfect companion!
Caz x

Thats what i was thinkingt on an akita the rabbit hops freely around the garden exept for at night if the dog was bought uo with the rabbit would they get on

Don't get me wrong, the Akita is a wonderful breed in the right situation! But in such a varied pack it wouldn't be fair to the dog to even try it!
Borders learn pretty quickly, if a pup was told to leave the rabbit enough times then it would eventually leave the rabbit while you were there. I'm surprised the others leave it be! lol.
Good luck!

they are, very quick, & if you get a pup it won't eat your rabbit.....

Geoff

ill definately have a look at them
would mine hurt it though if they ran into it or shoved passed because when they are out mine are very bougstrous with each other.
would they be good at abedience

My flatcoat and Golden Retreivers are fine with my Guinea Pig, if that's any help. As for agility, I would have thought a flatcoat would be a good choice. They have bags of energy, very people orientated, kind, gentle dogs with lovely natures. They're also very intelligent.

Not that I'm biased.....:D :D

liberty:)

theres a flat coat and the training i take my 17month old rottie x collie to and hes really intelligent and learns very fast do you know of any breeders i can get in touch with for some info on the breed

There's a few Flactcoat breeders on the forum, who I'm sure would be happy to give you some more advice on the breed.
Briedog, Polly and Jo Caisblade (sp).
They and many others are listed on the Champdogs Breeders pages.

liberty:)

thanx

Norwegian Buhund - like a small Akita, but not such a responsibility (not as lazy either!)

do you know any sites where i can have a look at them

try here at Champdogs. Also go to Google "Norwegian Buhunds" - you'll get Knytshall site & the Norwegian Buhund Club site.
HTH

what do you think about a rough collie

Hello,
Right...
Several flat coats doing agility but none are particularly fast although several years ago 2 reached senior status.
There are some great Nova Scotias around doing agility, Kerry Abbott did very well with Decoymans Piper Pirate and there's also another one doing well, Narod Nekton. Also willing to please and very intelligent.
Norwegian Buhunds have been known to be quite stubborn when training them and trying to jump 2ft 6 they'd probably struggle.
Do your current Border Collies do agility?
Char123

Hiya, how about a Large Munsterlander? I did a lot of research into these and very nearly got one. They are supposed to be great at agilty and are less common.

(I didn't get one only because everytime I see a nice black lab I go all mushy :D so I am getting another lab instead! But I do love munsters.)

~ Sharon :)

yea Cassie blue merle collie who i am planning on entering in competitions next summer and Hazel whos 2 in dec has just started training

Ok as someone who has Flatcoats and has done some agility with them - you NEED to have a sense of humour, my oldest one is very much an in my own time dog, although she was fairly accurate, although my boy (Char123 will no him if she who i think she is!) is very much the clown and has got himself a bit of a reputation within the YKC, he CAN be fast but he does seem to have this thing for jumping right of the top of the A-frame - so far he has only ever got the contact 3 times and that was his fist time on it in over a year - the next time he did agility though he remembered and was back to leaping of the top. He seems to be worse the larger the crowd watching - even going as far as running round with the numbers or his latest trick is to peer into and box in the ring looking for tennis balls! and is still to get his first clear round in his 2 years of doing agility - in another 10 maybe!
In obedience they can work just as well as the collies depending on how much effort you put in (at a recent ykc event both my flatcoats were the only dogs to go clear on the sent test in intermediate over several collies), and i think there are a few currently working at a high level
They are great dogs and are fun to live with and train but you do need to have a very big sense of humor and cant expect them to be perfect every time - and with most you can forget having a decent round once they have spotted water (another YKC story!)
Heather

Spanish Water Dog. They are fast and easy to train and they love doing agility.

Where abouts do you live? There's Discover Dogs in London, November 22nd - 23rd, you are more than welcome to come and have a chat with myself and other owners.

Good luck in your search.
Diane

i'm in Cannock Staffs its a bit far

You're not far from me, if your family ever fancy it you are more than welcome to pop down to South Manchester. If you do agility training you may have seen a few Spanish.

Hi Diane

Where is the Discover Dogs held at? I think I'm free that week end, and would like to go!

liberty:)

Earl's Court, I think, Liberty.
:)

Thanks for that JG:)

I've just re-checked my dates, and it's the Rugby World Cup final (all those lurverly thighs ;) ), so I could probably go on the 23rd :)

liberty:D

What about an Australian Shepherd? I have seen them at agility as well as flyball and very fast and eager to please. I was thinking about them but I fancy the bull breeds more, lovely dogs though and come in a range of colors.

Another one I have seen at agility and flyball was the German Shorthaired Pointers, and this dog was fairly fast also and very well mannered.

How about the Malinois, they are suppose to be easy to train and fast dogs. I think they are very nice looking.

Or there is the Standard Poodle not sure how well they are, but heard they are smart dogs.

Good luck :)

ttfn :)

like those breed exept poodle it's just not something that appeals to me got nothing against em though
i like aussies i've heard there fast

It depends on what you want for agility.
Do you want to do well? or have a steady dog?

If you want to do well I would say go for a belgian or a collie (do you not want another?). Aussies are good at agility but they don't tend to be very fast as they are heavier, but I have seen a couple of lovely lightweight aussies that are good. Flatties I have seen a few competing they tend to go clear but too slow to be in the placings (there is one I know that is super fast but most you see aren't). GSPs tend to be the same as flatties. The trouble is they don't have the same drive as a collie or belgian, you get some with the drive but a lot don't tend to be that bothered. Nova Scotias seem to do fairly well I know of a few that get some good novice placings. In the top twenty at the world champs there was one aussie, two belgians and 17 border collies. I have seen a few good WORKING labs actually, the leggy type, they have lots of go and are quite fast, one has just made senior. I am thinking about one as my next dog, but it won't be for a long time yet.

As regards to little dogs, I have just had a sheltie pup and was a bit worried about her and my other two, one being a gsd X and the other a collie, but they play fine and she hasn't been squashed, they know not to be too boisterous with her. In the top twenty at the world champs in the medium group there were two pyrenean sheepdogs, a cavalier, mini poodle, mini schnauzer, a nova scotia, a terrier and 12 shelties (& a mudi?). In the top twenty of the small group there was 1 papillon, 10 shelties, 4 toy poodles, 1 mini schnauzer, 1 jack russell, 2 border terriers and a spitz.

i really like the merle aussies but a while ago i saw a red merle border collie and they are gorgous
hows dizz doin after her op.
has anyone ever seen a rough or smooth collie do agility

Hi,

Have a look here - Rough & Smooth Collie Training Association - for what it's worth, think the Smooth is possibly more suitable for you. Although others will probably disagree, I think Roughs are generally 'obedient' dogs but not 'obedience' dogs - i.e. often a little too well behaved, without the extra spark you need to work a dog.

Now my youngster does contradict this statement, she's a holy terror - shall I post her to you? ;)

Marina

Hiya
That's exactly the smae as Diz, we think she is GSD X rough collie. And she is exactly how you describe, is too obedient and doesn't have the spark, but the german shepherd in her does give her a bit of spark in obedience. Agility, no spark at all!
Gina

Another option is a beardie but then i am biast!!!!!

Sam x
Lover of all things beardie!!

yea you can post her just make sure you put her in a jiffy bag so she dont get hurt lol

Yes I know of a few good beardies from working lines. They also do htm as well and are really good, Linda Topliss has one.
Gina

i now am narrowed down to nova scotia duck tolling retreiver flatcoat smooth collie beardie husky another border collie or an aussie

Hello
I don't know if it's still available but on agilitynet there was a page called the ABC of agility or something similar - had tonnes and tonnes of different breeds - Beardie, Smooth Collie, Tollers, Flatcoats, GSP's, Belgian Shepherds etc. However the site went down a few months ago and they're still rebuilding it so I don't know if that page is up yet.
At Supadog Agility Show this year a Bearded Collie won the Junior Under 12 finals, Jo's Jester, Jo Sermons Beardies (working type so wouldn't be much good at showing) have done brilliantly in agility.
If you do decide to get a dog, please make sure you get one from the lines to suit you - don't get an Aussie from pure show lines if you want to do mainly agility, Accra Aussies are fabulous agility/obedience dogs (although not collie speed in agility, they're pretty fast).
If you're interested in a BC from show lines with a bit of agility/obedience Detania have a lot of red merles. Gemthorne also have a lot of red merles - one's just gone advanced and there's 3 that are looking great in training, not yet competing. Jo Rhodes has a website (www.jorhodes.co.uk) represented England in the World Champs this year with her Red & White BC. She also has a bit on the website about Flat Coats as her flattie was the 2nd of its breed to go senior.
Hope to be of help.
Char123

''don't get an Aussie from pure show lines if you want to do mainly agility'',

Why not??
Aussies are a very versatile breed, and if bred correctly, they can do most things. Whether they are from show lines or working lines, they are a ''working dog''..... More importantly, the emphasis should be on using a breeder that has good healthy stock, with as clean breed lines as possible, and stock that is producing below average hip scores, especially if wanting to do agility or flyball. Working lines can carry as many health problems as the show lines. I have aussies from both kinds of lines, and would say apart from a difference in age, they are all working aussies, between them doing, flyball, agility and obedience........ oh and they show as well.....
I would say to anyone wanting an aussie, do your homework first..... they are not the breed for everyone....
Gabrielle

I think she meant that aussies that do well in agility tend to be ones from working lines, they tend not to be so stocky. Of course ones from show lines can do everything as well, but in agility they perhaps don't do as well as the working type as are a bit more stocky. From pictures and from shows this tends to be the case.
Gina

Well. Basically its what Gina said. Aussies from working lines tend to be slimmer and not so stocky. Obviously you know more about Aussies than I do, but there was an Aussie from pure working lines a few months ago get a 2nd in Novice Agility in a very competitive class. If a stocky, show type could get round the course with the speed and agileness of this dog then I'd be very suprised.
Char123

Agree with you that the working type aussies do well......., we have some good aussies coming up from starting their training now. I have two litter sisters, one fine boned and one heavy boned, have to say, they are both as quick as each other...... I do train the smaller one more, but only because she seems to enjoy it more....
The Accra dogs don't really have many working lines in their stock at all, and their stock is not particularly fine boned.....
Cassie 'n' Ollie, there is a good breeder not far from you, who I am sure wouldn't mind you having a look at some aussies, let me know if you are interested, and I will e-mail her.......failing that, you could go to Midland Counties on Saturday, which is not far from you, there are 68 aussies entered of all shapes, sizes and temperament. You could go and have a look at what, if anything catches your eye.....
Gabrielle :-)

Go for a working one, nice leggy agile dogs unlike the ones bred for the show ring, too stocky and stumpy. Like collies, go for a working one as breed ones tend to be thicker set, like the ISDS said:
'....Meanwhile, there is a growing separation in the identity and behaviour of the 'show' Border Collie as regulated by various national kennel clubs. Such breed standards are detrimental to the potential ability and health of a working sheepdog.'

Too true!

Have put her in extra strength jiffy bag, addressed to 'Cassie N Ollie, Champdogs', let me know when she arrives. :D

M.

great did you put her is 1st or second and have you sent all her food bowls food kong etc for her to chomp through on the way

First class, of course, with the usual huge supply of Dentastix.

M.

great i hope you've put a self addressed envelope in so i can send her back when she becomes to much trouble lol

You're joking, I arranged to move house as soon as I dropped her at the Post Office, in case she found her own way home.

Only joking, she's lovely really - and she came into season yesterday, so hopefully her sunny (if somewhat mad) temperament will be perpetuated around Xmas time.

M.

bless i bet shes gorgous if shes anything like lassie moving home wont stop her finding her way back