We are considering adding a Skye to our family sometime next year. We currently have 2 Briards, oldest one is a 9yr old bitch and our youngest is 6 months, so we are going to wait until he reaches 1 year old or thereabouts before adding a new addition.

I have met 3 over the years and am so impressed with their personality. Reading the breed information, they sound like wonderful dogs and of course I will be doing lots more research before making a final decision. I have always had large breed dogs before but we are thinking of downsizing now as it would be nice to get a different breed and also they don't take up huge amounts of physical space.

Having had Briards for a number of years I am well used to the grooming involved with a long coat and all of the mud and mess that comes with it!

I have 2 questions for people who are experienced in this breed. What sex should I consider? Bearing in mind I have a spayed bitch and an entire dog.

The other important question is, being terriers and knowing what their natural instincts are, I have Prairie dogs, rescue degus and a couple of Chinchillas. Both of my current dogs ignore the small animals as they have grown up with them being around but then they weren't bred to control vermin or small furry animals! Are they like any pup, whereby if they are used to another species from day one, they will learn to accept them? I never leave either of my dogs around my small animals unsupervised so it would be no different with a Skye. I don't let any of the small ones out when the dogs are in the room as they would probably tread on them, big clumsy footed dogs and small furries don't mix.

I understand that they are very spirited, can be wary of strangers, devoted to the family or one person in the family and are very intelligent, much like my own breed really. Oh and stubbornness, I am also very used to this.

Any advice or experience will be much appreciated :-)