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Author Topic : Wanna start my research now...help?
 Little River Dog
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8/17/2013 8:17:59 AM reply with quote send message to Little River Dog Object to Post   

Okay so I moved into college this past week in the gorgeous town of Boone, NC. Come this time next year I will be moving into my first actual home and I want a companion who can match the life up here.

I'm already beginning to get involved with the local shelter, they will be my first choice. But just in case that doesn't pan out I want a back up plan. I want to have researched, met with owners, met with dogs of the breed before I make any long term decision.

Now for the criteria I'm looking to meet:
-MUST be cold weather tolerant (it's August and I woke up to 40 degree weather this morning, not at all what I'm used too)
-I don't mind brush but I don't want a lot of hair as we will be out in grass and dirt a lot.
-Needs to have a higher end energy level as I will be camping, canoeing, fishing, jogging, hiking ect...on a fairly regular basis.
-MUST be people friendly, I know that's a lot on me with early socialization and whatnot but I would like a dog known for its general friendly nature
-I would prefer high trainability but that isn't a must, I am willing and I will have the time to put into training when the right time comes.


Anything else I missed?

Thanks in advance,
Ande @ Little River
 griffin
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8/17/2013 8:56:34 AM reply with quote send message to griffin Object to Post

You're probably looking for something on the small side since you might end up renting/moving at the end of college and it is much easier to find a rental place with a small dog than a large dog.

Maybe a Pomeranian? - cold tolerant and plenty of energy, long hair but dense and should be more weather/dirt resistant than most of the toys. All the ones I've met were friendly as long as the stranger was gentle.

Cavalier King Charles Spaniel could also work, less hair so less cold tolerant but enough that as long as they are active outside they are fine. Decent energy level and very friendly & trainable.

Moving up a little in size American Eskie fits though their whiteness means you can see every bit of dirt they pick up. Shelties too but they tend to be a little on the shy side.

grif,
 Inspirational Kennels
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8/17/2013 10:32:38 AM reply with quote send message to Inspirational Kennels Object to Post

Cavaliers *may* work. We've had some that are very energetic and love the outdoors, and others that would much rather sleep on the couch all day.

They really aren't as cold tolerant as you'd think though. My Cav shivers is 40F....
 Lilliput
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8/17/2013 9:44:16 PM reply with quote send message to Lilliput Object to Post

Actually, I think Cavaliers make a great choice for college- mine is happy to sleep all day OR hike all day, having an "off" switch and not a constant NEED for activity is nice.

Mine also gets a little cold, but we stay active down to 10F or so. A coat and some boots helps a lot. Only thing she doesn't do well in is deep, wet snow, as it balls up on her coat extremely quickly.

I'm wondering what about some of the smaller terriers? Lots of energy, many are fairly well trainable, easy to manage coats. Perhaps border terrier or rat terrier or Jack Russel? Actually, there are probably lots of breed options too choose from in small terriers, look around and see what seems to fit your wants.
Not always known for being people pleasers, but with the right socialization, most should be fine.

A small hound could be ok too- maybe a beagle? They have their hound quirks, but can be quite trainable, depending on the dog.

Or, small spaniels. Boykin, Field, Cockers, AWS, that sort of thing.

I've known some toy breeds who did ok with this sort of thing, seen some fabulous hiking schipperke,for instance, but you might want to look into the toy breeds that fit and decide individually, as they vary so much, and one person's portable, is another person's fragile.

I agree strongly on the advice to get a SMALL dog. At this stage in your life you'll likely be moving around and renting a lot, and it is SO much easier to find housing with a smaller dog. It can be hard to find dog friendly housing at all, but even when you do, they often only take smaller dogs.
Not to mention it is hard to know what your financial situation will be like after graduation- small dogs eat less, and generally cost less in general, which will be a great advantage at this time in your life.
 Cloudpointe Kennels
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8/18/2013 1:10:44 AM reply with quote send message to Cloudpointe Kennels Object to Post

BUHUND!!!!! happy :)
 Lilliput
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8/18/2013 2:22:47 AM reply with quote send message to Lilliput Object to Post

Maybe Miniature American Shepherd? They seem to fit the bill in ALL ways quite well. There's an awesome breeder near me who does everything with her dogs- very trainable, go anywhere.

Other small herding breeds could be something to look at too.
 Image Valley
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8/18/2013 4:49:35 AM reply with quote send message to Image Valley Object to Post

Maybe Irish Terrier?
-cold tolerant (and hot :P)
-energetic and loyal friend, good to jogging etc.
-friendly to people - of coure need good socialization
-not too big and not to small happy :)
 Venscera
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8/18/2013 9:17:50 AM reply with quote send message to Venscera Object to Post

I'd suggest either Papillons or Minitature Australian Shepherds.

Papillon
- Males are less yappy
- They do require brushing, unless you chose to cut their hair short, which I recommend
- They are normally pretty small
- Easy to train
- Will hike and jog with you as long as you have water
Their only problem is that they're a bit difficult to potty train.

Mini Aussie
- Just like normal sissies, only smaller
They're very friendly, easy to Train, and love exercise. They're generally very intelligent, and will be very enjoyable as long as you exercise them or give them some kind of job.
 
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8/18/2013 4:14:31 PM reply with quote send message to Object to Post edit post

The way that I read the thread is that the OP will be moving into their own house next year, so I don't believe finding a rental appropriate dog is the top priority. Please correct me if I'm wrong. I'm under the impression that they will be in their "first actual home", as was written. So while I don't advise a giant breed, I also don't think the OP is limited to small dogs.

That said, I would not exactly look for a very high energy level dog such as a Jack Russel Terrier. If you're going to be in college, you'll have classes throughout the day and the dog will need to be kept confined for periods of time. There's nothing wrong with that, provided they aren't cooped up all day, but a high energy dog will quickly become destructive and/or develop behavioral problems with that sort of a lifestyle.

I would suggest a breed of dog that has the energy to do all that you want(jogging, biking, hiking, camping, etc-- which encompasses quite a lot of dogs), but is also content to lay around and relax when there's no activity. Unless you're planning to take the dog to both school and work with you, I wouldn't exactly advise a Border Collie or other similar energy leveled breed.

I love that you're intention is to adopt from your local shelter and that you are becoming an active volunteer there. The sheer number of dogs that go through any given shelter in a year's time is astonishing and you're very likely to find a perfect match for you there.

I'd really only suggest buying from a responsible and reputable breeder if you're deadset on a certain breed or you plan to show. Remember that you may decide you want a particular breed, but even within that breed they're all individuals and littermates will have different temperaments and energy levels.

Another one of the many positive aspects to adoption is that you'll often have a much better idea of what the dog is like. When you bring home an 8-10 week old puppy from a breeder, you're hoping he/she will turn out to be everything you wanted in a dog, but you won't know for sure until they mature a little more, at least a few more months.

I show Danes and I absolutely love the breed, but I adopted a little 40lb mutt that turned out to be my heart dog. She is my travel and work companion because she fits my lifestyle perfectly. I brought her home when she was about 3 1/2 to 4 months old and I knew she would be a great fit because she had developed a sense of self, temperament, and energy level.

The great thing about shelter dogs is, if you know how to properly screen them, it's often what you see is what you get. Of course there is always the unfortunate cases where a dog didn't turn out to be what was expected, but dogs do not lie and if you know what you're looking for and you're involved with the shelter, you have a high probability of finding a fantastic match.

With all that said, I don't have any breed-specific suggestions since only you know exactly what you need in a companion and what kind of lifestyle you live for your future furkid. I believe it's wonderful that you're reaching out to fellow dog owners for suggestions, but I personally don't think strangers can give you the answer you need. I would recommend talking about it with the other people you'll be working with at the shelter over the next year to decide what's best for you.

Whatever you decide, best of luck to you! You sound like you're making a big effort and taking all the necessary steps to choosing the right dog to bring into your life happy :)
 Shutterfox
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8/18/2013 4:15:47 PM reply with quote send message to Shutterfox Object to Post

^^ That was me. I timed out ^^
 Little River Dog
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8/18/2013 10:57:58 PM reply with quote send message to Little River Dog Object to Post

Thank you everyone for your replies. Shutter is correct in thinking non apartment. I'm splitting with a friend who already owns a small house with a fenced in yard. Though size I don't want anything bigger than say a lab. The person already in the house has a German shepherd/husky mix.
 Lilliput
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8/18/2013 11:01:02 PM reply with quote send message to Lilliput Object to Post

I'll stand by my original suggestion that you try and stick with smaller dogs. There's no telling where you'll be living or what your financial situation will be like after college. Renting is likely going to be in your future in the lifetime of this dog. I'd suggest being mindful of that, and the uncertainty of your life after graduation, in choosing a dog breed now.
 griffin
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8/19/2013 10:55:48 AM reply with quote send message to griffin Object to Post

quote
posted by Little River Dog
Thank you everyone for your replies. Shutter is correct in thinking non apartment. I'm splitting with a friend who already owns a small house with a fenced in yard. Though size I don't want anything bigger than say a lab. The person already in the house has a German shepherd/husky mix.
Thats great for the next 3-4 years but there is no telling after that (I ended up in a completely different country than I expected after college) so it is best to stick with a small dog for now.

grif,
 Dream Castle Kennels
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8/19/2013 12:51:58 PM reply with quote send message to Dream Castle Kennels Object to Post

You are not far from my neck of the woods!wink ;) Bailey,my beagle,can tolerate reletavly cold weather.I have a couple jackets I put on her during the coldest months,but she is pretty tolerent of cold.Heat actually seems to bother her more then cold.The Shetland Sheepdog might also be a condideration also
 Sorella Aussies
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8/19/2013 3:18:09 PM reply with quote send message to Sorella Aussies Object to Post

I agree with the Shetland sheepdog as a good option. Very versatile in terms of athleticism and living conditions.

I went to college with my 2 shelties in north country NY. They do very well, if from a good breeder and trained young shyness shouldn't occur at all. If the puppy just sits in the house from the time you get it till it's over a year old, it most likely will be shy and nippy.

Now North Country NY, I'm talking Canton/Potsdam/Massena just outside canada get's in the negatives temperature wise and my boys would still try to stay out romping in the snow on days I would get worried and try to force them inside. On the flip side, during summer we compete in agility in temps into the upper 90's. They run/walk/ and kayak with me. Very athletic little dogs (we do agility, flyball, obedience etc.) They also adjust well to moving, mine lived in 1 house and 2 different apartments with me without any apparent moving stress, as long as the get to come with you they are happy.

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Did you know?
The sit for exam is a modified version of the Stand for Exam. It is generally used in novice level classes and requires the handler to order the dog to sit and then to move away from the dog the length of the leash. The judge will then approach the dog and pet the dog's head.