Now, my dachshund has gotten her RAE in Rally, has mastered agility (Okay, we are still working on the weaves but besides that she loves it and enters in the state agility teams), I have her working on open and utility (She has learned the exercises but she needs to learn that she is suppose to hold the dumbbell not only at home but in all places), and she is not a conformation dog so she is unable to show (She also can't show in showmanship because of bone defects that make it almost impossible against the other dogs in her level.)
I am mainly working with Boxers and Dachshunds but I want to move up a level with a new dog.
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Breeds I have worked with:
Dachshund - RAE Rally Title, Agility Titles And Agility Teams, Open/Utility Obedience, Showmanship
Boxer - Performance handler for a Boxer Kennel and also a Conformation Handler. Has never NQ with Boxers.
Pembroke Welsh Corgi - Has handled in agility quite often,
Collies - Is working with them in Rally, Therapy, and Basic Obedience (I will admit that Collies are a little sensitive for my taste but then again I am working with rescue dogs that have been severely abused.)
Rat Terriers - Has trained for agility and basic obedience for owners.
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel - Has fully trained for competitive novice and for conformation (Sadly some idiot shaved the dog's ears so she had to be retired to a companion.)
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I want a super high energy dog that wants to do everything with me. I'm very active and I am willing to throw balls and run agility all day. Also, I am not worried about the dog being bored since I plan to do a lot of fun training and such.
I also, was wondering about how the dogs I list do in conformation and how they do in general training? Do you think I could work with any of these breeds?
I have a small list of dogs that I am thinking of but I'm still
• Australian Shepherd:
They do great performance and I like their personality but I also don't feel as much as a challenge with them and they are so common.
• Doberman Pinscher:
I love how they are with conformation and Dobermans seem to be great workers. I do hear though that they aren't as playful and active from many people.
• Border Collie:
I love this breed and their high energy. They are amazing with performance but I was wondering about conformation? I mean I haven't seen once a border collie win best in show or group?
• Boxer:
I love this clown of a breed and how they can learn quickly but they act like they have ADHD (No offense was meant) I also like their energy flow.
•Vizla:
I have heard a lot about this breed and that they have nice amount of energy and are good working dogs but I do not see them as much so it is hard for me to research about them. People are telling me to not even look at this breed because they will drive anyone up a wall but I was just curious.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING THIS AND IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS I'LL BE ON STANDBY TO ANSWER THEM.
Also, I will pick a best answer so it won't go into the voting mess.
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How a dog does in conformation has absolutely nothing to do with its breed. You can find an outstanding dog in any breed, including the rarer ones. The real challenge would be getting any breeder to sell you a quality dog that can do a lot of winning in the ring. Then you still need to correctly socialize, groom and train that dog if you want to win. It can be any breed that you're totally committed to.
You, I feel, need to find a passion for one breed - the one that's the right one for you. You need to narrow it down to just the one breed you absolutely have to have, then start researching breeders.
Of the breeds you mentioned, if you want a dog for obedience/rally/agility, your best bet would be the aussie or border collie. But the right boxer or dobie could do it, too. It would depend on the dog's basic drive and your skills and dedication as a trainer. The vizla would likely be the biggest challenge. Doesn't mean it can't be done - Canada's # 1 obedience dog in 1983 was a borzoi. Any breed can do it - it takes the right dog with the right trainer.
I'm training Belgian tervs right now in rally and obedience and my only regret is that I didn't find this breed years ago. They're only 1 and 2 years old now, and both are doing open and utility training. In the future, I want both to learn herding, one tracking and the other agility (based on where their strengths are).
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- Australian cattle dog...not quite so common, exactly what you are looking for.
You might also thing of a Catahoula Leopard dog..they are not as intense as a cattle dog...but still within your parameters and somewhat unusual. - I almost never, ever say this, but it sounds like a Border Collie is the dog for you, especially if you are thinking competition level agility.
I have a Belgian Shepherd Dog, Groenendael (I wouldn't recommend any of the four Belgian Shepherd Dogs, though, as they are more difficult to handle than any of the breeds you've worked with so far), so I'm not that familiar with the Border Collie lines, but I know that in Europe there is a different between hard-core working lines and show lines, so I would recommend going to shows, talking to breeders and breed experts and then pick a Border Collie that will meet your requirements for both show and training. - When I read your post the first thing that comes to mind is Alopekis! I have family in Greece and I've been there several times and a friend of my father's (in Greece) owns an Alopekis. He shows the dog with the Kennel Club of Greece, although the breed is currently registered in their "miscellaneous" category. Alopekis look like a cross of a Border Collie and Corgi, but they aren't. They are a very old breed. His Alopekis loves to show and is just so friendly to everyone. It is also a great watchdog and loves the beach! They remind me of the more popular Small Greek Domestic Dog, but Alopekis have short hair and prick ears. They are the friendliest dogs and will just snuggle with you and lay on your couch for hours. That is, until you are ready to go and this dog can go! They are the only dog with short (not as short as Dachshund legs) legs that I've ever known that can run for miles and miles.
http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/alopekis.htm - First, most of my experience has been with working stock dogs, not show.
To answer some of your questions. Unless you have a very low frustration level, avoid the Vizla - they're one of the hardest-headed breeds (if you think you could work successfully with a mule, you can train a Vizla).
Since you've worked successfully with Collies and Corgis, you'd have no trouble with Aussies or Border Collies - their temperments are similar. You might also consider Shelties, or Heelers.
If you want to teach people about newer breeds, others that might work well are some of the southern breeds - the Feist (similar in appearance and temperment to a Parson Russell or Rat Terrier) or a Catahoula Leopard Dog (similar in temperment to the various cattle dogs). - Border Collie.
They are a fabulous Breed, and often win Agility Courses because of their High Stamina and will to please. As a Dog to live with, they can be a bit mad at times, but if you know how to train them, its a breeze!
Also, I'd like to thank you for writing such a wonderful question. You must of worked very hard! *Sigh* I wish there were more people like you on Yahoo Answers.
~ Zarago ~ - I have two Boxers, neither have ADHD:) Both are the most focused dogs I've ever met, in fact. Our puppy has known sit/wait/stay since he was 8.5 weeks old. He's 10 weeks now and I can place him in a sit/stay at the top of the driveway, walk to the door, unlock it, open it and call him. Only then does he move from his spot. Although I've known one or two Boxers who are like that, a well bred Boxer should be a very well balanced dog, and 99% of the Boxers I know are just that.
There are a lot of Vizslas around here, they are hunting dogs and are thus very very driven. I love high energy dogs, BCs or a Viszlas are not the dogs for me as I like dogs who are able to easily "turn it off" (and most of the Vizslas and BC's I've worked with simply can't, not easily at least).
So, obviously my vote is for Boxers:) Not only are they athletic enough to do all the activities that you are interested in, but can turn it off quite easily (even with a puppy our Boxers are very low key in the house). They are gorgeous dogs and extremely smart. We do agility (just for fun) with our older Boxer and it's her favourite thing ever. Aside from the weave poles, she had every obstacle mastered the first day. They're born to jump!
I would recommend going to see litters from each breed your interested in. Spend time with the parents and pick whichever set of parents seems the closest to what you're looking for in your next dog...the parents have just as much to do with the puppies temperaments as their breed does! - Border collie is your best bet -- and yes, my daughter has taken several group 1's with one she's been showing. however, training these is not a big challenge. One trainer I know said that many of the top people in obedience and agility who run BCs would not do nearly as well if they worked with a breed harder to train!
Sheltie is another good choice.
Here's more of a challenge to you however -- try a chesapeake bay retriever. These can be very responsive and good dogs, do win some groups and BIS, and will give you more of a challenge training-wise. - Certainly the breeds of choice for performance seem to be Aussies and BCs. They do get groups and BIS.
I personally like Dobies, but that is a highly competitive breed in conformation, so you will definitely be up against top handlers. I also like the personality of Boxers, but you don't see them much in obedience for some reason. I have shown and trained Viszlas and I like them a lot, but they can be relatively soft compared to similar breeds, so if you don't like sensitive dogs they may not be for you.
OTOH, for me it is more important for me to love the breed, since training/competing is just part of what we dog, which is why I do obedience, agility and rally with Basset Hounds. - Given you want a very active dog, and one that does agility, I would definitely go for the Vizsla - they are active and intelligent, they can go all day. But, they are total couch potatoes if that is what you are doing. In other words, very adaptable. And they would not drive you crazy.
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