I'me currently in the process of looking for a dog. The trouble is, I'me not sure what breed I want. Can anyone on IW help me out with this? Here is the following criteria:

Activity: A lot. I'me training for Cross Country Running, and Run at least 2k daily. Daily walks are a normal occurence, usually up to 4 k.
Temperment: Nice, very playful. This is VERY important. I want a nice, playful and energetic dog not dominant. However, breeds that bark are a must.
Shedding: Not really all that important.
Colors: Now is where it becomes important. I am currently in love with the husky/ malamute look, and like sturdy dogs (like a rottweiler) as well as sprinters (greyounds and ibizans). An attractive color scheme (striking as well) is nesecary. I absolutely despise "fluffy dogs".
Weather: I currently live in Canada, so the breed has to be able to survive in a cold (up to -30 degrees celcius) enviornment.
What I'm currently looking at: I'm leaning more towards a husky, as they have energy, are playful and enjoy the cold.

If anyone could help me out with a breed suggestion, I would much appreciate it, thanks.

Well, besides teh Husky, only a Retriever would fit what you said. Not exactly in the cold bit much, but it's still a great dog.
But I adore huskys. Their eyes are simply beautifull!

I concur, it sounds like a golden retriever would be an excellent choice. I had one... He was the sweetest creature you could ever imagine. If you learn more about the breed and decide it might be for you, I suggest you adopt... They're a little demanding as puppies and prone to epilepsy, so by adopting an adult you'll not only bypass the troublesome stage, but be forewarned of any health problems.

I heard huskies are a bit harder to train, so if it's your first dog then maybe a husky wouldn't be such a good choice. They tend to be a bit naughty. [img]tongue.gif[/img]

I think another could fit: the American Eskimo.

I was about to suggest it anyway, because mine's great, but when I read what you were looking for...he matches that description really well.

They love the cold, very energetic, mine's super-friendly, bury their waste, barks at anything unfamiliar and dangerous animals, but not frivolously as long as he knows it's you. Now, all this and he's not even trained. Not even a little bit. lol. Oh, and he plays soccer!

Not sure what you consider fluffy, but he's hairy as all get-out. A large raccoon attacked him once, and couldn't get through all of the hair around his head. Now...-30 C isn't something that's been tested in Dallas, but protected from wind, he's been fine around 10 F. Not sure how far that goes on the cold end, but we provide extra shelter if it's above 100 F.

As for looks, he's pretty husky-esque, with a grey eye and a green one. Pure white coat that sheds very much in the spring, and a tail that curls upwards, from the Spitz breed I think.

One caveat is that I haven't tested his physical limits to runs of that length. Most is about 1 mile, but not something he's used to, as that doesn't happen very often.

Just something to think about...but as I consider it, an Am Eskimo is a lot like a husky, but smaller. That's going to limit what it can take in the cold, and how long it's going to be able to run without stopping. You may want to take the Husky (or Spitz even, though I don't know much about them), as a 'full sized' version of what I'm talking about. If you do, please don't let its nails/claws get out of hand. I get scratched badly every time I meet an indoor Husky. Husky's can be a little on the dominant side though, can't they?

[ 01-07-2005, 07:02 PM: Message edited by: Lucern ]

My parents have a retriever, she likes to sit around and gets fat, I've tried taking her running, but she just slowly waddles behind lol. Each dog to their own I suppose. I've searched around for quite abit, and know abit about each dog, so stories and personal experiance's like Illumina's/Lucern's would be much appreciated.

[ 01-07-2005, 07:03 PM: Message edited by: Sir Degrader ]

Try this:
Dog breed selector

It selects the right breeds for you based on what you want the dog to be. Maybe you'll find something. [img]smile.gif[/img]

It's a pretty good test, but the selections they gave me seem to have many dominance/agression issues, which is something I'me trying to avoid.

Huskies are great. They can take the cold weather easily, and are pretty energetic as well. Also, a smaller breed of a similar type, a Simoyad (I know I spelled that wrong!). It's a slightly smaller husky-type dog. I had one growing up (Sparky), and MAN did he have energy! I'd ride on my dad's snowmobile when it snowed a lot, in the cornfields (the cut rows were fun for skidding along the humps! whooohoo!) and he'd keep right up with me and never grow tired, was amazing. [img]smile.gif[/img]

<span style="color: lightblue">Plenty of activity. sturdy, enjoys cold... you want a Jack Russel with a woolen jumper. [img]smile.gif[/img]

Two words: Siberian Husky. I have two (mother/daughter) and love them both. Active, outgoing, playful, barking is more like howling and whining a lot of times, but I enjoy that sound, soo....

We also have a samoyed, which does bark a lot, but I think ours is "broken" (he's not playful and he somehow *hates* to run and play outside), Plus, a quality samoyed is probably what you'd call "poofy", with their really long coats that you *must* brush as least every other day, for both hygene and dog warmth reasons.

Oh ya, females are typically less dominance oriented than males, which I'm sure you already know, but if it's a concern, go with a female. They have the added bonus of not trying to "mark their territory" every five meters...

Oh God, a Jack Rusesel, the only dog to run me completely out of energy, and that was before I put on the leash...

[ 01-07-2005, 09:05 PM: Message edited by: Sir Degrader ]

Take a look at the Keeshond, (sometimes known as the Dutch Barge Dog).

I know some breeds are naturally more prone to dominance than others (e.g., sheep dogs etc, who like to round up everyone nearby :D ), but you can overcome a lot of temperament issues like that with really good training and desexing. Desexing makes male dogs especially a lot less aggressive and more placid, and you'll want to train your dog really well anyway, especially if you're getting a bigger dog which can be more difficult to control when walking etc purely because of their strength.

Labradors are lovely dogs as well, with really wonderful temperaments, that you might consider.

A bastard.

Well my Samoyed (or however you spell it), Sparky, my mom got from the pound, his old name used to be "Corkey" but we all hated that name LOL. He was just so spunky and friendly, he even would hang out on the porch and let all my mom's cats sit and lay on him, and knead his stomach like he was their mother ROTFL. He loved to play too, and I could take a dog treat and hold it up and he'd hop on is back legs to get to it, so cute. He wasn't too long haired, nothing to difficult to groom, he was completely white. (We had a few Collies when I was growing up too, now THAT'S some groomimg time LOL!). I'd only groom Sparky in the summertime, and he was hard to keep clean LOL. I'd dry him off and let him go outside and he'd promptly run to the corn fields (in the Spring, when the farmers had just put down their manure!!). Or he'd go roll in the gutters along the road, which flooded often in the Spring and Summer with the rains, and were basically these long muddy lakes along side the road, i.e., a fun doggy swimming pool. Bah LOL! [img]graemlins/hehe.gif[/img]

[ 01-07-2005, 11:30 PM: Message edited by: ladyzekke ]

I am not! Take that back :D

I have a husky. He is very playful, but sometimes when I'm walking him and we pass other dog owners he lies down on the grass and edges forward, as if he is stalking them. He is only two years old and is very strong. I'd reccomend getting a Halti collar for him (like a muzzle, when your dog pulls it turns their head, stopping them pulling), it's worked wonders for my dog. You would have no problem with him keeping up with you, huskys are very good runners.

One problem is the amount of hair that comes off him. He moults constantly, so I would avoid wearing black clothes/having black couches if you get one!

Whatever dog you get, make sure you show us a picture!

I agree that a Golden Retriever or a Labrador Retriever would be very good, as they are very playful and easily trainable. The suggestion of adopting an adult Golden is a very reasonable one, too.

I've heard that mutts, actually, make the best pets because they tend to exhibit the best traits of the breeds. my dad has a dog that we took in from the street as a puppy. the vet figures Beaumont is part golden retriever and part husky. he's very energetic, loves to runs, never barks, and hardly ever sleeps in his doghouse (even though he's up in northern Alberta in the middle of January). one problem we've seen with him, and we've heard it's true of most huskies, is that he wanders and doesn't always come back. now my dad lives in a very small town so it's not that hard to find him, but it could be a problem if you lived in the city.

also Beaumont can't swim, at all. now who ever heard of a dog who couldn't swim right? well Beaumont can't, he paddles a little and then starts to sink until my dad hauls him out again.

<font face="Verdana" size="3" color="#00FF00">Well the Australian Shepard is a good choice as well.</font>

[ 01-10-2005, 12:27 PM: Message edited by: pritchke ]

if you're going to have children during hte lifetime fo the dog i don't suggest a husky. i hate to say it but i've seen more than one husky snap at small children. i don't know about endurance, but my mom's malamute loves to be outside, walks, running, playing,e tc. well except now that he is older. but especially in the cold. he however does not bark at anything. he howls (his name is chewbacca, interesting fact: george lucas named the character chewbacca after his own malamute) he loves people and attention, and has never, not even in his old age, snapped at a child. he has growled, but more of a "help get them off me!" than a "i'm gonan bite" growl. and of course we don't leave children int he presence of any animal alone.


either way if you don't htink you're going ot have children in the next 10-15 years a husky, or lab might be your best bet.