I know it's soon (our dog Sparkles was just put down yesterday), but I know that my mom will be wanting another dog sooner rather than later and that these things take time and research so I'm looking into a few different breeds.

The Musts:
Short/low maintenance fur
Mid size (30-70 pounds, preferably 30-50)
No dark colored labs or retrievers (our last dog was a black lab and it would just be weird)
Comfortable indoors (my parents work so the dog would be inside from about 9am-3pm during the week)
Good with or apathetic to other pets - we have seven cats

The preferences:
Mid-level energy - as I said my parents work so the dogs needs to be okay by itself for a little while, but at the same time we have a big yard, plenty of space and my parents are outside decently often
Obedient/loyal - my mom likes a dog that follows her around, and we don't have a fenced in yard. The dog would never be outside by itself, but being smart/trained enough to keep a healthy distance from the road is a plus

I haven't done much looking, really not a dog person that much, but the four breeds I like so far are the

Viszla


Pointer


Saluki


Australian Cattle Dog

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Proud LGBTQQ Individual

Australian cattle dogs are exactly what you're looking for if my dog was any indication.

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Miles to go before I sleep

‎"Love knows not its own depth until the hour of separation."
-Khalil Gibran

Aussie Cattle dogs are awesome pets, they tend to be high energy, so they need to be played with and let out to run a bit. My uncle has one, she's 5 or 6 now, and just a terrific dog.

I'm actually looking into getting one myself once I move into a place that will allow pets.

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"She's like plan C after an 18 pack"

Squanto 7/27/2010

Haha, mine was/is fairly lazy. (I don't really know whether to use was or is, because he's certainly not dead, but I don't have him anymore.)

He definitely loves to play and run around, but he's good being alone all day and just lounging around the house, too.

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Miles to go before I sleep

‎"Love knows not its own depth until the hour of separation."
-Khalil Gibran

I used to have a boxer but she passed away last year. I just looked it up and the largest that a male boxer gets is about 80 lbs. With my two cats, she was completely okay with them and she was an extremely loyal dog. One of the only downfalls about boxers though are that their average lifespan is about ten years.

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Sorry to hear about your dog. My favorite dog of all time was my mom's rescued greyhound. Definitely not high maintenance hairwise. They're also extremely loyal. You'd have to get the right fit though for your cats. Adopting them can be a long process from what I know, but it's very rewarding when you get a dog that's a good fit.

Our lab was good since she could be trusted to stay away from the street and out of the woods for the most part until she was older and started to go blind.

The thing I read about ACDs is that they're very smart so they need mental stimulation in addition to physical stimulation and I'm not sure how well that would be met.

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I did think about a greyhound, but I know my mom doesn't really want one because she worries about not having a fenced in yard.

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Proud LGBTQQ Individual

They had a booth at Canal Fest last summer, and me and my girl talked to them for a while. I'd recommend adopting one, but you have to remember that they're not socialized. You'd be taking on a responsibility to do that.

Shar Pei (might be a bit big)... A great pet for you (though rather small) would be the French Bulldog. They don't mind being indoors, and they love tiny rooms so they can look over the whole room. They also have little fur.

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"Counting all the assholes in the room, I'm definitely not alone!" ~ Michael Poulsen, Volbeat, Still Standing.

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"Counting all the assholes in the room, I'm definitely not alone!" ~ Michael Poulsen, Volbeat, Still Standing.

Well, a lot of them are actually super-comfortable in crates because that's the way they were brought up. And believe it or not, they're not super energetic. They are fast, but only in short spurts, and can tire easily. My mom used to keep Trooper in the house except when she went on walks with him. No fence might not be a deal-breaker.

The short hair breed I'd get if I had the yard: Weimaraner

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Hold my beer and watch this...

[img]CV, get a Rhodesian Ridgeback! Wonderful dogs! They were used in Africa to hunt lions, and they look super awesome! They can get pretty big but most don't get bigger than 70 lbs., very low grooming maintenance. They are good in all temperatures but they LOVE the sun, they don't mind sun bathing in extreme heat and they are fine in cold climates as well, due to their tough skin that can withstand the harsh environments of the African wild. They are gentle as lambs, cool with other dogs and pets, but they know no fear if I a member of their pack is in danger.

The only thing is exercise, they have got to get out and do some running or they might get too cooped up and start acting very bad, and they are very expensive. Good luck trying to rescue one, nobody ever gives these dogs up, so there aren't ever any to rescue. I've been on waiting lists for years! lol




EDIT: actually the males get to be about 85 lbs or bigger.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhodesian_Ridgeback

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"I love that you know how to do that." Cheryl/Carol/Crystal

"And I love that I have an erection that doesn't involve homeless people." Kreiger

Aussie for sure.

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"Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side, kid." ~ Han Solo


We truly are not worthy of Miller!

i have a fox terrier. other than being a little small for your "musts" it exceeds everything else. smart as shit and has a great personality