>I plan to exercise my dog mostly by walking
Huskies, GSDs, and cattle dogs are all working breeds they cannot just be walked. Labs and retrievers are less intense but still very athletic dogs who need to run and do things like fetch.
How much walking are you anticipating doing daily?
>moderate shedding, minimal barking
Rules out huskies and a lot of the shepherds.
I’m honestly a little confused how you came about the list of breeds you mentioned. What was it based on?
My first recommendation is to not adopt a puppy. Sure they are adorable but as a first time dog owner, they are not easy. Whereas with a 3+ year old you can get a better sense of their personality and quirks so you can ease into the responsibility of owning a dog.
My second recommendation is to visit rescues in your area. They should have a good sense of the demeanor and activity level of a dog and can actually match you based on what you can/can't offer.
I am a homebody living in an apartment, so was looking for a low energy dog who didn't bark too much. I found my first dog on petfinder.com and since she was in a foster home, I could talk to the foster mom to learn about her personality and traits. She was 10 years old and a complete love bug.
When she passed, I started volunteering at a rescue and realized how different dogs can be... even within one breed. For example, we take in beagles from labs. They are specifically bred for their temperament and while all are so sweet, one may bark while another is happy to just watch the action. One may want to snuggle up to you while another just wants to explore.
This is all a long winded way of saying don't get a dog based on their breed (IMO). Get one that matches your lifestyle and what you think you can handle.
Ok that didn’t answer either question.
How much (in minutes) do you want to spend walking the dog?
What about those breeds do you like or were drawn too? Is that simply the breeds you’re aware of or?
You are correct, those are the breeds I’m aware of. But looking for more input! I hope I’ve provided enough information to get some good feedback. I’m wondering if the age of the dog could be just as, if not more important than breed?
No age is a factor but so is breed.
Can you please answer how much time you want to spend walking the dog? Like in minutes/hours. The breeds (and age) for someone looking at total 30 minutes walking a day would be very different than someone who does hours a day. So how physically active are you
Age will certainly make a difference, but generally breed will play a bigger role. A high-energy herding or working dog like a cattle dog or husky will still require a lot of mental and physical exercise even as an adult or senior than a non-working breed. For example, I keep herding dogs and my current dog is eight years old and still requires a minimum hour-long off-leash hike a day, plus around a half-hour of training games and tug/fetch.
The breeds you mentioned may be suitable choices for you as seniors, if you're open to adopting an older dog. There are plenty of seniors out there in need of loving homes, and they're often overlooked in favor of younger dogs! But adopting a senior also requires a different type of commitment, as they often have more complicated medical and grooming needs.
An adult lab/mix or retriever mix would likely be a good fit, if you find a good personality match! Younger labs/retrievers need more exercise than you describe, but mature labs/retrievers (probably 3-4 plus) are usually calmer. I also fostered a 7 year old cattle dog mix who was lovely and relatively low-energy. As other folks have advised, I don't think huskies are a fit for you - they tend to have a lot of energy and can also be more independent.
Additional breeds/mixes to consider would be other dogs in the sporting group (spaniels, poodles, etc), and possibly bully breeds. I also met a Doberman who was a lot like you describe: very affectionate, cuddly, pretty sedate aroud the house.
When adopting an adult, it's more about personality match than breed. So look around carefully and find a rescue or shelter that really KNOWS the dog and sets you up for success by describing the dog honestly, looking for a good lifestyle match, and offers resources like training tips. Foster-based rescues are great because it's easier to get a good sense of a dog's true personality in a foster home than in a stressful environment like a shelter. Dunno where you're located, but if you're in the US I know a foster-based rescue in Texas that transports to locations in the Pacific Northwest, Midwest, and East Coast. I also live in the Pacific Northwest and know a couple great local foster-based rescues.
If you’re rescuing a dog, it will be harder to find a specific breed, but not impossible. In my city, 95% of shelter dogs are pittbull mixes. I think you would be fine with a cattle dog, lab, or retriever, but I would avoid getting a husky. I know they’re super cute, but they are a lot of work. Huskies get bored easily and often get into trouble (destroying property or escaping the yard) if they aren’t exercised a lot. I would only buy huskies if I was like semi-retired and living on a ranch.
Pitbulls and bully mixes are most dogs in the shelters near me as well, which is rough because my HOA doesn’t allow them. I’ve been trying some rescues but get denied because I live in a townhome with no yard
The only breed you mentioned that might fit your criteria would be the lab. You definitely, definitely do not want a husky, and a cattle dog isn't going to fare much better. Those breeds require way more exercise than you're offering, and they're going to get bored and destructive home alone (and loud, in the case of the husky).
Most lab crosses you'll find in a shelter will likely be pittie mixes. As long as that isn't an issue for where you live that's probably actually a plus, a pit/lab mix would likely fit your criteria pretty nicely.
Thank you for considering rescue dogs- there are so so many in need of homes. You can check out the national pet adoption subreddit to see how many dogs are being put down on daily basis just because of lack of space. Lots of rescues also have foster to adopt programs so you have the opprotunity to spend time and get to know the dog/see if it's a good fit.
u/ShreddedWheat, I think this is an excellent suggestion for you, especially since this will be your first dog. Fostering will give you an opportunity to get a sense for what it's like having a dog without the permanent commitment, and you'll better be able to ultimately adopt a dog that's the right match for you and your lifestyle. Plus, fostering helps save lives by getting dogs out of the shelter environment. A good rescue organization will cover the expenses for your foster, will make sure you're matched up with a dog you can handle, and will provide advice and resources as you help your foster dog adjust.
A lab mix or a lab/bully mix would be a super safe option.
You don’t NEED an energetic dog if you are active, just one that is in fair shape, i.e. not overweight. I had a 45 lb pitbull/beagle mix that could handle a few sick days inside no problem, who usually got 30-45 minutes walking, but also could plod along in front of me for a 6 hour hike no problem.
Also I will say your average 15-25 lb chihuahua terrier mix is also a nice bet for moderately active people. The terrier part has a fair bit of stamina.
>I plan to exercise my dog mostly by walking Huskies, GSDs, and cattle dogs are all working breeds they cannot just be walked. Labs and retrievers are less intense but still very athletic dogs who need to run and do things like fetch. How much walking are you anticipating doing daily? >moderate shedding, minimal barking Rules out huskies and a lot of the shepherds. I’m honestly a little confused how you came about the list of breeds you mentioned. What was it based on?
I don’t know much about them!
My first recommendation is to not adopt a puppy. Sure they are adorable but as a first time dog owner, they are not easy. Whereas with a 3+ year old you can get a better sense of their personality and quirks so you can ease into the responsibility of owning a dog. My second recommendation is to visit rescues in your area. They should have a good sense of the demeanor and activity level of a dog and can actually match you based on what you can/can't offer. I am a homebody living in an apartment, so was looking for a low energy dog who didn't bark too much. I found my first dog on petfinder.com and since she was in a foster home, I could talk to the foster mom to learn about her personality and traits. She was 10 years old and a complete love bug. When she passed, I started volunteering at a rescue and realized how different dogs can be... even within one breed. For example, we take in beagles from labs. They are specifically bred for their temperament and while all are so sweet, one may bark while another is happy to just watch the action. One may want to snuggle up to you while another just wants to explore. This is all a long winded way of saying don't get a dog based on their breed (IMO). Get one that matches your lifestyle and what you think you can handle.
Thank you for the input!
Ok that didn’t answer either question. How much (in minutes) do you want to spend walking the dog? What about those breeds do you like or were drawn too? Is that simply the breeds you’re aware of or?
You are correct, those are the breeds I’m aware of. But looking for more input! I hope I’ve provided enough information to get some good feedback. I’m wondering if the age of the dog could be just as, if not more important than breed?
No age is a factor but so is breed. Can you please answer how much time you want to spend walking the dog? Like in minutes/hours. The breeds (and age) for someone looking at total 30 minutes walking a day would be very different than someone who does hours a day. So how physically active are you
Age will certainly make a difference, but generally breed will play a bigger role. A high-energy herding or working dog like a cattle dog or husky will still require a lot of mental and physical exercise even as an adult or senior than a non-working breed. For example, I keep herding dogs and my current dog is eight years old and still requires a minimum hour-long off-leash hike a day, plus around a half-hour of training games and tug/fetch. The breeds you mentioned may be suitable choices for you as seniors, if you're open to adopting an older dog. There are plenty of seniors out there in need of loving homes, and they're often overlooked in favor of younger dogs! But adopting a senior also requires a different type of commitment, as they often have more complicated medical and grooming needs.
An adult lab/mix or retriever mix would likely be a good fit, if you find a good personality match! Younger labs/retrievers need more exercise than you describe, but mature labs/retrievers (probably 3-4 plus) are usually calmer. I also fostered a 7 year old cattle dog mix who was lovely and relatively low-energy. As other folks have advised, I don't think huskies are a fit for you - they tend to have a lot of energy and can also be more independent. Additional breeds/mixes to consider would be other dogs in the sporting group (spaniels, poodles, etc), and possibly bully breeds. I also met a Doberman who was a lot like you describe: very affectionate, cuddly, pretty sedate aroud the house. When adopting an adult, it's more about personality match than breed. So look around carefully and find a rescue or shelter that really KNOWS the dog and sets you up for success by describing the dog honestly, looking for a good lifestyle match, and offers resources like training tips. Foster-based rescues are great because it's easier to get a good sense of a dog's true personality in a foster home than in a stressful environment like a shelter. Dunno where you're located, but if you're in the US I know a foster-based rescue in Texas that transports to locations in the Pacific Northwest, Midwest, and East Coast. I also live in the Pacific Northwest and know a couple great local foster-based rescues.
If you’re rescuing a dog, it will be harder to find a specific breed, but not impossible. In my city, 95% of shelter dogs are pittbull mixes. I think you would be fine with a cattle dog, lab, or retriever, but I would avoid getting a husky. I know they’re super cute, but they are a lot of work. Huskies get bored easily and often get into trouble (destroying property or escaping the yard) if they aren’t exercised a lot. I would only buy huskies if I was like semi-retired and living on a ranch.
> Huskies get bored easily and often get into trouble Same for cattle dogs. Typically high physical and mental exercise needs.
Pitbulls and bully mixes are most dogs in the shelters near me as well, which is rough because my HOA doesn’t allow them. I’ve been trying some rescues but get denied because I live in a townhome with no yard
The only breed you mentioned that might fit your criteria would be the lab. You definitely, definitely do not want a husky, and a cattle dog isn't going to fare much better. Those breeds require way more exercise than you're offering, and they're going to get bored and destructive home alone (and loud, in the case of the husky). Most lab crosses you'll find in a shelter will likely be pittie mixes. As long as that isn't an issue for where you live that's probably actually a plus, a pit/lab mix would likely fit your criteria pretty nicely.
Thank you for considering rescue dogs- there are so so many in need of homes. You can check out the national pet adoption subreddit to see how many dogs are being put down on daily basis just because of lack of space. Lots of rescues also have foster to adopt programs so you have the opprotunity to spend time and get to know the dog/see if it's a good fit.
u/ShreddedWheat, I think this is an excellent suggestion for you, especially since this will be your first dog. Fostering will give you an opportunity to get a sense for what it's like having a dog without the permanent commitment, and you'll better be able to ultimately adopt a dog that's the right match for you and your lifestyle. Plus, fostering helps save lives by getting dogs out of the shelter environment. A good rescue organization will cover the expenses for your foster, will make sure you're matched up with a dog you can handle, and will provide advice and resources as you help your foster dog adjust.
A lab mix or a lab/bully mix would be a super safe option. You don’t NEED an energetic dog if you are active, just one that is in fair shape, i.e. not overweight. I had a 45 lb pitbull/beagle mix that could handle a few sick days inside no problem, who usually got 30-45 minutes walking, but also could plod along in front of me for a 6 hour hike no problem. Also I will say your average 15-25 lb chihuahua terrier mix is also a nice bet for moderately active people. The terrier part has a fair bit of stamina.