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Let's say you see this sort of ugly fella, about 6ft tall, walking down the street with A)border collie, or B)Malinois and lets assume they are trained so well they respond telepathically. Which one would you be more impressed with? Wowed, if you will.

I'd go with the land shark.
Mal for me.

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I have never seen a dog get more attention than my big boned, Daney-looking Ridgeback. Mastiffs and Danes will always get attention on account of their size, but RRs still have a lot of novelty and people love stopping us to compliment the dog and ask about his breed -

Oscar came to mind for me! My Uncle raised them, had a friend that had two, but I have never actually been with them out in public, I also thought of a Leo...

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I love a highly trained dog as much as the next guy, but I also ADORE a big, houndy, well-balanced/athletic appearance, so I got a dog that melts my heart every time I look at him, but isn't the best candidate for high level obedience

Me Too! My favorite color combination in dogs, reds combined with black, the above all fit...so does a Mal!

 Quote: Natalya Zahn

...I also ADORE a big, houndy, well-balanced/athletic appearance, so I got a dog that melts my heart every time I look at him

As do I - a big athletic sort for me...as long as he's not dragging his owner down the street

Then again, have any of you ever seen a Lure Coursing event with Italian Greyhounds? Those little dogs with hams as big as the rest of their bodies running 40+ mph around tight turns? That'll make you say WOW as well.

I'm thinking this thread proves it: Wow is in the eye of the wowed.

Wow is truly in the eye of the beholder.

Loki is not a wow type of dog, but I was wowed by him last night, when even after being injured and terrified he was still a perfect gentelmen at the vet and even gave her nuzzles as she was checking him over and cleaning him up. That is a truly gentle soul.

My chocolate brown and white husky used to cause people to pull over and tell me how amazing he was.

I am wowed by the incredibly attractive and manly looking man who jogs with his little puggle looking dog every morning. The dog is always off leash and has a beautiful tight heel and just looks so happy to be out with his person.

What happened to Loki?
I can't find a thread on him....I hope he is ok!!

 Quote: Willie Tilton

I'd go with the land shark.
Mal for me.

That made me snort some of my coffee. Anyways, I think this thread has made me appreciate my little mix puppy a lot more. I am certainly excited for my next monster but I think I am going to really try to wreck house with little Nero. For those of you who haven't seen him yet! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPaHD8x2ayU
(I was only two months into training and I made lots of mistakes but oh well it just shows the little guy working!)

I think I am probably most WOWed by a Mali if he was just walking down the street. Maybe even a Doberman. If I was watching a dog work or play though, I could get lost watching Border Collie. I have been putting more thought into a GSD since a lot of you are recommending them. My question is, if I try to find one from a lineage that is somewhat smaller (I don't want a large GSD), would I be compromising the breed standard too much and not get the best quality, as far as physical traits? Hopefully I said that well enough.

But...last night I was talking to this nurse at a hospital near my station because her scrubs were a canvas full of dogs! She was telling me about her BC and it was kind of overwhelming. Her's came from a herding line. I worry that anyone could really handle a breed that smart and energetic.

I don't know why I can't stop talking about this subject but it is incredibly fun! But it's just sort of endless info to debate about.

p.s. Barbara my sense of humor is as dry as the desert I live in, so don't take me too seriously, ever.

Nero looks like a nice size and has great focus and attention for a 4 month old pup. He also looks to be a sweetie from the video.

He might not make anyone say WOW when you are walking down the street, but agility, OB, rally, or any number of other things could certainly be in his future.

Oh for sure! Thanks! He's a little obnoxiously bitey but he's a puppy and we are channeling it into tug work. He's almost hanging on like a big dog now! <---After lots of work. He's 25lbs now and I just don't know how big he will get. He's been at a standstill for nearly a month now.

There are a lot of unknowns with how well he will do at a lot of the sports but I am going to try! That's I guess some of the reason I love talking about my next dog, because I had always planned on finding the perfect breed for me and getting a puppy. This dog fell into my lap and here we are.

The most important thing for me with my next breed is going to be drive and intelligence!

 Quote: spencer martin

I don't know why I can't stop talking about this subject but it is incredibly fun!

148 replies? I'd say you picked the right place to engage in a converstation!

 Quote: spencer martin

But...last night I was talking to this nurse at a hospital near my station because her scrubs were a canvas full of dogs! She was telling me about her BC and it was kind of overwhelming. Her's came from a herding line. I worry that anyone could really handle a breed that smart and energetic.

Agree that some of the descriptions can sound pretty overwhelming, especially for those of us stuck in the city. Kelli's description of a day in the life with a Mal was pretty sobering to me too!

I think there are differences in dogs within the breeds. My son's BC mix is the coolest, most social little dude around. Everywhere he goes, he makes new human friends. It remains to be seen how "drivey" he is in terms of any 'competition' training, but he's an awesome dog who is just as happy as his owner to take an afternoon nap in the cool shade these days.

I have a way out of your dilemma, Spencer: just get a bigger yard and one dog of each breed in which you're interested!

(the size and shed factor of a good GSD is far outweighed by their trainability and temperament, and yes, drive and intelligence. I say keep 'em in the mix!).

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But...last night I was talking to this nurse at a hospital near my station because her scrubs were a canvas full of dogs! She was telling me about her BC and it was kind of overwhelming. Her's came from a herding line. I worry that anyone could really handle a breed that smart and energetic.

I think you're over analyzing this whole thing!!!

FWIW, just because BCs have the energy and ability to go all day,doesn't mean they have to go all day. It's up to the person to teach the dog that sometimes you've just got to chill. BCs raised this way except it as part of their routine. OTOH, raise a dog to be busy 24/7 and you've got yourself a handful - a dog that is constantly pestering you to do something or getting into trouble.

I took my 18 m/o youngster to a fundraiser for a local Humane Society today. She walked around very nicely (with a bit of help from a prong collar). We did a bit a focus training throughout the day. We were there for about 4 hours and halfway through I took her back to the car for a 1/2 hour break. We got home mid afternoon and she has been chilling in her crate for the past 3 hours. My other two had a good run this morning and chilled at home while I was gone. I took them out for a bit when I got back and I'll take all of them out again later tonight for some training/exercise. Tonight they will all be happy and content and will settle down to sleep at bedtime. It's really not hard if you have a dog centered lifestyle. And all 3 dogs are active, high drive working dogs