Trying to carefully pick the right dog for me and vice versa, but somewhat stuck. Care to help?

Question

In a nutshell, I'm looking to adopt to my suburb apartment life a very sociable, trainable and sporty adolescent puppy, that could in the future stay alone during normal workhours. The ideal would be a spirited companion.
As a novice in the matter, despite my naturally good attitude I not only spend a lot of time in shelters trying to get a feel of what I'm looking for, but also consult a lot and research breeds. Problem is, I've so far disqualified such wonderful dogs as an Aussie Shepherd mix (would be miserable jobless) and a Saluki mix (can't be trusted in the city and would be miserable always on-leash), but also haven't connected with natural choices such as wolfdog and German Shepherd mixes (and not really sure why). I'm also not fond of pitbulls, for example.

Am I right in thinking this only leaves some herding dogs (i.e. Collie) and Lab mixes? Canaan, perhaps?

Anything I might be overlooking?

Insights would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

1234566778

Thank you all so much for answering! Kudos, really. But hopefully you wouldn't mind helping to finish this ;-)

Some clarifications:
1. I've only looked in shelters, so in fact all the "exotic" dogs I've mentioned were there (esp. the wolfdog mixes, very popular in this area), but most other breeds mentioned here (i.e. Beagle, hounds) simply weren't.
2. I'm relatively sporty and unlazy and can probably take better care of an energetic dog than most people. Since I'm looking to rescue a dog from a city animal shelter (preferably of the re--homing type), I'm trying to make a reasonable compromise between a high energy dog and a low energy dog.
3. Having to use a walking service was definitely taken into account. I strongly realize that need.
4. Most grown dogs in shelters need experienced owners. Having a lot of patience and much free time for training right now, I'm thinking I'll do better with a younger dog, although definitely not a young pup.

Thanks again!

Answer 1

Have you tried online Q&A breed selectors? Here's one example, do a google search and I'm sure you will find others:
http://www.doggiedealer.com/dog_breed_selector.php
Weims would fit every aspect EXCEPT the leave-alone-all-day part; they suffer a lot from sepapation anxiety...in spite of their size they are a good indoor dog, though they do require a lot of exercise.
Boston terrier perhaps?

Answer 2

I would not get a lively spirited sporty breed that will live in an apartment and be alone a lot during the day. Sounds like a disaster waiting to happen! A smaller dog from the non-sporting group might be a good choice. Herding breeds tend to be high energy and need to have something to do. Working breeds are large and need a lot of exercise and training generally. Toy dogs and terriers can be yappy (not good for an apartment maybe). You might want to adopt a grown dog from a rescue. They could tell you about its behavior and make sure it matches up with your lifestyle. BTW, a wolfdog hybrid is the farthest thing from natural and they are usually very unpredictable (and a huge liability). Keep looking, I'm sure the right one is out there for you!

Answer 3

My recommendations:

Adopt a young adult dog from a Rescue. This will help eliminate the need for housetraining (the dog will likely already be housebroken) and the initial puppy energy will be lessened by some maturity.

You seem to be looking at a lot of "exotic" ideas (wolfdog, Canaan, Saluki), and may be overlooking some obvious selections. Definitely look at brindle's idea of a retired racing greyhound. I've heard them described as "30 mile an hour couch potatoes"...

I would highly recommend contacting a Rescue Group near you, tell them what you're looking for, and ask for their help in finding a dog that will fit your lifestyle. Most rescue groups foster their dogs in a home environment and can have an idea of energy levels, etc. better than a shelter - or even a breeder - can.

Plus it's saving not one, but two lives - the life of the dog you adopt, and the life of a dog that can be pulled by the rescue group since they have an opening in their foster system.

Answer 4

I got a Golden Retriever mix from a Rescue organization. I learned a lot about training, and he turned out to be a perfect dog for me.

I leave for work early morning, and he sleeps most of the day. Then when I come home, we go for a 30 minute walk. 7 years ago, we used to go for a run... but both of us have slowed down.

He has adapted wonderfully to my habits, folowing my body language and hand signals, before I need to give him verbal cues for what to do.

As a pup, he was great for meeting people ... and he is much more outgoing than I am. He is always up, enthusiastic, and happy. In fact, when I took my first vacation with him, I was worried because he wasn't very enthusiastic ... then I realized that I wasn't letting him sleep during the day as normal. After I let him nap, he was ready to party.

He works very well on-leash, but does beautifully off-leash at the dog park.

What else would you want in a dog ?

Answer 5

What size dog are you looking for? Golden Retrievers and labradore retrievers are very sociable dogs but are also very large. A good medium sized dog might be a husky mix (I have one of those and she was wonderful when we lived in an apartment). If you would rather have something small, go for a beagle or basset hound...they love to cuddle but can easily keep up with an active owner!

Answer 6

We like rat terriers. They're small, clean, and energetic. They are very loyal and train easily (ours have anyways). I would recommend crate training for any dog that you'll be leaving alone during the day - it will help your relationship much!

Also, Rat Terriers have tons of personality, which makes them so much fun. And they're pretty cute. Check out ratterrierclub.com for info. If you find a Rat Terrier-Chihuahua mix, they're good, too; a little more laid back than most full-blood rats.

Answer 7

I can tell you one thing ... You're absolutely going about this the RIGHT way!
By learning all you can about all the dogs you might be interested in, and asking questions at every opportunity, you'll continue to narrow down your choices. It's difficult, in fact impossible to recommend with any certainty the perfect dog for another person. I'm sure that in the end, you'll find the right dog for you and your lifestyle.
Good luck. Write back and let everyone here know what you did, and how it goes! You'll do more service here than many of us.

Answer 8

No dog should be left alone all day as its a very boring life for them. Collies in particular are very intelligent dogs that need plenty of stimulation.
A smaller but lively dog is a terrier of some sort, but you should arrange some kind of care and walking service for your dog if you are going to leave it for more than 4 hrs a day.

Answer 9

try a retired racing greyhound. they must always be on leash when not in a secure fence, but they are surely not miserable. though most are quite and low-key, there are always a few that love to go jogging or play fetch for hours. if you contact your local adoption agency, you can describe what you are looking for and they can make a match.
another plus is that even the most active greyhound is calm and quite indoors.
please research them. www.adopt-a-greyhound.com is a good place to start.
i wouldn't really call a wolf dog a "natural choice".

Answer 10

pick smaller dogs my choice for you would to get a dachshund or a Italian greyhound(they're miniature). i have them and the dachshunds are loving and can just lounge and are good if you have to go out alot they don't really need daily walks but they love to go for a walk once in a while. Italian greyhounds pretty much exercise themselves but never leave them out of a cage when your away they love chewing up paper mine once actually ate my homework
good luck choosing the right dog for you p.s dachshunds can last 8 hours and the italian.. 6 or maybe more