Doberman? Other suggestions

[lastqueenofscotland]

Having had a permanent WFH confirmed for both me and DP we are going to start looking for a dog in the new year.
Ive had working gun dogs (setters, spaniels etc), and DP had golden retrievers.
I’d rather a shorter haired breed.
Something that wants a decent amount of exercise/training etc but not Collie levels of stimulation needed.
Would want to do activities like competitive obedience, Cani-x and agility (but again… don’t want a collie)
I’d like a large-ish dog but not too heavy set.
I despise the poodle-cross fad so please don’t suggest them

We keep coming back to Doberman’s but does anyone else have another suggestion?

I got a dobermann puppy last year, he's now coming up to 18 months. I love him but he's definitely hard work! The adolescent phase lasts until around 2 (I hope!) and takes a lot of patience and consistency to get through it. We weren't novice owners either- we have a labrador too, and I've had collies and my dh had springers before, but we definitely are finding his adolescence the most challenging. Fabulous dog, very fit and athletic and so quick to learn, but he has a very high requirement for social interaction and stimulation. They're often known as 'velcro dogs' so if the idea of having a 45kg shadow following you around the house doesn't appeal to you, then I would avoid this breed! Having said all that I absolutely adore him and wouldn't give him up for the world

Pointer, Vizsla as already mentioned

Possibly a bit left field, but.. Rottweiler, I know you said not too heavy set, but they’re not, well, they shouldn’t be, most are overweight. Obviously chunkier than a dobe, but they’re not supposed to be massive. They’re amazing to train for obedience, they’re enthusiastic for agility, if not the fastest.

Podenco?

A Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever? Fits the bill on all fronts 🐕

Here she is in flight!!

Labrador.

Dobermans are lovely but have a bad reputation

Kelpie?

m.youtube.com/watch?v=ohqDKI5DofY

Sorry to be "that" poster, but what about a rescue dog? So many of them require homes with experience of dog ownership, which you clearly have. Dog's Trust website might be worth a look, more and more younger dogs up for rehoming now that people are back to working out of the home (or have discovered too late that young dogs require as much input and care as a child) ... 😕🐾

We have a Braque d'Auvergne. A type of short haired French pointer. Best dogs in the world.

A better photo.

You’ve described DM’s dogs. spaniel/black lab crosses, one is half cocker, one is half stringer. They are perfect!! Big but not massively so, agile, light, and can walk for miles, very gently, very sweet, my kids love them and they don’t shed much.

*half Springer

I have a 2 yr old Doberman who loves agility!
If that’s the breed you want I’d go for it, I’m amazed by how many people stop and ask about her, because she’s natural (ears and tail) many people think she’s some type of pointer or hound and don’t realise she’s a Doberman.

Vizsla would work, or even better a proper working bred labrador. They meet all your requirements, very trainable, can be tall and not too heavy set. Always happy to try out new activities. Have a look at some gundog kennels. We are regularly asked out and about what breed our current dog is. People are shocked he's a full lab because they are used to the heavy set show type.

Flat coated retriever. Intelligent, good at agility, very loving and fantastic temperament. Not short haired but much less hairy than golden retrievers.

Brittany spaniels are lovely.

We did agility with our first English pointer, she loved it but she was a bit big for the equipment.

@icedcoffees so happy to see Trailhound suggested!

We are more than open to a rescue dog. We do have the added complication that it would need to be ok being around horses (on a lead) as I have two and it would need to come to the yard with me when DP was in the office/away. So potentially a puppy would be easier to socialise around them. A rescue dog is not a no at all but that is quite the added complication!

You need a pointer and there are some excellent breed specific rescues I could recommend if that’s a path you wish to take

Quite a few on here.

sebpra.org/pointers/

Lurcher

Dobes are sadly health train wrecks, and their average life expectancy is woefully short.

Like PP, I'd suggest looking at the short-coated HPRs: GSPs, Vizslas, Weims, or as a PP suggested, braque d'Auvergne (I know one, she is an absolute love). They are all quite high input breeds, though, and will find their own entertainment if you don't provide something that keeps their brains active (but you plan to do that, so should be fine). The working lines (which includes a lot of them) tend to have serious prey drive.

On the whole they are good around people and other dogs. Vizslas in particular are very 'soft' - 'Oh no! My owner frowned! Not at me, but I am worried!'

(English) pointers look similar but are not the same. I've known a few and even the best trained had sketchy recall. Though she was worked (under hawks) she had a GPS collar. Delightful dogs, though.

I have a wire haired Viszla, she is amazing. So trainable and eager to please. Great round the horses, can ride out in the woods and she will trot to heel at my horses shoulder. She's a big dog but surprisingly agile, and I think the short haired type are a bit smaller. Very sensitive though, assumes everything is about her, so if I express the slightest bit of disapproval to anyone or anything in the vague vicinity she slinks away and hides. ❤️

[quote crumblebug]@icedcoffees so happy to see Trailhound suggested![/quote]
I love all the scent hound breeds!

I feel like they get such a negative press on here - I have a beagle and our neighbour had multiple beagles and foxhounds at one point - they're fantastic dogs. Trailhounds are common here too (Cumbria) - I wish more people would think about native breeds like that.