Argh! Going crazy - help me pick a breed

[Itstimetobegin5678]

My Fiance and I are finally in a position to commit to a dog in the next 6 months but I'm really struggling to nail down the breed.

We live in a 3 story house in a village with a small garden (8m x 4m)

Happy with high energy as have lots of time to commit to walking, obedience and agility
Medium sized or bigger
Can live with cats - so controlled prey drive

Breeds we like but have written off:

Pyrenean Mountain Dog - we were set on this breed until we bought this house last year. The odd layout and stairs wouldn't be practical for a breed that should tackle stairs until older.
Newfie/St Bernard - same issue with stairs
Bermese mountain dog - apparently not good with cats
Samoyed - prey drive
GSD - could be good by struggling to find a pup from working lines. Show lines look almost deformed with back so curved.

This is the current short list but I fear our garden is too small:
Rottweiler
Chesapeake Bay Retriever
Labrador
Golden
Irish Setter

Any thoughts on our shortlist would be great along with suggestions I've not thought off.

I've missed off dalmatian on the current shortlist

Rough collie. Chilled. Bit noise reactive so socialise early to fireworks and loud bangs. Will go all day or sleep. Coat just needs ten mins with a slicker brush regularly. Very huggy, snuggly. Doss easy as a puppy and to train.
Pic of mine

Um... none of those should be doing stairs really either until they’re fully grown and I mean yes, they’re smaller, but I couldn’t carry a 6 month old rottie up and down stairs, I’ve tried.

Garden size honestly isn’t an issue though, gardens are useful for housetraining but actual exercise you want to do out and about.

They are beautiful dogs @LostArcher. I actually pulled off an original shortlist as read they can be cat reactive. Do you have experience with rough hair collies and cats?

Well she chuffs round the garden if she smells the cat from down the road who swaggers around. I think with anything like a cat if you introduce when young puppy, they get used to it. The are engineered to protect the herd so if cat is part of the herd then ok. There is a website called collielife and loads of advice on there. Also Julie, who gatekeeps the website gives loads of asvice.

@tabulahrasa we understand any dog shouldn't be going up and down stairs freely. But the difference is my OH, and indeed I, can carry my sisters very large fully grown labrador so the stair situation is more manageable longterm with the breeds listed rather than giant breeds that very heavy from a young age and take longer to mature

Pressed post too soon.

That's reassuring about the garden as that's my biggest worry.

@LostArcher thank you. I'm sure most breeds are fine if raised together.

I'll take a look at the website and dig a bit more.

We have a Springer spaniel. He has been a dream to train, highly intelligent, v chilled in the house as long as he gets a good couple of walks a day - helped hugely by being a ball addict !

Also 2 older cats that he eyes cautiously from a distance in case they smack him for getting too close :)

What about a soft coated wheaten? They are lovely. Or a very sturdy Skye terrier - lovely dogs

My working type lab doesn’t use stairs unless he has to. He sticks to the ground floor of the house, which is plenty big enough for him. Stairs aren’t good for any large breeds really.

He lives very happily with our cat and has a very low (live) prey drive. In fact they are sleeping on the same sofa as I type.

We have a good sized garden but he doesn’t really use it other than for the odd pee and lounging in it in warm weather. We ensure he gets a good couple of hours worth of walk every day (mostly off lead) and so the garden is by the by.

I would go for a rottie, lovely dogs, they don’t need vast amounts of excercise either compared to some on your lost and are pretty calm in nature. They also respond well to training.

Also with to prey drive, i have always had large Akitas( v. High prey drive) & Rotties and cats. The cats were there first and puppies always their friends. Current young Akita is extremely gentle with cats, even though the cats try and wind him up.

Dalmatians are quite highly strung and need a lot of running. I’d cross them off, as beautiful as they are.

English pointer. Gentle, daft, terrified of cats…

[quote Itstimetobegin5678]@tabulahrasa we understand any dog shouldn't be going up and down stairs freely. But the difference is my OH, and indeed I, can carry my sisters very large fully grown labrador so the stair situation is more manageable longterm with the breeds listed rather than giant breeds that very heavy from a young age and take longer to mature[/quote]
Ah not because they’re dogs, but because they’re all fast growing large breeds prone to joint problems.

Though I’m impressed it you can carry a lab up and down stairs, I had to sit my rottie on my knee and slide down step by step rofl.

If you reckon you can navigate stairs with one, they’re fab btw, I’ve owned one and fostered one and I only don’t have one now because i couldn’t find a cat friendly rescue one.

Great fun to train because they get things really quickly and so enthusiastic... and hilarious, they’re great fun.

Also no clue they’re large dogs which is both a pro and a con, they’re very sure they are in fact lap dogs who can also squeeze in tiny spaces.

Rhodesian Ridgeback (female as much smaller)

Thank you for all your suggestions guys. I'll follow up.

@WowIlikereallyhateyou interesting about Akitas. They were on my dog list pre cats but were soon removed. That being said I once saw a fully grown one cowering behind its owner at the site of our biggest tom...so clearly not all are a problem

Itstimetobegin, like all things it really is down to getting a good breeder and teaching them good habits. I havent had a bad natured one, the cats are boss for sure.

Another vote here for English Springer Spaniel - I am on no 4 and couldn’t recommend them highly enough especially the females. Beautiful family dogs, energetic when out, lazy when indiors and sufficiently respectful of cats -will chase and give up. Huge hearts❤️

@tabulahrasa I didn't quite twig that the stairs thing was just larger dogs tbh and not smaller ones as I've never really looked at smaller breeds. Just to explain the stair thing so you dont think im being a knob. Our house is super weird and has 4 steps into the only garden and 3 steps from the only outside door to the garden. We also have access to a small grass area that is communual (no other dogs) that is outside the garden.My main concern is those 3 steps down and less often 4 steps up with a giant dog. Where as I could carry a large dog those distances. We do have stairs upto the first floor lounge but could work around having a sofa in the kitchen and only occasionally taking the dog upstairs when DF was home.

Staffordshire bull terrier. Every time ❤️

@dora26 our first ever dog and feel so lucky ! Didn't have a breed in mind just medium sized but he makes every other dog owner jealous because he is so brilliant! Constantly asked which trainer we used ! (None)

I'm totally biased, but get a Vizsla! They're intelligent, energetic, and so loving.