What breed would suit me?

[Meta] Breed Questionnaire, updated June 2016

• If this will be your first time as the primary caretaker of a dog, read this prior to answering the questions.

• Please read through all questions before answering.

• A copy/paste version of the questions is in the comments. Copy/paste that version into a new text post and answer the questions where it says "ANSWER". If done properly, your text post will be formatted and easy to read.

Introduction

1) Will this be your first dog? If not, what experience do you have owning/training dogs? No, my family had two intact males when i was a teenager. I did train them some simple obedience and i know how to prevent alot of behavioural issues

2) Do you have a preference for rescuing a dog vs. going through a reputable breeder? I would much rather go to an ethical reputable breeder

3) Describe your ideal dog. No/very minimal shed, trainable, not very prone to stubbornness, not very prone to excess barking, some versatility

4) What breeds or types of dogs are you interested in and why? Standard poodles and jrts. I love the lack of shed from poodles, how trainable they are and the versatility. With jrt I'm not sure what got me into them but I've loved them since i was a kid

5) What sorts of things would you like to train your dog to do? Swimming and agility

6) Do you want to compete with your dog in a sport (e.g. agility, obedience, rally) or use your dog for a form of work (e.g. hunting, herding, livestock guarding)? If so, how much experience do you have with this work/sport? Yes! I don't have experience

Care Commitments

7) How long do you want to devote to training, playing with, or otherwise interacting with your dog each day? I would like to train for around an hour and I'm happy to play for upto 2 hours

8) How long can you exercise your dog each day, on average? What sorts of exercise are you planning to give your dog regularly and does that include using a dog park?
I can walk for 45 or so minutes in the morning with over an hour walk every afternoon. I could also go hiking atleast once a week. I could take them swimming. It would never be a dog park

9) How much regular brushing are you willing to do? Are you open to trimming hair, cleaning ears, or doing other grooming at home? If not, would you be willing to pay a professional to do it regularly? I'm happy to brush daily and i can go to a good groomer

Personal Preferences

10) What size dog are you looking for? Small to medium

11) How much shedding, barking, and slobber can you handle? Minimal shedding, minimal barking and ideally no slobber

12) How important is being able to let your dog off-leash in an unfenced area? I think it's great for them, it's pretty important for me

Dog Personality and Behavior

13) Do you want a snuggly dog or one that prefers some personal space? I would like to have some short chill sessions with my dog but i don't really mind if they prefer personally slave

14) Would you prefer a dog that wants to do its own thing or one that’s more eager-to-please? Eager to please

15) How would you prefer your dog to respond to someone knocking on the door or entering your yard? How would you prefer your dog to greet strangers or visitors?
I would like them to be maybe a little wary at the door but not immediately reactive (barking, lunging, whining, scratching to go out). I would like them to be neutral with people

16) Are you willing to manage a dog that is aggressive to other dogs? Yes

17) Are there any other behaviors you can’t deal with or want to avoid? Seperation anxiety and stubbornness mainly

Lifestyle

18) How often and how long will the dog be left alone? Not very often (for long periods) especially if i could take them hiking. But if we were to go out for say a birthday it would be a couple hours

19) What are the dog-related preferences of other people in the house and what will be their involvement in caring for the dog? Just low shedding and limited barking. They won't be doing anything

20) Do you have other pets or are you planning on having other pets? What breed or type of animal are they? Rodents and fish. Which doesn't matter since they will be in rooms the dog wouldn't have access to

21) Will the dog be interacting with children regularly? No

22) Do you rent or plan to rent in the future? If applicable, what breed or weight restrictions are on your current lease? Rent. They don't have any restrictions

23) What city or country do you live in and are you aware of any laws banning certain breeds? Germany. Yes

24) What is the average temperature of a typical summer and winter day where you live? Sumner 20-30c, winter it's usually about 0c

Additional Information and Questions

25) Please provide any additional information you feel may be relevant.

26) Feel free to ask any questions below