I’d like to have a 70-80 lb short haired dog that is reserved (not aggressive) with strangers, good with kids, and good with small dogs. The dog wouldn’t need to be a playmate to children, but would need to be even tempered and non-snappish. The hypothetical animal would be living with a small, active male dog, and I obviously wouldn’t be willing to put him in any danger.
I’m no expert, but a lab or boxer would fit the bill as far as the kids go. As for getting along with your other dog, that may just be a personality thing. For some reason, smaller dogs tend to dominate– perhaps this would be easier if you brought in a puppy (I could be way off).
What breed/age/size is your small dog? Because if he’s, say, a little dachshund, pairing him with a larger, energetic puppy is probably a bad idea and he’ll likely get hurt while playing.
The two that immediately come to mind are Bulldog (American or English) and Bassett Hound.
A lab wouldn’t be reserved with strangers, though. Not sure about boxers.
If you’re looking for short-hair because you think it’s code for “doesn’t shed much”, think again. I grew up with Rotties, and holy crap do those boogers shed. Good thing our dogs were so damn cute and lovable.
You might consider a standard poodle, if you’re willing to get it groomed or clip it yourself and “doesn’t shed” is what you’re looking for. But, honestly, I don’t know about their temperaments that much.
Scottish Deerhound ( think smaller Irish Wolfhound )? Reportedly a very tempermentally laid-back breed, especially indoors and neither snappy nor effusive.
However I never owned one, so am going on reputation only.
ETA: Slightly larger than your stated range, but it is worth noting that many of the larger breeds are less boisterous indoors and thus better suited to apartment living than smaller, more active animals ( like, say, a lab ).
Doh. I have spent way too much time with seeing eye dogs (labs) this past month.
You also need to be concerned about required levels of exercise. For example, AIUI, a Dalmatian is nearly always a terrible choice for a pet because of the amount of exercise they require.
And bear in mind that the herder-types, like Border Collies, want to herd something, and that something could be small children, or anything else that happens to share its space. My brother’s dog, which is a yellow lab/border mix, runs around his farm trying to herd freaking sparrows.
My 15" Beagle (All Hail Uno, Westchester Champ!), Boomer, definitely a short-hair, sheds like a emmer effer.
Working dogs like collies and shepherds also become short-tempered when they don’t get enough exercise or get bored, which are pretty much the same things. You don’t want to put a dog in a position where it will be bored and short-tempered and then mix with little kids. Someone’s bound to be unhappy at the end of the day.
Our Australian Shepherd, who does get a chance to herd cattle and work daily, still tries to herd cats, sparrows, pigeons, and pretty much any other thing that moves in groups. She even tries to herd us sometimes, and that doesn’t really work. Herding dogs are in general high-energy dogs that need to run and run and accomplish things every day.
I second the recommendation of a bulldog, though. Our neighbors had several when I was little, and they were the most patient, friendliest dogs I’ve ever encountered. Drooled a lot, though. A lot.
Boxers are great, but adolescents are both much bigger than a toddler and are extremely energetic. When I was a wee lad, I can’t remember how many times I just go flat run over by our boxers.
Adults are fantastic, though, and get along well with other even-tempered dogs.
Newfoundlands have the perfect personality for you but they are bigger than you want. They are extremely good with children (act like nannies) and easy going. I saw a Newf/lab mix that was just the size you want with a Newf personality. Check out the local shelters. Mixed breeds are often better for health and personality reasons. Purebreeds are often too inbred. Plus - well you get to give a home to a needy dog. The mix I mentioned was a shelter pup.
As much as I love bassets, and I do, the weight requirement is a bit high. A 70-80 pound basset hound is barely going to be able to move.
My basset is quite small for her breed, but she’s fit, and she’s 30 pounds.
If you’re ok with a slightly smaller dog, though, I’d recommend one. They can be very athletic if they’re actually given some exercise (mine is running loops in the backyard right now). They shed very little except during the change in seasons, and love to play and wrestle but will be gentle with smaller dogs. They also are dogs that excel with a companion dog. Temperament-wise, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a more patient and loving dog. I have never, not once, not in play, not running around with other dogs, not when having her ears tugged at by kids, ever heard my dog growl or see her snap at anyone.
My little basset gets super excited (but never aggressive) when people come over or get home from work, but calms down in about a minute or two. Plus, even though she loves a good romp, it doesn’t take as much as it would with another dog - an hour walk at my pace will exhaust her, or just letting her run around at the dog park for an hour. She loves, loves, loves other dogs - she’s submissive at the first sign of aggression, but then licks their face and invites them to play. She’ll play with anything from a Pomeranian puppy to a St. Bernard without fear.
Cons: Females can have problems with submissive urination, but mine never did. They are among the harder breeds to potty train, but in my experience, it’s just because they’re not the smartest dogs in the world. Also, they make a mess when they drink and can be (but are not always) drooly. They are very clingy dogs and can have separation anxiety, but having another dog will negate that to a large degree.
One tip, I find the few white patches on my dog have coarser hair that sheds the most and is most visible. The dark patches seem hardly to shed at all. Go for a darker one.
If you like the idea of a beagle but don’t want to deal with the nervousness or shedding, go for a basset.
I’ve got an aussie, too, and I was thinking a herding dog (maybe an Australian Cattle dog - fits the size and coat requirements) might fit the OP’s needs, assuming it could be given enough exercise. They tend to be more reserved with strangers and have low prey drives compared to other sporting dogs (so should be better with living with a smaller dog). I think a lot of the requirements will also depend on the individual dog more than the traits of a particular breed. The OP might consider breed rescue. It would be easier to know if the dog of interest is good with kids and the other dog if it’s grown and living with a foster family (as many in that situation are) and could have a trial visit with the smaller dog.
Look for an older (adult) rescue dog. Any puppy is going to be high energy and less reserved around strangers - even Irish Setters will outgrow that at least a little. i.e. a four year old lab is a different dog than a two year old lab. An older dog will allow you to know its personality and not take the risk that you get a hyperactive bulldog. And you won’t be playing “guess the size.”
Rescue greyhounds (former track dogs) are generally reserved, about the right size.
Dobermans! The perfect breed (Actually, I’d love a dobie/standard poodle cross, but my standard poodle bitch and my dobie dog are spayed and neutered). But honest, dobies are sweet, intelligent, loving, protective, good with small animals (I have 4 cats, 2 dobes, 1 st. poodle, an English setter and a malamute). They shed, but not excessively. An adult dobe should weigh somewhere around 75 lbs.
StG
Thanks for the suggestions. The reason for the weight requirement, is that I’d like something larger, but not so large that the beagle will be overwhelmed, or at risk of getting seriously hurt during normal play. I’ve been doing a lot of reading on multiple dog households, and read a story about a dog whose back was broken when the larger dog sat on it. He is about 25 lbs and isn’t afraid of larger dogs. Shedding isn’t a problem. We have to vacuum constantly because of the other dog anyway. I don’t want to have to spend a lot of time brushing and detangling the dog, though. My current dog likes to run around for about an hour a day. He spends the rest of the time sleeping or lying down. He’s good about barking to alert us that someone is in the driveway, but he’s too welcoming to strangers for my tastes.
Last week, a newfoundland killed a pug at the local dog park. This could happen with any dogs, and definitely isn’t a trait of that breed, but these things are in the back of my mind. The newf owner believed it was a result of poor breeding (though I’m sure there were training issues too). Anyway, that, along with things like hip dysplasia, and exercise requirements for larger puppies mean that I wouldn’t just take any pet from a shelter. That’s also the reason I’m leaning towards a puppy over an older dog. I don’t want to find out that my dog has terrible joint issues because someone fed it regular puppy food as a baby, and forced it to walk and run while it was still growing. Or, because someone with no idea what they were doing just decided to start breeding dogs. I have been keeping an eye on the shelters, and craigslist though.
I’ll have to check these breeds out. Some of the suggestions were surprising. For example, I didn’t know dobermans were good with smaller animals.
Omega Glory - To be truthful, my dobe Grace did kill a rat in the barn once. I think it must’ve been ancient and with a broken leg, but she thought she was a mighty hunter. And this week, Jake the dobe brought me a squirrel he’d killed. He didn’t rip it up, and he laid it at my feet. I didn’t have the heart to scold him. They’re fine with the cats, though, and when my mother’s wire fox terrier comes to visit, they all get along just fine.
StG
I have taken “match me up with my perfect dog” quizzes before, but they were all way too simple and did not give results I agreed with. This one, on the otherhand, is really very specific and quite helpful. They rate the dogs on EVERYTHING, even on things like what they call “wanderlust” - the tendency of the breed to run off.
Sounds like you need a dog who is good with kids, with low predatory tendencies because of the smaller dog in the house. The Visla is an excellent match for those things, but it is also friendly with strangers. The Greater Swiss Mountain Dog also met many of your requirements, but is not exactly a common breed and is somewhat bigger than your ideal.
I don’t know if you have anything against the “hybrid” breeds, but the Goldendoodle also seems to be a good match. But try taking the test. Besides your top 5, it lists every breed as either good or bad matches and explains why it put those breeds there.
Yea, that would be okay. My dog likes to chase the little rodents that hang out around the garden.
Edit: Thanks for that link.
A used dog would be best. A puppy has hypodermic needle teeth . They teethe and nip on everything. Not fun for kids. Other dogs often do not enjoy it either.
I would suggest an elkhound for the temperament. They do shed a little though.