Breed suggestions

kmes

A few days ago my husband said that he really wanted to get a large dog. We haven't had a big guy since Cooper. We talked about it and decided that sometime this summer he could get a larger dog if he still wanted to.
This is because I want to make sure LeRoy is trained up to a certain point before adding another dog. Also we will no longer have to travel unless we decide to vacation somewhere far away. Now the furthest we would be going is 2 1/2 - 3 hours for Chirstmas and Thanksgiving (and we take the dogs with!).

We will be either adopting from the SPCA, which is where we got Penny, or from a rescue organization. Right now I really just want to get an idea of which direction we will be going as far as breed/breed mix goes. That way I will be able to keep an eye open for possible fits as we get closer to summer.

So this is what we will be looking for.

A dog weighing 60-90 lbs
Friendly personality
Great with dogs, cats, rabbits (meaning little to no prey drive)
Gentle
Easy to handle/eager to please- I don't mind a challenge, but he sometimes has a hard time with Penny so I don't think many of the breeds I like would be good for him.
Average energy level. I would be able to walk this dog when I walk Penny 2x a day, but it would be nice if this larger dog had less energy than her.
Pretty submissive, as both Penny and LeRoy can be quite bossy with other dogs.

Any suggestions???

elisabeth

Sounds like a Golden to me they are terrific family dogs and if you go with a reptuable rescue who can match you to the perfect dog, I think they could work for you.

Also a Saint, although larger than your asking for, if you get a female they tend to be smaller, but they would also fit the rest of your 'wants'.

kmes

Thanks!
I was thinking along the lines of a golden or a lab.

I do love saints but I think they might be just too large for us right now. Not to mention my husband isn't a big fan of drool!

2Greys

A retired greyhound, the rehoming groups test them with cats for suitability and many do live sucessfully with small furries, so i'm sure you could find one that would fit in with your current pets.
They are a low energy breed as sprinters and don't need much exercise for a big dog, preferring to spend a lot of time lazing about and snoozing. They are generally very docile, friendly and love a fuss and often have great leash manners. They are fairly easy to train basic obedience with some treats on offer, but recall can be tricky if they get distracted (bred for centuries to be independent thinkers for hunting) and i think most US groups request they aren't let off lead out of secure areas. Which isn't as much of a problem as it sounds you can easily tire them out on a leash walk or some zooming round an enclosed space.

http://www.adopt-a-greyhound.org

tonisaysss

i would suggest a golden or a lab but you definitely need to know what you're getting yourself into if you take the puppy route. my golden was the mouthiest dog and animal i've ever had the pleasure (sorta) to raise. she's still slowly growing out of it and she's definitely done teething. retrieving dogs explore the entire world with their mouths -- my min-pin was definitely not pleased with this fact.

there are SO many golden/lab rescues because so many people are passionate about these breeds because they are all around great dogs... but rather wild and a handful which leads them to be in these foster homes to begin with. however, as stated, little-to-no prey drive may be an issue with both breeds as they were bred to do just that. i know many who have goldens that get along great with cats, but i'm not too sure about rabbits and whatnot. you may have to raise from young to train them against this.

i would spend an hour if not more at the dog park 3x a week when layla was growing up because she was a wild teething landshark if she wasn't sleeping and i obviously preferred the latter. i do not think 2 walks a day (unless you adopt older) will be enough for a golden unless you have a large backyard and are willing to go out and throw a ball for a while.

good luck!

MySoulmateEmmy

I was going to suggest this breed as well

~MSE

Mistersquiggles

Since you're in a northern state, you might look into a smaller Great Pyrenees or Newfoundland. They're very gentle and tolerant of other animals, and generally low exercise requirements.