I've checked the archives but can't seem to find this exact topic and thought I might start fresh with this question: We want to get a second dog who will live happily with our male Doberman, who is now 2 years old. Although we live in an apartment in Manhattan, Marco is able to run securely off-leash every morning and every night, plus he gets a long walk mid-day, so exercise is not an issue. Ideally, we would like a second (female) dog that Marco could enjoy running with.
When we consider breeds like a whippet or italian greyhound, we hear stories of how delicate their legs are. Marco can be a pretty rough beast at times, and I can't see that being a good match. Ditto with something too small, like a chihauhua. So we begin to think about a sturdy, small to medium-size dog like a manchester terrier. Since Dobermans were bred partly from the MT, we like the idea they would look the same and share a similar temperament. But then we hear that the MT really can't be let off-leash because its prey drive is so strong and they basically can't hear you calling them when they are on the trail of something.
So, here's our question for the forum: does anyone have a good suggestion as to a breed we should consider that is trainable (will come when called, as Marco does), and will be sturdy enough to withstand play with a big male Doberman, have a well-matched temperament, but physically be on the smaller side?
Many thanks in advance for your advice!
Steve
When we consider breeds like a whippet or italian greyhound, we hear stories of how delicate their legs are. Marco can be a pretty rough beast at times, and I can't see that being a good match. Ditto with something too small, like a chihauhua. So we begin to think about a sturdy, small to medium-size dog like a manchester terrier. Since Dobermans were bred partly from the MT, we like the idea they would look the same and share a similar temperament. But then we hear that the MT really can't be let off-leash because its prey drive is so strong and they basically can't hear you calling them when they are on the trail of something.
So, here's our question for the forum: does anyone have a good suggestion as to a breed we should consider that is trainable (will come when called, as Marco does), and will be sturdy enough to withstand play with a big male Doberman, have a well-matched temperament, but physically be on the smaller side?
Many thanks in advance for your advice!
Steve
