I was thinking...

[buttercup132]

By your first post I would DEFINATLY say Chesapeak Bay. They are perfect for you. Not to mention unbelivably adorable.

[wolfsoul]

All great breeds, but remember the downsides to all of them -- that should help you make your decision.

Porties are quite expensive to groom. We charge from 55-90 (depending on the cut and how matted it is) for a portie, and most come in about once a month. They also need to be brushed so that they don't get matted --- Because this is a breed that usually takes a long time to groom, therefore needing to stand and be polite for a long period of time, it is detrimental that it is never matted. Dematting a dog is uncomfortable and sometimes painful. It can ruin a good dog's grooming manners for it's entire life. I'm not sure what a show portie requires as far as grooming, but I'd imagine it would need to be hand scissored all over, in which case you can expect a hefty price. Most shops will charge $200+ for such a job,

Chessies are not like the other retrievers in some ways -- they are more aggressive, with good guard instincts, a hard head, and more drive and assertiveness. They do require just as much exercise, but I'd say they require more training.

I find that a weim's temperment ranges from one extreme to the other, but in general they are crazy LOL. They just have so much energy that they practically bounce off the walls. Takes them a long time to grow up, so they require alot of patience and ALOT of exercise.

Rotties are definatly a one-person (sometimes few-person) breed. I had a rottie. Definatly hard headed dogs that require TONS of training and socialisation. APBTs I don't find to be like rotties at all, but I feel that they also require tons of training and socialisation, because if anything WERE to happen, the media would catch hold of it and it would just be another strike against pit bulls.

[zoomer]

Thank you. I'm definetley going to start researching a lot more on Rotties. I was also reading about Staffordsire Bull Terriers this morning... does anyone know some stuff about SBTs?

Also, my mom wants either a Mastiff or a Great Dane. They get so big I doubt I would be able to show one, after all, most are bigger than ME, lol. Mastiffs are really stubborn and don't like to swim, and Great Danes don't like to swim and they get so big, I couldn't control one...