I was thinking...

[zoomer]

What kind of grooming do Porties require?

[bckrazy]

Porties require similar/same grooming as Poodles. They must be brushed daily, and preferably clipped every 4-6 weeks. I know a reallllly nice lady who breeds Porties (by "breeds", I mean, she has 5 showing/working dogs and has had 2 litters in 5 years). They are higher priced than most show breeds because of their rarity and difficulty to find quality studs ($1000+ in my experience), it IS difficult to find good show & working breeders (I know one in the state... and she has taken in 4 bitches from across the country to breed to her stud), they do have high maintenance grooming & exercise requirements, and they are a dog that needs a job besides conformation. I know this lady well because my sister's husbands Mom is getting a puppy from them this fall, after talking to her and visiting back & fourth for 2 years. They are GREAT dogs, and just adorable! Temperament-wise, I find them too aloof for my taste, and a bit too bouncy & head strong.

Chessies are head strong dogs. They need a firm handler, a job, and lots of Obedience/socialization/exercise/stimulation.

Weims are a handfull + moooore! If you think Buddy is handful (and I don't know Buddy, but I'm just judging by his breeds & what you've said about him), you should think twice about this breed. They are gorgeous & intelligent, but can be extremely high-strung and destructive if their exercise & mental needs are not met (which varies of course on the dog, but my Aunt's Weim is pretty laid back for the breed and requires 2 hours of jogging per day to stay sane.) I have neighbors with a Weim that I know they take on "walks" and to the lake occasionally, but the dog bolts out of the front door and digs out of the yard and comes to my Dad's house weekly. My Dad & stepmom love the dog, and will hang out with him and keep him at the house for a few hours until the owner gets home from work frequently. He usually is kept in a secure outdoor pen, because he would just go ballistic when his owners were gone. Weims, IMO, are a smaller, super-charged version of a Lab.

Rotties are another SUPER headstrong breed. There are individuals who are much more relaxed, but my Rottie and the Rotties I've met have all been ready to challenge dominance at any sign of weakness in their owners. This breed is powerful and I feel they need a mature, experienced handler. Some Rotties require the same dog-to-dog precautions as APBT's.

I might have missed something, but I thought you wanted a show quality Boxer? =/ The best thing would be to get out to shows and meet breeders and their dogs one-on-one. Almost any dog can be taught to swim, and there are lots of dogs who don't shed much (Rotties not included!). Personality and your ability to handle them should be a much, much higher priority than looks, coat, swimming, etc. Even with 2 acres, you don't want to get a dog that is bred to work all day long (Weims) if you don't have hours per day to dedicate to spending time outside playing, jogging, biking, working, etc.

[zoomer]

Okay, well, according to my profile in my first post, what breed(s) would you suggest?

[bckrazy]

It's definitely up to you, as you know yourself better than any of us. I suggest going to shows as often as possible and meeting the breeders and asking questions about their dogs. =0)

[king2005]

I like the Rottie. They do enjoy water if you train them too (they do swim slow, but they will swim lol), & I found they will pick one owner over the other, like if you were the only one to give it the bestest attention, then he'll bond to you faster.. However its still an individual & it can make up its own mind & not choose you lol However Rotties still shed like mad.. its thinner shorter hairs, but they are still falling off like no tomorrow lol

[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...