Your dream pack...

[grizabella]

What would yours be?

I'd love to have around three more Salukis, they're such characters and I do believe Bella would enjoy having playmates that could keep up with her for a long time!

I'd like to have a 'something else' as well. Maybe a Borzoi (beautiful, and with such gorgeous temperaments, they give lovely cuddles ), or an Afghan (though I wouldn't be brave enough to get one to show- WAY too much grooming for me!). Not a sighthound, but I'd love a big, beautiful Leonberger, I love giant fluffies.

[Gazinghound]

I think five sounds like a reasonable pack size, so to add on to my first Saluki...

I guess I'd have to get another one--they are my favorite breed, after all, and that would undoubtedly please Ulla.
Another sighthound would be excellent, too...probably a Borzoi, Afghan, or Deerhound. Tricky. However, it might be wise to incorporate some smaller dogs, so perhaps I could go for an Iggie, Whippet, or the perfect compromise between Whippet and Borzoi: a Silken Windhound! That'd rock.

For the remaining two slots, I'm thinking Bedlington Terrier and Standard Poodle. Such beauties. No shed factor, and depending upon whether the Poodle was a show dog or not, I'd choose my favorite clips for him/her. ORRR, a pertiful water dog such as a Curly-Coated Retriever or Irish Water Spaniel. :3 (With the latter I might have the best shot at winning a Dog/Owner Lookalike contest.)

Beyond that, though, it gets even harder to choose! I had to refer to my favorites list (sighthound and non-sighthound), and ahh, I have so many!! From those giant fluffies (my fave's the Kuvasz! Oh, how I'd love one), to the toys (I'd love a Crested or two to name after FiM ponies because they remind me of them, lol.)
An athletic, adventuresome, ruggedly handsome German Wire-haired Pointer (or GSP) would also be high on the list of choices. And at the last show, I WAS thinking how awesome the smooth Collies were.... ;D

[grizabella]

My realistic dream pack for the future would be to get a second Saluki once I've finished uni and left home, and then when funds allow to add a large fluffy as well. Probably a Leonberger, but I do love the look of the Estrela Mountain Dog as a slightly smaller (and totally gorgeous!) option.

[Gazinghound]

Oooh, a pair of 'lukers and a "big fluffy" sounds absolutely lovely! I spotted a Leonberger being walked in the park once and was highly impressed--not only because it was such a huge, puffy, statuesque bear-lion of a dog, but simply because I'd seen one at all! I was like, "What a handsome dog! Is that a Leonberger...?" And sure enough, 'twas. I'd like to meet an Estrela, but it might be a while before that happens. xD

I don't know the order in which I'll acquire more of "dream pack" members after I'm finally settled somewhere in a place of my own with Ullie. I'll just have to keep my lists with me and see how things work out, depending upon my feelings & needs & situation in the future, whether I wind up living with anyone else, and so forth. ^^

However, I know my dad's dream pack would consist mostly of Beagles, lol. I discovered recently that our current Jack is technically Jack III, not II, because he'd had yet another Jack-Beagle before I was born. So it seems he's just continuing the tradition of Beagles being called Jack. I'm still slightly disappointed that they didn't pick Samson, because I swore if we voted on that name, I was going to get a female Italian Greyhound and call her Delilah. Anyway, speaking of Jack, turns out that for all of his craziness, he's still really a pretty wary little guy when it comes to strangers, and doesn't care for crowds. He got used to my one uncle after spending a couple days with him, but he refused to accept a chunk of meat from my aunt and took the long way around the family BBQ by sneaking under our chairs and up onto my dad's lap, to watch everybody from there. xD

[grizabella]

I saw a GORGEOUS Bernese Mountain Dog out on a walk yesterday, they're definitely on my 'one day' list now! It would be lovely if in a few years circumstances would be right to add a big fluffy to the family, but I don't imagine renting a house, and enormous, hairy, shedding machines go all that well together. Something rather less large and hairy will probably be more sensible an option for dog no. 2, maybe a Border Collie or a Brittany or an Irish Water Spaniel or another Saluki...

A pack of Beagles would be rather adorable! If you had some miniature ponies as well it would be almost like a chibi fox hunt (minus the fox hunting!).

[Gazinghound]

+D +D I’ve spotted one or two BMDs out on walks…one I remember distinctly being a block or two ahead of me in New York, which was something of a surprise. I just picked up my “365 Dogs” desk calendar for next year, and of course couldn’t resist flipping through it already…there’s one superb photo of a very regal-looking Berner in there that stood out as I did so.

Oooh, yeah…unfortunately I would expect the actual owners of the house would probably prefer the smaller, less hair-blowing monsters. X-} Personality-wise I endorse the Brittany as a great choice, naturally—however I should again mention that mine, anyway, is an appalling, constant shedder who can cover you in white fur within seconds, as well as somehow send his fur to places he’s never even been. >D Ahh, the IWS--on my most-wanted list as well. And you could hardly go wrong with a Border (unless, you know, you didn’t give him any toys and let him get too bored, lol.)

Hee, I totally want some ponies to go with the Beagle pack my dad would surely love to have, and we could all go mock-fox-hunting…even Ullie can give it a shot if she wants and doesn’t mind looking like a totally out-of-place hound...xD She’s very patient when I call her “my little pony” and pretend to ride –her-, though. She’s become accustomed to her mom’s craziness—watching, blinking, tolerating it, then kinda shrugging it off and leading me back to “the treat room” yet again.

[grizabella]

A '365 Dogs' calendar sounds a great idea, there must be so many stunning photos in there!

Yeah, I've heard mixed reviews about Brittanys and shedding, but from what I've heard it sounds like generally they're not as 'sheddy' as say a Lab or a Golden (I'd be consider another Golden if it didn't 'snow' white hair every time you touch them!), I'd have to cross my fingers that I'd end up with a relatively low shedding individual. I just love how insanely cheerful and friendly Brits are, such nutty little sweethearts. I think Bella would prefer any companion that might join her to be a dog that's full of beans as she's so incredibly playful herself (though she may grow out of this one day- Elvis certainly hopes so!)

IWS are just gorgeous, I haven't yet met one in person though as they are so uncommon in Australia. I've loved Border Collies since I was very young, and I think Bella would love to have a dog around with that much energy. I think I could handle a Border, I've already got one high energy and potentially very mischievous dog as it is! From what I've heard, they're not too bad shedding-wise either.

Ulla could be the rather tall and leggy red fox. Oh Ullie, the things you have to put up with! You have Bella's sympathy.

[grizabella]

We drove past a Brittany this evening, which was super exciting as they're rather uncommon around here. Lovely dogs!

[Gazinghound]

The calendars are a magnificent idea, truly...I mean, they print calendars for just about any subject, but dogs will always be the overall best! This year I still haven't figured out which wall calendar I'm going to order, though, since I need one on which to actually write. The desk one is mostly just for the cuteness and beauty, and as a quick reference to tell the date. Usually there is one that stands out as "the perfect choice," but not this time around. O.o Among the dog breed options are Afghans, Whippets, Greyhounds, more Poodles, Beagles, Brittanys...alas, STILL another Salukiless year. I have in the past had Afghan, Deerhound, and Brittany ones.

Anyway, I've bought the Workman Publishing 365 Dogs for years and years and years. They've changed the format a little bit and I kind of preferred the old version, with a "Winner of the Week" each Monday, but it's still awesome. They have very difficult and complicated rules for submitting your photos, though, so I was quite dismayed not to receive a notice that one or more of our carefully chosen, excellent pictures was going to be printed. -.- I mean, looking at a lot of the ones that were (including at least two repeats from 2012), it's truly a mystery...but there's always a chance, though. They must have retained that shot of Molly reading "Miracle Healing Herbs" for a few years and eventually pulled it out for use in the "Bad Dog" calendar. They've got a really nice line...I never realized how funny and interesting their other titles were until they gave me online access to them this year just for answering the same easy questions over and over again to get new codes.
Dog Fancy also started publishing a "Dog Gallery" calendar within the past few years. I got the second one; they're larger and use "fancier," professionally taken photos instead of ones submitted by random people. The sheets stack behind one another and then flip over halfway through the year rather than being ripped off each day. It's almost as great, but the Workman one still reigns for the "daily dog." Most of the photos are exceptional even though it doesn't try to look as high-brow, and I like how they include the dogs' names, owners, locations, and little anecdotes or tips or details or stories or facts or quotes. I actually save all of my favorite photos after tearing them off so I can take a big picture of all of them at the end of the year, then recycle them. xD

Before getting Rusty I definitely would have thought that Labs and Goldens were sheddier than Britts, and in general I'm sure they are. We just happened to get "lucky" with a guy who blesses us with piles of his own white "snow" everywhere he goes and almost every time you pet him. Beagles, well, we knew all about them from having had Boomer and Jack I...my mom knew she'd have to brace and ready herself to accept his flurries of fur. Thankfully he's tiny, so it's not quite as bad as it could be. (A lot of his "snow" is banded black and white, so you can tell whom that was!) Ulla occasionally gets 'sheddy' and blows out a lot of short pieces of red fur to be brushed up off of her or the sofa, but she's nothing compared with the boys, especially Rusty. D8

"Insanely cheerful and friendly" is one great way to characterize Britts! They just explode with love, affection, joy, and happiness. It's kind of impossible to resist smiling when Rusto looks at you, either with the sad, sweet eyes, or the big silly grin. Jack's the one with the jumping-bean energy around here, though. There's no telling how long his "puppyhood" will last, but he just plays and plays until he crashes like "Rusty the narcoleptic Dachshund." He's crazy. It's always good when he can get Ulla and/or Rusty engaged in a race or game of tug or something. Much of the time they want to be left alone, so they bark and lunge at him a bit (enticing him further, of course), then attempt to run away.

Britts are moderately common here, but not IWS...sadly, they seem to be rare everywhere. They made the UK's list of endangered native breeds. =( So sad. I definitely want to have one someday, and perhaps another one or more breeds from the list. That way we can look like twins with the big curly hair. They're so pretty...tall, racy, athletic, with such nice faces. They look so smart and sassy and full of attitude (which many of them are, based on my brief experience!) Sounds as if the BC could be a good match for you, then...playful Bella would certainly be a good companion and happily keep one busy.

An Ulla hunt?! Perfect...Jack already chases her around, latching himself tenaciously onto her legs and chest. She might lose it and attack me if I suggest such a thing....X-3