+1 Border Collie.
Amazing breed of dog. You won’t regret.
Mjmjr, even though you're just starting to look, keep this stuff in mind:
Take the dog to the vet before you even go home from adopting him / her. Even when the breeder or shelter says "up to date on shots", they're usually not, so the vet will take a poo, urine, and blood sample and check for parasites and any organ function issues. The vet will also take a look at bone structure and whatnot and let you know that there are no issues. If you get the dog home and take him to the vet a few days later, you and the family have already bonded and it's really going to suck if you have to bring him back to the breeder.
Have a tabletop analogue clock on hand when you first get the dog. He'll be missing his mother and siblings, and the ticking of the clock will help him fall asleep. (It'll register to him as other dogs' hearts beating.)
Get insurance. It's very affordable and is worth it if you fall into the bucket of people who love animals and therefore have a dog, rather than people who just have a dog for the fuck of it, who will say "Oh, it's just a dog; put 'im down" when anything expensive comes up. I could've bought a car with the money I spent on my uninsured dog.
Socialize the puppy as much as you can. Go to the PetSmart / PetCo puppy social hours every weekend. Let him work the kinks out. If you don't, he could very well be one of those dogs that absolutely freaks when he sees another dog.
The dog can and will ruin your carpet as well as anything he can get his hands on. Be vigilant about having the kids keep everything off the floor, both so that stuff doesn't get ruined and so that the dog doesn't choke on anything.
You can definitely teach old dogs new tricks, but training a puppy is just so much easier. Find a reputable trainer. (I'd avoid the stereotypical ex-military guy turned dog trainer.)
Don't buy food or meds online. They're often expired and sometimes are even bootleg.
Like someone said above, there are tons of dogs needing to be adopted. Personally, I've never adopted, and I do feel bad about it, so I try to donate when I can to the local SPCA. (The USPCA is a sham.)
I've got a million more, but those are the things that immediately come to mind and will prevent headaches and high bills in the future.
Border Collies are great for families, have really fun personalities, and are smart, but they shed a lot during the fall and spring. So I'd say they're not what Mjmjr is looking for.
My family is ready for a dogg. Growing up I only had video games and really have no knowledge of doggs.
Here is what I know we want:
Easy to train in Devil's Crush
Content to be an only "Neo" dogg (IE, we're only getting one that likes the Neo)
Likes to play Neo & riding John Deer
Under $1,000 for a pup (no boots)
Not a small El Santo mascara, but not a Blue Demon either (so a mid-size Luchadore)
One to get along well with Alpacas
What type of dogg am I looking for?
My family is ready for a dogg. Growing up I only had video games and really have no knowledge of doggs.
Here is what I know we want:
Easy to train in Devil's Crush
Content to be an only "Neo" dogg (IE, we're only getting one that likes the Neo)
Likes to play Neo & riding John Deer
Under $1,000 for a pup (no boots)
Not a small El Santo mascara, but not a Blue Demon either (so a mid-size Luchadore)
One to get along well with Alpacas
What type of dogg am I looking for?
Maybe get a butt pug?