If not an irish setter...than what?

[ursula wilby]

The older I get, and the more interested I have become in dogs and what makes them tick, the more tolerant have I grown as far as other breeds are concerned. I have ended up with a breed (had you asked me when I was in my early 20s) I could have sworn I would never ever have. I used to think sighthounds was definatly a "no-way"-breed for me, now I can think of quite a few breeds in that group I would like to at least try. Who (but elderly ladies) would possibly want a toy-dog? Not me!
(And I dont feel Im as old as I thought you had to be to own one!)
Im now in to my third.
My first encounter with bordercollies was in the early 70s in England. I thought they were bloody awful! OK if you had sheep, but otherwise...a very definite NO!
Now I am very seriously considering one and have got as far as to study pedigrees and check out differant breeders.
Yes I know that this is a site for Irish setter lovers...but what if you had to choose another breed, what would it be?

[Virginia Thielsen]

What a fun thread, so many dogs, so little time!  I will always have an IS, but my husband prefers the herders so we will always have at least one sheltie as well. His reasoning is that at least we will have one dog that comes when called!  

Well, at the moment we only have one that comes because the sheltie pup we picked up last summer was raised by Gracie instead of our old sheltie girl Trae so he acts more like an IS than sheltie now!  So much for nature vs. nurture. It is comic watching him trying to decide if he should follow the IS or the sheltie.  

We have had some comic outcomes of having both IS and shelties. Our shelties have opened the gate for the IS, but do not follow them out on their adventures. Our IS have gotten items of interest to the shelties down from very high places.  Our shelties have learned to track birds in the sky. Fortunately, they don't follow Gracie up into the trees, one tree climbing dog is enough!

Most of our dogs in recent years have been rescues, so when I get old and finally concede that I am naturally gray :), I will switch from the out of control youngsters to the patient seniors...