I've gone through 3 great danes with the people next door. Great dog breed, but wow they don't last long. Latest dog next door is set for either a knee or hip replacement, and it's 3. I think their first one made it to 8, the second died of something at 4. Every time they are devastated and go right out and get another dog from the same breeder. It's kind of masochistic. You get the dog to where it's trained (sort of) and fitting in with the family, and then boom, gone. As well, their current dog pulls the wife off her feet.
My friends had a little goat that would come over to their place in the country and rip out shrubbery and eat anything it could find. They literally eat anything. It was a nice goat but I could see it being frustrating.
My next dog will be a husky. I love shepherds, but they aren't hard enough on the wildlife around here. I hit a bunny nest with the lawnmower last year, and it was smack in the middle of their grassy area, no way 2 german shepherds weren't aware of them. God that was a mess. So now I want something that just brutalizes anything that gets in the yard. Also, having a dog that is less inclined to be literally glued to my side would be nice. Don't get me wrong, having loyal dogs that just want to be near you is nice, but doing ANYTHING that requires moving around (let's say building a fence) is almost impossible with dogs that don't want you out of sight. From my experience with huskies, they literally don't give a fuck what you're doing, as long as you show up at dinner time, and they have a general idea where you are.
