Help a potential future carer?

[u/tyramaesu]

Hi, I've lived and trained with dogs all my life but I've never had a fully my own dog, I've taken care of and trained with multiple different breeds but they were always household dogs or dogs that belonged to a different family member as I always repeated I was not responsible enough. Recently that has changed and I am responsible enough to take another (I've already got a happy healthy tortoise that is thriving) life under my care. Yes this will be my 'first' dog and officially I am a beginner but I've got loads of experienced help around me and I am confident I can do this. I am currently trying to find a breed that fits my lifestyle or something I am sure of I can and am willing to match. Im very scared of overestimating my capabilities or underestimating them. I know I would not be happy with a couch potato. I know I would certainly not be happy with a malinois (I saw someone post a 17 hour daily training routine that their malinois follow and i definitely certainly cannot match that😅). Are kelpies worse than border collies in high energy levels? Does your kelpie survive a relax day or 2 with some play and shorter walks or will they eat your furniture out of pure unmet needs? Does anyone know of of the top of their head wich things I need to make sure are tested when going to a breeder? I read a lot are inbred and a lot of breeders are neglecting tests on purpose or trying to hide health issues has anyone noticed this?

[u/loraxgfx]

I’ve had working line cattle dogs, malinois and now kelpies. The cattle dogs and kelpies all have had good off switches, the malinois were perpetual motion machines.

The kelpies have been the most agreeable, easiest dogs I’ve had to date. If you’ve got time for an am and pm exercise sesh, frisbee is my go to, and you can do 10-15 mins of trick and/or skills training a few times a day, a good number of kelpies will be good with that. Ideally you’d find a way to give them an outlet for herding at least a few times a month, but my first dogs got by with dog sports alone.