Ai agree with what Kristen07 posted, and I also like small dogs now that I am older. When I lived out in the country and we had bears and cougars in the woods around the house, it was good to have a large guard dog. We had Great Danes, and they were a perfect dog for watching out for predators and also discouraging any stranger that might come up our driveway when we were gone to town for the day.
Now, I live in town, just have a small back yard, and do not do a lot of walking like I used to do when i was younger and lived in the country. We have two small, older dogs, and they are perfect for me right now.
Tootsie is part Blue Heeler and she is an excellent watch dog, and no one comes anywhere close to the house without her knowing it.
Chipper is much older, partially blind and deaf, so Tootsie is also his "escort dog" when we let them out in the yard. Chipper feels much safer when he knows that Tootsie is nearby and watching out for things that he can no longer see.
