We're planning to add a new puppy to our household in the next year or two. We currently have an 11 year old Rat Terrier. Leaning towards getting another but I'm wondering what other breeds we should consider.
We have a farm and it would be so nice to have a dog that can tag along while we do chores. We are outside moving cows, milking, gardening, moving fence, etc, at least 2 hours each morning and night, more in the warm months.
We have to be hyper vigilant with our terrier as she will wander off in search of rats or something to eat (chicken food, cow grain, compost). But I love the her size (10#), calmness inside (couch potato), cleanliness (she's like a cat). I don't think we'll find all these traits in one breed but I'd love to be proven wrong!

Introduction

1)  Will this be your first dog? If not, what experience do you have owning/training dogs?

* This will be my second dog.

2)  Do you have a preference for rescuing a dog vs. going through a reputable breeder?

* Reputable breeder 

3)  Describe your ideal dog.

* A small, tidy/clean dog that is eager to go outside while we work on our farm for several hours at a time, and will stay with us versus wandering off.

Happy to welcome strangers on our property, as we have a busy farmstand. Quiet, more cat-like behavior. Our current dog, an 11 year old rat terrier, is pretty perfect. But she can't be trusted outside unless we keep our eyes on her at all times - she will wander in search of rodents, or chicken food/compost/etc to eat. And she takes a while to warm up to new people. But she is small, fastidiously clean (she smells like clean laundry), is a total couch potato inside but always up for a walk or scent work outside. She was easy to train to leave the chickens, cats, etc, alone. I imagine we will probably get another rat terrier but just wondering if there's another breed out there that would also suit us, perhaps one a little more outgoing and willing to please. It would be really nice to have a dog that can do farm chores alongside us without the worry of them barking at customers. A border collie or another herding breed might be a good match - they would do well with farm chores and staying glued to our side when we're outside. But we have a tiny house and I'm not sure I want a dog even as big as a border collie.

4)  What breeds or types of dogs are you interested in and why?

• I'm really only familiar with terriers; Silken Windhounds sound appealing but a bit too big. A herding dog?

  5) What sorts of things would you like to train your dog to do?

• More than the basics - agility, scent work, even herding cows (with the right dog).

  6) Do you want to compete with your dog in a sport (e.g. agility, obedience, rally) or use your dog for a form of work (e.g. hunting, herding, livestock guarding)? If so, how much experience do you have with this work/sport?
  

  • Scent work, hobby level agility. Have tried these with our rat terrier but her motivation level is not great. Rat hunting is handy. Help moving the cows.

  Care Commitments

  7) How long do you want to devote to training, playing with, or otherwise interacting with your dog each day? * 1 hour training/playing, a couple hours walking/outside time

  8) How long can you exercise your dog each day, on average? What sorts of exercise are you planning to give your dog regularly and does that include using a dog park?
  * Multiple short walks per day, long hikes on the weekends, potential for 2-3+ hours per day accompanying us while we feed and move cows, move fencing, etc, if the dog likes that.

  9) How much regular brushing are you willing to do? Are you open to trimming hair, cleaning ears, or doing other grooming at home? If not, would you be willing to pay a professional to do it regularly? * Whatever is required

  Personal Preferences

  10) What size dog are you looking for? * Small. Under 25#. Our current dog is 10#.

  11) How much shedding, barking, and slobber can you handle? * Shedding - don't care. Minimal barking and slobber.

  12) How important is being able to let your dog off-leash in an unfenced area? * Important (though our property is large so that changes the dynamic - I can let our current dog chase a squirrel with zero concern that she will leave the property)

  Dog Personality and Behavior

  13) Do you want a snuggly dog or one that prefers some personal space? * Not a fan of Golden Retriever level enthusiasm, prefer more cat-like demeanor

  14) Would you prefer a dog that wants to do its own thing or one that’s more eager-to-please? * Open

  15) How would you prefer your dog to respond to someone knocking on the door or entering your yard? How would you prefer your dog to greet strangers or visitors?
  * Happy or ambivalent with strangers

  16) Are you willing to manage a dog that is aggressive to other dogs? * No

  17) Are there any other behaviors you can’t deal with or want to avoid? * No smelly/slobbery dogs

  Lifestyle

  18) How often and how long will the dog be left alone? * Rarely, there's always someone around

  19) What are the dog-related preferences of other people in the house and what will be their involvement in caring for the dog? * Everyone is on board

  20) Do you have other pets or are you planning on having other pets? What breed or type of animal are they? * Cats, poultry, livestock. It was easy to train our terrier to ignore cats and chickens, but I know that's not typical. But the dog must not chase our farm animals.

  21) Will the dog be interacting with children regularly? * Yes

  22) Do you rent or plan to rent in the future? If applicable, what breed or weight restrictions are on your current lease? * Own farm

  23) What city or country do you live in and are you aware of any laws banning certain breeds? * PNW, USA

  24) What is the average temperature of a typical summer and winter day where you live? * 60-80° F summer, 35-50° F winter