<p>My SIL has had for thirty years collies and shows them ( not the ones she owns)
A little high strung unfortunately- and I think she has gone through two or three generations of them in the time we had our lab.</p>
<p>I am going to try and find a good shelter- that is able to get good info about the dogs they have- also will probably go to a couple rescue organizations- </p>
<p>I had a cockapoo growing up, who was a really nice dog, but while my black lab had all the characteristics of the retriever ( water & ball loving- high pain tolerance- low hunger tolerance), she also scared some people who weren’t sure if she was a dobie or rottie or ? 
.
Quite a few people had been attacked/scared by some sort of black dog in the past apparently.</p>
<p>While she was a love- I admit that living in the city, in a neighborhood that is changing, ( when we moved here it was very blue collar- industrial single family housing, now it is " fashionable, :rolleyes:- much more dense, more diverse with all the interesting situations that go with that- including increased crime),
I kinda * liked* having a dog that put people at their guard- she was a very old style lab bred for hunting and she had a broad chest and a deep bark.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t go as far as to get an attack dog- but while I was thinking of a smaller dog, maybe I shouldn’t rule out lab sized dogs, just cause I like to walk all over & a bigger dog makes me feel safer.</p>