Is there a right breed for my family? Which breed for me?

Hi

We have been looking for quite sometime now for the right dog breed and everytime we think we have found one we find something that means we aren't suited to that breed I'm starting to think perhaps we just aren't right for a dog right now but just to keep the hope alive I'm going to see if any of you have any suggestions.

Our situation is me hubby and 3 children under 5 which are used to dogs as my mum my sister mil & sil all have dogs greyhounds westies jrt and gsd they know not to touch a dog while sleeping eating etc etc me & hubby grew up with dogs westies & collies & labs. I'm a stay at home mum so if we got a dog it would only be left for the school/nursery run. We don't have a massive house but between us we have time to walk the dog at least twice a day for 30-45 mins at a time more at weekends and school hols.
My children can sometimes be quite loud when they're playing so we'd need a dog that wouldn't be upset by this. I'd also ideally like a puppy so the kids & dog could grow up together I've had dogs from puppies before so confident with training etc. I'd ideally like one dog but me & hubby love dogs and have always had 2 together so could easily be convinced to have 2! Not overlly fussed on gender tho I do think that dogs tend to be more loving than bitches. We have already considered the following

Boxer : love them but think they might be a bit crazy for me
French bulldog: love them but hubby thinks they look like bats
Whippet : the breeder I contacted didn't think we were right for sighthounds
Greyhound : love them but the whippet breeder has worried me
Italian greyhound: I'm worried my kids will scare it they are a bit too small
Daschund: hubby's favourite but iv heard theyre quite yappy?
All toy breeds are kind of out as I think my children could well scare them
Labrador : I love them but think they might need more exercise than I can give
Spaniels: hubby not keen he says his friend has a cocker that is crazy altho I think this is a working cocker and we are concerned about the health problems in ckc

There's prob more iv thought of but not mentioned. I'd like something not yappy my sisters jrt has just about put me off terriers for life!

I won't be offended if u all feel we should not get a dog if we r getting one I want to make sure it's right and not get one on a whim it's a longterm commitment and if a dog would b unhappy with us I'd hate that

Sorry for long post

I think a Labrador or golden retriever would be good, or a good old mutt, no reason why you shouldn't have a dog at all just not a high energy border collie x

Hello and welcome!

How about a staffie?
I've not had one myself, but the ones I've met have all been real sweethearts, and I believe they are supposed to be good with children (not left unattended of course, but that goes for any breed)

Or you know...... a smooth fox terrier

I thought Labradors need quite alot exercise and she mentioned, that she might wont be able to give it to the dog

but why not checking the "dog breeds" feature on here?
maybe you can get any idea of reading about several breeds there

the German Kleinspitz for example might be something for you?



...okay, just did read about their character myself
maybe nothing for you, as it says, not so good with small children and loves to bark

If you look hard enough you could find reasons for not having any dog tbh. I used to have a parson russell which is a leggier jrt and he certainly wasn't yappy. He had a very deep bark for a smallish dog and was a very good at alerting me but never barked to excess. Not all toy breeds are shrinking violets either, my two pugs are pretty bomb proof and happily live with much bigger boisterous dogs, they wouldn't be scared of a few noisey kids, they'd join in causing mayhem. Staffies as mentioned previously are usually great with kids but unless extremely well trained on lead do tend to pull with a vengence.

Sorry if posting seemed maybe a bit lazy but I've spent the last 6 months or so reading about various dog breeds and I thought it maybe best to speak to people that actually have them. Thank you all for your suggestions I unfortunately have alway been put off staffies from their bad rep but I am slowly warming to them as I'm seeing more responsible staffy owners to outweigh the couple of bad ones I've seen.

I agree you could find a reason not to have any breed I just want to make sure I get it right as I've know a few ppl just go get a dog they think looks "cute" then end up having to give it away as it wasn't a good fit for their situation. I think it's unfair on the dog to end up in that situation and it would break my children's heart and mine having to give a dog back so I'm probably being over cautious.

I was very young when we had a lab so I don't really remember the amount of walks it was given I just know it was alot would 2 or 3 30-45 min walks a day be enough exercise for a lab? And our westies weren't yappy but the bitch did bark at everything that passed the house which is something I'd rather avoid unless there is a way to train them not to do this?

You sound like a good owner for a dog. Get yourself an adult muttley from a rescue! You can see what the dog is like and take it for a walk etc. before committing. Mutts dont' generally suffer from so many inherent medical conditions.

You are right to avoid 'toy' breeds with such young children, especially something like Cavaliers as they are totally non aggressive and could be pushed and pulled about by the children.

Staffies with known good temperaments are lovely dogs. However, I'd not particularly go for one with the children being so small as they are very strong and can be quite boisterous too. As for labs - I was always told 'kids make the dog more crazy dog makes the kids more crazy' lol! But I've never had one. I had a GSD from when my two boys were 3 and 5 yrs old. No problems at all once the dog was trained in behaviour. However she did used to bite the @rse out of their pants when she was a puppy - they spent a lot of time running away from her and leaping to safety!

*forgot to add - do NOT get a minpin if you want to avoid dogs that absolutely love barking!

I think that would be a suitable time for walking a lab yes, with romping in the garden with the kids throwing a ball, the problem with Labs is they always want to eat, so as long as you stick to a good routine of feeding the right amount, he'she will be ok

As has already been said, you can find a reason NOT to have any breed, as ALL breeds (and crossbreeds) will have a negative or two, due to the fact they are living creatures...

I agree toy breeds would be a no no, due to having such young children and size, yappy breeds, well not all yappy breeds are yappy, if you like Dachshunds, then why not go for a standard wire haired, they are not yappy, but they do have their negatives, such as a nose that gets on a scent and ignores all else till he has found it.... but that will go for any hound type breed.

Staffies, if you go for a well bred one, you wont go wrong, they are good with children can can cope with the odd rough handling.

Boxers..... to be honest as these are my breed, I can give you a little headway, they are not MAD........ they are only MAD if they don`t get the right training and stimulation, they make wonderful family dogs (look on youtube for Boxers and babies/children, and you will see what I mean.

Any breed you get that is larger than a toy breed will need at least an hrs walk a day , with some of lead free running.

My Boxers have never had much more than this, and they are not out of control.


Why not look for a dog show near you that has the breeds you are interested in, go along talk to people and whittle down your short list.

do you want a hairy dog, one that does not moult, a short coat, long one, one that needs lots of grooming or a get up and go one, size, smaller than a springer, larger than a Lab, you need to have an idea .. there are so many breeds that might fit your category, some you probably have not considered. shame you could not get to Crufts and visit Discover dogs.........

The only other problem I foresee is that you have 3 young children , some breeders will not entertain this set up, due to the work that is involved in bringing up a puppy.

Good luck with your search.

Thank you for all your replies hubby wouldn't take much convincing for a daschund or boxer. Size isn't a huge issue so long as it's not a giant breed as I def don't have space for a great Dane for example but we are not worried about having a slightly larger dog like a lab or boxer as long as I'm confident I can meet it's exercise needs. I think I may be over thinking it a bit lol but I am concerned that if a breeder wouldn't sell to me then perhaps we shouldn't get one? As presumably the reason they wouldn't sell to me is that we aren't suitable

Until you try , you are not going to know .

Every situation is different, if a breeder tells you no, due to your family circumstances, then try not to take offence, it wont be because you are not going to be a good dog owner, but because in their eyes, you want have the time to give to a puppy with 3 young children in the house that take up all your time, it will be a case of , how are you going to find the time to look after a puppy, and the most important thing for a breeder is to ensure the new home is a forever one...

That does not mean this will happen, some breeders will , some wont, some owners can cope some cant, as I said, until you ask, you want know.

But please, be 100% sure you can give a puppy the time it needs before you take on,

Luckymummy - it is better to 'overthink it' than not to give it any thought at all and rush right out and get the first puppy that takes your eye.

You are doing the right thing by doing your homework first.

I hope you do find a nice dog to fit in with your family.

I'm sure lots of us ended up with a dog we didn't originally envisage having at some stage in our lives - just that it is more important to try for the 'right one' when you have 3 such small children.

Good luck. Dogs are a lot of work when puppies but they give you years of fun too. Years your children will never forget for the rest of their lives. Mine still talk about their childhood dog and still consider it to be better than any dog I've owned since!

Personally, I think you are right that that is not enough exercise for a lab. Labs are strong energetic dogs.

I don't see why the whippet breeder would have said no?? You sound like a great family for a whippet. Or a greyhound - but if you go for a greyhound, I would go for a rescue as there are so many in need.

Daschund's are not always yappy - part of it comes down to training as well. They are more vocal dogs than some it's true, but they do not need to be yappy.

What about a more robust smaller breed? Have you looked at Norfick (or Norwich as well) terriers? Sturdy, fun dogs for the kids - although of course, terriers are quite a specific type of dog! Or a more traditional terrier, a west highland?

When are you hoping to get a pup? If you can wait until the end of the year, Discover Dogs is on in London. It is a big event, where experts in dog breeds each man a stand with some of their dogs and you can go around and meet 100s of different breeds and speak to people in person about whether they fit your lifestyle.

I think you sound as though you could be a great home for a pup - although I would definitely consider whether you could cope with a puppy and 3 children under 5! I'm currently raising a puppy now, and my god, it is a full time job. I cannot even begin to imagine doing it with 3 kids under 5!! (That's not to say it can't be done, just an awful lot of work).

What other requirements do you have? Do you mind taking them to the groomers? What are your feelings on moulting? On drool? Do you want to do any activities with them?

I have had puppies before and have not forgotten how much hard work they are and I'm 100% sure I can manage the madness lol I really wouldn't have considered it otherwise they may be hard work but you get so much back, and I've spent a long time thinking about it too and im not setting a time I'd like a dog by as I will wait for the right one I think it's only fair to the dog and my children. Drool and shedding isn't an issue it'd be a bonus if the dog didn't need to go to the groomers but it's not essential. Hubby is very interested in a boxer now they've been mentioned again, those of u with boxers is a minimum of 2 30-45 min walks a day enough exercise for them? I'm glad there are breeders around that will say no to people and I will trust their judgement and if I'm not right for their dog then it's best for the dog to go to another home

Labs, Boxers, Staffies sound good to me. I also think a Greyhound would fit well into your house. Most dogs need at least an hours exercise a day, but it just depends on the dog.

We have a weim/lab/dal who we were told to avoid as would be a hyper dog! he has 2 x 30-40 mins walk and especially if he has been up the Downs and playing with other dogs is enough for him.he has his mornin walk and crashes for a few hours weekends give him longer. We did what you did and I think when you find the "one" you will know x good luck x

English toy terrier may be right up your street! they're very game little dogs and more than able to cope with a hectic family...

Or how about considering a beagle? there are rescues dedicated to rehoming lab puppies now the labs are mostly closing down

There are lots of beautiful crossbreeds as well as pedigrees in rescue and that would certainly be the route I would suggest... Don;t be put off because you'd rather have a puppy, lots of rescues have puppies. My rescue puppy Dexter was born to a stray pregnant Samoyed that had been hn=anded in to the pound... He's just beautiful and has a lovely personality.. the puppies are out there if you are prepared to wait (no rescue is ever 'planning' a litter)... but while you are looking maybe one of the other dogs stories will just melt your heart

What about a golden retriever?

While I am not a dog expert and all individual dogs are different, one of the reasons we chose goldens was because of their personality and temperament. They are very good with kids, easy to train and dont require a big house.

I think a lot of the show-type ones arent as high energy as labs or working type dogs. If you are worried about exercise, you can always go to a reputable breeder who does temperament tests and will give you a puppy which is low on energy? They will still need exercise and stimulation.

I am probably biased, but a Staffordshire Bull Terrier fits into everything you have written. My kids grew up with a Stafford, and my Granddaughter (2 next month) is great friends with my current Stafford. But if they don't float your boat, there is no reason why you couldn't have a dog. There are, as you know literally hundreds of breeds and even more cross breeds out there. Good luck with finding the right dog for you and your family.

Whippet or whippet x hands down, I have had spaniels, terriers, lurchers and now have a black Labrador and a whippet x.
labradores are great but very demanding and very powerful.
whippets...... Regal, loyal, calm, chilled, loving, relaxed,clever,fun,great to watch run,easy to train to lead.
any more?
not a lab or boxer its like having an extra kid.
look up whippet rescue or lurcher rescue u will not regret it.
I rescued mine at 3 yrs old and she was not house trained or lead trained she is perfect now.
just expect it to chase rabbits lol