Please help with breeds

[theuncivilservant79]

Ok so I am
Thinking about getting a dog later this year. I have dds nearly 2 and nearly 5. I am a lp and work 3 days a week. I will be hiring a dog walker the two days both kids in nursery but have family childcare the other day and they will walk the dog.
I live in a semi with garden 3 sides which I am getting fenced better before dog arrival so it will have plenty of space etc.

When it's settled with me it will be possible to take my dog to work with me quite a bit.

I would like to take the dds to view some puppies quite soon but I'm insure about breeds. I envisage the dog being quite small and though I don't want a crazy hectic dog I do want it to play with the kid. I love cockers but wonder if one would be too much for me.

I like jrs too. That kind of size anyway and my aunt has a mini Schnauzer (sic) which is gorgeous and the dds love it.

I'm trying to make a v informed decision before I commit to a dog and really welcome any advice

I had a dog pre dc but a rescue greyhound. Amazing dog but can't imagine her with small children she wasn't that kind of dog....

[HorizontalRunningOnly]

My mil had a jack Russell mongrel and he is adorable with my son whose now 3. Sil has a staffy who is unbelievable with her 1yr old and 2yr old. There are always staffy pups in rescues. Some might be funny about rehomibg to u when u have a very young child of 2, and some like RSPCA won't give u a tiny pup if u work but sure other will be along with suggestions of smaller rescues!

[LEMmingaround]

Are you fixed on a pup? Would you consider a rescue? A cocker would be a good family dog. Jrt's are mental.

[VivaLeBeaver]

A whippet?
Bedlington terrier?
Cavalier spaniel.
Chinese crested.

Schnauzers are lovely.

[HorizontalRunningOnly]

Jrts can be nuts my mils is now 3 and yes auttle crack pot but he will play fetch and football with the kids all day long and loves to play but will flake out in the evening on ur lap when the kids are in bed. 2/3 yr old dogs much better for young children - no mouthing, no toilet training and normally a touch calmer but still playfull

[McBear]

I've got a Rottweiler. He's amazing with my DD. She's 2.5 and they're best friends. Mines lazy as sin. Chewed a lot from a pup tho. Perfect family dog

I'd personally never get a rescue with children. Just my opinion/preference.

[Keletubbie]

Just rescued an older small staffy - she's fab. I agree about considering an older dog - you miss out on the mental but adorable puppy stage!

[LucyStafford]

All puppies are crazy/hectic.
JRT aren't a dog I would choose with two small children.

What about an older rescue dog?

[Karbea]

I'm sure some would disagree but I wouldn't get any terrier with small children.

Spaniels are lovely but bonkers! I've two Americans one is a sloth, the other believes his life depends on playing fetch and barking & wagging his tail all day.

I wouldn't have any other dog since having Americans, I grew up with gsds, rotties, dobermans, pomerians (who was the most snappy!), my brother has a bichon and of them all the gsds and spaniels are the best. I'd worry that friends of small children might be scared of larger dogs, plus they'll push you over which is fine if you've grown up with them :)

[McBear]

American pit bulls? Are you in America?

[VivaLeBeaver]

American cockers I assumed she meant???

[Karbea]

Yes, American cockers.

[McBear]

That fitted in better. I didn't know of the breed tho

[FuckyNell]

Pug!

[BravePotato]

Once you take the DC to meet a puppy, ANY puppy, they will want it.

I would decide on the breed before taking them along to meet a puppy.

[WeeClype]

German Shepherds! I have 2 and has 2 DC's when I got them....another 2 DC's came along and they were perfect with the baby/toddler stage.

[LadyTurmoil]

forum.fourpawsanimalrescue.org.uk/index.php/topic,12136.0.html

[LadyTurmoil]

www.heathlands.org.uk/image.php?imageid=2228

[LadyTurmoil]

Breed doesn't matter as much as temperament. You need a pretty "bombproof" dog who will cope with 2 young children.

Don't discount a rescue dog. Contact your local rescues - good ones usually use foster families as much as possible. The dogs will be in an environment with other dogs/children/cats etc so you will be able to get a good assessment of their behaviour. Not all rescues will rehome to homes with kids under 5, but some are more flexible than others.

Talk to several rescues, get homechecked by them, explain what you want and prepare to be patient. I would go for an older dog, housetrained and used to smaller children.

Be prepared for the fact that you will have to "train" your children to leave the dog alone when it's asleep, leave it alone when it's eating and stuff like that. It's not only the dog who needs to understand commands!!

DON'T get a puppy! They are very, very hard work. As a lone parent (which I assume lp stands for) you are probably v busy already and it will be difficult on the days you work. Believe me, the kids will soon be quite blase about a puppy, however cute it is. The hard work will be down to you and an older dog will settle in much more easily.

Good luck with your search

[MeerkatTargaryen]

Staffy!! Highly recommend them we have had ours since March and he's a little star. So good and obedient. Can have moments of madness but also incredibly lazy lol. They have such personality too. Mine makes me laugh constantly.

We don't have kids but he spends time with my friends 3yo and 16mo and no problems at all. One of the few only child recommended breeds by the kennel club (their nickname is the nanny dog due to their good nature with kids). I can't wait to have a sprog so they can be friends.

We used to have a crazy collie cross. He was very hard work compared. The staff just slots in to our life whereas our last dog we had to arrange our life around him. Loved him to death but he was high maintenance lol. We lost him at new year to a brain tumour aged 13