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The doghouse

Does this dog exist?

29 replies

Doraemon · 28/08/2014 15:17

So we are mulling over getting a dog (I have been stalking rescue websites for years, DH is gradually coming round. He needs time to warm up, it took 5 years to get him to agree to DC3). Children are 9 (with ASD), 7 and 19 months. In many ways I think a greyhound would be ideal but am not sure it fits DHs idea of what a dog should look like.....
Dog would need to be:
medium sized
Child friendly
Calm temperament, not too bouncy (thinking maybe a slightly older dog?)- DS1 with ASD is very keen on the idea and a calm dog might help keep him calm too.....
Happy with a couple of moderate walks a day in the week and longer at weekend - we live by park where we can walk on lead and open countryside/woods for off lead
Not yappy (my parents have a cairn shih tzu cross and it leaps up and yaps at everyone. I am not a huge fan)
DH wants something that looks right (he likes floppy ears, spaniel type I think) and is 'not smelly' [hmmmm]

Any recommendations? And any rescues that would consider us with a toddler or would we be better waiting?
thanks!

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RedRoom · 28/08/2014 15:29

Cavalier King Charles spaniel. The sweetest, kindest dogs ever. Great with kids, not snappy or yappy and happy with the exercise you mentioned.

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insanityscratching · 28/08/2014 15:39

I have two children with autism and we have a poodle shih tzu cross who is perfect for us. He's not yappy at all in fact he only barks once if someone knocks at the door but never at any other time. He does talk a lot so we get lots of yowls and whines, harrumphs and sneezes to let us know what he thinks though,
Eric is a clever dog from the poodle I think. He instinctively acts differently with ds and dd. With ds he plods over and sits by his feet and waits for him to acknowledge him but with dd he dances round her and jumps on her lap which suits both of their needs. He has no end of words he recognises and plenty of tricks to entertain, he doesn't moult, he loves a walk but equally he's happy being petted on your lap.
Eric has been a very easy dog, he picks up things in no time and he's easily bought for a piece of ham. I would look at a poodle, I would have loved a girly cut but you don't need to go for the top knot and tippy toes if you want a more manly look.

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JadeJ123 · 28/08/2014 15:39

Staffie
Cocker spaniel( one lives 2 doors down is exceptionally friendly and calm)
Schnauzer

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FiloFunky · 28/08/2014 15:41

Apart from the size a greyhound really will fit the criteria!

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JadeJ123 · 28/08/2014 15:42

Italian greyhound? Not that large

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ChubbyKitty · 28/08/2014 15:49

Basenji? They also have no body odour and they yodel instead of bark which sounds adorable Smile

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financialwizard · 28/08/2014 15:59

Staffie. butIambiaisedbecauseIamabouttopickupmybaby

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WeAreGroot · 28/08/2014 16:02

I'll probably get told off for suggesting this but Whippet!

Medium sized check

Child friendly check

Calm temperament mostly a check Grin they get calmer as they get older, my 3YO is lovely and chilled, 21MO is getting there, 9MO is still a bit of a giddy kipper. My lot are currently artfully draped on the sofa snoozing. I find it really, really relaxing being surrounded by sleepy sighthounds, they just seem to exude bliss.

Happy with a couple of moderate walks a day in the week and longer at weekend check, as long as they get the chance to run and stretch their legs properly my lads would be more than happy with 2 x 30 minutes a day. I walk them once a day and on average they get 45-60 minutes haring about off lead after which they're happy to laze on the sofa for the rest of the day. They're definitely sprinters, short bouts of hard exercise really satisfies them but they're also happy to do longer walks if the opportunity is presented.

Not yappy check, mine will sometimes alert bark if there is someone at the door but other than that they're not really barky at all. They do have a spectacular array of grumbles, whines and whinges though.

Not smelly check, they have very short and fine coats that are incredibly easy to keep clean, it takes them just minutes to dry after a bath generally only required when they've rolled in poo/something dead and they just generally don't seem to have much odour. My mum is not at all doggy and even she comments that our house doesn't smell particularly of dogs.

Utterly fabulous little dogs and I think they're often overlooked as family pets even though they really are perfect for the role.

Smaller independent rescues tend to be more likely to adopt out to families with young children rather than having blanket 'no children under x years' rules.

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Bonnefoi · 28/08/2014 16:02

Greyhound. As soppy as a spaniel, short hair, lazy, not smelly as long as you keep on top of their dental needs.

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KoalaDownUnder · 28/08/2014 16:08

WeAreGroot, there is an 18-month-old female whippet sleeping on my feet as I type this Grin
I always thought they'd be horrid, nervy, un-cuddly dogs. How wrong could I be; this one is absolutely gorgeous. I agree with everything you've said: doesn't bark, slobber, bite, jump up (much), shed fur, or smell. The most sweet-natured, affectionate little dog I've ever met.

It's a pity I'm only dog-sitting this one, because I'm in love with it.

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Southpaws · 28/08/2014 16:12

Another vote for cavaliers but with the caveat that mine scream like banshees with excitement when we get their leads out for a walk so they are not totally non-yappy and they also require a lot of grooming, ours get shaved and bathed every 8 weeks April-October to stop them from being too hot and stinky.

They are however, amazingly tolerant with small children and generally happy, lovely dogs.

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CMOTDibbler · 28/08/2014 16:16

Small lurcher. I now have two. Older one only barks to be let out, is incredibly calm, doesn't smell or massively shed, is quite happy with two short ball throwing sessions a day (or nothing if raining) but equally will run 10 miles alongside the bikes, not slobbery. His only faults are a) being a complete hoover for food and b) having such a fine coat he needs a warm coat in the winter. The other is a puppy, so rather bouncier currently!

Ours are both from EGLR who have all their dogs in foster so know them very well

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RedRoom · 28/08/2014 16:21

Southpaws
Another vote for cavaliers but with the caveat that mine scream like banshees with excitement when we get their leads out for a walk

Awww, sweet!

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medtem · 28/08/2014 16:22

Golden retriever. Lovely natured, not barky, friendly, happy although can shed a lot at certain times during the year. Mine doesn't smell (unless she's rolled in fox poo!)

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fishfingerSarnies · 28/08/2014 16:32

I'd go with a mix breed something with staffy in you see lots of staffy whippet crosses.
My pup has staff and whippet in (as well as collie and German Shepherd) and she is a dream, very calm.
Poodles are also fabulous dogs something I would have been very into but my husband wasn't.
My husband had very specific ideas about what a dog should look like too, hence the reason I have what will be a bigish medium size dog, when I really wanted a little dog I could scoop up. Wouldn't change her for the world now!

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ChubbyKitty · 28/08/2014 16:42

My auntie used to have a staffie cross. I forget what he was crossed with but he was very friendly and loving. He used to sit with one paw over the side of my cousins Moses basket watching over him!

His farts could melt asbestos though. I think that was just him not the breed..Grin

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Lovethesea · 28/08/2014 17:34

My parents lurcher would've fitted the bill.

A rescue so 6 when he arrived. A real shock after lovely fun mad staffies for years. He just slept and chilled at home like a rug, then was quiet in the car until we were out for a walk .....

Ok so all squirrels and small deer were a reason to disappear into the woods .... But otherwise he loved other dogs, did occasional high speed zoomies which were a joy to watch on fields, and just loved anything we did. Happy with a couple of short walks or a long walk and a big garden run. Wore a coat in winter cold which looked funny as he was huge, greyhound saluki cross.

Very calm, loved kids, really peaceful to be around and not smelly. Didn't roll in things like the staffies did!

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BlackWings · 28/08/2014 17:45

Most spaniel type dogs with floppy ears do tend to get smelly ears!
I agree re greyhounds/whippets, lovely calm dogs. I always think of them as the cats of the dog world, they're generally very lazy. Older staffies are also lovely calm dogs generally. Avoid any kind of working dog, they don't make great pets imo unless you have loads of time for long walks.
Cavaliers are lovely but do have their fair share of health problems.
I've worked with dogs for 20 years and when i'm in a position to get a dog it'll be a whippet or greyhound.

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micah · 28/08/2014 17:53

poodle!

Google some pics because with a "teddy bear" cut they look very different to most people's idea of a poodle...

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nooka · 28/08/2014 18:00

I think you need to provide a bit more info - what does a dog look like to your dh and what do you mean by medium sized?

To me for example a cavalier is very much a small dog and a Golder Retriever a big one (possibly becasue I live in North America and American Golder Retrievers are I think bigger than English ones).

I think with your family mix an older rescue that has been fostered would be the best option because then you would be able to have a much better idea as to temperament/lifestyle.

Other than that I recommend a dog like mine. Total all-sorts with known spaniel and probable lab, and I think some hound as he is a sprinting/sleeping type. Medium sized, everyone friendly, no longer too bouncy (was as a pup though), smells lovely (although dh insists on bathing him a couple of times a year), no yapping (he is quite vocal though) and low maintenance. He doesn't have full spaniel ears and he's not for offer Grin

Seriously though I'd really look to develop a relationship with a good rescue and wait for them to find the right dog for you. My mother recently bought a miniature schnauzer pup and although he is a nice dog they are really not matched at all well, and because he thinks she is boring has got into a lot of trouble. I wish she had waited and got a much older steadier dog who would have adored her.

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soddinghormones · 28/08/2014 18:01

Toller - medium-sized, gorgeous, non-smelly, usually pretty quiet unless excitement levels have reached boiling point but he squeals rather than barks, very playful, fantastic with children, easy to train, fabulous dogSmile

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moosemama · 28/08/2014 19:22

Another Lurcher lover here. They come in all sized and coat types, are generally calm in the house and can take either a couple of shorter off-lead runs a day or as much walking as you want to do with them and my two are both fantastic with ds1 (ASD).

Pics of my two on profile if you want to see how different they can look, yet still be fundamentally similar in type. My elder boy is 24" to the shoulder, part Border Collie and not your typical idea of a Lurcher appearance wise. Younger lad is a typical scruffy Lurcher - all legs and ribs, but with the most appealing face. Grin Both mine are huge couch potatoes at home, but happy to play with the dcs or go for as long or short walks as we want to.

There are lots in rescue, plenty of slightly older, past-the-puppy-stage dogs and some are in rescue as they don't have the chase drive, so fine for off-lead.

Have a look at Lurcher Link and Evesham Greyhound and Lurcher Rescue (ELGR) to give you some idea of all the different shapes and sizes. Following their FB pages is a good way of finding out what dogs have just come in and therefore being considered early for adoption. Both consider homes on an individual basis, taking into consideration the needs of individual dogs to get the right match, rather than precluding homing to families with young children.

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nooka · 28/08/2014 20:02

Moosemama your Pip is absolutely adorable! Lurcherboy not to bad either, but you have some fabulous pictures of your pup :)

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Doraemon · 28/08/2014 20:19

Thank you for all the suggestions :-) Need to keep drip feeding to DH until he is 100% happy....

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moosemama · 28/08/2014 22:55

Thank you nooka. Need to update my profile as he's much bigger - and lankier - these days. Lurcherboy is an absolute stunner, but doesn't photograph well for some reason, whereas Pip is a total poser! Grin

Good luck Doraemon, hope you and dh can come to some agreement on which breed to get.

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