Dog breed advice wanted.

[VivaLeBeaver]

Very sadly our beloved dog has died unexpectedly. I can't imagine life without her and my immediate reaction was that I wasn't going to rush into getting another dog. But I don't know if I can cope with not having a dog. Doesn't help that dd is distraught and begging for a dog.

Our dog was a greyhound and while her laidback temperment was ideal other things weren't so ideal. We'd like a smaller size dog and also one that isn't prone to teeth problems like a greyhound is. Oh and also one that doesn't run off after rabbits quite as much!

thought maybe a whippet but am worried about possibly teeth problems as they're kind of mini greyhounds. Am also worried that I've heard they can be a bit snappy.

Other dog I thought of was a Portuegse Pordengo, the smaller size one. They look lovely.

I like mini schnuazers as well but don't know much about them.

DD likes pugs but I'm not sure they cope with/enjoy long walks.


I want a dog that will happily go on hour+ long walks at weekends but be happier with a smaller walk in the week.

[Floralnomad]

Sorry to hear about your dog ( is this the one having the dental today ? ) . Some people near us have a pordengo and he is very nice and runs about for hours . There are also lots of mini schnauzers near here and they do seem to be recommended as family pets ,although I understand they can be a bit yappy .

[VivaLeBeaver]

Thanks, yes it was our dog who went for the dental today.

[Floralnomad]

Oh dear ,that must have been a terrible shock for you .

[pinguwings]

Please do not get a pug. Friend had one and it was riddled with health problems, could not walk for more than about 10 minutes without real respiratory distress. Pretty much every part of their body has been unnaturally exaggerated through breeding for cosmetic reasons- spinal problems from curled tail, respiratory problems from small nostrils and 'squashed in' face, fungal problems and infections from skin folds, oh and prone to heart problems.

Every whippet I've met has been lovely, have you seen the pointy hounds thread? Sure there are some experts on there. A good rescue should be able to advise you of whippets temperament and prey drive.

[maddy68]

I have always had large dogs and now I have a jack Russell. He is the best dog I've ever had. Sooooo obedient. Amazing with children cats and other dogs. He goes in 10 mile mountain walks regularly and never flags.
He does lose hair that's his only negative.

[pinguwings]

And massive condolences to you and your DD for your loss today.

[VivaLeBeaver]

I thought pugs would probably have lots of health problems.

Dd is crying at the thought of been home alone after school until I finish work on her own. She says she thinks she'll be too scared to be home without a dog.

I've emailed a podengo breeder.

Will look at some whippet forums as well.

[Smitten1981]

We have a Shih Tzu/Bichon Frise cross puppy and she is perfect. So friendly, loves cuddles and amuses herself for hours with her toys.

I'd definitely recommend one.

[LadyTurmoil]

So sorry to hear about your dog today - a massive shock.

If you're interested in podencos, have a look at SOS Animals UK They have a website as well. Lots of gorgeous dogs which can be brought to the UK.

But... just a thought ... perhaps give yourself a short while to get over the loss of your dog before you think about another one?

[Whippoorwhill]

Oh I am so very, very sorry. We had a young Golden Retriever who died very suddenly like that. It is such a terrible shock.

Everyone will, very sensibly, suggest you wait a while before getting another dog but I must admit that when our old dog died we put our names down for a puppy the same day. We knew we wanted another Curly Coated Retriever and they are pretty rare and you can wait months for a litter so when we got home from the vets to see a puppy update from the Kennel Club, same blood line as our girl, we phoned them straight away. They were only a few days old at that point so we still had space to grieve.

Podenco's are awesome dogs. I see one of the bigger ones on walks from time to time. He is so alert and interested in everything but quite focused on his owner. He does seem to do a lot of rabbit chasing though. Fantastic ears too!

[mistlethrush]

My lurcher has a good walk and then sleeps most of the rest of the day - but would be willing to walk all day at the weekend if it was a possibility.

Don't get a mini-schnautzer - I've met quite a number now and most seem to be horrid yappy dogs that really don't want to have a decent connection with humans - we have two next door who haven't worked out that when we're in our garden, its our garden not theirs, so yap at us constantly until they are called in.

[MrsClown1]

I have toy poodle. He was 10 years old when we got him and is now 12. He fitted in straight away. He can walk for miles. We live in the countryside and trust me he can walk miles. His recall is amazing. I adore him. No shedding, such a bonus. My last dog was a border collie and she was also wonderful.

I am so sorry for the loss of your pet.

[SunnyL]

I grew up with whippets and whippet sized lurchers. They truly are fantastic dogs since they are solar powered couch potatoes (i.e. won't move until they've had at least 2 hours of lying in the sun patch in the living room). They have a very similar temperament to greyhounds (i.e. can be bunny and squirrel chasers) but also think of themselves as larger sized cats i.e. give lovely cuddles on the sofa if allowed.

I've now got a lab x collie. While she is lovely she is a lot more work than a whippet or greyhound. Always on the go and demands far more attention and far more walks than a whippet ever did.

I've got my eye on a border terrier though. They seem to be sturdy little dogs with none of that 'small man syndrome' that affects other terriers i.e. they don't seem to be snappy or yappy.

[GiveMumABreak]

We have a gorgeous Boston Terrier - fantastic personality, he loves long walks (1 - 2 hours) but manages with a shorter walk on days I can't manage. He is small, short haired, eager to please (hardy with no health issues) on the downside he was a bit hard to house train (but I've heard smaller dogs generally are?) but eventually he got it in the end. He is the handsomest dog in the village - no contest!

[MrsClown1]

Re border terriers. There is one called Angus who lives near us and he is a lovely dog, very friendly and placid and yes does not yap or snap. However, when my son was 3 weeks old a friend's border terrier jumped over to where I was sitting and with my son and clamped its jaws around my son's face. I tried to stay calm and asked the owner to remove their dog. It would not let go of my sons face at first but eventually it did. Luckily, it did not break the skin but I was so upset, as you can imagine. A few weeks later we were in a park having a picnic and a border terrier did exactly the same thing to a cavelier king charles spaniel. They could not get the dogs jaws off the spaniel's head and someone came along with a baseball bat. I jumped up and poured ice cold water over the border terrier and it let go. Just something to bear in mind. It put me off border terriers but Angus has restored my faith!

[MrSlant]

SunnyL I am grinning at your post. I have been watching my solar powerd couch potato follow the sun across our window seat all day . I am going to persuade him to come to the beach for a run now and he will run flat out with his brother for 30 minutes and then I won't expect him to wake up much before lunchtime tomorrow! He is the most loving dog, I was amazed by his temperament (having had miniature schnauzers before and they were lovely boys). He is chilled out and devoted, so easy to have around and very, very rarely barks (handily for me as I am partially deaf he only barks when people knock at the door, I've not missed a visitor since I got him!) I don't think we will ever be without a whippet again, we will probably get another one after the summer as he loves having a friend over to run around with and then curl up together and sleep.

Really, really sorry for your loss though Viva, I dread the day we lose our boy.

[VivaLeBeaver]

I know the sensible thing would be to wait and grieve more. If it wasn't for dd I probably would. But she's so lost without a dog its heartbreaking.

I'm not overly keen on terriers apart from Boston terriers who I think are beautiful but blimey they're expensive!

[GiveMumABreak]

Yes viva, Boston terriers are pricey (we got a pure breed without papers so he was a bit cheaper) honestly he is worth his weight in gold, he has a very special and unique relationship with each member of our family. I'm very sorry about losing your beloved pooch - it must have left a giant hole in our life. I think giving another pup a good home and filling your time with puppy cuddles will help the healing process! Good luck - and post us a photo when you find the right one!

[mistlethrush]

Viva - we also wanted another dog quite quickly because of DS. He still goes misty eyed thinking about our last dog - as do I - but our new rescued dog is lovely - not a replacement in any way, simply a different dog who will have a different place in our hearts. Don't think you're doing anything that means you didn't love your last dog simply by getting another one. Your new dog will never replace her, and you will probably still miss her for a long time before managing to remember more of the positive things about having her (and perhaps laughing at some of the less positive things - like with ours, walking, barefoot, carrying a tray of hot tea, into the sitting room and finding my foot bang-slap in the middle of a huge heap of very recently regurgitated baked bone that was still warm.... )

We have always found our dogs leave a huge gap and another helps that gap to feel less like an elephant

[VivaLeBeaver]

Thanks everyone. We've found a Podengo which we're picking up at the weekend!

[mistlethrush]

Oooh I hope that all settles down really quickly - are you going to put some pictures on your profile?

[VivaLeBeaver]

Yes, I'll start a new thread with pics when he's here.