If you chose your dog because of the type of breed answer my questions..

[SoggyBiscuitss]

(Please)

If you bought your dog based on its breed please tell me-

1- what breed and why that breed?

2- what are the pros & cons of your dogs breed?

Bonus question if you don’t mind- why did you choose a female or male?

I worded it this way as I know some people get a dog regardless of its breed for example they rehomed it.
But I want to know specifically about dog breeds if you chose that breed.

I am thoroughly researching getting a dog and have been for some time now.
I want a puppy as I want to train the dog from the beginning and to know it’s background, where it came from etc.

I have looked into rehoming but under the current climate they are well sought after.
Also whenever I have looked, the only dogs available are ‘no children’ or they are already in their twilight years.
(I’ve added that bit as I know I will get some comments asking me not to buy a puppy and to get a rescue)

I only have experience of labradors and male dogs which is why I am asking.

Thanks so much!

If you're considering getting a dog you need to think about your lifestyle and circumstances and then choose a breed that fits with that. Every situation is different so a dog that is delightful to one person could be a nightmare to another. I have 2 Hungarian Vizslas and 3 Working Cocker Spaniels, all working gundogs. I adore them but are they ideal dogs for everyone, absolutely not.

Basic things to consider when choosing a breed:
What size of dog can you comfortably live with?
How active are you - realistically how much exercise can you provide on a daily basis and what type of exercise?
How experienced are you with training and how much training are you willing/able to do with the dog?
What level of shedding and grooming are you happy with - bear in mind that dogs that are low-shedding generally require a lot of grooming/clipping to prevent matting.
Do you want a very velcro, needy, in your face dog or one that's more independent - consider this especially carefully if the dog is likely to be left alone on a regular basis, some breeds tend to cope with it better than others.
Is the dog going to be around lots of different people - do you have resident children, visiting children, guests or strangers coming and going etc.?
What's your tolerance for things like vocality (barking, whining etc.), prey drive, reactivity etc.? Do you have other pets - cats, rabbits, chickens etc.?

[quote SoggyBiscuitss]@FuckOffBorisYouTwat
This is gonna sound silly, but where might I find a mongrel puppy?
I’d be happy with a mongrel as I’ve heard many times the same reasons you note there but I don’t think I’ve ever seen any for sale.[/quote]
Mongrels have been rebranded as labradoodles, colspagterrs, etc .... and priced for the gullible.

I’ve had a lurcher in the past and if I do have a dog again would have another lurched or a whippet. Quiet, gentle dogs who are pretty lazy. Some do have a strong prey drive though.

Oh and got male as it was just him and his brothers in the rescue

Before we got our first dig, I asked our vet for suggestions, given that we had a cat, the ages of our children, that my DH has allergies and how much time we could realistically walk the dog each day.

I was also concerned about knowing the history of the dog (hereditary potential issues)

The vet recommended a number of breeds to me and pointed out I should read up in the breeds on the kennel club website as well as their questionnaire when buying a puppy

We bought a cocker spaniel (show, not working).

Best decision and we’re now on breeder’s waiting list for our third (15 years of dog ownership).

We have only had males. That’s what was offered by breeder.

One other point about my lurcher is his recall. It’s ok in a “I’ll be with you in a moment” kind of way. But generally we have to pick our places for off lead well as he goes giddy for other dogs and his enthusiasm is only appreciated by certain other dogs. Bitey face play not well received by many!

I have 3 labradors, 1 english yellow from puppyhood and 2 rescues, which are an American chocolate and a black English lab. I love this dog breed as I don't like the yapping bark of small dogs. I also chose them as they tend to get on with cats and are easy to train. Mine are all boys as I just prefer the more laid back boys, they just love everyone. Sometimes my cats want a little less love, but they mostly endure their doggy tongue baths

It has only taken me about 5 repeats to teach my dogs a new command they are really easy to teach. The disadvantage is the shedding but only my yellow sheds badly and my chocolate doesn't seem to shed at all.

Collie, always had collies.

Easy to train, but downside is they need quite a bit of mental stimulation and a reasonable amount of exercise so not suitable for those who have full time jobs as puppies (as older dogs they are actually very lazy)

I have a standard poodle. She is the easiest dog I have ever owned. I couldn't list a single con. I would never have considered a poodle; grew up with working labs and wire fox terriers, rescued a lurcher when I was old and settled enough to have my own.

My husband did a lot of breed research before our next dog as I was about to have dd and he insisted on a poodle. I thought he was being ridiculous, I couldn't have been more wrong! She trained like a dream, adores the kids, is lazy when I am and can run for miles if we are out all day. Never sheds. Never barks unless there is genuinely a stranger approaching the house and then it is only if we aren't around and one or two low toned woofs.

However - her parents had shredded their back garden (her litter was an accident in a family setting who had two poodles) and both barked like maniacs when anyone approached! Obviously breeds have characteristics but each dog has an individual character too which is hard to predict. I chose the smallest and most quiet of the litter as I wanted a not too huge dog who would have a more laid back character.

Had to be a reasonably small size - I’d had a golden retriever before and when she got old I struggled to lift her into the car.

Good temperament - ruled out cocker spaniels here because at that time rage was an issue though I love them.

Did not need a huge amount of exercise - DH loves springer spaniels but I knew we could not commit to that level of energy.

Non moulting - see retriever above.

Intelligent

Good with children and other dogs.

We ended up with a miniature Schnauzer and he was a brilliant family dog.

Pros - all of the above - they really do want to be part of the family.
Cons - we’ve had three now and one of them is a bit barky. They can supposedly be stubborn but the only time I’ve found this is when we’re out walking and they are on the trail of a scent. Need regular grooming.

Although I've always had rescues it's a good idea to research breeds to suit your lifestyle and of course to also fit in with other family members too.
What do you want the dog for? If it's for long walks and better fitness a high energy breed is ideal and if you sang a couch potato certain breeds only need short walks etc.. etc..
I've had Staffs for over 25 years ( 2 dogs both sexes) but after losing them both aged 16 to cancer I waited and after 6 months I rescued a British bulldog. She has dwarfism and after only nearly a year has had Basel widening surgery! I know her medical needs and I accept that she may not have a long lifetime.
She sleeps
She is a sofa melt
She has a lot of gas 🙄
But we love her dearly... sadly many folks see only the wonderful 'looks' of the bulldogs ( thanks to Churchill insurance ad) but they can have many health problems. Good luck in your search.

I have three mixed breed bitches. A Tiny jack russel/poodle. A border terrier/Yorkie and a jack Russel/poodle/shih tzu/ bichon.

They don’t moult at all, which is a massive bonus.

I wanted mixed breeds, as they are usually less likely to have health problems 🤞. I wanted bitches, as I didn’t want them to wee up things! They are lap dogs....very friendly and good with children. They work well as a pack, and are just a wonderful part of our family.

I wanted: medium size short coat non-drooly high energy non sighthound good family cross breed dog (or bitch) wanting long walks. Also affordable & rescue.
I got: collie bull lurcher puppy via a foster rescue. He is all I wanted, but I did wait a decade or more! Dog vs bitch was chance really, the puppy that was available.

Lolol at prev poster who said tail covering bumhole. Was also one of my non-dog-living DH's stipulations 😁

Golden retriever. Priority for us was temperament & being good with children. Also needed a breed that didn't require massive amounts of exercise. I'd had a Springer growing up and love them but can't give the 2hr walks needed to keep them sane every day!

Pros - chilled out, placid, family friendly and easily trained. Beautiful looking. Decent size.

Cons - the fur. Oh god the fur. It's everywhere, it's constant, and as they are double coated they can't be clipped. Also a bit dumb? Not really a problem for us as we aren't interested in training her to do tricks or anything but she's definitely not the brightest star in the sky! In some ways that's good though, DH always says she's just bright enough to train but not clever enough to be naughty!

Went for a bitch as a) less likely to have any issues with aggression; b) slightly smaller and therefore weaker than the male so a better fit with kids.

No regrets. (Except the fur!)

I meant non SCENT hound as my DSis's scent hound is a nightmare. I DID get a scenthound type!

I love a pointer/gun dog. It was always going to be a coin toss between a Vizsla, Weimaraner, Labrador, German pointer...
I wanted a dog I could really trek with, a real walking dog as opposed to a ball playing, fun-and-games, high needs dog. I'm a rather quiet, introverted soul and I wanted a gentle, loving dog who was on my wavelength: Walking peacefully for miles as two good, trusted friends without too much interference.

We got a Lab- Vizsla cross, male.

Pros- he's a total love sponge and he is the most chilled out dog ever. He's got the Vizsla bounce and grace. He's got all the best bits of both breeds. It's as if the Lab in him tempered the vizsla neurosis and the vizsla in him tempered the lab appetite. He's just the best. 5 years old now and such a best mate. And the cats love him. He's just cool. Doesn't hassle other cats, dogs, people... just wants love really. If he can lean on in for a velcro cuddle, he's a happy boy.

Cons- If he's not walked for 2 hours a day, he's a sad boy. He needs his nice long walk where he can gallop like a horse and sniff like a bloodhound. Otherwise, no cons. So obedient and he was a dream to train. We never had puppy blues or anything like that with him. Just a wonderful boy.

1. Border Terrier. Wanted a small dog, hardy, that looks like a dog, and has personality - terriers, that will just as happily climb a mountain (he's done so) or kip on the sofa (prefers this now he is an old man, but would go up a mountain still at 11) or go to the pub.

1. He's absolutely bonkers. LOVES people, personality in spades, loyal to the nth degree, but happy to be left alone. Clever little thing, but stubborn and wilful and they have to know whose boss from day dot, you need to follow through with anything you ask them todo, as if he doesn't want to do it, he'll try his best not to do it! He generally does what he's told as he's eager to please, but often does it on his terms, and doesn't like being told off. Can be a grumpy little sod at times, but kind of apologises when he is! Quick learner and only destroys his own toys. LOVES Christmas and opening presents!

We got a boy. I wanted a girl as didn't want to be humped, but DH won on the proviso that he was done ASAP (the dog not DH 🤣). Snipped at 6 months old and has never humped. Would not change him for the world and would have a houseful of the crazy little things!

We got a Cavapoo as we wanted a good family dog, hypo allergenic (I know it’s not guaranteed), also a dog that would be sociable and gentle. Our friends have a female Cavapoo & that was what we searched for. We ended up with a male Cavapoo and he is perfect. He loves walks/play/run but he also loves cuddles and is so gentle. He’s intelligent and fun. You never really know what you are going to get but he is perfect for us.

We got a lab for temperament, size and looks. We are not keen on small dogs and didnt feel confident with any larger. Also we weren't keen on a high maintenance dog that needed groomers every few weeks or long hair and lots of brushing .

We didnt realise just how much they shed/moult. If it wasn't for the hair they would be the perfect dog. Went for a male just because we both had male dogs as family pets before.

1- what breed and why that breed?
Border terrier. I was brought up with gun dogs and family pets - springers, labs and occasional golden retriever so it was a deliberate (and difficult) choice to move away from high energy dogs. I did a lot of research into the breed and how it would fit with our family lifestyle.

I wanted a smaller dog with a big dog mentality. He delivers!

2- what are the pros & cons of your dogs breed?
Cons- terriers can be tricky to train and BTs are prone to stubbornness!
Pros- BTs are brilliant family dogs with great character. They also live a good long time (15 is not uncommon)

Bonus question if you don’t mind- why did you choose a female or male?
Dog because bitches burn the lawn (husband would be driven mad!) and are a PITA when in season. I haven’t had my BT done because he’s not aggressive or excessive with his leg cocking (but I will if he develops any negative tendencies)

@Sforsh49 - snap !! BTs are brilliant dogs! I hand strip mine myself so no grooming fees

We wanted a non shedding puppy.
We’ve always had recuses but like you say it’s always ‘no children policy’
We had a male as he was the only one left to purchase.

He’s lovely, only barks at the postman, loves kids of all ages and is happy to sleep at my feet, doesn’t require hours of walking.

Finding myself suddenly retired on ill-health grounds , I needed a companion and a reason to get out of bed each day .
I wanted a dog that was : small , short-coated , bright , resourceful , sturdy and in need of a home .
Although I have never liked the reputation of Jack Russell Terriers (fat , bitey , wheezy and with impacted anal-glands !) I realised that was the breed I was describing .
I scoured the internet for months looking for 'my dog' and found her when she was fourteen weeks old . It was mutual love at first sight and she is the best dog ever . She is loyal , respectful , smart , clean , funny and very popular .
She never misbehaves but has a high prey drive and will chase cats. She loves my children and grandchildren and I believe she would defend and protect them should the need arise .

Springers. 2 of them, because one each for me and my DH and he had them growing up. They are good with horses-important-and don’t need a ton of grooming. They’re very intelligent and active, we do dummy retrieval and keep them occupied. Boys because I can’t be doing with seasons/hormones/mess. My horse is also a boy, wouldn’t do a mare given the seasons/moods.

1- what breed and why that breed?
Jack Russell. My favourite breed. Small enough to pick up and move if necessary but huge personality and attitude.

2- what are the pros & cons of your dogs breed?
Pros - full of personality, lots of fun, it's a breed I know well - I've had a JR since I was a teen, very active, very clever, very affectionate.

Cons - very stubborn, very active (see above!), can have an overriding prey drive.

3 Bonus question if you don’t mind- why did you choose a female or male?

Male - I have always found males to be more affectionate. Bitches can be stand offish and more bossy. Also we currently have an entire male (for various reasons we can't have him neutered) and I would not want to try and manage him with an in season bitch (bitch would have to go through one season before being spayed). Spay is a much bigger operation than neutering, and more expensive, but without it the dog is much more prone to hormone induced cancers.

I have King Charles spaniels one male and one female I chose them because
They fit in to your life and adapt to you. They will exercise as often or as little as you wish. They are absolutely amazing with children. They are adorable I've never met a bad one get. They are lazy! They are so easy to look after it's unbelievable. I could not recommend them highly enough. My female is much more needy than the male. She would happily sit on your knee 24/7