To ask you to help me choose a dog breed?

[Landseer]

I’m so conflicted!

We’re in the position now to get a dog but we don’t know what breed to get.

It most be a big dog but with not too much energy, friendly and trustworthy with other animals (such as other dogs and in the countryside) One that will happily stroll for a couple of hours but isn’t climbing the walls wanting to be exercised for hours on end

Any ideas?? Please don’t recommend a Jack Russell - it has to be a big dog

100% agree with greyhound

Lovely dogs, I grew up with them. You will get a rescue off the track.

Op we used to have a lurched deerhound cross and she was wonderful. Very calm.
I also love Irish wolfhounds but they tend to develop health issues early on in life :(

Rescue is my favourite breed 😊

Have you met my beagles? 😂😂

Basset Hound. Basset Hound. Or a Perhaps a Basset Hound?

I am biased, but my hound is amazing and it sounds like the breed might be a good fit for you. I’ve had various breeds over the years - Dobies, Weinmaraner, Rottie and cross breeds - but my Basset truly is the hound of my heart.

She’s spoiled me for any other dog - she’s the most unfailingly friendly, good natured, cuddly, loving dog I’ve ever experienced. Loves a walk and a sniff, but also adores snoozing and snuggling. She’s the only dog I’ve ever trusted with children - if we’re in a beer garden she usually gets a following of little ones, which she adores.

She even cured a friend of DD’s of her bad fear of dogs, ti the point where she now has a small doodle-type that f her own.

I can’t sing her praises enough - she’s hilarious and the heart of our family.

Good luck with whatever you chose - hope you have years of fun and happiness together!

Labrador or Golden Retriever are so
reliable in terms of temperament (which is sounds like is a priority for you?) But if you want lower energy, look for show line over working lines, or a mix.

We have a mixed lines Lab, 1 year old, and she is wonderful. After good hour or
so walk in the morning, she'll snooze all day til 3/4pm when we take her for another 20 or 30 mins.
She's extremely cuddly, kind & sweet. A massive softie.

Not all greyhounds are bad with cats. Our ex racer lived with three cats and wasn't remotely interested .

I've currently got a Staffordshire bull terrier, also had lurcher, greyhounds and boxers before but I would most definitely recommend a greyhound. They are so easy to deal with with, very well behaved and just slot into life no problem once off the track. My mum fostered them when we were kids too, every one was fine with us as children. They are gentle souls.

Lurcher (mine was a greyhound crossed with a golden retriever)
Greyhound
Whippet
Anything with poodle tend to be a bit nuts

We were ‘big dog’ people once upon a time. We had a Boxer, a Rottweiler and then a German Shepherd.
Then my husband got into going beating on a shoot and we got our first Working Cocker Spaniel. We now have 2 and would definitely never go back to a big dog. They are a nice size to have around the house and very loving and very trainable.
I’m not telling you to get a spaniel, but just don’t rule out medium sized dogs.

Have you thought about a medium sized dog? Shiba Inus are pretty lazy, at least mine is! She loves snuggling on the sofa and sneaking into our bedroom for daytime naps. They also basically look like a husky but shrunk down and that gives them a 'big dog' look in my eyes.

Absolutely adore our absolute comedian German Wirehaired Pointer (and he suits our lifestyle brilliantly), but based on your particular requirements, I would caution you against pointers (i.e. English pointers) or HPRs (e.g. GWPs, GSPs, Weims, Vizslas, Griffons and Griffon-types etc). All utterly, utterly gorgeous creatures but, as sporting breeds, their energy levels tend to be pretty full-on across the board!

Please adopt

Rhodesian ridgeback
Very big and strong so ensure you can handle that but the most lovely nature,
a family member has one and the only downside is he seems to get attacked a lot, he’s a big softy but other dogs seem to go for him, maybe due to feeling intimidated but he never retaliates even though he would wipe the floor with most breeds if he wanted to 😢

Greyhound if you just want a dog to laze around and share the sofa with or an older lab. Had my lab since a year old, they do need a lot of exercise when younger - minimum 90 min plus shorter walks. However he just lays about the house the rest of the time. He’s now almost 13 and shorter walks and sleeps most of the day. Happy to come to places, very well behaved, very tolerant of kids and always has been. Check out breed specific rescues as people unfortunately give up perfectly good dogs due to cost or time, so you can assess for children. Puppies will nip and chew so not ideal I’d say to be around young children.

Apart from greyhounds there are very few breeds that don’t need at least an hour a day exercise. And lots need grooming time. Greyhounds don’t shed a lot and pretty wipe clean. High prey drive so careful around cats and other animals. You don’t often see them off leash for this reason.

I have poodles and they are lovely but quite high maintenance because they need stimulation and attention as well as decent levels of exercise to be happy.

Rough collie ticks all your boxes if you are up to the grooming (once/twice a week for one hour).

What about a Great Dane? only downside is they aren’t long lived but they’re lovely. Also love Newfoundland’s - would both be too big for my property but I’m a bit obsessed with dog breeds. My 5 year plan is a golden retriever as so safe with kids but if I had space those two would appeal.

Do it!

Do it!

They’re just amazing dogs.

Totally loving the pics, @Roughcollie !!!

Definitely Labradors. I have three, they get an hours walk each day and spend the rest of the time slobbing out, cuddling and trying to cadge food. So I wouldn’t say overly high energy.

Relatively easy to train utilising their slobbering greed and so good hearted. Also good as warming devices on cold nights, plus excellent with children. I love mine.

I can keep going!

Loving the stereotypes about various breeds. I’ve stuck with springers for 20 years. Someone told me she has 2 and they’re ‘mental’. Of my three, one is very excitable at home, you’d think we”d been on deployment for multiple tours when in reality, we went shopping. 🤣 The other 5 are/were so much calmer, lapdogs but lively when out.

I think a greyhound would be fabulous or a show Labrador. Working tend to be more lively, but lots are failed gundogs because they just aren’t as lively. Same with any breed. Some are hot, some aren’t. Do your research, talk to breeders, tell them you want a calmer dog and let them choose the puppy if you go that route or get an established adult rescue that fits your requirements.

Rottweiler 😍 massive, cuddly and lazy