Which dog?

[Woofymcwoofface]

Okay so this is not an AIBU, but I wanted to get lots of opinions from you wise people.

Starting to think about getting another dog next year and looking for the breed to suit us. We normally have labradors but interested in getting a smaller dog this time.

This is our wish list:

• good with children
• doesn't run away
• medium size but with big dog personality (not little man complex 😅)
• travels well in car for holidays
• barks a bit when strangers come to the house
• can be left alone for a few hours without destroying the furniture

Any ideas?

Well our collie ticks all those boxes but it took an awful lot of work!

There are lots of dogs that fit the bill if you are willing to put the work in. My staffie when I was growing up was a fabulous family dog, as was my friends king Charles spaniel!

Our neighbour has a collie - gorgeous dog, but maybe not laid back enough for us!

Why don't you see which dogs need a new home. Pick one about the right size and temperament and train them up

We have a terrier and he fits all of this apart from being medium. He doesnt bark much when people come into the house although he does bark if someone comes towards me while we are out walking. He's amazing with kids, dogs, people, loves going out in the car, doesnt run away as he has really good recall.

My late staffy ticked all those. My romanian rescue ticks them all too. My parsons jack Russell is just little git though.

Most of your list is down to training and perseverance.

Don't get a collie unless you have sheep/are an active member of your local mountain rescue team or indeed to do agility. Even labs don't have perfect recall. Spaniels can be a bit (lot) hyper.

Poodle (not a cross ) maybe with a proper clip not a french bouffant one.

Our Dobermann checks all those boxes but she needs exercise and attention every day.

We have a Springer Spaniel who ticks those boxes perfectly.

Staffy!
Or a spaniel if you can overlook a bit/lot of craziness .

Do you want a puppy or are you open to an adult dog? Are you interested in a rescue?

I have an Australian Shepherd who fits all your criteria. But I would caution against relying too much on breed characteristics. Most people massively overstate the impact of a dog's breed on its behaviour and temperament. That isn't to say that a dog's breed is meaningless; traits related to the work dogs have been bred for tend to be strong (e.g., collies are likely to have the instinct to herd, etc.). But dogs are individuals. Only something like 11% of behaviour is related directly to breed.

Have you thought about posting on The Dog House here? There are a lot of knowledgeable people there. Though there are also some people who are, quite frankly, batty. 😀

Have you looked into adopting, OP? There might be a dog out there that ticks most of those boxes and the rest will be due to patience and training.

We have a Lab who ticks all the boxes but if you’re not looking for another Lab my parents now have a cockapoo who is medium size, she’s not much smaller than my Lab, and she’s a lovely dog who ticks all of your boxes (albeit it took a lot of training to get there but all dogs do). It depends on how much exercise you can give though, their dog is lovely but she does need a good 1.5-2 hours of walking a day, she gets a bit crazy if not!

Go to your local shelter and tell them what you’re looking for. They may have the perfect dog ready and waiting for you.

Staffordshire bull terrier
Border terrier
Norwich terrier - not common but nice little dogs.
I work in a vets , very rarely do we see a nasty staffie and border terriers are usually bomb proof happy souls.
I love a terrier ,usually big characters in small bodies, don't think there are any guarantees about running off or chewing furniture though !

Border Terrier trained to come back on whistle, food orientated so always have a treat. Ours barks and is excellent with children and with other dogs, but they need socialising otherwise they can be narky. Borders go with labs, we had a lab before our Border and when she passed opted for the smaller but thinks they’re a big dog.

she does need a good 1.5-2 hours of walking a day, she gets a bit crazy if not!

People say this so often as if it's to be expected. That's usually a sign of an over-exercised and under-stimulated dog. A Cockerpoo does NOT need to be walked for 2 hours a day!

Springer spaniel ticks all those boxes, they also give the best cuddles!

Rescues will know the dogs they have in their care and will be able to match you with one who exhibits these traits, far more reliably than going for a particular breed and getting a puppy with an as yet unknown personality.

• a rescue

Barks a bit when strangers come in the house. Good with children.

A dog that barks when strangers come into the house isn’t something you should want. Usually it’s the sign of a deeply unhappy or uncomfortable dog - and definitely not one I’d want around children.

I grew up with working line GSDs (ex military) and not a single one of them barked when a stranger came in the house. You can train a dog to bark on cue - to a doorbell, or in one of mines case to particular word- but a dog doing it of its own accord is just badly trained

Is it possible to get a Staff without a strong prey drive? My (rescue) staff was amazing - the most gorgeous of dogs except for this.

My big arse Bichon fits that bill but I've always worked from home so her never used to get left much as a puppy, we went to lots of training classes, I worked hard at toilet training. Many say Bichons are hard to train.... he can be a TOTAL arse! He is stuborn.

Edited to add - my woofer loves a good woof at the postman / the cat from next door / the window cleaner. He is not deeply unhappy, he is just bloody noisy! When he gets fed up of woofing he takes himself off upstairs to snooze in the bedroom where he won't be disturbed! 😂

Whippet. Ours (adopted from a family member whose living circumstances changed sadly) is the sweetest natured girl ever.Never growled ever. Loves everyone. Happy with short bursts of exercise, sticks to my side like glue on walks (apart from squirrels and playing). Happy to curl up for hours. Loves a car ride.Our foxy is also people orientated, is a bossy boots and shit on recall (yes she's had lots of training), but def has little dog syndrome. Adores children and tolerates other dogs.(apart from pugs and frenchies)

golden retriever.. but he wouldn’t bark (ours doesn’)

I've got a border terrier and she fits in pretty well with your list. Great dogs, but of course, they are like people and have their own individuality so just because my girl fits that mould doesn't mean they all would. She's definitely got the spirit of a big dog, I think thats a typical border trait.