Dog advice really needed - border, Norfolk or wire haired or long haired dachshund?

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Please help with dog breed advice! We have been thinking about a puppy for a very long time but can't decide which breed. After a very difficult time, (bereavement) we are now trying to move forward with this - but what would work best, we live rurally (open spaces, farm tracks) but also travel to work in city from time to time..... thinking Border or Norfolk Terrier or wire haired or long haired dachshund? We have not had a dog before and want to be sure we can meet all their needs. Any help very gratefully received!

What are you looking for from a dog? Grooming, exercise etc? Any behaviours you not be prepared to deal with?

All very subjective but personally I love a long haired daschund. Their characters seem to
be a little gentler then their wire-haired counterparts. I think that’s bc they were crossed with KC Cavaliers to get the long coat.

I love all types of daschunds because they are proper dogs with tons of character who can walk for hours. We live rurally and ours spend a lot of time tracking, digging and sniffing around and walk miles every day.

This physical and mental occupation prevents them from becoming too barky or needy.

They are also very adaptable and great in the car and in town, on holiday etc.

They are very loyal to one person.

As easy as possible and non shedding if possible or am I not being realistic. Worried about running off , any of the above breeds easier to train /manage by a non expert like me?

As easy as possible and non shedding if possible or am I not being realistic. Worried about running off , any of the above breeds easier to train /manage by a non expert like me?

Generally I find terrier breeds can be tricky for novice owners. They're brilliant dogs, but you'd definitely want to put the work in from the beginning.
If you call dogs trust on 0303 003 6666, you can speak to their behaviour support team for free. They can advise on breeds best suited to your lifestyle.

thank you this is really helpful, are they ok going over rough terrain?

thank you that is helpful, didn't know about this line, I will give them a call

We have a Norfolk.
She's a joy, sweet-natured and loads of fun. She's also great with the children .
However, she has a very strong prey drive so recall isn't 100% reliable. She is also a tiny houdini so your garden would have to be dog proofed.
We adore her.

I would say a border, they shed but not much, you have them stripped at a groomers twice a year and that really helps.
Obviously all dogs have different temperaments, but ours has been fab around kids, cats and horses, only thing he hates is birds, but he can’t catch them thankfully!
they are very trainable and have good recall usually.
I love a daschund but friends of mine have had terrible trouble with their backs, they can’t climb stairs or jump up with hurting their spine because of their physical make up. Lovely dogs though!

thank you, I love Norfolks too, a friend has one, that is interesting, what you say matches what they have said too

I love Norfolks, hard to get as small litters. Having said that I’ve had borders for over 30 years and still love them. I do think some more modern lines have issues with being more anxious than my older ones but I still love their temperament. I think they are the most owned by vets which says a lot for their health. But wire haired dachshunds are also very close to my heart…

Definitely would recommend a border, lovely little dogs and super hardy and the vast majority I know have lovely natures. Very trainable and imo the least 'terrier-y' of the terriers whilst still having great characters.
As someone who is a huge dog person and has worked with a wide variety of different breeds I wouldn't recommend a dachshund. They are bred to be independent and vocal (and people are often surprised when that ends up being the case) and that's without talking about all the potential health issues. Honestly most that I've met or trained are super frustrated little dogs because they have the mind of a hound without the physical or mental outlet (in the majority of cases, there are of course exceptions like with every breed)

I wouldn’t go for any of those breeds. I’m not a fan of terriers and dachshunds have poor health.

Get a miniature poodle, they are fabulous dogs.

I wouldn’t have said that daschunds were exactly easy for first time owners.

They are known not to be the easiest to house train for example.

Have you thought of adopting an older dog?

Mine don’t run off as they are trained to command but the male does try occasionally. The female sticks so close that we trip over her constantly!

Their intelligence can be a blessing and a curse when training them. They can be quirky. I would say that they have to have a lot of energy, time, care and attention spent on them as puppies to stop them developing bad habitts like constant barking.

Long haireds don’t shed a lot. Or smell strongly of dog. Ours are very neat eaters.

They are fine on rough terrain. Some people will not agree with this but we don’t wrap them up in cotton wool. My personal view is that the fitter they are, the stronger the muscles that support their backs. We obviously try to avoid a lot of jumping from heights.

Up to you op but my advice for a first time owner would be to adopt an older calm dog from a shelter who in effect teaches you about dog ownership.

Don’t focus on breed but character.

There are plenty available if you are prepared to wait for something suitable; they are given up because of death, divorce or debt. They don’t all have terrible issues by any means. But they need time to settle in and a degree of patience. And an older dog may incur more vets fees.

Also, sorry, I agree with pp that terriers can be s bit tough for first time owners but they are well suited to a rural setting.

Good luck!

Barking. How much barking can you tolerate? Dachshunds are yappy
little buggers and can be unpredictable and hard to train.
Borders and Norfolks are great but prey driven so recall challenging.
id say a working golden but not if you’re bothered about shedding or dirt. They are the worst for that.
a poodle could be a really good call. They are underrated.

Thank you all these are really helpful comments, I shall have a good read through

What about a Cairn or Westie?

I have a Norfolk. She is so gentle (qualified as a PAT dog) but she does love chasing small furry animals and when she starts to chase, recall is zero, so you have to be aware all the time.

If you're thinking of getting a Dachshund then please join a couple of groups on FB like UK Wirehaired Dachshund. They will give you a taste of the joys of owning one and all of the associated problems.

Also read this on buying and owning a Dachshund and read up on IVDD. It does affect other breeds too but is common enough to be a concern with Dachshunds, that's why their insurance is so bloody expensive

Generally though, the Standards are less neurotic than the miniatures.

https://www.dogster.com/dog-breeds

This is a good site for accurate breed traits.
We had terriers growing up, lovely dogs but not the most trainable. We lived in the middle of nowhere so could just let the back door open.

No experience of daschunds, however, a friend has a couple and they suffer from extreme separation anxiety - you would need to check if this is a breed trait as it really affects her life and how long she can leave them for.

We now have an Australian labradoodle who is a joy. Love her. Great family pet. She doesn't shed but she needs a groom every 6-8 weeks

Defnitely a border. Ours is wonderful, never had any issues with her. She's an absolute joy. Also I'd never had a dog before and she was easy to train from a puppy.

No experience of daschunds, however, a friend has a couple and they suffer from extreme separation anxiety - you would need to check if this is a breed trait as it really affects her life and how long she can leave them for.

A lot do seem to suffer with it.

Easy as possible, non shedding for a novice owner? You need a bichon frise

Borders are wonderful little dogs and I’ll be considering one for my next dog but they most definitely are not “low shedding”, the ones I know shed loads, and their coat needs maintenance.

I wouldn’t have a dachshund due to issues with their backs and other health issues. Dogs which have been recently trendy will
quite often have issues due to poor breeding.

Bedlington Terriers don’t shed and they’re brilliant dogs.

If you want easy to train than a dachshund is not for you. They are incredibly difficult and stubborn. Known for being very clingy and separation anxiety too. Lovely dogs but not for a novice or the faint hearted