DC's & DH want a dog, which breed, where do we go to get one, general advice needed.

[Glassofwine]

DH has wanted a dog as long as I've known him, but we put it off as we had a housefull of babies & toddlers. The children now 7, almost 5 and almost 4 - two at school, one at nursery 4 mornings a week and me at home. We live in the country and have a big garden, but a small cottage so don't want to get too big a dog. DH says he'll get up early to walk the dog, but I know the novelty will wear off and it'll be me doing all the walking. I think I'm ok with that, there are lots of fields etc and lots of other dog walkers.

So do we go for a specific breed?, do we go for a Battersea special? How do we go about getting a dog?

Does anyone have any advice/pointers?

Just a very bump from me. (stuck in a London flat. not fair on any pooch)

battersea or other good shelters like the mayhew in london will match a dog to you and your family. so if you can keep an open mind about breed/puppy they'll make sure you get a pet which suits you. enjoy your search!

agree - rehome from a good rescue centre (not a pound) that will check you out and provide backup - or if you are set on a particular breed you could try that breed rescue organisation. Otherwise go for a reputable breeder who shows/works their dogs, knows everything there is to know about their breed, only has litters once in a while, and is very interested in you and the kind of lifestyle their pup would have with you.

Give the local paper/free ads a wide berth.

Hope you find a fantastic furry companion.

look at this Pedigree site for ideas on which breed to look for.

Where are you Glassofwine?

My beagle should be having puppies this weakend. We mated her with a beautiful Jack Russell terrier, both dogs have a strong 'work' ethic.
We have 5 already spoken for, but I have told her there is no pressure or anything. She is spread out at my feet now

Have you heard of a site called preloved?
You might find something there, even if 'something' is only a better knowledge of what you are looking for Hope you find the perfect pooch

hi , we have just got a cavalier king charles spaniel for our 2 dds , he is fab, super tolerent, almost house trained and cute. they came highly reccommended for oyung children, ours is only 13 weeks old and he lets the 2 year old push him round in the dolly pram!! cannot reccommend the bredd highly enough. oh and the novelty of standingin the garden waiting for him to wee has worn off ....

If you decide to go to a breeder, please make sure that they are reputable and that they have carried out all the necessary genetic tests require by the relevant Breed Club eg, hip-scoring, eye-testing, DNA testing etc (a once over by the vet is not good enough). Steer clear of backyard breeders and puppyfarms. Check out this link, it describes the differences between good and bad breeders breeder comparison

You may find that some rescues (and breeders for that matter) will not rehome a dog to families with children under 5.

Good Luck with your search

glassofwine - one cautionary note - if you have to rely on kennels when you go away at weekends/on holiday, it can be very expensive.

We have a spronger spaniel - excellent with our children.

spronger - lol!

Def go for a dog from a rescue centre. They take a lot of trouble to find out what a dog is like before they put them up for rehoming, so in some cases it's less of a gamble than getting a puppy. Plus the money that some breeders charge for pedigree dogs, which often develop lots of health problems, is quite obscene.
We've got a fabulous mongrel who had been a stray for ages and he's the best dog ever.

The magazine Dogs Today have 'dial a dog' section offering advice on breeds/breeders and rehoming agencies

Did you decide on a dog, Glassofwine? I am just searching the old pet threads as we (okay me and one dc) are thinking of getting another dog. We already have an adorable lab cross which we have had for 2 years now, from a rescue centre, have just lost one of our very old cats which leaves us only with the equally old and dog tolerant Siamese.

I think rescue centres are a great first resort. A couple of my friends have recently bought Cavelier King Charles from breeders but in my opinion, our mongrel is a top dog. Everyone loves him. We're just considering how much more work an additional dog would be. Our current dog was v stressed when we first got him and couldn't be left alone at all for the first couple of months but once we had his trust, he proved v loyal, affectionate and extremely easy to train.

Whippet & greyhounds only need 2x20 mins walk per day as they are built for speed not endurance and generally they are bone idle! HTH

If you google Dogs Trust you will find them to have amazing rehoming centres throughout out the uk. They take a lot of time to find the right dog for you (each dog will have been assessed to see if it is compatible with children and cats and other dogs etc) - make sure your family meet the dog and will teach the kids how to deal with the new dog when it arrives at your home. The will carry out a home visit too to satisfy themeslves that you have enough facilities for the dog. Each of the dogs are neutered before they leave the home too. They also provide access to dog specialists after you have rehomed a dog to help you deal with any questions you might have.

Between us, my sister and I have rehomed 4 dogs from there and each one of them has turned out to be the ideal family pet.

HTH

We looked at various websites and they all came out with a Cocker Spaniel as the best choice for a family with young children.

We have a lovely Cocker Spaniel puppy and she is great with the children - never growls at them, but plays along with the older ones as they tease her. She is a bundle of energy and very good with food (no snatching off plates) but is a bit of a pest chewing-wise.

petplanet.co.uk has an excellent section which details all the info you could need about different types of dogs. Even a bit where you can put things like size of dog you want, size of garden, how long you can walk it each day - then it will recommend you breeds.

My neighbours had a cocker, they lasted about 3 months. Cockers need quite a bit of exercise (or this one did) which they were struggling with (quick walks b4 and after work), so the dog was stressed and ripped the sofa to bits, etc.

If you're going to be out at work or for periods of time leaving the dog then avoid breeds like collies and jack russells.

I'd love a dog, had shi-tzs as a kid. Thinking of getting a labradoodle in a couple of years time.

MrsD how did the puppies go?