Page 4 | Best dog breed for an inexperienced owner

thisisit77 · 2022-06-06T19:12:45+00:00

Just that! What would you recommend? I have a medium sized garden, I only have time for one walk a day/possibly 2 small ones

B0ssAssB1tch · 19/06/2022 20:16

Words · 19/06/2022 05:50

Just read your OP again.

One walk a day???

You shouldn't consider any kind of dog. Please don't even think about it.

Don't be so ridiculous. Plenty of dogs would be ok with one walk a day.

B0ssAssB1tch · 19/06/2022 20:27

Ragwort · 19/06/2022 20:13

Genuinely- without wishing to sound sarky - but why do you want a dog? You say you are inexperienced and can't spend much time walking the dog (what will the dog be doing all day?), so why do you want one? Is it just a 'trophy'? I am not a dog owner and would never want one but there are so many irresponsible dog owners around.

Exercise and stimulation for a dog isn't all about walking. My dog is a chihuahua cross. He gets about an hour of exercise a day across 2 walks. In between we play with him in the garden, do training, give him puzzles and kongs to play with, he naps quite a lot. He's a perfect weight and very healthy. Brain games and training wear him out a lot faster than walks.

We didn't get a Labrador because we don't have hours a day to do nothing but walk a dog. We got a small toy breed dog because that's the kind of dog we could offer a home to. You can't say the op isn't a good home for a dog based on what she's said in the op.

coffeecupsandfairylights · 19/06/2022 21:50

Ragwort · 19/06/2022 20:13

Genuinely- without wishing to sound sarky - but why do you want a dog? You say you are inexperienced and can't spend much time walking the dog (what will the dog be doing all day?), so why do you want one? Is it just a 'trophy'? I am not a dog owner and would never want one but there are so many irresponsible dog owners around.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with only walking a dog once a day (or just doing short walks) as long as you pick a breed that's suitable for that kind of lifestyle.

Pretty much all of the companion breeds would be fine on two half-hour walks a day, and even some the so-called working breeds would be fine on an hour a day as long as they had plenty of company and mental stimulation on top.

There's so much more to dog ownership than just having time to do long walks.

SarahSissions · 08/07/2022 21:01

Sorry to say if you only have time for one or two shorter walks per day then i don’t think you have time for a dog. It’s not the time walking them that you need or is important, it’s the time to spend on training them. And it doesn’t sound like you have the time to do that

EraOfTheGrey · 28/07/2022 21:09

The Havanese isn't a terrier but a companion breed and they don't like being alone. If the OP is home and can squeeze in 2 x 30 minutes walks a day then this breed would be ok. The Havanese is clingy and will be happy on a willing lap or by/on OP's feet. Would be terribly unhappy to be left alone though.

PritiPatelsMaker · 28/07/2022 21:46

Have you decided yet @thisisit77?

KatharineofAragon · 28/07/2022 21:49

kateandme · 19/06/2022 05:07

Borrow my doggy op.its very trendy now too so will give you lots of options.basically someone loved your dog like you do when you need them to so this could be your extra walk,babysit.
Collies can be ok with not being ran every ten seconds! Gosh this always comes round if anyone dares mention them.if you have them from birth and settle into your routine of works beautifully.thry are clever and do need stimuli. But that can come in many forms.and they truly are the best,loyal friends out there.

They need at least two hours of off lead exercise a day as well as lots of brain activities. They are very hard work and not for a first time owner.

Lovemusic33 · 28/07/2022 21:54

People are just going to recommend the breed they have or their favourite breed 😬

Im going to recommend a mixed breed, a rescue?

I think it really depends on your lifestyle, if you want a dog that only needs one short walk a day then I would stay clear of any gun dog/working dog breed, I would go for something smaller or a greyhound if you want something a bit bigger. Staffies and labs are probably my favourite but a lab needs quite a lot of exercise.

Lovemusic33 · 28/07/2022 21:55

And I agree that a collie is not a good idea, they need a lot of stimulation, they need jobs to do to keep them busy and long walks (they don’t tire out easily).