Suitable dog

[Ronnie1234]

We're planning to get a puppy / dog for our youngest is 7 & is desperate for a pet, we've debated & promised her for a while & now decided the time is right as recently her nan lost her dog & we had said it's not fair to introduce another dog around Nannie's dog as he was old.

Please could I have some advice on suitable dog breeds, daughter wants a lap dog type that she can pet, baby, look after, take for walks but doesn't need huge amounts of walking, can be left alone at home for few hours in days - up to 7/8 hours maximum but I work from home some days so won't be every day

All dogs need company, training and exercise as a basic requirement so if you're not able to meet those basic requirements you should not get a dog.

There are no dog breeds that fit your requirements imo 🤷‍♀️

A dog has needs. You’ve not said anything about grooming or training or exercise or anything you can offer a dog. A dog isn’t something for a young child to “baby”. Don’t get one.

I am not irresponsible
Sorry but we are going to have to disagree there, @Ronnie1234
But you stick your fingers in your ears and refuse to listen to sensible advice because your daughter wants a puppy and a (poor) puppy she will have.

Why is it that you think your are right and everyone else is wrong? Perhaps that is something to think about rather what breed of dog is to become your victim.

Nooooo please don’t tell someone who thinks a dog is for babying to get Guineas! Guineas take a lot of work and you need to be knowledgable.

In the two days I work in office it normally wouldn't be more than 5 hours I was quoting worse case scenario

How will you manage this with a puppy? They physically cannot hold their wee/poo for that long. You need to be home with them to toilet train & to gradually increase time away else you will likely end up with a dog that toilets indoors & has separation anxiety unfortunately.

Very few breeds will be happy with short walks - are you able to commit to an additional daily walk as well as your child, in all weathers?

Just a thought - would mother in law be willing to have the dog on your office days, as she lives so close? Then you wouldn't be leaving them alone for a long time.

I predict if you get a dog it won’t be long before you’re back on here complaining about your badly behaved young dog which isn’t house trained, barks all the time and has recently started growling and snapping at your daughter.

I know - I have three piggies - but they are far more suitable pets to be left alone than a dog, & well-socialised piggies are usually happy to sit munching on some coriander while you stroke or brush them.

They need a lot of space, hay & the right viggies, & a knowledgeable vet, but other than that they are quite straightforward (well, compared to dogs!).

I'm not sure what OP means by being babied tbh - surely no-one could mean dressing up / pushing around in a pram?!? I thought she meant brushing, stroking, lots of fuss which my piggies would love provided there were snacks

You want a breed like a labradoodle maybe they seem popular,but not a pup get one over a year old so it's housetrained etc.get a dog walker or doggy day care in place first as you will need it, especially with a young dog like that.you won't manage with a puppy with working,it is like having a newborn they are babies.for times like 5 hours you'd need one walk,7/8 you'd need two when thinking about dog walkers.think about all the costs involved first including dog walking, insurance,vaccs etc,they are a big expense.
Also re the leaving thing,it's not an abstract animal welfare thing,it's literally that dogs are the kind of animal you can't switch off,they are all go and if alone and not doing things they will make up their own things such as chewing/barking and many other behaviours that come up because of the lack of stimulation,it is just a fact that a dog needs alot.whatever breed they are they are descended from wolves and are busy things,it's like having a whole new busy family member.

I know the pet will have requirements obviously will be registered at a vets, require grooming, possibly dog training sessions. Obviously lots of work involved for us as a family too.
We have a horse which we've managed to feed, look after, daughter rides for 3 years. We know & understand work!
Walking is not an issue as with or without my daughter I can walk the dog - I average 15,000 steps a day between my walks & runs so the dog can be involved too - obviously at the right time.
Believe it or not I've kept two children alive & well brought up.
I'm not sure how other working people manage when they get a puppy - give up work for a few months maybe?! I'm in a fortunate position to only be in office two days a week.

With regards to looking after yes my daughter wants a more placid dog that will probably let her brush, have cwtches I know you can't 100% say a dog will like that but maybe there are breeds more suitable to those requirements.

I came on here for suggestions on suitable breeds & feel I've like I've been shouted at for considering a pet purchase!

There isn't a live dog that fits your criteria. 7 year old wants to walk a dog, seriously,you would be happy with her out on her own! At 12 years old, I allow my DGKs to walk oldest border collie, and our toy. Just round the block.We had a Phalene, almost 18 when he was PTS. Lot of grooming required with him. He was a cuddly lap dog when he was younger. We thought very long and hard about getting a puppy. Tried countless rescues in England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales, every one was behavior problems,no children, even visiting, reactive to people, dogs,cats, bikes, older dogs which I didn't want,a huge amount of staffies. We did get a puppy, another border, she's now 9 months and we will leave her a maximum 90 minutes, with our other dog while doing the weekly shop. Get small cage animals or fish.

The child will get bitten but the op won't take any responsibility for allowing the dog to be manhandled and the blame will all be on the dog which will be rehomed or destroyed.

I came on here for suggestions on suitable breeds & feel I've like I've been shouted at for considering a pet purchase!

And so you should. Your life isn't suitable for a dog, your reasons for getting a dog are ridiculous, and what you are suggesting is cruel. Posters are angry because they see this time and time again. It will be the poor animal that suffers because of your actions.

This sounds like a recipe for a dog who is left alone to bark for ten hours a day, will be bored and therefore eat furniture but it will be the dog's fault not the human's, and will be "it's ok he's friendly" when uncontrollable out in public.

Poor dog.

Don't do it for your child. My friend did this and the child almost instantly didn't want to play like this any more. That was just a stage they were at. The dog is mostly ignored by the child and is very much my friend's dog.

Even dogs bred to be lap dogs won't sit on the lap of children: too small, too bony, too wriggly and don't sit in the one place for dogs to get comfy. A child can't take a dog for a walk alone.

Even two days a week is too much to leave a puppy unsupervised. Any dog under twelve months tbh.

My golden got his jaws stuck around the bars of his crate at twenty weeks. I was watching him when it happened - he managed it before I could move. Best case scenario you end up with a dog with severe behavioural issue. Worst case, a dead puppy because it’s eaten something It shouldn’t or hurt itself. And you cannot shut a dog in a crate for seven hours - so will you give it free run around a kitchen?

You don’t get a living, breathing creature because your kid misses her grandmas dog.

You say you wanted breeds? Here’s your answer: There are no dogs suitable for you. Literally every puppy requires supervision nearly around the clock for the first six-twelve months.

Also, small dogs are not recommended with children as they can so easily be hurt/ stepped on/ dropped/ wriggle out of arms.

A toy dog is a dog. Not a toy

My SSus can leave her very, very chilled DDog for 5 hours and she only does that in exceptional circumstances.

There no way I'd be considering a puppy or dog if I was out of the house so much.

How about Guinea pigs, a rabbit or a cat?

The problem is @Ronnie1234 that the breeds that would pass as lapdogs are generally the worse for being left alone . Have you considered a Siamese cat ( or 2) , they sound like exactly what your daughter wants and are the most dog like cat - play fetch and love a cuddle .

The dogs that most want to be cuddled tend to be a group known as companion dogs. They are also the ones that are least happy being left alone. You will need a dog walker the days you are out. I’d suggest a dog isn’t ideal, but if you absolutely want to do it maybe find an older rescue than a puppy. If you are determined to get a puppy then join the fb groups of breeds you are interested in and see what owners are troubled by and see if it’s a game changer for you.

If you are determined to get a puppy then join the fb groups of breeds you are interested in and see what owners are troubled by and see if it’s a game changer for you.

That's such a good tip. I'm on a few FB groups set up for the breed we have.

We get some people (very often) who say things like "help me, my DDog is doing x,y & z and it's driving me crazy".

X, y & z will always, without exception be breed traits that they should have known about before choosing to get the DDog.

Please don’t get a dog. I would never leave mine even once a week for 5 hours let alone 7-8hrs. That’s cruelty.

it is clear from your OP and responses that you don’t understand the commitment.

Thanks, we left the groups we didn’t like the sound of and got one from the last group we were left in and he’s been an absolute joy (Minature Australian Labradoodle).