anyone got a pointer or a hungarian vizsla? anyone want to recommend another dog that's not a lab?

[hatwoman]

been looking into dog breeds for months. I was brought up with a cavalier king charles, and then a cocker, plus my dad (who I didn;t live with) had labs. dh brought up with labs. so i know a lab ticks all the right boxes...but I find them a bit, erm, bland. they just lack a bit of omph. the only downside I can see with pointers and vizslas is that I;ve read they don;t like being left alone. now I have been brought up with dogs and I'm not going into this dog lark with my eyes half shut, but I would like a dog that could cope with a couple of days a week where she/he could be alone - with a dog walker coming in - maybe twice. at the moment it won't be necessary - I'm self-emplyed and work from home, but it might be at some stage in the future.

A pointer and a hungarian vizla are worlds apart from the breeds you mention. Being brought up with dogs is valuable experience but i wouldnt take on dogs like these until you have real experience of traning a dog from scratch.

I have lots of doggie experience, and i would LOVE to have either of those breeds. We contemplated it once, but decided not to. They are WORKING dogs and unless they get tons of stimulation they are going to get bored and restless. That of course could lead to all sorts of problems. TBH i dont think its the leaving them alone for the odd day that is an issue. The issue is, do you want a really full on doggie commitment. Can you provide two really long walks a day, with exercise off lead. Is there space around you to do that?

I'm not saying don't get one, but only get one if you are prepared to fit in with the dog, instead of the other way around oh and if you do [anvy]. Ive always wanted a pointer, i just don't have the time or space to do right by it.

Can I recommend a cocker spaniel, just because we got one this year and he is divine?

He is. Divine. And friendly and nice and dead funny, and not too mad and not too clever.

I have to say, if you haven't got time for a rescue dog in case there are issues, you will have LOTS of issues with a puppy if it doesn't get the training it needs. I have had experience of both. I was brought up with dogs, but they were my parents to train. I had a rottie from a puppy and training him was time consuming but lots of fun, so im not sure i can call it hard work. The puppy stuff is hard. We then took a rottie from battersea dogs home who we knew had issues, it was a whole different kind of tough. It was more of an ongoing, every day training as apposed to the full on training required for a puppy. We now have a border terrier cross. Its a little dog and i was a bit slack about training him (I think this happens alot with small breeds). Now he fits in with the family just fine, hes an absolute star with DD, but he aint gonna win any obedience contests, and my arm is 4" longer!

But it's not that hard is it? Perhaps it depends on the dog you get?

I found it very easy really. All seems quite straight forward and easy.

We thought about re-homing a dog, but then I thought it's a risk whatever they say, to take on a dog with children.

At least if you get a puppy, then you can train it to do what you want or need - in theory at least.

I think everyone should have a spaniel as a family dog. Very amiable, wagging bottom, bit dim, nice ears, licks small people's faces when they cry.

Also they talk. And you can't say that about most dogs.

i agree actually onehundredtimes. I was just saying that if you dont have time for the rescue dog, you dont have time for the puppy. OK so there are different issues. With a puppy you are working from scratch, you have toilet training, fairly straight forward and lead training, recall and bite inhibition. With a rescue, often the basics are covered, othere issues need sorting. Thats how it was for us, it wasn't a case of having to take time out for that sort of thing (more a case of avoiding being eaten at meal times poor old yazz).

Its not that hard, i agree, well it is, but its fun, so you dont notice . I just think that pointers are working dogs really and need a lot of stimulation. But, so are labradors and they are bone idle a lot of the time. There will be lots of springer spaniel owners who will jump up too and say they need to work or have alternative stimulation.

Can't beat a rottie couldnt give a shit whether it walks ten miles a day or not, just don't try and sit on its bed!

ah, didnt see you had a cocker spaniel - they are glorified hearth rugs

They are gorgeous. I haven't seen a dog yet that beats mine. Oh no siree.

Also he has a cool name, and so everyone else likes him. And he's very sociable and thoughtful.

I am very fond.

Also he's a show strain cocker, not working, and I recommend that for companionship and good walking, but not mental and needing jobs.

hi - perhaps I worded my reservations about a rescue dog wrongly - or incompletely - it's both the behaviour issues and (if it were a mutt as opposed to a breed) the uncertainty, and the children thing. re time and space - we have both fortunately. and I am one to to adapt and to stick by my decisions and commitments - if we take on a dog that needs dh and I to give it an hour each, every day, that is what we will do. not negotiable.

having said that I do think that. much as I would love one, a pointer is probably not for us. Realistically it's down to 3 now - a lab, a cocker, or a labradoodle. and I so agree about cockers talking.

Right. Well, let me tell you something.

Labradoodles - this is based on my talking to folk in park ONLY. Three labradoodles there at present.

Owners AMAZED how fast they are, how big, how intelligent, how much they require. Very nice dogs, very bright, and bloody quick, much quicker than expected. I was talking to local dog walker, sitter lady, she said she doesn't think people quite know what they are taking on with them, they NEED masses of stimulation, but are also well-balanced dogs. One of them barks a lot too.

Now your spaniel. Well. They're not going to win many intelligence tests I don't suppose, but god they are charming. And their bottoms wag, and they hang about with you, and they nod at you when you're walking, and will do anything for food. And when mine runs he looks like a rabbit.

Wins hands down

Though OF COURSE, it depends on what you have and what you can give. We can offer two walks, big house, small garden, walks in countryside at weekend. I don't think a labradoodle would like that.

But they are sociable. DH and I work here, and he sits under my desk and chats to me. And then follows me about, waving his bottom.

I don't think it'd work if we were going out to work.

Also, dcs adore him, and him them. He puts up with dd's sudden and unexpected attempts to dress him/train him/torture him too.

They are very optimistic I find.

Herewith ends the case for the cocker spaniel.

labrador labrador labrador . I think they are great dogs. My friend has one in each colour All fantastic with children, all energetic, happy, fun dogs. Just lock the kitchen cupboards.

I hate to say this, but i think the whole labradoodle thing is a rip off. You will get a lovely home bred lab for anything between 200-400 pounds, you can at least double this for a labradoodle and its not even an established breed. Dont get me wrong, im not a pedigree snob,but you can't garuntee the temprement (you cant with any dog - i was nearly bitten in the face by a golden retreiver!), but you just cant get a handle on the characteristics. If you get an F1 pup - That is mum a lab/poodle dad the opposite, you are really taking a chance on characteristics. A second or third generation dog is going to cost much much more. Also you will have to be very wary of interbreeding with such a limited gene pool.

Did i mention, labradors are lovely dogs Someone else mentioned curly coated retreivers - ive known two - absolute stars of dogs, big too - very handsome.

Message withdrawn

ahundredtimes if it were a labradoodle it would probably be a miniature but precisely for the reasons lucyellensmum says it comes third really. we just had a vote at dinner time (I feel the need to emphasise this was an ad hoc spur of the moment non-binding vote not some formal democratic family decision-making. I keep telling dds that our house is a benign dictatorship not a democracy )....lab 3 (dh, dds) cocker 1 (sad). damn fools. they don;t know what they're missing. and I had just resigned myself to a lab when I come on here and ahundredtimes gets me right in the gut!

and I have to disagree about intelligence. our cocker was bright as a button. when I was leaving to go to university at the beginning of term he knew exactly what was happening and on one occasion proved it by jumping into the car and refusing to get out.

all youhave to do now is decide on the colour - i saw the most adorable little chocolate lab pups yesterday - just gorgeous.

Noooo. Fight back.

Though I like labs. They are very reliable. [damns with faint praise].

Oh yes, I think mine is intelligent. In that he knows when it's time to do the school run and looks at me, very much hoping to get a ride in the car please. And he's emotionally very intelligent. And I can tell he knows how to tell a good joke.

But doesn't bother with all the fetching, leaping for balls carry on. Quite right too. He's too busy grinning at me and nosing about in bushes and rushing up to total strangers to say hello.

All that character. I do like Labs, I grew up with them, but they are the stockbroker to the Cocker Spaniel's whizzy freelance person who is interested in the environment, and does some work sometimes for the council.

Get a pointer.... they are wonderful dogs, so calm and placid, we had one as a child, an my aunt used to breed them.

rIGHT, ive completely changed my mind GET A POINTER - go with your heart. If you get a lab you'll be whatiffing left right and centre. You have the space, you have the time, you have the energy - go on, you know you want to

I have a gorgeous dopey lab.

I chose him purposely as before him I had a wonderful Weimeraner who was a terrible, terrible thief and far cleverer than I was. She could open the fridge, the aga (ffs!) and in her time ate the pill, contact lenses, cough medicine, a whole ham and all the cooking liquor, several whole joints from the sideboard, a huge professionally made birthday cake (whole and with the candles still in - I left it in the kitchen to get the camera!) and countless pilfered bisuits and plates of baby food/rusks/crisps.

I adored her, but she was utterly exhausting.

I would go for dopey dog every time now - and Lab suits me just fine!

What type of dog is Pippin from 'Come Outside'?

she is a tibeten terrier, and aren't they lovely They are very intelligent and get bored easily.

I want a pointer

This thread is bad, im now reasoning about getting anotehr dog - arrrchhhhhhhhh

Ahhhh, im questioning myself now - i think she is a bearded collie - they are quite similar i think. Oh, you know what - i don't have a clue Anyone else???

pmsl at you lot! and esp at ggglimpopo's weimeraner. dh's lab was reknowned for his thieving. his choicer moments were dh's mum's cancer drugs and 2 pounds of lard (played havoc with his bowels, had to be banished to the garden as the smell was so bad). he also had a penchant for fox and cat shit. saved emptying the litter tray I suppose.