Can anyone advise on suitable breed of dog?

[Molesworth]

I was going to put more detail in the title, but this newfangled mumsnet cuts the end off, so here goes.

I live in a flat in central London with no garden and I'd like to get a dog. I've been investigating the idea of a greyhound, and someone is coming to do a home check tomorrow, but I am fairly sure I'll be refused because the two storeys of my flat are connected by a steel spiral staircase, which I know a grey would struggle with. There is a way round this (using the main shared staircase) but it would probably be a bit awkward.

So my question is, which type of dog could I get if not a grey?

I'm after a companion dog for me because I'm at home on my own a lot of the time (studying and working part-time for my partner's business), so the dog wouldn't be left alone much (although it would be nice to be able to pop out to the shops or to the occasional appointment for up to 2 hours without needing a dog sitter). We don't have young children (two teenagers) or other pets. I enjoy walking and we live near parks and have access to a large communal garden in the nearby square (less than a minute's walk from my front door).

I'd rather have an adult rescue dog than buy a puppy from a breeder.

Given the choice I prefer dogs from the hound group.

Although I enjoy walking, I would prefer a dog with a low-medium exercise requirement.

I'm quite keen on the idea of training classes (as much for me as the dog) and don't mind grooming, although generally would prefer not to have to contend with tumbleweeds of fur on a daily basis.

I have a friend with a Staffie who happily lives in a flat and bowls up and down my spiral stairs when he visits, and Battersea Dogs Home is full of Staffies, but am resistant to the idea of a terrier, although I could be persuaded.

Any thoughts?

Sorry, I should have added that although we had dogs when I was growing up, I've never had a dog in my adult life owing to work commitments/small children, so I'm not an experienced dog person.

That was probably obvious from the first post though

Not sure I can be of much help, but there was a similar query a while ago about what type of breed to get, and I suggested doing some of the online breed selectors, which might give a good idea of different types of breeds which you maybe didn't know / hadn't considered.
These are the ones I could find:

purina breed select

animal discovery selector

iams selector

select-smart

They are not perfect, but you put in various factors eg whether you have a garden or not, size of dog you'd prefer, amount of exercise you can provide etc and they suggest a list of breeds that might suit.
I found they were useful when I was looking for a dog as there are sooooo many different breeds and I wanted to make sure I found a breed whose typical characteristics matched what we wanted in a dog iyswim

HTH a little!

Thanks rebelmum

I did look at the Purina selector, but it recommended a Bichon Frise and a Toy Terrier

Will have a look at those other links, thank you.

I'd wait and see what the home check people say. Is there a reason why the dog would need to go to the upper storey of your flat? Retired greyhounds are fantastic, adaptable creatures to have as pets, so I wouldn't necessarily rule them out just yet

Iams suggests a Maltese and various small terriers

Animal Planet suggests an otterhound [wtf emoticon]

My main living area, kitchen and 2 beds are on the first floor and the bathroom and my bedroom are on the ground floor. Weird layout! It would certainly be feasible to restrict the dog to the first floor only, although the homecheck woman said that a grey might not like being left on its own at night.

This thread is probably premature but I'd like to start thinking about other options. Greyhounds are my favourite breed and I'll be ecstatic if I pass the homecheck!

Oh dear .
But I suppose that one was putting too much emphasis on the living-in-a-flat thing.
I actually can't find the one that I used before we got our dog, which I found really useful as you could read about the different breeds once you'd done the selector, and then compare them next to each other.

Of course, the information on these things is not always 100% accurate, but if nothing else it encouraged me to look up and research loads of different breeds I hadn't heard of before, and so I did end up making a fairly educated decision.

We got a Parson Russell terrier, btw, who fits into our family perfectly, but I know quite a few people who don't see past the cute factor and think because she's small she must be an "easy" dog. People often underestimate how much work a terrier can be!!

Anyway, my best advice would be to take time choosing and you will be rewarded with the right dog for you. I'm a bit jealous, tbh, as I'd really like to get a second dog (a border terrier) but right now would not be a good time. Maybe when ds starts kindergarten...

Maybe you need to tick the "please stop suggesting small terriers" box?

Sorry rebelmum, I didn't mean to be ungrateful there! There's a wealth of breed info on those sites, so I'll do some more reading, maybe based on the breeds most commonly found at rescue centres.

The research I've done so far does suggest that terriers are a lot of work. I'm open to being persuaded by a terrier enthusiast

No, no, I didn't for a moment think you were!! My comment was more aimed at stupid breed selectors that think if you live in a flat you need a small dog!

Terriers are imo a lot of work and need a firm upbringing (I'm sure that's not the right word but brain is fuzzy today). Mine is surprisingly lazy and laid-back at home (she sleeps more than a cat) but I think that is only because she lets it all out when we go for our walks. She needs a good two hours of off-lead play and exercise a day, but the advantage is that I can easily leave her alone for half a day as all she does is curl up and sleep on the bed

I actually think a greyhound sounds just right for you (in my no-experience-of-greyhounds opinion!). Really hope the home check goes well for you

I'm not sure I could manage two hours of walks a day plus extra toilet outings

I very much want to welcome a dog into the family but I have to be realistic about the amount of exercise I can provide because I'm a lazy cow

Realistically I was thinking of one major walk per day (of, say, 1 hour) plus a few shorter ones for toilet purposes. Then perhaps a couple of bigger outings per week for a good run.

I think a terrier would need more than I am realistically prepared to give tbh. And I'm a pretty docile person who might not have the firm hand a terrier would need.

why didn't my strikethrough thing work test

Whippet whippet whippet!

Smaller than a Greyhound. Good with stairs. Trainable. You must be top dog. (though ours is not allowed up stairs and knows it. Sleeps in a crate and loves it there - and is happy to be left in there when we are out.)

Needs 2 walks a day - one in morning, normally off lead mad run. One pm, can be on lead. Usually 20 mins, but will be v. happy to have more! In between times sleeps on sofa.

No shedding/no smell.

Pretty.

Lovely snuggly sofa companion.

Not many in rescues though as they are such nice dogs.

VERY chewy as pups!

I'd love a whippet - I'm assuming they have a similar temperament to a grey? As you say, not many in rescue centres, but I will consider the idea if I'm not allowed a grey.

Greyhounds are very big dogs - might not be a prob but some people don't realize just how tall they are!

Also - this is just from my experience, so could have been unlucky, but I know a couple of friends who have re-homed ex racing Greys only to have the re-homing not work out because the Greys have shown aggressive tendencies...
My whippet was attacked by an ex-racer for just running past. (Greys have a strong prey-drive and are used to being muzzled, so I think this one forgot it had teeth iyswim)

BUT that is just my experience, and there are tons of happy ex-homed out there so...

(Because I have younger kids, I decided to choose a whippet from a puppy so I knew we could train and socialize her.)

Sighthounds have a tendancy to suffer from separation anxiety too - my pup did when younger, but absolutley fine now.

Yes, it does seem counter-intuitive to have such a large dog in such a small home, although my flat isn't tiny, but a bit warrenish. However, from the research I've done and the feedback I've had from three rescue kennels, it seems that they often do fine in flats. They are used to kennels, which are a lot smaller than my flat! It's the spiral staircase that's the problem: long skinny legs could get caught in the gaps and I shudder to think of the consequences of an accident.

Anyway, I'll see what happens with the homecheck tomorrow and take it from there

Hi Molesworth

Firstly I agree re the Purina breed selector - I did it for fun, said I'd walk any distance, don't mind how much it costs to feed, I'm at home all day etc., basically everything a dog could want. Guess what it came up with? Just one - a GSD!

Secondly - your stairs. Would it be feasible to put some kind of rubber tread on the stairs? Personally I wouldn't worry about the open nature of the stairs - we have an open (non-spiral) staircase and dogs, cats, small dc's have never had a problem.

Best of luck & HTH

Bella

Thanks bella - yes it would be possible to put a rubber tread/strip type of thing on the treads, or even carpet (possibly). There is a raised design on the treads already, which makes them non-slip, but possibly uncomfortable on sensitive greyhound paws. It's not just the open treads though - there are railings along the side which you can see through, and a gap of about 1.5-2 inches down the side of each tread too

Still, a lot depends on the individual dog. The homechecker is bringing her stair-friendly hound with her tomorrow, so I'll see what he makes of it all.

I should think you'll be able to find a dog to suit.

Best of luck with the homecheck and let us know how you get on

Molesworth, what about this lovely chap?

Whippet X looking for a home

I would rule out a terrier to be honest.I am a devoted terrier owner but they can be hyper,they do need a lot of exercise and depending on the breed they can be "one man" dogs who latch on to one member of the family and get sad if they are left without them.They can also be really tricky with other dogs (again depending on the breed of terrier).All my experience of greys is very positive,they tend to be laid back and gentle,they need less walking than one imagines as they are built for a sprint rather than long periods of running around (terriers are the opposite).only issue is that they can be cat killers,and squirrel killers too,so you need to be cautious about encounters with smaller animals.I think you sound perfect for a greyhound,I hope you pass the home check,good luck.
(my other suggestion would be a rescue mix-breed,anything that you click with and seems the doggy for you to love!)

Slackrunner, he looks gorgeous doesn't he? Very tempted to make an enquiry about him (although curious to know why the family who wanted to home him were turned down).

Hellymelly, thank you for the advice about terriers - tbh the only type I was thinking of considering is a Staffie, because there are so many of them needing homes. I've also spent quite a bit of time with a friend's Staff and he is lovely (although very strong on the lead).

I have met a lot of lovely cuddly fun-filled staffies but they can be really over dominant or aggressive with other dogs .the bitches seem better than the dogs in this respect,unlike jack russels,where the dogs are usually nicer tempered than the bitches.my dog was attacked quite badly by a staffie and if they do get into a fight it can be pretty serious as they are so strong,so i would worry about teenagers walking one,unless it was a bitch.I have never met a mean greyhound,they seem universally nice!

has it got to be a dog? Try this to see what your ideal pet is =0)

I think if in the main it is an indoor dog, a hound is a difficult choice...
Whippets are gorgeous though and beagles too but both need lots of outdoor time imvho