Thinking of getting a puppy, but what breed?

[kbubbles]

I have always wanted to have a dog, and with all my three children finally at school (aged 9,6 and 4), I feel that I now have the time to give to training a puppy/walking a dog. But I haven't a clue as to what breed to get. I am a SAHM and could easily factor in a walk of an hour a day as well as a couple of short walks on the school run, plus we have a decent sized garden.

Can anyone recommend any books or websites I could use as a starting point for looking at breeds? Or does anyone have any breeds they would particularly recommend?

if you aren't passionate about a particular breed get a mixture bitsa rescue type one.

however - i can highly recommend dachshunds.

I know i should say get a rescue, we have one and he is fab but... Have you ever heard of the curly coated retriever?.

We have one and i am very passionate about them as a breed, they need their numbers boosting to stop them from becoming extinct . My lad is one of 186 in his year of birth. There is apicture on profile of mine. They are fab as af amily dog and very versatitle. They adapt very well. I could gone on for ages about them but i won't bore you but any more questions please ask i am always ready to talk curly .

Have a look here. It should give you food for thought.

There's no right breed or wrong breed per se, just the right or wrong dog for you and your circumstances. I have 2 German Shepherds and a Lab cross but they aren't everyone's cup of tea.

Apart from house/garden size and amount of time available also consider cost of vet treatment and insurance (which I can't recommend enough unless you have a minimum of £10K in the bank which you can access immediately and which you won't miss if it has to go on vet bills and will readily pay without a moment's hesitation), who will look after the dog if you go on holiday and soforth. These should influence a family's decision far more than almost anything else.

Good luck and have fun... but please, do look at my link and come back to me if you have any questions.

Also not putting you off at all but personally I would take a year out! You must have and still be so busy with your three DC and you just have a minute to yourself and you are going to fill that time with poo picking and hoovering dog hairs and standing out in the rain waiting for the dog to wee!

I would (should have!) use the time to go the spa, be a lady who lunches, get your hair cut read a book etc and then see if you do want another 16 years of commitment!

Now if I had followed my own advice I would not be sitting in a muddy land rover in the middle of a forest sadly on iphone waiting for my dogs to dry off a bit before I put them in the car before I go and get my DS from football and drop my DD's at their friends (where was that minute to myself!)

Please also don't rule out the many ways you can get involved with dogs without taking on the expense and commitment of a dog of your own. You could consider walking a dog for the Cinnamon Trust - this would also be a lovely way for your DC to learn about caring for older or ill people as well as making friends with a special woof.

Another option is to visit your local dogs home/rescue - most are desperate for dog walkers. This will also be a good way for you to assess your DC's commitment to the idea of walking a dog.

Thirdly, many dog rescue charities are crying out for foster homes for rescue dogs. The dog is placed with you, the charity funds vets bills, food and other expenses, behavioural support and back up is at hand and this is a wonderful way to take care of a woof before they find or return to their forever home.

Before you make the commitment to a dog, remember that your children will probably have left home before the dog dies, dogs are expensive, can be very messy and you will be tied when you go out as you will need to return after only a few hours. Do you have a good boarding kennel near you for holidays/emergency care? Are you near a good vet? Is your family car suitable for a hairy, muddy woof? Are you also prepared to insist on your DC being taught the right way to behave round a dog, and to strictly enforce a "safe" zone for the dog, and a no teasing/poking/pulling policy for the DC? Are you willing to take the pup or the adult dog to classes? Have you talked to local dog owners about good spots for nearby walks? Do you have a reliable friend or neighbour living nearby who could be trusted to pop in and let out/feed/do short walk if you had to be away for the day?

I ask all this to put you off, because if you aren't willing to do all this, you probably shouldn't have/don't want the full time commitment. Also you don't mention what your DH thinks? Absolutely vital that all adults in the house are signed up for the commitments, costs and changes.

If you are still keen, then you will have fifteen or so years of absolute doggy bliss!

Having two, of course I would recommend getting a staffy! www.thekennelclub.org.uk/item/87 They are great with kids and so much fun. :) Rescue centres are overpopulated with them (mostly because of idiots who buy them thinking they will be fighting dogs and they turn out to be old softies - but that's another story) and they are a really rewarding breed to take the time to train and live with.

(Although should probably add a disclaimer that they're very high energy dogs and not for anyone looking for a quiet life. )

TheButterflyEffect Staffs are actually not one of the breeds you'd typically say have big health problems - no more so than, say, labs - another popular family dog. They can suffer with eye problems. Did you by any chance see that BBC3 programme on all that clandestine pedigree stuff a few years ago? Staffs don't tend to have big problems caused by 'inbreeding' like the King Charles Spaniels/Boxers/GSDs (all lovely breeds btw!) I remember from this prog do, because they are so widely bred (in fact, there are too many people breeding too many of them but again that's another story). But as you say, all breeds have their problems. OP, if you are going for a puppy, you could check with the breeders that the sire and dam (if not pups themselves) have had testing for hip/elbow dysplasia and eye problems. They can get certification for this. It will potentially save you on insurance and vets' bills in the future!

Funnily enough, like TheButterflyEffect, I'm not much keen on Springers, have met some nice ones but more unpredictable ones. Not a breed I would choose to have around my kids but then again I've never owned one and many people say the same thing about staffs, so if I'm wrong I'm happy to be corrected, my opinion is just based on experience.

Otherwise, I have heard that pugs are great with kids, if you're looking for a smaller breed, but again never owned one so can't comment too specifically!

If you are looking to rescue, you have your pick of lots of lovely cross-breeds at your local centre.

Before you make a decision it might be a good idea to go to Discover Dogs either at Earls Court in December or at Crufts (think it's in March) You get the chance to see breeds in the flesh and get breeders contacts too. I did that plus read "choosing your pure bred puppy" which asks you ten questions about things like size, trainability, exercise (in and out of the house), temperament, hairiness etc and then you use your answers to work out which breeds fit in with what you want (rather than you just falling for a gorgeous but unsuitable one) That's why I finally chose a lab, and he suits me down to the ground!

I reccomend any breed offered to you by your local repuatable rehoming center.

I don't believe in buying puppies while hundreds of dogs a day are being pts in rescue centers because there aren't enough loving homes for them.

Another vote for going for a rescue dog. For a long time I was a volunteer with RSPCA and there are so many lovely animals of every description. (Had to rescue a boa once)

Assume you know dog is for life etc. so if you talk to your local RSPCA office they can talk you through all the main points and can give lots of useful advice for the best creature for your setup. (This is as much for the dogs benefit as yours from their perspective!)

If you let me know where you live I can give you a contactname if you like.