I need help on selecting a breed of dog.
Here's the brief. I had a dog as a child which we rescued at a few days old, it was not a pedigree dog. We kept that dog for 16 years and it was part of the family and dearly loved by us all. Whilst it was ultimately my mothers job to look after it, I think I do understand that a dog is for life and I am fully prepared to do 99% of the work to take care of it. The other 1%, hopefully more being delegated to my husband and sons ;)
We are living abroad at the moment. I cannot believe the amount of people who get a dog, then decide it's too much hassle for them to take them home and look for another family for the dog. Because of this we have not taken on a dog in our family.
We are returning to the UK and putting down roots. We will be buying a house in a rural area and plan on having quite a big garden. I will be a SAHM initially, with the hope to working 2 full days or part time during the week.
The type of dog we are looking for will hopefully fit into the following criteria:
- One that doesn't mind being alone whilst I do the school run, shopping, or work 2 days a week. Obviously, I would not do this whilst the dog was a puppy. Alternatively, I would put the dog with a minder whilst I worked.
*One that likes children. We have 2 very active boys age 2 and 6.
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I like dogs with personality, although, not aggressive dogs. My friend swears by her retriever, however the fact that her dog sits there all day quietly and she happily tells me that it doesn't bark much does not appeal to me. I do not mind a dog barking and being a bit boisterous. I think that is the normal nature of a dog!
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I am looking for a dog to keep me company and to make me feel a bit safer when I am home alone. I'd like my dog to be able to kick up a bit of a fuss if someone walks on my property.
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Something that does not molt till the cows come home!
Any suggestions for a breed/ type of dog that would suit our family? I am not necessarily looking for a pedigree dog.