What breed do we want?

[Richocet]

Looking for some puppy advice. We want a dog, a puppy, have wanted one for ages and feel we are at the right point in our lives to be able to accommodate one. Hoping that you guys could give some suggestions if I explain a bit about our family....

We are a family of 5. Me, DH, and 3 DS aged 6, 3 and 1. DH grown up with dogs and has experience with working dogs. Me, no experience.

DH: Works full time.
Me: SAHM for at least the next 18 months and will then be attending a part time college course, going on to University.
DS's: All confident with dogs.

We live in a largish house in the countryside. Surrounded by fields after fields.

We holiday once a year, to France, on the ferry (we are 30 mins from the port) so possibly will take doggy with us.

We have lots of family, one family member in particular will be more than happy to help with dig sitting etc if needed.

So... what do you think?

Should add, I have a couple of breeds in mind, but want un-biased opinions!

My opinion is that your children are far too young for you to be considering a puppy and as you are home most and will be doing the training etc. you need something easier and more relaxed.

I'm gonna vote for a rescued Greyhound as your first choice and an older (4yrs +) SBT for the next choice.

Ime puppies and small children are a match made in hell and I am the mad dog lady who will put up with almost anything. I have been drievn to tears by puppies mixed with small children. Think constant nipping, biting, scratching, jumping up (all made worse by over wrought youngsters who won't play by the rules and not screech like a banshee and dive on the back of the sofa thus ensuring pup thinks it's best game ever), chewed up toys, steaming piles of puppy shit that your youngest then picks up.....

German short haired pointers are my favourite .

How long do you think we should wait? Trouble is, when they are older I will be full time uni/work. Plus, I really want them to 'grow up' with a dog. Is it really that bad?

It's worse than you could possibly imagine. You'll be fine with an older dog. the cute puppy stage hardly lasts five minutes anyway and is a nightmare from start to finish.

You can get youngish Greys. Mine was less 18 months old when she came to us as a failed racer. Your boys would still have 10yrs + with a dog that age.

I'm keen to put in the work, I really want to train a puppy... It's not just about the 'cute' factor

If you're determined to go down the puppy route I'd go with Many Tears Animal rescue and think less about breed and more about the pups indivual personality.

You can get calmer pups who would be more suited to younger children. They are few and far between but they exist. A former poster on here promised me my Whippet pup would turn into an over excited bundle of fun. I am still waiting 18 months later I demand a bouncy, exciting puppy!!!

Many Tears will know which pup is likely to be calmer and less bouncy, nippy etc. You might have to go onto a waitng list but that is a small price to pay to ensure you get the right dog for you.

You still need to expect and be prepared to deal with chewed toys, tears, a bit of blood (from pup getting too excited and nipping a bit too hard) and toilet accidents at the most akward times. I vividly remember trying to explain to my 18 month old that if she did not wave her blanky wildy in front of the puppy and then start squealing when the pup grabbed it to play tug with then it would be much easier for me to train the pup not to do it . She didn't seem to understand my logic

Training puppies is not easy. It's all too easy to accidentally train a puppy to do something you don't want it to do.

Can I advise you start by reading Gwen Bailey's Perfect Puppy?

As an aside watching a former racing Grey grow in confidence and settle into life as a much spoilt and loved family is very satisfying.

I'm knew to all this (although had dog when growing up), but having had our puppy for two weeks now I can honestly say it's exhausting!!! I have 2 DSs, 10 and 8, who are quite independent and I can rely on them to be sensible but the pup is into everything, chewing constantly, waking up in the night etc, I don't think I could do it with younger DCs. Plus if you are working f ull time in a few years, who will look after the dog? I don't want to put you off, just want to be realistic. Gwen Bailey's book is great, and this one too Ian Dunbar puppy book

new not knew typing one fingered, pup asleep on lap

We got a black lab pup this time last year and he has been fantastic with our youngest who was 2 at the time.

Very cuddly, tolerant of being constantly handled and harrassed and not at all phased by the noise level in this house!

We didnt even consider a rescue dog purely because we wanted to know the full background from pup stage and meet the parents. No guarentees, but it made us feel happier especially because of DS's disabilities.

We put all of our energy into finding a good breeder which took us 8 months in total but worth every minute of the wait.

A lot of hard work but loads of fun.

I had a GS before and she was beautiful but far cleverer than our lab and needed a whole different level of stimulation and exercise that i couldnt commit to with the childrens needs.

Goodluck and i'm sure everyone on here can recommend some great rescues if you decide to go down that route.

Without wanting to go on and on about rescue dogs it is a complete myth that all rescue dogs are unknown quantities. Many have been raised in family homes and are in rescue through no fault of their own due to marriage break ups, home moves or financial strains. If anything a pup is more of a risk. Raising a dog from being a puppy does not automatically mean that it will like or even tolerate children as it grows into an adult dog.

Many are in foster homes with children, Greyhound charities in particular prefer to work with a network of home based fosterers rather than kennels. Many Tears also has a large network of fosterers around the country and have fosterers with young children. I am myself fosterer for two local rescues and have a cat, two other dogs and two young children. My fostered Grey is by far the dog I trust the most with my children. My Whippet (we raised from a pup) has a tendancy to air snap if they bother her too much and my terrier, well the less said about him the better but he is a pound dog which is a whole different kettle of fish to rescues.

I would not advise anyone to rehome a dog directly from a pound. I think this is where the misunderstandings come from. Many people get rescues and council pounds confused and many people call their poundie a rescue. Pounds do not asses the dog or the owner and have little interest in what happens to the dog once you leave with it.

Rescue dogs are often the best option if you have no interest in showing the dog, especially for families with younger children or inexperienced owners.

We got a Border Terrier puppy, 18 months ago. I live rurally and have two DSs who are now 2 and 7. We found it very difficult to find a dog through a rescue that met all our needs - i.e ok with children, other pets and livestock. So a puppy was the best option for us.

It is a bit full on for a few weeks - the puppy and the baby were fine - the 7 year old though - aargh! Small boys seem to love to encourage bad behaviour in puppies and the puppy saw him more as a litter mate tbh. However we worked through those ishoos and Sprout is the most lovely dog, with adults and children now.

My DC were 5 and 6 when we got our springer cross lab ( 2.5 yr at the time) and he needed quite a lot of work& training as he was mistreated in his previous home. Hard work but very much worth it. I wanted this cross but didnt want a puppy for all the above reasons and there are so many dogs waiting for a loving home. Took me 8 months before he came along. ( can alse recommend Many Tears)

I've always wanted a dog but couldnt have done it when kids were little without compromising either the dog or the DC. Dogs need 3 walks a day whether it rains, snows, strong wind or lovely like today.

I knew what I was letting myself in for ( so I thought) but its a lot more. More cleaning up, vets, training, kids needed guidance too as what was acceptable and what not ( and so did dog virgin DH).

I work 3 days a week and have a long lunchbreak so can go home for lunch and walk him but ideally could do woth that time to catch up with colleagues and extra work.

However its great having a dog, gives the kids a sense of responsibility and to look after. You get out, meet more people and they are very loving but I personally would wait till the kids are older.

Springer& labs are a great crossbreed!

Thank you everyone. We are intent in a puppy I think.

Our breed short list is:

Labrador
Whippet
Cocker Spaniel

Labs and cockers have enormously different exercise requirements to whippets.

Both the gun dog breeds need 2 hours of exercise a day, and for happy mentally stimulated dogs you should imo get them doing activities they were originally bred for.

If your lifestyle can accommodate these exercise requirements, and you think you will have the time and energy with a young pup to do all the training and socialising required to get a well behaved, calm and responsive dog then go for it. Fwiw I would not have been able to commit to the puppy traing stages or the adult daily exercise requirements with dc of your age.

I would say whippet (but I am biased ). I've got two (had four previously, but lost my two old boys over the last two years). Perfect family dogs, playful, robust and brilliant with small children. Extra bonus points for not wanting to go for walks when it's raining/really cold. Although, they do like their home comforts and trying to keep them off your sofa would be a waste of time and energy!

Of the three, in your position, I would definitely get a labrador! Especially with your rural surroundings. I don't have a dog yet but am on a waiting list for a retriever. they are beautiful in every way

Boris makes an excellent point. My lab doesn't give a stuff if it is pissing it down, in fact the more mud and water logged wetness the better. I have great waterproofs and wellies but even then I have to say I sometimes curse the day I got a lab when I am trudging down some godforsaken footpath in the syphilitic pissing horizontal bastard British rain with the fool dog gallivanting about in mud coated Labrador utopia.
Doing this with a one and a three year old .

I occasionally bump into a cocker owner walking in the opposite direction. Last time we met Holy Hell the rain was lashing down and there were little streams running down over the front of our hoods. She looked up at me and said grimly
"Have Dog. Must Walk" and I nodded grimly back.
None of that nonsense with a whippet.

I'd suggest a Labrador too - and one which is bred and reared in a house, with children, noise and life happening around it. And ideally where both Parents and grandparents are properly known by the breeder.

Oh and gun dogs don't need two hours of exercise a day. A lovely trainer I know has all his dogs live outside and exercises each one for half an hour a day and they are absolutely fine and fit as fiddles. If he had to work each one for two hours he'd only have five or six dogs and be out all day!

I have a working cocker and he has half an hour a day. He's only a little dog!

MrsjasonBopurne - is that true? Half an hour a day?! That must be because there are many dogs and they live outside. - I was assuming a good hour off lead for a GR or labrador at least once a day?

We are close to the beach... No mud there

KC here recommends labs need 2hrs + a day. Interestingly they say that cockers only need one, but I wonder if this is averaged for both working a show cockers. My own experience with working cockers is they are very busy little dogs who are not only able to keep up with me and my dog when we are going for our long walks but are also constantly 'at work' busying themselves in hedgerows and brambles.

My mates with cockers walk them for about 2 hours a day.

We have a SBT and she fits in well with our life style (great with the dd's, is happy to walk miles or lounge on the sofa, short hair so doesn't get too smelly), i would also consider a grey hound or lurcher. Spaniels are lovely but can be a tad crazy for the first few years on their lifes (we grew up with one and it destroyed everything as a pup and didn't really calm down until it got old). Labs are also great if you are in the country (love long walks, also great working dogs).

Then your mate clearly has nothing else to do! No one needs two hours of walking a day!