What dog breed?

[ProfCoxWouldGetIt]

After many years of gentle nudges DP has finally relented and agreed to let us get a dog (he'll be doing most of the caring, so I had to have him on side)

But we're stuck on what sort of dog would be best for us, so I was wondering if the guru's on MN had any advice on what breed/mix would be a good fit to our family.

I used to breed GSDs, and grew up with lab's, rotties, and a variety of mixed breeds (although most had a basis of lab somewhere in the mix) so I obvioulsy favour those breeds because I know them, but DP is dead set against GSD's as he thinks they're too posessive, thinks labs are a bit slow and stupid (although lovely) and he won't get collies as his parents have two untrained working collies who are a nightmare.

So our requirements are....

1. Gentle with DD, and happy to be around people and our cats (I think a lab type would be great for this)
2. It must be large enough to cope with a 10 mile run, with us on our bikes
3. It must be smart enough to train to run with bikes and have a decent recall (I think this is mainly down to us, but have heard that pointers have bad recall as a breed)
4. It mustn't be too big (Not Great Dane size, as we'd like it to be able to fit into our house
5. Ideally short coat or low maintenance from a grooming point of view.
6. Must be a fairly active dog (don't want a small dog that will require carrying everywhere)

So - fire away, tell me I'm stupid and will never get all these things met, or is there a good breed or mix that would work well for our family

Thanks

i would recommend a german shorthaired pointer (totally biased ).

just reread your message. My pointer has amazing recall so not sure where that came from????

I have your dog.

Golden Retriever-cross-Staffy-cross other bits and pieces: short haired, gentle and calm, loves all people and dogs, bright and trainable, very nice looking, medium sized, sociable.

He did steal my apple earlier, so if you made me an offer in the next three minutes.....

Seriously, go have a look on some rescue websites - look at dogs that are in foster care, so you know how they are in 'real life'/with kids. And my brother has a GSPointer, with very good recall (now he's neutered!).

Any gun dog type would suit you, really. It might be worth touring your local rescues, and seeing if one jumps out at you :)

Elibean, can I have your dog if I replace your apple? :)

Would love a gun dog, are they ok runners, for a long run in the woods?

Labs aren't slow or stupid - they're one of the more intelligent breeds and very trainable!

Depends what you replace it with, Prof

Go have a look at reputable rescues - with gun doggy (which includes labs, retrievers, spaniels etc) woofers in mind. I did, and I got DogMouse, who is really very nice apart from his apple fetish.

Ephiny - i agree with you, I've had some lovely labs, but DP has only ever met the big bear lab retriever types all of which have been sweet as pie, I think he's confusing stupidity for that "I'd do anything for a cuddle/food" that labs generally have (and in fairness our neighbours lab is really daft - but so loving)

Elibean another apple? choc? ?
BTW - I have to ask DogMouse? is that really his name? I love it!

Dalmatian? They were bred to run alongside carriages, so a bike should be a doddle - they generally need more exercise than most families can give them. Not sure what the recall's like, but the one we bump into on our walks is a sweetie with other dogs/people.

A working lab is not remotely dumb mine are in full control of my life.

And they can run for hours. SF (untill his accident) worked all our dogs (7 between us) and they can work all day when you get their fitness up.

They can also do just fine on an hour a day when they are not at peak fitness.

They are good with DD and the cat the cat is not so good to them

And they are easy to train!

Labs, stupid? Really?

Never heard anything so, just, just wrong. There is a reason so many of them are trained up as assistance dogs, detection dogs and the like. It's because they are not only incredibly bright, but also very keen to learn and even more importantly to please.

That applies to all Gundogs, but none are as easy to train as a lab.

And any gundog will run all day. It's what they were bred for. To work and retrieve game all day long.

Actually, I think most ADULT dogs I can think of would laugh in the face of a 10 mile run and ask for more. The dogs I know are all pretty fit.

But, any dog will struggle with 10 miles flat out though, so if you're doing all downhill or a long fast road ride, a dog would be best left at home. Also, you would be ill advised to do that sort of exercise with a large-medium breed dog until it is fuly grown, ie 18-20 months old.

GSD's can be fabulous family dogs don't write them off either.

I did have one lab retriever from a rescue possibly my favourite ever dog, not that I have favourites, and he was thick bless him. You name it he would stand on it, knock it over, trip it up - he was fab.

SF took him out picking up on a posh estate and daft dog fell in a well type thing - cue all the dog handlers piling in to help and dragging him out. Two mins later he was in again, it was fun - he had a whale of a time apparently. SF wouldn't take him back!!

Hi,

Try a Hungarian Wire-Haired vizsla, another gundog, easy to train, great with children, medium sized etc.

As you have bred before you will know all the problems with bad breeders, however there are so many puppy farmers about, beware!

Good luck with whatever breed you choose!

S.

We have 3 labradoodles. great with children, very smart, dont shed, all slightly bigger than a lab. They do need LOTS of exercise, if thats what you want. But they are very sociable family dogs and they dont much like being left on their own

Springer. Ours go for 10kruns regularly with dh. They would happily go further. Both great with ds. Although one can hurt with his waggy tail

Thanks all for the feedback, hadn't considered vizslas, i think they're stunning dogs.

Just to put some minds at rest, when we get a dog, we'll defnitely go easy on it and make sure it's fully healthy, old enough and capable of doing a 10 mile run with us, until that stage it can come out with DD and I to our local meadow for a good charge about and we're lucky to have lots of woodland near us which is perfect for long lazy summer walks. Also all rides will be relatively flat (with some minor exceptions, but definitely won't be riding on the road or doing any down hill stuff with the dog we get

@oreocrumbs I'm so glad someone else has encountered a dim lab, I was begining to think I must have met the few exceptions.

Great info about Wire-Haired Viz on www.hwvc.org.uk, also there are 2 breed clubs for the smooth Vizsla.

Sounds like the dog you choose will have an idyllic life!

Short-haired lurcher? For an intelligent dog you'd need to see what the mix was

Rhodesian ridgeback wonderful dogs

Prof, yes, his name is Mouse (and I am old enough to remember a song about a brown earred dogmouse, so....) and choc should do it

The Vislas and the Doodles I have met have been gorgeous, but oh my goodness the energy. Manic/nutty spring to mind, they'd be too full on for me (and dds) but yes, lovely looking dogs!

BTW, I did get Mouse from MT and I do have two young dds (7 and 4 at time). He was 5.5 months old, and we picked him up from foster in Kent, never went to Wales (think I put all this on another thread of yours, but just in case ).

you want a choc lab op

I have a labradoodle, often known as "Lummox" - she's a shedder though. Lovely nature but very greedy and not the brightest.

Everyone says greyhounds make wonderful pets and there's always some in rescues. Don't know whether they can handle exercise and they always tell you they don't need lots of exercise. But meant to be wonderful gentle dogs.

I have the softest, sweetest, and brightest Dalmatian which I would highly Reccomend. She can run forever & I often take her on bike rides, she NEVER has a lead, she does all sorts of tricks, including play dead (the kids love that one) she excellent with other dogs & always comes to recall. She is well mannered, doesn't jump up or paw at you (unless you ask) and she wouldn't dream of taking food off the table/counter top.

As a puppy, she never chewed anything but her toys & I've not had to bother with a crate/cage. She has integrated fab within a busy house (she's 18months) and let's kids play & touch her even when she's eating.

She has lots of black spots & is so striking, people are always commenting on her beauty & confirmation. If you want a unique dog to stand out then a Dalmatian will suit you & the whole family.

A good breeder is essential tho & my breeder wouldn't let her go until she was 12wks so she wasn't shocked by changes so young.

Good luck & happy dog hunting :)

We have an FS1b mini-labradoodle (when reading mini dont read 'handbag dog' - he's about size of average sprinher/cocker if not slightly bigger) doesnt shed his hair as has curly fleece. Neither size noe hair type can be guaranteed obviously but good breeders should be able to have a rough idea when the pups arrive. Claased as mongrel not pure breed by KClub so cheaper on insurance (!).
Very loyal- almost to the point of driving you nuts being a shadow and not wanting to be apart from the pack. V good with DS from birth. Havent found a walk/run/ride/mileage he cant hack, yet will crash out after a walk however big or small - which is nice!
V easily trained- and they have a lot of aptitude to go far with training.

...yet still small enough to pick up under my arm when I need to shift him out o the way super quick/get him in the bath!!

Best of luck- such fun ahead with a new doggy!

Can I have one of each?

I hadn't really considered poodles or a mix, as I thought they'd shed, but will definitely look at them.

I had a ridgeback growing up and they're lovely dogs, can you get them in the UK?