Ok, this is pie in the sky stuff, but if I wanted to look for a specific mutt/cross breed where would I start?

[PacificDogwood]

We have been vaguely talking about having a dog at some point. I would like to wait until our youngest is old enough to understand about being considerate to another living thing (he is the youngest of 4 boys and his play can be vigorous...).

So, today, in the park, we saw an absolutely gorgeous and v striking looking dog who turned out to be a German Shepard/Husky cross.
This got me thinking, obviously we'd be looking for a family pet with the right personality etc (I grew up with a number of dogs, pets and working dogs, so think I have some idea of what would be important to us), but are there any rescues/animal charities/rehoming places for mutts, like there is for most breeds??

Thank you, oh Wise Ones of the Doghouse. I always enjoy lurking here - it seems to help The Yearning...

Cockapoo (cocker spaniel/poodle cross), no question about it! Cute as anything (see my profile pics), intelligent, and terribly friendly. Just LOVE people: everyone they meet is their new best friend. Lower shedding than most, and therefore less likely to aggravate allergies (although not guaranteed as can't really be sure what you'll get with a cross-breed.)

Not sure, but think I read on here that huskies aren't for novices. Tricky to let off lead as they like to run for long distances in straight lines, not surprisingly!

PD, when you say 'mutt' do you mean a cross between two breeds (a la Cockapoo) or an all out mutt?

If you mean an all out mutt, yes, absolutely! Most rescues I came across when looking had mutts, breeds, cross breeds, and no-idea-what-breed-but-we-will-say-we-think-its-a-lab-cross breeds.

There are loads, depends where you are in the country or you can look at website of big ones like Many Tears which foster out all over the place. We found ours there, originally he was in Wales at their kennels, but got moved to Kent for fostering - just close enough for me to go and visit with youngest dd, who was 4 at the time.

She is now 5.5, and in last few months has been much more considerate of living things

Can I recommend NOT getting a HuskyX as your first dog. Amazing animals, and stunningly beautiful, but they are very difficult dogs to raise. They change your way of life far more dramatically than your average dog, and there's a lot of reasons that the majority of rescues say "Only someone with prior experience of the breed".

Thank you, all !

I am looking for an all out a-bit-of-everything proper mongrel which were the majority of dogs I grew up with (with the exception of the pekinese my parents got for a wedding present and who was evil ).
I am NOT specifically looking for a husky as I know that they need a lot of excercise, but my general, non-directed musings were stirred by this rather striking looking dog - almost as handsome as the Akita/Husky cross I met a while back!

Elibean, I have wasted spent many an hour on the Many Tears website. We are in Scotland and I have to be honest, I am not prepared to travel hundreds of miles for a dog.
There MUST be good rescues closes to home, surely.

clam, v cute pictures .
Shedding is an issue for DH who is by far the more houseproud of us 2 .

I keep coming back to greyhounds/lurchers/whippets as their laziniess appeals to me and there are many, many of them in Scottish rescues, but I am not hugely enamoured with their looks (too skinny, somehow appear fragile to me) and I worry about not being able to walk them off lead or go out without a muzzle. Then I feel stoopid for even considering looks, when really, truly what would matter most is a happy family pet.

Oh gah, deciding to try and have DC4 was easier...

No no no I have a whippet and he is the most cuddly creature ever. He has the most amazing temperament, loves to run and has great recall for the right treat . I could watch him run all day which is a shame because after about 20 minutes he is ready to come home and sleep for the next 23 hours! When he is a bit older I am going to look for another whippet/lurcher as a friend from rescue as he adores the company of other dogs. He never barks either. I love him!

All the other pointies I have met on the beach have been fine off the lead as well apart from one.

I love my dogs and I love walking them but sometimes oh how I yearn for another Lurcher..

Happy with anything, they are.

"A walk? Great! Let's go!"

"You don't feel like a walk as it's tipping down with rain? No problem. Couldn't agree more. I'll just go back to sleep on this sofa then"

have wasted spent many an hour on the Many Tears website. We are in Scotland and I have to be honest, I am not prepared to travel hundreds of miles for a dog.

I live in Sweden and get my dogs from Many Tears. :o

I am considering emailing many tears now and asking them to put my name down for any whippet/lurcher pups that they have in about 18 months time . I only live 30 miles away though which makes life a lot easier.

Kladdkaka, that's dedication to the cause, kudos !

Sooooo, whippets et all don't break when roughhoused played with then??
I have 4 boys...
They are currently in what goes for our garden, but really is a swamp, digging trenches... to trap frops, apparently .

Thank you for everybody's thoughts. Many Tears is an amazing rescue, so might just have to convince DH that a trip across the country is worth it. When the time comes. Not just now, sadly. Boo hiss.

I have three boys...

Well, I have just spent the last 2 days wasting spending hours on Scottish Greyhound et al rescue sites

As dogracing is still so popular, there are so many pups/young hounds PTS or just finished off by unscrupulous owner, it just seems the bleedingly obvious thing to do and adopt one of them.
I am sure once we have one, I will love him/her, never mind their strange googly-eyed skinny looks. Afterall, even DS2 has grown on me, and he was not exactly a stunner at birth .

LostInWales, good to know about your brood not having done your hound undue harm...