We're looking for a little dog that acts like a big dog.

[UterusUterusGhali]

DH & I have always had big dogs. (Him boxers, me GSD X, lurcher etc).

We have decided we are ready for, and would dearly love another dog, but if we are realistic we don't have the space for a big 'un in our house/car/garden.

So what breeds should I look out for? (I much prefer mongrels. )
We can't stand yappy, nervous, bolshy dogs. Are all terriers like this?

borders are great, really good fun, will walk for miles and play all day, however my border will knock children off stepping stones so as not to get her feet wet (tis very funny to watch) and tends to be unpredictable around other dogs, this is a breed trait I have found a lot of others borders are similar. You could not wish for a nicer dog at home and with the kids, and she is the cutest thing you have ever seen, looks like a oerfect teddy bear. god I love her. We have a cocker as well and we say the border is more like a cat and the cocker is a proper smelly, silly, muddy dog.

Staffy, staffy, staffy

I grew up with GSDs but didn't have room in our house for one (small garden at the time).

We got a Westie, and have had him 8 years, he is lovely and will always be my boy. But he is a small dog, and being a Westie is quite happy to do his own thing and then come for cuddles.

Then, 6 months ago, we got Patch. A Staffy. He is amazinnngg. He's 6 months old now and he is just beautiful. He sits, waits for his dinner, sits at the road side when crossing, can place his nose wherever I ask him to, paw, belly, learning to bring things back when I throw them , has overcome his fear of water.

He very rarely barks. Usually only to ask the Westie to play. He is wonderful with the children (although, be warned, they are soo agile and bouncy that accidents do happen). He farts like a trouper!

Seriously...I'd read about Staffys, and thought they sounded nice. But he has exceeded all my expectations.

Miniature poodle.

Uterus& Tiddly - my border has never needed stripping, but that's because he moults all the time. A furminator helps. If you really want short hair, then obviously a staffie wins over a border. But borders are lovely and scruffy-looking.

French bulldog. They don't yap, and they have great personalities ime.

I love French bulldogs, they are funny, friendly little things, but they are relatively rare and expensive here. Also any dog that has been overbred to the stage where it can't give birth naturally (most French bulldogs are born by c-section) has gone too far, in my opinion.

DH always had staffs and generally likes bigger dogs (even tried selling me on a Newfoundland!) - I had little ones all my life and am little myself so didn't want to to dragged along dog walks by big dog. We ended up with a Westie - DH very, very happy, I kinda still feel conned because she's definitely a big dog at heart :) regular thug. Bosses around all the big boys in the neighbourhood, doesn't have time for small yappy things. Friendly, scruffy and spirited - more up for a wrestle than a cuddle.

Chihuahua. In their minds they are Great Danes!

I have a big dog,staffy cross rottweiler,that acts like a small dog,he always wants to sit on your lap.

ahh I love hearing good things about staffies. They get such a bad press and it really isnt deserved. The fact that they are loyal and just want to please their owners is a double edged sword as it makes them perfect to have as 'status' dogs when really they are just big softies with even bigger hearts. Ive known many and they all have their own little personalities but they all have the excellent temperament in common, oh and none of them like walking in puddles or going out in the rain . So much for 'devil dogs'

Hope the staffie is still there for you.

I have a Boston terrier. Like a mini boxer but black and white. He is perfect. Currently curled up on my lap but will do huge walk happily. Some people think he is a French bulldog but he is more towards a staffie than that.

I went to look at the stuffy at the shelter today; she is lovely!

She was a bit bouncy, but I guess that's to be expected of a 2yo terrier who's been in a kennel.
She's very muscly. I'm a bit worried about her knocking the dc over. And she mouthed a bit when getting playful.

DH loves her.

Squeeee. I'm really nervous. It's such a huge thing!

Squeee!! They do mouth. Painful when they are pups with needle teeth! IME its excitement of meeting someone new, they chill out. Ahhh hope it works out, they are lovely animals and I do feel truly blessed I have one in my life ()

I think once they get to know the family they really do calm down though, my staffy x is mental when I visit my mum (he lives with her as shes at home all day), knocks me flying and bounds everywhere, my mum who is disabled and very frail has never been knocked by him, as soon as she stands up he stops being mad and calmly follows her. He has also learned not to knock the kids flying either, although once my cousins arm and hand disappeared into his mouth, we were about to panic when we realised cousin had crisp crumbs all over him and my stupid mutt was sucking them off, cousin was giggling like mad, if not a bit slobbery!!

Hope it works out for you, how old are your DC?

My 6 month old staffy learned to overcome his fear of water when I chucked his beloved kong wubba into a small natural pond in the woods

Are staffies always friendly? Have some been bred to be more fierce and then sent to re-homing centres? If irresponsible people are breeding staffies for their fierceness then is that essentially changing their nature?
Sorry for ignorant question, I am genuinely interested. Thanks.

Staffy!!! some are quite petite, and let's face it, you'll be given the choice of A LOT of staffies if you go to any rescue centre.

I keep working spaniels, but would always go for a rescue staffy as a pet. They're the most loving, loyal, misunderstood dogs. and most LOVE to be lapdogs!

Jix- didn't see your post before I posted.

I think it's nurture rather than nature that's making the staffies bred by irresponsible people 'fierce'. I think in the vast majority of cases the percieved aggression is caused by the dog being poorly socialised and fear-aggressive.

Any rescue worth its salt will do a hell of a lot of rehabilitation work and have behaviourists make sure a dog is as 100% as can be before offering it out for rehoming.

ugh posted a reply Twice and been booted out twice.

Hah now it's working, I'll try again!

Thanks for your reply Perry.

I take the point that the rescue centre will do a lot of rehabilitation work before rehoming a dog. But to carry that work forward properly would you need to be a more experienced dog owner?

The reason I ask is we've never had dogs before and our pet experience is limited to one very gentle old cat (died recently) and rabbits and guinea pigs (yes housed separately!).

I don't have any experience of training a dog or being a "pack leader" or any of the other things I hear about. Would that be a problem do you think?

The 2 rescue centres near us are both full of staffies. Is that because they're being bred too much or they're being rejected by owners because of these learnt behaviours?

Thanks again!

Jix Staffies are not naturally 'fierce', it is their desire to please their owners that makes them so easy to train up to be fierce and therefore are popular as fighting dogs.

There are so many of them in rescue as they have been overbred. They are very popular with dickheads who dont appreciate them for the gentle souls they really are, and because they are dickheads they get bored after a while, or cba to look after them properly, or realise that "Satan" would actually rather be sitting infront of the fire farting its head off and grunting happily than standing on a street corner with a load of other dickheads.

You only have to look at how much you can buy a pup for nowadays. We took our girl off a friend whos bitch wasnt kept seperated from his male dog (dont get me started). At the time you would look to pay at least £300 for a pedigree staff, we got her for £100 as she was destined to go to a mutual friend for free, who I didnt think would look after her properly, so we offered to pay £100 for her and that was an absolute bargain. Now you really cant give them away. Such a shame, beautiful, beautiful creatures.

Also i dont think you not having much experience would go against you. Alot of the dogs in rescue are already trained and are past the hardest 'puppy stage' bit.

A good rescue would work with you to find the right dog. I dont believe in the whole pack theory thing anyway and I dont think many reputable rescues/vets etc do either. its just a dog and its owner, living together. Ive heard some crap about making sure the dog knows you are the leader by making it watch as you pretend to eat its food etc, all a load of shit. Just be a good owner, make sure its kept safe and give it routine and boundaries, much like with children

I'd say with any new dog you just go to a good reward-based trainer and take part in training/socialisation sessions. If you're an inexperienced owner you learn a lot about how to look after the dog and you also get a feel for how the dog will respond in different situations e.g. strangers in general, men (some dogs have been abused by men and might be fearful), other dogs/breeds. Looking after a dog isn't that difficult if you do as you're taught by the trainer.

Well I have a Lhasa Apso that thinks he's a Rottweiler if that helps?

Thanks Bats and Hairy. It's always interesting (and reassuring!) to hear from more experienced doggy people. Tbh it will be a bit of a leap for us - I've always wanted a dog since I was a small, but now that it could be a reality it all seems rather daunting! I'm scouring rehoming websites and becoming a bit obsessed. Is it possible to be broody over wanting a dog?? That's what it feels like!!