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The doghouse

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Original poster

I have a small garden and want a dog. what size?

50 replies

Whoknowswhocares · 26/02/2013 18:04

As title really. We have a medium sized house and a very small garden. It's around 25 foot square, so more a yard really! It has a patch of grass for 'comfort breaks'
Looking to get a dog and want to know if I should restrict my search to very small breeds. I will be taking the dog out for a minimum of an hours long walk with off lead play etc, plus a morning and evening leg stretch on lead at about 15 minutes a time
In an ideal world I want a fairly active dog I can mess around doing a bit of agility stuff etc with and definitely don't want a lap dog. Any advice?

OP posts:
MagratGarlik · 26/02/2013 18:26

We have a small garden, but OK sized house. We have a whippet and a whippet x greyhound. They are happy with the garden because they are not very energetic anyway but get plenty of walks too.

tabulahrasa · 26/02/2013 18:56

My garden could possibly be smaller than yours, I have a rottie - my last dog was a mongrel, but a similar size to my current dog and he had this garden and previously we lived in flats with him.

I have loads of places I can go for offlead walks very close so really I don't think it matters, he has somewhere to go to the toilet and that's fine.

needastrongone · 26/02/2013 21:32

We have a HUGE garden, maybe a third of an acre in total. Yes it's bloody useful (I suspect even more so in summer) but the vast majority of our exercise (springer pup and moi!) is done off lead out and about around us.

I wouldn't say it's an issue if you are committed to giving a dog the correct amount of exercise for the breed.

needastrongone · 26/02/2013 21:35

Caveat is that the large garden was bloody useful before he could go out into the wide world due to injections etc. tons of play and space opportunity for him, tired him out not end just practising recall from one end of the garden to the other!!!!!

needastrongone · 26/02/2013 21:36

iPhone typos lol

Scuttlebutter · 26/02/2013 22:47

As long as the garden is secure, I don't think it matters particularly, since most exercise takes place on walks which are away from the garden. A larger garden is wonderful for training etc but most modern houses have gardens the size of postage stamps. We live in a bog standard new build house and have four greyhounds - all large dogs, but garden is only used for sunbathing, sniffs, a bit of clicker training, grooming and persistent hole digging in one corner Hmm Grin

Beamur · 26/02/2013 22:49

We have a small back garden, but our dog only uses the garden for a last thing at night wee - we walk her elsewhere so it doesn't really matter that much if you're willing and able to do decent walks away from home.

midastouch · 26/02/2013 22:53

There are always greyhounds in need of homes, they dont need a big garden provided you're willing to walk them

Original poster
Whoknowswhocares · 26/02/2013 22:58

Ooh I'm excited now! Seems like the garden is not the issue I thought it was.

Hmmm, the choice is a bit overwhelming though. The kids really want a golden retriever. They do seem ideal in a lot of ways except for the hair all over the place

Anyone got one? How much exercise do they need as a minimum?

OP posts:
midastouch · 26/02/2013 23:03

Golden retriever can be a bit nutty they take a while to grow up. Were you thinking puppy or rescue? The least id think you could give a retriever is half hour walk with some ball play

morethanyoubargainfor · 26/02/2013 23:09

If you like retrievers, have you looked into the curly coated ones? I know I should say get a rescue but theses are lovely dogs but on the endangered list for native breeds (uk). They are lovely family dogs, laid back etc. I have one, also a lurcher and a chihuahua x! Dogs are addictive! We have a fairly small garden as well, and like the other posters say it not really an issue.

They is a picture on my profile of my curly coated retriever,IMHO no house should be without one Grin

Original poster
Whoknowswhocares · 26/02/2013 23:12

I should be ok then! I was thinking an hour minimum a day for a main walk,including copious fetch games etc plus a 15 minute leg stretch first and last thing each day. Plus some clicker training type stuff at home to give him/her some mental stimulation

Not sure about puppy v rescue yet. Pros and cons not yet worked out!

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Original poster
Whoknowswhocares · 26/02/2013 23:14

Morethanyoubargainfor
What a cutie!

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morethanyoubargainfor · 26/02/2013 23:21

Thanks, should just warn you that a curly might not be for you! Especially if you want to play fetch, curlies don't play fetch, they look excited at the ball, they bounce a bit, you throw the ball, they stand and stare at you then run towards the ball. You get excited,the curly gets distracted and walks off in opposite direction, then you try to encourage 'retrieving' the ball, the curly then sticks two paws up at you and tells you to go get the damn ball yourself if you want it, as they have something much more important to do like roll in the damp grass or sniff a sniff Grin. And so the saga continues! Curlies do not do what it says on the tin!!!

toboldlygo · 26/02/2013 23:25

I don't have a garden at all and have working Siberian huskies. I'd need some sort of country estate if I was expecting to exercise them solely on my own land! Walks are for exercise, gardens only for pootling about so really not an issue as long as it's well fenced.

morethanyoubargainfor · 26/02/2013 23:25

And my particular curly get s excited at walk time and it lasts until we get to the end of the road, but then he is on constant watch for a cab, bus, postman, random driver who happens to have the door of vehicle open to take him on the rest of his 'walk'! He does walk for a couple of hours, but only to humour me, who is his staff member. You see you live with a curly, they don't live with you, ever!

I make them sound so appealing, don't I Grin.

Original poster
Whoknowswhocares · 26/02/2013 23:26

Oh yes, fetch is very much on the agenda! I strongly suspect DS1 and 2 will disown me if I get a breed unlikely to play with them! That's partly what draws me to the breed - clue in title and all that

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Original poster
Whoknowswhocares · 26/02/2013 23:29

Toboldlygo
Funnily enough that's just what my dad said. He had a 150 foot garden at his last house, which he says would have been useless in actually exercising a dog. Anyway, the whole point is to get out and about IMO.
Cheers everyone, mind now firmly put at rest!

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morethanyoubargainfor · 26/02/2013 23:30

The curlies love to play, and will spend hours doing it but if you want them to chase a ball you have thrown accross the field for them to bring it back only for you to throw it again you will have to think again!

My curly loves a game of football for instance, he particularly loves to being in goal! He also. Loves to run with the children when they out cycling, and loves a tug game.

GlassTrees · 26/02/2013 23:31

Jack Russell's are small enough for a small garden plus have huge stamina and can run forever. Great at agility and ball retrieving. They never stop! Also great at being picked up and washed down in a sink when muddy so no dirty floors.

They like to sleep in bed with you though. Shock

Original poster
Whoknowswhocares · 26/02/2013 23:32

Your curliest sounds amazing morethan
A real character! I laughed out loud at the idea of him being in goal Grin

OP posts:
Original poster
Whoknowswhocares · 26/02/2013 23:34

Hmm, jack Russell's do appeal, especially since I saw some videos of an amazing little dog Jesse on YouTube today - the tricks were astounding!

I thought they were very hyper though and ran off after squirrels etc

OP posts:
morethanyoubargainfor · 26/02/2013 23:40

He is amazing! I also think he maybe one of a kind! He loves a goal post!! It has to be seen to be believed!

GlassTrees · 26/02/2013 23:45

I've got 2 JRs. They're not hyper, but do chase ANYTHING small and furry. They are hilarious though and sooooo loyal and sweet. Cat sized with long legs. Working farm dog heritage. (The best type).

They get cold easily though and shiver, so they like to be next to you on the sofa, in bed etc.

And they have stinky breath.

GROOVEYCHICK · 27/02/2013 12:14

We have a 2 year old golden retriever
He moults all the time but he's just had a bath so smells lovely
He has a half hour walk in the morning and about an hour in the evening
But my friends goldie is happy with half that
Also have a Siberian husky pup who is 13 weeks old