Potential new dog

[JustALocal]

Hi there,

We have looked into rehoming a dog or puppy for many months (still are) but have had no joy from Battersea, RSPCA, Dogs Trust etc. We are now considering getting a puppy. Dh and I both work but with flexibility and often at home, plus we have enthusiastically dog friendly child care a couple of days a week!

Having been happy to think about most basic mutts because we thought we'd rehome, we are struggling to settle on a breed now that we are thinking of a pup. Mostly we are finding it tough to find something that fits all of our needs:

-- great with children
-- eventually (obv not while a puppy) fine being left for 6 hrs some days
-- soft to touch
-- needs reasonable but not extreme exercise
-- trainable to be very reliable off lead

Anyone have a dog that fits the bill, and/or knows something that might? We are happy with a cross or a pure bred, but worry about finding a reputable breeder for the former (so many puppy farm stories), so any recommended breeder would also be great.

Thank you!

My dog fits the bill in all but the leaving 6 hrs, but not all her 'breed' are. She's a lurcher - she's as soft as you get. As long as she's had a decent walk she'll happily sleep the rest of the day unless someone can suggest something more interesting in which case she'll happily join in. But she'll walk all day on holiday with no issue.

However lurchers aren't a 'breed' - they're a cross of a sighthound and a working dog so there are lots of variations.

I don't think any reputable rescue is going to really think that 6 hrs is OK - unless there is someone coming in in the middle to let out / exercise. Mind you, I don't think any reputable breeder would also consider homing with you either on that basis. 4 hrs is about doable, but I think 6 is really too long. Some dogs will cope in time, but its not much of a life for them.

Thanks mistlethrush. 6hrs would be v rare, just trying to be realistic (Battersea were fine with that as long as uncommon).

Lurchers are definitely something we have considered (my sister had two previously and we loved them dearly!), but we are concerned about letting of the lead in the city because of prey drive...which is pretty unknowable I think. Thanks v much for replying, very helpful.

Have you thought of an older dog? Smaller rescues can often be more flexible, regarding work hours, ages of children etc. I don't know where you are in the UK, but have you looked at Balkan Underdogs, Action Aid for Animals, Pro Dogs Direct, Many Tears, Four Paws Rescue.

Many will have dogs in foster so they are assessed in a home environment (often/nearly always with other dogs, children etc)

Just as an example: Rihanna

Fantastic, many thanks - we have considered older, but a couple of these rescue places aren't ones I'd found.

Or Lindy at SOS Animals.

It's a leap of faith to adopt from abroad, but if the rescue is a good one, it should have dogs in foster homes, offer lifetime backup and often the services of a behaviourist, if it's ever needed. There are some unsuccessful adoptions but also some fantastic ones. Worth looking around (hours of fun surfing the internet ). Also, if you find a dog you like far away, there is a network of volunteer homecheckers across the UK and also a network of volunteer drivers (if petrol paid) who will help get a dog to you. I help Action Aid for Animals on a voluntary basis and they organise the transport dogs to the UK every 2 weeks (as most rescues abroad do). They then organised a chain of volunteers to get a particular dog from SE Eng to Newquay in Cornwall, so distance is not always an issue.

What about a particular breed rescue? There are labrador rescues and poodle rescues (have found them online for friends as food for thought for friends), many have a lot of info about there charges, and what they will and won't cope with.

Have you looked at guide dogs? Go to the homepage for guide dogs uk and look up homing dogs that haven't quite made the grade .
It's what I am considering - if I can persuade DH

Slightly biased point of view maybe, but in my opinion, a labrador makes a fantastic family pet. I would recommend going for one that is from a working line personally, but they are a wonderful breed on the whole.

A Golden Retriever is all that.