Can someone help us pick a dog?

[IamFitzChivalry]

We now feel that we're in a position to get a Ddog!!all of the online breed selectors suggest terriers
We have 3 Dc..2 in school and one at home...I'm also a sahm.pre dc we always had boxers and as much as we adore them we'd prefer to wait til the dc are older to get another,purely because of their boisterous nature

Don't get any dog at all if you are in any doubt at all. If you are thinking about a boxer, go and research, research, research. Our little twinkle-toed collie can knock someone over, caught unawares.

Staffie
Schnauzer
Cocker spaniel

Border terrier? I'm a gundog person through and through but the border terriers we know are fab little characters. Or whippets/whippet x - one of ddog's best friends is a whippet/bedlington x (looks just like a whippet but sturdier) and she is a lovely little dog (not overly blessed in the brains department but neither are the boxers we know )

Border terrier every time.

Dh is very anti-terrier unfortunately ...he has also vetoed spaniels because of 'the rage' apparently

But borders aren't like other terriers.

Agree about spaniels. Nightmare creatures!

Whippets make fabulous family pets. Not too big or too small, sweet natures, loving and cuddly, flexible with their exercise requirements, ridiculously easy to keep clean and endlessly entertaining

We have two shitzus who don't malt hair, are very bright so pick up new traits/habits quickly and are exceptionally good with kids. They are placid, not yappy and content to snuggle up either with you or in their bed. We got ours from rspca as they had to be rescued from their previous home and you never quite know what you may get in temperament but we have been blessed with these two. I keep their hair short as didn't want to groom on a regular basis and they are in great health and extremely easy to care for. Small in size and my boys love them. They are fantastic at school in big groups with kids all around them and don't seem to have "small dog syndrome".

Whippets are fabulous pets. We have a mini Schnauzer. He is lovely' very family oriented. Likes to bark a bit though.

I'll probobly be flamed,but....whippets/lurchers/greyhounds do nothing for me,all the ones I've met are dull as dishwaterruns out

Why wouldn't you want one of these?

Greyhounds are lovely, you are wrong.

Hakluyt...that is not fair!!!!

Greyhounds are lovely, you are wrong.

Ditto for whippets.

They're incredibly characterful, naughty mischievous and funny little dogs

Hakluyt have Borders deliberately evolved the Perfect Teddy Bear Look over the years? Your gorgeous terrier looks like one of the beautiful traditional Steiff bears "Yes I know I'm lovely and I look cuddly but I'm no childs toy" look.

Though I googled Border Terriers and there was a photo of a man, his terrier and about 15 dead rats

Ooh that sounds a bit like I;m accusing the breeders of turning dogs into teddies.
What I meant was, the dogs have seen the value of making themselves as gorgeous as possible and used it in their favour.
That;s as clear as mud

Bedlington Terrier

Just get an older dog from rescue then you can have any size as the boisterousness from puppyhood will have dissipated.

70, Borders are what you'd get if you designer bred the perfect mongrel! They're just fab- full of life and fun, but incredibly cuddly. Up for massively long walks, but happy with a quick trip round the block if that's all there's time for. Not yappy, friendly and adaptable. bit of a bugger to train, though

Mixed breed-always the best :D

I think what your dh is referring to is an old legend about golden cockers getting the 'rage'. My working cocker is a bloody angel. He's completed all the kennel club training certificates and he's a gun dog too, and a bloody good one.

Huh.

I thought the rage was cavaliers, where the brain was too big for the skull.

No, cavaliers have syringomyelia (sp?), which causes massive headaches and movement problems. The rage was a different thing, and I think it was confined to cockers.

Terriers are sassy little dogs. They can be a real handful (I gather working Jack Russells can be hell on legs) but lots of life and spirit.

Who are you calling dull?

It sounds like you need a Nova Scotia duck tolling retriever . Perfect family dogs - medium sized (and curl up v small), fabulous temperament, gentle, playful, easy to train, good with children, don't shed too much - and gorgeous. The only downside is they're still quite rare in the UK so you would have to wait