what breed would you recommend for first time dog owners?

[gessami]

hello wise MNers

we are looking to get a puppy soon and have been doing lots of research. but i'd love to have your suggestions.

i have 3 DCs aged 10, 8 & 5. we live in london and have a small garden.

we have never had a dog before (only a hamster!)

our ideal breed would be:

• easy to train
• kid friendly
• lovely temperament
• good for people with allergies
• small-medium sized
• and cute!

we will happily take our dog for a walk daily but we would struggle with a dog that needs a huge amount of exercise.

also please tell me if there's something important I'm missing from the equation! is there something else I should consider when choosing a breed?

We have a llasha apso, she's doesn't really lose hair. Amazing temperament. Loves being loved. Only requires minimum walking and super cute too.
We also have a shih tzu, she's similar but required a bit more training and took longer to housetrain. I love them both but the Lhasa apso sounds like it would suit you!
The grey one is the Lhasa.

This is my Staffordshire Bull Terrier. She is called Shadow, frankly because she is my shadow.

She is relatively easy to train (think very food orientated). Doesn't shed too much. Not aggressive in any shape or form (would lick everyone to death if she could) and is fantastic with all humans (adults and children).

The only thing I will say is you have to give them something to chew on all the time when they are pups because otherwise they will find something you don't want them to chew!

Exercise wise she would be happy with a trot around the block a couple of times a day but I am a runner so she runs with me three times a week up to 10k, on those days I don't do anything else with her because it would be too much (currently she is only 14 months) and on the other 4 days a week I take her for two 5k walks. I did check with the vet with regard to her exercise regime because I worried it would be too much, but my vet said she will be ok.

King Charles Cavaliers are trainable, cute and fairly small. Happy to walk but don't need miles and miles. Need regular brushing but not massive shredders. BUT make sure you get one from a really respectable breeder (I.e through the Kennel Club) as the breed has masses of health issues and ones from puppy farms may be riddled with problems.

We have a border terrier, she's nearly 6 months and a brilliant family dog, eventually she will be stripped twice a year to keep her shedding down. We had a labrador before but went for the smaller option this time and we are not disappointed.

I would actually say be careful of cockapoos as some of them can be very active. I know a few that are very bouncy, especially when young. The cross I recommend to a lot of people these days are Cavachons ( CKC/ Bichon X) and Cavapoos ( CKC /poodle X), as they can be lovely little dogs but you MUST make sure the parents have been heart and eye tested at least. They don't need quite as much exercise as the Cocker/poodle crosses, train pretty easily and are that bit smaller, so good for kids and small gardens.
Unfortunately there are a lot of puppy farms churning these crosses out for huge amounts of money, so you must be super careful when looking for a pup.
and yes, consider the grooming. You can't just leave their coat as they matt.

Aren't most dogs bouncy when young? I have two cockapoos here right now, my own and sil's. Sil's is the laziest couch potato I've ever come across - not even sure I've ever seen him break into a trot, whereas mine is an absolute mix. He loves to play and will bound around on walks sometimes, yet at others trot by my side, and is quite happy to amuse himself and lounge around snoozing at home too.

As with everything, be careful of generalisations. I have however met dozens and dozens of cockapoos over the 5 years we've had these two in the family and the single thing that all owners say about them is how friendly and good-natured they are.

Agree about the grooming though. Mine has a mani/pedi and cut and blow-dry around every 10 weeks or so. His paws are like sponges in winter.

I can only talk about my dog, but our shitzu was happy for the occasional long hike roll in sheep poo but otherwise happy to stay local. We did puppy classes and he followed basic commands. Super soppy & family friendly. I know everyone thinks of them as old lady dogs, but suited us fine. Also small enough to use a large cat flat so took himself out for toileting once trained and is a non shedding breed.

Cavaliers are lovely dogs, but it's not just ones from puppy farmers that have health problems, the breed's in a pretty terrible state tbh.

Clam, Noofly - either of you want to say where you got your (not-a-) cockapoo from?

And do they do that earsplitting mini poodle yipping, which is my one sticking point about poodles themselves?

Mine has a medium woof - nothing as deep as a labrador, but to be honest, sounds a bit weedy sometimes. He actually rarely barks, unless sil's dog is here and then they wind each other up when the postman comes. Sil's is more of a yap, but he's 3/4 poodle.

Noodle came from a farm in the Scottish Borders. The family is big in the local area for training Spaniel trial champs (don't know anything about, just know this is their life/obsession). We know them personally and this litter was a one off. They had people queuing round the block from the moment they said they were thinking of breeding and we were very lucky to get one. I suppose it was the very definition of a backyard breeder, but I know quite a few local popular breeders of various poodle crosses and I wouldn't buy one from most of them (one neuters female puppies before collection!).

I grew up in rural New England and am happy with the farmhouse conditions where he was born, love the Spaniel mum to bits and trust the family about the poodle dad (could have met him, but our time was limited as it was a surprise for the children).

I would say that guy is firm with his dogs LilCamper. He's firm, consistent and kind. The dogs are free to be themselves, are very happy, clearly adore him and want to please him.

I remember seeing a video when I was looking for training tips for my dog. Some guy was showing how 'well' trained his dogs were and claiming that with large dogs you need to be in control.

Poor things were completely cowed, seemed afraid to move without his say so and never made eye contact with him. You can be firm without that sort of control and cruelty. Horrible.

The firm thing...it depends what you mean by firm.

Dogs are like children really, you're aiming for clear consistent boundaries and instructions...

I do think if you have a large breed dog and/or a breed that people are prejudiced against you do feel the pressure more to make sure certain behaviours are dealt with early, jumping up, pulling on the lead, that sort of thing. Because they'll cause you or other people a problem when some people find the same behaviours less objectionable than in other or smaller breeds.

Show line Rotties for instance tend to have the same annoying tendency to be overfriendly and excitable with other dogs as Labradors...but people do not react in the same way to a rottie running up to play as a lab.

Lead pulling or jumping up is much easier to just ignore in a chihuahua than a staffy.

So it does seem more important to make sure your training is in place with certain breeds - it's not right, all dogs should be trained well, but that is how it happens sometimes.

But how you're treating them as an owner shouldn't be any different...I'd train any breed the same way, with the exception of using the reward and motivation that works best for that individual dog.

Miniature labradoodle - probably less bouncy than a cockerpoo (marginally).

any opinions on a French bulldog? (with the funny bat ears)

The only think I know about French bulldogs is that they appear to be rain-phobic.

French bulldogs are nice, big personalities in little bodies, lively and playful without being very OTT in energy levels.

They are another breed with health issues - so finding a good breeder would be really really important.

I know someone with a Frenchie. Very expensive, and seems to be prone to ear infections/problems. Friendly enough though (but his wind is chronic!).

My mum has a frenchie, he isn't scared of anything. Had to have cherry eye surgery as a puppy. He also snorts a lot.

How about a smaller greyhound? We had one before who was quite petite, I think they're wonderful dogs. Not sure if they'd fit in with your size criteria, all dogs seem small compared to ours so my perceptions are a bit distorted.

I also disagree that no dog needs a firm hand, firm shouldn't equal cruel. As tabularhasa said, dogs need boundaries and clear guidance. My dogs all weigh more than I do (and are not friendly), I need to be able to get them to stop what they're doing instantly on command, that comes from endless training and mutual respect and love.

Aren't frenchies really stubborn?
Lurcher or whippet type dog?

My mums frenchie is incredibly stubborn and not very friendly towards other dogs. Most of the French Bulldogs round here aren't especially friendly towards other dogs.

If you are not going to exercise more than once a day then I think that needs to be your priority when choosing a breed.

Most of the companion breeds, and some of the terriers ( not from working lines, though!) would probably suit you, so do a little reading on these and choose one to fit in with your family.

Have you thought about a Bolognese ? It is not a high risk for health problems ( which usually means lower insurance bills and much lower vet bills!)

It's a playful dog, though not highly active ( some of the small breeds can be little balls of energy nutters!) One good walk a day will be plenty. Good with kids, and easy-ish to train as is reasonably smart. It also has the benefit of low shedding so is considered to be one of the "hypoallergenic" breeds.

You will need to groom it though, as their hair can mat. You will also need to keep him/her amused (get the kids to teach tricks!) as they are slightly more intelligent than some of the companion breeds.

Please choose a good breeder.

Good luck and hope you enjoy your new pup!

Miniature Schnauzer. No shedding, love to be with the family, good natured, cute and small.