Thinking about getting a dog

[totoromama]

We are thinking about getting a dog but I have no idea what kind except medium/small.
DD 2 is obsessed with dogs and has been since she was small. We have been waiting until she is bigger and we moved to the seaside over a year ago.
I guess I'm asking for advice.
Background- DH works locally 9-5. I'm a sahm. Dd1 is 11 about to go to secondary and dd2 is nearly 9. We live in a flat but have a large enclosed communal garden area. I grew up with labradors so am comfortable around dogs. DH has had spaniels ,labs and jack Russels.
Any advice would be great!

Labs, golden retriever sounds great for your circumstances. Or a border terrier even would make a great companion for you, we have a spaniel who is great also, older kids are better like yours as they are very bouncy but lovely companions, harder work than those mentioned above xx

Firstly make sure your building are OK with keeping a dog and the neighbours won't mind it in the communal garden (!) then perhaps speaking to a vet practice before making the leap could be a good idea?

Picking the right kind of dog I reckon could be the number 1 way of reducing the number of dogs having to be given up/rehomed because they don't end up suiting the environment...

SIB09's idea is nice, a border terrier could be a good size, especially if it now has the seaside to run about on the beaches!

Speaking from experience it can be very tedious housetraining a puppy when you live in a flat, so it would probably be better to go for a house trained adult dog. Echo the thoughts on use of the communal garden. Has anyone else got a dog? If I lived in flats with a communal garden I think I wouldn't be happy with sharing a space with someone elses dog belting around.

Thanks for the thoughts.
I wouldn't really use the garden unless I was also outside. Also everyone else here works so they are out from 8-5ish. I have a park 5 mins walk. A large park 10 mins away and the beach is only 10 mins.
It's more the size of dog. I love lab size dogs and have no problems walking it for hours it just I know it wouldn't really be fair to live in a 2 bed flat. But I don't want a tiny dog that doesn't/ can't go for walks along the cliffs or needs to be carried.

Rescue greyhound? I'm slightly obsessed at the moment as we're looking at getting one but everything I read say they're great in apartments despite their size.

There is a find my perfect dog thingy on the kennel club website. I used it a few years ago and it came up with a dog i had never considered. We now have that breed and she is the most perfect fit for our family so well done KC!
If you want a smallish breed would you consider a native terrier - Welsh, Irish, lakeland etc? they have all the energy you could ask for for long walks but are happy to accept a couple of half our trots round the block as well. Many of them don't shed and they are extremely loyal to their family.
I ecco a pp in that it can be hard work toilet training a pup when you have a garden outside your back door, it is a lot harder when you live in a flat unless the flat is ground floor and your back door opens onto the garden (I spent many a winter night standing in the garden waiting for pup to wee/poo).

The wolfisjustapuppy , a Welsh terrier is my dream dog! Like a mini Airedale. Followed by a border terrier because their little faces are so scrummy.

Flipper, the problem with a greyhound in a flat is that unless you have a secure garden you are very limited in where you can let them run . They have a chase instinct, are very fast and I would not be happy seeing one run off lead unless it was muzzled. A friend has them and although they don't need a huge amount of exercise and are happy to dawdle along on a lead they do seem to really enjoy a dash around a garden at top speed every so often, and it is amazing to see how fast they go! She also has one who is very sniffy about stairs, so that is another consideration with flats with no lift.

The border terrier often seems to look like a gremlin (in a very cute way) and the irish looks just like Alf .
I am saving up to add a wire fox terrier to our family.

I love border terriers! They are ridiculously cute.

We have a lovely rescue dog who's a mishmash of breeds including border collie, Jack Russell, Corgi, Bichon Frise... He is about 12kg- lovely size.

Here he is (any excuse to share a pic...would you believe I'm not a 'dog person'?)

Would you consider a rescue, OP?

For a small dog that's happy to be lazy at home but also have the energy go on long treks when you want - Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. Just make sure if you are getting a pup it is from good breeders and fully health tested.

*and parents are fully health tested.

And since we are sharing pics not that I need much excuse here is my handsome little fella

Thanks for the tips. Our flat is a bit weird.
We are on top of a supermarket. There are 14 flats in a rectangle shape with the middle being a garden/ courtyard. It's completely enclosed with 2 doors down to Street 1 with stairs and 1 with stairs and a lift.

Have a read about miniature Schnauzers, we have one, they are a great size for a flat and very good family dogs, they love to be fussed over and are good fun too.

Yes I think a terrier type dog would be ideal

Small enough for a flat, energetic enough for long cliff walks.

In your situation I'd go get a rescue. Wouldn't be dealing with puppy training up and down the stairs. DDs are old enough to stay calm for a few days.

Go to the local rescue and see what takes your fancy! There'll be someone whose a perfect fit for your family.

Get a Jack Russell, a proper, big dog in a small package! They are so affectionate and funny. They don't run out of energy, ever. They are a healthy breed in general. They always want to be out running or chasing a ball, they're loads of fun. They are fine in a flat and if yours likes cuddles they are lap sized

Due to the energy there are a fair few Jacks in rescues which is just criminal in my eyes as they are perfect! You sound like your lifestyle is very compatible with one. Plus if you get one from a rescue they are normally toilet trained which is a god send in a flat.

If they aren't your cup of tea then perhaps a staffie?

Nancy- I'm quite taken with a jack Russell.

I don't want a staffie ( I'm sorry this sounds snobby) there are lots round here. And the local shelters seems to be full of them.
Also all the local shelters seems to insist on enclosed garden so I don't think we'll be able to adopt from one.

Not all jacks are energetic

This was my rescue boy. Sadly pts in 2013. He had dementia and possible cancer

He was a right character....hated walking. He was terrified of traffic too. There was also something wrong with his paws. If he walked on concrete too long, (20 mins), they would start to develop sores and he would end up limping

So what did I do? I bought a doggy pushchair and carted him about in that. He got out when he pleaded such as on the river bank, and got back in when he had had enough.

He was such a character

Couple more photos of Nero.

My dad and his friends used to call him Queero

I really don't think you can have a lab in a 2 bed flat. That's asking for trouble. Plenty of small dogs will go for miles.

Terriers can be yappy. Not sure how easy it is to train them not to bark.

I was once recommended a Schnauzer (the smaller ones) by the vet - I don't think they bark much, are very biddable and I don't think they moult much either. Problem is they aren't the big soulful eyes cute kind.

This website has less noisy dogs
dogtime.com/dog-breeds/characteristics/mostly-quiet

OP that's fair enough about the staffs, jacks are preferable in my opinion. Terriers can be yappy but mine isn't particularly, and others I've known have been practically silent. It's not that low intimidating bark anyway it's a little dog bark. I just love jack russells

Sobriquet your pooch was really sweet awww! The energy thing was a generalisation, my current one does a lot of snoozing and whether she is keen to walk is weather dependent! But once she is out walking she never gets bored.