Breed suggestion?

[Methenyouplus4]

I'm around 12/18 months we are looking to get a dog so I'm currently researching the best type for our family and thought people here might have suggestions.

In the past, we've always had lurcher from the rescue centre but (because of younger children now), I don't feel like we have the time for the hour or so walking we used to.

We are currently looking at Daschunds but our general criteria is:

1. Happy with about 45 mins walk each day (15 morn, 30 min eve).
2. Okay to go for longer walks at times (on weekends we walk for maybe 3 hours).
3. Could fit on a car seat/knee/footwell for car journeys.
4. Good with children.

Any recommendations?

You want to leave a dog for 8.5hrs 3 days per week? Without even a dog walker? No dog should be left that long. RSPCA, PDSA, Dogs Trust, various other dog welfare organisations, all advise leaving for no more than 4hrs at a time. Many dog welfare organisations are starting to point out that 4hrs, dog walker, then another four hours isn't really good enough either.

My DSister has a Daxie/terrier cross who is 14 and hasn’t had any problems with his back but he’s exercised way more than that.

She works 3 days. He’s walked a mile each way to doggie daycare and gets exercised there too. On her days off, she takes him out 3 times a day, one usually including a swim in the local lake.

I think being so fit has helped to protect his back

Thank you all again for taking time to respond. I was basing walks on previous dogs (older rescue dogs) that were lfine to be left that length of time a few times a week as long as they were off the lead for the 30/40 minute walk later. Reading your comments, I obviously need to reconsider that with a new puppy.

I havery taken into account food/insurance but not a dog walker. I imagine cost varies in different area, but could anyone advise on what they charge? Might have to tentatively ask around locally, as I said, we are just at the research stage.

I defo would be happy with an older rescue dog but think our eldest has his heart set on experience of having a dog from a puppy as he has only been around (our) older rescue dogs. He's desperate for a tiny toy type dog (I blame all the youtube video he watches) but worry that they would be too fragile for our youngest (who would be 5 by the time we get one) and wouldn't cope well with our long weekend walks.

With a puppy you might find toilet training hard if you left them alone for that length unless you timed it with the school summer holidays as you need to be around to train them and they simply can’t hold it for long until they are older. Dog walking around me is around £10 for group walks but as a puppy they can’t be walked far at first so you might find that you need frequent ‘puppy visits’ initially. I was fortunate that my puppy went to day care when he was a young dog for company and then as he got older he started to join the group walks.

Don't write off tiny dogs as being incapable of decent walks. Some of the toy breeds are actually really bright, active and buzzy little things. Papillons, for example, are pretty popular for the smallest height brackets in agility competitions. Not strictly a toy breed but toy poodles are another really active little dog. That said, an intelligent little dog who is up for hours of walking at the weekends may well not be satisfied by the shorter walks during the week and would also need plenty of mental stimulation on top of the physical exercise.

It is worth bearing in mind that puppies of any breed aren't going to be up to doing really long walks until they're more mature and as a general rule the larger/heavier the breed the more conservative you need to be when it comes to exercising them as youngsters.

Puppies are very cute but they are very hard work, just have a read through the puppy survival threads here in the Doghouse! The biting especially can be very hard to deal with when you have kids, as can making sure nothing beloved/important or potentially dangerous for the puppy is being left within chewing/eating range.

Another thing to consider is that if you're intending to get a puppy at a specific time (presumably the start of the summer holidays) then you may actually find you struggle to find a decent breeder who happens to have a litter available at exactly the right time.

Finally, I'd recommend having a read through the various resources on the Doghouse sticky thread, there's all sorts of great dog/puppy related information on there.

I’ve got a yorkie. Little superstar. He’s puppy stage so active at the moment but so far just a happy little chappy. Will walk all day, or skip a day with no disastrous consequences.

Toilet training is hard unless you spend all day every day with them. Ours isn’t left more than a couple of hours at a time but it means i’m not there every single time he pees to take him outside, so it’s slow going.

But generally he’s a clever little thing that loves people and other animals.

One thing with tiny dogs though, i do think you need to train them as much as you would a big dog. You can be lax and get away with it as you can just scoop them up at times of trouble, and a small dog launching itself at a child tends to be seen as cute. But mine is trained to sit, recall, not to jump up, walk off lead etc, and it definitely makes life better for them.

Good point about not being able to get a puppy just before holidays. I'very had a look out of curiosity and it seems there is much more availability for whippets then Daschunds and a huge difference in £, which would actually make a dog walker much more affordable to get us through the first few years.

Lots of food for thought. I think we will do our best to 'borrow' each of the dog breeds we are interested in (we have friends certainly with a few of the ones suggested here). While I know each dog is an individual due to nature/training, it would be good to get a better grasp of size etc.

I have been looking at Google images at some of your suggestions and find some of the breeds look a bit (and I don't mean offence ), funny. The French bulldog/ papillon etc. I think I am just used to a more standard 'dog'. I'm trying to keep am open mind and not judge on appearance!

If you can sort your working day situation then a border terrier may be worth a look. Very much a proper dog just in a small body (not that he'd admit the small bit). Ours can walk for hours but also loves to laze about/play in the garden. Happily comes along on any day trip we go on and doesn't take much maintenance other than occasional stripping.

You just need to decide if you're up for the terrier challenges!

If you're anywhere near London then Discover Dogs is well worth a visit. There's also a Discover Dogs area at Crufts which is in Birmingham next March. It's also worth going to dog shows in general, especially the bigger championship shows. I've always found people very willing to have a good chat about their particular dogs and their breed.

Actually meeting lots of examples of the breeds you're interested in as well as chatting to experienced owners/breeders is incredibly useful when you're trying to narrow down your shortlist.

I can't advise you as I don't agree with you leaving your dog for 3 days . Sorry but it's plain wrong.

I second Discover Dogs. You can get up close to all the breeds and the owners love to chat to you about them. It opened my eyes up to more breeds that were suitable to my household than I had previously considered.

I have a standard short-haired dachshund, he's my second. I have to start by saying I agree with PP that your working day is too long. I think you'd be asking for problems. Certainly no way you should get a puppy.

But in terms of the criteria in your first post - dachshunds are very adaptable in terms of length of walk. They really don't need that much of a walk every day (and if it's raining would be at the idea) but are extremely capable walkers. OK, so they might need a lift over ladder stiles or at the top of Pen-y-Ghent, but they can do the distance (last year he did a 20km, no problem). The comments from walkers surprised to see a dachs up a mountain get a bit old ('you've worn his legs off', 'was he a dobermann when you started' ) ... their legs may be short, but that length accommodates large lungs, and they've got a proper snout so no breathing problems. (You really don't want a short nosed dog at all if you're active)

Character-wise - they're individuals. Both of ours were fine with kids. Obviously DD was brought up to treat them properly and not allowed to lift them until big enough to do it with proper support. The first one was somewhat highly strung and had a traffic phobia - we couldn't walk him near roads. This one is very laid back.

We have a French bulldog and honestly they love kids! We have had ours since a puppy and she is the perfect size for medium walks and sittiting in the car.

I have been looking at Google images at some of your suggestions and find some of the breeds look a bit (and I don't mean offence ), funny.

Which of course dachshunds aren't at all.

Not sure where you are but at Discover Dogs in London in October and Crufts NEC in March they have breed stands so you can talk to owners of various breeds about the pros and cons of each.

I too would recommend going to Discover Dogs and looking at different breeds. Also talk to some owners and get an idea of what each breed is like, what their needs are etc.

I also think Borrow My Doggy may be a good idea for you as you can "borrow" different breeds and see how you get on. It will also let you see the work involved in having a dog.

I really do not think a puppy would work in your house. A puppy cannot be left for 8 hours. For a start a puppy needs feeding 5 times a day, they need to go in the garden at least every time they have eaten, they need training (not just toilet training but lead training, training not to chew etc). They also need company.

If you leave a puppy that many hours you are asking for trouble. They will be bored so may be destructive or they many cry, bark or whine for hours. They also will mess in the house and it will be very difficult to properly house train them.

Even an older dog should not really be left that amount of time. Could you not afford doggy day care? A dog walker is ok but is still only going to be for an hour so the dog will be 7 hours on its own. That really is not fair on the dog

You certainly need to sort your work days, but hopefully you've grasped that. Far too long to leave a dog without attention and outdoor access.

If you think you will struggle to afford the vital dog walker, you certainly can't afford a poodle cross, or anything else that will require similar regular professional grooming, so don't forget that. (Let alone the ridiculous prices charged for the puppies in the first place ...) It is staggering how every post enquiring about dog breeds seems to think they're one of the best options LOL.

In addition, the poodle crosses I know, whilst being charming little dogs, do NOT tolerate being left much at all. My neighbours' one in particular cries pitifully on the days they leave it, from start to finish, poor love. Yes, I have tackled them about it.

Again, if money is an issue, please do not overlook the importance of doing your homework and buying right, ensuring that you look at breed club websites for all recommended health tests. Obviously, if you are buying a crossbreed, you need to ensure that both parents have the recommended tests for their breeds, crossbreeding does not magically negate this whatever breeders tell you. A cheap puppy can be a very false economy in vet's bills.

Whatever puppy you get, you also need to be able to afford a good insurance policy too, all the more important if you need to watch the pennies. The healthiest dog in the world can have accidents that cost £000s.

Oh, and it goes without saying to make yourself aware of the evil puppy farming trade. If you do not take all possible steps to avoid it, you are supporting it.

Oh, and it goes without saying to make yourself aware of the evil puppy farming trade.

Including (possibly illegal) imports. dachshunds (particularly minis) are 'enjoying' a surge in popularity... obviously you need to be extra careful with any breed which is suddenly fashionable. (pugs and french bulldogs also). I've seen a lot more mini dachshunds around in the last year. I think quite a lot are from non-British stock, which may not of itself be a bad thing - many seem to be shorter bodied and longer legged than breed standard pedigree which is possibly better if (and its a big if, and must be hard to ascertain)they've been bred and imported with high welfare standards

Ok so rough timetable:

First two weeks - you at home to settle puppy in, establish toilet training and crate training.

Next two weeks - work on toilet and crate training and begin to leave puppy at home for half an hour to an hour.
Next two weeks - walks out on lead to work on socialisation and lead training. Again, only leaving puppy at home for an hour at the most depending if puppy is able to be left.

Next few months - building up to being able to leave puppy for a couple of hours to four hours at the most.

Next few years - only leaving dog for maximum of four hours. Six at a push if he's able to hold a wee but only if absolutely unavoidable. Minimum of an hours dog walk a day.

So, either consider a dog walker or buy a cat.

Hi, just to reiterate- having read previous posts, I WILL NOT be leaving a puppy while I'm at work. Presumably people are reading my original posts and responding to that.

I'm asking advice as I'm just at the research stage so taking everything thst is said onboard.

How does puppy daycare work? I'very not heard of it before, any idea on cost?

Good point about £££ of grooming. In a couple of years we'll be much better off financially but even though we wI'll have more disposable income then, I'm not sure I want to spend it on dog grooming.

Yes, would defo get insurance. Dogs I'very had in the past have both had major operations (1 leg, 1 stomach) so would have been well into the thousands.

I love the borrow a dog idea. We live in the North so dog shows may have less selection but will google&try to find some options.

Puppy farming - I don't know much about this but will Google it. I was suspicious of something of that nature as when I was looking (out of curiosity for cost/availability) on Gumtree, I thought it questionable that certain sellers obviously had about 16 puppies for sale from 'family pet'. Is KC registered breeder the best way to avoid this? I know the other option is rescue dog (which I still haven't totally ruled out but will need to think more about).

Avoiding puppy farms is a hellish task, to be honest OP, but look online and I hope it will make you vow to try very hard.

• Always see the puppy with its mother (but bear in mind that many dealers will put in a substitute mother to fool buyers anyway).

• Always Google telephone numbers on adverts to see if they come up with lots of adverts, for one or multiple breeds/crosses.

• I absolutely know that this is not a set rule, but if I were a novice looking to buy I would avoid anyone who was selling more than one or at most two breeds.

• A licensed breeder is rarely a good thing.

• KC Registered is no guarantee of quality - nor is Accredited Breeder (or the incorrect term Assured Breeder) - but by 'eck any dog that COULD be KC reg and isn't is far more likely to be dodgy. Pedigree pups that are sold unregistered 'because the breeder wants them to just have loving pet homes' or similar advertising blah, are more likely to be bred from dogs that are too old, too young, had too many litters, or were plain blocked from breeding in the first place, possibly because of some health risk.

• Whether people like it or not, the fact is that there are very few reputable breeders of crossbreeds. I think many of them are adorable, but I would apply the same rules to these as if buying a pedigree - if the breeders aren't doing all breed club recommended health tests for any of the component breeds, do not buy.

• Never buy a crossbreed if you wouldn't happily have either of the parent breeds, because there is no saying which it will take after.

• On that note, health testing is NOT just a vet check. Dependent on breed(s), health testing can be various BVA schemes, DNA tests, clinical eye tests, heart tests, etc. all of which have official results that should be centrally recorded.

It's much easier to avoid puppy farms and the like if you look for a breeder to get to know with a view to having one of their pups when they next have a litter rather than looking for a litter already on the ground to buy a puppy from.

It might mean waiting a bit longer or travelling a bit further (or even both) but a good breeder who cares passionately about the dogs they're breeding and who will offer support and back up throughout their lives really is worth their weight in gold.

A good first port of call is the breed club, either the national one or, for more popular breeds, the relevant regional one. They will generally know when members are planning litters and will be able to put you in touch with them.

Champdogs is also a useful site for finding breeders to research in more depth and potentially get in touch with to enquire about their breeding plans. There are some less than ideal breeders on there but on the whole those listed are of a much higher calibre than you're average advertiser on a free ads site. You can also filter breeders by those who health test which is an excellent way of immediately weeding out breeders to avoid. Health testing isn't the be all and end all of a good breeder but anyone remotely decent will be utilising the recommended health screening schemes available for their breed.

Champdogs also has some useful articles about puppy buying, including this guide and the accompanying list of questions to ask a breeder. I'd also recommend reading this guide to interviewing new puppy buyers. Obviously it's aimed at breeders however it gives you a really good idea of the sorts of things a responsible breeder will be thinking about when you first make contact and what they'll be asking you to satisfy themselves you're the right sort of owner for one of their puppies.

In terms of going along to some shows, you might be surprised at just how many dog shows there are, I don't think there are many weekends of the year where there aren't multiple shows running up and down the country. Whereabouts in the north are you? If you're within reach of Wetherby then it's Driffield Championship Show this coming weekend.

Schnauzers are fab! Mine will sleep all day or run all day (whatever you're doing they'll happily join in). Big and robust enough for rough and tumble, small enough for snuggles on the sofa. Clever, loving and daft. Mine is amazing with kids, cats, dogs, hamsters, any living thing really although he's scared of frogs!