Choosing the right pedigree do for family

[jaabaar]

We can't seem to decide on a breed. We want a small family dog maximum weight to 9kg. We sadly dont want a terrier because of their instincts to chase and wonder off, off course we will train the dog at a training school.

We thought off the following: cockapoo, Miniature poodle, Australian Terrier.

We do not want any flat faced dogs due to their ill health and breathing.

Any advice, experience and suggestions would be highly valued.

Thank you in advance.

Oops a fradiant slip dog not do.

When I was looking I think mini schnauzers were quite small but maybe a few kg more than your max but they vary in size. In fact I decided they were so small I chose a bigger breed :)

Ooh yes the professor breed but a terrier.

I thought they might not have the typical terrier instinct. Ummm no idea then but maybe someone else might come alone :)

Oh you mentioned cockapoo, have you discounted them or are they on the list because I have a cocker and they a high hunt drive and can run off.

Papillons would fit the bill - friendly, plucky little dogs though they do require quite a bit of grooming. Something of a rare breed (I very rarely see them out on the streets) but there are breeders out there and they haven't been overbred like many of the flat-faced breeds have

There's an event coming up called Discover Dogs, which is designed for people like you who are considering the right breed www.discoverdogs.org.uk/

Cavalier King Charles Spaniel but make sure the parents have all the health tests and that grandparents and great grandparents have good heart tests, as well as parents ('my KC' on the Kennel Club website will allow you to check this).

Fabulous dogs. Perfect for a novice. Fantastic in a family home, including with young children. Very forgiving dogs, who love everyone and everything and.... well life in general. They are soppy indoors but energetic enough to go all day if you want.

Do be aware they are a breed that is routinely kept very fat - this means many people have a serious misconception over their energy and exercise needs. They need at least an hour of mostly off lead to truly thrive and not become fat and slow. They are a spaniel in a smaller package, without prey drive and a little dafter as we're not bred for intelligence but extremely eager to please.

*Were not bred for. Not "we're" darn auto-correct!

I’m not sure the ones mentioned so far are really under 9kilos - even Mini Schnauzers are often a bit heavier

If you want pedigree rule out the cockapoo as it’s a cross breed. Taking out terriers doesn’t leave you with much in the small dog stakes. I’d go for a poodle if I was restricted to that size but be aware they (and most of the toy dogs) need trips to the groomers. Or a small lurcher/whippet?

Small Corgi, Shetland sheepdog?

Dachshund? It would have to be a mini to fit your weight criterion. Obviously (as with any breed) with appropriate health checks and not of exaggerated proportions- there seem to be more around nowadays which are a bit longer of leg. Short haired dachshunds need no grooming, but there are of course wire and longhaired too. Very adaptable IME - bred as hunting dogs so they can do a very decent walk but tend to prefer not to bother in bad weather.

Aw that's a shame you've excluded terriers. There's a lot of great breeds that could fit the bill size wise. I think most of the ones you've mentioned are a bit bigger than you say you're looking for.

Yes terriers can live up to their reputation (a bit more often than we'd like!) but the amount they run off and chase really comes down to how much you let them. You do need a secure (and I mean terrier secure) garden, and off the lead walking is not always going to happen, but that's true of lots of dogs. My friend's cockapoo is an unbelievable escape artist, she's just had to erect a double layered Alcatraz style fence to keep him from visiting the neighbours.

We've had various terriers but our hearts are now well and truly stolen by borders. They are still very much a dog dog, can go as far and as fast as you ask of them (great running companions), not high grooming needs, very loving and loyal and love love love a cuddle. They are also really good at agility and very trainable (although will gladly look like they have no clue what you are saying when it suits them!). We have two and they are great with our young kids, especially our often over eager four year old, and our biggest weighs in at 7.5 kg.

I like the cheekines of terriers, it adds to their character, but I get they're not for everyone........but maybe just don't rule them out just yet 😊

What other requirements do you have other than size? There's things to consider such as how much exercise you can provide, what level of grooming you're happy with (including whether you're happy to have it done professionally on a regular basis), what general characteristics you want, etc.

There are loads of smaller breeds, including some terriers, which could potentially suit depending on exactly what you're after.

Champdogs is a very handy site for coming up with a shortlist of breeds to do more in depth research on as they've got a brief (but generally pretty accurate) description of each breed. Breed selector quizzes (such as this KC one) should generally be taken with a pinch of salt but they can be a useful way to help narrow down the list of potential breeds.

I agree a trip to Discover Dogs (either the stand alone event in London later this month or the area at Crufts in Birmingham next March) is a great idea if you can manage it. Nothing beats actually meeting the dogs and being able to chat to people who know the breed inside out.

Laurie a healthy cavalier should never be as much as 9kgs - so definitely under 9kgs.

You’re quite right, I reckon I’ve just seen so many fat as fuck Cavaliers I’ve forgotten what a normal one looks like

I can highly recommend miniature poodles - intelligent, playful, most unlikely to go over 9kg (our boy is tall for a mini and weighs 8.5kg). You do need to find a good breeder to ensure that all relevant health tests have been done on the parents and they do need a trip to the groomers every 8 weeks at least, but they don't tend to have a high prey drive and are very loyal to their family. I second Discover Dogs as a great place to get advice and speak to breeders

Our female Pembroke corgi is about 10kg, but she seems like a much smaller dog in size because of the body to leg ratio. Some can be bigger so you'd want to find out the size of the parents.

Our criteria were exactly the same as yours (small, non-terrier, not a flat face) and she's been fab, loves my 4yo Dd, loves a snuggle on the sofa, needs about 45 mins walk a day but doesn't complain if it's all in one go. She was a bit barky but we sorted it with a vibrating collar. Low prey drive. The breed are known for nipping children's heels if they think they need herding, but we've never found this a problem.

Cavapoo is not too big and a lovely family dog. Not quite as energetic as a cockerpoo but still good fun.

I would avoid a cavalier cross like the plague, since the cavalier is unlikely to have been fully health tested and you need good lineage knowledge with them. The health issues are horrific and are not stopped by crossing with other small breeds.

If you want a Cavalier type dog - get a well bred with fully health tested parents, pedigree Cavalier. They are energetic and fun enough as they are. They also don't moult much either (generally just comes out in the brush when you brush them)

We have a cockerlier.. a cross between a cocker Spaniel and king Charles spaniel ... no health problem, great temperament, fantastic with kids and not too energetic

Get a mini schnauzer. The bitches are often tiny. I've got a boy who is on the larger size but he's just fabulous! Gentle and daft, loves a cuddle, can run all day or snooze all day depending on what you're doing. He loves everyone and everything! I also have a poodle cross who is so intelligent that he's an evil genius! I groom them both myself but the poodle cross coat is a bit of a nightmare (impossible to dry...he's like a fluffy sponge)

I keep thinking a cocker x cavalier King Charles should be called a cocking

Chihuahua or Yorkie would fit your size specifications. We have a toy Yorkie who is less than 4kg but lionhearted. She is a lapdog at heart with no intention of ever chasing or killing anything. However she is up for a five mile hike with some enthusiasm and benefits from an hours exercise a day (many don’t get this which is why they are grumpy and fat)

Dear All

Thank you so much for all your responses.

We will go to the Discover Dogs this weekend and see.

our only requirement is weight and size small to medium and a do when trained will not wonder off.

A Staffie would fit the bill really well. At the training class I took one of my dogs to, the little Staffie bitch was the star. She was the friendliest, happiest little dog who was beautifully trained and used to demonstrate the skills.

You should definitely reconsider terriers. Breed characteristics are essentially like stereotypes, as in they are occasionally true but if you get a dog and train it properly there's no reason why a terrier would be any more likely to run off than any other breed.

We have a soft coated wheaten terrier puppy, his recall is great even though he's only 5 months old but it was developed from working with him and dedicating a lot of time to training. He would be too big and heavy for your requirements (9kgs is a very specific and slightly arbitrary weight though?) but still, definitely think terriers are worth another look.