Help me plan next puppy!

[LabradorMama]

I have one remaining dog, a nine year old Labrador bitch who is absolutely perfect in every way - except she moults like fury and my house is constantly covered in her hair despite daily vacuuming.

I’m planning to get my next puppy next year and have decided that (sadly!) it won’t be another Labrador. But what should I be looking at? Any suggestions/experiences welcome.

I have a decent sized house and garden, work two short days (5 hours) a week out of the house and have a dog walker come in. I have a four year old DS. I have joint hypermobility syndrome so daily walks are good for me and I live in the countryside with plenty of woodland, open fields etc around. I have trained and competed gun dogs for years so training not an issue.

Big issue for me is hair - low shedding is a must.

Any ideas anyone?

There are a few FB groups devoted to irish terriers. I recommend the Irish terrier club and the Irish terrier association for very biased but also honest advice on the breed ( and endless pictures of beautiful dogs)

If you’re used to gun dogs but want something non-shedding how about something like a Lagotto Romagnolo ?

Non-shedding and no silly haircuts!

Wolfie it’s a close call at times

maiden that is so kind, I will. Thank you!

butfirsttea lovely! And that is a very fetching scarf

thewolfsjustapuppy they are both absolutely beautiful 😍😍😍

noitsnotteatimeyet never heard of them but I’m intrigued - will google!

Thank you Labrador and Maiden, I think so too but I am biased.

Wolf
Tell me about it!

Labrador, ah thats totally understandable then! I do not recommend a German Shepherd..... ours sheds like nothing else. , love her dearly though. I’m another who is suggesting a lurcher or whippet type then, I would like one of those!

My whippet is a sweetheart. They are very gentle with people and mine absolutely loves children. He sheds less than any of my cats have. Not non shedding but honestly I barely notice it. Plus the bonus of no doggy smell

He is a bit obsessed with chickens but it could work if they were brought up together. I see loads of photos of whippets and cats snuggling together so that doesn’t have to be a deal breaker.

I will say that if you are big into dog training they might not be the best choice. My boy certainly isn’t stupid but whippets are bred to be independent hunters and certainly don’t live to please their owners. Of course it’s still worth doing basic training with them but they can have very ‘selective hearing’ at times

I second labradoodle.

Rescue pointer of some sort.

I would second the suggestion of a Lagotto Romagnolo, or one of the water dogs (Spanish/Portuguese). I cannot tell you the shock I had going from a Retriever to a Poodle! I have always said my poodle is a terrier with curls so I feel you may have the same shock going to a terrier!

While terriers and poodles are fabulous characters, they are so far removed from a gundog’s temperament. I could trust my retrievers with anyone or anything, soft mouthed, wouldn’t hurt a fly. Whereas my poodle, and a lot of terriers I know, have their own minds. They do snap and although a lot of it is down to training, in my opinion it boils down to temperament. They’re not nasty dogs by any means and my poodle is the clingiest, softest boy in the world. But he is still “fiery” in a way that a gundog would never be.

Saying that, many many people love the individual character and naughtiness of a terrier or poodle, and think a retriever’s biddable nature is boring... so each to their own!

It's all in the training regarding dogs of any breed with cats/poultry.

Whippets are intelligent dogs!

That was a Theoretical Physics book!

Beagle! Similar to labs in temperament and just as greedy, but shorter so at least they can't reach the kitchen counter ;)

They have a couple of big moults per year, but are not high shedding in between. Very low maintenance coats - a rub down with a towel does the job even after muddy walks (unless they've rolled in fox poo which is a different story).

They are not as obedient as gun dogs but very trainable in their own way, and incredibly charming even when driving you mad.

We have a Weimaraner, Border Collie & 2 cats here no issues.

Not always a popular choice but for me a Chihuahua every time.my boy doesn't shed and loves long walks 😁

Great photo Maiden My whippet is smart. He just chooses when to obey and when not to. I do have friends that have had more success than me with training and some whippets can do pretty well. I’m also a first time dog owner and not experienced at dog training.

If you're used to gun dogs what about a springer spaniel. We have two and while they do shed, both together are no where near as much as the one lab we had

Australian Labradoodle - non shedding and the best dog ever!

Labradoodles are not all non shedding.
No idea about an Australian one. What even is that?

"No idea about an Australian one. What even is that?"

Depends who tells you... either a multi breed cross of mostly poodle that has a type and standard and is about to become a breed, or a complete mongrel originating on a puppy farm...

www.dreamydoodles.com/australian-labradoodle/

I would say standard poodle if you want a non moulting dog with a bit of size and substance. I have a toy poodle, who most certainly isn't snappy at all. She does love long muddy walks though and is a fiend for water, so is capable of tracking in plenty of mud!

Yorkshire terriers have hair instead of fur I believe? So very low shedding.

Shnauzer, westies and bishon also are minimum shedding breeds :-)