Help me choose a breed

[T00much]

Have been thinking of getting a dog for a couple of years and now seriously considering it so want to do more research on what breed is right for us.

1. size - small to medium (our house isn't massive)
2. exercise - we have a small garden but live round the corner to a big park. We would enjoy taking dog for walks so don't want anything that wouldn't cope with a longish walk (3-5 miles at weekends)
3. We have kids so needs to be good with children (8&12)
4. shedding - as little shedding as possible
5. grooming - nothing that needs to be brushed every day
6. no droolers
7. temperament - friendly, playful but not too crazy and bouncy. One that can be trained to sit/fetch ball
8. Appearance - quite like a natural/scruffy looking dog. I like miniature shnauzers but have read that they can be barky and dislike strangers and a bit moody, unpredictable temperament and prone to blindness. Also like wirehaired datchunds but they are prone to back problems I believe.

Any ideas? I know a lovely cockapoo who ticks all the boxes but I'm worried about dodgy puppy farms

What about a Cavalier King Charles spaniel? Lovely temperament, ideal size. I'm not sure on the grooming though.

Will investigate them pineapple but was hoping for a shaggier kind of look

Dogs I like the 'look' of are shnauzers and cockapoo type look and tibetan terriers whih look like big teddies

Cavapoo?

Gorgeous but I worry about puppy farms

Tbh OK your requirements aren't really breed specific. They're dog specific. They describe my DDog1 perfectly. However Ddog2 is her polar opposite and they are the same breed. Both Labradors.

Have you considered visiting somewhere like Battersea where they often have litters of puppies and the staff know them personally? Then you get matched up by personality. DDog1 was a rescue, I got her at 15 weeks old and she is my perfect match. DDog2 is loved dearly but if I'd gotten him a little older I would have known he wasn't quite right for me. I'd never give him up of course and he is very trainable but he is just a nutjob and exhausting. I got him from a breeder at 8 weeks.

Toomuch I can message you about a few home breeders that you could visit? They usually have a wait list though!

If you want a shaggy dog, you’ll have to deal with grooming, no way around that.

I know, I am having a long hard think about the grooming. When the weather's nice, doing it in the garden seems fine but in winter it would mean doing it in the house and I can see myself sneezing a lot (I do have slight allergy)

I would much prefer to get a rescue as long as it was a puppy - I don't want to get an older dog that might have unknown issues, because of the kids.

Cocker Spaniel ... if you keep their coat short they don’t shed too much and are an absolute joy. We’d a cavalier King Charles before our cocker but too many health issues though v sweet nature, but our cocker is so much more of a proper dog if you know what I mean- plays fetch, recall is good, digs, energetic but not overly, very funny and loving. Perfect family dog if you’re limited to space imo.

I read the title and was going to suggest a Golden Retriever as they are so friendly, sensitive, great with kids and well just perfect (no bias here :-P) BUT they are definitely not small dogs!

Spaniels are lovely, intelligent dogs but they are very high energy although with long walks each day they might settle down.

When you do decide on a breed make sure that you don't buy from a puppy farm- find a responsible breeder- make sure that they are interested in and ask questions about where their puppy is going, make sure that they have all the necessary pedigree paper-work (if you are going for a pure bred) and that you see the puppies with their Mum. Most responsible breeders will let you visit your puppy a few weeks before you collect him/her.

The list of breeders on the Kennel Club website is a good place to start although there are still some Puppy Farm breeders registered with them so be careful. Champdogs is another place to search.

Thanks for all the advice, all very helpful. I think CKC (or a mix of one) is not the dog for us. Would prefer one that can do longer walks.

Cockers are lovely but maybe too energetic for our small house, although I do have time to take them for long walks

This has probably been said before but if you don't want a dog that needs much grooming then do not get a poodle cross.

My working cocker is quite chilled in the house and doesn't need long walks as long as he has an outlet for his energy (ball chasing, ball hunting, agility etc). You could take him for long walks but all that happens is he gets fitter so you would have to keep making them longer and longer to tire him out (hence doing the other stuff instead). The longest walk he gets is 2x1 hour walks when he is in daycare but when he is with me we chase and hunt instead.

We have his legs and stomach clipped short every 5-6 weeks and the rest trimmed so he doesn't need much grooming in between.

I don’t know if anyone has already mentioned the cockapoo club of GB ... have a look at approved breeders. I am getting a cockapoo puppy later this year from a breeder from this site

www.cockapooclubgb.co.uk

We’ve just bought a cockapoo from a breeder in Nantwich. Feel free to Pm with any questions.

Some lovely breeds have been suggested. A Mini Schnauzer sounds about right for what you want, though yes, they can be barky.

Please, please don't consider a "designer crossbreed". There are NO reputable breeders of them, they do not have the relevant health tests, they could have the bad parts of both breeds so are unpredictable and they are bred solely for money (and their names are absolutely ridiculous. They aren't a "Cavapoo" or a "Jug", they are a mongrel)

I'd avoid the breeder in Nantwich if you do go for a poodle cross. If you go on PuppyLoveCampaigns on Facebook they're has been posts about pups from there and how everything isn't as it seems..

ICANTCOPE - you're wrong I know of breeders that health test their cavaliers and no I don't mean a health check at the vet I mean actual appointments with cardiologists. As well as being tested for MVD,SM and eye conditions before being bred.

Also a mongrel js deemed to be 3 or more breeds, as a cav x poodle are the offspring of two pedigrees they are cross breeds.

Yes there are puppy farms but not every cross breeder is one.

Lets not pretend that Kennel Club registered breeders are perfect. Like anytning you need to do your research. Be it if you're buying a pedigree or cross breed.

Actually, no, I'm not wrong. I've heard the "mongrel is at least three crosses" many times as an excuse, but the dictionary defines mongrel as:

"any animal resulting from the crossing of different breeds or types.
synonyms: cross-breed, cross, mixed breed, half-breed, hybrid;"

A mongrel is the same thing as a cross-breed.

Also, even if a so called "breeder" health tested a parent for whatever breed specific issues they are meant to have, that doesn't mean to say the puppies will be without issues. I'd suggest that you do some research into genetics.

Of course cross-breeders are puppy farms. They are farming puppies for money. Cross bred dogs are not working dogs. They're not bred for show or to better the progeny to improve a specific breed. They are solely to provide the "breeder" with an income.

Of course not all pedigree dog breeders are reputable. You only have to look at Facebook, Gumtree and Pets 4 Homes to see that. However, it isn't hard to research decent breeders by visiting shows, checking out the breed clubs and speaking to the Kennel Club. Of course, puppy farming cross breeders will not be covered by these three things.

Just from personal experience I would avoid the latest 'labradoodle' craze. I now know of three incidences where a child has been bitten in a viscous manner (one was 15 and just watching tv). I suppose that's the unpredictability of crossing a slightly mad, bouncy breed with a French fighting dog
I realise it can be true of any breed but people are more and more inclined to get this breed with young children, where as a lot of people would be reluctant to get a poodle because of its breed background.

OK I won't argue with you. Lets agree to disagree. I didn't say health tests guarntee a healthy pup btw. I meant you were wrong about cross breed parents have zero health testing. They do. A breeder I know of has a waiting list until 2020 due to her standards of breeding...you usually have to wait ages for a reputable breeder.

OP you’re actually way less likely to get unknown behavioural problems in an older dog than in a puppy, especially a puppy of unknown origin.

1. an older dog has fully grown and the shelter people can observe its adult personality

1. you don’t have to deal with the stroppy teenage years (around 1-2)

1. getting a random puppy, you have no idea what you’re getting. The parents could both have been crazy, biting psychos.

I would always recommend an older rescue for a first time owner. More likely to have some training, be toilet trained, observable behaviour and no crazy puppy/teen behaviour.

thisis I get what you're saying. I guess I'm wondering about the nature/nurture question.
Realistically how well do the rescue centres know the dogs if they haven't been there that long. Something may trigger a negative memory in them and they may snap (obvs not the dog's fault)
I love cockapoos but don't like the whole designer thing. I agree they are mongrels.
Interesting that PP said don't get one as they require a lot of grooming.

I think it's a shame you've excluded all terriers. They're such a wide range of dogs that probably best fit your list of criteria and it would be a real shame to discount them all because of the "terrier" reputation. Small dogs that are scruffy looking, good with kids, can walk miles when needed and don't need much up keep is pretty much the definition of many. We have two border terriers and they are the best dogs I've ever had. Our boy in particular is calm, gentle, loves joining in with whatever the kids are playing (he's pretty much their shadow), loves every dog and person he meets, rarely barks and is just a lovely wee scruffy gentleman. They're great for agility and Cani-fit and very trainable little dogs. During the week he does short walks and lots of playing in the garden and at the weekends we often do 10miles/hills. I think I've brushed him once in nearly two years. He gets stripped twice a year (i just do it myself infront if the telly) and we have virtually no shedding.

Given that you're keen to get a pup so you can be responsible for its early socialisation/training (we did the same) it would be perfectly possible to get the traits you want in a terrier.

“Realistically how well do the rescue centres know the dogs if they haven't been there that long.”

They do full behavioural assessments - it’s not just a case of it being the opinion of whoever has spent some time with it.

“Something may trigger a negative memory in them and they may snap”

Dogs don’t just snap, not really, so yes it’s impossible to predict how a dog will react in every circumstance... but, they will have assessed them and know if they’re nervous, likely to get stressed by common things or pretty well adjusted.

Most rescue dogs haven’t had a horrific start to life, by far the biggest group of dogs to end up in rescues are teenagers who have been perfectly well looked after, just nobody really thought about how they were going to train or exercise the now adult dog when they got a puppy and then gave it up when it was bored and misbehaving. All they need is exactly the same basic training you’d give a puppy.

You’ve also got dogs who have been much loved pets, but things like divorce or bereavement have meant someone is unable to keep them.

It really doesn’t happen often that dogs have major behavioural issues that are only discovered when they’ve been rehomed, rescues always err on the side of caution if an adopter has children, that’s why you see so many dogs advertised in rescues that are unsuitable for children or children under a certain age, more often than not it’s becayss they’re a bit bouncy or they’re large and clumsy rather than because they’re likely to bite, dogs that are likely to bite are advertised as requiring specialist homes and the input of a behaviourist.