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

Thanks tabulah that 's very interesting and makes sense. I am definitely going to get in touch with local rescue centres and have a chat

Our Labradoodle is a miniature, so a small size, We have her clipped three times a year.

Agree with tabula , it is VERY rare that a dog 'just snaps'. Dogs have many many stages before that happens, and yes, very few are in shelters for behavioural problems, but more because careless people can't be bothered with the actual legwork of having a dog.

Any behavioural issues (and all dogs will have a few, imo, if they're never trained well) can usually be sorted out in classes/with a trainer, which I would consider pretty much essential for all dogs.

One thing that might be useful, not sure if it was pointed out/is just common sense.

Many people punish their dogs for growling. It is really important not to do that as it gives the dog no warning signal. Yes, it's not nice to hear a dog growl, but it really doesn't tend to mean much more than 'hey, stop!'

My dog is a grumpy little bastard when he's being brushed so he'll always growl to tell me he's started to get tired of it. At that point, I always stop and move away to show him that I have understood him. I think some people feel like that's 'giving in' to him or 'letting him dominate you'. It's not. It's about respecting his boundaries and giving him an option that isn't baring his teeth/biting. Dogs that are punished for growling tend to end up biting as soon as they have even minor stresses because they've learned growling is 'bad' and punishable.

One previous dog in the family who came via a breed rescue was rehomed because her family was going on holiday and didn't want to pay for kennels No behavioural issues at all. People rehome for all sorts of reasons, and more often than not it's because of the humans and their circumstances, not the dog itself.

PestDog was a private rehome and had he come via a rescue centre he probably would have come with notes about needing an experienced owner and a behaviourist. He's turned out to be pretty fixable - and can even now be trusted with primary aged children

The type of dog you are describing that you want ie small and scruffy are either terriers or dogs that require a lot of exercise and lots of grooming . Perhaps you should start from scratch and choose a breed based on what suits your requirements ie shortish walks and minimal grooming rather than choosing for looks as I’m not sure what you actually want exists particularly as you have discounted a terrier .

I'm not sure why you've discounted a Border if I'm honest - they sound perfect for you.

People have given you loads of great suggestions of a wide spectrum of breeds and you've discounted pretty much all of them on the basis that you now want a black or black and white dog, which is scruffy but doesn't require grooming and not a terrier, and mustn't bark too much.

I dont think the dog you want exists either.

I think you need to go back to the drawing board and figure out if what the dog looks like is more important than how it fits into your family.

I wouldn't even bother meeting the tibetan terrier. They need a shit load of grooming even if they're clipped and they're stubborn and aloof.

Maybe it doesn't exist lancelot that's what I'm trying to find out!

And I don't mind some grooming just not daily so yes Tibetan Terrier is out of the running.

Some rescues place dogs in foster homes. This reach helps them to know how a dog may be in the house.

I would get a Dachshund, they are nice dogs.

I wonder if it's possible to foster first although I am assuming foster families need to be v experienced with dogs?

Having cats and kids could limit you I think. I agree with a previous poster. Start with your lifestyle. Do breed selector quizzes to give you an idea. Then look into the best and worst of each breed.

I foster, and it's not for the faint hearted or inexperienced. And having cats makes life difficult too.

It's a pity you don't like whippets as they, or a lovely scruffly whippety lurcher (I had a lovely black broken coated girl with me last year who exactly met your requirements) would seem perfect to me.

I think your best bet is to go and meet lots of dogs at rehoming centres and decide what is an absolute (no grooming, able to do a decent walk) vs negotiable (for instance, maybe size would be not an issue for a dog who walks beautifully and jumps up on command into the car and would stand on escalators).

Miniature schnauzer

I've said it before, but...try Borry my Doggy. We got enormous satisfaction from it (and have kids and a cat). You might just decide to change some of your criteria once you've borrowed a few breeds.

It also led to a number of paid doggy sitting stints, and it gave us time to decide what traits we could live with/desired, and changed my mind regarding the size of the dog. In the end we chose a Lurcher, she's lovely but we also particularly liked the Parsons Terrier.

Another vote for Border Terrier.

We've had two, and while they have a reputation of being great with people and bad with dogs, our current one LOVES other dogs and has the most wonderful time in his daycare place.

We've had a few issues with him (another story) because we got him at 5 months, but the girl BT we had first, from a pup, was an absolute star, the easiest dog you could imagine. When she died I was bereft.

Looking at your list of requirements I'd say a BT would be perfect for you.

.....except for fetching a ball Now frisbee, that's another matter!

How about a mini true labradoodle (50 toy/mini poodle/50 Labrador)?
Lower shedding and scruffy.
Good with kids
Friendly
Non drooling

lady tibetan terriers stubborn and aloof???? I’m in shock. My dog has a few tibetan friends and they are so friendly and adorable and silly. Not necessarily the easiesst to train in some regards but the ones I’ve met I would never describe as aloof.

Yes yes yes to the Bichion Frise. We had our Tilly 13years.
Fabulous dogs they will get closer to one particular fam member but its all good.
They barley shed and their fur is so soft like cotton wool!

OP, sometimes the breed doesn't properly describe the dog. My childhood dog is a Lhasa Apso, currently 12. Websites will tell you: not good with kids (doesn't want to play), only wants to sleep, very independent.

Well, while she certainly won't recuse a nap, she's also always up for playing. She had knee surgery a few weeks ago, so it was quite painful for her to walk; DM told me over message that whenever there wasn't anyone in the room, she would bark to be carried somewhere she had company!

Anyway, I'm not suggesting a Lhasa Apso (the grooming is insane!), although they are fantastic dogs. What I mean is, don't rule out a breed because one thing in them doesn't please you. A good breeder will know how to pick a puppy that will work for your family.

Say you find a terrier (or any other breed!) that ticks most of the box. Contact a few breeders and tell them your expectation. "I really like this breed, but I'm worried it might bark too much/be too stubborn, etc". There will be a quieter puppy in a litter, or one who is eager to please.

Obviously dogs should fix the breed caracteristic, but there is some leeway within.

And here are some things you may have already heard, but it doesn't cost to hear them again:
-Brachycephalic breeds a big no no, especially if you want to exercise with them (but also in the principle they are being bred to be sick).
-Some breeds are better suited to exercise than others - short legged ones will struggle more.
-Any dog will appreciate a longer walk every now and then, so focus in a breed that will be happy with the daily, shorter walk.
-Make sure your breeder tests their dogs. When you find a breed you love, check OFA (www.ofa.org/) to see what tests the breeder should be doing. Had I checked this 12 years ago, my Lhasa wouldn't have needed a surgery to get her patella in the right place.

Aurea gorgeous dog 💕

Thanks for advice.
aurea your dog is absolutely gorgeous but I am staying away from oodles and poos unless I get a young rescue (although I assume there is a long waiting list for them)

choccy is your shnauzer very yappy?

I like everything about the breed apart from the barking. If we lived in a house in the country it wouldn't bother me but I worry that the neighbours would get pissed off