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

If you're on Facebook, you could join the group 'doodles for rehoming' Lots of lovely dogs there in need of a good home due to various easons.

Hanks Aurea

Love my miniature schnauzer. Doesn't yap as such but definitely "talks" to me which is hard to describe unless you have one.
He's been brilliant with the kids and isn't aloof in the slightest.
Gorgeous little fella.

Poodle crosses have hugely variable coats, & temperaments. I'm particularly wary of spaniel/poodle crosses - often promoted as low maintenance, great family dogs, in my view they are quite the opposite.
Coats need a LOT of care to prevent matting & tangling, especially the more poodle-type coats, temperaments can be highly strung, nervous & very active from the spaniel side (especially 'cocker rage') but people let their kids run all over them because they have cute fluffy faces, and they don't properly train or entertain them. Poodles & spaniels both highly active, intelligent breeds, and people think a cross is just a cutesy family pet who they never need to brush.

Does my box in.

@ihaventgottime agreed. I'm a dog groomer and the word "cockerpoo" makes my blood run cold.

I've met a few savage and/or lunatic cockerpoos out and about.

I've met a few savage and/or lunatic cockerpoos out and about.

Savage? So fierce, violent and out of control.

I am the first to say what the downsides are of owning a cocker but I think all breeds can be a bit of a handful and how much of that is training (or lack of it from the owner) rather than the breed?

Also someone mentioned cocker rage. That syndrome isn't just attributed to cockers despite the name and is rare.

My poodle cross has to be combed everyday and regularly groomed to combat any matting.

Oh I forgot to add! I used to work for a kennel! And some of the new designer breeds are a nightmare and can be quite unpredictable because you are combining two established breeds and not sure whether you're going to get the pros or the cons of each one.

Labradoodles were all the rage a couple of years ago and all they were was molting and eating machines and they bark like hell.

I would say stick with a well domesticated thorough breed or, like many have suggested, a rescue that is not a puppy so you already know the temperament.

😂 Just RTFT...

Perhaps I might suggest a unicorn? Much easier to source than the dog you are looking for

I would have thought as a dog groomer a lot of your business would come from these pesky “designer” dogs

In fact the whole dog grooming industry seems to have been given a huge boost by the rise in cross breeds.

I have the best natured springerdoodle you could ever come across, actually a real credit to both poodle and springer spaniel

If you think KC standard is the barometer for ethical breeding then I would just point you to the French bulldog, pug, British bulldog, all of which have breathing difficulties then the German Shepherd who’s shape over the last few years has changed beyond recognition.

Not one single breed of dog has not been crossed in its lifetime.

You mark my words, the KC will soon want to be getting in on the doodle dog market as it is just too profitable and popular.

Was that to me? I worked in a kennel. I walked them mainly we never did any grooming?

Oh and I'm very anti-bulldog and pug, for the reasons you've stated

Beardies are fab though can be stubborn. Great with children. Need a lot of grooming though.

ificouldwrite 😂 do unicorns need much grooming?

I'm leaning more and more twds a miniature shnauzer

My sister's Miniature Schnauzer is 'not my bag' (too needy for me), but he still makes me recommend them lots - he is the easiest going dog, and I think for many would be the perfect family dog. Have never heard him bark, either. Very obedient for my nephew, runs rings round my sister, so make sure you are on top of training.

A favourite with puppy farmers though, due to their popularity, so take care not to support this.

My two.
The one on the left is a dream dog, an angel. Hardly barks, is not interested in strangers, adores us, is well behaved, great with other dogs and easy to train

The one on the right is still a puppy really but does tend to bark a lot at other people and dogs. He’s also very naughty, will chew anything left in his reach and is a general pain in the arse. However he’s far more affectionate, loves a cuddle and is really bright - works out puzzle balls etc in seconds.

We call them Peter Perfect and Horrid Henry.

They do need clipping or stripping every few months. Their coats are completely different too, one is very soft and tends to tangle, we cut the knots out as they can matt, the other is vet wiry. We have the former clipped now and so far the puppy has been stripped.

On the whole they are a brilliant breed, though I have a very soft spot for whippets.

They are sweet best.

Interesting about behaviour - do they have the same parents or are they from the same breeder?

T00 I believe they shed their fur of their own accord every full moon, to keep it the perfect length. But perhaps that's just my unicorn so I can't say for certain 😊🦄

For example, this is not my unicorn

😂😂
Off to google unicorn breeders 😉

Too, they are from different breeders and different lineage. I was much happier with No 1’s breeder. She was much more knowledgeable about the breed, has kept in touch, gave us great advice. We would have had a second from her but the litter we were waiting for turned out to have only one dog and we were second on the list.

We failed to get a rescue which is what we really wanted - we live close to Many Tears but kept missing dogs we applied for or being turned down so in the end we went to another breeder with whom I’m not quite as happy.

I don't suppose you'd be willing to share who breeder 1 is? We are South of England but happy to travel a reasonable distance for the right breeder

@bridgetjones1 you seem a bit touchy. Cockerpoos are nuttier than squirrel shit. I've yet to meet one that wasn't either hyperactive, had separation anxiety, noisy, aggressive, or any permutation of the above. Oh, and don't forget 99% of them that come in matted solid because of this stupid myth that poodle crosses "don't need grooming".

The spoodles that we see are generally better natured. But why not just get a poodle?

Every poodle cross I've ever come across has had some sort of behavioural issues.

Also, I'm a pug owner. The KC are working closely with vets and reputable breeders to better the health of breeds like pugs and bulldogs. Unfortunately, the not so reputable breeders are the ones breeding them with anything, crossing them, not health testing them etc and if theirs was KC reg, they can register the puppies and even show.

Well bred pugs have no breathing issues whatsoever. Mine is 8 and breaths like any other dog. He's also never been to the vet other than for vaccinations.