Help me find the right hilarious little dog for the kids

[CindyLouWhoo]

I've had dogs since I was little so we are an experienced dog household. DDog passed a few mo the ago and I'm ready to start thinking about a new dog. Our last dog was a rescue and a big working/guarding breed. Whilst he was utterly bomb-proof with the kids he wasn't much fun for them. As we now have two kids under the age of 8 we will need to go to a breeder. They adore next doors JRT but I'm not sure I can quite handle a JRT. I was thinking a border terrier? Any other suggestions?

@Moxiebelle my photo won't post!

We have a puggle (a puggle beagle Cross) and she is beautiful. She adapted so well when we had a baby and is very easy going. She can be stubborn sometimes and is food obsessed so you have to be careful with her diet but her temperament is fab. Still very playful at 4 and loves a good walk but equally content to hang around the house with the family. She is lovely.

3rd time lucky @Moxiebelle

We won't be getting a cross breed from a breeder. I have no issue with getting them from rescues but we won't be supporting someone's backyard breeding efforts. Using a breeder to me means choosing one who breeds responsibly.

My dog was a rescue... got her at 12 weeks after she was rescued with about 6/7 dogs from someone with sever mental health issues.

@EmmaJR1 Shes gorgeous. My comment wasn't pointed at you or anyone in particular. I have two kids under 8 so I can't go to a rescue this time. I won't buy from a backyard breeder so it's really only purebreeds I'm after for recommendations.

@EmmaJRT1 what a nice little dog he is. Very sweet. 🐕

We have a puggle (pug cross beagle) and he is brilliant with my 3 young sons. He has much more pug in him than beagle but has a slightly longer nose and smaller folds and doesn't snore or wheeze.

He doesn't need tonnes of exercise, has been easy to train and loves to cuddle up with us or play in the garden equally. He is the perfect dog and came boating with us today which he loved!

We won't be getting a cross breed from a breeder. I have no issue with getting them from rescues but we won't be supporting someone's backyard breeding efforts. Using a breeder to me means choosing one who breeds responsibly.

Brilliant! Well done, OP

Just seen you're after a purebreed. Not all those who produce crossbreed litters are backyard breeders and with enough research, it is possible to buy responsibly.

People who produce crossbreed litters are puppy farmers. They are literally farming puppies for no other purpose than to sell them, with the exception of working lurchers.

Not all people though. People breed pure breed puppies to sell also.

Yes all. What other purpose does a cross bred dog serve, other than to be sold? They can't be worked or shown and they aren't bred to better the breed.

Of course people breed pure breed puppies to sell too. That wasn't the point.

No my dog will not 'better' the breed because he is not a pure pug. But he can breathe and doesn't need cosmetic surgery to trim the folds on his face.

Also, there are puppy farmers ruthlessly breeding pure breeds too, so buying one is not a guarantee that buyers have avoided a puppy farmers.

I am 100% confident our dog didn't come from a puppy farm and his purpose to us is very clear - not to show, not to breed from, not develop a 'line' but as much loved member of our family.

And to make money for the farmers that bred him.

Also, my pug can breathe and doesn't need an operation. He's 9 and because I bothered to get him from a decent breeder, has no health problems whatsoever.

Labrador. Not quite sure why pps keep specifying ‘black’ labs as they are available in yellow and chocolate too according to my vet the colour makes little difference to temperament (blacks are admittedly supposed to be the calmest, and chocolates the bounciest) but all are easy-going, fun, kind and wonderful with young children!

(But yes look for a good breeder especially as labs are susceptible to hip and eye problems and a responsible breeder will have tried to ensure minimal issues).

I have two JRT's and they are great dogs and don't deserve the reputation they have-no harder work than any other dog I've had and bags of personality and affection

Ckcs for me. Cute, playful and good with kids.

Icantcope I'm not sure how you are so certain that our dog has come from a puppy farm?

I am simply saying that not all cross breeds are farmed. And that purebreds are also at risk of coming from a puppy farm.

People could breed a cross to have their next pet. People who want happy healthy pets rather than show dogs. To suggest they are all puppy farms is ridiculous. Breeding to show is no more ethical than breeding for money, both are for the person rather than the dog, and it was these "reputable" breeders breeding to aesthetic standards that caused so many health problems in breeds. And breeding to better a breed.....by what definition? The kennel clubs? Kennel club standards have destroyed breeds. I would want a breeder who has their dogs and the subsequent puppies welfare at the fore, does all necessary health checks (to avoid the inbred conditions caused by breed standards) cares for them and socialises them as they should and ensures puppies go to good homes. I'd be just as wary of a competitive breeder as I would a breeder breeding their next pet. The important thing is doing your research, asking the right questions and being prepared to walk away.

And unfortunately KC registration means nothing. I once viewed a litter of KC registered pups, went back for a second viewing and was very surprised by the size they had grown to. Something seemed not right then I noticed another breed of dog walking about and I was suspicious so walked away. A few months later I bumped into a girl with a so called pedigree border terrier......it was 5 months and bigger then my adult BT and had a different coat. I asked her where she had got it and surprise surprise it was from the breeder I had visited. Clearly the dad was not who she claimed but as she owned all the dogs was able to register the pups as pedigrees. Made me realise just how meaningless registration is.

Labradors are the biggest breed for a reason, and it is that labs are easygoing, affectionate/sociable, intelligent and biddable. As a family dog, they are hard to beat. They do like mud and puddles though, so if you have a white anything, be prepared to wipe down surfaces. Even our first lab, who was eight when DS arrived, was extremely tolerant at being dislodged from her place as family baby.

And they like exercise, a lot of it! If you are not able to offer at least an hour a day, off the lead, you may find a labrador gets bored and naughty. They also prefer company, so are not good on their own for long periods, but most dogs are not.

I’ve never met a Cocker Spaniel that wasn’t a complete and utter neurotic mess. Mine is the queen of them all. We love her so much but my god she is harder work than both children combined. When she shuffles off this mortal coil barking manically and being scared of her actual own shadow we will be getting a big Labrador or, a miniature poodle. All the ones I’ve met have been fab, happy, athletic little dogs.

Boxers are hilarious!

My Lakeland terrier is the most hilarious thing in the world!
But so stubborn, she also thinks she's the human and quite demanding.
She's currently asleep lying lengthways between my legs with her head on my tummy under the duvet.
We rescued her at 18 months as a farmer was going to 'put her in a hole' so struggled to train her to do anything that she doesn't want to do.
She's worse because my husband spoils her so much.

I'm worried about how she will be when my baby comes, I think I will have to keep her in a separate room all the time which breaks my heart.

She's not great with dogs or kids.

Don't get a Lakeland.