Which one?

[alessandrae83]

As in the title..can anyone tell me more about each of these breeds please? We are not first time owners. Some facts about us are

• we have 2 children aged 9 & 5
  

• we have a small yard but live close to parks and woods
  

• we had a laid back dog but he was too independent. We would like a dog that would sit with us and enjoy a walk.
  

• someone would be at home most of the time.
  

• we live in a terraced house so I don't want a dog that barks excessively
  

Thanks

[YoureAllABunchOfBastards]

Remember that not all collies are borders, too. This fella is a smoothie and he is adorable.

[sleepismysuperpower1]

i agree with the pp, however i have a border collie from a non working background, and he is a sweetheart. I have 3 year old twins, and he is very gentle with them, doesn't mind when they tug on his tail or teeth etc. there is a myth about the amount of exercise they need; as with any dog, if you take them on 6 hour long walks each day then they will come to expect that, but we take ours on a 1/2 hour walk each day and then my son plays with him in the garden.

[Snappymcsnappy]

The second image was pets day at one of my children’s school.
Molested by three classrooms full of noisy kids.

[Snappymcsnappy]

Can I just say that I have a working bred border collie and she is super gentle and tolerant with children.
I took her to a fete once and a 2 year old decided to pull on her canine teeth! (His dad asked me if he could stroke her) and she just sat there smiling, arse wiggling.

While it is true that as a breed they are not known as nanny dogs like staffs and retrievers are, if you get a properly bred collie (as with any dog), socialise them with children (as with any dog) and don’t tolerate any herding behaviour towards them you are unlikely (IMO) to get many, if any problems.

Problems with collies specifically and kids tend to happen when owners that think it’s funny to allow them to exhibit herding behaviour towards the kids, it is not amusing, it is a bite waiting to happen!

Mine is not too good with other dogs but that is not due to her breeding, it is due to repeated traumatic experiences with other dogs.

Based on your first post, I would have recommended a collie.

While they are intelligent and active dogs they do not need masses of exercise and brain training a day.
Properly bred ones should have an ‘off switch’ and should not be hyperactive and neurotic.

I have never met a ‘proper’ working farm bred collie that was neurotic, yes they can go all day outside if you want them to but they are generally calm in the house, mine virtually never barks.

I have met some very neurotic, poorly bred, nervy specimens of agility/flyball breeding, I would probably avoid those.

[Lau123lau]

We have a whippet and I think he would fit your criteria perfectly. We have a garden but it’s not suitable for running around in as it’s on different levels but he is perfectly happy with a 45-60min walk once a day and will then pretty much sleep all day. He has always gone off lead so he can stretch his legs. He only runs off is he sees other people or dogs cos he is super friendly! He will come back though. He loves to sleep next to/on us and is fine left alone at home for 3/4 hours. He was crazy as a tiny pup but now at 5 months old he has calmed down a lot (I am aware we have the teenage years to look forward to)!

[Fashionista101]

Oooooh Chinese created! FUN! I don't know much about them but I do love them!

[Fashionista101]

I've had a bichon! He was a dream!!! Would recommend them to anyone, specially families. I'm currently looking at Japanese spitz, research them. Have so many good qualities! Just seem impossible to get hold of! X

[Batshitcrazy82]

What about a British bulldog, I've always had them and been very lucky with health issues. They are excellent with kids and just lovely dogs in general.

[alessandrae83]

I'm not asking for your approval Nessie. I guess unless you lived with our dog you wouldn't know just how ill he always was with various things but it wasn't an easy thread to make.

[LexieLulu]

We didn't get a "poo" cross for the anti allergy pro, so sorry that I got that wrong. But a family member of ours is a bad allergy sufferer and is fine around our dog so I presume this was a fact.

I suppose allergies are always trial and error to the sufferer anyway?

[LKRJM]

Cavapoos are great if health tested and from a reputable breeder, I understand as just cross breeds they’re expensive but this also tends to make them healthier than the full breed cavalier imo, although I understand lots of people have different opinions on this and all are valid when it comes to crosses x

[Nesssie]

But also, I saw your other thread and so am doubting your commitment to a new dog. Addison's is not a reason to pts a dog. What will you do if your new puppy develops it, or epilepsy or some other illness?

[Nesssie]

'Poo' crosses aren't guaranteed hypoallergenic but are usually more tolerated by allergy sufferers. Most of them don't shed or shed very little which is a great help. And you can pretty much predict the coat type especially with F1b crosses etc (so a labradoodle crossed with a poodle - the coat will be much more poodle than Labrador and so much less likely to shed). A good breeder will be able to indicate the coat type.

[Wolfiefan]

@LexieLulu
No. Poodle crosses are not a good choice for allergy sufferers. I wish people would stop saying that. They’re a cross. The type of coat they have isn’t predictable. And anyway many people aren’t actually allergic to the fur itself.

[alessandrae83]

That cavapoo is adorable though eek

[alessandrae83]

The only thing that scares me with poodles and poodles crosses is the Addison disease risk as I don't want to increase my risk of having a dog with that again as it was overwhelming. It's meant to be a manageable disease but never was for us. Our dog was a poodle x terrier.

[LexieLulu]

If you have allergies, the "poo" cross is good

[LexieLulu]

We have a cavapoo and prior to this we had a cavalier cross chihuahua.

Both dogs have been amazing with our kids.

The chihuahua cross snored louder than my husband but had no health issues, and my cavapoo makes an annoying noise when he's excited and getting ready for a walk... but other than that neither were barky or an issue. We have positive feedback of this breed with our family.

[alessandrae83]

What does everyone think of Chinese crested, pugs? Pugs health problems put me off a little.

[alessandrae83]

He had Addisons and went downhill very fast. I had previously wrote on mumsnet about his quality of life and if I should pts but got a backlashing. I didn't have to make the choice in the end. It may seem soon to be thinking of another but I guess it felt like we lost our dog long before he died unfortunately :(

[SwizzelsFizzers]

we had a laid back dog but he was too independent

What happened to him?

[PinkPupZ]

I have a bichon. Lovely dogs but can be prone to separation anxiety. Can be barky like most pups. Bark when people at door etc.
Absolutely fantastic with children. Adores them. Very people and dog friendly.

I would say harder to housetrain from what I read on breed groups.1 step forward 2 back. We have hard floors so not too bad.

Grooming I brush every day (3 dif comb/ brushes) and she needs groomers every 4 weeks. Needs eyes wiping 2 x a day to avoid brown stains. Her fur is amazing and doesn t shed. She is a big fluffball pup. Adult coats can vary though. Fluffy dogs may need bums wiping at times!!

Feeding ..many can be fussy or have allergies. Mine was v sickly as a young pup. Cost us £300 in first 2 weeks.

Walks..Mine loves walks and will happily go in all but the worst weathers. They also like a mad run round the yard or garden. Some call it a bichon blitz.

Mine is v independent and feisty. Will give you cuddles but prefers to sleep on own or on the kids. Often snuggles up to them.

It's a great breed if you realise the grooming etc. I don't mind that and paying groomer as she gets a good bath (good as they tend to get wee stuck in fur around feet), nails and face trim etc. It's 20 for a pup and 35ish for full coat. You can do your own or go longer in between but mine usually needs doing after 3 weeks or so.

[MissShapesMissStakes]

We have a miniature poodle too. Everyone always thinks he sown sort of mix as we just keep his coat shortish all over. He’s a cutie!
A little barking but only when his food is coming.
His coat so far has been easy to manage. Though he’s just a puppy still. He’s clever and incredibly affectionate. Loves the kids being all over him. He likes his ‘pack’ to be together but he is so friendly to everyone and all dogs we see.

[Earthmover]

Can be bouncy and full of energy around visitors. I wouldn't mistake it for stamina tho.
Happily plod along for as far as you want to walk but ten minutes with a rope ball and they're generally done.
Just thought I'd mention in case anyone thought different.

[CC4490]

Earthmover maybe my in-laws ones are just a bit nuts! They're so full of energy!