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

[Aprilislonggone]

Ddogs do a mile race in a circle on our local beach then walk to heel and sleep the rest of the day!!
We have a yard also. They love a tug of war rope and balls to fetch!!

[alessandrae83]

Go on @doginatent

[Teddy1905]

I have two westies, which I love to pieces, but being terriers are off your list! I must admit they are seriously independent little devils. I do meet regularly plenty of the other breeds on your list though, and all the Bichons I've met are calm, friendly, sociable and surprisingly hardy little dogs. A friend also has one, with young children in the house, and they are devoted to each other. Some toy breeds, such as Maltese, prefer to be the star attraction within the house, so I don't know how they would fare in a family set up. X

[DogInATent]

@alessandrae83 it's the Staffie.

And I heard that. But bear with me.

- we have 2 children aged 9 & 5
Great with children.
- we have a small yard but live close to parks and woods
Ideal.
- 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.
Will probably sit on you rather than with you, will definitely enjoy walks. Very people-focused.
- someone would be at home most of the time.
Perfect.
- we live in a terraced house so I don't want a dog that barks excessively
Generally not a barky breed. Most likely to respond to another dog barking up the street, but unlikely to be the dog that sets off the neighbourhood bark.

It sometimes seems like there's only ever two answers to "What dog should I get?" - either a Staffie or a Whippet. In terms of what people need from a dog it's one or the other. But there's what you'd like from a dog and that's where the other breeds come in.

You're going to end up with a Frenchie, aren't you? :D

[alessandrae83]

I love staffies. I've only ever known lovely, friendly ones. I know a staffies who loves other dogs, cats and even sits and cuddles the family rabbit. Only reason I haven't considered them is because I've been allergic to the 4 staffies I've been in contact with. :(

[doingwhatican]

Would you consider a miniature poodle? If you don’t get the crazy hair and shaved face, they don’t look poodley at all. Everyone is always surprised when we say ours is a poodle. They are very smart, love hanging with their people, don’t smell. I’ve not found the brushing much work, once or twice a week and then the groomers. Ours is very athletic and I can go running with her now she’s 10 months (vet cleared it).

[readyfreddie]

A shih tzu all day every day. My 2 year old boy is a joy. Absolutely loves the dcs. Not an ounce of aggression in him. Enjoys loads of cuddles, going for walks (but doesn't need loads of exercise) and playing fetch. He does need brushing though but doesn't shed. I pay 30 pounds ever 8 weeks for grooming.... He's worth every penny.

[anniehm]

I second a collie, mine barely barks, is fine being left for extended periods, independent when we want but is keen to hang out with us whenever invited. Very trainable from young (and can pick up bad habits too of course so you need to be on the ball) talking of balls, completely obsessed.

[bluetongue]

If you want a dog to sit with you a whippet will love that job

They can be rather ‘spirited’ as puppies and you will also need to be able to have a run at least a coup,e of times a week as well as plenty of walking.

I have a small yard but my whippet spends most of his time inside anyway.

[CC4490]

We've got two shih tzus and they're great! Good with children and loads of personality!
The don't need too much exercise but a good half hour run off the lead every day seems to keep them happy.
Mine were very stubborn when it came to training but we got there in the end (more or less! One is a right little madam and if she's not in the mood to listen she won't!) they're really affectionate and love getting snuggled in. One of mine doesn't quite understand personal space and likes to sit more or less on your face.
They need regular hair cuts as can get matted if you don't brush them every day. This costs us about £50 ish every 6 to 8 weeks.

I have a King Charles spaniel growing up and she was lovely but not very child friendly. A great companion but very nervous and jumpy round kids. This might just have been her personality I'm not sure about the breed on the whole.

In laws have whippets and they are nice but need loads of exercise. They take them running in the woods or up the hills for an hour twice a day and even then they run themselves round the garden! They are very snuggly in the evening though.

[Nesssie]

Defintely not a collie!

A whippet sounds good, and with proper training from a young age they can be let off lead with a reliable recall.
Minimum grooming/shedding/smell. Small and dainty. Good with children. Not particularly known for barking. Love cuddles. No particular health or behaviour problems.

[Earthmover]

My whippet must be the exception to the exercise rule then cc4490.
A good 45 minute walk and she's comatose for the rest of the day.
A very short battery life, she tires within 5 to 10 minutes of chasing a ball.

[CC4490]

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

[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.

[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.

[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.

[SwizzelsFizzers]

we had a laid back dog but he was too independent

What happened to him?

[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 :(

[alessandrae83]

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

[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.

[LexieLulu]

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

[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.

[alessandrae83]

That cavapoo is adorable though eek

[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.

[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.