Recommendations for first time owners!

[KeepSmiling83]

Hi,

I have started a couple of threads lately as we are considering getting a dog. We are still thinking about it and wouldn't get one in the immediate future but we don't have any experience so are unsure which breeds to look at.

DH had dogs growing up (Yorkshire terriers) but I have never had a dog before. We have 2 children who are 4 and almost 8 years old and I work for a few hours each morning Monday-Friday (we would take a month off at first to help settle a puppy/dog and even then would have parents on standby to come in after that for as long as necessary).

I suppose we are looking for a dog that is good with people/children, is relatively easy to train, doesn't need excessive amounts of exercise and is small (not necessarily as small as a Yorkie though!) A breed that can tolerate being by itself for a few hours each morning (we would build up to that) is also important. Does such a dog exist? A dog that doesn't shed a lot or bark excessively would also be great. Are we asking for too much? Or are there any breeds that match those ideals?

Labrador!!! Doesn't quite meet all your requirements - they shed a lot - but they are brilliant friendly, family dogs and so easy to train.
Leaving a dog for 4 hours is no real issue as long as they are exercised well before hand they will usually just sleep the whole time.
Just don't make the mistake of not leaving the pup alone for the first few weeks - from a few days in, start leaving him little and often and build up from there. Otherwise if you suddenly leave him, you'll have issues with separation anxiety.

West Highland White Terrier

Low shedding (we avoid matting by regular brushing ). Small but sturdy enough to cope with playing with kids. Loyal. Very good companion. Easy size to manage travelling with, mine goes on buses, train and the tube. Had him when dd was 8yo.

Recently dog sat a shihtzu, I think he's a cat really, would take himself off to sit in the garden all day, very much a loner compared to my Westie (doesn't smother us with cuddles but likes being with us). Even dh commented that the shihtzu wasn't as good company as ours. We do know this dog well btw, he's always been like this.

From my experience working breeds train easier and are more self sufficient so can be left easier but all dogs need exercise and stimulation - smaller dogs aren't less work, people just put up with their bad behaviour!

PS anyone want to place a bet on how long it is before someone suggests a greyhound? grin

What people need to remember is there is a reason greyhounds get suggested on these threads. There are so many in rescue centers due to the horrific racing industry, its heart breaking that these are great family dogs and they get put down simply because people don't want them.
They are very low-maintenance dogs so great for first time dog owners as they have a good temperament, don't require a lot of exercise and do well left alone, they also are quite tolerable due to their history of racing so are good with kids. They are also known to be a quiet breed and are short haired so don't shed and they don't even have a doggy smell to them! Obviously, they are of the larger size with breeds but to be honest, their presence is must smaller than a bouncing, hyper small dog.
FYI, I feel the same about Staffies- too many need homes.

What you want is a dog that is middle of the road when it comes to intelligence - eg, bright enough to learn not to pee indoors (although there is a difference between not knowing, and knowing but doing it anyway hello, MIL's dachshunds ) but not so bright that they require constant mental stimulation as well as hours of exercise and fences high enough to prevent boredom-related break outs (any working breed, so collies, working cockers, working labs, etc)

I found this dog intelligence table interesting, if loaded with potential for serious debate. Having known several dogs in the 'lowest working intelligence' division, I have to say they might not be the easiest to train, but they more than made up for it in sheer charm and emotional intelligence. Trainability is only one factor when it comes to choosing the right dog for you, obviously, but it's maybe another angle to consider?

Also, goes without saying, individual dogs are different, so you might get a Border Collie who literally CBA, and a bulldog who can do the Times crossword, but in broad brushstrokes dogs do conform to their original purpose, whether it's herding or following a scent for miles, and that can affect how easy they are to live with.

You won’t likely be able to buy a pup at the start of the holidays. Not if you want to buy a pedigree. Decent breeders breed rarely. Each bitch will only have a couple of litters at most. Bitches only have a season a couple of times a year and not necessarily exactly every six months. And of course not every mating produces puppies!
So you would have to hope a rescue had a suitable dog about that time.
And crossbreeds? Can be healthy but can also have the problems of each pedigree in the cross. And the popular crosses? A puppy farmer’s dream. Lots of cash. Plenty of demand. No health tests.

I have two ‘designer’ cross breeds. An Australian labradoodle (a quite established breed) and an English labradoodle. Both miniature (so working cocker size). As with any puppy, you have to make sure the parents have been tested for whatever that breed’s issues are and that they score well. Just cross breeding dogs doesn’t help if the individual parents have health problems. And you have to investigate a breeder to make sure they are not puppy farmers.
If you get a rescue dog the charity will have assessed the dogs suitability to be with kids. But even the best most gentle dog should never be left alone with a small child.
It is up to you to train your dog to be left alone. All my dogs were able to be left alone with no issues. I don’t make a fuss when leaving or coming home.
As fur breeds - everyone will have favourites but just google it and there’s list of individual characteristics of any breed. Generalisations: terriers dig, working dogs need a lot of exercise, the more intelligent need more stimulation (and can be prone to destruction if bored).
You should also train your children as to how to behave with a dog.

@Awesomeo90 that's interesting about leaving them from the start. I read somewhere that you should stay with them for the first few weeks/months to prevent separation anxiety but then other people have recommended the same as you. There is so much conflicting advice out there that it makes it very difficult for someone who hasn't had a dog before! So you would recommend leaving them little and often from Day 1?

@jellyshoeswithdiamonds am off to research westies!

@hippermiddleton so you would recommend looking at a breed that is somewhere in the middle of the intelligence table?

@Pipandmum can I ask how you got your dogs used to being alone? Did you start from the first day? What did you do?

By leaving them from day one - well yes in that the dogs (I didn’t get them at the same time but I did this each time) were crate trained so were left on their own at night. I made sure they went out just before and came down early to let them out. They were not in the crate if I was home unless there were lots of kids around or whatever but they went in the crate when I went out (this is until house trained). I mean you have to go out for school runs, shopping etc? And I confined the dog to the kitchen/family room until trained and I’m not spending the whole day in there. I wouldn’t just let a young pup on his own for hours and hours but you can build it up.

keepsmiling I actually don't know! I just thought it was an interesting place to start, when you can see all the different breeds compared against each other. I'm not even sure whether my own anecdotal experience bears out what's there: eg, Irish setters seem to be waaaay higher up the trainability league than I'd have guessed - there was one who used to be walked near me and I only ever saw her with her owner 50% of the time - the other 50% either the owner or the dog was frantically running around, hunting for the other. Apparently, it's a thing.

It's also interesting to see the Papillon rated as so quick to learn: toy breeds aren't 'just' toys, they're often really smart little dogs who need mental stimulation just as much as larger breeds.

Depending on what the age policies about rehoming are, I'd suggest visiting a rescue shelter/speaking to a breed rescue and meeting some adult dogs with established personalities - it would fit in with your summer holiday schedule better than going on a waiting list for a responsibly bred puppy?

IME, Border terriers are lovely, active, robust family dogs, as are Cairns and mini Schnauzers. If you have room for something a little bigger, greyhounds really are sweethearts.

I would also say re greyhounds, that they come in a variety of sizes.

KeepSmiling83, Yes I would start from day 1. Just a few times a day leave the pup and go into another room for 5 minutes, then 10, then 20 and so on. Ideally when the puppy is distracted so they won't notice you going but leave it long enough so that they realise you're not there. Then when you return, ignore puppy, and he should soon learn its no big deal. Are you planning on crate training?
I did it this with mine and like you, I now leave her about 3-4 hours. I just throw her a chew or a stuffed kong so she doesn't notice me go out the door, and by the time she's finished we are gone. She just sleeps the entire time on the sofa. She's a very needy, clingy lab so I was surprised how easily this worked to be honest!

Thank you again for all the replies! I am reading everything and taking it all on board.

@Awesomeo90 when you left the room initially for 5 mins did you put the pup in the crate? Or did you only put them in the crate/when you were leaving the house?

If you're on FB join the group Dog Training Advice and Support. It's run by professionals (who only advocate the use of up to date, science based and force free techniques) and there's a wealth of excellent advice on there as well as loads of great resources in the 'Files' section. In particular there's a collection of articles/guides specifically aimed at new puppy owners called 'Congratulations on Your New Puppy' which covers pretty much all the basics.

I have a Maltese-Yorkshire Terrier cross. She's absolutely fantastic.

I originally wanted a Maltese as I wanted a small dog that doesn't shed but we came across her and she's got the loveliest temperament ever. She's so patient, kind, loves people (particularly children - she warmed to children first when we first got her as they weren't as intimidating as huge adults) and she loves other dogs (although she doesn't yet realise that they don't all love her).

If we were to get another I would definitely consider a Maltese or Yorkshire Terrier.

Ooh, meant to add that originally she wasn't going to be left much during the day as we were working from home. However, circumstances have recently changed and she's now left for about 4 hours for a few days a week. She's been absolutely fine!

She's crate trained but we're putting her in it less and less as she's coming up to a year now.

As she's a small dog she doesn't need much exercise but she loves her walks.

I was just going to recommend 'dog training advice and support' as well. I wish we had discovered it before we had our puppy. It has so much useful advice.

@BorderlineExperimental @lorisparkle I have recently joined that group on Facebook. Do you think it would be worth asking about breeds on there or is that more for advice once you have your dog?

That group is great. Especially about bringing a pup home, toilet and crate training. Crate training isn’t shutting the dog in a crate and walking away!
Shame you’ve missed Crufts. Discover Dogs is great for finding out all about different specific breeds.

We have a 3 month old cavalier. We had one before who passed away a few months ago at 11. There can be health problems but many breeders will have health checks as much as they can. I feel they are good as first dogs ( was mine). Like to go for long walks but not too bothered if they can't one day. Our puppy has been good in his crate at night. He's just gone in now without us even telling him. He often goes himself during the day. I think he gets too distracted trying to sleep in the kitchen if I'm doing stuff. It was great for our first dog and we liked them so much we got another one. We looked a poodle crosses but they can be quite hyper and often a lot more expensive too.

I know greyhounds have been mentioned already on this thread but I just wanted share my experience. We’ve recently rehomed an ex-racing greyhound who we adore, he’s the most fantastic family pet and wonderful with children (mine are 6 and 10). The rescue he came from worked with us to help us find a dog who was a good fit for us as a family and we’ve been able to leave him for short periods since the first week. It’s such a joy to watch him growing more used to living in a home, less anxious and more playful