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?

That FB group is really just for training related stuff. As well as all the resources in the 'Files' section the chances are if there's anything you're particularly curious or concernes

Researching breeds can be a bit daunting as there are just so many of them!!

The KC Breed Information Centre isn't too bad a place to start, it's got basic information about each of the recognised breeds. It's far from perfect but if you're a bit overwhelmed by the idea of going through them all their breed finder quiz can be useful to come up with a shortlist to start with.

Breed clubs can be a useful source of information although some do focus much more on the positives than any negatives, unless it's a particularly specialist breed in which case they tend to try and put as many people off getting one as possible It's also worth noting that some can be a bit economical with the truth when it comes to health issues in their breed, particularly when it's either very widespread or directly related to the physical attributes of the breed.

Breed specific rescues are also worth looking at, they can tend to be rather brutally honest about the potential negative points of the breeds they focus on.

Health wise both Dog Breed Health and the dog section of the UFAW site are full of information about hereditary and conformation related health issues in various breeds plus the tests or screening schemes that exist for them. As well as utilising appropriate health tests and breeding away from extremes of conformation which can impact upon health or normal function (such as the short muzzles in breeds like pugs and bulldogs) good breeders will also be trying to maximise the genetic diversity of the puppies they breed. Essentially whilst health tests help breeders either reduce or eliminate the chances of puppies being affected by known conditions for which tests exist, keeping inbreeding levels low helps reduce the chances of puppies being affected by conditions which either can't be tested for or are, as yet, compeltely unknown. High levels of inbreeding can also have an effect on things like lifespan, immune system function and fertility. I'd definitely recommend reading 'A Beginner's Guide to COI' and 'COI FAQs: Understanding the Coefficient of Inbreeding'.

PP have mentioned a papillon. I had one growing up (5+, though there was another elderly one before that which I can't really remember). They're my dream breed - one day I'll have another but DDog was accidentally acquired and needs to be an only dog.

He came to us from a breeder at 18 months as he'd been intended for a show and stud career, but failed at the latter (!!)

Temperamentally nearly bombproof, except chasing cats (not a problem for us tbh) and he got a bit snappy with bouncy puppies in his twilight years (understandable tbh). Loved everyone, including greeting a burglar he disturbed like an old friend

He was bright but with 20/20 hindsight badly trained (eg he came back when called in his own time) but that could have easily been sorted with basic things like, erm, a bag of treats, but his main carers were very very very old school (think 1920s) from a generation where dogs just existed rather than having the high obedience expectations people have now. Lots of papillons do things like agility.

Exercise wise I think he got an hour or so a day (but may not be accurate as I was so young when he was young) but I don't remember him being too twatty even if walks were a bit shorter. Unlike the pomeranian, who would sit down and not move when she'd had enough, he would walk however far you were walking.

Not much went wrong with him health wise. Old age deafness, heart murmur, teeth had to be pulled out in his old age... Very basic stuff, until his final unexpected and short illness at age 15.

He didn't bark much but I believe some of the breed do. I don't think he ever stopped shedding either - we were finding long white hairs for years after he died (though perhaps that says more about the cleaning than anything else!)

To me he was the perfect dog. However, this is one person's experience with one dog, possibly with slightly rose tinted specs on, and viewed through the subsequent experience of taking on a JRT x with ishoos who could make most dogs look easy! Worth having a look, however, if you don't mind the shedding!

Poodles are very underrated.

We are new to dogs and have a 10 month old mini. He’s been amazing. Slept all night from his first night. So lovely with the kids. Enjoys his walks, a play in the garden, or snuggling on the settee. He’s a great size too. Think he’s pretty tall for a mini but love that you can get them in three sizes!

He doesn’t shed. Never found a stray hair at all.

We can leave him for 2-3 hours but that’s all he’s used to just because we rarely need to leave him. He’s just always pleased to see us. As long as he’s had a walk and a wee he just sleeps till we get back

Thank you so much for all the thoughtful replies. They really have given me lots to consider!

I second what borderline says about COI. High COIs caused me to veto a couple of litters when we got our younger dog. Look for 5% or less. You can find out the COI of a litter by plugging the pedigree names of the sire and dam into the Kennel Club's Mate Select website. It's not totally reliable but it gives you some idea.

Also bear in mind if you do get an F1 cross that if one of the breeds suffers from a recessive genetic nasty that does not occur in the other breed, the puppies might carry it but they will not develop the disease.

If you go for a puppy, check the breeder over really, really carefully. My dog's breeder showed me videos on his phone of her mother working, and friended me on FB which let me see that the litter really had been born in his dining room. A breeder having a council licence does not guarantee that it is not a puppy farm. A breeder not having a licence doesn't mean that they are rubbish, either.

Unless you have, literally, an hour to an hour and a half a day to dedicate to the dog, avoid anything working line.

And after all that, I hope you find a dog or puppy that is a great match for you and your family and have years to enjoy that amazing bond.

We've got a whippet as a first dog. We've been fostering him for about a month. He was very shy and nervous when we got him, but the good thing about fostering first is that there is someone at the end of the phone to ask if yo have any problems. He used to get very nervous when left and would pee on the floor if the only person in the house was out of sight for a few minutes. We were told to leave him little and often from the start so he got used to knowing that we went out but came back. He's much better now and we leave him for up to 4 hours. If its likely to be longer, we have someone who comes and walks him in the middle of the day. My friend has a lhasa apso that she says is quite low maintenance. Hes really cute!

Oh yes the whippet loves the kids. Mine are 8 and 10. He put up with the noise they make, he collects them from school and will jut stand there when hundred of kids are patting him on the head! Hes great!