Help me choose what kind of dog to get!

[berryfull]

This is the year I’m going to get a dog!

What kind of dog should I get?

I have two kids, 7 and 10. 10 year old has autism. For this reason I am think Labrador/ retriever.

I live in a first floor flat. For this reason I am thinking whippet.

I have a secure garden. I live two minutes from a beach and loads of parks. The dog won’t be left home alone, only in rare and unexpectedly circumstances.

What do you think?

My working type cocker has been amazing as a companion for my son who has asd. We just got another.

Great family dogs, but do need lots of physical and mental exercising.

How long will the dogs walks be? Then look at exercise needs. Ive a cavatzu. Got him last christmas. He is a but lazy and has two hours of walks a day.

How long and how often do you want to walk a dog?

How much training and for how long? What type?

How much grooming?

How much do you want to spend per month?

To what extent do you want the children to participate in exercising and training?

Who will look after the dog when you cannot? What are their limitations?

How big is your car?

What kind of outdoor space do you have?

What dog behaviours can you absolutely not accept? Digging? Chewing? Barking? Guarding? Boisterousness? Shyness? Overly friendly? Etc etc

How strong and fit are you?

How long and how often do you want to walk a dog?

Ideally 2 30 Ishminutes walks on beach each day, and a few shorter walks to garden and park.

How much training and for how long? What type?

Would want to train the dog to be genrally obedient , ie good recall, lead walking. Possibly crate train too depending on dog type I guess.

How much grooming?

My husband is mildly allergic , so not lots, prob short hair best, so another reason for lab/whippet.

How much do you want to spend per month?

Not worried about money, whatever it needs

To what extent do you want the children to participate in exercising and training?

After school and weekends!

Who will look after the dog when you cannot? What are their limitations?

Friends and family. Very flexible. But both me and husband self employed from gone, so very flexible.

How big is your car?

Berlingo

What kind of outdoor space do you have?

10m square garden

What dog behaviours can you absolutely not accept? Digging? Chewing? Barking? Guarding? Boisterousness? Shyness? Overly friendly? Etc etc

As in a flat, barking would be difficult. Would prefer an affectionate dog to bond with children.

How strong and fit are you?

Average!

How are you going to manage toilet training in a first floor flat?

I’ll be taking the pup the 30 seconds downstairs to the garden frequently for a few months.

GR and labs can be large dogs/ need large bed/ crate. Would you have room?

Labs are more robust than whippets if your sons condition causes emotional upset. Whippets can be quite sensitive.
Do you know any breeders. If you want a pup good with kids, the environment of the pup when very young and the temperament of the mother are very important. So it might be an idea to look for recommendations of good breeders.
'Failed' guide dogs can also be a good way to source a dog that will have a good personality for your family.

As a retriever owner I wouldn't recommend if your husband is allergic. The hair gets EVERYWHERE. Plus they're big dogs, get filthy on the beach with sand clinging to all their fronds on their coat and so maybe not massively suited to living in a flat.

I don't know the breed well but whippet sounds like it could work well for you. They're meant to be fab with kids and don't need a Himalayan trek for a walk like some breeds do.

A rescue greyhound.

Quiet, calm, clean. Brilliant with kids, very gentle. Love routine and plenty of sleep, which is why apartment living suits them.

I have a lab, he's a show lab rather than a working/field lab. He is content and calm on minimum of 2x30 mins off-lead walks per day - we often go for longer but if someone is ill etc and he only gets out once, he's still fine. From what I've seen and heard of working labs, they would not be happy with this and need more mental stimulation. If you go for a lab, be sure you know which you're getting as the two kinds are not the same dog!

My dog is just brilliant and loves everyone, he's so good and such a gentle and loving boy with the children

His only downside is the constant shedding but I just keep hoovering!

I think a Lab might not be the right dog... they are big and can be very lively puppies. Not sure if being in a first floor flat is practical.
Try and think about how much weight you are able to carry up / down the stairs, because let's face it, there will be times in your dogs life when you need to. I

Yes we’re on the waiting list for a failed guide dog.

My thought was a whippet/ lab cross would be ideal! Smaller and lazier than a lab, more emotionally resilient than a whippet. Short haired. Good with kids.

Can’t find any though!

I can’t find any rescue place that will rehome to children or flats!

@berryfull I had the same problem - I was refused a rescue dog as my son was under 8, they also said they wouldn't let me take one if I planned to leave it for more than one hour at a time. Not sure who could realistically promise that.

Definitely recommend rescue greyhound but they do like space to stretch out! I have collies but wouldn't recommend them.....

I always recommend staffies.

Very friendly and affectionate with people and great with children. Quite playful, even as adult dogs.

Short hair (although they do seem to leave hair everywhere). Not particularly barky, but they 'talk' when there's someone around to talk to (strange yodelly noises).

They like a walk, but they don't need a ton of exercise. Our current staffy loves a run on the beach (chasing seagulls) but she's equally happy lazing around the house most of the day. She has a really strict routine of toilet times which would work well in a flat.

Downsides - terrible with other dogs unless really well socialised as a puppy. And sometimes not great even then.

Not a beagle.

I have one and a staffy. They are incredible dogs, very loving & cuddly, but they need a lot of off-lead exercise & the shedding is brutal (your husband would suffer). Plus many are very vocal.

30 seconds is a long time carrying a puppy mid wee or poo. And lab puppies get heavy quickly

Definitely not a lab or retriever for allergies! How about a miniature poodle? Poodles are smart, non shedding and friendly and quirky personalities.

Portuguese podengo pequano. A sighthound so fairly lazy though not quite as lazy as a greyhound (I’ve had both). Small. Wire hair ones don’t shed, they need hand stripping. So my dog allergic friend isn’t trigger, obviously this may not be the same for everyone. Usually very friendly.

Or incur the ire of mumsnet and get a cavachon. 😃 Ultimate lazy dog and ime also don’t shed. The bichon part does mean they’re a bugger to housetrain....but if you can cope with six months of pissy carpets they’re the perfect dog. Total cuddle monsters.

My thought was a whippet/ lab cross would be ideal! Smaller and lazier than a lab, more emotionally resilient than a whippet. Short haired. Good with kids.

Problem with crosses is that you have no idea if that’s what you would get. You may have a scatty lab-like excited Whippet- or a dog that’s essentially a more delicately bone structured lab with whippet temperament- you have no idea really. Fine if you are flexible about what you will end up with, but your circumstances with children, being in a flat and with allergies in the family, mean you may have to be less flexible than you’d like.

My brother lives in a flat in central London and has a havanese... small, portable, incredibly cute and friendly and doesn't shed (he has to be clipped 6 weekly)
They carted him outside every 30 mins and managed fine but did have quite a few indoor accidents. He does bark a fair bit though.

On the other hand I have a Eurasier, who despite the double coat, only sheds a couple of times a year, and even as a puppy (she's 7 months now) is a calm incredibly easy dog..doesn't bark, was toilet trained by 11 weeks and never ever pooed indoors, and is big enough not to be damaged if a kid trips over her! My youngest has autism and we researched for a breed that would be family orientated and calm, and she is amazing... strangers often comment on her lovely behaviour and great recall.

And of course she's the most beautiful puppy in the world... (google Eurasiers!)

How do your children react to dogs? Some like bouncy, friendly, noisy, playful dogs and others find that overwhelming (I'm not keen on those sort either). All puppies are fairly full on though and can be bitey, scratchy little Landsharks for a while.

Did you try a greyhound rescue or was it a general all breed rescue? The Greyhound Trust tend to be fairly flexible when it comes to children & flats, though the branches all set their own homing policies so will vary, though many will often home out of local area too. There's lot of independent greyhound & lurcher rescues that home nationally too.

Greyhounds fur can be ok for those with allergies but really depends on individual as often dander/saliva trigger, best to spend time with a few dogs of which ever breed go for to test. With a sighthound a reliable recall is quite dog dependent but that is less of an issue with greys than huskies as they can get shattered just from being on paws for an hour. They're quite cat like in nature, love sleeping and can have a more what's in it for me attitude to training but are pretty low maintenance so cause little bother.
Lurchers can be bit more fun /energetic/clever in training & finding trouble to get into, but much depends on the make up. Labrador lurcher isn't a popular cross as isn't much purpose to the breeding, however bull lurchers are very common and frequently seem to take on more people oriented, cuddly bull breed traits which can also aid training. I've got a greyhound x staffy lurcher I took in as a foster but nobody wanted to adopt her due to bull breed prejudice, she's has her faults but I'm not sure its possible to feel more loved by a dog, she'd live under my skin if possible.