Rough Collie or miniature poodle

[Bedroomdilemma]

Thinking about get a dog - this wouldn’t be for at least 2 years as our youngest is only 1, but whiling away these lock-down days by doggie dreaming. We would have a 10, 6 and 3 year old by then. From research, starting to narrow it to the above two breeds. Top criteria is to be family-friendly, and suitable for first time owners, not too hard to train and ideally medium energy ie able to come with us runs and hikes at the weekend, but won’t go absolutely potty if one day’s walk is just a quick round the block. Initially I wanted a small dog, but my DH wants a large one, so we might need to compromise on medium.
My son’s favourite is the poodle, and I do like the idea of non-shedding (I absolutely hate housework, and we have white floors...) Mine is the rough collie. I met one at a show a few years ago, and fell in love - I don’t know if it was her sweet disposition. I had a much loved border collie as a teen, and when I did a bit of research, the rough collie seemed like the more laidback, urban family friendly collie version! I think I could handle the grooming...My dh’s favourite would be a lab, but I just can’t warm to the idea...too big, too bouncy, too hairy and smelly (yes, I know the collie is hairy too, but not particularly smelly?). He also loves golden retrievers which are lovely but I hear the shedding is off the scale.
So...which of the above would you choose? Am I being mad in thinking long wispy collie hair wouldn’t be as bad as lab or golden retriever hair? Is the grooming really difficult? We live in a terraced house, are poodles and rough collies too barky? If so, what quieter breeds should we be considering? Any info from people who know these breeds would be welcome!

I also love Bernese Mountain Dogs but I don’t think our garden or car are big enough - and the size of the poos!

Also are rough collies too sensitive for noisy houses? I’m hoping my very loud eldest two will have quietened down in a few years...

Bit of a contrast there!

What about a sheltie? Very trainable.

What about a border terrier

Rough collies have a double coat which is the long hair on top with a very dense short undercoat. Shedding will be the same as a the golden retriever and both breeds blow their coat either once or twice a year. Poodles need trimming every 6 weeks and come in toy, miniature and standard sizes. Miniature is my favourite size, it's neither too large or too small. I have had poodles, shelties (small version of the rough collie), golden retriever, border collie and collie crossed with a poodle. Intelligence wise they are all on a par so training is easy. The rough collie is larger than a golden retriever so unless you have a large house and good sized garden go for something smaller as they take up a lot of room when sprawled out on the floor. The rough collie is also going to need a lot of exercise so hikes at the weekend great, quick walk round the block not so great.

Rough collies are fairlie big! What about a Shetland Sheepdog? Much smaller but very similar looking.

Fairly

Rough collie!!! We had one when I was little - I was 3 and DSis was 1.5 when we got her - and she was the sweetest dog in the world. Even my friend who was petrified of dogs loved her.

She did shed lots though. We were finding her hair for a year or two after she died.

I'd get a rough collie in a heartbeat if DH would agree to a dog.

Originally I thought a sheltie would be perfect, being a small rough collie and in fact I had contacted a few breeders before our little surprise youngest came along! But I read they are very vocal, and in that recent small dog thread, the rough collie lady was very quick to dismiss them for being yappy/highly strung, I think? But if that’s not the case, all the better!

They CAN be yappy but not necessarily. Ours only barked incessantly when next door was being burgled - otherwise a bark was easily quelled with a word.

IMO, the perfect combo of good looks, brains and loving loyal personality.

The only time I remember ours barking was when the wheelie bins were going in and out.

My husband's parents have had 2 rough collies. They were lovely dogs.

I only knew the female one near the end of her life. She didn't like loud noises by that point and spent most of the day asleep.

The male one I knew for his whole life. He was a bit thick and could be a tad aggressive in the puppy years. I had a few bites but nothing serious. He was easy to house train and good for walks. They are herding dogs so don't like to run off too far. He was very cuddly.

He was an old boy when my son was born and was pretty good with him. My MiL has them both 2 days a week and as far as I know there were no issues.

Smooth collie....

I would go for a rough collie or a smooth collie.

I have a miniature poodle ! Benji---- no cost involved trimming as I do him myself with the scissors, and it's done him no harm , he is almost 24 and doing great except for the other posts , about the frantic gulping and eating manically, anything ! Can't find that post

I mean 14 !!!😁

Roughs are a lovely house dog and a very easy companion. Most are ‘obedient dogs’ rather than ‘obedience dogs’, fit very well in to family life and are keen to please. Once old enough, they will take any amount of exercise but won’t climb the walls if they don’t get loads.

They are not usually dog aggressive and they are usually keen to keep their owners in sight, which makes them a pleasure to walk.

Grooming is not too onerous, but obviously there is some and you may come to dread muddy winters LOL. They are not really a dog for the rabidly house proud though, there will be some hair. If you take them out for a good muddy walk, easiest option is usually to let them sleep it off in the kitchen, then sweep the floor LOL.

There is quite a variation in size and ‘breed type’ in Roughs, so you need to do a bit of research to see what you prefer. You do need to make sure that you buy from someone who breeds good temperaments by meeting their adults.

They can be a bit sensitive, and they can be pillocks about slippy floors(!), but get in touch with a good breeder and you shouldn’t have too much trouble. You need to ensure that pups have been eye tested - a MILD affected result is not the end of the world for a pet, it is not progressive and will have no effect on the pup, but don’t accept being told that a breeder doesn’t test. I would look for hip scored parents if possible, and I would also be looking for a breeder who can demonstrate good life expectancy ...

They’re obviously bigger, but I think the males are even nicer companions than bitches (and they’re likely to moult a bit less often).

The Collielife website is a great resource for info on the breed, including info on grooming, and they have a good Facebook group if you have questions.

The Smooth Collie is not necessarily a directly easier option for housework, they moult like buggery and have quite an oily coat that can smell strongly. Temperament-wise, they are often a bit more lively than Roughs too, but still a great option as a family dog.

Oh, and both CAN be gobby, but it’s not a given - dog-dependent and can usually be controlled.

Miniature poodles are fab. Intelligent, lovely low shed hair and a great size.

Thanks Whitney168, for that detailed post and to everybody for their input! I need to talk to some breeders I think (once they start breeding again, I saw that a good few have stopped).

I have 3, very loud, autistic children and a rough collie. Their noise doesn't bother him at all as he's been used to it since he was a puppy. The first 6 months meant a LOT of puppy nipping though and at one point my eldest kept telling me to send him back! Now he thinks he's the best dog in the world. We love him to bits, if anyone is upset, he goes straight to them to look after them.

Loves long walks but perfectly happy if you can't manage a long one sometimes. They don't need a large garden but have a reputation for lying in doorways!
Make sure parents are hip score tested as well as eyes tested and make sure the pup is tested for MDR1 as this effects what drugs they can have at the vets.

The American type (think Lassie) tend to be bigger, the newer type has a deeper stop and a fluffier coat.

How about a Tibetan Terrier (my dream dog!)