Going round and round trying to figure out best breed for us (family dog)...

[CityDweller]

... and I'm hoping for some advice!

We're hoping to get a dog in the next year. Family of four. DC currently 7 & 5. Live semi-rurally. Plenty of space indoor and out. Someone at home nearly all the time. First-time dog-owners. We also have chickens. DC would also like guinea pigs in the near future.

Every time I think I've found 'the right' breed, I then read something that puts me off or we meet a dog that makes me re-think.

Requirements are:

• loving, gentle and friendly
• will bond with all of us (i.e. not a 'one-person dog),
• not prone to jumping up (or can easily be trained out of it as a pup)
• not too 'mad' or zoomy around the house (beyond the puppy phase)
• characterful and a properly 'doggy' dog (i.e. not a greyhound!)
• medium/large in size
• ideally not too smelly/ sheddy (although will compromise on this if dog fits the bill in all other ways)

These are the breeds on my short list, but they all seem to have various drawbacks that are making me pause:
Irish terrier
Irish setter
Golden retriever
Cocker or Springer spaniel (working)
Standard poodle

I also really love the look and sound of Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers (Tollers), but they seem impossible to find...

Any input on whether any of these breeds might suit us, or others worth considering, would be much appreciated!

Dogs are not dogs and you're right to really explore the needs of each breed. If more people put this much time in there would be far fewer dogs given up. The whole point of a purebred dog is that you are getting something very specific. Grooming and exercise needs vary hugely.

Flat coated retrievers are gorgeous. I've never met one I didn't like and aren't overbred like Goldies.

The whole point of breeds is that within a breed, there are strong similarities in appearance and (to a lesser extent, especially in show-bred dogs) behaviour. I would expect some different things behaviourally from a GSD than I would expect from a working cocker spaniel, and different things again from a bichon frise.

OP is being sensible and pragmatic.

Another poodle vote - I love how many poodles there are on here.
Ours gets muddy most walks as we live next to a wood with a number of streams running through.

I just shower him quickly in the bath. Usually just feet and belly need doing. I don't use shampoo or anything. Just rinse him off and towel dry. He then runs round like a looney to dry himself.

He is cut every 5 weeks and quite short all over. I brush him maybe once a week if that. Not a problem. He's an apricot and I have heard they have looser curls - not sure if that's true but he's certainly more wavy than tight curls.

He's clever, quick to learn and adores his family. He is lovely with my kids (8 and 11), playful and can switch off and relax with us all too.

He's fantastic and I wouldn't have another breed.

He is gorgeous @MissShapesMissStakes!!

I would look at something on the Vulnerable list
www.thekennelclub.org.uk/getting-a-dog/are-you-ready/vulnerable-native-breeds/
Usually Excellent dogs but no money in breeding them
As mentioned many dogs would have the small furry pets so choose wisely.

Your children have excellent taste - get a flattie! We started off wanting a Toller, but then fell in love with the flat coated retriever. They aren't the easiest dog to find (but easier than Tollers), but I'm so glad we got ours. He is a very easy family dog. Yes, he does need to be walked and played with, but there is lots of snoozing on the sofa too in between. He is very attached to all of us. He does shed hair but it hoovers up well, and because he is black, you can't see most of the mud! We do give him a hose down after very muddy walks but I don't think he is high maintenance. We don't have any guarding issues. He does chase birds and squirrels/rabbits - but we've never tried to train him not to, and he is very trainable.

The challenge with vulnerable breeds @Funf, some of which I like a lot and have researched, is it’s impossible to find a breeder. At least that’s what I’ve found.

@moretea29 thanks - your dog sounds lovely. I’ve been reading about the short life expectancy for flatties - tendency to get cancer. Is this something you’re aware of or worried about?

CityDweller - you are right to note that there is an issue with cancer and flatties. It is a risk (although it is a risk that does exist with some other breeds as well but it isn't perhaps talked about as much). I did a lot of research and thinking hard about it, but in the end decided that nothing in life is guaranteed, and they are such wonderful dogs that we would go for it. However, my children are teenage, and if they had been younger, I would possibly have reconsidered. It is just one more thing to weigh up in choosing a breed, and a breeder. (Sorry to add another thing to your list.) However, I don't regret for one moment choosing our flattie.

We started by contacting any clubs for the breed we wanted, they all had puppy coordinators so they then shared our details with people who had or where about to have litters.
They are worth the effort, remember these are rare not because they are bad pets but usually difficult to breed or small litters so no money in it, a Boxer can have 6-10 pups a Dandie 2 at the most.

Our puppy just arrived today from the breeder. She is settling in really well. Everyone needs a St Bernard in their life

@blowinahoolie welcome to giant dog life beautiful puppy!!!

@blowinahoolie He's stunning. We recentlh got a Swissy puppy and we adore her.

Thanks Leonberger she's just a brilliant dog. Glad to be part of the club🙌

Beautiful pup Swissypup 👌

Staffie would suit you to a T.

I personally wouldn't buy a child a dog that they really really wanted, children get bored of dogs very quickly. I certainly did as a child.

We have a lovely golden retriever, she's the most loving girl ever, she is super friendly to everyone she meets and they are quite biddable to train but can be very naughty if clear boundaries aren't set. Something to bare in mind with getting a larger dog is to check that their parents have both hips and elbows scored, these dogs need mental stimulation not hours and hours of walking as a pup/young dog. They grow fast and their growth plates don't come together til later and they will suffer if constantly exercised to make them tired!

She`s stunning @blowinahoolie!!!

Your pup is such a beauty too @Swissypup!!!

That isnt always the case <strong>@HeyDW96</strong>, it very much depends on the child. My parents trained working dogs professionally and they gave me my first pup when I was six, I didnt ever get bored of her.
I was up through the night (voluntarily) taking her out toilet training and looking after her too from the start until the very end.

I trained her under my parents supervision and guidance, but she was very much my responsibility, my parents had their own dogs, and their trainees, she was mine and my best friend until the day she passed away.
My own DC have never got bored of our dogs, or any of our pets.

@PoleToPole I get that, that's why I said 'I personally' but each to their own and it's great that some children really do take ownership of their pets!

I think the trouble with these threads is everyone just piles in with the breed of their beloved dog.
There have already been a few suggestions on this thread that I’ve been a bit about.
Everyone thinks they have the best dog afterall.

It’s a shame covid has put an end to dog shows and discover dogs and the like because discover dogs was one of the best places to go if you had no idea what you wanted.

I notice you meantioned an Irish terrier OP, i do think any sort of terrier (or any breed known for high prey drive, GSD would be another of those...) would be very foolish indeed with something as small and squeaky as guinea pigs

Ooft dogs are not dogs...

I’ve never met a breed of dog I don’t like, doesn’t mean they’d suit me as a pet though.

I’d drive a poor sweet greyhound demented - they don’t want to do scentwork and fetch after a long walk and I’d be hugely frustrated trying to teach them to do things like spin in circles and empty my washing machine, lol

Our working cocker fits your bill perfectly aside from shedding. Hoovered up another whole spaniel yesterday alone!

He has though in 13 years never been anything other than the gentlest of souls.

@Swaddlemeinplants - yup, such a bummer that Discover Dogs wasn't on last year (and proably won't be this year, if things carry on as they are) as we really do just need to meet a lot of dogs and stop accosting every dog owner when we're out on our walks

@tabulahrasa I'm glad you said that as I was beginning to doubt myself! After all, there are plenty of people on this thread who are upping their own breed while saying there's other breeds they don't like - and I don't see anyone accusing them of 'not being dog people'.

After all, I've never really liked children, but I'm pretty keen on my two DC. I like to think it's all down to the breeding

I wouldn't like to own most breeds yet I love ours because she suits our needs as a family. I admire lots of breeds but most of them would drive me potty. I'm another one who thinks it's entirely foolhardy to place a terrier with rodents and not expect a bloodbath of epic proportions. Someone will be along to say it's all in the training and their terrier lived with rabbits without a problem but why would you buy on the hope of the exception? The whole idea of a purebred is to get one that suits your circumstances. You can sometimes out-train instinct but why when other people have spent hundreds of years breeding it in. Just choose a different dog. It reminds me of the people that always pipe up with my grandad smoked 20 a day until he was 137 and was fine. Outliers exist but they don't inform a good decision.

We got our puppy last year when the kids were 5, 7 and 9. Honestly they've been very involved in training from the start. I don't think your DC are too young with appropriate supervision. Dog very quickly learnt who it could play more boisterously with ( eldest boy) and has always been very sweet with the little ones. We have a lab (working and is quite dinky still at 18mo) very food orientated though so would do anything for a treat!

Nah you do need the right breed of dog if you’re getting a puppy (you can be more open minded with a rescue because it’s a bit irrelevant if it’s a breed with certain traits and the a particular dog hasn’t got them)

Having said that though, there are usually a whole load of breeds that’ll suit someone, they just need to know what’s important to them and what’s realistic.

And if you’re trying to avoid behavioural problems... like resource guarding, finding a good breeder and training is probably more important than breed tbh.