Breed recommendations?

[sammysnake]

Hi, we have young DC and a couple of cats but would like to add a dog to the family. Due to ages of DC (primary school age) rehoming doesn't seem to be viable. Also think a puppy would be better growing up around the cats. Can anyone recommend any suitable breeds? One person would always be home with the dog and we'd want one we can take for long walks once grown but not a complete ball of energy. We like retrievers but think they may be too large for the house. Thanks!

What's your definition of long walks?
Are you fussy when it comes to grooming needs?
Are there any traits or things in a dog that you would really struggle with (like barking, shedding, poor recall) etc?

Just trying to narrow things down a bit for you :)

I'd really recommend a Lhasa apso. Very bright, adventurous, friendly. Very low shedding but need hair cuts every couple of months. Easy to train. They do bark a bit as they were originally bred as alert dogs but they're not that bad.

I wouldn't recommend a cockapoo.

in a similar boat, i'm thinking cocker spaniel (show)

Get a toy breed. It's much easier with young kids to have a small dog than a large one. Also small dogs can get into as much trouble and can't destroy your house like large dogs can.

We have a pig who is a brilliant family dog that gets one with any human/pet, but you wouldn't be able to take him on long walks.

Sorry I meant toy dogs can't get into as much trouble*

We've got a retriever and she's amazing with our 3 young children. It's worth looking into as our dog is quite small for a retriever, often people think she is still a puppy but she's fully grown. Maybe worth considering.

Pug* (not pig) 🐷

Touch typing not my friend today

I've recently discovered that there is a golden doodle! Retriever/poodle cross. Size is dependent on the side of the poodle, but if a miniture poodle is used, it would be slightly smaller than a regular retriever. Apparently no good as a guard dog, but very family friendly and loyal.

@XelaM-hehehe, I was actually going to say that I've always wanted a mini-pig! They can be walked on a leash and taught tricks due to their intelligence. I see you have a pug though- oh well

@XelaM

Pug* (not pig) 🐷

Touch typing not my friend today

It seems to be a day for it. On another thread someone was talking about anything crossed with a pub.

OP, aside from sensible advice upthread about how you define a long walk etc, in your shoes I'd go to the park/ local beauty spot/ playing fields and chat to as many dog owners as possible. If anyone asks me, I tell them the truth, because the breed I own is a pulling, destructive, antsy nightmare in the wrong home.

@Elouera haha would love a little pig!!!

What about a terrier - Norfolk / Norwich / patterdale / westie?

Or a poodle or a schnauzer, whichever size suits you best.

Women loved near me with a golden doodle female and that beast was huge.

When I was growing up we had a shiba inu. Medium energy, intelligent, and great with children. I’d love one now but the cat would hate it!

Friends of ours have a shih tzu and he's an amazing family dog

@GrumpyMiddleAgedWoman who do you have? and I would love any breed crossed with a pub

Wow I just looked at shiba inu puppies and they are £4000-£5000 😱

I don't think I will be able to afford another dog if/when something happens to ours. She's a KC reg Labrador and was £450 7 years ago. It's madness!

Puppies are bitey bastards!
Rescues will sometimes consider primary aged children.
I love flat coat retrievers. Not as huge and hairy as goldies.

We have a shitzu pup, almost 6 months old. He is a cheeky, funny, lovely little ball of fluff! Plenty of energy but equally happy to cuddle up, and he really does cuddle. He is my baby 🤣

When thinking about dog ownership I volunteer dog walked at our local rescue. I could bring kids and they would bring me a child friendly dog to walk.
It was a good way to learn a bit more about dogs and issues.
We couldn't get a rescue that was suitable for homing with kids and cat though, so got a spaniel, poodle Cross puppy (actually not a cockapoo but close). She's 4 now and perfect.

Thanks all - I'll be honest and say I'm not really into the smaller dogs. Sorry! I wouldn't like a yappy dog or one that sheds absolutely loads. We're thinking about 2 hours for a weekend walk and a couple of 30m walks in the daytime. Love cockers but think they might be a bit too energetic!

I'll be honest and say a lot of medium-sized dogs (as you say a retriever is too big) will need more than 2 x 30 minute walks a day. Could you afford to hire a dog walker?

I would consider the health of the dog too, especially if you're planning on getting a cross breed. Breeds that carry the same health traits shouldn't be mixed. For example I know of a litter of golden retrievers x labradors who have developed elbow and hip dysplasia.

I have a golden retriever, as a pp said, loads of people think she's just a puppy but she's fully grown!

Westie. They don't yap, they're great with kids (and with cats if you raise them with cats from a puppy!), they don't shed that much if you keep them booked in regularly for a clip, easily trained etc and they will also go on a long walk or short walk without being a nightmare if it's only short!! Always happy to be involved with family life whether that's snoozing on the sofa or out playing in the garden. Absolute gems of dogs and very underrated!!!

An hour a day is very little. I don’t think many would be thrilled with that.