Is there a breed I'm missing?

[undermycatsthumb]

We are hoping to get a dog in the next one or two years. At the moment our first choice is a golden retriever, and I've contacted lots of breeders of goldens. We've also considered a cocker, but the show types aren't for me and I've read so much conflicting information about whether the working types are suitable for a family pet i.e. not actually worked. We've ruled out labs and flatcoats. So my question is, is there another breed outside those 4 that I should be considering? I just want to make sure we get this decision absolutely right.
Our requirements are - good with kids and a cat; up for long, mountainous hikes; trainable; gentle.
Thankyou!

I know hybrids aren't that approves here but if you like the lab look but smaller how about a springador? Here is our monkey.

I do love all the different dogs we look after, don't get me wrong... but my favourites for temperament are Flatcoat Retriever, Dalmatian, and Vizla. I'm very attached to all the Labradors too, but I totally understand your explanation up thread. Of our spaniels, the two sweetest are actually Sprockers, somehow the cross between working cocker and working springer has created something really good natured AND RESPONSIVE TO RECALL! Still utter filth magnets though. The Flatcoats are undoubtedly improving health wise, there's been a lot of dedicated work from the breed society to try and get rid of the cancer gene that was devastating them. Dalmatians and Vizlas (and all the other basically pointers) have lovely short coats that are blissfully easy to dry and groom compared with the fluff monsters. But they are also rather brainless in a goofy lovely sort of way.

My bestest girl was a show cocker spaniel. Physically she was perfect to show, temperamentally, errr... not so much! 🤣. She'd never have stood still on a judging table, which was fine by me as that wasn't something I was interested in.

She'd walk for miles, but was also happy with a quiet day in - as long as you didn't mind her glued to you. Couldn't go for a wee without her!

Loved kids, everyone in fact. The only thing she hated was being left on her own

Show CS, don't all have to have a daft haircuts & look like they're going to Crofts!!

Another vote for Tibetan terrier (it's not a terrier type desire the name). Ticks all your boxes. 😍

Airedale :) lovely family dog.

OP permission from Mumsnet to get a Goldie, there are plenty of alternatives (Lab fan myself personally) but I can tell by your post your heart is set on a Goldie, the only requirements are a 'what shall I call my Goldie puppy thread' and the obligatory puppy photos.

Whippet! Gentle, not vocal at all, love exercise if you buy them a warm coat. I know you said you aren’t fussed but low grooming and love a cuddle

Some breeds that sprung to mind:

Miniature Poodle
Finnish Lapphund
Kooikerhondje
Brittany

Thank you so much for the all the comments! Particularly those who posted pictures So many beautiful dogs and breeds I’d never thought of eg the Tibetans.

Flatcoats - for some reason I always thought they were also fairly bonkers and not the easiest around young kids, maybe that was one of those ideas that gets in your head and is completely wrong though?

Really interesting to hear from people with springers, which I absolutely love but had also thought were better worked than a pet.

felicia Oh you might well be right, the size of some other breeds is so much more convenient but I do wonder if deep down my heart is set on a goldie.

Golden doodle? Depending if the cross was with a standard or mini poodle, the size could be much smaller than a regular golden retriever.

Flatcoats are lovely but check the health of the lines behind any puppy. I don't think they're particularly bonkers, but iirc they are slow to mature (it's one reason why they lost out to labradors as working dogs).

Someone mentioned Brittanies. Beautiful dogs but on the whole close to their working origins so intelligent, driven and ambitious.

Vizslas are delightful, but the working lines are full on. If you want one as a first dog and as a pet, scour the pedigree and avoid litters with field trial and working test winners in the near ancestry. (Voice of experience: even when you have had multiple dogs before, including working-line, a puppy out of a FTCh is, um, interesting to bring up.)

A friend owns and breeds springers, working line but kept as pets. They need plenty of exercise and solid training early on (heel walking, recall), but they are very nice dogs. Your best bet here would be to find someone breeding a chilled-out pet, or to let a gundog breeder know that you're after a pet and would like the least driven puppy of a litter.

Goldens are lovely. Very sweet and benign and people-friendly.

Thanks to a PP photo I've just realised that my much loved dog from my childhood was actually a GSD x retriever.

He was the best dog ever. Gentle, loving, looked after my mum every time she had a seizure and we were the only house in our block not to get burgled.

I miss that dog. My Dad picked him by asking at the rescue for the dog who was most at risk of being PTS because they hadn't found a home. Our dog's day was the next day. Had him for years and years.

@SunflowersAndLavender

Rough collie! Very gentle

There was a survey published recently and Rough Collies came out as THE dog most likely to bite.

I think stick with a Golden Retriever. They really are the perfect dog in terms of temperament and biddability. I don't have one, so I can't be accused of bias.

That survey had totally flawed data .

It also listed mini schnauzers which is total nonsense IMO

Miniature poodle!

If the standard look bothers you (and I would understand that) google them with a normal dog clip - I had never considered them before seeing one with a normal clip, and felt bonkers because mine fits my lifestyle perfectly - best decision I made that pupster.

What a lovely story SciFiScream.

Thanks again, all, it's been so useful to hear the thoughts of experienced dog owners.

A bigger terrier? Airdale or Irish? We have an Irish terrier and he's fantastic, his best friend is an Airdale Terrier and she is great too! I do love a terrier though so a bit biased

good with kids and a cat; up for long, mountainous hikes; trainable; gentle

Our border collie fits these requirements. He's the absolute softest soul, a friend has a GSP a similar age (both still under 1) and I couldn't get over how nippy he is, whereas ours has never even done puppy nips. We got him after being told my the breeder of the goldie we were considering that we were better to keep him away from our upper primary school kids as 'goldens are known as land sharks for a reason' which made me really sad as we'd had our heart set on her. I don't know if he just knew something about those specific parents we didn't maybe. Our collie has been really really easy to train, all he really wants is to be near people but certainly so far he is capable of a long walk, but he's also very happy laid at my feet through the day while I work, he just doesn't much like being apart from us for more than an hour or two. We certainly don't have a farm to work him on, but we do do plenty of enrichment to keep him occupied mentally while we work next to him through the day. We have two cats and he wants them to play with him, they are decidedly less keen on this idea and just want to be left to nap!

Has noone suggested a boxer yet??

I grew up with an English Setter, absolutely gorgeous dogs.

Setters are gorgeous. Love Airedales and wheatens. That rough collies might be more aggressive than other breeds is hysterical. Mine is 5.5 months and puppy mouthing lasted about three weeks. We've only just realised she's got her adult teeth because she yawned and there were huge gnashers there!

OP - there are so many fabulous breeds. Can I also put in a plea for the Hovwart which is like a retriever but a bit bigger (might be too big). You might be able to get to a show this year - some are running - to actually look and get a lowdown from breeders. Breed facebook pages are good too.

And if you need a name for whatever cute puppy you get - a mumsnetter will be on hand. One named mine!

I've spent so much of today looking at info about GSD x retrievers. So many of the pictures look like my childhood dog. I never, ever thought I'd find another!

All the descriptions about the breed are spot on about my dog.

I sent my Dad a picture (found online) and immediately he saw our dog. We always thought he was a Heinz 57, never to be repeated.

Now I know he has a 'family line', now one day I might find another dog like the best dog ever.

I keep telling my DH we're getting a dog when we retire. Now I have to make it true.

@SciFiScream I've also done a bit of reading and I think in America they call them 'Golden Shepherds'. Honestly, my dog's a rescue, but he's just so great. He's 8 now though (we think...he was handed in to a pound) so he is getting quite grey around the muzzle. My parents always had GSDs and they don't last forever

The bit about Dallys being easy to groom is true......but my goodness they loose their body weight in white hair every day. Everything has tiny white spiky hairs, so black clothes have to be kept upstairs and only put on just before you go out the door. You’re still covered in hair though.

@Lougle my Das rescued our dog in 1977. The rescue thought he was about 2. He was PTS maybe in 1991? He met my baby sister born in 1991 for sure. So he was around 16 years old when he died.

I loved him so much and am quite emotional at the thought of being able to find a similar dog one day.

It was your picture that made me realise! This was my dog in the early 80s.

I've got a Tibetan terrier, and he's great, but only moderately trainable. He ticks all the other boxes. I don't really groom mine, just keep him cut short. Non-shedding - which is a massive bonus!