Dog breed help

[Lolly2803]

So we are looking for a dog to complete our family. But I want to get the right breed and am after some help.
We are an active family with 3 children. I am a SAHM so home a lot. Exercising a dog not a problem. My husband wants a dog that can snuggle on the sofa (I’m not bothered). I want one that has a brain and can do a good walk and good with children. I would like one that can walk off lead in the woods with us. has to be small or medium sized. Considered a working cocker but think the lack of off switch would be too much. Husband loves Cockerpoo’s (I am not convinced). I’d have a Lab he says too big. Border terriers seem a good option but can they be off lead? Any help or advice would be great!

I'm not familiar with border terriers, why couldn't they be off lead?
The only dog that I would think that can't be off lead are husky/husky type dogs.

Most dogs can be off lead but you have to train them to behave nicely and recall. They don’t just automatically know how to behave nicely

thats good to know. I looked at a beagle but then saw they can rarely be trusted off lead. So was wondering if a Border Terrier was the same or whether they are ok. With training of course!!

Border Collie if you are an active family and can exercise them properly. Wonderful intelligent dogs, very loyal and easy to train. And they aren't too big either.

We have a black pug and you cannot get a more child-friendly dog with a nicer temperament. He is an absolute sweetheart who loves kids and will snuggle up to whoever is on the sofa for most of the day. But he loves his walks, is super fit and can walk off-lead for hours. He has been having races with my daughter's pony and any hound he meets and everyone always comments on how fast he is and how fit he looks. We walk for hours and hours some weekends. I actually think a lot of pugs' medical issues come from people over-feeding and never exercising them.

He is super food-motivated (like all pugs 😂) but that makes him very easy to train. We have not put much effort into his training bar a few puppy classes awhile ago, but he knows loads of tricks and is always eager to please. Has been super easy to toilet train. He is black, so is single-coated (unlike the fawn pugs) and therefore hardly ever sheds.

He's just the best dog in the world 🥰 and we take him everywhere

How old are your children? Will this be your first family dog?

Border terriers can definitely be off lead when well trained and definitely like a snuggle on the sofa.
Beagles definitely struggle with recall.
Border Collies full on, some are snuggle on sofa types some not at all, great dogs but wouldn't have one as first dog (not sure if you are first time owner?)
Jack Russells are fab, lots of energy, very funny and love a snuggle.

Lab totally fits the bill (work on your DH!)

miniature poodle also worth looking at though not many good breeders breeding at the moment. Very intelligent so also require a lot of mental stimulation.

Border terriers have a high prey drive and will disappear down holes. A bulletproof recall not out of the realms of possibility. They can have selective hearing though! We have a 15 mnth old lab and 11 week old BT. Will let you know in a year if we ever get a decent recall on the BT 😅

I might get flamed for this but I’d rather have a well bred pedigree rather than mixed breed. Health and temperament is v important to me.

You can get a beagle off the lead, you just have to put the time into recall training, and know their limits. Our beagle walks off the lead and recalls just fine, as long as nobody is having a picnic within a mile radius. If he happens on a picnic, it's a crime spree. Which is the same as a labrador in my experience.

Border Terriers have every chance of being able to be off the lead as many breeds (well trained and good recall). I grew up with terriers and think they are great family dogs. This is especially so if they are acclimatised with children from puppyhood (if that makes sense). I think a terrier would make a great choice if you don't want something too big but want to be able to do good walks too.
I personally wouldn't choose a beagle as a first time family pet. I know a family friend with them and they are a nightmare (not purely the breeds fault, poor training contributes) but they are harder work than other breeds. There is a lot of howling and the are very smell driven. I know you mentioned you avoided a working cocker because of the "lack of switch off"...cockapoos can be very similar.
....It is a shame your husband thinks a Labrador is too big. I love them. Though you can get very different types as you can have lazier ones who just like to bumble along vs the athletic working Labradors. We have had both and they couldn't be more different.

A show typed English springer spaniel ? A bit less energetic than working springers, great with kids and good off lead, easy to train and love a snuggle.

Female working labs aren't all that big. Not as on the go as working cocker spaniels ime. Ours is very active out and about but chilled around the house.

Have a look at Judgy Dog on Instagram to see her opinion in Border Terriers. She loves her dogs, she has two, but it is funny how much they frustrate her.

I have a show cocker spaniel which is off the lead as much as possible, though when we are in the woods I will keep her on if she starts to get to interested in certain areas ie deer or squirrels. If the long coat is a bother you can have them clipped, which is what mine has, so they don't get so much foliage attached.

How much you can have them off the lead is down to training, though some dogs are more small creatures driven and end up investigating holes in the ground, especially the terrier group.

If a working cocker is already a possibility, then have a look at the show type. They do have energy but not as much as a working type

Do research the health issues with brachycephalic dogs before shortlisting a flat-faced breed.

Terriers can have very strong prey drive, and so can take more training to get an adequate recall. Border, Cairn, Norfolk and Norwich are among the less problematic ones.

Tollers are very much like labradors but a bit smaller.

Poodle (unmixed) might eb good choice - can be a bit sensitive/nervy, but with careful introduction to a busy family home, I don't think that would be insuperable. And as they are clever, they can be very good companions for DC who want to teach tricks or take part in agility

Cairn terriers are great family dogs, I've had them all my life. Recall tends to be on their terms but they are not yappy and brilliant with kids, equally happy with a 5 mile walk or 20 minutes around the block.

How much fluff/ fur / cleaning of a wet muddy dog are you willing to put up with?

Not that well known but have a look at a kelpie x lab , not too big , short har , v. Clever , brilliant off lead too.

A little left field. Schnauzer. Our fella (On the large size miniture) is capable of all day walks in fells, playing with labrador size dogs, playing with balls in the park. But equally happy to cuddle in for the evening.

If you want the turbo model then the Schnoodle is available Poodle/Schnauzer). Not particularly different in size but much more athletic. 1kg heavier than our schoodle which the vet said is pure muscle as he was astonished he was heavier. He can out sprint a Springer/Collie chasing a ball and is hugely athletic under those curls.

Both dogs capable of doing everything you ask, without being so big as a lab/collie.

Only other thing i would advise is see the parents. Our 2 are almost identical sizes thankfully. But wherever we go people say they have schnauzer/schnoodle and they are tiny in comparison.

Oh and both zero shedding hair.

I have an Australian labradoodle - he’s only 7 months but a real sweetie, loves a snuggle on the sofa, but loves his walks, he’s really good with my girls and my nephews. He loves playing with his ball and other dogs, his recall is good (but a work in progress like all puppies). He is quite smart and loves his dog training classes.

They come in 3 sizes, I have a medium and he is about 12.5kg. The grooming is a pain, I won’t lie but it’s worth it to not have dog hair everywhere. Might be an option?

I have a vizsla. He's the most impressive dog I've ever met. Very active but well behaved and knows when to chill out (I also wfh). He's been trained to tidy his toys, he's super affection with our children. No defensive behaviour at all. He plays gentle with the smallest but will have a rough play fight with anyone willing. They call them velcro dogs as they're so affectionate he will come for a cuddle whenever I ask. He loves a sniff around a wooded area but will equally happy with a walk around the town. Great dog all round.

No idea why it quoted you, sorry about that I thought it was just a reply.

If you go for any sort of gundog, look into its breeding and what the parents are like. The working lines can make amazing family dogs, but they need a lot of training and exercise, and for their minds to be kept busy. You can train an off-switch. The hardest thing IME is to control their prey drive.

Also IME, border terriers are generally easier than, for example, Jack Russells.

I agree with show cocker. Not too energetic but energetic enough and very snuggly.

I think if you have kids, you want a breed that is not only good with children ( clearly trained too) but also one that is good with other dogs. It’s not great for the children if their own dog is reactive to other canines , as that can get ugly fast
Good socialisation and training is a must, but some breeds are more prone to dog on dog aggression/ reactivity than others.
So if I was looking at Border Terriers, I would pick a female. Same with any terrier type, including staffies.
i would never encourage anyone with young children to get a border collie as a pet, as then can be snappish , and also very dog reactive, especially if their needs are not met.
Labs, retrievers, most gun dogs will fit the bill , including spaniels.
But it is always good to meet the Dam/Sire of any puppies to assess their temperament , so if you can start the search with the breeders. Champ dogs is a good source.

Show cockers are lovely. Really gentle, intelligent and energetic. Not too big or small. You can get their coat cut shorter if you’re not keen on the show coat look.