Help me choose the breed for dog number 2 please

[Sunrisemouse]

In the next 12-18 months we would like to get another dog. We would like this dog to eventually be almost like a therapy dog for my daughter who is currently 8yrs old.

She has quite bad social anxiety and is selectively mute in most social situations. We are also starting the process to see if there is autism involved. That saying when there is a dog around she can speak. At counselling she finds the dog there therapeutic as it sits next to her for strokes etc. She says she would like a dog who will sit with her and have lots of strokes and cuddles so she can tell it all of her worries.

We currently have an 18month lab/Springer cross who does not fit the bill at all. She is most definitely my dog and is not very affectionate. For exercise she has a 20min walk around the block in the morning then an hour at lunch, mostly off lead. We also do a few 10min hooper's practice throughout the day so would like the next dog to also be able to meet this exercise regime once fully grown.

Any suggestions on breed and what can we do to ensure we get the right dog? Well as much as we can do as I know every dog is different.

Thanks

Altho everyone slates them on musmnet
most therapy dogs I know are cockerpoos, a few standard poodles and a few labs

so they may be good options BUT the breeder & training will be key to this so I’d reach out to places that train therapy dogs to find out if they have recommendations. Ask the place she’s having counselling too if they can recommend a breeder/trainer

A labrador would probably be great for this.

My whippet is super cuddly and loves kids. Not that trainable though so that may be an issue.

standard poodle. I have 2, they are very very attached to their people, very intuitive.. (my boy, 1 yr old is sat here for the last week attached to my brothers hip...my brother is here in canada from belfast to bury his 30 yr old daughter :( and my little Oliver knows he is going thru something and will not leave his side despite only meeting him for the first time last friday) also..no shedding.. no aggression (unless mistreated...they are still DOGS) easily trained and hate being away from their people. So not a dog to have if you are gone all day.

this is how attached they get...hahahahaha.. wtf ma??? why?? why you leave us???

Lab/ Golden retriever cross could be an option. That’s a cross favoured by Guide Dogs for example, as you get the Labrador willingness complete with the steadying influence if the golden. But lots and lots of training would be needed .

For example, my lab boy is the cuddliest thing ever, but he was manhandled / cuddled mercilessly as a puppy and so is very used to being handled; so think what you want the dog to do for your daughter and start as soon as you can.

No specific breeds to suggest, but just wanted to say, don't rule out cross breeds. We have a terrier cross who is incredibly smart and affectionate. If I'm ill, or just feeling even slightly down, she comes and lays next to me with her head on my lap. If we'd thought to get the training done when she was a puppy, I think she'd have made an incredible therapy dog.

Miniature Dachshund.
Loyal, great companions and very good at picking up on your mood.
Plus, everyone wants to stop and talk to you about your dog. DD (also selectively mute) struggled initially as everyone wanted to chat about the sausage dog. She was then put in a position to actually have to talk and this has really helped her with all aspects of her anxiety.

We have a long haired dachshund. Calm and loving and absolutely clingy by your side all of the time. If she needs the feeling of a constant companion they can be a good choice.

Although research the breed well because they can have significant back issues when they’re older.

@24petlegs ha snap!

Border terrier?

Surely a lap dog would fit the bill. I know chihuahuas can be quite possessive so not sure one would fit in too well especially with another dog. What about a Pomeranian? I think they love cuddles and I can imagine the feel of their soft fur would be therapeutic.

Shih Tzus too. All the ones I've met have been very docile and friendly.

That's amazing that a dog can help her so much 🙂
We have a Cockapoo from a brilliant breeder and our dogs mum is just the sweetest nature so I think doing research into where the pup comes from is key. Our dog is also sweet, calm and loving. She can do decent walks - gets two 45 min walks and a 20 min walk per day but is happy getting cuddles/napping the rest of the day. She's fab with our kids/cats and other dogs and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this breed if selected from the right place. Good luck with your search

My cavapoo is a velcro doggy and loves nothing more than cuddles and being by my side.

If you want a dog that is energetic but clingy, a Vizsla would fit the bill. They do need a lot of training and some clear boundaries, but they are enormously affectionate and sensitive dogs.

You would, though, need to be sure that you could meet the exercise and training needs.

Could you visit a few rescues until you find the right one that clicks with your daughter? Breeders will usually have young puppies that will be full of energy and want to be exploring and you won't get much idea of their own future temperament. Even with a specific breed you might end up with the only pup in the litter that doesn't like to be hugged... At least with a rescue you could find an older dog that just wants to be loved,?

Australian Labradoodles we're originally bred to be assistance dogs. Lovely temperament and very intelligent.

We have a Labrador we bought as a pup when ds was 9. ddog literally ignored ds for years (unless he was in front of him with dog treats in his hand!) even though ds walked, fed and tried to train him. In the last couple of years, now ddog is 9 and ds is 18 they are inseparable and ddog sits under ds's legs whenever he is in the room. Not sure when and how it changed, maybe when ds grew to be the tallest in the room, or ds matured/calmed down, or his voice broke and became lower!!

There are no guarantees a new dog will bond with your dd, if anything it could be more likely to copy and latch onto your older dog and you. Are you prepared for that? My dniece has just taken on a 9 month old collie who was bought as a "therapy" dog for a child with autism and discarded when it didn't quickly "fit the bill".

I would work on the, still very young, dog you already have instead.

Cavvie ?

what ever you get your daughter needs to do alm the work so she becomes the dogs “ person “ hand feed train etc

If you’re set on a puppy, I’d look at all the wee one a bred purely to be companions. As long as you don’t go for something really exaggerated, you wouldn’t have an issue with that amount of exercise, that’s not a huge amount.

Your current dog illustrates one reason why I’d avoid a crossbreed if a trait is very important, on paper your current dog should be pretty perfect....but they don’t always turn out like that.

I’d second an older rescue though, it might take a bit longer to find the right one, but, you skip the mad bitey puppy stage and it’s less of a gamble over how affectionate it’d be, because it’s already an adult.

I have a very affectionate and loving cavalier cross (part Brittany) who I think would be great for this sort of thing - she's very sweet-natured, but she also loves her walks and would definitely be able to keep up with your existing dog's exercise schedule! My dog's breeder breeds for health (hence the inclusion of the Brittany; she also health-tests her dogs extensively) as well as temperament. I think she may have pups at the moment...PM me if you'd like her details.

Cavalier King Charles

Aren't they the usual therapy dogs? Extremely nice temperament but you have to get one from a reputable breeder to avoid health issues

Our pug is an amazing companion and would sit on your lap all day and LOVES kids but you have to be careful to get one who has been bred for health

Maybe as important as the choice of breed, I would try to find a breeder who has bred successful therapy dogs and who is breeding for that temperament, and is also a good judge of how puppies will turn out as they won't all be right for the job.

I have a cocker spaniel, who would NOT make a good therapy dog but his litter brother went to a family to train as their autistic son's therapy dog and he's turning out great - the breeder helped them choose the puppy best suited. Might be a breed to consider as they are really loving, velcro dogs, and meet your energy/activity requirements.

The other child's therapy dog I know personally is a golden retriever. I know they chose their puppy really carefully, their breeder's previous litters had included puppies who grew up to be therapy dogs.

Thanks for all of your responses. I will research all breeds suggested.

A rescue isn't off the table due to all of the comments above. I just hear the stories about rescues not rehoming to families with kids and people who work from home, which we both do but both in very flexible roles which allow us to take time out when we need to. This would be my preference. I would love to foster but we have an 8yr old.

I agree that if we go for a puppy then we need to find a breeder that can guide us on which one in the litter would have the temperament we need.

One poster asked what we would do if this didn't work, I do realise this is a possibility, and we would of course keep the dog as it's part of our family. We would not be getting another and this would really upset my daughter. This is my biggest worry.

Obviously, my daughter loves the poo teddy bear types and yes on paper our current dog should be idea. She wasn't bought for this though. We wanted an easily trainable family dog who I could hooper's with. She is from working lines and is perfect for this. We do joke that she is worst lab type going but give her a job to do and she is awesome.

My initial thoughts were either Labrador, golden retriever. Cavalier king Charles worries me due to the potential health problems. I did think of cavapoo's but that screams puppy farm. I did research a breeder of sproodles who has had previous pups from litters take on therapy roles. Again, that's a crossbread.

Thanks all.

I recommend a White Swiss Shepherd Dog. It’s basically a white German Shepherd with any aggression bred out. I rescued one from a Greek shelter and certified her as a therapy dog. She worked in my uncle’s special needs classroom along with his Golden Retriever. The Swiss Shepherd would have been too aloof for regular therapy work, but was perfect for the inner city young autistic/special needs kids. The kids preferred her to the Golden as she was steady, kind, unflappably and didn’t lick or nudge kids. (The autistic kids had an aversion to dog saliva.) She never made the first move, but loved being petted and would hold completely still. Any kid could walk her and some of those kids spoke their first words asking the teacher to have the dogs come back.

I rescued my Swiss Shepherd, but would recommend buying one as a puppy so you don’t have to deal with the behavioral issues of a rescue. Mine had buckshot in her arm and a fear of guns/fireworks, initially got sick in the car. Also, she had been a bait dog for pit bull fighting and initially had a problem with medium sized black dogs. I’m a dog trainer and fixed these issues, but for the normal owner it would be hard.