Help us chose our first dog

[MrsPicklesonSmythe]

Having never been a dog person, over the last year I've become bit of a fan of other people's pet pooches and can't stop thinking about having one. I think it would be a great addition to the family, good for my mental health and despite showering affection on my cat let's face it, he'll never love me! 😂

We are currently in a rental but would like to adopt a dog when we are in a better position to do so. Maybe in a years time.

I work nights part time, dh works full time from home and we have 3 ds's 17, 11 and 4 who would love a dog, there's always someone home and we rarely go away (last time 6 years ago!). We don't have much of a garden and I'm guessing we won't have a huge one in the next house but they'd have at least two 30 min walks a day (is that enough?) and we do have plenty of lovely places for longer weekend walks close by. I'd also sign us straight up to a good local trainer and there's loads of groomers and vets locally.

I am fairly allergy prone, never specifically to dogs though just dust, pollen etc

In my research Havanese seem to look a good option.

Does anyone have any experience or could you help me consider some other small/medium-sized family dogs suitable for first time owners?

Any advice much appreciated as we won't go into it lightly

miniature poodle

My parents got me a westie for my 19th birthday as they don’t shed and my brother has terrible allergies. He was a great dog but a first dog for us all and to be honest we were not prepared. You can read, go to training classes but it was a total eye opener. He was so clever and needed stimulating activities to keep him from wrecking things. He did turn out to be a fab little dog but took longer than it should have due to our inexperience.
My DH and I rescued a lurcher and she was an amazing dog. So timid, good natured and affectionate. She slept more than she was awake but loved her walks. She was brilliant with DD when she was born which was a worry as we had her for 8 years before DD.
We now have a chihuahua, I have always wanted one and my daughter wanted a small dog that would play with her. She is amazing, still a pup but very well behaved, toilet trained with ease, great with other dogs and very affectionate. Also loves to sleep in a wee ball but absolutely loves walks big or small. Of all the dogs she has been by far the easiest to train though that could be down to experience now. She has an excellent temperament and is a brilliant guard dog. She’s not happy but will bark if anyone comes to the door or a stranger comes into the house.
So many great dogs out there to choose from!

Agree miniature poodle. Fantastic dog. Bright, fun, loving. Loves a good walk & play but happy to snooze and cuddle at home. Have a "cute cut" as in the photo not a traditional poodle cut! They don't shed at all so great for allergy sufferers (but do need professional groom every 8 weeks).

My friend has a poodle/ bichon frise he is lovely. Clever, cute and doesn't shed!

As an alternative to poodle, I've had greyhounds for years and they don't set off my allergies whereas most other breeds do. Big dogs physically but small on the inside, many are pretty much sofa cushions with legs.

Miniature schnauzer

Do not get a cockerpoo! I'm an experienced dog owner and my cockerpoo puppy is very hard work , Highh energy, very vocal and very destructive

Our girl is a cockapoo, we adore her. She sleeps at my feet all day while I work but she's hilariously good fun on walks, was easy to train, well behaved and doesn't have the dog smell. She's fantastic with our kids. We got her from a small breeder who really cares about her pups and the follow up support was great. Can you tell we just adore her??

My mum looks after her friends greyhound’s - once they have had a walk they are like @Fenella123 says “cushions”. So quite. There are loads that need adopting.

Greyhounds, or a lurcher. As above. Don’t need a lot of exercise , are not high energy generally and don’t shed a lot.

Rescue a greyhound

whippets are fab too

i bought a puppy becaue I was scared of rescuing for my first dog - but I’d definitely rescue now

so please do stay open minded to rescuing - a mixed not necessarily pretty rescue could be an amazing doggo

Having never had a dog before, we chose a Maltese as a ‘starter dog’ and he’s been ace. I doubt you’d be able to adopt one, or a havenese, though.

Border Terrier. Fantastic little dogs with personality in spades. Happy with 30 mins but will climb a mountain with you if you want them too. Loyal, characterful, wilful, funny little dogs who love to please and fantastic with kids. Mine made it to the grand old age of 13 before old age got him, and he did 8 miles in the hills two months before he went.

MIL has a miniature schnauzer who is lovely but the border beats him hands down in personality.

X2 30 minutes walk isn’t a lot for many breeds so that along with getting on with children etc should be your priority when choosing.

You could consider a rescue?

Every dog is an individual and a rescue centre would be equipped to support you with getting the right dog and train you to look after it.

We have a rescue Shih Tzu cross… if you Google how much exercise Shih Tzu’s need most websites say hardly any. Ours on the other hand needs lots of stimulation to be happy, she easily walks 10 miles (epic considering her tiny legs!). Shih Tzu’s are also apparently not very clever/have very little pray drive/like to cuddle.. our dog does not match any of this but she does look like a Shih Tzu (nose is a bit longer and she’s slimmer than most). So we ended up getting one of those DNA tests done…. Little doggo is part Border Collie! … Dogs trust re-homed her with us, a couple who like long walks and dog sit my friends collie (I actually asked if she would be ok with us - they said, don’t worry she’ll be fine on those walks… my word they were right!)

A few people have mentioned poodles/poodle cross, poodles are one of the smartest breads…. They won’t shed, but they will need a interaction & walks to be happy (most peoples near us have 2 walks a day, a lot of people have oodles).

Sighthounds (greyhounds, lurches etc.) are known to be lazy cuddly dogs. We know someone with the most model like saluki cross, she’s stunning. However some have very high pray drives and are fast! (Not sure how that will be with young kids) But a bigger more robust dog could be better than a smaller dog for young children (rescue centres tend to not home small dogs with small humans because the dog could get hurt… and if a little dog is fearful they could nip/get aggressive).

All I’d say is to avoid frenchies/King Charles spaniel etc… unhealthy breads will just add potential cost in vet bills.

And have you thought about fostering to adopt? Lots of small rescue centres need foster homes and you could ‘try before you buy’! My work friend did this.. he’s ended up with a lovely little dog! And a bread he wouldn’t have even thought about.

You’ll get loads of people on here saying grey hounds, and there are many in rescues.
Sadly the ones I know near me (through a dog walker) have a high prey drive so are never let off lead (unless in a contained area that is hired), and need to be muzzled. There are a few owned by someone less careful that have hunted deer and other dogs. Ensure you have the full picture.

I’d also recommend a poodle, or a mumsnet dreaded poodle cross breed (with a high % of poodle whee they’ve crossed back to the poodle line). If you go for a cross breed ensure that both parent’s lines are health tested and traceable as with a pure bred. Poodles are smart, friendly, & energetic. Ours has been easy to train and has the sweetest personality (fun, gentle, confident, playful) . Being smart means they do need to be entertained with brain games, and ours can be a little too smart/ cheeky sometimes, but that’s part of the appeal. They are high energy but ours is trained to ‘relax’/ settle inside and she sleeps a lot during the day if we’re in and out. Personally I’d not leave her more than 4 hours, she likes company, but she’s quite happy being left for up to 3-4 hours. Regular grooming is needed. Ours can be picky with food (likes variety), but I was used to labs who inhale food! This way is probably more healthy as she’s healthy weight.

This. 30mins is nothing. Most breeds wont be happy with that.

I have a Border Terrier. They are great family dogs and amazing with children, as someone else said, they have personality in spades. She is the 2nd BT that I have had and I genuinely think I will always have one.

However, they do have lots of energy, need lots of exercise and can be mischievous so if you want a calm, laid back dog they might not be the breed for you.

With walks that short don't get any working breed. My parents had labradors and they need a lot of exercise or they become overweight and get associated medical issues. They will also get really bored and chew. Luckily even at seventy my dad cycles 10k a day and is often out on hikes/walks. PIL have and foster bassets, they are very lazy, you have to persuade them to even go out for half an hour.

I'm pretty sure you won't be able to get a rescue OP - not if you have a child and a cat and a small garden. Also I am not sure a greyhound and a cat would be a good combo.

Lhasa apso. Beautiful breed

we had maltese growing up and they’re lovely dogs.

I wouldn’t bother with rescue though. Most rescues are so strict that most people are considered ineligible to adopt. I would just go down the route of looking for a decent breeder.

Oh I didn’t see you had a cat

i think a Javanese would be brilliant- a friend of mine has one and she’s adorable

I'm another one who's had both purchased and rescued dogs. Now I'd always try a good rescue first because their knowledge and experience in matching a dog to your family is invaluable.

If you can, I'd try to get to know a good local rescue now. Rescues need volunteers for all sorts of things and it would give you the chance to see a lot of dogs and begin to get some insight into their breeds and personalities. You would get a better sense of what sort of dog might suit you and the rescue staff would be better able to match you with the right dog, if you decide on a rescue dog in the end.

You might also find that the doggy contact would give you some of the mental health benefits of having a dog while you're not in a position to have one of your own. Win win.

Before you adopt anything can you look at fostering or even just doing something like trustedhousesitters for a couple of days,

so many people with allergies get dogs thinking it will be manageable, and then decide that they can’t live with it and then have to look to rehome