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The doghouse

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Original poster

What dog breed do I need??

79 replies

CandlelightGlow · 26/02/2023 20:08

I'm looking to September next year when my youngest starts school, would love to finally get a dog but I am looking for one that will fit my lifestyle. I should probably preface this by saying that I know my criteria won't just come down to breed, and that individual personality and training will factor in too. But can you help me find this dog?! They need to be:

Good with children
Low prey drive - very important, I have a house rabbit, but we have the space make her a separate area if needed
Small to medium size
Not a brachycephalic breed
Active and capable of walking frequently, or small enough for me to carry

I'm having a hard time googling as a lot of the breeds suggested seem to be brachycephalic (French Bulldog etc)

OP posts:
Twopoodlesarebetterthanone · 27/02/2023 00:07

Poodle's in my experience don't have much prey drive and are very easily trained. I run with mine they are really versatile.

lobeliasb · 27/02/2023 00:22

Papillon! They are small but aren't the stereotypical prissy lapdogs. Mine is perfectly capable for walking for miles and miles and is the smartest dog I've ever had. Although his fur is long, it requires very little brushing and doesn't tangle.

lobeliasb · 27/02/2023 00:23

And he has no prey drive, loves other dogs, kids and cats. I highly recommend paps

Goawayangryman · 27/02/2023 00:34

My golden is definitely not allowed anywhere near our indoor buns. They stay in a separate, segregated part of the house. She wouldn't necessarily shake and kill them, but she would definitely chase and catch and bring it to me. She has a high prey drive.

I'm just not sure at all how I feel about dogs being around house rabbits. I'd be on edge all the time.

RedSquirrelRoar · 27/02/2023 00:43

IndiganDop · 26/02/2023 22:38

Cavalier? My mum's cavvie was totally uninterested in chasing anything - ball, squirrel, rabbit, none of it interested her. My cavapoo would definitely not be safe with a rabbit however. Weren't poodles originally water dogs for hunting?

Ive heard this said before about cavaliers so perhaps ours is unusual but she will chase anything that moves!

Carlycat · 27/02/2023 02:25

A rescue dog. Because breeders are scum

peppermintteagirl · 27/02/2023 03:59

What sort of temperament does your bunny have? As a prey animal it could find living with a dog incredibly stressful.

Original poster
CandlelightGlow · 27/02/2023 04:50

peppermintteagirl · 27/02/2023 03:59

What sort of temperament does your bunny have? As a prey animal it could find living with a dog incredibly stressful.

Bunny bless her is like a tiny dog herself, a decent size and has been raised around 3 going kids so I'd used to a busy environment and lots of attention. She also has an enclosure only she can access. I am still not 100% sure I want to risk it but there are quite a few arrangements possible straight up free roaming doesn't work.

@Carlycat I would definitely consider a rescue and will look, I do need to be in the safe side though due to DC. I grew up with rescues but none of them were 100% straightforward dogs and I was around 10/11 at the time, my youngest will be around 5.

OP posts:
Shivermytimber · 27/02/2023 05:44

I have a dog with a high prey drive who has lived with house ferrets without any bother, he’s just learnt they are not dinner.

itstrue · 27/02/2023 06:21

I have a mini poodle and a rabbit. I got a poodle because they are supposed to have a low prey drive. Mine loves chasing the rabbit. But the one time she got to him (kid left a door open) she chased him until he collapsed but didn't bite him and she's very gentle with our cats.

It's the boredom stuff that's hard to manage with poodles and the intelligence means she never just forgets and gets over something. Oh and they don't like being left alone.

imissyoulikethedesertsmisstherain · 27/02/2023 06:24

We have a westie X toy poodle and she is beautiful and ticks all these boxes.

PandasAreUseless · 27/02/2023 07:04

My Border Terrier is a dream and ticks every box apart from the prey drive one, but as @Shivermytimber has suggested, they can be trained from a pup to accept other animals that they live with.
She is incredibly sweet and a dream with kids. She's emotionally intelligent with all other dogs.
She loves the outdoors and her daily 45 min walk, and we go on lots of adventures together, but if it's raining she has a day off with no trouble. And when she stays with my mum when we're on holiday, she just lies around for a week.
She's small enough to take to pubs/cafes/hotels/friends houses. But she has the personality and interests of a 'proper' dog!

newusernamegloria · 27/02/2023 07:14

Mini golden doodle, ticks all your boxes perfectly. Ours is smart, playful, energetic, low prey drive, friendly.
Also mini schnauzers are great too, a friend has one and he's all of the above

twistyizzy · 27/02/2023 07:52

CandlelightGlow · 26/02/2023 20:54

Ah interesting, thank you for your experiences with spaniels!

My mum has a 7 month old "sprocker" and he has been SO high energy but, he is settling down in to an incredibly loving and harmless dog, he's also suddenly become really good with the kids.

It completely depends what type of spaniel you get. A working cocker for example will definitely need a job to do, just walking 3 times a day will give you a fit dog but not a spaniel whose needs are being met mentally. So many spaniels in rescues due to resource guarding and lack of recall because of their high prey drive. I'm a spaniel person through and through but they need a lot of training, preferably gundog training, to instill that basic obedience etc.
A show cocker may be better but there are still resource guarding issues there.

Ellmau · 27/02/2023 08:18

I was going to suggest a bichon, perfect temperament for what you want. The only reservation would be the ones I know are not particularly keen on walks.

Newpeep · 27/02/2023 09:39

Re. Prey drive, most dogs will see rabbits as prey. Because they are. So I’d be going for total separation no matter what breed you have. Cats are different IME.

Lots of high drive dogs live with cats usually because they have been brought up with them but if not then they’ve been trained carefully.

I would choose the dog that fits your lifestyle and manage the rabbit tbh. My border terrier would fit all those requirements and is learning very slowly to leave our confident cat alone (play not prey - she’s a puppy). I wouldn’t trust ANY breed with a rabbit. They just can’t defend themselves OR get away if they need to.

OrlandointheWilderness · 27/02/2023 09:44

I have a working sprocker. I wouldn't trust him around a house rabbit. In every other respect he is wonderful, and very chilled.
Make sure if you go for a small dog you understand it's genetics and breeding - a lot of small dogs were originally bred for working purposes and have a high prey drive.

Pic of sprocker

What dog breed do I need??
Lastqueenofscotland2 · 27/02/2023 09:48

My aunts poodle killed their kids rabbits - broke into the run any everything they weren’t loose.
I have two cavaliers and one of them would definitely chase livestock/small furries if he was allowed to the other doesn’t give a shit, a previous one was a chronic cat chaser too.

My friend has a bichon that chases squirrels also…
Dogs and small furries can be such a hard mix to get right…

maxelly · 27/02/2023 09:54

Yes the trouble with gundogs and collies is that while they may not have a strong instinct to kill, they certainly do have a strong desire to chase, the gundogs to fetch and the collies to herd/guard. I've had spaniels in the past and they absolutely did habitually chase squirrels and wild rabbits etc, I'd like to think they wouldn't have deliberately killed them if they had caught them but I can imagine being chased or nipped at by even a very gentle/soft mouthed large or medium sized dog would be potentially fatally stressful for a bunny? And as for any kind of terrier or even terrier cross living with a small furry, that would be a hard no from me. I think you're right to go for total separation from the rabbit and just don't risk it...

MissDollyMix · 27/02/2023 09:55

I have a sprocker who doesn't have ANY prey drive! I think she's a bit faulty... 😂
Show type cockers will have a lower prey and energy drive than their working cousins (although my personal preference is for the working variety) . Cavaliers are very easy going too.
Agree that Bichon Frise are lovely dogs. Never had one but they're on my 'list'.

Newpeep · 27/02/2023 10:03

MissDollyMix · 27/02/2023 09:55

I have a sprocker who doesn't have ANY prey drive! I think she's a bit faulty... 😂
Show type cockers will have a lower prey and energy drive than their working cousins (although my personal preference is for the working variety) . Cavaliers are very easy going too.
Agree that Bichon Frise are lovely dogs. Never had one but they're on my 'list'.

I teach agility classes. The absolute worst dogs for prey drive and bogging off have been spaniels and the worst of those two very highly bred show spaniels - the terriers I teach are great. It really is a lottery. My terrier isn't showing much of a prey drive so far. My last dog was a terrier sighthound cross and loved a chase but that was it. She lived with three cats with zero issues when she'd grown up a bit.

ProbablyDogNappersHunX · 27/02/2023 10:58

How about a Papillon?

Small, technically a spaniel (sometimes known as the continental toy spaniel), but really more a companion breed. Active and often used for agility training. Generally pretty robust health wise, and certainly not brachycephalic. Do need a good bit of brushing though (but not clipping). Quite an unusual breed, and not routinely seen amongst puppy farmers.

lobeliasb · 27/02/2023 11:05

ProbablyDogNappersHunX · 27/02/2023 10:58

How about a Papillon?

Small, technically a spaniel (sometimes known as the continental toy spaniel), but really more a companion breed. Active and often used for agility training. Generally pretty robust health wise, and certainly not brachycephalic. Do need a good bit of brushing though (but not clipping). Quite an unusual breed, and not routinely seen amongst puppy farmers.

Yup, papillons are a real "doggy" dog whilst being very small. My pap's best mate is a springer and he has no issue keeping up with him on walks. He can walk (run back and forth...) 6 miles easily and want more! We never see any other pap's about, they are lovely dogs and I hope more people discover the breed.

maddy68 · 27/02/2023 11:25

I would go a smaller breed. Much easier to get in the car with kids !) We have had jack Russell for a long time. Great with kids. Really easy to train , intelligent. (Which can be a problem if you don't get the training right as they can outwit you 😂)
Also had poodles. With the added benefit they don't lose hair again great with kids.

Original poster
CandlelightGlow · 27/02/2023 11:37

Aw I do like the sound of a papillon, what are your collective thoughts on pomeranians?

I have been reading a bit more about the bichon frise and they are consistently described as having low exercise needs, I'm happy that they're small enough to carry but it would be nice to have a smaller breed who's happy to come on multiple walks a day Smile

OP posts: