Totally novice owner to be

[teachingbean]

Hi!

This has probably been asked a thousand times but - here goes.

We are a family of 4 (smallest is 5) with a large house based in New Forest.

We have never had a dog before.

Looking for a medium size which doesn't smell too much (don't hate me!).

So far have considered:

• miniature schnauzer

-cockapoo

• Cavapoochon

Any advice? Thoughts?

Thanks ever so

I’d avoid the poodle crosses, you literally have no idea what you’ll get.
what about a minature poodle rather than a daft cross?
May be smaller than you want but I know a few people with bichons that are fantastic little dogs.
Shih tzus

Thank you so much for taking time to advise. Please - I am sooooo novice. What do you mean 'daft?' X

MIL has 2 cockapoos. They are brother and sister ( different litters but same mum and dad). One is almost all poodle ( but mental). The other almost all cocker ( but admittedly calmer). Both seemed to have missed out on the poodle intelligence 🤣.

As a first time dog owner I'd put ease of training on the list. Which puts any retriever types high up - because they're so greed-driven.
This resource is a good one to help you select breed -
www.thekennelclub.org.uk/search/breeds-a-to-z/

They are fashionable designer breeds. Cockers are maniacs, crossing that with the intelligence of a poodle often leads to a dog that’s more than most people can handle, so many end up in rescue, the coats are also harder to look after than a proper poodle coat.

I know cockers are popular (and I really like them) but I don’t love them as pets with children, prone to resource guarding, hard work, really bitey as puppies. Just take one look at the spanielaid website and you’ll see how many have bite histories.

What can you offer in terms of grooming (if you want a non shedding breed they require a lot, as well as regular professional grooms), exercise, puppy classes etc?

Shih tzus are great.

With crosses, you don't really have any idea of what you are going to get. We have a German shepherd x Rottweiler and the only bit of Rottie in him is his colouring, everything else is pure GSD but I know other ones who are far more Rottie in temperament.

What can you give the dog in terms of exercise? How long will they be left on their own? What size garden fencing do you have? These are all other things that you need to consider before you can really start narrowing down breeds.

Really helpful. Thank you

Take your time and do your research. Meet as many different dogs as possible. Don’t be led by ‘how cute’ etc. personally I would suggest a Labrador, they’re excellent with children and can be very easy going and easy to train.

also learn what it takes to train a new pup well, into adult hood. Positive reinforcement is highly effective and the most ethical way to train, but it needs to be done right.

a dog can be a wonderful friend, part of the family; but they can also be a tremendous burden and make life difficult, so it’s worth putting the time in to getting it right x

I swear every other dog where I live is a working cocker. They are the dog of the moment. They are admittedly gorgeous but I’ve heard lots of the things about them that you mention.

Thanks so much

Don't get a cookerpoo!
I have one, taken in from a family similar to your setup (I am not judging just a word of caution)
She's a lovely dog BUT has the madness energy of a Spaniel and the nervousness of a mini Poodle. On top of that she is a one person dog - comes from being nervous- and no fun for the rest of the family. And to finish it of, shes very clever and needs a lot of stimulating activities besides the endless walks.

She really has the worst of both breeds but I still love her!

Poodle mixes can be very energetic and a bit mental

Labradors make wonderful family pets, if you're looking for something smaller you can't go wrong with a King Charles spaniel, they make brilliant family and first dogs

If you don't want a smelly dog, have a look into the Chinese Crested Dog. There is a powderpuff version that has a lovely soft, non shedding coat.

I wouldn't consider any of those dogs as a first time dog owner OP.
As others have said, the poodle crosses can be difficult, and are also overbred. Miniature Schnauzers are lovely but can be yappy.
I would definitely think about a show line labrador, fantastic dogs once they have got out of the adolescent stage.

If you couldn't cope with a full bred cocker or a full bred poodle, don't risk getting a dog that's a mix of either. You have absolutely no idea what you'll end up with.

I know you want smaller but Labrador's are fab and like an entry level dog. As I see it they all need walking/feeding and boarding so a bit bigger doesn't make much difference. My lab goes to a playgroup where she runs a 'crazy cockerpoo' session!
Labs are food driven so easy to train/bribe and are so keen to please. Might have no proof but everyone I meet with one says the chocolate ones are slightly dafter so do done research.

We've had many breeds (rescued - hard work so I wouldn't advise it) but our Labrador was the best! Recently took on a Beagle - don't get one, they seem to be incredibly difficult and I'm glad we've got the experience we have to cope with her; she's had a hard time because other owners were of the 'force' 'bully' 'assertive' side and she fought back when she felt at risk. I've heard now that they need lots of firm, positive care, and loads of exercise (although if you can offer them this then maybe they would be a good choice...). Dogs need firm, consistent boundaries and a steady routine so they can feel confident that you (the leader) know what you're doing.

None of our dogs smelled, even the Labrador; what we've always done is fed them a careful diet - many were grain free or I cooked all their food - and didn't feed them erratically; this included never giving them our own left overs or feeding them off our plate (terrible boundary to cross!); treats were carrots, apple cores or high quality dog treats as rewards in training; those 'teeth cleaning' things are terrible, imo. Toys are antlers to chew and teddies, balls etc. Basically, a steady diet is key; what makes them smell is an erratic diet and not enough exercise. We almost never wash our dogs and even only brush them when necessary to keep their coat in good condition.

Labrador. Biddable, easy to train. They do shed & they'll smell but most dogs do. I'd advise against a working Cocker Spaniel. Fantastic dogs, but not a novice owner dog in my opinion.
The book Total Recall by Pippa Matheson is a very good read for first time owners too.

Thanks everyone for taking your time to reply x

I know poodle crosses are frowned upon on here. We have an Australian labradoodle. I did my research for years and found a wonderful breeder who has been amazing. And our dog is lovely. He's a miniature one so just a bit bigger than a cockerpoo. Yes he needs grooming but the no moulting is wonderful. Yes he was a biter as a pup but every dog is. He's 11 months now and is turning into a lovely boy. First time owner here too. Good luck with choosing.

If you live in the New Forest, I'd avoid any breed with a significant prey drive unless you are willing to do a lot of training, ideally with someone who knows about handling prey drive in dogs.

Which tbh rules out working cockers and crosses thereof. I'd also be cautious of working line labs and goldens - nominally they're retrievers but I've known a working golden take off very keenly after a hare, despite being extremely well trained.

I'd go with Labrador or King Charles cavalier for a first dog, although obviously consider health issues with both dogs.

Regarding the "don't want a smelly one" I think when it's your own you genuinely don't mind! I loved the smell of all of my dogs, it's their unique smell and it's comforting ❤️

Another vote for a Labrador... we've just got one so maybe I'm biased but she's been a dream to train so far, soooo much easier than our previous Dalmatian!

This is her right now next to me while I'm working.

I have a cavapoo and he has honestly been a dream dog. Non shedding, non smelly, easily trainable... Consider how much time you have for dog walks. Cavapoos are not as demanding as cockapoos as they have no cocker in them (obvs).

Lots of people are a bit sniffy about poodle crosses but they can be lovely family pets.