Recommendations for where to get a dog?

[JayBurd]

I'm still trying to sell my DH on the idea so it might not happen but we have a suitable lifestyle & I think a dog would be beneficial for our family.

My ideal would be a small-medium dog that's under 2yo. I'm happy with a mutt & not desperate for a puppy, although I have nothing against purebreds or puppies if we found one that was right for us.

My main issue with my research so far is that our youngest DC is 6yo & most of the dogs I've been seeing online are marked as being unsuitable for living with children. I'm happy to trust their judgement on that - we've not had a dog before & I don't want to start off with a dog that isn't suitable but I'm a bit lost as to where else to look without going to a breeder. I'm a bit nervous of that because I don't know how to pick a good one without going for someone KC registered which seems a bit unnecessarily fancy for the likes of us! 😆

We can get to most of S/SW England, S Wales, or the Midlands. Any suggestions where might be a good place to start our search?

The problem with getting a slightly older dog (probably rescue) is that the dog will almost certainly come with issues. Not always but often. So it might be reactive/aggressive with other dogs, have zero recall, separation anxiety, destructive tendencies, or inadequate socialisation so may be very anxious and nervous. If this is your first dog you don't want to be dealing with those sorts of problems. In fact the vast majority of experienced dog owners don't either.

I would look at specific breed rescue organisations, say cocker spaniels, springer spaniels, Labradors, golden retrievers, as they are pretty good at pairing dogs with families. Their dogs are often fostered and not kenneled so the temporary home will have a very good idea of the dog's personality. You are more likely to find a dog there that has been given up for practical reasons rather than poor behaviour (divorce, emigration, new job with longer hours, or lack as of job so less money).

These organisations will usually insist you foster the dog for a minimum of a month to see how it goes, before you formally adopt the dog.I

I hope this is helpful.