Dachshund or Cavalier King Charles

[middleagedandinarage]

Tell me about these guys, especially Dachshunds, I know they come in different sizes and coats, do the breed variants have different personality traits too?
Looking for a family dog but would mainly be for DD age 7 who is very gentle and animal mad.

I have a similarly gentle, animal mad 7-year-old OP! We don’t have a dog (yet) but are planning one within the next couple of years and will probably end up with a mini poodle - been researching breeds for years and this seems like the best fit. I love border terriers too but DP not sold.

My parents have a Coton de Tulear (same family as the bichon), who DD loves. She is small, fluffy, playful, active (will happily do a long walk but equally happy to snooze) and bright - very trainable in terms of tricks etc. The two downsides are the grooming requirements (my parents keep her in a puppy cut but it has to be maintained) and separation anxiety - Cotons are very people oriented and really don’t like being left alone. Maybe worth considering though if you’re around a lot.

Cairn terrier. Brilliant dogs.

I agree on cockers and springers.

the people who I am getting my dog off very soon, they do gundogs. And at a demonstration he said labs are born half trained and cockers die half trained and that’s the very best ones. Obvs generalising but you get the gist 😂 and also about how people get a cocker as they are smaller thinking they’ll be more manageable.

and on springers he said springers can have the off switch of a lab but also want to get it right whereas cockers often want to get it wrong 😂 obvs generalising again.

but yeah, I’d always thought springers were the nuttier of the two. Though I did mainly know most cockers were crazy 😂

I would also avoid a border terrier, whilst they are largely absolutely lovely, their recall is not always the best because many do have a strong prey drive. And whilst most are absolutely lovely, in the BT group I’m in there are quite a number of posts about how their dog is reactive in some way. Though my BT is absolutely lovely, very tolerant and easy going. Just something to look into if you were considering a border.

If you are up for a dasch then consider a terrier. Cairns, Borders and Norfolks can be really fabulous little dogs and much healthier (as long as you go down the health tested route)

Thanks for all the responses, yes I agree with cockers, i'm not a huge fan.

Tbh I love dogs but I wouldn't choose either of the breeds you mentioned as a friend has a Dachshund who is paralysed and double incontinent after slipping discs and King Charles cavaliers are just cruel as they just can't breathe

I’d agree with this and go further to say that I think the disaster that is the cockapoo mania has completely ruined this breed.

Neither. As others have probably said, both breeds have health issues.

Having been bitten recently in a pub by a dachshund (entirely unprovoked -was just walking past…) I would agree with this!
Dacchunds are very fashionable -•loads where I live -feel so sorry for them when they trot along on those long bodies and tiny legs 😔

Love that you’re doing your research. I second not a dachshund, and I say that as a dachshund owner!

@middleagedandinarage Get a little Chinese Crested Powderpuff!
I got my DD one at your daughters age. Lovely, playful little thing but not to bright but easy to train the basics and some tricks.

Other breeds we considered was a Havanese or a Papillon.
Just be aware that all 3 breeds require regular grooming.

We have a cavapoo. I know Mumsnet is very sniffy about poodle crosses, but he is a great dog. We wanted the gentleness of a cavalier but agree there are many problems in the breed with heart and skull issues. Breeding out to a poodle helped this and added benefit of low shedding fur.

Cavapoos are great little dogs. Family orientated, gentle, but with more spark and pep than cavaliers.

If you do look at cavapoos, make sure you use health tested parents and avoid puppy farms.

I’m a dachshund owner - but I would agree that not for a child.

We have a biggish dachshund and so hoping that helps with back problems as she is (slightly) more in proportion, and we’re insured and willing to take that risk… particularly because it would be more of a one off event than a lifetime of not being able to breathe, for example. But they are one of the most aggressive breeds and she is absolutely not the sort of dog I would say “oh she’d never bite”. She never has bit, but she absolutely would if she felt cornered or harassed.

She’s also stubborn and not easy to train, and it’s take a lot of work to stop her being so barky and reactive.

But there are downsides to every breed - you just need to make sure you’re happy with those downsides. You’re doing all the right research though!

If you can - get a Beaglier. cavalier crossed with Beagle. We have one , he is the loveliest most affectionate animal, loves his walks but also loves his cuddles on the sofa. Not too big; and also doesn’t like water so is not one of those dogs who jumps in the lake every time you go out and gets super muddy. There is a facebook Beagliers page and also a facebook Beagliers UK page - you can find some good breeders there. and of course they don’t have the health issues that KCS have.

Our border terrier is fantastic. Great fun and lovely personality. Great for kids and they are very healthy. They either live to old age or kill themselves chasing a squirrel across the road. They have high prey drive and so you'd need to be careful where they are off lead. Norfolk terriers also are lovely.

@123dogdog
I do agree with you on the recall. We've been working on it but it's definitely hard with a BT and still unreliable.
And there are loads of border terriers around us and I've not come across a reactive one. Due to where we are I guess they're all well socialised. They're generally really chilled and unbothered.... unlike the dachshunds who seem to yap at anything and anyone!

I would look at something like:

Mini Poodle
Bichon Frisé
Cairn Terrier
Border Terrier
Lhasa Apso

Oh yeah, the vast majority are absolutely lovely. It’s more just compared to the Labrador groups I’m in there’s soooo many more posts about borders who are reactive. Obvs not a very good cross section to be fair. Of the dogs I meet walking locally I’ve met 8-10 borders and 6 have been reactive on different occasions. Though tbh compared to cockapoos it’s a much lower rate. Just something I thought I’d say, though depends on where you are and the people around and where you get the dog from etc. though I agree in my local area too, it’s often the dachshunds 😂

I would definitely not suggest some of those. Especially the Aussie cattle dog. They designed to heard cattle (hence the name), so are strong and tough but will also have a good nip, so I think with children will not be the best idea. Plus they’re also often used as guard dogs on the farm as well so maybe not the best idea. Plus they are ridiculously active dogs.

im not sure I’d recommend any on your list, bar maybe the bichon frise and maybe the whippet.

there are so many more well suited dog breeds out there

Mine is quite highly strung but not reactive. She’s a live wire at nearly 2 but the most gentle and kind personality with people. She adores all people. She is part working lines although KC reg.

Her recall is really good but that said they are hunters so we use a long line in areas we are not sure about. It’s no trauma abc we regularly walk miles rurally with her off lead. You do have to make listening worth their while.

A lot of diseases are creeping into them so you would be strongly advised to go KC reg as they tend to be the health tested lines. SLEM and eyes as a minimum of both parents.

My dachshund is the sweetest girl. No health issues. Really good with everyone, especially children.

But fuck me, she's needy.

I hadn't done any research prior to getting her and that was a mistake. They're definitely not an easy dog to own.

Does it have to be a pure breed or a first cross? I'm here to champion my children's first dog, who was half border collie although what his dad was we have absolutely no idea - his mother wasn't talking, but it looked like German shepherd x Golden Retriever x something with a VERY long tail.

Never underestimate the good old mongrel.

Apart from the Bichon, the whippet and (at a push) the Pomeranian, none of those breeds are even remotely suitable for a family with a young child 😬

something that's happy to go for a decent walk but also happy to snuggle on the sofa.

That really does describe our smooth-haired standard dachshunds to a T. They had quite different characters though. The second one was incredibly laid-back, and only became 'needy' when he went deaf at about 15 and couldn't hear where I was in the house.