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 would recommend JRT . Both of mine were brilliant with children and the one I still have is so gentle with my granddaughter. They love long walks but are also fine if they only have a quick 20 minutes around the block.
Both my dogs are and were lap dogs and wherever I am sitting there is a dog sitting curled up beside or on me . Today I have had to avoid sitting in garden because she is literally sitting in the hot sunshine,so have had to come in.
Only negative is that she is very noisy when the postman is in the vicinity!

@Hobbiesareapita , me too. JRTs are brilliant dogs.

If I were OP, I'd get a neutered female young adult JRT.

I bloody love JRTs, but they are not for everyone. I've known a lot, lived with several and owned another. They have epic prey drive and, er, considerable independence of mind. They also tend to be very territorial with the bark to match. I've known a couple get stuck underground.

Ours was great with the DC and quickly learned as a puppy to live with a cat, but if you do go down that line, you're basically looking at a breed that though small is the polar opposite of a Cavalier: an enthusiastic little hunting machine rather than a lapdog. Check out what the parents are like, because the prey drive can be hard to handle. Less drivey ones do exist - but they're not proper JRTs IMHO.

Must admit I’d love a jrt for my next dog. But probably a polar opposite from my current cavachon. If I could guarantee a calmer one I’d be up for it. We had one when I was a kid though and it used to climb trees after squirrels!

There are some health breeders out there who have very healthy cavs, but they are few and far between.
I've groomed quite a few bichon frises in my time and if I was to go for a small dog I'd likely go for them. Lovely nature and great life span from what I have seen anecdotally anyway.

King Charles spaniels - have the squashed noses (like a pug or frenchie) and so all do struggle with breathing. They can have small skulls which cause pain too.
I don't know about heart problems in this breed.

King Charles Cavalier Spaniels - have longer noses (like other spaniels) and can breath without difficulty.

However, they too can inherit heart problems/skull problems but can be free of these. We had one who developed heart problems at 14 years of age but was fit and able to walk many miles a day until then. We had another with a heart-murmer diagnosed when a pup but he has been fit and fine so far and is now 10 He is still fit and active -and not in need of any medication.

I have two dachshunds boys, both smooth coats. One is a large (not overweight) mini and one is a standard. (3 and 4 years)

Neither have had any health problems yet. Mostly walked off lead to avoid too much stress and pull on them, they have pretty good recall.

They bark. A LOT! Especially the little one, he'll bark at the sky. Luckily I have no neighbours to annoy. They are also scared of and reactive to other dogs and so I walk them where there are less people around. Both fussy eaters.

But they are also great characters - incredibly loyal and affectionate , real lap dogs. So playful with the kids and they make us laugh. They are happy to be left and are big sleepers (and sun bathers)

Both come with very serious health problems. Have a look at miniature poodles, they are very healthy and are simply adorable.

Why a dachshund or cavalier king charles? They are quite different breeds and both been bred to look a certain way.
The breeds seem a bit random.

My sister has a cav and she's a delight. She came from health tested parents who scored well.
Dachshunds can not do stairs (or shouldn't). But I have a friend with two rescues (their previous owner passed away) and she says they are wonderful no issues. But she's careful with them.
I do believe the different coats do have slightly different personality traits.
How about a miniature poodle? Fits the size, is non shedding, trainable. Quite intelligent and energetic (more so than the two you mention, though my sisters cav is quite high energy!

Every dachshund I've met has been really really yappy. I think they are very difficult to train too.
Have you thought about a Staffordshire bull terrier? Admittedly I've not owned one but they are notoriously amazing with children and are great family dogs. A true staffie is also pretty small. I think the biggest potential issue is they can be difficult with other dogs if not well socialised as a puppy.

"1. Basenji"

😱

Exceptionally high prey drive, tendancies to escape and the skill to do so (climbing upwards if necessary), suspicious of strangers, can run 30 miles an hour and whose DNA predates human agricultural expansion (i.e. they are closer to the wild ancestor than any of the modern domesticated breeds).

After having our beautiful cavie put to sleep at 4 with cancer I researched and settled on Maltese the most cutest dogs but hardy terriers

Also worth considering how the dog will fit in to your lifestyle. Ours is not a small dog and she is pretty sedentary and happy to sleep most of the day with just 1 walk . But she's also happy trotting alongside the family on a bike ride for a few miles. Also as a first time dog owner, the puppy stage is hard! You will wonder why on earth you thought getting a dog was a good idea. But after about 6 or 7 months they settle down (hopefully) and life becomes a bit easier!

Our standards weren't 'yappy' ... they had proper big hound barks. I don't think we found them particularly hard to train.
Too often I'm afraid people don't bother to train small dogs.

Ur - you've been sold a dud there. One of those is definately a cat

Op look further into what you want from a dog.

On the face of it a Basset Hound would suit you well
... but ...

They are hard to train.
Won't play fetch
Bred to be independently minded.
Can have skin and back issues (as they are looong dogs with lots of excess skin)

I'm not recommending them for a first time dog owner due to this. (Though I freaking love them)
However they are sofa lovers. Extremely patient and are good with a huge walk and a small walk. Excellent with children.

Ask yourself
What do we want from a dog? Running around?
Play fetch?
How trainable do you need?
How much exercise.can You commit to daily?(not the occasional long walk How much realistically each day?)
How much can you afford for care a month? (Read the current thread about how much your dog costs a month)
Will you realistically be able to groom a dog daily? (If not many breeds are out of the running)

Then go from there.

Good luck (and if you like a challenge a Basset Hound is amazing)

@TheDarkMonarch 😂😂😂😂😂
oh my god you’re right 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️

Was that a white bedspread before the pets got there?

I'd recommended a rescue. Don't line the pockets of greeders

@QueenBitch666 sorry should of said
aloycious from a breeder
Walter white rescue from many tears
Lavinia straight off the boat from many tears

OP'S DD is 7... finding a suitable rescue as family/ children's dog will be near impossible. Rescue dogs can come with unconventional quirky or difficult behaviours these can be quite overwhelming.

Plus, for a first time owner there's something special about bonding with a puppy that you don't get with a rescue dog.

Thank you for checking and asking and doing your research. And not just buying a dog because it seems cute or trendy. 🙂

We have a mixed rescue terrier. Can't fault it. Less prone to health issues, loves walks, play, people...

Great that you are researching! Dachshunds are not for everyone as they are very needy and can be difficult to train as they are stubborn little whatsits. People forget that they are hounds, not just cute lapdogs. That said, they are full of fun and personality and amazingly loyal - mine adores my kids and will literally watch over them.

My son has a whippet x bedlington and four young children. She's not my idea of a dog but flipping heck she's brilliant with the children. Give her a mad zoom around the garden and she snoozes the rest of the day. She loves a cuddle and can often be found curled up with the 6 year old under a pile of blankets. Recall of a squirrel though! 🤣