Serious puppy advice needed. Which breed to go for?

[puppyluvv]

So after many years of knowing we will one day get a puppy, we think in the next year we will go for it.

We have 2 primary school kids.

I work from home almost all week, would be home alone once or twice a week for 3 hours while mine and DH office days crossover.

I've always had the idea in my head that I want a golden retriever and am imagining long country walks with a lovely well behaved dog. However I now need the reality check and advice on to a puppy years and if there are perhaps other breeds more suited for us to look in to.

My husband ideally wants a dog with little malting and not overly destructive in the puppy years.

Walks would be twice a day and sometimes longer (1-2 hours) a few times a week.

Advice and thoughts welcome please.

My husband ideally wants a dog with little malting and not overly destructive in the puppy years.

In other words, the complete opposite of a golden retriever

I would look at breeds like miniature poodles, bichon frise, cairn terrier, border terrier and Maltese.

It's MOULTING

not malting

As you were

I’ve had moulting dogs for years…. Rottweiler, GermanShepherd, Labrador and promised myself that next time I would get a non-moulty dog.
I got one, Cavapoo, she longer legged as the father was a Miniture Poodle not a toy and a nice size.
She can walk as far as any Golden Retriever, runs as fast as lightening, she fun, affectionate and clever…
As you can see, I’m smitten 🤩

I've had bichons for years, so I'm biased. They are intelligent, usually very, very good with children and other dogs (important if you are going to include then on trips to the park) a bit of a clown/show off which makes training easy. They are a companion breed so can get separation anxiety. I also have bearded collies so they get treated like bigger dogs and will take as much exercise as they do too. They are a favourite of puppy mills so you need to be very careful finding a responsible breeder

Selling it to hubby may be an issue. What about Tibetan Terriers? My parents have them, they are a good mid size, don't moult, relatively good with people and dogs, not as easy as bichons, fairly easy to train. They are going to need a regular trim. Just don't get one from a woman called Sarah in East Anglia. She seems to be on course to destroying the breed as she is turning them out in volume.

You could go crazy and have a beardie, just keep it in a puppy clip. Very friendly with everyone/everything, bit of a clown, easy to train, will hike as far as you like, permanently enthusiastic. They are on the vulnerable native breeds list so you would be helping conserve the breed & there are people all over the country ready and willing to do meet and greets if you've never met one in the flesh, Beardie Pups facebook group is where to go for that

A standard poodle might be what you are after.

cocker spaniels don’t moult as much as some other breeds, make sure you daily brush to get the worse off.

Oh and while I do appreciate the “adopt don’t shop” approach - the OP has two primary aged DCs, there’s a lot of shelters who won’t rehome with them. Realistically someone with primary aged children wanting a dog is going to have to buy it, either as a puppy from a breeder or a private rehoming.

Puppies are very hard work especially with younger kids. They all wind each other up !! Get an older rescue who has lived with children already. Win win as you would be doing a very good thing rather than encourage more breeding.

I agree with everything this poster is said. Having owned a Golden Retriever - they shed like blithery; and are as destructive as any puppy is in the first year or so.
I too have worked in welfare/rescue/fostering and would not advise getting a rescue with young children. We dont always get the truth from people who surrender their dogs and very often there are issues from resource guarding to hidden aggression. Same goes for Pets4Homes and any other online seller.
Do your research - and lots of it.
I currently own a giant breed and a Labrador (lab is 5 months old). I'm at home except for one morning and one afternoon where I have a dog walker visit who also trains too.
The puppy demands almost 100% of my time/attention unless she's asleep. I'm constantly on my knees picking up torn cardboard boxes, crushed and lasting bottles, toilet rolls - the list goes on and on. I love it, but I wouldn't have thanked anyone for a dog when my children were very young.
They are cute for one week-then that wears off and reality kicks in. Good luck.

https://www.pets4homes.co.uk/classifieds/xbxrsaa24-tillie-and-ernie-aldershot/

Pets4homes have lots of dogs starting from £100. Mostly dogs over 1 year. I would advise spending at least a day with the owner and the dog getting to know them. A person who genuinely wants to rehome due to a genuine change in circumstances would jump at the chance. There are lots of dogs out there whose owners didn't realise what had signed up for. A dog is a bit commitment in terms of time, energy and money

This is what I was going to say. Something small like a sausage dog or shitzu or pekinese or pug will be happy walking for 30 minutes twice a day, with an occasional longer walk of 1-2 hours. Anything bigger than that is going to want MUCH longer walks!

Seriously please do NOT look at ads on Pets4Homes. The PP who has posted the link simply hasn't read between the lines of the ad. SO many dogs are abandoned at this age, where they are the hardest work, and generally the novelty of the puppy stage has worn off and they are not coping with the training/of doing any at all. This person should be surrendering to Spaniel welfare. A breed rescue at least assesses all dogs that come in. Pets4Homes clearly can not do this. Any why would you want two? Absolutely stupid idea when you haven't owned a dog before.

god no, PLEASE don’t get one off pets for homes. Anyone who actually cares about their pet and is looking to rehome them because they can’t cope or have hit some financial disaster (as opposed to those whose primary motivation is to make or recoup money) would surrender them to a reputable charity where they would be rehomed quickly. Unless they had behavioural or health issues. In which case you don’t want that dog if you’re both working full time with two smallish kids. Pets4homes is the Wild West of dog purchasing.

find a good breeder through breed clubs, legitimate Facebook groups etc.

Not a dachshund. Riddled with health issues and much too fragile for a household with young kids who could quite literally snap them in half. Plus lots are gobby and unpredictable.

We got our Cockapoo at 5 months from Pet4Homes. He wasn't fully toilet trained as his previous owners were professionals working long hours. They were crying their eyes out but clearly made the best decision for the dog. He took a few days to settle in and it took me a couple of weeks to sort out his toilet training. He's been with us for almost 2 years now. Lovely dog and lovely temperament. He was a sheer terror to start with, chewed every electrical cable he could get his teeth into. We had to spend £250 to change the electrical box to stop him from being electrocuted. He also chewed lots of footwear and lots of furniture. He also managed to snatch the Christmas turkey off the dining table and would not let go of it. As others said puppies are terrors (terrorists is probably a better way to describe them). Saying this he calmed down once he turned 2. We are still very happy with him and we got him at half price with all vaccinations and enormous amounts of other freebies. I would never suggest a new owner just hand over the money for a dog outside a corner shop. Spend at least one day in all sorts of environments - indoors, park, walks. Just don't bring the children with you, the children will be heart broken if they can't take the dog home. Alternatively, sign up with BorrowMyDoggie website and learn more about dogs with other people dogs before taking the plunge

Border Terrier might be just the ticket.

Standard poodle!
See my post about them here: https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/the_doghouse/5148209-talk-to-me-about-poodles?reply=137914913

If you go the retriever route I'd take a show lab over a golden but NOT a working lab.

Miniature poodle. They don’t shed, they are easy to train and they are fabulous.

Dog shelters are overrun and some people need to rehome quickly. Unfortunately, rehominng centres are rather picky as to who they accept as owners. We were turned down as we also have gunea pigs! And pedigree dogs are so inbred, they are Wild West too. I would take a mixed breed any day over a pedigree.

I have a border collie x with a lab and he needs 2 hours a day

Any dog you get you will need to walk it daily but maybe if you can only commit to 1-2 hours a couple of times a week and the rest of the time shorter walks, something like a sausage dog or a pug would be more appropriate. Golden retrievers are lovely and perfect family dogs. However they do malt and they do need walking, it's always sad to see really over weight ones

Me too. My show lab is the most lovely, calm gentle boy. I'm not keen on working labs.

this! I have 2 massive labrotties and they destroyed my house as pups and the hair is unreal I hoover no joke sometimes 5 times and day!

I'd get a miniature schnauzer, lovely breed, very intelligent and easy to train.
Definitely a no to a golden retriever, she'd hair for fun.

Labrador Rescue and Golden Retriever Rescue are a lot more receptive to people with kids. The former goes to visit your house to assess your needs then they marry you up with the right dog for your household.

Shit re the wdhookool