Best breed?

[Violetandpurple]

We have 4 children ages 2-13.
i do not work, partner does.
live opposite beautiful canals and walks etc.
do have 2 cats.
want a breed not too large but not too small.
evenings can be hectic with clubs etc, daytime im usually always in or if i go out its just to baby groups, shops etc.
what would you reccomend?

Are you planning on getting a puppy? If so, honestly I’d wait until your youngest is at least 4/5. Pups are curious, bouncy, nippy and have accidents indoors whilst toilet training which doesn’t bode well with such young kids in the house.

I’ve had golden retrievers for my entire adult life. DD has grown up with them and now also refuses to own any other breed. Aged 20 she has just got her own. They are such wonderful dogs

None. Wait until your youngest is in reception.

Miniature poodle.

Retriever would suit you.

Sorry but I do go against the grain with age of kids and puppies, you are in the thick of hectic, now is the time to throw fluffy hectic into the mix.

And yes puppies nip but they can be trained, separated and you can get calmer ones.

If you are out and about evenings, I would 100% try and factor in pup training classes somewhere in your schedule.

A well bred Staffordshire Bul Terrier. They absolutely adore children and live for their family. They really do have the purest hearts.

Working golden retriever. Typically 28kg or less, loyal, smart and just big goofballs

I have a Poochon- brilliant wee dog. Would highly recommend

Wait until your youngest is in school... it will make having a puppy lot easier.

If you are a first time dog owner, I would suggest a Whipped. Calm in the house, ready for a good run outside. Some people say don't get one with cats, but if you have one from puppy you should be fine.

If you are in for a bit more fun, and you have a lot of time for training, I can highly recommend a Tibetan Terrier- yep very biased here.

Honestly, when they created the cookerpoo, what they were really thinking of is a Tibetan Terrier!
I have both a cookerpoo and 2 Tibetans, the Tibetans are my favourites -more dog in every way!

Can’t believe anyone is recommending retrievers tbh.

Retrievers are terrible mouthers and with a toddler who will inevitably wind a puppy up, that is a terrible idea. Child needs to be older for a dog that mouths (tbh any dog). And four kids and a retriever? Disaster waiting to happen. They are boisterous - the last thing they need is multiple young kids winding them up.

They can also be very big. Mine is 45KG - mother was 30KG (working) and father was 35KG. He’s big enough that when he stands up he’s taller than me (5,5). I’ve seen bigger than him as well. If OP wants a smaller/medium dog she’d be better off with some sort of terrier or poodle - not a dog that can get huge, mouths very hard as a puppy (which when you have young children is a disaster waiting to happen), don’t grow up until they’re 4/5 years old and can go very very wrong. At least if a little dog goes wrong the damage is minimal.

I would get a King Charles Cavalier as they don't require much exercise and aren't usually snappy or difficult.

They're also riddled with health problems and it's next to impossible to find a well/bred one these days.

It's such a shame as they are adorable dogs.

I'm all in favour of DC growing up with dogs: our first puppy arrived when our youngest was just turning 1. Yes, it is hard work, and there are likely to be a few chewed toys, and toddler fingers in the water bowl. You have to make quite sure that the puppy gets space and rest, and that the DC know exactly how to behave around it - and you have to keep a consistent eye on things which can get tiring and difficult. For me, that was all 100% worth it, but do think about the practicalities beforehand.

The hardest thing to make time for is training the puppy: our first dog was never great on the lead, but she had decent recall, and lovely manners around the house.

Size-wise, something like an Irish Terrier might work: not too nutty, not too 'terrier'.

I do think there's a difference between getting a dog with one young child, but when you have four, with one being a baby and two being in primary school, plus a parent who is out a lot in the evenings, that's a lot of "busy" with not much time leftover for training.

Hence I, along with other posters advised OP to wait until her DC are older..

In terms of going very, very wrong that is rare for GRs. Most are generally good natured, even the badly trained ones. I’ve never met an aggressive retriever, I’ve met plenty of aggressive small breeds

I foster for a retriever rescue (and a spaniel one) and was a vet so I have met hundreds of seriously troubled retrievers (labs, flat coats and goldens). Often it is as a result of too many badly behaved children tormenting them until the dog snaps. Yes, there are plenty of smaller, aggressive dogs but they cannot inflict the level of damage a retriever or larger breed can.

Yes, retriever breeds are lovely. For the right family. Not a woman with four kids, a husband who works, and is busy every evening with clubs for the kids. OP would have to be superwoman to cope with all that and give a puppy everything it needs - particularly a retriever puppy (or tbh any gundog/working type dog) that needs lots of training and attention to be a good dog.

I'm a firm believer of kids growing up with dogs. But not in this situation. It is a disaster waiting to happen.

I got one for my first dog. He is difficult, extremely lively, tons of energy etc. maybe I was just unlucky.

Show lab with the big blocky heads and calm temperaments

Thank you everyone for the advice.
youngest is 2 but then others are 9, 10 and 12.
all family members have dogs so they know how to treat them etc.
we will continue researching breeds.
although out at clubs its a case of dropping at 5 picking up at 8 so plenty of time for training, walks and being in the house for puppy.

What will you do with the puppy in the evenings while you're all out at activities?

I don’t stay with them.
my older 2 dance, I drop them at 5 pick them up at 8/8.30
i am home again in between.
we go to play group twice a week for 1.5 hours
and 2 school runs a day.
other than that we are very homely, pop to the park most days and walk the canals to feed ducks etc.
time isnt my concern, I definitely have the time.

Yes, me too. Puppies of all breeds need as much attention as toddlers. Mine is lively, active, loving and cuddly but he definitely needs daily input to learn whats acceptable. Cavaliers do have a tendency to heart problems (later on in life) but PP is correct about finding a really good breeder who wants to do as much homework on the buyer for their suitability as you do on them.
Personally I'd wait until you really do have time to give a puppy what they need (if a puppy is what you want, that is).
I cant think of anything worse than a toddler tantrum scenario, older dcs needing your help getting out of the house AND nobody remembered to let the dog out for a pee and poo.....

Ah that makes much more sense @Violetandpurple ☺️

The main thing you need to think about on top of time is exercise and training requirements, as well as breed traits.

Think about what you'd absolutely hate in a dog and use that to start ruling out breeds, then look at what's left.

@sunsetsandboardwalks That's excellent advice. Starting with what you really don't like in a dog is a wise start. Can't stand fur everywhere and houseproud? That knocks out quite a few. Don't want a large rowdy puppy that will mouth and knock down kids? Can't stand barking? Drool? Digging?

Thanks @soxox - I find it's easiest to rule out a bunch of breeds from the word go as it considerably narrows your choices.

Whereas if you just start looking for a dog that's good with children and doesn't need much exercise, you've got loads to choose from and chances are you'll end up with one that fits your description but also does something that drives you insane 😂

We have 2 ragdolls who leave fur everywhere - its become part of our daily outfits!

cocker spaniel is currently what we are considering (show)

wants -
not too large but not tiny
enjoys long walks but also happy with smaller walks if required

dislike -
wiery hair like border terriers
dogs with excessive dribble

pretty open to everything else!