Which breed to consider

[Aug12]

Hi all,

We are a good 18month to 2yr away from being in a position to welcome a dog into our lives but just thinking/researching which breeds might be an option for our family.. I know good breeding comes into play and you can never know exactly what traits your dog will have.

We have 3 young children (hence waiting a few year) so friendliness needs to be top priority. We can manage a daily walk of an 1hr per day and then playing in the garden. A medium or small breed would be preferred and due to having a cat and bunny, preferably with little prey drive/instinct. Someone is always home so bar popping to Tesco or swimming lessons on a Saturday, they wouldn’t be left home alone. My eldest is keen to try agility classes with their dog and we will have a trainer in place to help us along with it all.

thanks

A Papillon. They are small and an hour of exercise would be enough. They are one of the smartest breeds and perform at a very high level in agility.

As you are not in a hurry, look at Norfolk or Norwich terriers - they're cracking little dogs, generally very friendly and at the easier end of terriers. They can go all day, but they should be ok on as little as an hour a day (especially if they're played with too)

They're produced by breed enthusiasts rather than commercial breeders, so you might need to wait for a while for a puppy

Also Cairns, or the rather more numerous (and therefore easier to find) Border terrier.

What about a lovely staffy? They wouldn't usually be a 1st choice for some families but they are incredibly loving and friendly and would really fit into the lifestyle you have. Ive never had one, we have a whippet who is amazing but obviously not suitable for your cat.

Every staffy I have met, I've really liked!

Have a look at shih tzu’s, wonderful hardy family friendly dogs. 4 of my 9 dogs are shih tzus and I’ve owned more that have now passed away when elderly. I’ve done agility with all of them except one I adopted who has dodgy legs. I also have cats and a house rabbit who they are fine with. I would avoid a terrier and a lab or cocker unless you want something super energetic. Shih’s have lots of energy as pups like all puppies but they will chill out and become a super easy going cuddly dog but can also handle a good walk. They need regular grooming but you can have them clipped every 6-8 weeks and then it’s minimal grooming for you.

Id also say a mini poodle, or if you a bit smaller a bichon, shih tzu or border terrier.

Crufts have a ‘Discover Dog’ section whereby they have all the different breeds and owners you can chat to. It may be worth going there. The Discover Dogs section does get busy, so head there early.

I can't believe that people are saying Border Terriers. Our Border Terrier never stopped in her 16 years of life. They are tough little dogs who never sit down and they need mental stimulation as well as lots of walks, not just an hour. They are also known as keen diggers and they like chasing small animals, they are TERRIERS FGS.

If you can find a healthy cavalier from a good breeder, they’d be ideal… but there are huge health issues very commonly.

Bichon frise or havanese or bolognese could be a good option.

Chinese crested powderpuff

Poodle - either of the two smaller sizes possibly as well, though they might want a bit more walking than the others.

Basically look at what a breed was originally bred for, and look for ones that haven’t ever had a specific job to do, they are the ones that are usually on the lower end of active and with less prey drive because they’ve been created as companions.

Show cocker. But very light and speedy.

I second what a pp has said about Cocker spaniels and them not being as easy going as people think, hence the term 'cocker rage'.
I think a lot depends on how much your children will understand boundaries with a dog. Are they the sort of kids that will not stop bothering it or wanting to climb all over it? If so then it will come down more to getting your children to understand that than what breed you get. Some dogs will put up with kids climbing in their beds etc but even the most placid, well exercised dog/breed can snap when it's had enough.
Having said that, I think female Labs are generally pretty well rounded dogs as long as they have the correct exercise and you put in the training.

Just for the record, ‘cocker’ rage is likely a neurological condition which also occurs in other breeds. It is very rare and quite possibly some form of seizure. Certainly as the owner of a dog with epilepsy I recognise the description of the hardening of the eyes during ‘rage’. It is certainly not resource guarding, which is a trait associated with the breed. It’s still under research but there is a good article about it here.
www.doglistener.co.uk/cocker_rage-shtml/

I agree in part although they are variable.

I have a working line traditional Border. She is wonderful. But. I am a trainer. I know how to work her mind and legs. She is very very clever. She has a moderate prey drive but it's manageable. She is offlead most of the time. Good with other dogs and such good fun to train. She is calm and chilled in the house but only because she gets what she needs. She was an absolutely awful puppy (she is 2 now).

I don't think they necessarily make good first dogs as with terriers you need to understand them. They are not naturally programmed to work with you. You really have to make it worth their while. You also need to make sure you go for more line bred than pet bred as the temperament tends to be more predictable.

I have taught many agility and the females are much more sparky than the males IME.

As someone who has trained virtually every breed out there there is no one best breed. It's about individual temperament and breeding, beit from a breeder or rescue (I've had both). Most working breeds will need mental stimulation daily as well as exercise to be happy. An hour is plenty for most dogs but they need brain work alongside.

Bichon Frise! They are wonderful friendly little dogs, don’t moult and are happy with a short walk.

Absolutely, but people thinking all Cocker spaniels are really easy going dogs is not the case (as with any dog).
All dog breeds are more susceptible to certain things and i think it sensible that first time dog owners are as informed as much as possible about things.

The thing is, while spaniels can make excellent pets, there are good reasons why so many of them find themselves in rescue centres at a relatively young age.

They are not easy dogs - even the show strains can be anxious and need owners who know what they're doing and are who are able to put in the appropriate boundaries.

Don't get me wrong, a well bred, well trained spaniel is an absolute joy to be around, but when it goes wrong it can go really wrong. You just need to take a look at Spaniel Aid to see how many of them end up in rescue, and always for the same reasons - resource guarding, severe separation anxiety and generally being too much for their owners to handle.

Someone who only has an hour a day to dedicate to exercise would be being set up to fail if they got a cocker spaniel. It wouldn't be fair on either party - dog or human.

Please go for a rescue! You can meet them as many times as you need and get a pretty good idea about their personality and behaviour. I have a small mutt (JRT/Yorkie/something else) who doesn’t shed and is super-loving. He’s so full of character. Rescues are grateful to find a loving home and will love you forever.

Spaniels are hard work. They are a way of life unlike other dogs IME and I have considerable experience!

I WFT out of the house and DH WFH 99% of the time. My social life revolves around dogs. I am a trainer and train mine every day. But neither of us felt we could give a cocker spaniel what it needed when we wanted a small active dog. Our terrier ticked all the boxes.

I would consider a Staffie, as a previous poster said. They are fabulous with kids - they were once known as 'nanny' dogs - and one of only two breeds the Kennel Club recommends for families with children.

As my name suggests, I'm a whippet owner and both of mine have been great with kids too, although they are like velociraptors in the puppy phase. If you want a dog that doesn't need much exercise, whippet all the way. Ironically for athletic-looking creatures, they spend most of their lives asleep and are content with a good run once a day. High prey drive though.

I have spaniels. Cockers are fab dogs, really are, and I would recommend them to anyone as a family dog... if they were experienced! Mine are working dogs - prey drive wise they live with cats. They are highly trained, they are far more reliable around small pets than the vast majority of pet dogs! My lads are trained to be steady as a rock around birds and killing them (or 'pegging' in gundog terminology) is a real no no. Prey drive is all about training, and any dog needs that.

Exercise wise, mine are happy with an hour a day providing they get good amounts of brain work. Of course they get good amounts of training and through shooting season they are worked hard, but it's quality, not quantity, with spaniels. Two hours running a day and nothing else will result in a bored, fit dog.

They also need firm rules and boundaries. But give them all that and you will have the most wonderful companions- kind, funny, intelligent and people oriented dogs. Bloody love them. Have a pic of Cockle because he's beautiful 😂

One thing to consider with staffies is, rightly or wrongly, lots of people don't want them around their children, which could be real problem with young children and play dates.

Many people really don't like bully type breeds and unfortunately that includes staffs.

Cockle is actually a sprocker btw - springer x cocker. Full working lines.

I was going to say @OrlandointheWilderness - that's a massive cocker spaniel 😂

@sunsetsandboardwalks he's actually not that big (don't tell him...! He thinks he's huge!) 😂 he's 15" at the shoulder and weighs about 15kg depending on fitness etc. this pic was taking in jan I think, so middle of the season hence the hench muscles 😂.

@OrlandointheWilderness he is absolutely gorgeous 😍

I walk a sprocker who is absolutely tiny in comparison - it's so interesting how much they differ!

@sunsetsandboardwalks he is. He blooming knows it too! 😂 he's an absolute legend, no where near as mental as the springers and a nice bit of intelligence. Very trainable, the only issue is he is clever and sometimes uses his brain rather than listening 😂.
So much variety of sprockers. People get them confused with the modern fad of spaniel crosses, they've actually been bred for decades by shooting folk as an excellent working dog. After all, springers and cockers were the same breed until 1892. 100% spaniel 😂