Which breed?

[Minihero]

Which breed dog do you have?

We are planning on getting a puppy in Spring and looking at breeds. We love golden retrievers and have the space for a medium-big dog. We also like the idea of cocker spaniels and cockerpoos. There's also a maltipoo in our family that we adore.

We have 2xDC age 8 and 6 and DH works from home every day.

@grumpypedestrian
A family dog, good with kids, loyal. Happy to go for a run a round the woods, swim in the ponds but will then settle. Happy with a dopey dog - doesn't have to be very sharp and clever but obviously trainable. Size-wise no bigger than a golden retriever, smaller dogs fine but not sure about the tiny breeds as I worry they would be too vocal.

I have 2 gorgeous pug nephews! They have had some difficult health issues too.

@Arran2024
I feel the same way as you about fur. I like long silky fur and prefer that to the shorter hair dogs. That's why, while I love labs, I prefer the idea of GRs.

Talk to me more about the shedding - how bad is it? Constant hoovering? It's on you when you leave the house?

@KeebabSpider boxers are sweeties!

We have a husky. Def don't get one...
What about a lurcher? We have 2. They are a very underestimated family pet.. Ours have great recall. Don't chase furries.. Well not ours anyway!! Love our dc. Love our other ddogs. Very loving. Can run miles, walk miles. Or chill in a sofa. Fold up small of necessary too!! Very robust health wise too.
Have I said check out lurchers?
You won't regret getting one ime.

Our Basset Hound loves nothing more than a run in the park with her doggy pals. Also a good sniffy walk, then is asleep unless she is after attention. Fantastic with kids, gets upset if people don’t stroke her. Like I say, under rated breed but the most affectionate, goofy, lovable breed. In a way I’m glad they aren’t more popular as it makes them more unique!

My greyhound is a real family dog, he's so good with my children. Very loving and friendly. 2 half hour walks a day and a little run around is all he needs, very happy to chill and is obsessed with sleeping on the sofa / in his bed. He's perfect for us and such a softie.

Sight hounds are overlooked but tick so many boxes. Ds 10 declares our 2 his best friends. For many years they shared stories at bedtime. Was so very sweet and bonded them all beautifully... They travel well by car and ferry. Love camping too! Very sociable and just love being part of family life. Ours are 14 and 11 and hope for a few more years together yet.

We have a labradoodle. Really she’s a mongrel. But her parents were both labradoodles rather than one being a poodle and one a lab. She looks like a lab, eats like a lab, behaves like a lab! We adore her. She was bonkers for two years, lovely for another 5 and is just about calming down at 9! Would recommend Labradors, they are just so lovely. Ours has never shown any nastiness. Even if you stand on her tail or something she just looks at you. Think she would be a useless guard dog, she would just lick them! But her bark sounds a bit menacing so that might put people off.

I was brought up with Golden Retrievers and would have loved one, but we ended up with a miniature Australian Labradoodle. They are multi generation so much more consistent than when someone's poodle gets randy with a lab. They have great personalities and aren't as mental as a cockerpoo. The first breeder I spoke to said join the facebook groups for all the breeds that tempt you and as you see the messages leave any you wouldn't want and see what is left at the end.

@Scutterbug oh my goodness those eyes! I love her!

@Stormyweatheroutthere gorgeous doggies.

Huskies are stunning but I know we wouldn't manage

@ACynicalDad great advice - and I have a bit more of a list now.

@bakewellbride what a handsome boy!

Norfolk Terrier - amazing family dogs, full of personality, will walk a good distance and the best snuggles. Handstripping them means that they don't shed so clothes always clean. Best dogs in the whole world.

@Minihero mine is a show cocker, blue roan and tan, and is my first ever dog. She is now 12 and we are entering a whole new phase with her. As a puppy she was a land shark and took a lot of training, but I managed it. I didn't have young children around the whole time to deal with as well which helped. I did have young children visiting so she needed to be good with them, and she was. She had a crate which she would take herself to and everyone was told to leave her alone if she was in it.

Border Terrier! They are the labradors of the terrier world. Intelligent, trainable, love people - especially children - very adaptable. All round excellent dogs with fewer health problems than many dogs.

Bedlington Terrier - cute, very friendly and a good mix of couch potato and bundle of energy.

Bernese fur is very fine. My parents had golden retrievers and their fur was a bit harsher and stuck to stuff more - bernese fur is wispy and I don't find it sticks to the same extent.

We have wooden floors and tiles and ruggable rugs which you can put in the washing machine.

Other thing is that girls are a lot smaller than the boys.

So beautiful. Gorgeous dog. We see two Bedlingtons out regularly. Lovely dogs, seem very gentle. They look like lambs.

Sorry, I answered your question but quoted the wrong person!

Personally I would avoid most of the working breeds (spaniels, working labs, GSD, farm type collies etc) unless you plan to give it a job. I don’t think just being a pet is sufficient and that’s why so many end up with issues. I have owned most of these breeds and they are for the most part hard work, especially when young.

I also would avoid cockerpoos and poodle crosses. So many neurotic ones out there. Our behavioural problem consult list is 90% poodle crosses at the moment.

Other than that there’s so many choices!! Why not look at the endangered breed lists or go and watch some dog shows and see what types take your fancy. It’s nice to be different 😄 Rough collies were on my list, as were Bernese and a very carefully selected golden (although be prepared to exercise the latter a lot!)

We ended up with leonberger which fit my young family perfectly but wouldn’t suit anyone who’s scared of mud and hoovering or who wants an insta perfect home!

Even as an outdoor family some breeds should only be working or very experienced owners. Spaniels,border collies etc are not for the faint of heart. Retrievers are great all rounders, if a little boring. As are staffys.

Read the breed standard but don't pay them too much mind as all dogs have their own personality. I have an Akita and definitely do not recommend at all let alone first time dogs. We got him as I wanted an energetic dog to go jogging with alone or hiking/rambling as a family. Apparently they are calm but need a good two hours a day - lies! Laziest dog ever and although he likes a walk it's only of it's not too warm or there's no sort of rain or wind. He now has a poorly leg and can do one less than mile a day max and couldn't do seven days in a row. Id have something smaller next time so that when injury or laziness does happen we can still carry them for our family outdoorsiness. I have actually had to call DH to collect us more than once because part way through a walk, this dog just stops and refuses to move.

Brilliant advice.

Also unfair on the dog - just because the dog isn’t bouncing off the walls, doesn’t mean it’s actually happy being the family pet.

I've looked for dog shows near me but have drawn a blank - maybe it's the time of year?