2025 is our year for getting a dog. But what breed and from where?

[LarryUnderwood]

After lots of thought and discussion we've decided we will get a dog this year. DS1 is 13, DS2 almost 12. We live in a London suburb in a 4 bed terrace with a private small-medium garden. We have 3 chickens kept in a large fox proof enclosure. They free range in the garden at specific times and are otherwise enclosed so can be easliy kept separate. South London with lots of parks and recreation grounds in easy walking distance. I WFH full time, with 1-2 days in office per month. DH is in office 3 days per week so easy to coordinate days at home. Kids out of house 8-3. Neither of us have owned a dog before but I grew up with dogs in my extended family (all my grandparents, aunts, cousins etc, mainly yorkshire terriers, cockers and goldens). Relaxed about shedding and fur, we're reasonably active but not out hiking every weekend. 1.5-2 hours of walking plus time doing bits of training during the day on weekdays is feasible and I'd expect to take dog on all errands so be out and about in our local area a lot in addition. Weekends we'd be happy to do more. Keen to have a dog which is loving, trainable and friendly, not too barky and ideally will have calm moments as well as zoomies. We aren't experienced dog owners so trainable but not a working line, for example a border collie or GSD would run rings round us and we wouldn't be able to meet its needs. Basically a dog that is happy to be a family pet, not a dog that needs a job to do all day.
Breed discussions are around golden retriever, Staffordshire bull terrier, old english sheepdog, bernedoodle or goldendoodle. I'd also consider a Havanese as the small dog alternative. DH is the doodle fan - he wants a fluffball. My preference is for a Staffy, I like their hardiness, affection and that they're smallish but strong and with lots of personality. Overall though my preference is for a dog we can get from a good breeder, and that's what worries me about doodles, I'm not.convinced doodle breeders are going to be so ethical or concerned with breed standards and health. But do know some really lovely doodles. I would prefer a medium or large dog, I want something I will feel confident walking in the dark at night and I just like larger dogs. Any owners of any of these breeds have any recommendations or warnings for us? I've heard that goldens are nightmare adolescents then great from about 2, Staffys are fab as long as socialised well and given plenty to chew. Don't know so much about old english sheepdogs except my cousin has one and he's brilliant. I love cockers but having known many in my family they are too nervy and hyperactive for me. Thoughts from any passionate golden/doodle/staffy/OES/havanese owners? Or any other breeds which would better fit the bill?

@CYNlC what a love!

@wetotter that is really interesting about OES, I do like the sound of getting a vulnerable native breed. I think OES is winning this one 😍

The rescue centre I got my puppy from has litters fairly regularly (and they're absolutely not a front for puppy farms). I wouldn't discount rescues altogether as the market for puppies has really shrunk and plenty of useless owners with pregnant bitches don't want the hassle or expense of caring for the puppies and trying to find them homes. Maybe you won't find what you're looking for, but imo there are so many dogs needing homes that already exist, so you might as well keep an open mind about it.

Anyway, my rescue girl is the perfect dog :) probably a saluki, collie, gsd mix. Is chilled at home, very fun and full of life when out, only barks if a cat comes into the garden, no separation anxiety, dog and people friendly, is big enough that I feel safe walking around in the dark with her, but in fact has a very sweet and tolerant nature, and only weighs 22kg despite her decent size (I love a big dog but wouldn't want one I couldn't hold back). Recall was a pain to teach, but she's two now and is brilliantly trained and obedient because of all the extra work I had to put in. There are a lot of lurcher cross litters that come up and they're great family dogs, especially if your children aren't small (they're tall so I don't think ideal around small children). They do have prey drives but puppies will learn to coexist with other pets.

I do love golden retrievers too though, and also flat coat retrievers, and yeah labradors as well. Not sure how chilled they are at home though. I would personally never have a staffie as most I meet dislike other dogs and dogs are everywhere, especially in a busy city. I'd hate to have a reactive dog so would avoid breeds likely to end up that way. The labradoodles I've met are insane, one of the few bigger breeds that I avoid. I'd choose a Labrador or GR over a doodle mix every time.

It sounds like you’ll give a dog a lovely home!

I have a rescue staffy cross and a pedigree King Charles cavalier spaniel puppy so perhaps I’m in a good place to give a rounded view?

I would probably go for a puppy from a registered breeder in your situation. I far prefer pedigrees in this scenario because breeder should KC register (just paperwork really but another step so less risk of puppy farm) and you’ll have a fair guess at size and personality. Pedigrees can sometimes come with higher risk of health issues but honestly I think a lot of that is luck in the end.

For that reason I wouldn’t do a mix because of risk of puppy farm and unknown mix plus (and said without judgment) I really don’t like doddle mixes, they are often pretty neurotic / anxious / bark. I’d prefer to just get a pure breed poodle in that scenario (if you want a dog that intelligent).

What I tend to think through:

1. likelihood of barking
2. amount of walking
3. does coat shed
4. good with other animals and children
5. intelligence / stimulation needs

I also stop people in the park and ask them - people always happy to talk about their dogs! We seriously considered mini schnauzers or datschunds previously but discounted after chatting to a few owners.

My older dog is female small staff cross and is the nicest dog I’ve ever had and fantastic with families so I’m with you on that. She does have prey drive though so not sure how that would work with chickens. If you trained from a puppy and discussed with breeder, it could be ok but worth carefully considering. Same point for a lot of terriers.

Good luck!

There are some gorgeous breeds - native and otherwise - that are quite low in numbers these days, since designer crossbreeds became a trend. If you do your research into these, you could find something you haven't come across before that would tick every box for you.
When you find the breed that perfectly suits your lifestyle it is blissful ❤

Dog tax

@unluckycat1 what a beauty. What rescue did you go to?

I wouldn't get an old English as a first dog - they are massive and need lots of grooming and essentially are a working breed. They are also prone to deafness and vision problems which can go unnoticed then present as behaviour issues.
What about something like a bichon, a Maltese, a Pomeranian or a papillon? Tiny dogs but good natured and bred for human companionship. A daschund would be great but not with hens!

Thanks @gingerlybread that's worth knowing. Honestly I really don't want a very small dog, nothing against then but just not for me.

@LarryUnderwood The rspca york branch. They recently had golden retriever lurcher crosses who were just beautiful, though I think have all found homes now. I did spy some puppies in their Christmas video but they don't put them on the website until they're old enough to be rehomed. It's a good idea to keep checking rescue centre websites as ime the perfect dog really can just turn up.

My neighbour has a Havanese, it's quite reactive sadly, they got it just before the first lockdown. Yappy little bugger!

We took the plunge in January of this year, and got my first ever dog - my beautiful Border Terrier!
My husband had a nuts cocker spaniel years before we met.

The first few months were HARD!
But our boy is an absolute delight, so loving, easy to train and funny!
Still has questionable recall but we are working on it!

Tax, obvs -

We have female labs and they'd quite happily fit in with your lifestyle. Ours are working lines but really chilled at home. They need some outlets for their brain rather than just exercise but that's fairly easily met with scent work and basic gundog type exercises on walks.

Ours get a minimum of an hour or so off lead runaround in the week plus one or two lead walks and some basic training.

People think working lines need tonnes of exercise but they actually need the brain work as much if not more so. If you think about what labs are bred to do, a lot of it is sitting, and watching and waiting for a retrieve, there's actually not that much sustained exercise.

There's a good reason that labs are used as assistance and therapy dogs a lot, it's because they're relatively easy to train and want to please you.

M’y dsis has just lost her Wheaten after 14 years. He was an amazing animal, grew up with her dcs and was so loved. If I could have a dog, that would be the one for me.

We got our first rescue when DT’s were 18 months old and we were living in central London. We spoke to them about our lifestyle (and limitations) and they suggested particular dogs for us to meet. Best decision we ever made.

I like the idea of getting a native breed like the Old English Sheep Dog or Weatan Terrier. I considered these many years ago and discarded them for a Tibetan Terrier! They definitely tick the easy going fluffy family dog box.
Stay away from anything doodle or pooX - someone make great family pets, some are highly strung and need to have a job in order to be calm and happy. Don't forget, they are meant to be working dogs.

My advice is to go to Crufts in March, visit the discover dog section and speak to the breeders/ owners of your favourite breeds.

I would also highly recommend checking out your local dog training club. Do they offer the Good Citizen dog scheme? It would be worth investing time and money into this.

Please remember that you and your dog will benefit from structured training class for the first 12-18 months.

My Tibetan in his default position!
(When he's not running around the field like a lunatic!)

Oh we have 2 x OES and they are amazing however very big and strong and I struggle to walk them when I’m on my own as the boy who’s 7 is very protective of me and will chase another dog if they come running up to me and the girl who is 3 still likes to chase cyclists and joggers. Henry dog grew out of it around 3 so I’m hoping this is our year. We have Henry is full coat but Bailey is clipped as she’s a puddle magnet and forever dirty and got matted really quickly so easier to have her clipped whereas Henry is a bit of a diva 😀We get stopped all the time when on holiday as there are not many around however there are 5 in our neighbourhood for some reason. Pics for attention

@LarryUnderwood we have a beagle but would NEVER recommend for a first dog. Although he is the bestest best boy ever of all my dogs 🐶

How about a rough collie? They’re fairly easy dogs, although I think take slightly longer to toilet train. Like a walk but are more into sniffs than walking miles. Ours have never been interested in chasing things, so would be fine with chickens. Can be a bit woofy though. They’re on the kc watch list as numbers have dropped. Here’s our latest

We have Welsh Springer spaniels. They're on the vulnerable native breed list with just 173 being registered last year. Like someone upthread said they're bred by enthusiasts rather than commercial breeders.
They're much calmer than the English springer

@Wereongunoil I’d love a Welsh Springer! I had no idea they were on the vulnerable list, we're looking for an addition to our family (3 year old ESS already) so I must look into them

@Wereongunoil I know a Welsh Springer. He's a lovely medium sized dog. But the total opposite of his English cousin. Just the right amount of cheeky without being a nutcase!

We rescued recently from the Dogs Trust (for the 2nd time). Most dogs without issues don’t make it to the website. Dogs Trust have a list of people ready to rehome. If you call them, they will complete a questionnaire over the phone to see what your situation/ requirements are. Then they will add you to the list and match you with a potentially suitable dog. Then you meet them and decide. I think the process is similar for most of the larger rescues.

Be prepared that getting a puppy is like having a newborn in the house. Your life will be restricted, cabin fever, sleepless nights etc. it is hard work and puppy blues are a real thing.

we got a lab, partly because everyone says they make good family pets. However, it took two years to get there.

Rescue all the way.

I've had rescue Chihuahuas and they were sweet, adorable and funny.