Which breed is for me?

[SunflowerT]

Hi everyone

I don't own a dog yet but I am currently deciding on what breed would suit me but getting nowhere as I love all dogs but I know I'm not right for all dogs and hoping you could all help put me on the right path before I go to crafts in a few weeks time to discover dogs.

I have never owned a dog myself however I have a little experience as I look after my sister's Golden retriever all day 4 times a week while she's at work. And Bruno has given me a good idea of what I want and what I can offer a dog.

My living situation is I live alone and I am lucky to work from home now after working in a pre school for yeats and can spend as much time as I like with my new puppy.

• From looking after Bruno I know I can't handle a large dog as walking him was fine until he looses himself when he sees a squirrel and I learned I'm not as strong as I thought I held on to him but he was way stronger than I'd like to deal with. So I would like a small breed.

• I know this will be more down to individual but I know some breeds are more vocal than others , I'd like a breed who is known to be more quiet when it comes to barking and only barks for a reason and soon stops. I suffer from hyperacusis (pain in my ears with loud noises) Bruno I'm fine with because he rarely barks but Goldens tend to not be a happy breed so I'm looking for a quieter breed.

• I need a breed where there is no same sex aggression since look after Bruno who is intact as my sister shows him , my sisters neighbour has an Alaskan Malamute who hates Bruno and poor Bruno just wants to be friends but he hates all males not just Bruno.

• I'm pretty active and enjoy walking Bruno except when he sees a squirrel as I mentioned above other than that he's extremely well trained and I enjoy our walks especially when my sister is with us at the weekend and she's holding him. It would be nice to have my own dog on our weekend country walks who I can 100% hold on to. So I could definitely do at least 2hrs of country walking a day when I'm working at home and more at weekends.

• I don't need a superstar when it comes to training unlike my sister who loves doing training with Bruno and he's the star in his class listening to my sister every time I just want a dog I can teach good doggy manners too and who knows what's allowed and not allowed but I don't need a highly trainable superstar dog like Bruno.

• I don't plan on having any kids and no other pets besides Bruno of course

• shedding doesn't bother me neither does grooming as a friend is a groomer and is happy to show me how to look after the coat of which ever breed I buy and I'm happy to spend hours grooming if that's what the dog needs as getting the right breed is more important than coat or shedding to me.

• I also don't want a working breed who needs a job as all I can provide is brain toys and stimulation play ect at home. I have no interest in agility for example.

I hope this helps you ask below if there's anything you need to know?

Wirehaird fox terrier?
I know quite a few people who have these
The ones I know tick all your boxes plus are quite aloof if strangers are trying to get their attention.
One comes to vist quite often and he gets on great with my cross breed who is a rocket.

Staffies are great little dogs, my brother got one as his first dog.
Hes a great dog but very strong on the lead.

We have one and as I read the OP I did think they’d fit the bill! Lots of health issues associated with the breed, so vital to find a conscientious breeder and get very good insurance.

I love staffies, had them when I was younger, but they’re very strong - I got pulled off my feet by one of ours, and I’m 5’8 and not a lightweight. I was in my 20s at the time too so reasonably fit and strong - but she was stronger!

No one has suggested a greyhound yet? Thats a first.

I'm short and have two greyhounds who I walk on my own regularly. They are already trained to walk well on the lead by the time you get them. I walk my neighbours spaniel for him sometimes and my arms are nearly pulled out of their sockets. He says walking my dogs is like walking with two barges drifting along on their own course.

They’re large breed but don’t feel like it. Very quiet. Happy with regular walks and lots of snoozing in between. Despite being a big bag of bones they are a very cuddly, affectionate and loyal breed. You get to dress them up in fancy coats as they feel the cold.

downsides - they are Velcro dogs so unless you want to get more than one, they don’t really like being left on their own. They are stubborn so you have to bribe them if you want them to do anything they don’t want to do. But they don’t get fat so you don’t have to worry about over feeding them unlike other breeds.

they’re also very healthy as far as a large breed goes.

they’re not aggressive with other dog breeds but are unlikely to be used to anything except other greyhounds when they come from the rescue so need to figure them out. I’d recommend taking Bruno to the rescue centre to do a meet and greet if you were going that route.

It's tricky because you don't know for certain your dog will get on with your sister's dog like humans they don't all like one another. My shihtzu is beautiful very well trained I'm bias I guess but I've had a poodle and a lab in my early adult years and my shihtzu boy has been a dream. No problem it is what you put in I think. However as he has gotten older he has a very low tolerance for puppies they just irritate him yet he loves children. Saying that when out with dog walker he tends to put the pups in their place and show the ropes. I think you need to think hard and choose a breed that's easy going, . I know others have said staffy but they need a strong owner and training they can be food possessive and if not correctly trained then they are not always good with other dogs especially in the same home or long periods together they need lots of socialising early on but great people dogs. Any breed can be good or bad its all down to the handling for a first dog I would really research and think about training class. Cavachon and Maltese cross are nice too. My shihtzu is fantastic but he's trained he's not been babied and that's the problem with a lot of small breeds as well as owner anxiety. Good luck

It's not.

I had a nave school uniform and the family dog was a golden. Constant tail wagging meant I spent hours brushing hair off my skirt.

Why not try a rescue OP, take Bruno with you if they will let you to see who he gets on with.

Why are rescues full of them then?

Staffies are strong and aren't they known for being reactive to other dogs?

Not going to highjack the thread but worth pointing out this isn’t accurate info - lots of scare mongering for sure, but I’ve adopted from Spain with no issues - I’m in Scotland, but don’t see how this would be different in rest of the Uk? Anyhoo, no dramas, just saying.

You've had some.bizarre recommendations op

Staffies are muscular and strong and while friendly with family would be a terrible choice for the visiting dog. Never known one who was OK with other dogs.
Collies need way more.experience as can be hyper, prone to boredom and reactive to wheels/cars, quite neurotic if not absolutely exhausted.
Spaniels great for friendliness but also bounce off the walls for thr first 3 or 4 years. And the small ones have awful inbreeding issues.
Borders and greyhounds are known for being terrible with other dogs.

Now, breed isn't everything and dogs are individuals. Neutering them before they fully go through puberty will help them gel with Bruno. A neutered male better than a female in that regard too as female ones will try to dominate.
That said, I would go for maybe a Brittany spaniel or a miniature schnauzer boy. Beagle is also a nice idea though may be harder to train.

Our beagle learned the basic commands (sit,down, leave etc) really easily. They are very food oriented therefore it's easy to incentivise them to follow commands. They are not reliable off the lead though. We did practice recall in the garden but I was never brave enough to try it in the park as we have so much wildlife around us and she could have run off to follow a scent.
They are also incredibly docile, which is sadly one of the reasons they are used in lab testing 🥲.

How have you found her regarding barking I know hounds like to bay? I knew a lady who had a beagle with labs and the beagle grew up thinking he was a lab and was very good motivated And she found him just as easy to train as her labs provided there was chicken in her pockets.

After keeping golden retrievers all my life, I now also have a cockapoo. He is such a joy and would meet all of your criteria. A very happy, intelligent little dog who can keep up with big dogs on walks but is easy to train and great company. He is totally devoted to us.

M beagle is lost off lead and is the quietest dog ever only barks if he wants to play. He's the best dog ever although sheds a lot of hair

Thankfully shedding doesn't bother me I'm used to Bruno's tumbleweed of fur around the house and am happy to hoover several times a day 😆

I have done a lot of breed quizzes and always get the same breed which I found interesting and every time it is the beagle I get but didn't know how good they were and I'd always been under the impression hounds are very vocal so good to hear not all are.

My is very quiet he doesn't howl at all and is the best thing I've ever done he brings me so much joy he's loyal, loving has got me out for walks etc and just the best

@SunflowerT honestly we had no problems with barking. My good friends have two beagles and they have no issues either. I couldn't cope with a dog that barked at everyone who came to the door, much as I love dogs.
They do love chicken as a treat. We lost our lovely dog in November but until now whenever I make roast chicken, I keep expecting to have her sitting in the kitchen, watching my every move until she gets a piece!

Thank you for your reply and I'm sorry for your loss.

I'm definitely looking into beagles when I go to crufts I think they suit me very well in everything else I want.

Enjoy Crufts! I will be honest that beagles really do test you when they are puppies. However as long as you persevere and remain consistent, they will chill out as they grow up. You do sound like you are being very thorough in learning about the different breeds so that will be very useful no matter what you go for in the end.

Thanks I'll also have my sister to help teach me and the amazing trainer/behaviourist who helped her make Bruno the amazing dog he is. I know how many times Bruno tested my sister during adolescent she often joked he could turn her to drink but he was worth every bit of effort and I know no matter what dog I end up with will also be worth every bit of effort I put in.

Barking can just be the luck of the draw. I have two border collies and one hardly barks at all, certainly not when the doorbell rings, and the other is much louder. And she’s younger and didn’t learn from the older dog’s good example. My mum had two Goldens and she had exactly the same - the older one was quiet and well-mannered and the younger was noisy and boisterous.

However, if you’re looking at puppies the chances are that whatever you get will grow up loving Bruno - my first collie was a puppy when DM’s golden was a very old dog, and she adored him and still loves all golden retrievers to this day, they’re the one breed of dog that she runs up to and rolls onto her back to be friendly. Most other dogs she’s quite aloof with. So I wouldn’t worry too much about how they’ll get on.

@Meltedcandlewax Are they though? None in my local RSPCA and none in a 50 mile radius.

@Purplecatshopaholic Maybe it's different in Scotland, but my friend rescued in October and is going through hell, the charity never told her about B. Canis and repercussions of importing. Her dog has another test next week to determine whether or not she should be pts.

I've spent most of the week in the vets with a dog with ileus. Every time a dog came in, first question was 'is your dog imported?'.

I get a sight hound vibe from the op requirements.

But I love Staffs and they are so so easy. I meet dozens at work they are a dream.

I have a show cocker. They love a working from home owner as they are right limpets. My cocker is so happy sparko on the floor when I wfh.

But he is very noisy and pulls like a tank on the lead even at age 10 so it's not a go er with a spaniel!

Op you sound ideal for a dog in terms of lifestyle you won't look back!

We have a Border Terrier and he is a great dog and fits your description pretty much down to a T.

My grandparents had two beagles, a sibling pair. One was very quiet and hardly ever barked, but the other was probably the most vocal dog I've ever met, always had something to yowl about, good or bad - we used to joke that he would bark himself to sleep every evening. So it's very much a lottery. Both were very food motivated, which makes training easier, but you also have to be careful not to feed them too much. They always looked at you like they were starving, but honestly, as they got older they got horridly obese (my grandma's fault, no doubt).
Both were amazing escape artists though, they even dug under the fence to get out, so make sure to secure your garden if you end up getting one.
But they were such fun, playful dogs, I loved them. A bit like dachshunds character wise, they know what they want and can be stubborn, clever and independent, but are also very loyal.