Dog recommendation

[Outandabout43]

We are in a position now to get a dog, but no clue what bread would suit.

We live in an average 3 bed house with a medium garden. We have a 5 year old child and no other pets.

We live in a semi rural area so lots of green space

I work from home so mainly home during the day, I do calls sometimes for work so hopefully not an excessive barker.

Happy to go for long walks and to spend time training.

Any recommendations?

Miniature labradoodle- the kindest softest dog I know

Honestly, I would avoid any crosses. If you have a young child a mongrel mix is a risk that no parent should take because very often (but not always) they are poorly bred (health issues), you have little to no support if/when things go wrong, and they often have the worst characteristics of both breeds.

Yes, some mongrels/doodle crosses/other random non-pedigree breeds can make amazing pets and are lovely. But very often those rare gems are owned by people who waited months for the perfect dog and thoroughly vetted their owners - which is far harder to do if you're not buying a pedigree because knowing what to look for (in terms of health issues etc) is harder. If you scroll through the DogHouse most of the dogs people have issues with in terms of behaviour are cockers and/or cockerpoos or some form of 'designer' mix.

You need to think about what you don't want in a dog and what the breed was 'bred' to do.

Don't want to be hoovering every two minutes? That rules out Labs and Goldies.
Don't want a dog that will herd or nip? That rules out Collies (although tbh Collies and kids don't mix).
Don't want a barker? That rules out most Terriers.
Don't want drool? That rules out most Giant Breeds such Bernese, St Bernards etc).

In general, my rule of thumb for people with young children is to I'd avoid things like Cockers/Retrievers (most Gun Dogs tbh) and lean more toward a little Poodle or a Shih Tzu.

And absolutely avoid working lines - if you have a young child and work full time, unless you are superwoman you will not be able to give a working line anything what it needs.

I would start by agreeing on the criteria, as this will help determine what breed will best suit your situation

1. Puppy or rescue?
2. How many times a day are you willing to exercise the dog?
3. Do you want it to be very trainable and are prepared to put in the hours, or are you just happy with recall and basic obedience?
4. Does the dog need to fit around your lifestyle? (i.e. long walks, taking it to the office, visiting pubs, babies, cats etc)
5. What do you like aesthetically? (Terriers, Hounds, Working, Toy etc)
6. Do you want the dog to offer any level of protection? (i.e. Do you want the dog to bark when their are strangers at the door?

We currently have a whippet, that suits us, (very relaxed, minimal exercise, zero aggression, useless guard dog).

Good luck with your decision.

A staffie, a staffie or maybe a staffie.

Best dogs in the world.

We have a Springador. She’s a Springer Spaniel Labrador cross. She doesn’t shed much (we brush her once a week with a furminator), she’s the size of a springer but is the sweetest girl ever.

Easy to train, will walk for miles on the weekend but happy being in the house and garden in the day whilst I work from home with a 20 minute walk in the morning and lunchtime, then a proper, longer sniffy walk in the evening. Great with children, people and other dogs and rarely barks.

@LandSharksAnonymoushas covered most ground for you. I agree a miniature Poodle or Shitzu is a good first choice. Also a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.
Many people will suggest their own breed of dog, but unless you have a vast experience of many breeds, it's not especially helpful. Personally I wouldn't go near a Cockerpoo as they have been so fashionable (hence poorly bred) in the last decade or so, that there are many neurotic examples who are nervous wrecks out there and bark for England.

I would never take on a rescue with a 5yr old child. (Welfare is my background) much less so a foreign rescue. They have many behavioural issues unrelated to being brought up in a UK rescue environment.

Lastly, I cannot over emphasise enough how much you can NOT expect to work from home with a puppy. There will be odd exception, yes, but on the whole you will not get a minutes peace unless puppy is asleep. My current pup is 1 year this week and I get about 3 hours max, which is pretty normal. (I'm semi retired so have no time pressures on me throughout the day).

Miniature poodle. They are fab dogs, highly intelligent, easy to train, loving, good with kids and other dogs, calm, non shedding and just brilliant.

@abracadabra1980 What breed of dog do you have? I walk my 1 year old border terrier for 45 mins in the morning and then she pretty much sleeps most of the day or mooches around the kitchen or garden whilst I work.

One of my dogs is a Bichon Frisé and has the happiest disposition. I keep her coat quite short as I can't be fussed with prissy brushing to make her fluffy. She hardly sheds any hair, which is a bonus.

My other dog is half Cavalier King Charles and half Poodle - another lovely disposition and doesn't shed hair. I keep her clipped fairly short too.

Both dogs are yappy when the postman calls or the doorbell rings.

Puppies are hard work and it can be upsetting for children when they play-bite as their teeth are so sharp.

I agree with this. We have a 6 month old GR and yes we do have to keep a close eye on her but on the whole she sleeps next to my DH and I while we work but that has been the expectation from the beginning and she is now settled into that routine

Shih tzu cutest dogs ever

I have a 1 year old Staffy, 10 year old daughter & a 3 bed semi. She's a wonderful fit for our family. Been easily trained, I work from home so she has a morning walk then back to bed to nap from 9-1ish. She’s than up for the day & another evening walk. She is a typical Staffy that she’ll walk for hours/miles but then crash for hours after. Shes really chilled at home. Has the softest, loveliest temperament. My daughter’s best friend. Like I say easy to train/great recall as Staffs tend to be treat motivated. We love her so very much.

"Honestly, I would avoid any crosses. If you have a young child a mongrel mix is a risk that no parent should take because very often (but not always) they are poorly bred (health issues), you have little to no support if/when things go wrong, and they often have the worst characteristics of both breeds."

You're conflating two things here - a crossbred dog (2 pedigree parents of different breeds) and a mongrel (the breed of one or both parents is unknown.) You can verify this by looking up the Kennel Club's definition if you wish.

A crossbred dog is considerably healthier than virtually any popular pedigree dog and it's very easy to look up the health issues of either parent.
I have kept 3 pedigree Border Collies, one pedigree GSD, one pedigree Black Labrador and one Golden Lab x Border Collie.
My existing dog - a Black Lab x Border Collie - was my vet's recommendation when I told him of my intention to get another Black Lab (after my previous one had died.) He told me he was "inundated" with young Labradors needing knee and hip operations and this was the case with working lines too.

This is an appalling situation but sadly virtually every popular breed has a list of inherited physical anomalies. I saw both of my dog's parents before purchase, something I would urge the OP to do. My dog is now 12 and has never seen the vet apart from routine vaccinations and being spayed. This was also the case with my previous Lab x Collie who only needed veterinary treatment at the very end of her life.
OP - I would strongly urge you to look into the health issues of any pedigree breeds you favour before making a decision. I was lucky with my GSD, she had no health issues though this was 25 years ago. All of our Border Collies were from working stock as was my Black Labrador and working lines are generally healthier precisely because they are bred to work. Again, no health issues other than at end of life. However, these are high energy dogs and not to be recommended if you have a 5 year old. Border Collies are fantastic dogs but noise sensitive and best with sensible, older children.
Labradors make superb family pets but the orthopaedic issues put me right off getting another one.
Labradoodles (Labrador x Poodle) make a good family pet and would be a healthier choice. Also, they are a medium size and fairly robust when dealing with a 5 year old.

I would shy away from small breeds as they are easy for your youngster to trip over and/or fall on top of.
Also, it would be advisable to look into the cost of pet insurance as veterinary fees are very expensive. Alternatively , you could put a large lump sum into a savings account (at least several thousand.)

I have a border collie x lab, a 15 year old DS and I also full time WFH. The routine that works for us is a 45 min lead walk first thing, Ddog sleeps from 9-11 when I tend to have teams calls, then an off lead walk around 12 for 45 mins on the beach, another nap until about 3 - we do a couple of 10-15 minute obedience / retrieval / sniffing for hidden treats sessions (sometimes as basic as me throwing a handful of treats about the garden, or asking him to bring me different toys from his basket) while I finish work and DS takes him for a big run about the park across the road with the ball after dinner for 30-45 mins. Ddog needs the mental stimulation as much as the physical. When I’m working in the pm, Ddog is pottering around the garden sniffing at the dog behind us or looking out the front door at the dog opposite who does the same. He has two pack walks a week at lunch and goes to agility/flyball one evening. Not cheap but needed. He’s learned to chill out, but he can get obsessed by toys and herding things as he’s 3/4 collie. If I had a younger child, or a different job pattern, I would not have got a dog that needs this much stimulation but it really works for us at this stage of our lives where I enjoy the activity and company at home and DS gets out of the house in all weathers (he even wears my running lights in the winter in the park, he enjoys it so much). But it is a lot!

Yes avoid the crosses, especially cockapoos. There’s a massive dog trade, involving puppy farms and imported dogs, for these types of crosses.

You also don’t know what you’re getting in terms of health and temperament. Many crosses are poodle crosses. Do yourself a favour and go for an actual poodle. They are especially healthy dogs, with a good life span.

Miniature poodles are amazing dogs - we have a beagle but if I was ever to get another breed it would be a mini poodle.

@AcquadiP I completely disagree with everything you have said. A mongrel is a mongrel. And most mongrel or ‘designer doodles’ or ‘cross/breeds’ buyers do not check health scores and that is the issue - and most ‘breeders’ don’t mention it. YOU knew what you were doing. - and you claim to be experienced. OP doesn’t and is not. So her best bet is a breed-club recommended, KC breeder - because you can see the health tests with one click of a mouse - who has all the health checks done. Sending her down the rabbit warren of mongrels is going to be a nightmare in terms of her finding a healthy, non-puppyfarmed one.

And no competent and capable vet would recommend a dog breed to someone - particularly as they should know that it’s not proven that mongrel are healthier than pedigrees.

I would shy away from small breeds as they are easy for your youngster to trip over and/or fall on top of.
What sort of nonsense is that? Anyone with common sense would know this - a bigger dog is a bigger risk, as it’ll be bouncier and will knock children over. And big dogs can be tripped over as well.

I've worked from home with two puppies (not at the same time!). I don't think it's possible with every job, but if you have some degree of flexibility it's fine. They soon learned that I was very boring when sat at my desk and settled down to sleep under it. I used to do 10 mins training or play whilst taking a break and making a cup of tea and then they'd be ready for another nap until lunch. Repeat the same in the afternoon.

I have many friends with cockapoos and there’s not a single one of them that’s not neurotic in some way.
Some are overly timid/scared of every noise, others are snappy/growly, others are hyperactive.
I’m surprised nobody has mentioned a border terrier yet - I’m a dog sitter and the ones I’ve met have been great little characters. They’ve not been barky, will walk miles if you want them too but don’t pester for walks, and very friendly.

I agree. Avoid any poo mixes.

I have a Tibetan Terrier. People often don't consider them and I don't know why.

They don't shed which was my main thing S my kids have allergies.

Mine is very sweet natured , loves all other dogs and great with kids. Recall is not the best but she's working on it.

They are beautiful but require a good deal of brushing and coat maintenance if you keep them long.

Awesome dogs.

If you scroll through the DogHouse most of the dogs people have issues with in terms of behaviour are cockers and/or cockerpoos or some form of 'designer' mix.

@LandSharksAnonymous That may be true but the dog is only one of the factors at play here. It may be that it is the type of people who opt for some form of 'designer' mix is the problem. Almost certainly in fact. That's not to say the dog itself might not present with issues which of course they may. Those people who opt to adopt a mongrel I suspect would be less likely to be a problem dog owner and therefore have a better chance of having a non-problematic dog, eventually at least.

Also, I must pick up on this:
and they (mongrels) often have the worst characteristics of both breeds.
They are no more likely to have the worst than they are the best.

I certainly wouldn't recommend the OP buy a mongrel from a breeder and she most likely is going to have to shop rather than adopt if she wants a dog seeing as she has a young child but I thought it important to make the points.

With the cockapoos, from what I’ve seen, you get a dog crossed with a highly intelligent poodle and a very hyperactive spaniel. It seems to result in something very challenging in terms of behaviour.

My poodle likes to play with other dogs. There are countless cockapoos who go to our local park. She will play with some of them but most of them are very hyperactive and barky. Then there are those who will guard anything from a stone to a clump of grass and will snap if another dog gets close. Most don’t have any recall. My poodle is 100% on her recall, so often the only way they get their dog back is when I call mine and their dog follows.

Tibetan Spaniels are awesome, I have more than one and they’re brilliant. Very similar to cavaliers but they don’t have the health issues.

The Kennel Club website has lots of information and selecting the right breed, please don’t go for a mix

I've had spaniels for years-3 Springers and a Sprocker. I thought of a Cockerpoo when I lost my last dog; then I remembered how intelligent spaniels are; and what might be the result of adding a poodle to the mix! Just too much.

@redboxer321 Absolutely. They could well have the best qualities but they could absolutely also have the worse…

Hypothetically, what if you get a Labrador x collie (as a PP advocated) and get the sheer power of a Labrador (labs can be incredibly strong and muscular - sure I’m not the only one whose watch grown men been pulled over or tugged along by one), with the herding instincts and energy needs of a collie?

Then add to that also the hip and elbow issues of a Labrador - because the problem is most people breeding mongrels often don’t do proper health tests because lots of people buying these dogs fall for the belief they’re ‘healthier’ which is often not the case. They could be healthier if the parents are properly health tested (as the grandparents should also be) but too often people naively believe that ‘anything not a pedigree is healthier’ and that’s often not the case - just look at how many cockerpoos, for example, have PRA. I know someone who has a lab x springer. She got its elbows tested because it was showing some discomfort (and it’s only young)…score was 2/3, which is disgraceful. But she fell for the ‘mongrels’ are healthier nonsense and now she’s stuck with a young, energetic, intelligent dog who can’t run or do any form of gundog sport.

At least with a pedigree you know - with as much certainty as you can - what you will get and particularly if you go for one where grandparents and great-grandparents are health tested. My next litter, I’ll have full health tested parents, grandparents and great-grandparents etc. That’s what people should look for. Not just pot luck and ‘oh, well, mongrels are healthier’ and so people advocating that to a first time owner should be called out IMO. Health issues often also result in pain for the dogs and often bites - because of that pain - if not caught in time.

Dogs are individuals, as people are. We can’t always blame badly behaved dogs on bad ownership - yes, particular types of owner tend to be attracted to particular dogs, but it’s not always the case. It’s why genetics, health testing and ethical breeding is so important - so you have generations from the same line, showing the same characteristics and you can be certain what the issue is. Yes, often people cock up, but I also know of a lot of instances where the issue is the dog because of bad breeding.

So, wide statements as a PP made (not you) about how mongrels are healthier are wrong. People should look for the healthiest dog possible, genetic checks going back at least 2-3 generations, and a stable, healthy, happy, confident dam and sire.

If you have a child as OP does, I think one should take as few risks as possible when introducing a puppy or dog to the family.

Sorry, that was quite the essay - but having seen the results of this ‘mongrels are healthier’ belief first hand, I think it’s important it’s made clear they are not automatically healthier.