Can I get a dog, and if so what breeds should I look at?

[Bearsinmotion]

I currently WFH four days a week, with occasional travel. I have two secondary school DC.

I feel I am finally in a situation where I can get a dog, having wanted one for years. However, I am disabled, which means I can't walk long distances, although I can get to fields easily where a dog can run off lead and we have quite a large secure garden.

I think I need an intelligent breed that could be trained and have money and time to spend on training and for a dog walker. Although I am not disabled enough to qualify for an assistance dog I could easily find jobs for an intelligent dog to do. But I also have a speech impediment so am unable to shout or raise my voice.

My ideal dog would be a German Shepherd, and I know they make good assistance dogs. But I am not convinced I could physically manage the training process when I don't qualify formal assistance training if that makes sense? The DC are very keen on the idea and happy to help but ultimately I need be responsible of course.

Is it just a pipe dream? Would I be better looking for a smaller dog that would be physically more manageable but less trainable? Or is it not fair to get a dog at all?

I'd have a poodle. They are super intelligent and easy to train. Very friendly and hardly bark.
Lovely dogs. And no shedding !

I agree, you need to think about a smaller dog.
I'm not sure about a rescue as many do come with their own problems which can be tricky to handle.

In your shoes, I would do a lot of research into dog training looking at cost and availability. You're looking at regular training for at least the first 18 months but it can easily turn out to be ongoing throughout the dogs life. That's because you might get hooked on some K9 sports. If you want some extreme inspiration, look at distance training for agility- it's amazing what dogs can do for their humans with the right training.

With regard to a belt type lead @Bearsinmotion I think it depends on the dog's size. I tried it with my pup and it gave me terrible lower back pain (I have fibromyalgia & scoliosis). Admittedly she is a lot larger than a GSD, but I suspect a body/belt lead is safer for a small breed.

Reading this thread has given me a flashback of my poor mum and her German Shepherd.
So proud my mum was, when I was 10, to have adopted an adult German Shepherd from Batersea.
Widowed and raising us as a single parent after our bereavement, my mum was a physically strong, healthy, fit 40 year old woman who had balls of steel and was pretty tough in those days.
We went for a walk in the woods with our new dog. She'd bought an incredibly strong lead that he was attached to and she had wrapped the end of it round her wrist and held the rest of it in her hand.
We walked up and up a long winding path up a steep wooded hill.
When we got near the top, I don't know what it was but something made him bolt and he sprinted off at top speed soooo so so fast off of the footpath and down the wooded hill sprinting round the trees in his way to get to the bottom....all with my mum still attached by her wrist to his lead being dragged on her back, head first, legs flailing behind her, screaming all the way down the wooded hill and hitting her head and body in to trees on the way.
She was covered in bleeding cuts and bruises and injuries. She couldn't walk the next day.
I'll never forget how frightened and helpess I felt watching my strong mum being dragged on her back screaming!
My God he was strong.
Very sadly he couldn't stay with us, because despite persisting for a long time, my mum couldn't actually manage him. It broke her heart to re-home him.
Sorry, completely off topic, but just wanted to share this about my experience with a German Shepherd!

My brother had a rescue greyhound and it was a lovely dog. Terrible recall but walked beautifully on the lead.

We have a Border Terrier who is a lovely dog and might work for you? As puppies go, he really wasn’t too bad. I’ve heard the breed described as big dog personality in a small dogs body which I agree with. He isn’t yappy at all and has been pretty easy to train due to his love of treats. He can walk all day if you want but is equally happy with a couple of short walks if that’s what the day holds. I generally don’t let him off the lead in parks or where other dogs are around mostly because I don’t trust other dog owners! But he’ll bomb around the garden and is good off lead on quiet footpaths etc.

But I've often heard that poodles are so intelligent that they need constant brain stimulation and get bored quickly if not permanently stimulated, and get disruptive if their owner isn't interacting with them non stop. I've heard this from several people in my research and quest to find the perfect dog breed for us!

As with anything it's about knowing when to stop.
If you give the dog constant attention & stimulation for weeks, months or even years and then try and stop suddenly because it all gets to much, then they will turn into demanding hooligans!

I've never heard that. I had a poodle when I was younger. He was a lovely friendly dog. My BIL currently has a standard poodle and she is so good with the kids and everyone else.
Just a suggestion, I can only speak from my own experience . Good luck.

If shedding is an issue then bedlington terriers don’t shed either and are small and clever but you’d still have the prey drive to deal with.

if you can't walk long distances, perhaps consider investing in a mobility scooter that can go on muddy tracks? Or if you can drive to the fields and let the dog run off lead that would be okay.

If you're still considering a large dog, be careful if they lunge. It will send you flying and hurt your back (my GSD did this when she was 20 weeks). Look up Southend training, really fantastic and full of information worth knowing before you get your dog.

My favourite lead for my GSD is a figure of 8.

Greyhound would suit you very well, in my opinion. Almost all of them are calm, gentle dogs. I think if you go to the greyhound rescue and explain your needs they would choose one that would suit you well (they never want adoption to fail!).

That's really not my experience of poodles at all. Yes, they're intelligent but they certainly don't need permanent attention or stimulation (in fact, no dog on the planet needs that).

The most important thing to teach a dog (any dog) is to switch off and settle.

We have a rescue greyhound and she is fantastic - gentle with people and other dogs, affectionate and very lazy. Recall is work in progress but she walks very well on the lead - we tend to only let her off in secure areas or quiet beaches. There are loads of them looking for homes and a good charity will match you with the right dog. They are generally pretty healthy dogs. Definitely worth considering!

If you're near East Lancashire I know of a dog trainer that loves to work with wheelchair users and runs specialist agility classes for owners and their dogs!

GSD's are great dogs but need a lot of work daily, exercising, brain stimulation, lots of grooming and I hoover 4 times a day so be prepared for a lot of housework. They also have 2 mega moults a year and the shed is unbelievable. Our girl is 3 and very well trained but despite this still has a very high prey drive so when walking her we have to be incredibly alert, I would never let my children walk her because of this.
My sister has a whippet x greyhound who is way less work and housework and a great dog but again has a high preydrive.

We recently rehomed a dog, very mixed breed, through a site called pet rehomer. We met the owner who gave us lots of information about him. He's been absolutely perfect, he's just two, is extremely well trained and affectionate, we feel so very lucky. Maybe take a look there and see if any dogs might fit your family ?

Australian Labradoodles.

Give them a Google.
When we were getting a dog, my DH researched and chose the breed.
I had dogs growing up and didn't mind.

The breed sounds perfect for your needs. We have a small one. They were originally bred to be therapy dogs. They are fab.

Sadly almost all of them are puppy farm bred.

Another vote for Greyhound.

2 short walks per day then lying around getting into the most ridiculous poses imaginable.

They really are the sweetest dogs.

Where's your evidence of that?
I met my breeder many times in their house, they had cameras and videos all over the place so you could check the puppies progress.
Whatever the breed people decide to get, they have to do their due diligence.
Check the breeder
Check their credentials
Visit their home / premises
Meet the bitch and see where they live
It should be a two-way interview process

The evidence is that every one of these dog breeder for this breed ever recommended on mumsnet has been a puppy farmer - one had over twenty bitches. No one has yet to recommend a breeder who isn't a puppy farming scumbag.

Tbh, if they have cameras allover the place that sounds like the dogs don't live in the family home - no one raising puppies in their family home/environment would allow that as it would intrude on their daily life.

Nowhere near Lancashire but that sounds amazing!

He is beautiful! I remember when we were growing up most people I knew had Heinz 57 dogs, no one knew what breeds they were, I have often wondered when they all went and everything was pedigree or specific crossbreed! I suspect a combination of more responsible dog ownership and money...