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'll take the intelligent one anyday, "fuck that" attitude, selective deafness and all 😁

Ha, I can't say much owning a very selectively deaf beagle 😂

But OP's circumstances means she needs a relatively calm, biddable dog, especially as her mobility is limited.

I agree with a greyhound. They will happily potter about with you and then snooze in the house. I had one when my son was a baby and he was perfect. They’re not quite as exciting as some dogs as they don’t tend to do ball chasing etc but they’re goofy and loving and despite being like a bag of elbows they’re very cuddly etc.

If you don’t feel well enough for a walk one day they’ll be fine.

You absolutely don’t want a clever dog. They’re exhausting and need a lot of wearing out/mental exercise. The thicker the dog the generally the more laid back they are.

I wouldn’t look at a GSD but you absolutely can have a dog.

I see loads of off leash greyhounds on my dog walk. There's no livestock and they just mooch along near their owners. My stupid terrier sometimes barks at them. They ignore her. A couple have chased her a bit intensely but it's never got close to nasty. My previous dog was a greyhound that I got via a charity. They matched you to the dog that would suit your needs. No beauty contests allowed! Honestly I think you'd be very well suited to one. Plus if you prefer to keep them on the lead they're fine with that. Generally ex racers aren't very sniffy and they don't mark due to their training so you don't need to stop every 5 paces while they check out an interesting leaf! One giant per and they're good.

I do understand that, given that I'm disabled myself. My dog is lead-walked unless on a secure field. She is very calm, but not biddable, which suits me fine. I was really just responding to the intelligence comment though, not specifically relating it to the OP's circumstances. Sorry if it appeared out of context 😬

I did think about this, my main reason for looking at GSDs is that I know they can be trained as guide / assistance dogs but it sounds like that would need to be done by someone able bodied. If a guide dog failed due to being too intelligent or hard to train I wouldn't be able to do it either!

It does sound as if you need a ready trained dog. A breed specific rescue may be a good option, they will sometimes have dogs being rehomed through no fault of their own due to a change of circumstances. You may need to wait for the right dog to come along, but it could be worth considering if you can narrow down your choice of breed and approach the relevant breed rescues.

My experience of my greyhound was that there was no way she could have been trained to be useful. She wasn't at all food-motivated for human purposes so not easy to train with traditional methods. We had her from a puppy and when I took her to puppy classes she just laid on her side and looked at me. Would not get up and do anything no matter what amazing food treats I had. She could learn rules easily, but would just wait until no human was around to break them. If she was asked to do something she didn't want to do she would just huff and walk away or lie down.

She was a dream on the lead but off-lead installing any recall took a huge amount of effort and totally failed if something triggered her prey drive. She could only be off-lead in a racing muzzle as she was a major danger to wildlife and cats. They can't think and run and have skin like paper so you end up at the vets quite regularly for stitches where the brakes have failed and they've crashed into things.

She could be a devil at home for stealing things. Multiple packs of butter, bacon etc went up the garden at gleeful speed.

We adored her- she was an incredible dog, but not completely the model citizen PPs are describing.

I’ve got a cockalier (cavalier x cocker spaniel) and he would be pretty good for your needs. He’s very clever, trainable and responsive yet small enough not to pull you over but still a proper dog rather than a toy breed. He’s pretty active and likes a run over the fields and likes water but he doesn’t have the stamina of some bigger breeds so is satisfied of the walk isn’t quite so long.

100% rescue greyhound. Cannot stress how amazing these dogs are. There is no universe in which I’d go through the puppy years again 😂. Our whippet is now over 15 and the thought of a puppy with the constant night time wakings - no thank you! Our next dog will be a rescue greyhound!

they just need space to do their zoomies (and what you describe sounds perfect), then they sleep! Very trainable, so loyal and the most gentle natures

the only downside is, once you have one, you’ll want more!

We have GSD mix with a collie, her recall is execellent. She does need 2 good walks a day. She also very soppy and loves a cuddle (although she does take up alot of room). It seems sometimes she is looking after us rather than us looking after her.

I've owned both a GSD and a greyhound and would highly recommend a greyhound if your mobility is limited/variable. They are very gentle, not terribly strong, and total couch potatoes. They ask very little, will fit completely into your routine, and will give you a vast amount of loyalty and love in return 😍

Oh really? I was basing it off my friends two and they’re both lazy little buggers 🤣

Hi OP
Can I add to the chorus of suggestions of a rescue Greyhound? My friends have one and she is beautiful. Very calm, excellent temperament and she’s is fine off lead, too.

As an owner of a lazy, cuddly and very stupid dog, I would say lazy, cuddly and stupid is a fantastic combination for a dog. Let’s face it, we dont need them to do an actual job, so leave the working breeds for farmers- they'll just be bored.

Get a dog who is happiest sleeping on the bed and going for a little walk.

That wouldn't suit me at all, I'd be bored silly, but that's the wonderful thing about dogs - they're as different as we are, so there's pretty much a breed for everyone.

This is such a sensible way to get a dog and one of the reasons I own a lurcher 🤣

That’s why I have Basset Hounds too. Bone idle! 😂

Ha I came on to say the same thing, an intelligent large breed combined with mobility issues is a recipe for disaster! We have a young GSP who I love the very bones of, but my word does he keep me on my toes. I’m never truly sure if I’m training him or he’s training me 😂

Back to the OP, to a degree I agree with the chorus of greyhound suggestions. The only things I would flag is that prey drive is often off the charts if they’re an ex racer so it’s tricky to instil truly reliable recall, and a lot do suffer from separation anxiety so you do need to be prepared for that in the early days and put the work in to ensure they learn to settle. They’re also expert counter surfers so you’ll need to make sure nothing edible or of value is ever left in range.

The only other thing I’d say is it’s worth being aware that they’re bred as a commodity so focus is on athletic ability on the track with little consideration for their long term health. My absolute best friend in the entire world suffered a horrific death due to osteosarcoma at 7 and when I looked into it further it turned out there were several lines within his breeding that were known for osteosarcoma. On the other hand we lost our other boy at 13 and have friends who have had 16/17yo greyhounds so it’s very much the luck of the draw, but it’s one of the reasons we wouldn’t have another.

German shepherds are high energy and very strong. Need a huge amount of exercise, stimulation and physical handling.
We have a springer spaniel and she's been a dream to train, very clever, affectionate and excellent recall. As a girl she is relatively small, only weighing 15kg.
If you're thinking smaller, a jack russell is a great breed for intelligence and character. Small dog, big personality.

Lassie. Females very easy. Highly intelligent and trainable. Will run in the field then snooze at home. Don't pull, unlike many other breeds.

They are sensitive and need to be handled gently.

Please do not let the dog off the lead especially if it doesn’t have reliable recall and you can’t shout. The dog could hurt little children or wildlife. If you are unable to walk the dog everyday and your teens refuse to walk the dog after the novelty has worn off, then what will you do?

Love this!
However, wouldn't work for me! Someone once kindly referred to my dogs as sports equipment! - we do Agility & Obedience

Ha ha. I wish mine was! All dogs are individuals but I think the general consensus is that whippets are a bit more high-energy than greyhounds.

lol maybe she suits me because I’m also lazy cuddly and a bit stupid?! Haha