Advice greatly appreciated

[[175563]]

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 crufts 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 and can spend as much time as I like with my new puppy, I have a medium sized house and a large fenced Garden.

• 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 or one who weighs a lot less than a Golden.

• 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 yappy 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 would like a fairly healthy breed for example I know a cavalier king Charles spaniel will suit me but they suffer with so many serious health issues that would be too heartbreaking to deal with likewise I like frenchies but could never deal with the breathing difficulties. I don't mind dealing with issue's like the back issues dachshunds have as I have read there are ways to prevent them.

• finally no staffies or bull breeds as I was bitten badly by a staffie and have never gotten over the fear even though I don't blame the dog or breed I just wouldn't be able to do that breed justice.

• I did do a few breed quizzes and I did keep getting the same breed I thought I'd get different breeds but I always only get one breed the beagle and doing some reading they do seem to suit what I'm looking for but aren't they massive barkers and Howlers?

• I'd love to rescue but I keep being turned down due to Bruno being intact don't know if breed rescues would be different I'd definitely look at rescuing before buying once I have chosen a breed.

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

 

[Annette4]

Whippet

 

[Leah3horses]

I think, unfortunately, your expectations aren't realistic. There is absolutely no guarantee of any dog, never mind breed, struggling to live with an entire male GR 4 days a week. You can't have a female puppy as obviously spaying wouldn't happen until around 6 months old and the risk of her coming into season earlier than that is too high...and the entire GR will know well in advance of any human, if that was to happen.

You can't have a male puppy because the risk of adolescent wildness resulting in aggression or fights, even if neutered young, is very high. And you don't sound knowledgeable enough to prevent any of this, so it would be quite irresponsible and is the very valid reason why good rescues don't allow it .

The entire GR may well be a saint of a dog but nature can and will change that,if he's put with another entire ,& all puppies are entire. They could grow up perfectly well together, give you a false sense of success, until new dog reaches 12 / 18 months of age...then it could all go disastrously wrong. Injuries to both or just one, GR or other one, vet bills, trauma & permanent change of temperament & the stress of having to keep them separate or re-home new one through no fault of either dog.

Unfortunately , you're not being realistic in your expectations, as the rescues have already tried to educate you on . And is probably also why you don't get any responses . The dog you describe doesn't exist.

Dogs ,of any breed, are not a monolith. You can get, or easily produce reactive or "barky" dogs from any and all breeds.

You're not knowledgeable enough to foster dogs , and it's too much of a risk to the GR and foster dogs anyway...but that's how many dog people find the dog who they help fit into their situation, and the foster dog never leaves. And if/ when foster dogs ,many of which already have issues, can't cope with a beginner trying to have an entire GR and a foster dog...that again would be disastrous.

I'm a Senior Vet professional of 36 years and unfortunately can't recommend any dog , because they all need a lot of input, awareness of behaviour and dedication to become a good companion dog, not a single one is born that way.

You seem to expect a dog, or even a puppy ,to perfectly fit into your long list of unrealistic requirements without much knowledge or input from yourself. If you can't even calmly walk a well trained Golden Retriever , something is lacking. I can walk my Great Dane & Maremma 70 & 60kg dogs, together,in my 50s...using dog gentle headcollars... it's nothing to do with brute strength.

Unfortunately,this is one of the many preventable reasons why thousands of dogs a day are being euthanised.

None of the scenarios I mention may happen, but the risks they will are far too high .

Sorry my advice is so direct. It comes from stitching up & euthanising hundreds of perfectly great dogs, whose unaware owners put them in exactly this situation.

PS Dachshund genetic back problems cannot be prevented...you can wrap them in cotton wool but if their over long, weak backs cause disc herniation or worse .. it can happen just on a gentle walk or sitting in their bed at home, unfortunately.

 

[I'm Dun]

I think, unfortunately, your expectations aren't realistic. There is absolutely no guarantee of any dog, never mind breed, struggling to live with an entire male GR 4 days a week. You can't have a female puppy as obviously spaying wouldn't happen until around 6 months old and the risk of her coming into season earlier than that is too high...and the entire GR will know well in advance of any human, if that was to happen.

You can't have a male puppy because the risk of adolescent wildness resulting in aggression or fights, even if neutered young, is very high. And you don't sound knowledgeable enough to prevent any of this, so it would be quite irresponsible and is the very valid reason why good rescues don't allow it .

The entire GR may well be a saint of a dog but nature can and will change that,if he's put with another entire ,& all puppies are entire. They could grow up perfectly well together, give you a false sense of success, until new dog reaches 12 / 18 months of age...then it could all go disastrously wrong. Injuries to both or just one, GR or other one, vet bills, trauma & permanent change of temperament & the stress of having to keep them separate or re-home new one through no fault of either dog.

Unfortunately , you're not being realistic in your expectations, as the rescues have already tried to educate you on . And is probably also why you don't get any responses . The dog you describe doesn't exist.

Dogs ,of any breed, are not a monolith. You can get, or easily produce reactive or "barky" dogs from any and all breeds.

My whippets are always left entire as males and have never had an issue. Do people generally have issues? Anyone I know with whippets has a couple in all combos of boys and girls. Lots of people have 2 bitches which was always drummed into me to avoid. I'm fairly vague on other breeds but I'm pretty sure lot and lots of people have 2 dogs together and don't end up with a blood bath. How on earth would people get more than one dog?

 

[SAujla]

Edited

 

[CinnamonChristmasCookie]

Genuinely, I think maybe your expectations are high, but you might find that you’ll compromise! There’s no reason Bruno will be an issue, but if you look after him 4 days a week and can’t hold him, how can you train a new dog with him around so much?

Re entire males, 4/6 of mine have been entire. The current two love everyone, but there have been other dogs who don’t like them, possibly because they’re entire, despite be8ng very submissive and extremely tolerant of everything/everyone.

Beagles I know are all howlers/bark loads. One, a harrier type, disappears when off lead. The owner has been known to go home to bring back a picnic to wait for him. I think they’re very keen on following scents, so may also pull/need lead training like any dog. I think a whipper sounds like a great option, not sure if you’ve looked at Italian greyhounds?

 

[Jenko109]

A whippet, to me, does seem the obvious choice.

 

[Thistle]

I think, unfortunately, your expectations aren't realistic. There is absolutely no guarantee of any dog, never mind breed, struggling to live with an entire male GR 4 days a week. You can't have a female puppy as obviously spaying wouldn't happen until around 6 months old and the risk of her coming into season earlier than that is too high...and the entire GR will know well in advance of any human, if that was to happen.

You can't have a male puppy because the risk of adolescent wildness resulting in aggression or fights, even if neutered young, is very high. And you don't sound knowledgeable enough to prevent any of this, so it would be quite irresponsible and is the very valid reason why good rescues don't allow it .

The entire GR may well be a saint of a dog but nature can and will change that,if he's put with another entire ,& all puppies are entire. They could grow up perfectly well together, give you a false sense of success, until new dog reaches 12 / 18 months of age...then it could all go disastrously wrong. Injuries to both or just one, GR or other one, vet bills, trauma & permanent change of temperament & the stress of having to keep them separate or re-home new one through no fault of either dog.

Unfortunately , you're not being realistic in your expectations, as the rescues have already tried to educate you on . And is probably also why you don't get any responses . The dog you describe doesn't exist.

Dogs ,of any breed, are not a monolith. You can get, or easily produce reactive or "barky" dogs from any and all breeds.

You're not knowledgeable enough to foster dogs , and it's too much of a risk to the GR and foster dogs anyway...but that's how many dog people find the dog who they help fit into their situation, and the foster dog never leaves. And if/ when foster dogs ,many of which already have issues, can't cope with a beginner trying to have an entire GR and a foster dog...that again would be disastrous.

I'm a Senior Vet professional of 36 years and unfortunately can't recommend any dog , because they all need a lot of input, awareness of behaviour and dedication to become a good companion dog, not a single one is born that way.

You seem to expect a dog, or even a puppy ,to perfectly fit into your long list of unrealistic requirements without much knowledge or input from yourself. If you can't even calmly walk a well trained Golden Retriever , something is lacking. I can walk my Great Dane & Maremma 70 & 60kg dogs, together,in my 50s...using dog gentle headcollars... it's nothing to do with brute strength.

Unfortunately,this is one of the many preventable reasons why thousands of dogs a day are being euthanised.

None of the scenarios I mention may happen, but the risks they will are far too high .

Sorry my advice is so direct. It comes from stitching up & euthanising hundreds of perfectly great dogs, whose unaware owners put them in exactly this situation.

PS Dachshund genetic back problems cannot be prevented...you can wrap them in cotton wool but if their over long, weak backs cause disc herniation or worse .. it can happen just on a gentle walk or sitting in their bed at home, unfortunately.

Well said!

 

[Exasperated]

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 crufts 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 and can spend as much time as I like with my new puppy, I have a medium sized house and a large fenced Garden.

• 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 or one who weighs a lot less than a Golden.

• 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 yappy 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 would like a fairly healthy breed for example I know a cavalier king Charles spaniel will suit me but they suffer with so many serious health issues that would be too heartbreaking to deal with likewise I like frenchies but could never deal with the breathing difficulties. I don't mind dealing with issue's like the back issues dachshunds have as I have read there are ways to prevent them.

• finally no staffies or bull breeds as I was bitten badly by a staffie and have never gotten over the fear even though I don't blame the dog or breed I just wouldn't be able to do that breed justice.

• I did do a few breed quizzes and I did keep getting the same breed I thought I'd get different breeds but I always only get one breed the beagle and doing some reading they do seem to suit what I'm looking for but aren't they massive barkers and Howlers?

• I'd love to rescue but I keep being turned down due to Bruno being intact don't know if breed rescues would be different I'd definitely look at rescuing before buying once I have chosen a breed.

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

Do you know, I think you’d be much happier and better suited with a really nice cat, that you could shut upstairs when Bruno comes to play.

 

[cbmcts]

To me, it sounds like you know what you don't want but have no idea what you need to do to get what you do want.

My advice to you is to get your hands on as many dogs as possible and improve your handling skills too. A GR should not be able to tow you along!

The easiest way to do this is to volunteer for a local all breed dog rescue where you can meet many dogs, have support to improve your skills and start to get a better idea of what you can cope with and would suit your set up. I'd also, in the meantime sign yourself and Bruno up to dog training of some description...you'd both enjoy it and again, improve your handling. It would also be an opportunity to highlight any issues that may arise when you try and introduce a new dog.

After some work by you, if I was trying to match you to a dog, based only on what you have said here, I'd be looking at an older terrier type, potentially staff (only because numerically they are more available) spayed bitch who is pretty bombproof and would do an excellent job of training you and Bruno in how a dog should be treated - as queen of the world Alternatively a greyhound maybe? However, the compromises involved would be potentially some barking and likely higher vet bills. In saying that, if you were to go and buy a pup, you are unlikely to be able to access the best breeders in your circumstances so could easily end up with the behavioural and health mess that is a puppy farmed pup along with the guilt involved in supporting that industry.

 

[Equi]

Are entire dogs the new stallions? I’ve never treated any entire dog differently than I do any other dog..I.e base my actions on their behaviour. Lately all I see is people saying that an entire dog can’t do this, can’t do that, can’t be with any other dogs…

 

[cbmcts]

My whippets are always left entire as males and have never had an issue. Do people generally have issues? Anyone I know with whippets has a couple in all combos of boys and girls. Lots of people have 2 bitches which was always drummed into me to avoid. I'm fairly vague on other breeds but I'm pretty sure lot and lots of people have 2 dogs together and don't end up with a blood bath. How on earth would people get more than one dog?

Most of the time, with nearly all breeds if you introduce a pup, it's pretty easy to add dogs of either sex to existing dogs. There is always a risk, especially if they are same sex and similar age, that as they approach maturity that there will be a hierarchy battle but an experienced owner who is on the ball will manage that before major issues are caused. Once battle has commenced, especially with bitches it can be very difficult to manage without keeping them seperate permanently which most households would find next to impossible. The 'gamer' breeds - terriers, guarding, molassers - tend to be more prone to same sex aggression anyway. Hounds and softer types usually are more tolerant. I've had 4 bitches, all different ages, 3 spayed, one entire and an entire dog (youngest) all at once with minimal issues. They were JRTs and Rotts.

The other thing to consider if you mix sexes, even with a new pup is how you are going to manage seasons etc even if you are planning to neuter as the advice now is wait until adult before neutering - for a bitch that is potentially 3 seasons and a dog until they are 2ish.

 

[cbmcts]

Are entire dogs the new stallions? I’ve never treated any entire dog differently than I do any other dog..I.e base my actions on their behaviour. Lately all I see is people saying that an entire dog can’t do this, can’t do that, can’t be with any other dogs…

No and my males stay entire until their behaviour says that they need to visit the vet. However, even if they do need to be neutered, it won't be done before they are 2 at the earliest. I do get all bitches spayed as I have no intention of breeding, don't think any of us benefit from seasons and the risk of pyo and mammary tumours but again not until 2 years old at least.

Easily managed at my house but not always easy to manage elsewhere as people don't care or often don't realise that their bitch is in season so go out and about as normal which can be a challenge for the owner of an entire dog. No matter how good your training, like many males of all species, they can lose their minds a little when there's a chance of a leg over...

 

[Boulty]

I think a whippet could be a nice choice for you. You do get some fairly wired ones but also some nice, chill ones that like a good snoozing session cuddled up under a blanket. All the ones I’ve known have tended to be up for fairly decent walks when offered (as long as you purchase them a suitable wardrobe of fleeces & waterproofs for bad weather).

Re getting on with another entire male I’d think the biggest factor in this would be how you introduce & manage them (all interactions will need to be supervised for quite a while with you potentially ready to intervene if needed) if you involve a good trainer from the start there’s no reason to think they can’t give you the tools to make this a success. (As for getting a bitch and seasons there are ways to manage this in the short term. It absolutely would make things a PITA when it happens & you’d need to be careful but if a small / medium breed as you seem to want it’s not something you’d necessarily need to go through a great number of times)

Other random breeds that may be worth looking into as to suitability could be miniature schnauzer, bichon frieze (I believe someone on here had a really active one?), cocker or springer spaniel (non working lines), border terrier. Not saying all of these definitely WOULD be suitable, just throwing dogs of the vaguely right size that I don’t think massively satisfy any of your don’t wants.

Would avoid anything with a flat face & lots of skin folds if you’re wanting to avoid the risk of airway issues (& a million skin infections). Would also avoid daschunds unless you are prepared for the very real risk (& expense) of multiple spinal surgeries during their lifetime.

(Apologies for any breed names I’ve misspelled… battling with autocorrect today!)

If you’re still unsure I think the suggestion of seeing if you could volunteer at a local rescue kennels even if only once a week or something to get experience of a range of breeds is a good one