Advice on Breeds Again!

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Parkranger

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Hi guys,

I've shortlisted some breeds of dog for when I start looking next year.

I'd love a JRT but can't do 3 hours of walking a day! I also ideally would love a French Bulldog but cannot justify £1500 for one.

So my list is as follows:

Cocker Spaniel
Cavalier king charles spaniel
Minature bull terrier
Minature Schnauzer
Whippet

I work from home 3/4 days a week. If I'm away the dog will go to a dog walker for the day (with other dogs rather than stay at home all day).

I live on my own so I ideally need a dog that if I was ill for a day wouldn't climb the walls if it just went out on the garden. I only mention this as I had flu last christmas and poor Jack was climbing the walls after a day with no exercise but I couldn't physically go out of the house! This is obviously not something that would happen that often and now I'm back in Hampshire it's likely my mum would help out. I'm just trying to take all eventualies into consideration!

The house I'm buying is large with a medium size secure garden. There's a nice park behind the house so the dog will get a good hours run throughout the day.

So, which breed, out the above, would you go for?

Prefer a short coated dog but happy to pay for a spaniel to be kept clipt out.

PS , it's likely I'll get a cat at some point and my mum has mentioned that mini bullies aren't good with cats!
 
It is difficult as the breeds on your shortlist are completely different in terms of temperament etc
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I think that if you like the JRT temperament then CKCS and whippets are not for you... I would tend to go for the Cocker
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try to get one from canine defence league or similar charities! you might end up with one not on the list but most are lovely dogs in need of good homes.
 
My sister has 2 mini schnauzers. They like their exercise but aren't climbing the walls if she is ill etc.
They don't moult though so need to be clipped (or stripped, but personal preference is clipping)
Don't have to have the proper showing trim, Ollie and Ben have whats known as a puppy cut which is very cute!)
Go for a pedigree though, sis got ben from a 'breeder' and they had 'forgot to register the pups'. Don't know why she got him, he was tiny and has been very poorly. Further investigation shows it is most likely a puppy farm
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Then again my next dog will be a cocker spaniel
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Absolutely love them as dogs but schnauz may be better for your situation.

Hope it helps
Elle
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I would avoid mini bull terriers. They were on my shortlist at the time I got Stella, and I was in contact with a reputable breeder who said that, despite extensive socialisation, they can still be feisty with other dogs (they're more "terrier-like" than their larger counterparts) and they need masses of exercise.

Out of those, I think a CKCS is the obvious choice.
 
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I think that if you like the JRT temperament then CKCS and whippets are not for you... I would tend to go for the Cocker
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But then if you need a dog that is happy to sit in the house and not be walked for a day, maybe a Cocker isn't the way forwards!!
 
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I think that if you like the JRT temperament then CKCS and whippets are not for you... I would tend to go for the Cocker
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But then if you need a dog that is happy to sit in the house and not be walked for a day, maybe a Cocker isn't the way forwards!!

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Agree with that, Henry has been driving me nutty because he wasn't getting enough exercise recently
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They're lovely little dogs, but you don't get much let up from the exercise regime!
 
Schnauzer.
Merlins_Quest has a pair and they are dead cool little dogs.
Like walks but equally happy to just chase a ball around the garden for half an hour.
Personally I just love the eyebrows on them!
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Cocker Spaniel, I would obviously say that those of show type needs less activation than those of field type but I would still say that they do need it on a daily basis.

Most CKCS's I've met have been very charming but as Splotchy, I wouldn't describe them as feisty.

Haven't met any Miniature Bull terriers in real life, only the regular size but I've heard the same about Miniature BT's as Prose have.

Miniature Schnauzer = miniature working dog, the ones I've known believed they could do anything a GSD or Giant Schnauzer could do. Those I knew wouldn't climb the walls by being in-active for a few days but they all trained and competed in obedience or similar, on the more active days.

I have only met a few Whippets and they haven't minded getting a few pats but they've still sort of only shown a brief interest in meeting a stranger. But based on breed descriptions, I would say that they have a much softer temperament than terriers.


So my only advice is that you try and meet as many adult dogs of the different breeds you're interested in, as you can.

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Thanks all!! Wow there's loads to consider here and I think I need to get out and meet as many dogs as I can.

I don't want to rescue as I want to make sure i know what I'm buying.......

I still really want a french bulldog but just don't know if I can justify all that money! They do however seem perfect for my lifestyle and have a cheeky temperament of the JRT but be more trainable.
 
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Thanks all!! Wow there's loads to consider here and I think I need to get out and meet as many dogs as I can.

I don't want to rescue as I want to make sure i know what I'm buying.......

I still really want a french bulldog but just don't know if I can justify all that money! They do however seem perfect for my lifestyle and have a cheeky temperament of the JRT but be more trainable.

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If you're not going to rescue, then I would go ahead and get the Frenchie pup. Yes, it's an initital outlay and you might have to save a while longer, but you're going to be spending $$$ on a pup anyway, and it's more important that you get the right breed for your lifestyle.

Having met literally hundreds of Frenchies at the NY dog parks, I will say that they can be a bit stubborn, but they are an easy breed for a novice dog owner.
 
That's what I'm thinking - may have to wait until Spring/Summer but atleast I'll have the right dog for me.

I think I'm capable of training a dog - Jack was a quite boundryless when I got him but after 6 months had a 85% recall (!) had been going to training classes and was so much better socailised. I'd still have him now if I had moved home back to hampshire earlier as I would have been at home more....he needed somewhere that he would be out all day running around and I just know I cannot give a dog that.

I just want to make the right decision this time as I can't bear the thought of having to rehome again just because I rushed into a decision.
 
Most breeds have a breed specific rescue, if you really fancy a frenchie it might be worth contacting the breed clubs and see if there is anything available for rehoming.
 
What makes you think Jacks need 3 hours of walking a day? My terriers all live in kennels and go out when I say. If you had a tougher kennelled dog it would be easy when you want to do other things.
 
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