Best small family dog

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Laura2408

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Hi!

My sister is looking for a dog and can't find a breed she likes so would like some ideas, she normally rescues but may get a puppy this time due to small children and cats.

We are german shepherd people and she has normally always had gsd but this time wants something more portable. I have two at the moment so any dog must be good with other dogs, not fragile enough that being stood on my one of mine will break it and also be able to walk quite far with mine.

So her criteria is:
Not yappy/howling
Not too breakable by large dogs.
Willing too go for long walks.
Quite trainable.
Small to medium sized.
Not have hundreds of health issues
Good with children (youngest is 4)

She has ruled out most terriers except Scottish due to being too headstrong.
Ideally she wants a mini Gsd but they don't exist (thankfully)
I like whippets but not sure if they break too easily??

Thanks!
 
I have known a few Cavaliers/king Charles spaniels who have been fabulous family pets, they seem to be easy going and laid back and the breed was developed to be pets rather than workers of any kind. They love exercise but don't need it and like all spaniels are eager to please.
 
Bedlington terrier, it is so not a terrier, and fantastic with children of all ages. Mine will go all day, or lounge around if you want him to. Very very easy to have around. Not headstrong. very trainable, incredibly loyal, adores people, and is a very very healthy breed if you get from a reputable breeder. Also non shedding and non smelly. His bed still smells of washing powder a couple of weeks after washing, unlike my whippet. A whippet can be a seriously robust dog. My whippet is as tough as they come.
 
Laura2408 said:
Hi!

My sister is looking for a dog and can't find a breed she likes so would like some ideas, she normally rescues but may get a puppy this time due to small children and cats.

We are german shepherd people and she has normally always had gsd but this time wants something more portable. I have two at the moment so any dog must be good with other dogs, not fragile enough that being stood on my one of mine will break it and also be able to walk quite far with mine.

So her criteria is:
Not yappy/howling
Not too breakable by large dogs.
Willing too go for long walks.
Quite trainable.
Small to medium sized.
Not have hundreds of health issues
Good with children (youngest is 4)

She has ruled out most terriers except Scottish due to being too headstrong.
Ideally she wants a mini Gsd but they don't exist (thankfully)
I like whippets but not sure if they break too easily??

Thanks!
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Whippets are great dogs but Scotties are the most stubborn of terriers. Bedlingtons are good but take a fair amount of grooming. Nearest thing to a mini GSD is probably a Norwegian Buhund but a Tervuren Bitch may be small enough to fit in?
 
Working Strain Lakeland Terrier much better natured than JRT which I dislike with a passion can be made reasonably biddable they tend not to start fights like JRT but if pushed will finish them also as you can get them in black & tan they match a GSD.
 
A Lancashire Heeler would fit the job description pretty well. When I got our first heeler it was because I wanted a dog that might then 3 year old could walk etc. The heeler fitted in perfectly with my then 4 or 5 GSDs, and they are quite similar in character. They are tough little dogs that will walk and run for ever but do need training. Daughter got her 2nd heeler 2 years ago (see Murphy88s posts) and he again has fitted in with the current 2 GSDs.
 
I have recently done this. My son is 7 and he wanted his own dog. We have a resue mongrel who is lovely with him but after lots of research (and asking questions on here) we bought him a Lancashire Heeler. We also have 2 cats & a hen who wanders around the yard so we needed a small dog who would be good with kids, cats, other dogs, horses and our little hen.
I would say that they are not the easiest dog to get, but Max was definitely worth the wait. After lots of research we got in touch with a lovely breeder in Scotland and he chose a pup from the litter which he thought would be best suited to a child. He has his pups all health tested and assesed their temperament. He sent lots of pics throughout our waiting process and tolerated lots of questions from me.
We picked Max up in April and have found him to be a friendly, intelligent, loveable little guy. My son takes him to puppy class and together they are working towards their puppy award. He is very trainable and in general is just a wonderful wee guy to have around.
My hubbies grandchildren love him. He tootles around on the lead with them or plays ball. The 4 year old and the 2 year old absolutely adore him and he has several teddys named after him. These are children who only see animals at our house and who were terrified of our big dog even though she is a gentle soul.
I think one of the benefits of having the right 'little' dog for a 'little' person is that they can walk it on the lead, groom etc even when it is a puppy.
As a general aside I have found the folk involved in this particular breed to be very helpful, knowledgable, responsible & patient. It was not a breed I had ever heard of and it was folk on this forum who first suggested the breed too me.
I could waffle on about our perfect little man for pages, if you would like any further info please feel free to PM me as I know picking a dog is a big decision when children are involved.
 
Our spaniel fits that criteria quite well. Shes a springer x cocker, working cocker size. Will go all day, good with other dogs any size. Great with children, she's let a 6mth old stroke her/pull her ears and still kept licking him to death! The friendliest dog I've ever met. Obviously energy levels are high but she's currently sat in front of me flat out, and hasn't been for a walk yet today. Very trainable, I taught her to ring a bell for a treat on Christmas day afternoon once whilst we were letting dinner digest ;) love her to bits.
 
Hairy Old Cob said:
Working Strain Lakeland Terrier much better natured than JRT which I dislike with a passion can be made reasonably biddable they tend not to start fights like JRT but if pushed will finish them also as you can get them in black & tan they match a GSD.
Click to expand...

Another huge fan of Lakeland's, or a Lakeland cross even.

We've had two Lakeland crosses, and they've been super little dogs; biddable, intelligent and incredible fun to have around, never a dull moment with them.

They are loyal, almost to a fault. Our little man lets the pussycats rub their tails up against him and we know he'd defend them to the last whisker if anyone attacked them.

Lovely little dogs!:)
 
I always recommend Cavalier King Charles Spaniels as good all round family dogs.
If you find a reputable breeder then you don't have to worry about health issues much more than any other dog.
I've got CKCS's and one is 9 and still fit as a fiddle and never had a health problem :)
Amazing little dogs
 
why don't you try a golden retriever you can get them medium size they are loving easy to train and love to go for walks also they are great with children
 
Corgis are portable, kneecapped gsd's, trainable, people loving, none squishable and not yappy.

Plus they're this cute!

563553_471654842900290_1544474248_n.jpg
 
A whippet! Mine is amazing! Never ever barks, even if someone was breaking in :D Adores all people and dogs but has a special soft spot for kids. When I babysit my sisters kids he plays with them all day, sleeps on their bed and then goes into decline when they leave! Hes cheap to keep, doesnt shed, is small enough to pick up and fit on your knee but at 21inches isnt small enough that you will trip over him! He happily plays with ALL dogs from yorkies up to Great Danes. He doesnt have an aggressive bone in his body and does work with dog aggressive dogs, hes that laid back! He is very easy to train now I understand the sight hound mentality. He genuinely has been the dog of a lifetime for me and I wont ever be without a whippety type dog again. He converts everyone he meets.

Hews also introduced me to lure racing which is brilliant fun and is just about ready to start flyball. Hes just the most versatile and amazing dog. He will happily do 5 hours hill walking on a weekend, but if I'm not up for that a 30min sprint walk keeps him happy.
 
Border Terrier! I know Terriers are dismissed but I honestly could not think of a better family dog.

My BT bitch is 3 and a half now and my daughter is only 15 weeks old, my baby LOVES the dog and watches her with a big gummy grin wherever she goes. The dog has been amazing with the baby, she sits next to us to be 'patted' (i.e baby arms and legs flying everywhere with excited squeals) and doesn't even blink. My 4 year old god daughter loves coming to my house purely so she can play with the dog, she will play or walk ALL day or happily sleep the day away without any fuss. As long as there is food at the end of the day and a ball to play with she is happy.

They are very sturdy little dogs and not easily broken!

Basically my point is.... I love my dog and everyone should have one!
 
Generally anyone ever asking for a pet for a young family I would suggest a border terrier or cavalier king Charles - or if larger breed required a golden retriever.

Sorry, but Scottish Terriers are known in grooming world as piranha. VERY headstrong. The breeds listed above are all biddable, right size and don't require a huge amount of grooming.
 
another for for a border terrier, as a general they are the most biddable of the terriers and love kids. long lived and healthy.

ckcs would be another choice for temperament but personally I would not touch them due to various health issues, the main one of which is still not being recognised as a problem by the majority of the showing/breeding bods and it is holding back testing and dogs that are from the lines that are thought to carry the problem are still being widely bred from
 
twiggy2 said:
another for for a border terrier, as a general they are the most biddable of the terriers and love kids. long lived and healthy.

ckcs would be another choice for temperament but personally I would not touch them due to various health issues, the main one of which is still not being recognised as a problem by the majority of the showing/breeding bods and it is holding back testing and dogs that are from the lines that are thought to carry the problem are still being widely bred from
Click to expand...

Interesting as whenever I meet with CKCS breeders their main concerns are health testing - however many people just breed to sell puppies and these are in the majority. It doesn't help when publicists with their own adgenda spout inaccurate statistics.
At a vets you see more of the ones with problems and don't know about the teenage ones that have rarely seen a vet.

One breed welfare I kennel for has over 50% in one region coming in from two puppy farms/puppy shops. A lot of these have a particular heath problem that is not usual in the breed but vets around here could possibly be forgiven for thinking the breed as a whole was prone to this.
 
I know a few people who breed GSDs and Border Terriers so I figure they are a good match!

Another couple we know who bred for many years (and their dogs were known for not taking prisoners!!) had a whippet as a lapdog and she held her own.

Heeler is a good suggestion or you could look at a Swedish Vallhund.
 
Thanks everyone!!!

Love the vallhund, however they are quite rare by the looks of things!!

Also love the corgi, has anyone else any info? Do they have many health issues??

I think we may have to abandon a whippet as my friends is covered in stitch up wounds and my dogs are quite rough!
Looking at the suggestions, hopefully she can decide on one!
 
Champdogs should have a list of Vallhund breeders in the UK. I'd recommend the Korzwin kennels which also breeds GSDs but I don't know if they are still breeding.
(Good quality) corgis can be hard to find, but a good one is worth waiting for!
 
Thanks CC

A bit off topic but would you guys recommend getting a dog of the opposite sex?

I have two dogs at the moment but generally speaking is a dog and a bitch a better match?
 
They can suffer with back issues but not allowing them up steep stairs etc helps prevent that. Biggest issue is obesity, good management, portion control and plenty of exercise keeps them trim.
 
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