Dilemma: what breed of pup do I look for??

AnShanDan

AnShanDan

Well-Known Member
Joined
2 May 2007
Messages
1,770
Visit site
Our lovely springer spaniel died a few weeks ago. He was the perfect dog for us in many (most!) ways. He was full of energy, very friendly and loved other dogs, barked when anyone arrived at the farm, and best of all, he never thought of wandering.

Previously, we have owned a LabxIrish Setter, who was fantastic too, but he strayed all the time, no good for us on the farm. Then a Golden Retriever, she was great too, hated some other dogs tho', and was terrified of fire works/guns, so ran away when she heard them.

So, what we need is a dog which:

won't wander
isn't gun shy (not sure if this is a breed trait or not)
barks at strangers but won't bite them ;)
springer or lab sized but preferably with a manageable coat

I'd be very happy with a cross of some kind.

Any thoughts??
 
I think you've answered your own question OP :) You need something Springer or Lab sized that will bark, be a happy farm dog and hopefully cope well with guns etc - you need a Springer or a Lab then, I'd say! Choose your breeder well and you should get the raw material you need - moulding it to the dog you want will be down to you after that. :)
 
Look at a flatcoated retriever. Still bred as a duel purpose gundog so brains and beauty. Loyal, biddable, goofy, will bark at strangers but then lick them to death!! Where in the country are you? I would suggest meeting some different breeds to see if they suit.
 
Ive got a Spanish Mastiff (Mastine Espanol) bigger than you want (not even sure if there are many in the UK) but fab guard dog, (bred to guard sheep) she will have a good bark, but is really friendly, only wandered twice from the farm as a pup, but I could leave her outside from dawn till dusk and would still be outside, mine hears lots of gunshot, thunder, fireworks, as is not scared at all, dont need much exercise and dont eat a lot for a big dog, gets on with other dogs, cats and the chickens (when I had some)

pic of her (me ) and Foxy r.i.p

dogs1.jpg
 
AnShanDan said:
Our lovely springer spaniel died a few weeks ago. He was the perfect dog for us in many (most!) ways. He was full of energy, very friendly and loved other dogs, barked when anyone arrived at the farm, and best of all, he never thought of wandering.

Previously, we have owned a LabxIrish Setter, who was fantastic too, but he strayed all the time, no good for us on the farm. Then a Golden Retriever, she was great too, hated some other dogs tho', and was terrified of fire works/guns, so ran away when she heard them.

So, what we need is a dog which:

won't wander
isn't gun shy (not sure if this is a breed trait or not)
barks at strangers but won't bite them ;)
springer or lab sized but preferably with a manageable coat

I'd be very happy with a cross of some kind.

Any thoughts??
Click to expand...

a050.gif


Finnish Lapphund?

4383468730_eb8ae7452d_m.jpg

4355767011_984bf1d9a5_m.jpg


Mine happens to be black with light markings, but here's a photo I found through Google image search, showing that they come in other colours too:

aboutthebreedpic01.jpg


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finnish_Lapphund


Or perhaps an Eurasier? (Photo found through Google image search)

IMG_0103-eurasier.jpg


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurasier


I'm not sure about Eurasier, but an adult Finnish Lapphund with a correct coat, does not need regular grooming, they shed twice a year and then you need to groom them, but between that, I sometimes forget where I keep their brush and comb. A Finnish Lapphund's coat is also quite water proof, and if they do get wet, they don't smell much wet dog.

In general, I think that almost any dog could turn out to be a wanderer or gun shy. Even though the breed's traits, good breeding and/or training, can make it less likely to occur.


But if you want to keep to dogs from FCI group 8, maybe have a look at Kooikerhondje http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kooikerhondje or Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nova_Scotia_Duck_Tolling_Retriever.
 
Sprig said:
A lab sounds like it should fit the bill or how about a flat coat retriever?
Click to expand...
Yes, I know a flat coat and she is beautiful. She does love extra large sticks a bit too much, but maybe that's just her?

Spudlet said:
I think you've answered your own question OP :) You need something Springer or Lab sized that will bark, be a happy farm dog and hopefully cope well with guns etc - you need a Springer or a Lab then, I'd say! Choose your breeder well and you should get the raw material you need - moulding it to the dog you want will be down to you after that. :)
Click to expand...
I can't help think about our old springer, he was a dog in a million, so you are probably right!

satinbaze said:
Look at a flatcoated retriever. Still bred as a duel purpose gundog so brains and beauty. Loyal, biddable, goofy, will bark at strangers but then lick them to death!! Where in the country are you? I would suggest meeting some different breeds to see if they suit.
Click to expand...
Another vote for flatcoat, like I said I do know one and they are def. on my list.

freckles22uk said:
Ive got a Spanish Mastiff (Mastine Espanol) bigger than you want (not even sure if there are many in the UK) but fab guard dog, (bred to guard sheep) she will have a good bark, but is really friendly, only wandered twice from the farm as a pup, but I could leave her outside from dawn till dusk and would still be outside, mine hears lots of gunshot, thunder, fireworks, as is not scared at all, dont need much exercise and dont eat a lot for a big dog, gets on with other dogs, cats and the chickens (when I had some)

/IMG]
Click to expand...
She sounds perfect too!

FinnishLapphund said:
a050.gif


Finnish Lapphund?

4383468730_eb8ae7452d_m.jpg

4355767011_984bf1d9a5_m.jpg


Mine happens to be black with light markings, but here's a photo I found through Google image search, showing that they come in other colours too:

aboutthebreedpic01.jpg


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finnish_Lapphund


Or perhaps an Eurasier? (Photo found through Google image search)

IMG_0103-eurasier.jpg


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurasier


I'm not sure about Eurasier, but an adult Finnish Lapphund with a correct coat, does not need regular grooming, they shed twice a year and then you need to groom them, but between that, I sometimes forget where I keep their brush and comb. A Finnish Lapphund's coat is also quite water proof, and if they do get wet, they don't smell much wet dog.

In general, I think that almost any dog could turn out to be a wanderer or gun shy. Even though the breed's traits, good breeding and/or training, can make it less likely to occur.


But if you want to keep to dogs from FCI group 8, maybe have a look at Kooikerhondje http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kooikerhondje or Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nova_Scotia_Duck_Tolling_Retriever.
Click to expand...
More food for thought, thank you. They do look quite hairy tho' ;) Not that I mind a dog with a coat, but we used to end up clipping the springer in the summer, and he hated it. No amount of brushing made any real difference!

Too much choice probably!!
 
Flat coat retrievers are fabulous but be warned there is a huge cancer problem in the breed - this is from someone who has had four over a 30 year period but each one had a shorter life span than its predecessor. The last one did not reach 6 years old and both my own vet and the specialist vet pleaded with me to not have another. I have now lasted 21 months without a flat coat - sad but so is losing them so young and the breed do need to look at the situation.

I also live on a small farm and in a rural area and the roaming is a problem. Possibly the bitches stay around more than the dogs? However there are exeptions to every rule! I currently have 2 great danes who are hunting shooting mad and a rescue terrier type who is happy here at home so how do you know before you have them?
 
sport horse said:
Flat coat retrievers are fabulous but be warned there is a huge cancer problem in the breed - this is from someone who has had four over a 30 year period but each one had a shorter life span than its predecessor. The last one did not reach 6 years old and both my own vet and the specialist vet pleaded with me to not have another. I have now lasted 21 months without a flat coat - sad but so is losing them so young and the breed do need to look at the situation.


Cancer is a problem in many breeds such as boxers and goldens. In flatcoats we are funding research in the genetics of cancer via the AHT. Mine have a reached double figures my old lady being 11 3/4 years old
Click to expand...
 
Sport horse I was just about to echo what you said. Beautiful dogs, perfect in EVERY WAY apart from the cancer which is very inbred into them. You don't think it'll happen to your dog until it does. Our angel of a flat coat (big, handsome, super friendly, brilliant with dogs and kids, could take him up to watch fireworks and he wouldn't blink etc etc) unfortunately was diagnosed with splenic cancer in September 2011 and died a month later, he was only 6. Will never get another one after this, maybe it's narrow minded but I don't want to buy into such a narrow breed pool.
 
Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever- they are just fabulous fabulous dogs. Kind, generous, not too big, lovely feathery coat, energetic but not crazy. My friend has several and they are lovely. I would have had one of her puppies, but I was looking for a smaller lapdog.
 
Don't shop, ADOPT 😉

Go to your local pound and save a dog from death row or if you can't do that go to a rescue, let the breed find you, I'm sure you will find a lovely needy dog just waiting patently for you to come along.....
 
AnShanDan said:
...

More food for thought, thank you. They do look quite hairy tho' ;) Not that I mind a dog with a coat, but we used to end up clipping the springer in the summer, and he hated it. No amount of brushing made any real difference!

Too much choice probably!!
Click to expand...

The adults have a double coat, which insulates quite well against both cold and warmth. I don't usually take them out for walks in the middle of the day on a hot summer day, but they obviously haven't read the warnings about the risk for heat stroke, because some days if the door is open, it happens that they goes out in the garden and plays for a while, or chooses to lay down in the sun, instead of the shade. But other days, they prefer to rest during the warmest hours.
a015.gif


The first time I saw a Finnish Lapphund, half of me thought 'I want one!', and the other half thought 'Argh! The grooming they must need, I can never have one'. I've had 1 Persian cat, I learned then that regular grooming every week, all the year around, really isn't my favourite melody. But eventually I decided to find out if they really needed as much grooming as it looked. They don't, and I now have 3 Finnish Lapphunds...

4355769451_70a6be3f10_m.jpg
 
Why not try breed rescue? A friend was looking for a springer or springer x and wanted a bitch. The breed rescues seem to have an awful lot of young male springers in right now.
 
Thanks everyone, I am giving all your suggestions thoughts!

Both our last dogs were sort of rescued by us, in that their owners didn't want them for different reasons, and they weren't puppies. But I did know the breeds.

Going to keep thinking about it :)
 
Daytona said:
Don't shop, ADOPT ��

Go to your local pound and save a dog from death row or if you can't do that go to a rescue, let the breed find you, I'm sure you will find a lovely needy dog just waiting patently for you to come along.....
Click to expand...

I absolutely agree.
 
sport horse said:
Flat coat retrievers are fabulous but be warned there is a huge cancer problem in the breed - this is from someone who has had four over a 30 year period but each one had a shorter life span than its predecessor. The last one did not reach 6 years old and both my own vet and the specialist vet pleaded with me to not have another. I have now lasted 21 months without a flat coat - sad but so is losing them so young and the breed do need to look at the situation.
Click to expand...
Yes, looked into flat coats a while ago as a friend wanted one but they just have such a devastatingly short life span, so much so there is a group for people celebrating dogs getting into double digits.

Personal bias dictates I suggest a Border Terrier, although mine will be more likely to lick any visitors to death he doesn't wonder far though and I could trust him on a farm on his own. Mine gets clipped out every few weeks as we don't have time to get him hand stripped.

Do you have a local countrywide or something you can have a look at adverts? Always a good place to look for farm type dogs
 
border collie x springer spaniel? Mine is a real home body, loves his walks, will bark at strangers etc haven't brought him up with the sounds of guns/fireworks so he's not that great with them

springer x cocker?

clumber spaniel?
 
Updating this story for everyone who kindly gave their opinions!

This is Louis, he is a 6 month old springer who needed a new home (rescue sounds too dramatic!!) so, we have a new dog :)

IMG_0697.jpg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top