Dog breed advice

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Klement

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Hi there,
Apologies that my first post is asking for advice, and is a bit long! We want to get a pup this summer - we already have a 10 yr old wheaten terrier and a 10 yr old daughter. The dog will be nominally my daughter's, obviously with a lot of support and supervision. So, our key requirements are:
Size - small to medium, so can be walked on the lead by a 10 yr old.
Character - calm, easy to train, good with people and other animals, reasonably confident. (We are very aware of how much of this is down to socialisation and training, but want to give ourselves the best possible chance of a well behaved dog).

Our wheatie is non-shedding, but needs reasonable grooming. Would be happy with a lowish shedding dog, or something that needed a bit of care and attention coat-wise.

Although we both work (me full time, him part), the dog will be very rarely left, as the mother-in-law lives next door and will be happy to dog-sit whenever needed. She is an experienced dog owner, although dogless at the moment.

At the moment we're looking at a miniature poodle, a lowchen or a podengo. Does anyone have any other ideas or advice?
Thanks in advance,
Klemmie
 
whippet! Mine is all of those things, and exceptionally sunny natured and loving. He adores everyone and everything he meets, and would dearly love me to adopt him a child of his very own :lol: If he sheds I dont notice it, he has a very, very short, smooth coat.

Mines working bred and got passed around a bit, and consequently was a bit of a nightmare as a puppy, but a nicely bred one and raised one wouldnt be
 
In my experience Podengos can be VERY noisy. How about going to crufts in march and seeing all the breeds on discover dogs. You get to chat with experienced people who know their breeds inside out and will be able to advise if they are suitable. You will also be ale to get up close and personal with the dogs.
 
Working sealyhams are gorgeous, but IMO too full on for a child owener, and terriers are not very trainable. I think poodle, I love poodles, they seem intelligent, fun, trainable and happy.
 
I was thinking about this,if it is to be a pet for the 10 year old then I'd suggest the poodle,bichon ,Japanese chin,shitztsu...even a papillon if she can source one.
My mini schnauzer would be too feisty for a child to handle .


Amy may,daisy looks like she's eaten the child! LoL
 
I told OH to get a bone, not the hind leg off a donkey!!

Op, she's a great little dog. Wonderful nature and always game for a walk. We do a good couple of miles a day.
 
Thanks everyone! I didn't realise that Crufts was so soon - think we'll definitely try and get down there.
We have friends with a whippet, who is absolutely delightful, but my daughter finds her a bit speedy. Another wheatie would be a bit big for her if he pulled, and ours is definitely a terrier with a mind of his own...
We hadn't thought about Sealyhams - they look delightful. A poodle is definitely a top contender at the moment, and there's a lowchen breeder nearby, so we're going to go along and meet them.
Thanks again for all the advice - off to do a bit more research!
Klemmie
 
have a look at the bedlingtons :) Flodden is non shedding, medium size, easy to train, calm and sane. He adores children, loves cuddles and is a pleasure to have around. If you put Flodden in the forum search you will see photos of him over time :)
 
Bosworth said:
have a look at the bedlingtons :) Flodden is non shedding, medium size, easy to train, calm and sane. He adores children, loves cuddles and is a pleasure to have around. If you put Flodden in the forum search you will see photos of him over time :)
Click to expand...

I love beddies but they are not generally known for being easy to train, OP what breed out of the ones you mentioned would your daughter choose-personally I would go for a small pup from rescue, there are so many out there.
 
A cavelier king charles.nice, small dogs keeping them clipped means sheddings pretty low.I have never met a nasty one(I'm a vet so thats saying something!)getfrom a good breeder to avoid the health issues-heart and springiomyelenia(apologies cannot look up spelling in this phone) being the biggest issues i would worry about in the breed and both can be monitored for within breeding lines.

Bichons can be sweet when they are treated like the capable little dogs they are. Poodles same, smart capable little dogs...when treated like dogs not toys :)

Tibetan spainels are another less common breeds that ive found an absolute pleasure to deal with but would need some coat care. Shih tzus as well can be lovely.
Papiliions are great little dogs but can be a little delicate in a lively house.
 
How about a shih tzu? I know a few people with them and they're patient calm little dogs and would be great for a little girl.
I wouldn't go down the terrier route personally - I have a Patterdale and she is hard to train and by their nature can be snappy. She's a big dog in a small body and not suitable for a child. I love terriers, but I don't think they're suitable for children on the whole.
 
In my personal and professional opinion, you can't beat a cavalier king Charles spaniel as a dog for a child. They are low maintenance, laid back and love fuss and attention without having the demands of a high maintenance coat (like a poodle or bichon). They don't moult excessively.

However, as with all breeds it's best to get one from a reputable breeder who does all the relevant health checks as they can have health issues. But they are a delightful breed and rarely have "behavioural" issues.
 
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