hmmm...so what sort of dog would suit?

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bex1984

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Following my earlier post, I'm wondering if you knowledgeable people could suggest an ideal breed of puppy for me?

As mentioned in the post below, OH is very keen on having a collie, but I've been reading around and as we both work full time I'm not sure it's the right dog for us.

We're not bothered about it being pedigree, happy with a mongrel or a cross breed.

It must be chilled out with cats and kids, intelligent, trainable, and up for chasing a ball around and playing fetch!

We have quite a small house, so it needs to be small to medium size. OH 'doesn't do spaniels' but might consider a cross, and neither of us are very keen on terriers.

Any suggestions?? Thank you, and I promise I will try not to clutter up the dog forum with too many annoying questions
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Riiiiiight...................

erm............. some lab bitches are small??

For what you want, it sounds like a mongrel might be your best bet.
However to achieve the personality or at least tolerabilities that you want might be best to get a puppy or at least a young dog you can teach from scratch!
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yes, defo want a puppy - it needs to learn to deal with my cats from a young age.

Not sure labs go small enough really??

I agree a mongrel might be best, or a cross of some sort, but a cross of what?
 
cross of something like a cocker spaniel and something would churn out the right size (unless x'd with a GSD or something
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you can get some diddy diddy little labs, but obv cant tell from puppyhood!
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or what about a staffie cross?? staffies are great little dogs!!! or a whippet x? one of our lecturers actually has a staffie x whippet which is a beautiful dog! sort of like a chunky whippet! its great!
 
I've never been a big staffie fan, but my friend has one and he has almost converted me, he's lovely. I like the idea of a chunky whippet.
OH doesn't like labs (are you getting the picture that he is seriously fussy!!?) but I thought maybe a lab cross something?
 
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I'd pop along to your local rescue centre and see who grabs your attention
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a good rescue will have already screened for compatability with cats, livestock and other dogs.

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I know this sounds very judgmental, but I sort of get the impression that all rescue dogs come with some sort of 'issues'?!
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I have rescue cats but really wanted to get a puppy to train from scratch
 
Nope, they can be rescue for all sorts of reason, bereavment, abandonment through no fault of their own, people getting dogs and not knowing how to look after them or not treating them properly, ie not exercising or engaging them enough and then wondering why they are hyper etc.
Ask Cayla, she's seen it all! And she probably has some in there, she has posted pics below so you can get an idea.

If you are specifically looking for a cross I would go to a rescue rather than fuelling the trade in deliberate crossbreeding, where often a lot of the animals haven't been subject to relevant health checks (labs can suffer from hip and elbow dysplasia, for example).
 
some rescues will just have abandoned or "unwanted" puppies dropped off, or a pregnant bitch left........ so it may be a good idea for exactly what you want.

Ye your OH's very picky!
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but at least you will get the dog you want.

The staff whippet X is very good!
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lab x would also be good but should cross with somehting small to get the right size..........

It may depend on what is available at the time at which you want one....... never know might find a random combo you never thought of!
 
Will rescue centres rehome a dog, especially a puppy, to a household where both parties work full time?

How can you other half not like Spaniels. I'm sulking!
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I really do want a puppy rather than an adult dog
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But I did used to help out at a rescue centre as a teenager and they always had puppies in so maybe I'll do a ring-round.

If I did buy a cross breed, are there better ways/places to buy one (if that makes sense?!). If they have pedigree parents for example, and both can be seen? Where should I look?
 
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Will rescue centres rehome a dog, especially a puppy, to a household where both parties work full time?

How can you other half not like Spaniels. I'm sulking!
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from what I've seen on websites, they're all looking for homes where people are in all/most of the day, but maybe if it wa s a puppy it might be different

I know, I know, I love spaniels! We spent the weekend with a lovely 11 week old springer spaniel, he was so much fun
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Maybe reconsider the smaller dog issue. Smaller breeds tend to (I said 'tend' please don't jump down my throat with examples of chilled out little dogs!) be quite highly strung and yappy. Larger breeds are usually calmer characters and might suit a busy environment better. My vote would be for a lab or goldie. A collie will need serious stimulation, as might a spaniel typical of the working background of the breed.
 
As Patches pointed out, there are reasons why rescue centres are reluctant to rehome puppies to a home where both adults are out working full time. If you get a puppy - who is going to look after it during the day? Sorry, don't mean to be a spoil sport.
 
This is what I thought. Working full time and crating during the day and overnight (having read your other post) means your puppy is going to spend the majority of it's day in a crate, with very little social stimulation, whilst crated, and house training will be somewhat lacking during those periods.

I think the lifestyle you're offering would better suit a more mature dog, if I'm honest. I can't imagine our puppy, when he's 8 weeks old, spending most of it's day alone. I'd worry it would lead to behavioural issues due to boredom and confinement.
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My friend rehomed a fabulous collie cross from the local rescue centre. She's an amazing dog and truly beautiful. She wasn't old...only 18 months. We all love puppies, but they're not puppies for long.
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Rescues have puppies in all the time.

I trained my dog from scratch at 12 month old
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If buying a puppy, make sure the puppies can be seen with the mother, don't accept one or two pups being brought out to see you.
Should be clean, well filled out with clear eyes. Cute as it may seem, don't take anything cowering at the back - you are letting youself in for problems later in, pick one that walks right on over and checks you out!

Personal opinion, I shy away from places who stud the same male to the same females on the same premises all the time, smacks of puppy farming.
Do not accept 'will deliver'.
 
I am starting to worry about having our Harvey. So much talk about how destructive Spaniels are.

Did I just buy a good one in Jasper? He never chewed anything....EVER!
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Nope, Otto isn't destructive in the slightest, he only ever chews his chew toys, and none of my Parent's Spaniels are destructive.
However if they don't get enough exercise and mental stimulation then they will be, but that is true of any breed! Spaniels/Labs/Any Working breed just tends to require more stimulation than the average dog
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This is what I thought. Working full time and crating during the day and overnight (having read your other post) means your puppy is going to spend the majority of it's day in a crate, with very little social stimulation, whilst crated, and house training will be somewhat lacking during those periods.

I think the lifestyle you're offering would better suit a more mature dog, if I'm honest. I can't imagine our puppy, when he's 8 weeks old, spending most of it's day alone. I'd worry it would lead to behavioural issues due to boredom and confinement.
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But surely many, many people work full time and have dogs?! I know loads of people who do, and quite a few of them don't come home for a bit at lunchtime, which we would be doing, and none of their dogs have behavioural issues...

We would take time off work for the first few weeks and build up its alone time gradually.
 
All dogs are different - when we got our current two I had to listen to my mother for months wailing 'why can't they be like Nancy???????' - perfect dogs DO come along every so often, but not all the time.

My two aren't perfect and have their loony side but if you put the work in, you get a good dog out and I love mine to pieces, it can involve hard work but it gets you there in the end
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Rescues have puppies in all the time.

I trained my dog from scratch at 12 month old
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If buying a puppy, make sure the puppies can be seen with the mother, don't accept one or two pups being brought out to see you.
Should be clean, well filled out with clear eyes. Cute as it may seem, don't take anything cowering at the back - you are letting youself in for problems later in, pick one that walks right on over and checks you out!

Personal opinion, I shy away from places who stud the same male to the same females on the same premises all the time, smacks of puppy farming.
Do not accept 'will deliver'.

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Thank you - all useful info
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Arrr....Jasper wasn't working stock, he was show stock. Commonly referred to as "the airhead" as he really was thick! He never even chewed his chew toys or a pigs ear! He just liked to carry things in his mouth and put them in his bed.

Superior gun dog nose.......yeah right!!!!
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I guess ours are lucky as there is generally always someone in the house and lots of fields to play in.

A large family usually dictates that there is always someone willing to "throw the Goddam ball" for the dog!
 
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This is what I thought. Working full time and crating during the day and overnight (having read your other post) means your puppy is going to spend the majority of it's day in a crate, with very little social stimulation, whilst crated, and house training will be somewhat lacking during those periods.

I think the lifestyle you're offering would better suit a more mature dog, if I'm honest. I can't imagine our puppy, when he's 8 weeks old, spending most of it's day alone. I'd worry it would lead to behavioural issues due to boredom and confinement.
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But surely many, many people work full time and have dogs?! I know loads of people who do, and quite a few of them don't come home for a bit at lunchtime, which we would be doing, and none of their dogs have behavioural issues...

We would take time off work for the first few weeks and build up its alone time gradually.

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A lot of rescues are quite tight on this issue (gosh, I am contradicting myself a lot tonight!) but personally I'd rather a dog in a good home than in a rescue kennel.
Additionally, if you have a baby puppy, you really do need to be there especially if it will be in the house and have housetraining, it can take months rather than weeks - as you can see from lots of posts on here, even adult dogs have relapses on that department!

Personally we have always got our dogs between 6-9 months, albeit they are outdoor dogs so housetraining isn't an issue, but older dogs are a bit better to cope with spending time alone if, like us, we work.

But good on you for considering taking the time off work
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I'm fully prepared for the perils of having to house train, and the accompanying accidents! My cats ahve taken a very, very long time to house train - obviously no one taught them properly when they were babies!!

Jus a thought - would a dog prefer to be outside during the day with a kennel for shelter? Admittedly our garden is small, and concrete, but it is secure.

OH's parents are interested in taking it on days out with them (they go on country walks quite often) and I'm going to look into dog walkers locally, so that if there ever is a day when we're completely stuck for time, the dog would still get a walk or some entertainment at lunchtime (please tell me such people do exist?!).
 
It depends on the dog, breed, coat type, ours have always lived outside in dog runs with a roof/kennel box, in some nights at the weekend at the most or when recuperating from ops, if you have a secure back yard I don't see any harm in the dog being outside during the day when it is a bit older (if you do decide to go for a baby pup ie collect at 8-9wks, an older dog would adapt more easily) would probably be a bit more interesting for them!

Good that your parents can help and yes, dogwalkers/sitters exist
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I'm not sure why Labs get a better press than Spaniels TBH
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They can be just as much hard work and as destructive if given the chance. I wouldn't recommend either breed to be left alone all day.

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Labs are the best and you know it
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Actually yes, Midget can be very destructive
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She chewed apart our picnic table!

Mini schnauzers are the best! (Beastie pays me everytime I say this
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)
 
Actually Hen, as much as it pains me I will agree with you
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Tina is terribly easy to work with, whereas Windsor could be a right bloody nightmare at times
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He was soooo headstrong and always thought he was right. Midget has her angel moments and has a nice temperament (she behaves perfectly when she comes to visit the College) but she also has a real cheeky side! If people saw some of the things she has destroyed it woul put you off labs for life
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I adore them all though, I'm a huge lab fan
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Although wouldn't go for a choccie as they are more scatty and have always been told they don't make good workers.
 
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But surely many, many people work full time and have dogs?! I know loads of people who do, and quite a few of them don't come home for a bit at lunchtime, which we would be doing, and none of their dogs have behavioural issues...

We would take time off work for the first few weeks and build up its alone time gradually.

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I don't doubt that for a second.

I don't have any issue with people working full time and owning dogs, I honestly don't, providing they choose a breed which is likely to accept that type of lifestyle. As CC said, it's a life far more desirable than being kept in a rescue centre kennel indefinitely.

However, I don't like the idea of a small puppy crated for approximately 8 hours during the day whilst someone is at work...albeit with a potty break and walk at lunch....and then crated overnight for possibly the same amount of time.

You could well be talking about a puppy being shut in a crate for 16 hours a day.

I'm probably being far too critical though and I am sure your puppy, whatever you decide to get, will have a wonderful life. I just wonder how many dogs do end up in rescue centres because they get destructive when their owners leave them alone for extended periods with no source of entertainment other than to chew furniture.
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