Small Dogs for My lifestyle........

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Parkranger

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Unfortunately I had to rehome Jack to a lady on a farm last year as he really did need 500 hours of exercise a day!

Now I've moved back to Hampshire, and work from home, I'm thinking about getting a puppy next year (but not until I know exactly how my job is going etc).

So pre requisities are:

- must be easier to train than a JRT
- must be ok on it's own for 3 hours occasionally (until old enough to come up to stables)
- small to medium (not toy dogs)
- cope with an hours run and all day access to a garden (while I'm in) but not need 3 hours run a day!

I did look at Cavalier King Charles but I have a thing about smelly dogs and with jack I'd chuck him in the back after rolling in fox pee!

I've been recommended both Boston and Border Terriers aswell.

Any recommendations? PS the house I'm moving into is massive and has a good 50/60ft garden.
 
Corgi!!

They're big dogs on short legs, they're happy to walk all day or sleep all day and fairly easy to train.

Our boy is on his own for 4 -5 hours mon - fri and doesn't bother at all.
 
You need one of these:

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Have you guessed what it is yet?!
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She's a sort of collie cross lurcher gone wrong, but she is the easiest dog in the world. Loves to go out for a walk, but won't worry if she misses a day or two. Happy to stay at home on her own for hours if necessary, although I am usually around. So easy to train too - house trained by 9 weeks of age, and seems to learn by osmosis as she has the collie brain, but without the collie activity.

Most of it is down to her amazing temperament (the breeder breeds for temperament) but I must admit I did put a lot of hard work in when she was a puppy as well.
 
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Corgi!!

They're big dogs on short legs, they're happy to walk all day or sleep all day and fairly easy to train.

Our boy is on his own for 4 -5 hours mon - fri and doesn't bother at all.

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mmmm, never been convinced about corgis....but will have a read up on them
 
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TGM - what a wonderful ball of fluff! hahhahaha. She's a bit big for me though - need soemthing I can put in the bath easily!!

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She's only medium-sized!
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Don't think she would be impressed being put in the bath though.
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Whippet or small lurcher? Schnauzer? (Standard)

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I did think about rescuing a greyhound but my car is a toyota yaris - don't think I'd fit one in!
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Prefer terrier/spaniel types rather than whippety/skinny types
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Righto.....most terriers and spaniels need more exercise than sighthounds, the latter just like a quick blast a couple of times a day.

You could put a rug down in the back and get a harness, keep a grey on the backseat?
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Corgi!!

They're big dogs on short legs, they're happy to walk all day or sleep all day and fairly easy to train.

Our boy is on his own for 4 -5 hours mon - fri and doesn't bother at all.

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mmmm, never been convinced about corgis....but will have a read up on them

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I can lend you mine for a week...he'll convert you!!
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He's the friendliest dog I've ever met without being the type that climbs all over you or would knock a child over. He never ever nips (they have a reputation for it but I've got no idea why...I know all Jack's breeder's dogs and have met a couple of others who don't nip either).
 
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Righto.....most terriers and spaniels need more exercise than sighthounds, the latter just like a quick blast a couple of times a day.

You could put a rug down in the back and get a harness, keep a grey on the backseat?
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oooo you're full of ideas! haha x
 
I know you baulked at the price, but with a 50/60 ft garden, you could play fetch there, then take your Boston up to the stables, and you'd have one very contented BT.
 
Since you talk about bathing your future dog, do you know that several Spitz breeds doesn't smell as much wet dog after bathing, as compared to other breeds? (Not even after bathing all my three Finnish Lapphunds, does it smell as much wet dog at home, as it did when I had bathed my Smooth Collie.)


How about a Västgötaspets/Swedish Vallhund? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swedish_Vallhund

Norwegian Buhund? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norwegian_Buhund

Finnish Lapphund? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finnish_Lapphund



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Border Terrier! I am a massive fan. Ours gets a couple of hours exercise a day and he is in the kennel for anywhere between an hour and 6 hours a day (Kennel also has a run) and he is still thriving at 13
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They are lovely friendly little dogs, I do recommend having them groomed fairly regularly to keep on top of hairyness though! (ours suddenly started spouting alot of hair when he hit 11 and resembles a bog brush when he needs to go to the doggy hairdressers
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He fits in the bath easily (hates it though!) and travels comfortably in my little fiat 500.

Get one! then put pics up
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FL - I'm not really a long haired dog girl (although I'm sure some ppl would say otherwise!) haha

prosefullstop, I don't mind paying £500/600 for a pedigree but I just couldn't warrant £1000 for a dog.....or could i? ;-) I've got a lot of work to do on my new house so wouldn't consider until I've got my house sorted - so probably Oct next year - time to save up!
 
A Pug of course!!! or a pug x if you want to lower the price
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I have one and a pug x boston and they are the best dogs ever. Funny, adorable, loving, playful, energetic (if you want or they'll sleep all day if you leave them to it). They really think they are big dogs in a mini dogs body. Like little clowns!

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We've had a few borders and they are such lovely little dogs.
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Mine is a bit more mental than my mums but I think he has a bit of JRT lurking in there! Saying that he hasn't been for a walk for 2 days (because Star is poorly and she'll get upset if we take Alfie out and not her) and he seems quite happy.
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FL - I'm not really a long haired dog girl (although I'm sure some ppl would say otherwise!) haha


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I take that as that you mean you're not interested in lots of brushing? Well then they maybe could suit you even better, my Buhunds more or less didn't see a brush between those weeks every spring and autumn when they shed (unless we went to a dog show, then I usually wanted to take a few strokes but that was more to calm my nerves, than because their fur needed it) and I'm sure it is the same with Swedish Vallhunds.



Finnish Lapphunds might look like something that needs constant brushing but the thing is that the Sami people didn't spend x hours per week (or even year?) brushing their dogs, if no brushing had turned these dogs into walking tangled knots, they would have frozen to death because a fur in bad condition wouldn't protect them against the cold weather.
So a correct adult fur for the breed shouldn't need much brushing. With my adults, I take a few strokes with a comb or brush behind the ears every know and then, sometimes the rest of the mane gets a few strokes too and on rare occasions I give the body, legs, trousers and tail a few strokes too.





When they shed you have two choices, you either brush your dog and thereby get some control over where some of the fur ends up or you let nature have its course and everything that is supposed to come off, will come off by itself but it also ends up everywhere.


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Hurrah for the pug lady! Pugs are great, too, but they do shed like crazy (the black ones less so).

Boston, Boston, Boston! How can you possibly resist a dog breed that dances?
 
Get a greyhound! I thought I wanted a small dog as you describe and had my heart set on a terrier - then I met a greyhound. Dixie is the best, easiest dog ever and she fits in my car - a Fiat Seicento, which is one of the smallest cars ever! I do have to put the seats down though. I want a whippet next!
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