Suitable breeds

What about a GSP bitch? Generally: medium size (about 20 - 23 inches), friendly & cuddly temperament, good with kids, easy to train, healthy & robust, lots of energy for walks, but quiet & laidback when exercised properly (much like a beagle).
 
eatmyshorts said:
What about a GSP bitch? Generally: medium size (about 20 - 23 inches), friendly & cuddly temperament, good with kids, easy to train, healthy & robust, lots of energy for walks, but quiet & laidback when exercised properly (much like a beagle).
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You must have a different sort of GSP to any I have ever set eyes on!
 
Clodagh said:
You must have a different sort of GSP to any I have ever set eyes on!
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can't speak much for GSP's but I groom a couple GWhP's for someone that takes them hacking. I absolutely adore these dogs, and they are so laid back - but large boys. I stopped grooming big dogs a while back but make a few exceptions and I do for these two. I could almost be fooled in to having one myself, except that I know without a shadow of a doubt that the reason these two are so utterly lovely is that they are exercised properly and well tired lol
 
PnP that is the thing with the pointing breeds.
Spaniels are high energy hunters but they are bred to hunt for you, reasonably closely so you can bag the bunny or bird. Even that is hard to maintain. Pointers are bred to range far from you which makes them even harder than spaniels. Nothing nicer than a well trained pointer doing what it should but they are far outnumbered by the ones that vanish over the horizon. I would certainly not describe them as low energy.
 
PucciNPoni said:
can't speak much for GSP's but I groom a couple GWhP's for someone that takes them hacking. I absolutely adore these dogs, and they are so laid back - but large boys. I stopped grooming big dogs a while back but make a few exceptions and I do for these two. I could almost be fooled in to having one myself, except that I know without a shadow of a doubt that the reason these two are so utterly lovely is that they are exercised properly and well tired lol
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Dogs are larger - & GWP's larger than GSP's too. I've never had a GWP but have heard they can be a bit more more stubborn & dominant than the shorthairs. The exercise point is a biggie - GSP's are great when exercised & stimulated properly.
 
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Why not look at the list of vulnerable breeds on KC website. If we don't support them we will lose them. My favourite of them would be the Lancashire Heeler followed by the two types of Corgi. Both breeds easy to train.
 
Gypsysmum said:
Why not look at the list of vulnerable breeds on KC website. If we don't support them we will lose them. My favourite of them would be the Lancashire Heeler followed by the two types of Corgi. Both breeds easy to train.
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That is a good idea, and with good coats and a sensible size.
 
Dano1223 said:
FYI, Beagles can also be whatsits for wandering as they just get their noses down and follow a scent. Lovely dogs tho
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Ours is truely lovely and very well behaved (but he is well walked) but yes he does occasionally get his nose down and becomes difficult to recall!
 
Clodagh said:
Mad as hatters, nuts, and virtually untrainable.
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LOL, I must just be really lucky with all the ones I've owned & work with then. They are exactly as described in my original post (with variation on height/sex), although admittably I've seen a few mad & untrainable ones in homes which don't suit them, & they're not for everyone. If the OP can deal with a beagle & enjoys lots of walks, there's every chance a GSP would fit in. Just my opinion of course :-)
 
eatmyshorts said:
LOL, I must just be really lucky with all the ones I've owned & work with then. They are exactly as described in my original post (with variation on height/sex), although admittably I've seen a few mad & untrainable ones in homes which don't suit them, & they're not for everyone. If the OP can deal with a beagle & enjoys lots of walks, there's every chance a GSP would fit in. Just my opinion of course :-)
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Big question is are they cuddley dogs? Our beagle is too independent to cuddle for long, he copes with about 5 mins of lieing next to me and then he is off and doing something.
 
I think cuddly is hard to predict, as any dog can be cuddly. All our labs would sit with you all day and all night, and in fact although not allowed on the sofa I have to make sure there is a basket each side of where I am sitting in the evening so they can lie next to me, puppy has to be touching my feet to go to sleep.
 
GSPs are friendly and generally love human company. Unfortunately, this can manifest itself as extreme separation anxiety and is the reason many end up in rescue. Therefore, being left for five hours a day could be problematical as even though you have another dog, it is the lack of human company that is the issue.

Another reason a lot of GSPs end up in rescue is due to the owners starting a new family. They are high energy dogs and do require regular exercise and also training/mental stimulation otherwise they can become destructive and vocal. When time is tight, the dog often drops down the priority list . Also, assuming you survive the first few years with your dog and new baby, they are very bouncy and prone to knocking small people over with their play. They can be clumsy oafs, albeit very loveable.

If you do go for a GSP, given what you have said about your circumstance and desires, my advice to you would be to avoid any lines with German blood like the plague. Stick to English show lines - these (unfortunately, in my opinion) have had most of the hunt, prey drive bred out of them.

Personally, I think there would be better breeds suited to your needs eg border terrier.
 
We've had a couple of BTs, both were lovely family dogs, long lived and very healthy. We lost the last one very recently and I was reluctant to have another as I was worried we wouldn't find another that was so lovely but after researching small/med breeds we couldn't find anythng that both of us wanted. I did consider a miniature poodle but OH was less keen. We put a deposit on a lovely BT puppy on Sunday. We werre abe to meet both the mum and dad and they were both delightful dogs and that sealed it. We'll be picking up Stanley at the beginning of August (can't wait!).
gunnergundog said:
GSPs are friendly and generally love human company. Unfortunately, this can manifest itself as extreme separation anxiety and is the reason many end up in rescue. Therefore, being left for five hours a day could be problematical as even though you have another dog, it is the lack of human company that is the issue.

Another reason a lot of GSPs end up in rescue is due to the owners starting a new family. They are high energy dogs and do require regular exercise and also training/mental stimulation otherwise they can become destructive and vocal. When time is tight, the dog often drops down the priority list . Also, assuming you survive the first few years with your dog and new baby, they are very bouncy and prone to knocking small people over with their play. They can be clumsy oafs, albeit very loveable.

If you do go for a GSP, given what you have said about your circumstance and desires, my advice to you would be to avoid any lines with German blood like the plague. Stick to English show lines - these (unfortunately, in my opinion) have had most of the hunt, prey drive bred out of them.

Personally, I think there would be better breeds suited to your needs eg border terrier.
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Might be a bit too small for you, but Dachshund? My three are currently fast asleep on my lap having not been out since yesterday afternoon and will not budge until I shake their leads and collars. The old girl will happily go for miles at a decent pace, and used to marathon train with us when she was younger, the lazy boys are another story ;) they are all super cuddly and love nothing more than being fully submerged under a blanket with you on the sofa. As for being family dogs; kids run up to us all the time to see them, they're not overly bothered about it as in won't jump up on them but will stand around for a bit to be petted, but would rather keep sniffing for bunnies if we let go of them. The boys are super well behaved, anything for an easy life, the girl is very stubborn minded but we had her at 5 months old so suspect she had already been purchased and treated badly before we got her so tends to block things out, she is also going deaf with age which we tend to forget sometimes.
As for health problems, they are very food orientated but with stomachs of steel; I have seen each of them chow down on grapes, potatoes, chocolate and the foil it was wrapped in having stolen them from the table, however none have been the slightest bit ill from it shockingly. The old girl has had spine surgery which they can have, due to being so long, and after having two very large pregnancies (5 and 7 puppies). But she is also very long for the breed, the boys are much shorter and haven't had this issue therefore I'd recommend choosing a slightly shorter body depth when viewing them. Also not that I am a snob, but KC registered parents will have the reduced risk of inbreeding so would recommend this too.
 
oldie48 said:
We've had a couple of BTs, both were lovely family dogs, long lived and very healthy. We lost the last one very recently and I was reluctant to have another as I was worried we wouldn't find another that was so lovely but after researching small/med breeds we couldn't find anythng that both of us wanted. I did consider a miniature poodle but OH was less keen. We put a deposit on a lovely BT puppy on Sunday. We werre abe to meet both the mum and dad and they were both delightful dogs and that sealed it. We'll be picking up Stanley at the beginning of August (can't wait!).
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Great news! BT pups are just the cutest. :-)
 
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