As some of you know, we recently had to have our beloved cross breed terrier Stitch PTS at just age 7. Although we still miss him terribly and on the day he left us we swore we'd never put ourselves through this again, we've soon come to realise that the house just feels a bit empty without a dog, and I'm even missing clearing up dog hair dust bunnies from under the sofa!

We presently have a very elderly (24 year old) cat so wouldn't look to introduce a dog until he is no longer with us, as it would be hugely unfair for him to accept a dog at his age, as much as he loved Stitch (and really seems to miss him too), we would like to enjoy what short time he has left with us letting him rule the house on his own :)

Anyway, we've been thinking about maybe another dog in the future (perhaps later this year/early next year), but don't know what breed/type might 'fit' with our lifestyle. I've put our first thoughts down in a list below, do any breeds really 'jump out' from this?

No larger than labrador sized ideally (smallish rooms so hard to place a dedicated bed area for a larger dog), nor too small, I don't think we'd go for a toy breed either.

Not too much 'drive', i.e. not working strain. Stitch was from 2 working farm dogs and at times could be quite 'sharp' and on the go a bit too much for us.

No complicated grooming requirements, something we can easily manage with a brush/comb/occasional trim or tidy up.

A breed that will happily enjoy longer walks in time but wouldn't climb the walls with a half an hour a day walk around the village at occasional times (If we're ill/really bad weather etc).

Other than that, we're really not too fussy! We both like Boxers as a breed, especially the 'clownish' nature of the few we've met, and love Border terriers but wouldn't have one as Stitch was half Border and I think we'd be inclined to compare it with him, which wouldn't be fair. We also like the Shar Pei, GSDs, 'scruffy' (wirey) looking terrier types, & bulldogs (although have concerns about health issues). I also like Pugs although suspect OH might think 'too small'!!

We have a good local training club and would go for socialisation and probably look to work up through the KCGC levels too, so are happy to put time in for training. We both work full time, although OH works from home so is there all day, every day, barring the odd hour or so where he might need to pop out. We are occasionally out of the house all day on a weekend (about 8 times a year) but have a very good neighbour who could pop in for toilet breaks/mealtimes etc.

We really do like the idea of supporting a rescue centre and rehoming a dog, but don't feel we have quite enough experience to take on a dog with any behavioural issues, such as fear aggression/resource guarding etc, so would probably look for a puppy from a good breeder instead, or a rescue with some sort of 'known' history.

Can anyone suggest any other breeds that we should perhaps look at as a starter?

Thanks,

Claire

Personally if you don't want a dog with major health issues please don't go for a share-pei, I have been there and done that and would never go there again( he was pts aged 2, brought from a kc breeder and had major health issues from day one!) I even thought it might have been one of them things and rescued one 4 Years ago now and boy was I wrong!! She has a wheat intolerance, poor girl gets sores in her toes all the time and her skin will flare up if she's raided something naughty!  And a manner of all other things!!! So please think this breed along the same lines as a bulldog :)

Labrador??

> Other than that, we're really not too fussy! We both like Boxers as a breed, especially the 'clownish' nature of the few we've met, and love Border terriers but wouldn't have one as Stitch was half Border and I think we'd be inclined to compare it with him, which wouldn't be fair. We also like the Shar Pei, GSDs, 'scruffy' (wirey) looking terrier types, & bulldogs (although have concerns about health issues). I also like Pugs although suspect OH might think 'too small'!!

Reading what you want out of your dog so far I think your breed choices are wrong, boxers are very very bouncy and tend to need a far bit of exercise, Shar Pei like Bulldogs can have some health issues as another poster has pointed out so wouldn't advise them.

Ummm im going to have to think about this one... but am thinking along the line of a Lab

How about a Smooth Collie?

M.

First of all -lovely to see such a nice post from somebody who is being so sensible! Clearly an ideal home for the right dog one day. :)

My first thought was Labrador as well -show lines, not working lines. I think a GSD might be a bit too much exercise wise.

Retired greyhound?

Agree a lab sounds ideal for you :-) give me a shout if you want to look at a rescue :-)

Golden Retriever? :-)

> A breed that will happily enjoy longer walks in time but wouldn't climb the walls with a half an hour a day walk around the village at occasional times (If we're ill/really bad weather etc).
>

I can't see a Labrador being happy with infrequent walks of only half an hour.

> I can't see a Labrador being happy with infrequent walks of only half an hour.

Unless I've read it wrong, I think the OP was saying that short walks would be the exception, and longer would be the norm.

M.

That's how I read it too.

Ditto.

what about a wire haired dachshund? They are lovely little characters and sturdy little guys

Border Terrier

Miniature Schnauzer?

French Bulldog

Not too many health problems like the bulldog and they are happy with as little or as much exercise as you can give them. Apart from in hot weather. Very clown-like but not as bouncy as boxers. Easy to groom, dont cost much to feed. Insurance isnt horrendous. They are a tad pricey to buy but if you look for a good breeder they dont charge the earth unlike the freeads breeders. Can be quite stubborn so consistency is also a must when training.

Just an aside regarding working from home:  I'm home full time with the dogs but my husband works from home at least one day a week.  If I ever need to be out for longer than usual I organise it for the days that he is here and leave him in charge.

He would tell you that trying to get any work done with a puppy is almost impossible!  The adults are fine but the pup waits til my OH is distracted before raiding the paper bins, rummaging in the laundry baskets, finding elastic bands we didn't even know we owned and generally charging about stealing things.  He'll also wait til you are on the phone before fixing you with a beady stare and barking at you as though his life depended on it.  Before he was housetrained (pup not OH) my husband maintained he'd pee in the middle of every conference call !!  It's really easy for my husband to get distracted and miss the pee cues, or overun feeding times etc even when he's actually very aware of the dogs and very good with them.  Work gets in the way :)

Do you have a preference for the group your dog comes from?  There are some very nice smallish to medium wiry fellows in the Hound group (Basset Fauve de Bretagne is on my one day list).  The gundog group might be another place to look particularly if you want one that is generally easier to train than a hound or terrier - some of the Hunt Point Retrieve dogs come with wire coats and beards, are finer than a lab so seem to take up less room, and very responsive to train (I have two Wirehaired Vizsla, a chilled adult and a pretty steady pup of 6 months).  I also have the most perfect wiry terrier type mongrel from a rescue home.  He came to us at 10 months ish, has been a delight to live with, is a perfect gentleman but does have one or two terrier traits I'd tone down if poss, including barking at every passer by including pigeons!  Good luck with your decision making, window shopping is quite good fun and Discover Dogs at Crufts will be worth a visit too :)

Edited to say:  all mine can stay at home for the day when necessary, they seem to realise that some days just aren't 'normal' and they'll take a sofa or sick day with me :)

I'm not going to give a breed but a suggestion. Why not go along to a few dog shows and speak to the people there about their dogs. That way you will see their size and coat texture, and can found out just how 'busy' a life they want. Even within a breed you will get the hyper dog and the couch potato. There will be plenty over the summer months for you to visit before you make you're mind up. You may also find a breeder who could become a lifelong friend.

Iv thought about it for a while and I think LindyLou has given the most sensible suggestion, get yourself to some shows and see the different breeds 'on  mass' that way you can talk to lots of people who can talk through the pro's and con's of their breed. You can get a better idea of what you want, you never know you might go to a show and just see the dog for you equally you might be scared off of a breed and that's fine to, as you will have to live with the dog for many years; so it has to be the right one.

If having a Border Terrier doesn't feel right, how about considering the Cairn?

Wow!! So many replies!! Thanks for all of your thoughts :)

There's certainly a lot for us to think about - I think we will have to go along to some shows and meet a few breeds & owners to see what 'feels' right for us. I'm always a good talker so I'll expand on afew things below :)

We do both seem to gravitate towards the hound group and working type breeds (OH loves Beagles and I'm a huge fan of the Hamiltonstovare but realise we couldn't give one the true working life they seem to need).

OH worked at home when we first bought Stitch as we didn't want to buy a pup until we knew one of us could be at home for 90% of the time, so he's quite accustomed to the mopping up of puppy spills and dealing with a tasmanian devil grappling with his ankles as he works! Luckily his business is such that he could slow it down for a few weeks initially, and I have a very flexible holiday allowance so between us we could have someone with a pup for at least 5-6 weeks before we would even need to think of leaving it alone for an hour or so.

As for exercise, yes, short walks 'around the block' would be the exception rather than the norm, but I've seen people at our training club who have a high drive 'busy' type of dog, and say that if they have any less than 1.5 - 2 hours hard walking per day they're almost unbearable to live with as they start climbing the walls/destroying the house etc. We would easily be able to provide an hour a day on/off lead plus mental stimulation/training, and easily more at the weekends for an adult dog (we have weekend access to 8 acres of enclosed fields for running around!), short walks would be an exception (if OH is ill and I can only do an evening walk for example).

We're (well me, mainly - OH will do walks but not that interested in training club - mainly women you see :) ) happy to put in a lot of time for training/stimulation, I'm not averse to looking at a dog that could cope with a job to do, I did flyball with Stitch as he really did need a job and our club were also looking at getting an agility trainer for some sessions too. What we feel we couldn't cope with is a breed that won't 'switch off'. For example, breeds I really like the look of but have ruled out on these grounds are Malinois, Hamiltonstovare, Beagle, Border Collie etc.

Having spent most of my youth & teenage years around farms, farm dogs, shoots/hunts etc I have soft spot for working breeds, but need to find a compromise of that 'kind' of breed, without the absolute 'need' to work - if that makes sense?

Loads to think about anyway!! It'll be a while before we even decide to start looking and if we decide to buy a pup rather than an adult rescue I imagine it'll take some while to find the right breeder/get on a waiting list etc - I think a visit to a few shows might be in order too!

Claire

No one mentioned a cocker  spaniel show type, yes they need a comb but as long as they are with you they are really loving, walk as long as you can or small walks. Friendly, can be trained (note I didnt say easily) can be deaf to come here but hear the fridge open from a mile away. Kind, funny, born thiefs and come in all colours except pink. Unless you drop cochinal on them - dont ask.

Can you tell I love my Cocker???

How about going to a rescue organisation and tell them exactely what you mention in your post? It may not be a particular breed you need to look for, but a dog that fits your requirements. That could be an older dog (in which case your cat might even be perfectly happy to have introduced to her) but there are also lots of puppies in rescue, purebred and crossbreeds. If you chose a rescue organisation that fosters their dogs/puppies in homes, then their character will be known quite well and accurately.

As for exercise, yes, short walks 'around the block' would be the exception rather than the norm, but I've seen people at our training club who have a high drive 'busy' type of dog, and say that if they have any less than 1.5 - 2 hours hard walking per day they're almost unbearable to live with as they start climbing the walls/destroying the house etc. We would easily be able to provide an hour a day on/off lead plus mental stimulation/training, and easily more at the weekends for an adult dog (we have weekend access to 8 acres of enclosed fields for running around!), short walks would be an exception (if OH is ill and I can only do an evening walk for example).

It also depends a little bit as to what the dog is used to. If you build an off-switch into your dog (in other words, teach them to switch off mad behaviour and settle), then even a high drive dog can get used to variable exercise routines. I have a saluki which is the collie of the sighthound world, but even he had to learn to miss the occasional walk particularly when my circumstances changed and at the same time my oldest dog needed much more time and energy. He still had the basic exercise requirements fullfilled (just), and therefore was happy to live with a bit less exercise for several months. I reckon that the regular training classes with him (obedience and agility) helped as well as mental stimulation is extremly important too, even more so if physical exercise is temporarily reduced for some reason.

I am of course not saying that high-drive/high-energy dogs don't need plenty of exercise, but I am saying that they can get used to the occasional reduction as long as they are overall getting enough mental and physical exercise.

I'd add a vote for a show type cocker, though they do need some regular grooming. The OP's idea about rough haired terriers seemed quite a good one, they don't need much grooming and will take a lot of exercise once grown. I understand about not wanting a rescue with behavioural issues, but how about a rescue puppy? I bet there's loads of terrier crosses come into rescue either pregnant, or 6 month puppies that have no problems beyond needing training and boundaries set.

understand about not wanting a rescue with behavioural issues,

Yes, many rescues will have issues, but not all by any means (in fact, in a survey I once did, 1/2 of all adopted rescue dogs were fine without issues, a further 1/4 had minor issues which were easily resolved!). If an owner dies, or moves to dog-free accomodation or abroad etc then the dog may well be perfectly well adjusted and easy! This is why it's important to have a dog that is fostered as their temperament and behaviour in a normal home environment is much more obvious than in a kennel.

It is true that there are also more than enough puppies in rescue now where whole litters are abandoned and handed into rescue!

And as many of us know, a puppy from a breeder does NOT guarantee a problem-free dog either!

If you like hounds and working breeds why not rescue a lurcher? If you got one from a reputable rescue, and preferably one that was in a foster home they would be able to give you the low down on it's character. It's perfectly possible to rescue a dog that has no problems at all. A couple of years ago I rescued an older lurcher that turned out to be the best dog. Housetrained, walked brilliantly on the lead, excellent recall, never done a single thing wrong :-)

As a generalisation, and of course there will be exceptions, but most lurchers tend to be very laid back in the house, but enjoy a spin off lead. They will walk as long as you like, but equally be happy with a short stroll... in fact if the weather is really bad a lot of smooth coated lurchers won't want to go out at all!

Of course on these sorts of threads we often tend to recommend our own breeds, have you heard of silken windhounds? Mine is an absolute delight to own, trainable, sweet, funny, cuddly but not pushy, sleeps about 21 hours a day and delights me when off lead as she loves to run flat out in huge loops round me. Of course they are fairly rare, there are now 24 in this country with a few litters planned for later this year.

If you don't want something quite that rare, or don't fancy a hound them I'm another in the labrador camp, they are popular for a reason :-)

Know of an American Cocker lookng for a home in the North West at the moment if you want to PM me.

Ooooh a few more possibles to add to the mix!! :)

Chaumsong, the Silken windhounds are lovely, a little like a Borzoi in look I think? How big are they, they do look fairly huge!

Funnily, a spaniel wasn't something we'd considered, but we do like the breed (cocker spaniel) so that's one to investigate further perhaps. I'm not against the idea of 'grooming', just don't feel I'm knowledgeable enough to deal with anything requiring specialist grooming other than regular brushing/combing and the occasional trim of 'straggly bits'.

Lurchers have been suggested, and again, yes, thet's a breed we would consider - they have the 'working type' style that I like.

For some reason, and please, don't anyone take offense at this, neither of us are really a fan of Labradors - I don't know why, we've both met loads of lovely ones, and they 'tick all the boxes' for us on paper, but I can't pin point why, they just don't 'do it' for us?

We need to give this some serious thought over the summer, get out and about to some shows to meet a few more breeds and take a closer look at the ones we like the look of, then decide whether to look at a rescue (maybe a breed rescue) or whether we'd look to go on a waiting list for a pup instead. I would dearly love to give a rescue a home if we can find the right dog though.

perrodeagua - I'd love to be able to say we'd like to look at homing a dog now, but I feel quite strongly that we should let our cat spend his last days/months without having a new dog to deal with (I say days, he may well out live us all at this rate!!!), and equally we don't want to rush into something to soon, we're really feeling the emptiness of missing Stitch at the moment, but don't want to get a dog just to fill that gap in the house, we need to make sure we really spend loads of time looking and considering what dog will be right for us and also whether we'd be right for them too. At the moment, I think emotion would overrule everything else and I need my 'thinking head' on for this one :)

I'll keep you all posted on what we decide to do - I may be looking for a good breeder once we finally decide on a breed :)

Claire

Has anyone suggested that you visit Discover Dogs at Crufts next month? It really is a good place to meet all types of breeds and get to talk to the people who live with them.

> Chaumsong, the Silken windhounds are lovely, a little like a Borzoi in look I think? How big are they, they do look fairly huge!

Yes, they are essentially mini borzois :-D They're not big at all, My girl is 21" and 14kg - very slightly bigger than whippets.

Portuguese Podengo?

Perro don't tempt me, the thought of a homeless Yankee is awful!

I may be speaking out of turn here but I think giving all the info you have given  you are more qualified to take on a rescue than 80% of the people that actually do.You seem to have the perfect attitude to owning a dog, you have the right home set up and you are very willing to do training classes.If any  good rescue had a dog that had more severe issues they could point you in the right direction of either explaining what that dog would need and you could decide if it was for you or point you in the direction of getting more expertise help .
I got a Staff x boxer ( has colour of boxer and almost height but more of the attitude of Staff ) a year ago and he was 1yrold. Best thing I have ever done.Where I think it can get really hard with rescues if you have more than one dog as the training can get more complicated ( not not doable ). There are sooooo many of these types of dogs wanting a home in rescues and they are such wonderful dogs ( most of the time in the right home) Please go and meet a few . If you got one from a rescue that uses foster homes they would be able to give you amuch better idea about the dogs personality.The staff x breed seems to tick all your boxes.
Good luck in whoever you choose .