Hi all

So again to continue from my previous threads I thought it best to now focus on suggestions by using the below info and helping my cousin and her mom find there perfect breed.

Size: from Labrador size to Leonberger size

Physical exercise a day: anywhere from 1hour to 2hours a day but for the right breed they will be happy to give more but they could not cope with the exercise needs of say a Dalmatian or Weimaraner.

Energy level: medium they don't want a dog whose always on the go and never switches off , they want a calm , laid back dog who once given exercise everyday both mental and physical will just chill watching TV with them, they don't want a dog whose running around all the time.

Barking: medium not yappy or a constant Barker as they have neighbors to think.

Affectionate: very, they want a close bond with there dog who they can have cuddles with.

Child friendly: in there house not important as my cousin can't have a child it's medically impossible for her but there neighbors have children and family members ect... , So they still want the dog to be a breed who is child friendly

Dog friendly: yes as loads of neighborhood dogs and loads of family and friends who have dogs.

Cat friendly: yes as her neighbour has cats so it's important to keep the peace as her and her neighbour are friends so she doesn't want arguments if the dog killed one of her cats so she wants a breed who won't chase to kill.

Stranger friendly: yes but not bothered.

Grooming: not an issue as my sister who is a dog groomer will do it for free.

Coat type : fine with any

Drooling: doesn't bother either of them

Mental exercise: in the form of brain games and puzzle toys she has no interest in working the dog , just a family pet so she doesn't want a breed who's driven to work or needs loads of mental exercise.

Training: will be starting from day 1 when the puppy comes home and will getting help from a one to one behaviourist like Emmabeth \ nettle someone like them.

Easy of training: they want a breed who's fairly easy to train , it doesn't matter if the breed is not as easy as a lab but fairly easy and not a difficult breed.

Health: a healthy breed ( this is important now as tow suggestions from earlier the Clumber and Bernese are unhealthy breeds and that's what put them off both so a healthy breed is now important)

She said what ever breed we choose , once choosen we plan on reading as much about the breed as we can and meeting as many as we can whatever the breed.

Just to clarify from my Newfoundland post the suggestions we have had so far that are a no are:
Clumber spainel
Bernese mountain dog
Leonberger
Portuguese water dog
Golden retriever
Labrador

These were the breeds already suggested but for different reasons are a no.

The only suggestion from the Newfoundland post they still have on there list is the hovawart, they like the look of them but there's not much info out there about them , brainless was the member who suggested them if you could brainless they would be greatful for any info on them , I was surprised you mentioned them as I thought they were for experienced owners only? She ( my cousin's mom) like that they look like a golden crossed with a GSD as she loves GSD but can't have one as my cousin was bit as a kid so is not fond of them.

Any more suggestions would be great, eventually we will find the perfect breed for them.

P.s also no flat faces breeds, or hounds and they also looked and said no to the Euraiser. And the dog has to be the same size as a Labrador or GSD they will not consider smaller than this as the Clumber was a one off.

I think they really should go to discover dogs & look at the dogs for themselves...There seems to be a lot of breeds on the no list a whole Group in one case.
By doing this they can look at breeds which catch their eye & research by asking those on the stand for the breed

Have a look at the breeder section here might give some new idea as well.i agree that discover dogs in October? Is a great idea too

Ok so my cousin just phoned and told me she wanted to add the Labrador but her mom wasn't keen because she said labradors are hyper and my cousin said I'd rather tell you incase anyone has experience with labs that aren't hyper, as she said her mom would agree to a lab if they weren't hyper,

I thought I should ask on here if labs are hyper or are some labs calm?

From my own experience I found the showline labs and duel purpose labs to be very mellow and some were even really lazy but I know they won't take just my word for it so if anyone has met a lab who is calm or mellow rather than bouncing off the walls I would be greatful

Where do you live try to get to a big dog show and meet different breeds talk to owners so smaller dogs fit the bill corgis are border collie size and wait but on small legs, are a herding breed so are smart and willing to learn so you need to meet a lot of breeds and talk

All our labs which actually have been from working lines have never been bouncing off the walls. Aside normal puppy and adolescent behaviour. You give the dog what it needs mentally and physically you shouldn't have an issue. Labs are very biddable and therefore are easy to train in most general terms compared to many breeds

There are a lot of championship shows coming up and I would suggest attending on the days the groups they are most likely to choose from are scheduled.

Dates of shows here: https://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/media/738479/g_g_2018.pdf

Re the Hovies, (the website has quite a lot of info and from the breeder list and contacts I am sure you could arrange a meet and greet) I met them quite some years ago, a sensible all round type of dog, and was impressed, and also impressed with their health status considering they are a rare breed.

Our labs are all chilled out and lazy around the home, but fun and active on walks.
Outside their working season, they are more than happy with chilling out in the house or garden all day with only an hour walk most days. They are certainly not hyper in any way. I train gundogs, and the only hyper labs I have know have been with people who didn't understand dogs and I'm fairly sure they could have made a mess of most breeds :-)

All this said, if your cousin does not need a specific KC reg breed for competing, could they consider a rescue? There are some lovely dogs stuck in rescue for various reasons which aren't their fault. With some thorough searching, I'm sure they'd find a dog perfectly suited to their needs and energy levels.

Re the Hovies, they are nice big dogs and even those with black and tan markings don't look like GSD's, the blondes resemble GR's and the black look like flatcoats, they do have health issues as do most dogs. Trainable with patience they are good family dogs although they can be suspicious of strangers they are not usually noisy, I have a friend who has bred and shown them so I have seen a bit more of the breed.  There are not a lot of litters bred so you may have to wait a while for a puppy.

Thank you all

They read everything on the hovawart breed club website as well as some other websites and my cousin has just been on the phone with a lady from the hovawart club and have been given even more info on them and has recommended a breeder who would be happy to meet them to talk about the breed, my cousin then phoned the breeder and has arranged a meeting as they like what they have been told so far. There going this afternoon , I will update when they have met the breed.

I would see if they would reconsider a GSD- they're really all they're looking for! maybe your cousin would be ok with one as a puppy?
Personally I'd not have anything else (except maybe a corgi!)

They have an excellent "off" switch, my girl is currently out sideways on her bed having only gone for a 20 min walk this morning because i have hurt my knee and cant go far.
In terms of "friendly factor" they certainly can be, but the usual setting is indifferent to strangers. Though this 100% can change- my girl was very wary of strangers for a while, now she's everyones best friend!
Barking- everyone seems to have a different experience, mine doesn't often bark- only at the post! but I know of owners who have very barky dogs- I suspect it is in the training and the temperament!
They're definately dog friendly!
if brought up with cats will be cat friendly.
If you buy a pet line dog, or some of the show lines they certainly don't need to work. Yet are happy to go out for "day trips"
Grooming and coat type- I'd personally go for a short coated dog- there much less work just need a quick once over with a brush to keep them looking neat. They do shed.
They're are absolute velcro dogs- They'll do anything for their people, super trainable ( not always so bright IME!).
In terms of health- So long as both parents are hip and elbows scored, and preferably DM tested, and males are clear of Haemophilia A, they're a fairly robust and healthy breed. Obviously, everyone has their opinions on the sloping backed german show line- if you want a straight backed dog you'll be looking at either english show line or pet line. Doesn't matter which you go for so long as parents are tested!

Other suggestions-
Old english- lots of grooming, and can be noisy, but otherwise good dogs
Aussie shepherd.
Schnauzers of all sizes are touted to be good family dogs, I cant say from personal experience though!

Labradors can vary a LOT.  They are one of the most popular breeds around, with a huge gene pool and distinct 'types' (show and working) so there is huge variety in this breed.  It would be important to know the parents, take a walk with the breeder and their dogs, and choose lines that are not too manic. 

It's not the case that it's the working dogs that are hyper and show are not - I've had loads of very hyper and distractible show bred labradors in my classes, and some very nice calm working labs that know how to go up a gear in the field or when working.  It's quite complex...

I would also advise researching the health status of the various breeds you've mentioned, as some have poor health generally in the breed (Bernese) or high COIs (clumbers), so you want to give yourselves a good chance of finding a family companion.

Hi all

Just wanted to let you all know that the meeting yesterday went really well and they asked loads of questions and the breeder also asked loads of questions to check there the right type of owners for a hovawart and they were allowed to go for a walk to see how strong hovawart are ect and they have decided on a hovawart , they said they are just perfect for them. The breeder has also recommended breeders who are having litters this year.

Thank you all for helping and thank you brainless for suggesting the hovawart as if you didn't suggest I don't think they would have found there perfect breed.