Hello all,
It's been a long time since my last post on here. Me and my husband are thinking of getting a new dog. But don't know what to get. We have children and a cat.
We don't want a big size dog (like a lab).
Can any one help me choose what dog to buy?

First of all, why not have a look at Kennel Club Website

Click on Breed Standards and you will be able to view all the different breeds available in the UK :) 

If you have a think about what type of lifestyle you lead ( active, very active, sporty, quiet, children etc. ) while you look at the different breeds you'll get some idea of which dogs are most suitable for your lifestyle.  Also decide what size of dog you prefer (as you state - smaller than a lab ;) but do you want stocky or finely built etc ? ) and what type of coat, temperament, exercise level, etc.  This should then give you the chance of building up a short list of breeds you'd like to find more information on.  On most of the breed standards there is a list of contacts at the bottom of the page for the breed clubs, who will be able to help you locate a good breeder and there are opportunities to meet the different breeds at Discover dogs, Dog shows etc.  this can be invaluable as meeting the dogs is so different to looking at photos of them :)

Once you've decided on a breed, be prepared to go on a breeders list and wait for a pup, really good responsible breeders don't have puppies available at all times but are well worth the extra wait :)

I'm not going to suggest a particular breed as I feel it's a really personal choice and there are so many different breeds which could be suitable for you.  You will live with your dog for up to 16/18 years if you're lucky, have fun doing the research, deciding and meeting dogs :D :D

Good Luck
Dill

We found a web site for a compatability test. Sorry cant remember the name but you could google as there are a few.
It was very very helpful too,

Hi, what sort of dog do you have already?

was it this one poloaussie? I took it with a pinch of salt, as i have two labs which never popped up when i did it a few years ago!

LOL - I just tried this and the 6 dogs that it recommended I woould never own :D :D :D

Daisy

when i looked at the first dog that site reckons i'm most compatible with it was somewhat spooky - a jack russell terrier, no less!

things went rapidly downhill from there though because i can't quite see how an old english sheepdog or a japanese spitz crept into the same equation! :D

Labs didn't come up on my quiz results either and I also have one.  The top dog on my list was a CKCS.  Poor little things, how would they ever keep up with me cross country skiing for 12 km through a foot deep of snow?

LOLOL they would be sitting on the back of the skis of course LOL or be being towed along by you ;) Unless they had their own set of skis :D

I know exactly what you mean MM - just what I feel when I look back at the show trolley and see King Henry enthroned in state, watching his loyal minion sweating!! :-D

Just did the test in that link though, and Cavaliers came out top for me, which is exactly right! :-)

This was hysterical. I have BC's but I was recommended Akitas or Rottis amongst others. No pastoral dog in the list. It'll make my friends laugh as they have Akitas and Rotts and are always saying I should trade in for a proper dog ;)

That was the one! In defence I have to say I had never heard of the Australin Terrier and it made me look harder other breeds I thought I wouldn't consider, so I was pleased....
Karen.

by putting in medium sized, don't care if they shed I got Saluki, Akita, totally wrong.

Usually I find these tests useless but I got Toller 2nd on the list so I was quite pleased :D
Not quite sure about Bichon though :D

Frankly I have found those useless, and even tryng to slant them to the kind of dogs I like I kept getting breeds I now know well would not suit me.

Dill's approach would be the best, and then once you have a shortlist go visit breeders and owners, and not only see the dogs at home but arrange to go on a walk with them. 

This can tell you a lot about their speed, how close or otherwise they tend to want to be, their approach and reaction to other canines and people, activity levels and type of play etc, all very important to know if you could live with, train and feel comfortable and confident with them. 

You do need to bear in mind the experience of the owner, and where they live, and once you ahve your breed down to one, perhaps ask to visit a family in similar circumstances to you, and see how it is for them living with the breed (though again soem acoutn has to be taken of their capabilities).

I tried one of those once and it came up with all sorts of breeds I would never dream of owning!

Hi Jakesmum,

My advice would be there's no substitute for 'in the flesh' plan a family day out to a local show, once youve narrowed your 'wish list' down. And from there I'd then come home and plan phase 2! which would be contacting breeders and finding out if they'd allow you a chance to see their dogs..(if ya' dont asks,ya' dont gets, so its worth a try, especially if your unsure/undecieded) Its a rest of your life decision so its worth getting it right.
Best of Luck :D keep us posted how its going,how exciting for you :D

Munkeemojo gets the best sites!!! I had such fun with that suitability quiz! It gave me Weims as first choice tho,But Siberian Husky as second :D ...close! so pretty good going.

Cavaliers are great with children, and just the right size dog! Small enough to pick up and cuddle, but not so small as to risk being trodden on or to make a man feel silly walking them. :-D

Staffordshire Bull Terriers seem to be a popular choice for family people like yourselves.  I haven't owned one myself tho' but my friend owns one and she is fine with the rabbit and her two cats.  Very loyal and great with children too.      

Is it just me? HOW can anyone recommend a particular breed on such scant information? I'm with the first replies - you need to first narrow it down to breeds that you like the look of and fit in with your lifestyle.

I dont think for a minute that you can choose on such 'scant' information. It would be a bit short sighted by anybodys standard. But it does seem sensible to me to shop around and research. Surely that is just part of it in a fairly light hearted way.
Karen

I've just spent half a day 'road testing' all the dog selector tests I could find (I know, I'm that sad :rolleyes: )  and trying to ensure that the results show my favourite breed, the BedlingtonTerrier (I have 2 :) )   Not one of the sites suggested them in any way, unless it listed the top 100 suitable dogs (came in at @ 68)  many of the breeds were eminently unsuitable when searching for a small dog (height 16" and weight @20lbs) which doesn't shed, has 'curly' coat with moderate grooming and is lively, affectionate and moderate excercise.  However, Airdale terrier, Labrador, Lhasa apso, Miniature and Standard Schnauzer, Cocker Spaniel and multitudes of other equally unsuitable dogs were suggested :( :(   some of the sites had a facility to read about the breeds that interest you.  They were so inaccurate about the Bedlington Terrier temperament I'd never have bought one :rolleyes:  Luckily I did some proper research and met a few first, so knew they were for me :D :D

I'm really glad I didn't choose my doggy companions in this way, you can't beat having a good look at a load of different breeds, then going and meeting some of your favourites and learning about their character :D :D

When we were choosing a breed, we started off by going to Discover Dogs at Crufts.
We spent the entire day there :)

We came out with a few ideas, and then used the dog breed section of Pet Planet (website) to find out more about the breeds we liked.  We were able to rule out some of the breeds we liked straight away because they needed more exercise than we could provide, or weren't good with children,etc.  There is also a "which breed is for you?" quiz on that site but it didn't find anything we liked, no matter how much I tried fiddling the data!

Then we gradually began working down the shortlist.  I read every website I could find, we visited breeders, we went to more dog shows, I bought books.  We have finally got there, but it's taken nearly six months!  And it may be another year before we get our puppy. 

In addition to visiting a few dog shows and doing some research on the internet, it's worth looking at dogs just generally while you are out and about. If you see an appealing looking breed then consider asking the owner what sort of dog it actually is. Provided you don't loom out at people from dark corners, and do start your conversation by saying you are trying to decide what breed might suit you, most people will be happy to tell you what breed of dog they have. And then you can come home and do some more specific research on the internet!

Thank you all for you great advice. Both me and my Hubby were thinking of getting a Caviler King Charles Spaniel. As I think it will fit into our family the best.

I think they are wonderful dogs but do be aware of the health problems the breed experiences.

Well these are the ones that it said for me

Welsh Corgi (Pembroke) (85%)

Bulldog (85%)

Australian Terrier (83%)

Bloodhound (83%)

Rottweiler (83%)

Border Collie (82

I wouldn't have any of those!  Sorry to the owners of them but they're just not my cup of tea especially not the Australian Terrier or the Bloodhound.

I got
Finnish Lapphund :(
Brittany:)
HUNGARIAN VIZSLA :D :D :D
English Setter :(
Rough Collie :)
Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier :(
Irish Terrier :(
Welsh Springer :)
Irish Water Spaniel :(
English Springer :(

The top 2 breeds recommended for me were a Weimaraner (87%) and an OES (85%), one minimal coat care, the other lots!

well, there's balance for you!!! I, apparently am an Angorra cat if you do the quizzie thing! Errmm, I don't think so!!! :P :P :P

I don't get how they work that out, my top 3 were bulldog, Daschund and Border collie. Now BCs are my breed but i can't actually class any of the others as medium lively breeds!!

Cocker Spaniel (85%)

Skye Terrier (83%)

Bulldog (82%)

Nova Scotia Duck-Tolling Retriever (80%)

Rottweiler (80%)

American Cocker Spaniel (80%)

this is what they chose for me i already have rotties and i  would own every thing on the list how weird