Hi there, I`m new to all this, site as well as actual dogs, and was wondering if anybody would like to give us the benefit of their experience!? This will be our first dog and so we`re very keen to get the beed right! As far as we can see we`ve narrowed it down to 3 breeds, Golden retrievers, english springer spaniel and the cavalier king charles spaniel. Our needs being very good with children (we have 3 young children) and generally friendly and gentle. I also like the big brown eyes and a more chiselled face as aposed to the flatter ones. Whilst not essential I do tend to prefer the more intelligent breeds and like the longer hair (although I could do without the moulting issue it has to be said!!!) I am at home but I`d prefer a dog that isn`t going to get upset just because I`ve gone to Tescos!!! All this is a very tall order I know but the 3 I`ve mentioned seem to be good on most just not all. And what about the exercise issue? Everything you read suggests two daily mountain hikes are required, who has time for that? We`re all for walking but have got kids and general life to get on with too. And no offence to other owners but the toy breed are not for us except maybe the cavalier!
Please help, how much should i take notice of what the books say? Anybody got experience of the breeds I`ve mentioned and how smelly do they get?
So many questions despite having read endless books and websites!!!

Doesn't really fit in with what you've put, but I always imagine the British Bulldog would be a near perfect family dog.

I would say Goldens and Cavaliers make fabulous pets for most people.  Which one you go for will all depend on what size dog you want really :)

Debs

I think your next step would be to take the shortlist of your breeds and see if you could find local breeders or owners who would be happy to let you go and see the dogs in the home environment and spend a couple of hours with them.

Also contact the breed clubs and see if their are any fun days/breed shows or similar coming up in which you could go to and see the breed and talk to owners/breeders. :)

I wouldn't have a toy breed aside from a CKCS & guess what I have!

I have to say that their love for children is trully astonishing. It's to the point where I have to try and calm her down if she can hear children laughing (as I don't have children) as she KNOWS it means fun. Not that I condone or recommend it, but my current and last CKCS both tolerated sneaky ear pulls that my niece/nephew did - no snapping, barking, or anything. I don't know how old your children are, if they are young a retriever could knock them over. My parents had one when I was about nine - don't really remember much about him except he was good at hugs.

And what about the exercise issue? Everything you read suggests two daily mountain hikes are required, who has time for that? We`re

On this comment alone, I would completely rule out the GR and the Springer, both breeds need plenty of exercise unless you want a fat, bored dog. Also both breeds are bouncy and GR's diggers, with young children around, I wouldn't personally sell either breed to you.

The Cavalier still needs a nice walk and for a small dog is quite happy to do the 'mountain hike'  but much less hyperactive as a pup/adolescent, much more laid back so as long as your children are taught to be good with the dog, out of those three I would recommend the Cav, they are great family dogs, always have been.

But, you must look for a good breeder many Cav's suffer from heart problems, you need to look for a reputable breeder, start with the Cav Breed Club and actually have a look on the site at Cav breeders you know you are going to get good stock from Champdogs. :-)

Also, just noticed you have done the GR, Springer,           , Cavalier,  you missed out the Cocker?

Also nice family dogs, the Working Cocker would need lots of exercise, but the Show Cocker in between, nice dogs again good breeder absolutely essential.

Hi,

I live with 6 goldens and trust me, they get VERY smelly. My lot do anyway. Being retrievers they love water and don't care what colour it is. My dogs return from every walk soaking and muddy after finding every dirty , mud puddle they can to lie down in! They also do need a fair bit of exercise as they are large dogs. Having said that, they are fantastic with children, ive got 2 myself and they  will happily chill out by themselves for a couple of hours if you need to go out and do things. They also lose copious amounts of hair several times a year. Compare the size of a golden to a CKCS and imagine how much more coat will be all over your floor. Not a very good breed for someone who is really house proud.  Personally and this is because i am biased, i would go for a golden retriever over any other breed but looking at it practically, you might be better off with something a bit smaller and less prone to digging and mud wallowing! Hope that helps.
mel.

They sound like good choices but don't go for a working bred Golden or Springer if you haven't got several hours a day to exercise them, show bred ones tend to be less hyperactive. Another breed ideal for your circumstances would be the Toller (not that I'm biased or anything).

My grandfather had Goldens and they needed a lot of exercise. I had an English Springer and she would go all day ;-) My second husband had a Cavalier who tried to keep up with my Springer :-) She almost did, too :-) They all smelled when wet, though I think it was more noticable in the bigger dogs, just because they were bigger and therefore could get dirtier :-) I don't know if I could recommend one over the other though. I liked them all. Though I now have Large Munsterlanders I still have soft spots for the other 3 breeds.

The idea about meeting the breeds and spending time with them is a good one. That way you will see them in their home environment so will be able to see how they would fit in to yourself better.

I too would say to go and spend sometime with each of the breeds you are interested in. In my personal opinion the best family dog is a Bernese Mountain Dog - although they are quite big they don't take up much room, don't need huge amounts of exercise or grooming, have a great temperament, don't smell or slobber too much (at least mine doesn't) and are just perfect in every way (not that I'm biased of course :-D :-D ). They even have big brown eyes. The only down side is that in common with many large breeds they do not have a long lifespan :-(  (8-10 years)

Thankyou all for your advice and suggestions. Will be looking into all the other breeds mentioned and will definatley go and visit some breeders. As for the walking thing we`re prepared for two good long walks a day but is that enough for a bigger dog? We have a big garden too for in between times! But my youngest is only 2 1/2 (although we wouldn`t get a puppy until after our holiday when he`d be three) so probably would be better with a smaller dog. There`s just something about the bigger breeds I find so irresistable. 

We got our first Bernese when my daughter was 2, he adored her. Don't let the age of your child put you off getting a bigger dog - often bigger dogs cope better with small children than smaller dogs do, they can be a bit more tolerant of inadvertent pulls to the coat etc IME. My daughter has only been bitten once and that was by my MIL's Westie! You wouldn't leave your son alone with the dog anyway so you need to be vigilant regardless of size.

Don't think I would suggest a Springer for a first time dog and you have to be careful where and what breeding you go for in the Golden so I think from your short list, with your requirements I would go for the Cav or even a Cocker.

What ever you decide try and visit at least three breeders of each of the breeds you are interested in and walk away if you see anything you are not happy about. Visiting the chosen breeds will give you an idea of what the dogs are like as an adult and also if the temperament of all the breeders stock is suitable for children to be around.

Really like the cockers but heard they can be difficult with children. Jealousy being one thing and then there`s the cocker rage thing which I know is rare but slightly worrying with kids around! Definatley seems like the show types are more suitable for us. Good friends of ours have a pointer from working lines and she definatley needs more than her two good walks. They`ve started her working at the weekends but we`re really not into that.

Show bred Cockers would need their coats tidied up every so often to keep their coats looking good.  Working bred Cockers don't suffer from coat length excesses and have more of a 'wash 'n' wear' coat that needs to be water resistant as they have to work and can't be bogged down with a long dripping wet coat.   There are some lines in working bred Cockers which are 'hyper' but equally there are some very docile working bred Cockers too, they don't suffer from 'rage' syndrome & come in a myriad of colours!

Hi Rachel,
My FIL has a cocker & he is fantastic with the kids. They are 2, 6 & 9 yrs old. He can be excitable but the most he does is to steal biscuits from the 2 yr old (mainly as she feeds them to him). He loves playing with the kids & has never been known to have a cross word with them.

> Don't let the age of your child put you off getting a bigger dog - often bigger dogs cope better with small children than smaller dogs do

couldn't agree more dakkobear, we have had big dogs since i was a baby and my nephew grew up with them to. big breeds are often much more sedate and are very good with kids.

has anyone mentioned the staffie? a very well bred example obviously, they were called nanny dogs!

Thanks Ems mum that`s good to know! We had ruled it out but now think maybe it might be the ideal choice! Providing we can find a suitable breeder that is. Anybody else had experience of cockers working or show type? Also thanks to you guys for the vote of confidence of the larger breeds. I think my ideal is always going to be a golden but maybe it would be too much first time round and also I wonder if we have enough room inside our house (the gardens good!). Still not decided though.

I think my ideal is always going to be a golden but maybe it would be too much first time round and also I wonder if we have enough room inside our house (the gardens good!). Still not decided though.

Go with your heart! Without a doubt. 

Or will you always wonder how it might have been if you'd not.......?

Good luck! :-)

I have a 4 month old working cocker and two children, although my youngest is 11 but the pup is great, loves everyone, hes very happy n very friendly.

mmmm...good with children,intelligent,big brown eyes,long coat and chisseled features....you've just descibed an elkhound!
Medium sized,fab with kids and although they can and will walk for miles they do not HAVE to have excessive amounts of exercise....only downside? Don't expect them to fetch a ball...thats what they keep owners for!(I know ...I have 3!...would be 33 if I had the room)

Don't think there ever was a 'cocker rage' problem with the parti colours, think it was only the solids that had some faulty temperaments.

Of course Asa you are right, I was just keeping the secret to myself :-)

In your situation I would go with a show cocker rather than a worker, if you've ruled out a springer then a working cocker would not be suitable for you either. A well bred working cocker will be bred to be a working dog and although some of them do make good pets many don't as they are constantly on the go, require a lot of exercise and stimulation and can be hard to train. I have three workers and one of them in particular would drive most people nuts because he literally never stops and he is more stubborn than 99.9% of mules! If I were you though I'd seriously consider a well bred show type Goldie, that was our first family dog many moons ago and he was such a lovely boy and a wonderful family pet.

I would say have a look at more breeds, there are nearly 200 and most make great family dogs.

Sometimes it is worth thinking a bit more outside the box rather than going for the most common breeds.

There are shows coming up all over the country so may be worth a visit.

There are many breeds that are perfect family dogs, as are my own for me.

The only thing I would reiterate is please don't just look at any breed in it's adult form, you must look at how much hard work some pups and adolescents are especially as you have very young children, (I'm really no fan of pups with toddlers at all for many reason) as many pups end up being returned to breeder or sent off to rescue by the time they get to be adolescents as lots of time and training is essential to get a good rounded adult.

GR's are beautiful adults, you couldn't ask for a better dog, but they are not calm pups, as the Springer. You don't realise how much hard work it can be to raise a well balanced dog, if you do not have the time, so forget forging any opinions on looking at any breed as an adult you need to get through the first 3 years to reach maturity in many breeds, that is what you need to seriously contemplate when choosing your breed, your a mum with young children and they will come first.

The Show Cocker is getting a bad name due to pet to pet breeding, but there are many very good breeders with dogs of fantastic temperaments again breed clubs, and CD for a good pup, knowing both of these breeds well as pups for me they would be your best bet.

I would also recommend that you join or just browse at forums for specific breeds you are interested in and read about how they are coping with their pups that will also give you a lot of insight. If your completely prepared at the hard work needed to raise a pup and not wearing rose tinted glasses as many do and then get a terrible shock when their pup is far from an angel you will be able to cope with almost any breed.

Take your time in thinking things through, and please take lots of time in choosing the right breeder. :-)

A well bred Staffordshire Bull Terrier is and would be my only choice for a family pet :)

Fantastic with children, loyal, loving and so gentle around children as well.
They have chisselled good looks and dont moult :-D
Require medium exercise (2 good walks a day) but as long as you have a big garden for them to play in so they can scaper roun for a mad 5 mo's and they love mental stumulation as well with ball games and hide and seek games.
They are natural jokers and will have you and your children in stitches 90% of the time (The rest of the time he/she is snoozing behind you on the sofa snoaring lol)
They will welcome you home with the biggest smile and fastest wag of their tail as they are always so happy to see you.
Very trainable and so willing to learn.

Need I say more? lol

I've read this topic with interest and surprised noone has mentioned dalmatians. We had one as a puppy when I was pregnant with my third child, and he was still quite young when child number 4 came along. He was easy going with the children, found all the rough and tumble great fun but never got over-excited with them. He just fitted in. He did get good exercise as my husband used to do a good long run with him morning and night, and we were quite strict from the start he was not allowed upstairs, nor on the furniture, nor in the dining room while we were eating, and i didn't let the children eat food outside the dining room, so that worked for us as he learnt quickly not to bother them while they were eating, and he would just wait for the end of the meal when he was allowed in to mop up all the bits the babies dropped on the floor. Another advantage is that due to the book/film, most children like dalmatians and so you find the children's friends are less likely to be scared of the dog.

Totally agree with Carrington, if you are dismissing long walks at this stage I really wouldnt have A Golden and A Springer would be the worst choice going if you are not prepared to get your wellies on and go miles across fields and woods EVERY day for a couple of hours.
To be honest, why do you want a dog?

Dogs are great company and need to be out and about, theyre not something that will just lie next to the sofa all day and be content with a stroll in the garden. And yes they CAN smell if theyve been out and got wet, they also come in covered in mud , brambles and any type of muck theyve found to roll in that day.

Like carrington said I wouldnt recommend any breed of Gundog to you, or anything lively , but I would also be worried on recommending a smaller type dog as you have three young children. Children can be too rough with pupies and they can get hurt.

Please think seriously why you want a dog before you get one, again youre statement about not wanting to walk much tells me you arent a suitable owner at this time.

>I've read this topic with interest and surprised noone has mentioned dalmatians.

The OP said originally that they're not keen on something that moults ...

>Whilst not essential I do tend to prefer the more intelligent breeds and like the longer hair (although I could do without the moulting issue it has to be said!!!)

... and that aspect alone rules out a dally!

Poodle! Big brown eyes, very intelligent, doesn't moult, great with kids, cats, pet  rabbits (but not wild ones)... but they are crazy! Polo's calmed a bit now but as a pup he was bonkers! Which is a part of poodles I  like! They do need regular grooming at a salon ( I do it at home), but I only brush Polo once or twice a week and his coat doesn't knot or smell. Standards need at least an hour of excercise a day, but mini's might be easier.

> There are some lines in working bred Cockers which are 'hyper' but equally there are some very docile working bred Cockers too, they don't suffer from 'rage' syndrome & come in a myriad of colours!

The mentions of Rage Syndrome in connection with show-type Cockers are way out of proportion to the actual incidence of the condition. This condition is much misunderstood and seems to be used as a label for any Cocker with a behavioural problem when the same label would not be applied to another breed displaying the same behaviour. True cases of Rage Syndrome are very rare indeed whether in Cockers or in any of the number of other breeds where the condition has been seen (including English Springers). That's not to say temperament problems aren't sometimes seen in Cockers (both types) but these can occur for any number of reasons (lack of socialisation, poor breeding, inadequate training etc etc).

Sadly, as with any popular family breed, there are too many Cocker breeders producing puppies for profit & ignoring health & temperament (this applies to both types as commercial breeders & BYBs are now breeding from Working Cockers as well as show-types) so it's important that anyone considering a Cocker does their homework and takes the time to find the reputable breeder, whichever type they are interested in (same goes for any breed, of course). Unfortunately more and more Working Cockers are turning up in rescue because their owners did not realise what they were taking on (not all breeders will actually tell their buyers that their puppies are Working Cockers). While Working Cockers can make great pets for the active home, I wouldn't say they are necessarily the ideal choice for a first time dog owner.

Maybe if you are in a dilemma about your choice of breed go and visit the dogs trust they have very young pups in there as well as older dogs and the best thing is that you are always sure of temperament of the pup you like the look of and can see how he or she behaves with your young family .
The staff there are very helpful with any questions that need answering and will even put your name on a list until a time a suitable pup is brought in .
At my local centre they even like you to take them for walks.
If they are a little older they are spayed or neutered and micro chipped .
Rescue dogs really do become loving family pets. 

All dogs love walking & as much exercise as you can provide. Its not necessarily rambling over hills & dales but a trip to the shops several times a day then finding a park to let them off lead for a mad run about will keep them happy. The hard part is when its cold and miserable weather as they still need their walkies everyday. Sometimes 3 half hour walks a day would be better than just 10 minutes twice a day then a big walk at the weekends they then end up bored and then can become destructive. Its not just to keep them fit it is for mental simulation that is vital.  That's mostly the reason for most dogs being put in shelters in the first place especially staffie bull terrier's which are excellent family pets but need a lot of walking. My friend brought a Boxer fantastic dog but they need on average 5 mile a day!    I think if you set on a pup maybe a basset hound- little legs- big dog but they aren't into walking miles a day as a golden retriever or a springer spaniel.

> they have very young pups in there as well as older dogs and the best thing is that you are always sure of temperament of the pup you like the look of and can see how he or she behaves with your young family .

I am sorry but that is totally misleading.  the only guide to any pups likely finished temperament is the parents, which you will not see at a rescue centre.  A rescue puppy is a total lucky dip.  I agree an adult rescue do you can assess for it's finished character (though some behaviours won't show until the dog has it's feet under the table so to speak).

Actually for this family an adult rescue of the breed they like (or a crossbreed) may be a better bet, as a suitable dog can be matched to what they have to offer, if full history of teh dog is known (often available with breed rescues at least).

By bez   Date 21.04.08 15:46 GMT
Doesn't really fit in with what you've put, but I always imagine the British Bulldog would be a near perfect family dog.

I'm afraid that is a common misconception, I researched the breed for years including alternative Bulldog types and although very lovely, I think the cost of keeping them alone (vet bills) wouldn't suit those with a family, especially those that lived on a very tight budget then theres the fact of being able to afford to buy one! :) 
And whilst I agree that most Bully breeds are infact very good with children, I think other Bully breeds instead of the Bulldog are much better suited and should be considered by those who have young families.
Staffordshire Bull Terriers are notoriously well known as being excellent with children referred to as the 'Nanny Dog', Bullmastiffs are extremely calm and mild mannered around children and so are Dogue De Bordeaux (Dogues can be extremely protective of their own, and this should be taken into serious consideration before deciding to purchase such a breed).

Yeah sorry to be confusing/ misleading
obviously I mean a pup / yound dog- being under a year old.
Sometimes though people do give a litter thats happened unexpected from their bitch and want them good homes rather than selling them in the local paper so they might know the history of the mum also ?

RachelT....do you or your OH have any dog experience, or your families, or is having a dog a completly new experience for you all? When you say the breed has to be good with children, I would reverse this and say how well behaved are your children, and how do they respond to dogs in general? What are their ages, are any in school yet? You need to take a look at your lifestyle. Although you are at home, just how much time do you have spare out of running the playgroup/school runs, caring for family etc, and do you visit friends/mum and toddler groups a lot? Even taking the dog for a walk with the toddlers/pushchair to the park can cause problems because dogs are not usually allowed in play areas and in some cases not even allowed on the park. So you need to check out your area and see exactly where dogs are allowed. When the summer comes your children will be playing in the garden, will you be ok with the fact the dog will use the garden as a toilet, even though you will obviously clean up are you ok with this and any digging/bare patches/removal of flowers/puppy running off with fav toys/weeing in the sandpit? Can you cope with children playing (which by nature is noisy and hyper, thats where we let them run off steam ;) ) and the puppy running round and maybe play nipping or scratching legs until the puppy and children are trained? Even dogs that are wonderful with children can get over excited as puppies. Its how you bring them up that turns them into the well behaved adult you may see walking around. With a moulting dog, how house /child proud are you? When their clothes are covered in hair, or it gets in their mouth (being so young) will this freak you out? Do you have the time and patience to constantly watch over the puppy, training it to behave, sorting any little problems out as soon as they happen, before they become a problem? Do you have spare time for training classes (essential not just for training but for social skills also) and to socialise the puppy with good walks to areas where other dogs are for social skills? (mixing with other dogs/people).
There is so much to think of when you have a first time dog, even those having a puppy after their old dog has passed on can find it a shock because as the years go by you forget how much hard work goes into raising a puppy. People who breed dogs/or own dogs can have a young family too and it all goes well because they know what to expect, and how very tying owning a dog is. To someone who has never owned a puppy and have a young family this can prove to much when the puppy finds it feet. How will you cope if you want to go off for the weekend/over night? can the dog come too, or will that be a problem? You also need to consider seasons in a bitch, and how you will cope with a hormone fueled 6 mth old boy :) Then there is the budget for food, equipment, vets bills, insurance, transport (is your car ok to take the dog to the vet/out for a long field walk etc) dog equipment such as bedding, bed, collars leads etc. Every little bit adds up. The initial vaccs/vet check can add up to around £100 to the puppys price.

The well trained dog you see walking the roads, running and playing with other dogs in a field, greeting adults and children calmly and with manners has not just done this by its breed or nature, there will have been its lifetime of training behind it.

This may all sound as if I'm trying to put you off, or consider you not capable of owning a dog and I will say that nothing is furthur from the truth, :), it's just something to think of before you actually decide on either the breed of dog or if now is the right time to have one, if maybe waiting until the youngest is at school which really is not long to wait and will give you more time to chose a breed, view breeds that take your fancy, and find a good supportive reputable breeder who will put you on their waiting list. (And I strongly advise you to go this route rather than just picking one off the dog adverts places, although CD is a good place to look with advice from those on here) Discover Dogs is a wonderful place to visit (i know its at Crufts that has gone, but someone here will be able to tell you the other time they do this) you see all breeds and can talk to the owners in a more relaxed manner. Join the breed clubs of the breeds you like to gain more info, go to shows in the summer and see what breeds take your eye. Buy a book The Perfect Puppy by Gwen Bailey and read it over and over, if you want a bitch read also The Book Of the bitch which is ideal for anyone wanting a bitch, not just breeders. I also think breed welfare/rescue peple are a mine of information.

Remember, whilst it may seem annoying to have to 'prove yourself' to a breeder, think would you be happy buying from someone who is happy to let their puppy go no questions asked? :)

What a great post Calmstorm.

I agree with most of what you say.

Even though I myself got my first dog when my daughter was 14 months I son realised that the rosy view was far from practical reality.

Having dogs (especially puppies) and young children generally means keeping them apart and allowing supervised careful interaction when both are calm.

I soon discovered that to have somewhere for children to play, especially with other peoples kids visiting, it was vital to split the garden, so that there was a no dog area that the children could run and play in avoiding risk of treading in poo or winding a dog up.

With my second dog (first had sadly died), I knew more what to expect, but had two pre school kids, the youngest again a toddler of 14 months.  In both cases I had to be very strict with early puppy training as friendly enthusiastic pups knock small children over even if just sitting and pawing at them, not to mention scratched faces.

I don't drive and walked my pup/dog with the pushchair.  If you drive you will have car seats, children nd buggy in the back.  Will there be room for the dog and a safe containment system like a crate or dog guard and tailgate guard.

As a breeder I was never against letting young families have a pup, but having had one back at 8 1/2 months a total juvenile delinquent as the realities of owning and training a pup along with being supermom just were not realistic for that owner.

I have also had back two pups from seperate experienced owners who had not had a pup for 13 to 15 years and found they could no longer cope with a pups needs.

I have a border and a cocker, my cocker is great with kids, I have 7 great nieces and they play with Whistler a lot. I have to keep him on a lead when i see kids or he is off to play, he has such fun (he is 1 now)
The only thing I will admit to is as he is born thief he will nick biscuits off the kids if they wave it under his nose.
The Border is as good he lets them count his teeth and he has been painted with a bright pink felt tip before now, but he needs at least 3 hours exercise a day. This weekend Poppy (she's three) phoned up to take Whistler for a walk and off he went!!!
If you do go for any dog give them a place for themselves (we use a cage) tell the kids its the dogs bed room and when the dog is in it he is left alone. It gives the dog a bedroom and the kids limits to play time. Both our dogs go to bed, with two biscuits every night, and sleep until we get them up. Worked from day 1.

Viv

Can I just say to carrington and rupertbear especially, I never said I wasn`t up for long walks we`ve always enjoyed a good walk but what I was trying to get at was just how much!! Am quite prepared for the fact most if not all need at least two good walks a day (and weather has never bothered me either!) but I can`t be treking off over the hills for 3 hours twice a day.  All I`m simpy trying to get is a reality! I`m not very house proud, that`s not to say I would let any dog run wild, but I just wanted to hear from experience just how smelly and dirty it can become and just how much walking other people give their dogs! I have been researching this for a long time and it`s far from something I`m rushing into. My husband grew up with dogs and whilst I`ve never had experience I have a couple of close friends who I`ve been watching bring up their pups, hearing all the lows as well as the highs. Thankyou calmstorm for the advice! I hadn`t thought of actually seperating the garden maybe that`s something we could do. But I have thought of all the other issues raised. I do have time for training and classes and my kids seem to have great respect for animals already through experience. I`m well aware having a puppy is alot of hard work and time consuming but we wouldn`t want to be getting a dog if it wasn`t time consuming. We want a dog to be part of our family not just a pet. Thankyou for all the suggestions of different breeds will definatley look into them! And I have actually been to our local animal shelter, we would definately rehome a dog if the right one came up, still looking!

[bbut I can`t be treking off over the hills for 3 hours twice a day.]

:-D  I don't think anyone would do that much walking, even I wouldn't spend 6 hours a day walking a dog!

The reality is the exercise routines that are on many websites along with characters etc for breeds are the average amount that a dog of certain breeds should have, not plucked out of thin air but a reality.  If your looking for people to say, well actually my dog does not get it's allocated walk time as suggested then that is not a good start. You should base the exercise routines you have read for each breed as the norm, with occassional circumstances like illness, breeding etc being able to reduce that time, or break it down into 3 shorter walks, but a dog needs it's exercise for socialising, hunting scents and enjoying being a dog, not just purely for leg and body health.

I appreciate that you may be a little miffed as to why it may sound as though some of us are offering advice as though you are not prepared, but through experience many of us have heard this story a 100 times where people want a dog and really do not know what they are getting into and the time they consume, which is why I will always air caution to hopefully save another dog from ending up in rescue because of an impulse buy.

Glad that you are getting experience of pups from your friends and an adult rescue dog would really appreciate a good home if you were to find one suitable. :-)

I agree, go to some shows and look at the dogs there, you will find plenty of Goldies and Cavs at most open shows, usually several springers too. If you go for springers make sure they are show lines and not working lines, the working type are much more energetic. I have Cavaliers and find them perfect - small enough to pick up and cuddle, big enough for a man to not feel embarrassed at walking them. They are fit and happy to do a 5 or 6 mile walk at the weekend, but are also perfectly content with the half mile or mile they get before work, or even nothing if it's pouring with rain! The coat is easy to take care of, it does pick up mud and twigs but they brush out fine once the mud has dried. They will put up with pretty much anything. If you've read your books you already know to buy from stock with heart, eye and MRI scan tested dogs.

It`s just that the books say they need moderate or lots of exercise but what does that mean in real terms, a mile, 2 miles, 30 mins, an hour? I`m not looking for people to tell me they only go once round the block once a day with a big energetic dog just what real people do with their healthy well balanced dog!!! And honestly I`m not miffed at anyone offering advice that`s what I wanted, a real view of life with a dog or a puppy!

RachelT I really understand what you mean, when we were looking for the 'ideal breed' it was hard to know what 'moderate exercise' meant! Like you we really wanted a golden retriever, but in the end decided we might not be able to give enough exercise as our circumstances are similar in that we have children. I was worried about the poor dog going crazy if I happened to be stuck in with a poorly child! (But in a normal day we can provide 3 regular walks .) After lots of thought we have ended up with two completely different breeds to our original list, we have a Coton de Tulear and a Papillon. Hopefully one day we might have a golden too but at present the two dogs we have suit us very well - despite me preferring big dogs! Anyway good luck in your search, and as others also suggest it may be worth considering some other breeds too.  

With you. :-) These are for adult dogs, not puppies, puppies you should stick as closely to 5 mins walk per month of life, once 12 months these are the average exercise routines usually split over 2 walks, needed for the breeds you asked.  Of course they can/are capable of doing more, infact most would love it. :-) These are the very minimal of walking times for the breeds.

Ok Golden Retrievers 80-100 minutes per day
Springers 120 minutes per day  
Show Cockers 40 -60 minutes per day
Working Cocker 100 minutes per day, though can easily keep up with a Springer   
Cavalier 40-60 mins per day

Hope this helps more, remember usually this is split between 2 walks a day.

Also, these walks for these particular breeds should be off lead as much as possible for excess running time.     

Thanks that really helps!!!! Got a field at the end of our road where all the local dogs go to socialise and exercise their owners!

> It`s just that the books say they need moderate or lots of exercise but what does that mean in real terms, a mile, 2 miles, 30 mins, an hour?

I would say with any but the most delicate toy breed any dog should expect an hours walk a day at least once adult.

Then you get into the more energetic breeds, I would call 1 1/2 hours moderate and 2 hours a day or more as the more energetic.

Of course here I am talking about very brisk lead walking so the dog has to trot (and we would have to power walk with a medium size breed) and free running exercise, not the ambling at our walking pace, which is the speed you would do with a child or buggy, you would have to up it quite a bit at that pace.

Must say, I thought the same.  Most elkhounds adore children.
Edited to say:  Reply intended to follow Asa's original comment!

>As far as we can see we`ve narrowed it down to 3 breeds, Golden retrievers, english springer spaniel and the cavalier king charles spaniel

How many breeds have you actually looked at?  Seems a shame to settle for the first couple you come across if you don't know what other breeds are out there ;)

Just about everyone on this forum would recommend their own breed (with a few exceptions ;) )  including myself   :-D  but what you really need to do is make a list of what you really can't live with, then a list of must haves, then have a look here for starters

http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/item/435  Once you find a few breeds you're interested in you can start looking for dog shows/breed club shows where you can meet the breed :)

Choosing a dog is a very personal thing and what suits one family in one situation will not suit another family ;)  eg. I couldn't live with any dog which slobbered or smelled ;)  and I just couldn't live with a Staffy, they can be lovely, but I've met too many who aren't dog friendly once they're adults and I find them too bulky, I also like a dog I can pick up easily if need be ;)

Hope this helps