hi all. Please can anyone offer me any advice?
our family consists of myself, my partner, our 3 yr old and we're currently owned by a young whippet, known as Roxy.
Roxy is a lovely albeit, mischeivious and cheeky girl, and i feel that she would benefit from a four legged friend.
i'm at home all day, as i don't work, whereas my partner works full time, and Roxy is very much a 'daddys' girl. i'd rather not have another young pup (really don't want the weeing, nipping stage again!!)
We're open to rescuing a dog, however would prefer a pure breed as with an unknown breed heritage comes unknown breed heritary ailments and behavioural issues. However, we're just stumped as to what breed.
Although they are stunning, i fear something like a husky is def not suitable due to the exercise levels required, and i'm also wary of something tiny - my daughter is great with dogs, but a dog 2 small in a busy home... plus i'm extremely clumsy!! :-)
We have been looking up on the net, my partner hs experiance of Border Collies, Dogue De Bordeaux, Mastiffs etc, and does prefer big dogs - wolfhounds, great danes etc.
Also due being a family with a child (possibly more one day), it needs to be child friendly.
Can anyone recommend me a dog that would fit into our lives, as we need to be realistic to ensure we find a forever dog!
Thanks

How about a boxer ?

They are wonderful with children and so much fun.

Annee

Why not contact Whippet breed rescue.

first may i say well done for thinking out your families limitations before jumping in at the deepend, so many people don't :)

if you decided to go down the rescue route (and i'm sure you've thought of this but just in case :)) i think your right that a breed would suit better- many dogs in breed rescues are being rehomed for personal circs (family split, overseas move etc) so you'll have a full history and won't have to worry to much about reactions to kids.

i have bullmastiffs and my sis has a whippet so i assure you they manage well enough with the size difference, my very big boy loves Bindi to bits and is extremely gentle with her. mastiffs of pretty much every type are good with kids as a rule to and if your family have experience of them this can only hold you in good stead for a breed rescue :)

other factors then- how much hair can you cope with? for example would a tibetan mastiff or a bouvier be to much?
                           how much excersize can you give?
                           do you have a preference in build (i know you said bigger but then mastiff heavy or great dane slender? both still big :))

 

> Why not contact Whippet breed rescue.

or of course if your enjoying your whippet but want something bigger why not a greyhound?

How about a flat coat retriever ?not sure how easy to find a rescue but they are fantastic family dogs love everybody and very trainable .
One of the reasons I owned my flatti was because I had young children and needed abreed that would befriendly to everyone and generally others wouldnt be wary of. After owning a gsd it was amazing the differenc in people attitudes.
Dont know much about greyhounds but it sounds like a great idea from Astarte, what I have heard they make lovely pets too

i was going to suggest greyhound as well. or perhaps one of the retrievers? known for being good family dogs and usually good with other dogs. large without being huge, but too big to be considered small and fragile!

other factors then- how much hair can you cope with? for example would a tibetan mastiff or a bouvier be to much?
                           how much excersize can you give?
                           do you have a preference in build (i know you said bigger but then mastiff heavy or great dane slender? both still big )

would prefer not a huge deal of hair loss, but will learn to accept it for the right dog, as after all it can be vaccuumed up!!!
At the mo i can provide plenty of exercise, my whippet doesnt go out 4 long as she is still growing, but i can always take another dog out seperately. However i do need to be realistic as we're still a young family and havn't ruled out more kids and i really don't wanna be one of the 'the dog has to go cos i'm having a bby'. therefore i'd much prefer a dog that I NO i can care for the needs properly as this is the most importnt thing. I don't mind on the general size - from the medium end to the larger. I pro sound picky but i'm worried about me doing damage. rozy follows me everywhere and i'm constantly kicking her or standing on her.
However i appreciate ALL advice, if u feel that i should keep to what i have then please feel free to say it, but i would love to open my doors - and give up my sofa and bed... for another 4 legged friend - the more the merrier!! :-) (i've even got hedgehogs here etc!)
claire

Hi there!

Warm welcome to CD :)
Why not have a family day out to the Kennel Club's Discover Dogs at Crufts. (click on the blue link to see details)
                The joy of doing this is that you get up close and (slobbery) personal with the dogs themselves but also with the breeders/owners accompanying them. The folk manning the DD stalls are an absolute mine of information and they ought to be able to give you details of their breed rescue (most will personally know their BR co-ordinators) and also they may know of breeders within their respective breeds who may have older dogs.

(As much as I yearn for a more quiet and peaceful Crufts I really think that this year the supporters,lovers and mentors of pedigrees should vote with their feet, smite Passionate productions and boost the numbers attending Crufts, so come along and support a good cause too! ;) )

Hope this helps.

Why not have a family day out to the Kennel Club's Discover Dogs at Crufts

Consider it done!!!
thanks

Hi, welcome to the forum :)

It's FANTASTIC that you are researching before getting a dog :-D

>my partner hs experiance of Border Collies, Dogue De Bordeaux, Mastiffs etc, and does prefer big dogs - wolfhounds, great danes etc.

Good taste ;)

Definately worth going to discover dogs, you may fall in love with a breed you've never heard of, or never considered.

Discover dogs is a great idea but I just wanted to plug retired greyhounds too :-)  An ex racing greyhound makes a fabulous pet. Bigger than your whippet, not much coat care required. Good with kids and other dogs. Will take as much exercise as you want to give it, but will be just as happy with a 20 minute walk. Depending where you are in the country there are numerous rescue organisations, you can get a greyhound that has been fostered first so it's house trained etc.

How old is your whippet?

Hi
As your open to an older rescued dog, why not go along to a shelter or look on line at dogs trust or battersea...the best thing about these places as they will make sure that your whippet will get along with any dog you like and to make sure fine with small children. A dog aged 2 is still young- how old is your whippet? being that age you really need to make sure they are pals.
I would think a collie x springer would suit being a medium sized dog or a lab cross as a little bigger so hubby would be happy. The springerx collie will love to run and play with your whippet and are gentle and loving family dogs with children so are lab's.
I would personally wait until your child is older for a large breed as walking a 1-18 month old mastiff & whippet would be hard work for you with your daughter being only 3. 

Best of luck in your search.xx

Hedgehogs how lovely havent seen one for years. I think they have moved out of Croydon.

> I would think a collie x springer would suit being a medium sized dog or a lab cross as a little bigger so hubby would be happy. The springerx collie will love to run and play with your whippet and are gentle and loving family dogs with children so are lab's.
> I would personally wait until your child is older for a large breed as walking a 1-18 month old mastiff & whippet would be hard work for you with your daughter being only 3.

I would think that a cross between two very high energy breeds would require an awfu lot more exercise than either a mastiff or a whippet!

> Dogue De Bordeaux, Mastiffs etc

I am totally smitten with Dogues and one of our four was a rescue, 18 months when we got him. As an individual he's very laid back and has fitted in really well, though we don't have young children any more. But as a breed they can be pretty dynamic when young and a rescue Dogue would probably need a lot of training. Nice smooth coats though so few grooming issues.

I have a friend who has two entire Mastiff males and she has also taken in a male Mastiff as a rescue. He is a delightful boy who has fitted in well with her other boys and she has had no behaviour problems. The Mastiffs I've seen tend to look a bit calmer than Dogues.

Like others, I wonder if a Greyhound would suit you. You obviously like that 'look'. They are certainly big, the ones I have met seem pretty laid back and you would have plenty to choose from.

Good luck, it's a good thing to research well before you choose and taking in a rescue is a lovely thing to do if you can manage it.

>> I would think that a cross between two very high energy breeds would require an awfu lot more exercise than either a mastiff or a whippet!

Hi Tigger,
I can see my mentioning the springerx collie would be a real mental head of a dog- on paper they should be...but I know a local man who has been breeding these for years he wanted to make them into a breed! :-eek Sprollies they are called around here. I would not be into that but as they are a very popular type in my area maybe farmer's that shoot started this mix? many of my friends own them and they are very eager to please and fit right into any household with not the amount of exercise that a full collie needs- strange but true.

Regards suez

I have two dogs a cocker who sounds like your Roxy and is always underfoot and a Border Collie, it was not my idea to get a Border its was my OH that had always wanted one so I was prepared to find it a diffecult?dog to adapt to, not quite the right word. I have fallen for him hook line and sinker, he's clever, funny, obediant and somewhat independant in that he does go off and keep himself amused with a flower pot. Unlike my Cocker that destroys everything he "fetches" Jake will play for hours fetching, ideal for a child that will spend ages just chucking a ball. He allows my Great nieces to "paint" him when Im not looking and is so gentle. I think they are worth a think/consideration expecially as you are a dog owner already, not ideal for many but I freely admit he's wounderful. (So is Whistler but in different cuddly ways)

> However i do need to be realistic as we're still a young family and havn't ruled out more kids and i really don't wanna be one of the 'the dog has to go cos i'm having a bby'. therefore i'd much prefer a dog that I NO i can care for the needs properly as this is the most importnt thing. I don't mind on the general size - from the medium end to the larger. I pro sound picky but i'm worried about me doing damage. rozy follows me everywhere and i'm constantly kicking her or standing on her.
>

picky is good, don't you worry about that :) its an important decision.

well to my mind a retired grey hound might suit you perfectly, but i am leaning to the suggestion of a mastiff (not biased AT ALL lol :))

i think HG's suggestion of discover dogs and crufts would be a great idea, its fantastic fun and my partner came away with a list of breeds he wants :)

I feel for an Italian spinole last year! It was his eyes so knowing, you could lose yourself in those eyes.

>i feel for an Italian spinole last year! It was his eyes so knowing, you could lose yourself in those eyes.

lol, liam was struck dumb by the sight of an akita :) he actually stopped dead, then grabbed me, spun me round and fervently asked (in a voice of love and adoration lol) "whats that??"

I sat with this dog for about half and hour and kept going back, the lady must of thought i was potty. Im going to get one, one day.

You know what to buy him if he's a good boy then!! Hence we have a BC it was Colin's dream dog so when the Dr said he should destress I paid for Jake, best thing I ever did.

lol akitas are on a long list- the next dog we get is his pick and it'll be a gsd

Hello,
just read your post. I have 2 young children and we took forever to decide what breed to go for. In the end we decided on a Golden retriever. She is lovely, really laid back and great with the children. She hasn't knocked them over once, even though she's a big dog (and still growing). She's my kids best friend and they tell her stories, dress her up etc. I'm sure your local breed club can help if you want to rehome one.

You might want to check out the website www.manytears.co.uk. They are a rescue center based in South Wales, but have most of their dogs in foster homes who post their progress on the internet. You then get an idea of what the dog is like in a home rather than just the kennels like other rescue homes. And they are very frank and honest about the home they think the dog should go to.
Good luck!

I dont know what breed rescues are like but im sure most general rescues wont rehome to families with children under the age of 7 (or has it changed now ?)

My pal from work fell for a Spinone at Discover Dogs last year. After a year of researching (and a little help from moi!) she is hopefully picking up her puppy at the end of March from a great breeder listed on CD :-)

I would second what the others have said and definitely go to DD - you can't beat it for finding out first hand experience from breeders and owners.

hi all. Thanks for all your advice.
I have contacted 3 rescues in the midlands, and they won't let me rescue a dog due to having a 3 yr old. 1 even told me to come back when she is 7....
I have looked on pr****ed - and typed in dogs for sale - just for a basic idea of whats out there. i've seen many many beautiful dogs, from pointers, to labs, to lurchers and shnauzers to name but a few.
( i had never heard of a spinone until it was mentioned here, so i googled it.... OMG!! so scruffily handsome!!)
i am awaiting a response to an email i sent to an online greyhound rescue, so they may let me take on a dog.
We have been talking (my partner and i) and have decided to just keep looking, and see what comes up, as i'm sure if we wait long enough a lovely little 4 legged friend will show its beautiful head.
Everyone i've spoken to on a diff forum had their fave dog (many of them bias...), but as there are so many dogs our there, i think we'd be better off just holding back until something jumps out at us!!

Yep there are close to 200 breeds recognised by our Kennel club and one mans meat is another mans poison as the saying goes.

One persons ideal dog would be my worst nightmare.

> One persons ideal dog would be my worst nightmare

lol, namely mine (or mastiff lovers)... fancy a dribbly beast barbara?

And mine!! Anybody who likes slobber is more than welcome to come to my house and be slobbered all over by the gang!!!

Nope slobber is one of the things I couldn't live with.