We are looking to get our first puppy in the near future but are unsure what breed - i work from home so that will not be a problem - also have two children aged 13 & 9 - all we really know is that we want a 'relaxed' not mad puppy, i know that puppies are playful etc so thats not a problem, a few friends have staffs and they are all made - one friend has a boxer that is supprisingly calm, just thought i would ask and see what suggestions you all come up with.
Size, colour price not important.

I have a Mastiff puppy, and he is VERY chilled out!! He spends most of the day asleep! Mastiffs are also good with children. BUT, i would strongly advise doing a LOT of research to see if they are the correct breed for you. Contact breed clubs and talk to as many breeders/owners as you can. If you need any more info then register on this site and i will help you as much as i can! Hope that helps!! Good luck in your search!! :D

Why not go to a Champ show, if there is one in the vicinity - you could then see all sorts of dogs and ask owners about them.

Or there is the Dog & Bone Show this weekend, at Windsor, I believe - they'll have a discover dogs stand there.

Margot

As they ay one mans meat is another mans poison ...what suits one will not suit another !
As sugested try and go to some shows...watch the dogs and talk to the owners.Make sure you hear the negative points aswell as the positive ones...all breeds have them.
Archer

Hi Margot
What exactly is the Dog and Bone Show?
Thanks
S

Sorry, just noticed the date of original post. Its tiring having a puppy....

Hi,
Lots of puppies appear to be a little mad, there teenage years mischievous,
But!! most calm down a little after 3years, well worth it!!
Have a look on Champdogs ect; size, long or short coat, need little walks or long
walks.Put down what you would like in your dog then check the breeds.
Best of Luck.
Regards
Denese

Good advise Denese, thats how i discovered Mastiffs. Searched through LOADS of different breeds to pick which ones matched what i was looking for in a dog (and which dogs my family would suit!). I found there were so many breeds that i hadnt even heard of!! I had never even seen a Mastiff before i started researching. :-)

Hi Mackleback,
We all live so diffrent, and there is so many lovely breeds out there,
and a dog is for life, so it is worth taking a little time to decide.
They make such good friends, and good company, always welcome you, unconditional love.
Wouldn't be without mine. Help keep me saine sometimes a!!! 
Regards
Denese

I cant imagine being without my pup now, even though he is only 5 months old!! It makes all the months of research and waiting all worth while, when you finally bring home your new family member! I had never owned a dog before, but i cant beleive the effect he has had on me and my family already!!! We wouldnt swap him for the world!! :-)

My Cavalier boy was always well behaved and willing to curl up for a cuddle - had selective deafness in the park mind you!! On the other hand my new Cavalier girl is a real mad thing, always hurtling around with her toys!

I would suggest as others have on this post do plenty of research look at a lot of different breeds then narrow it down to a particular one and do as much research on that breed as possible and also like we did when you have decided find a good breeder and ask if you can go and visit their dogs,we did this with ours and were lucky as mum and dad were available to be seen and a litter of pups although they had all gone at the time,but you get a good idea of what the adults are like if they come from a good home if the breeder is friendly and helpful and if like our dog it is a giant breed you get a very good idea of what you will be taking on size wise.  We have a newfoundland cross bernese mountain dog,the breeder is great we got a puppy pack with lots of useful info;and we keep in touch by e.mail and we are taking puppy to visit later this month as she likes to know how the dogs are doing through rest of their lives and its useful to have someone with knowledge to help you out if needed (although if you join this site you will gather a lot of invaluable advice ) good luck with your search.

why not try a staffy puppy,brillant family and guard dog

fryo,

Whilst a staffy may be the perfect pet for you and your family, they might be the perfect nightmare for the OP, recommending your own breed isn't always the best thing to do ;)

Yep, that is why so many people end up with one of the more popular breeds and find they aren't suited at all, whereas with a bit6 of research they may have found somethign that was just the right fit.

Go to Discover dogs in November (if you can wait that long)
Here they have all breeds that you can greet and meet in person.

What someone on the list thinks is a medium sized dog another may think a large or small breed of dog.
Hence the need to get close up and personal.

Or as some others have suggested go to a championship dog show - the only problem here is that you'd
need to go on all 4 days to see all the breeds that are being shown :D

The things that you need is someone to give you a warts and all scenario what their breed is really like..
not the 'we've got the best breed' in the world talk and nothing about the problems of training, if the breed has
stubborness as a trait etc etc etc. You need to know about any health issues within the breed/s you are considering.

With all this you should then use the information you've acquired to make an informed decision which breed of dog
you want and suits you, your family and your lifestyle. Good Luck :)

Info on Boxers - Not all are calm, most can be boisterous, lively. Although at times can be stubborn they normally wish
to please (especially if food's involved, LOL). They thrive on human companionship and don't take kindly to being left
on their own for long periods as this can result in them being destructive (you could/will end up with a chewed house).
If you want a Boxer please take them to training classes as soon as their puppy jabs allow. The sooner you start the sooner
you start reaping the rewards of a well trained dog (that goes for all breeds). What's cute and funny at 8 weeks isn't so cute
when they are nearly mature and can be weighing upto 6 stone!

Boxer health problems - Heart aortic stenosis. Which is why you should always ask if parents are heart tested and to be considered
clear for breeding purposes they must have either a grade 0 or 1 score, the breeder should always be able to produce
the certificate to proove the grading too. If they don't own the sire you may not got to see this info but there is a good web resource
to see the dogs and bitches that have been heart scored clear. www.boxerbreedcouncil.co.uk
There is now a new heart issue called cardiomyopathy. This is currently under investigation but the major vet cardiologists are aware
of the problems within the breed. This can affect dogs & puppies alike.

Boxers average age is 10 years. You will get some that go to 12-13 years old but commonly the average is
10 years old.
As a whole the breed is reknowned for being a good family dog which loves children (that's because they are like a mischevious
child!!, LOL)

There's lots of good advice already been given, I would advise lots of research to see what suits you.  Make a list of the breeds you like the look of.

  When you have a short list check out any problems different breeds might have, for example we have a GR puppy they are prone to hip and eye problems so you need to know the hip scores etc of the parents.  When you buy the dog, buy from a reputable breeder (for GR puppies a KC registered one) never, never buy from a puppy farm.

Before you get your puppy read up on the breed, training methods etc etc.

My experience of dogs is limited to Springers and Golden Retrievers, if you want a relaxed puppy i'd think twice about a Springer in my experiance these are totally loopy (before anyone starts complaining Springers are wonderful dogs and the two I grew up with were fantastic family pets but they were both completely mad :)).  Our GR is very good with children has, so far, been easy to train and is pretty relaxed.

One other thing we found is that it can take time to find a puppy we looked for GRs and Labs they sell very quickly so it can take a lot of phone calls before you find the right puppy.

This articla may help http://www.irishdogs.ie/Articles/index.htm