Recommend Dog Please

jacknife

My brother is looking for a dog here is his situation

young kids
wife at home all day
big outdoor area
dog will be inside & outside

He's looking for a medium to large dog, that's relatively non shedding, not noisy and good with kids

Here are my suggestions:

Labrador
Greyhound
Saluki
German Shepherd

Any else recommend a dog for him

CreedonsDogDayc

Dont know about saluki's but the other 3 are big shedders!!!

How old are the kids? Would they consider a rescue dog? A lot of shelters foster out the dogs, so the foster family can let them know all about the dogs temperament.

Cleo_

All but one (the Saluki) are bad shedders and the greyhounds don't really do well outdoors. Will need a bit more information before i could recommend a breed.
I am assuming he is looking for a specific breed rather than a mixed breed from a shelter?

How much time is going to be spent on exercise for the dog?
How much experience does he and his wife have with dogs?
What ages are the children?

bookerboy

We rescued a Lab.You won't regret it.
Visit the pounds,try to take a dog on a short trial period.If he dosen't work out bring him back and try again until you get the right one.
Let him sleep outdoors(in kennel)If the weather gets very cold let him sleep indoors.
Our Lab only gets into the kitchen,never the bedrooms or livingroom.
Good luck with it.

yolanda

Lab or golden retriever good for kids but will shed. Would he think of a cocker spaniel? Not too big, can be inside or out, good with kids. A lot of energy is only thing which could be good/bad.

Rescue dog good however after months of trekking off to different centres we still couldnt find one which suited us so we went and sourced a puppy from a breeder. Only thing about the puppy is that they do need more input than the bigger dog.

Cherry Blossom

Staffie! - Great family dog, love kids ticks all your boxes, shelters are over-run with them. I'd advise a rescue as opposed to a pound with young kids as a rescue will be better equiped to find a good match;) You don't know what you'd be getting from a pound to be honest.

The only issues would be that they have to be well socialised with other dogs and would have to live mostly indoors as they don't have much tollerance of the cold because of their short coats.

Try EGAR

www.egar.org

Whispered

+1 for the staffie - fantastic family dog & bred to be good with people. Not very vocal at all and really clowny. They do need to be well socialised, but all breeds do, esp mid - large ones.

Not so sure on the lab - they are hugely high energy, they usually have great temperments but need lots and lots of exercise. They shed like crazy too. Their size and excitable-ness (is that even a word) means they can easily knock a child over, especially if it's a young dog and a young child. Although probably an ideal dog for older kids.

Whatever breed they go for, I'd encourage rescue. A dog from a foster family will be vetted and even trained to a point. You can be matched with a dog suitable for you. If they do go to a breeder, make sure they do proper research into what to look for in a good breeder. (you'll get lots of info on that here too.)

Fair play for helping your brother - it's great to see a family researching what dog would suit them best.

funkyjebus

soft coated wheaten terrier. non shed, medium, fantastic reputation with children, very playful. solved!!

kylith

I'd be tempted to go for an Irish Water Spaniel if I were him, not too big, non shed. Any I've met have been pretty steady. I don't know what they'd be like with kids, but if the dog is raised with them it should be ok.

shinikins

I'm surprsied that nobody has suggested a mutt!!
Shelters are overrun with mongrels, and many vets has ads up for mongrel pups that are free to a good home. Mongrels tend to have fewer health issues and better temperaments than purebreeds. The main disadvantage is that unless you have seen both parents you will really only have a vague idea of how big your dog will be as an adult.

sassychick

A boxer:D great with kids,not big shedders and medium energy dogs..A rescue is a good idea i rescued my dog and the pound is over run with doggys at the minute...its nice to know your giving a dog another chance to have a happy life...best of luck with wotever you choose

garancafan

I'd recommend a Schnauzer - good family dog, excellent guard-dog, hairy but non-shedding, needs a grooming at 6-8 weekly intervals. BTW an excellent resource for researching dogs is youtube.

Chinasea

The shelters are choc a bloc with dogs that desperately need a home and a large amount will certainly tick all those boxes and more for you.

getz

non shedding dogs that are good with young kids, are the old english sheep dogs[can be kept outside] and the standard poodle, but i agree with one of of the other posties the staffee [even though it sheds ] is the type of dog i would go for, i used to show and breed them.

Galway K9

bookerboy wrote: »

Visit the pounds,try to take a dog on a short trial period.If he dosen't work out bring him back and try again until you get the right one.
Good luck with it.

Cant say i agree with this....:mad:

sophie1234

garancafan wrote: »

I'd recommend a Schnauzer - good family dog, excellent guard-dog, hairy but non-shedding, needs a grooming at 6-8 weekly intervals. BTW an excellent resource for researching dogs is youtube.

+1 on the schnauzer great family pet so loving and non shedding!! and gets on great with other dogs!

Benito

jacknife wrote: »

My brother is looking for a dog here is his situation

young kids
wife at home all day
big outdoor area
dog will be inside & outside

He's looking for a medium to large dog, that's relatively non shedding, not noisy and good with kids

Here are my suggestions:

Labrador
Greyhound
Saluki
German Shepherd

Any else recommend a dog for him

Hi!
Labrador is very good
Greyhound is very good with kids but needs a lot of run time
Don't know Saluki
German Shepard...All the ones I see are very long in the back. They seem to have hip problems. I have a Kerry and I haven't met a friendly GS, yet.

Why not try a terrier? Many varities, small to medium and all are good with kids. Have fun!

trio

I thought Schnauzers were quite vocal? No?

Truth is, you're better off going the rescue route - not even because of the fact you're rescuing a dog - it's also the fact that they'll have had the dogs for a few weeks, will have gotten to know them, and will know which ones are quiet and don't shed much.

Whereas otherwise how would you know? Every dog is so different. I mean, especially if you get a puppy - how will you know if it'll grow up to be a vocal dog or not?

Go to a rescue and ask them - we asked for a quiet dog (cos of the neighbours) and they promptly said "this one" and sure enough there's not a peep out of him.

lrushe

Benito wrote: »

Greyhound is very good with kids but needs a lot of run time
QUOTE]

Actully greyhounds are built for quick bursts of speed not stamia, therefore a quick run usually satisfies their exercise needs. Most greyhounds I've know were couch potatoes. If they are outside and its cold they will need a coat. They make excellent family pets and there are usually lots in shelters looking for homes.

Qualitymark

Whatever dog you get, you're going to need to bring it for a good walk of about an hour every day, and train it, and love it, and clean up after it - and this is important with young kids; you don't want them getting dog dirt on their hands and into their mouths and eyes.

It's also going to have to be fed (my dog costs me about €60 every two months for food, plus another €20 or so for baked bones and €10 for treats) and vetted (vaccination and spaying costs first off, probably about €100; a good idea to have PetPlan or some similar insurance, which is about €20 a month); and licensed, which is €12.50 a year.

So don't take on a dog unless you're really going to commit to it.

If you've once decided on that, maybe go and visit Dogs' Trust (http://www.dogstrust.ie/) and talk to the people there about what dog they have for rehoming that would be suitable for a family of children.

kylith

Benito wrote: »

Why not try a terrier? Many varities, small to medium and all are good with kids. Have fun!

Completely disagree! I grew up with terriers and I would never recommend them for kids that are not used to them. They are a lot less inclined than something like a Lab to put up with being pulled out of by kids and can be quick to snap.

Much as I love my terriers I don't trust them around kids, or rather, I don't trust kids not to torment them beyond the dog's threshold.

getz

kylith wrote: »

Completely disagree! I grew up with terriers and I would never recommend them for kids that are not used to them. They are a lot less inclined than something like a Lab to put up with being pulled out of by kids and can be quick to snap.

Much as I love my terriers I don't trust them around kids, or rather, I don't trust kids not to torment them beyond the dog's threshold.

when i went to get my first dog in the early 70s,i had a young child and i was told by the kennal club,to go for the staffie,many of those breeders at that time would only sell their dogs to people who had children,it was believed that it was the only type that could take the knocking about that young children would do, in those day to get a staffie it was like going to a job interview,

jacknife

thanks for all the replies, the kids are 10 & 7

he was saying that labs can be quite destructive and shed a lot?

i've mentioned about the shelters he said that they could be in a shelter because their problem dogs, he s a bit reluctant to go to a shelter because of that, i'm sure they would not re-home a problem dog

are staffies good family dogs can they be aggressive with other dogs

Cherry Blossom

jacknife wrote: »

are staffies good family dogs can they be aggressive with other dogs

Staffies are also known as Nanny dogs for a reason . My aunt has one, her grandkids now refer to her home as 'Lucy's house', Lucy being the Staffie

Yes they can be dog agressive which is why they must be well socialised with other dogs from when they are puppies, puppy socialisation classes are recommended and if they are regularly walked in an area where there are other dogs there should be no problem.

<ETA> All puppies are destructive, it's what puppies do, they have to be trained properly to learn the rules of the house and yes labs are the biggest shedders I've come across as has already been mentioned by a few people on this thread already I think.

kylith

getz wrote: »

when i went to get my first dog in the early 70s,i had a young child and i was told by the kennal club,to go for the staffie,many of those breeders at that time would only sell their dogs to people who had children,it was believed that it was the only type that could take the knocking about that young children would do, in those day to get a staffie it was like going to a job interview,

Staffies seem to be almost in a league of their own in that respect. Something like a JRT, Cairn, Westie, Fell terrier though I wouldn't home with small children. I think it's the prey drive; high pitched squealing and running around seems to set a lot of them off.

tk123

jacknife wrote: »

he was saying that labs can be quite destructive and shed a lot?

Any dog has the potential to become destructive if it's not excercisd and stimulated and bored out of it's head tbh. I've met a few people who say their labs are 'mad' then look at me like I have two heads when I tell them our retriever goes to day care a couple of times a week and does obidience etc. As for the shedding dogs are messy (well our guy is lol) so there's other things to take into consideration like mucky paws, drool, wet fur, taking a drink and half of it spilling out of their mouth as the walk away from the bowl and leaving puddles everywhere :pac: I brush him every day/every second day because I get alleric to the dander sometimes so he doesn't really shed that much.

getz

kylith wrote: »

Staffies seem to be almost in a league of their own in that respect. Something like a JRT, Cairn, Westie, Fell terrier though I wouldn't home with small children. I think it's the prey drive; high pitched squealing and running around seems to set a lot of them off.

i have had four staffies and i am now on my second english bulldog,and i am often asked by people what is the best dog, and i still say the staffie as its a dog for eveyone,it also has less health problems than most other pedigree dogs.

Zapperzy

jacknife wrote: »

thanks for all the replies, the kids are 10 & 7

he was saying that labs can be quite destructive and shed a lot?

i've mentioned about the shelters he said that they could be in a shelter because their problem dogs, he s a bit reluctant to go to a shelter because of that, i'm sure they would not re-home a problem dog

are staffies good family dogs can they be aggressive with other dogs

Dogs are in shelters for a variety of different reasons other than behavioural problems. For example people emigrate and leave their dogs behind, people move into rented accomodation and cannot bring their dogs with them. Sometimes these are perfectly well behaved dogs who were given up through no fault of their own. If he is worried about adopting a dog from a shelter and it having behaviour problems then ask him to talk to the people who work there and explain his worries, they should be able to match a suitable dog to him. Some shelters have their dogs in foster homes before adopting them out, this way the dog is in a more homely environment and they will be better able to judge the dog's character (good with other dogs/kids/small animals, any behaviour problems cropping up).

Please ask him not to just discount rescue dogs altogether as there are loads of perfectly good dogs out there that would suit his situation.

dub0605

We recently adopted a Beagel from the Dogs Trust and she is the most adorable thing ever. She is 4yrs old and so placid. We have no children but when we take her for a walk all the kids on the road want to pet her (walking can take a long time!!!!) and she lets them, just stands there.

Shes not very big either and does shed a few hairs but not alot. She goes for a walk most days (does not like going out in the rain)

I would suggest going to the Dogs Trust. They have a file for each dog so you will be told about the dog your getting. If you see one you like they will take it out the back for you so you can walk it around and see what it is like.

Good luck with it all

garancafan

trio wrote: »

I thought Schnauzers were quite vocal? No?

Truth is, you're better off going the rescue route - not even because of the fact you're rescuing a dog - it's also the fact that they'll have had the dogs for a few weeks, will have gotten to know them, and will know which ones are quiet and don't shed much.

Whereas otherwise how would you know? Every dog is so different. I mean, especially if you get a puppy - how will you know if it'll grow up to be a vocal dog or not?

Go to a rescue and ask them - we asked for a quiet dog (cos of the neighbours) and they promptly said "this one" and sure enough there's not a peep out of him.

I have to agree that schnauzers can be very vocal at anybody that they perceive to be an intruder. Once a visitor crosses the threshold however they are welcomed. Having said that I would be reluctant to invite the postman in!

trio

i've mentioned about the shelters he said that they could be in a shelter because their problem dogs, he s a bit reluctant to go to a shelter because of that, i'm sure they would not re-home a problem dog

Oh God not at all. Many had owners who got too old, had to be put into nursing homes; or had their first babies and suddenly realised they didn't have time for a dog; or had to downsize their homes due to the current economic blahdyblah and have no garden anymore.....

Some were country dogs who chased sheep which is a real no-no, even though they may be lovely with kids and people. Whilst others are 2nd dogs who weren't welcomed by the established dog in the household.

Loads of reasons. But in my experience they only rehome dogs who can be rehomed i.e. is a nice friendly dog.

Oh and by the way, it's a total myth that rescue dog = mongrel. There are rakes of pure-breds that wind up in rescues. Today over on Madra.ie for example they have 2 Dalmatians, a GSD, a Cairn terrier and a King Charles! And they always have a couple of greyhounds and Labs. So actually majority pure-breds over crosses at the moment!

Guill

Without any doubt i would recomend cocker spaniels, we have two and with 7 small kids (under 4!) running aroung the dogs are great. They look good and are ver affectionate and highlt intelligant.

funkyjebus

Guill wrote: »

we have two and with 7 small kids (under 4!)

:eek:

Guill

I should probably clarify, only 1 is mine, the rest are nieces, nephews and neighbours kids who come over to play with them. (Op dont forget, regardless of the dog you get always supervise when kids are around them).

shinikins

I'd agree with Guill on Cocker spaniels(i'm a bit biased )

The one thing to bear in mind with them though, is they are highly intelligent dogs, and need a firm hand when training them initially, otherwise they will figure out all sorts of ways to rule the pack!
They might not be suitable for the OP though, as they shed constantly, and need a lot if grooming if left in their natural longhaired state. Even with daily grooming my cocker seems to generate hairballs in record time!, It is great fun watching the cat chase them around though..

Rafloution

I'm going to put a greyhound vote in here. Probably the best dog I will ever own, couch potatoes is an understatement. They are very gentle and love cuddles again they cannot be outside due to their thin coat. Whatever you choose fair play for putting the research in.

Good luck

garancafan

shinikins wrote: »

I'd agree with Guill on Cocker spaniels(i'm a bit biased )......

Even with daily grooming my cocker seems to generate hairballs in record time!, It is great fun watching the cat chase them around though..

The hairballs or the spaniels?

garancafan

Rafloution wrote: »

I'm going to put a greyhound vote in here. Probably the best dog I will ever own, couch potatoes is an understatement. They are very gentle and love cuddles again they cannot be outside due to their thin coat.

I'm fascinated by your vote. May I throw a few questions at you? Is your dog a retired racing dog? Is it prone to putting on weight? Does it have an enormous appetite? How does it react to small furry animals e.g. cats? How is it on "walkies" or are you some sort of high-performance athlete?

Rafloution

garancafan wrote: »

I'm fascinated by your vote. May I throw a few questions at you? Is your dog a retired racing dog? Is it prone to putting on weight? Does it have an enormous appetite? How does it react to small furry animals e.g. cats? How is it on "walkies" or are you some sort of high-performance athlete?

Hi. My dog is a retired dog in the fact that she was never any good in the first place so she was dumped.

Prone to putting on weight no she isn't. We feed her red mills leader supreme which is a standard dog food and we have never had any weight problems with her in two years. We do monitor it when we visit the vet just to make sure she ain't losing any either.

An enormous appetite would be another no we feed her the standard size for her weight and size an she gets on fine. She has a few other treats throughout the week with he kong but she doesn't want I dont think.

My greyhound is not cat friendly and still has the chase for small furry things this can be controlled via a proper harness and lead when walking so it isn't an issue. Because of the speed of a greyhound it is a given that it wouldn't be off the lead unless it's enclosed. My garden is 20 ft by 10th and she gets on fine.
There are lots of greyhounds that are cat friendly and do not mind them in any way. A rescue will let you know if it is cat friendly before anything so you can check this.

Another good thing with retired grey is that they spend most of their lives in crates ready for a race because of this they don't like to go to the toilet where they are sleeping and tend to be very easily house trained.


Lastly before I got my grey I would have never have thought it suitable because of major misconceptions in Ireland/uk regarding this breed I did my research like you and my needs fitted perfectly. They are couch potatoes I walk mine twice a day 20 mins morning and night and she gets a run at weekends in a dog park she runs for 10 minutes and wants to go home.

www.orchardgreygoundsanctuary.com were a great help to us in finding her and also on advice Mary Jane there would be highly recommended.

Sorry for long post I didn't want to sell them short, also from my phone excuse my mistakes.

garancafan

Rafloution wrote: »

Sorry for long post I didn't want to sell them short,

Thanks for the comprehensive and informative reply.

Toulouse

I'll just correct that link

It's http://www.orchardgreyhoundsanctuary.com/

I can highly recommend MJ too! She always welcomes visitors so if you just want to go and see for yourself what the dogs are like then I'd advise you to give her a call.

Having grown up with greyhounds I can tell you that if you get one you'll never look back. Affectionate, good with kids and need less exercise than you'd think. Short walk or quick run and they're fit for the couch

garancafan

Toulouse wrote: »

Short walk or quick run and they're fit for the couch

Sounds like we would be well-matched. Many thanks.

Benito

kylith wrote: »

Completely disagree! I grew up with terriers and I would never recommend them for kids that are not used to them. They are a lot less inclined than something like a Lab to put up with being pulled out of by kids and can be quick to snap.

Much as I love my terriers I don't trust them around kids, or rather, I don't trust kids not to torment them beyond the dog's threshold.

Ooh! Not my experience. I've only had two, a Wheaten and now a Kerry and both were very good with kids both family and kids we met out walking. The kerry can be a bit rough with me but, have never seen being anything more gentle with children. Still, better to err on the side of caution eh?

We have a doggy who is sort of a westie/terrier and she's amazing with kids.
She would be cheeky as hell and try grab unattended food, but not with children - have a child petting her holding something tasty and she'll stay completely still
Full of personality and very sweet.
That said the quote

Though much more amenable to training than other terriers, West Highland White Terriers must still be taught at an early age that they are not the rulers of the world.

definitely applies

User Friendly

adrenalinjunkie wrote: »

Staffie! - Great family dog, love kids ticks all your boxes, shelters are over-run with them. I'd advise a rescue as opposed to a pound with young kids as a rescue will be better equiped to find a good match;) You don't know what you'd be getting from a pound to be honest.

www.egar.org

Whispered wrote: »

+1 for the staffie - fantastic family dog & bred to be good with people. Not very vocal at all and really clowny. They do need to be well socialised, but all breeds do, esp mid - large ones.

adrenalinjunkie wrote: »

Staffies are also known as Nanny dogs for a reason . My aunt has one, her grandkids now refer to her home as 'Lucy's house', Lucy being the Staffie

Yes they can be dog agressive which is why they must be well socialised with other dogs from when they are puppies, puppy socialisation classes are recommended and if they are regularly walked in an area where there are other dogs there should be no problem.

kylith wrote: »

Staffies seem to be almost in a league of their own in that respect. Something like a JRT, Cairn, Westie, Fell terrier though I wouldn't home with small children. I think it's the prey drive; high pitched squealing and running around seems to set a lot of them off.

getz wrote: »

i have had four staffies and i am now on my second english bulldog,and i am often asked by people what is the best dog, and i still say the staffie as its a dog for eveyone,it also has less health problems than most other pedigree dogs.

excellent!!:)

Right then OP............... Staffie it is then:)

Bullseye1

Impossible to get an answer which is not biased. You have those who recommend the breed which they favour and then you will have those who recommend visiting the shelters.

You have named four breeds. Try and get as much information as you can on all four and make an informed decision.

I have never visited a shelter myself and it is a noble thing to adopt a pet which has been left in for whatever reason. If you do visit a shelter get some professional advice on your choices before committing as the one which might interest you may have issues not suited to your requirements.

Best of luck.

Glowing

Greyhound!!!!

cjf

www.dogsindistress.org/forum

You can see all the dogs that are currently in foster! Its great for familys with children who are looking for a pet as you can read all about the dogs and as they are fostered in a family environment the foster family can give a good indication of the type of home they will best suit! There are dogs and pups of all ages, shapes and sizes just waiting patiently for their very own forever family!! I adopted my dog from Dogs in Distress and she was exactly as her foster family told me! Good few medium guys who are good with kids waiting for homes at the moment! Also some very very cute puppies!