Want to get a dog

Lord Arsraptor

Hey everyone
So my family are very interested in getting a dog, but we're not sure what breed is best for us. Suggestions?
Some info:

-Family with 3kids
-Will bring the dog on holidays with us using a pet passport, will have loads of open space then
-We live in Dublin City, but have several parks around us and normally can go for a walk in the mountains during weekends
-Can walk the dog 2 times a day, morning and evening, longer at the weekends
-Small back garden;6x7metres
-Can come inside
-Will be left alone up to 7 hours a day during the week
-We'll have plenty of time for him otherwise
-Will have to go to a kennel for up to two weeks a year over christmas
-Money for food, vet, bed, toys etc is not an issue

Would also like it to be small- medium sized, maybe between a king charles and a golden retriever. Happy, clever friendly would be nice.
Oh, and preferably it wouldnt shed.
Thanks

cocker5

Lord Arsraptor wrote: »

Hey everyone
So my family are very interested in getting a dog, but we're not sure what breed is best for us. Suggestions?
Some info:

-Family with 3kids
-Will bring the dog on holidays with us using a pet passport, will have loads of open space then
-We live in Dublin City, but have several parks around us and normally can go for a walk in the mountains during weekends
-Can walk the dog 2 times a day, morning and evening, longer at the weekends
-Small back garden;6x7metres
-Can come inside
-Will be left alone up to 7 hours a day during the week
-We'll have plenty of time for him otherwise
-Will have to go to a kennel for up to two weeks a year over christmas
-Money for food, vet, bed, toys etc is not an issue

Would also like it to be small- medium sized, maybe between a king charles and a golden retriever. Happy, clever friendly would be nice.
Oh, and preferably it wouldnt shed.
Thanks

When you say dog can come in.. Where will the dog sleep?
Reason I ask a lot of breeds are not suitable for sleeping outdoors etc.

Golden retriever that's a pretty big dog for a small garden IMO - they would require tons of exercise etc .

Are you looking at getting a dog or puppy?
Reason I ask is 7 hours alone is a very long time for a puppy, which will lead to your house or garden getting wrecked - an older dog may be more suitable.

Lord Arsraptor

cocker5 wrote: »

When you say dog can come in.. Where will the dog sleep?
Reason I ask a lot of breeds are not suitable for sleeping outdoors etc.

Golden retriever that's a pretty big dog for a small garden IMO - they would require tons of exercise etc .

Are you looking at getting a dog or puppy?
Reason I ask is 7 hours alone is a very long time for a puppy, which will lead to your house or garden getting wrecked - an older dog may be more suitable.

Sorry, yes, the dog can sleep in the house.
Also, yes, we were looking to get a puppy, or at least a young dog. Most days the dog wouldn't be alone for more than two or three hours, but seven at the very most, and only exceptionally, not every week.
I suppose a golden retriever is probably too big. Maybe something closer to the 1.5-2 foot mark.
I guess we're looking for an active, playful dog, but not to the extent it would suffer while we're not home, on average 4 hours a day during School term time when no one's in the house.

mistress_gi

I would like to suggest a young whippet. There are loads in charities they would require a bit of exercise but they are couch potatoes at heart and you could get one from a charity if from q foster you will know exactly what type of personalty they have etc.

ACD

Hi OP,
how about a miniature poodle? They're playful, friendly, active and very intelligent and don't really shed, although they would require a lot of grooming.

Lord Arsraptor

mistress_gi wrote: »

I would like to suggest a young whippet. There are loads in charities they would require a bit of exercise but they are couch potatoes at heart and you could get one from a charity if from q foster you will know exactly what type of personalty they have etc.

thanks! Had a look around, they seem to be exactly the type of dog I'm looking for!
I like the idea of getting one from a charity kinda place, just wondering is there an age the dog might have from which point it might find it difficult to adapt to new people, be trained, etc?

Rips

Since Christmas isn't too far away, it might be worth considering a young dog rather then a puppy. It can take a little while to source a good puppy, and even still at best it will only just be 6 months old come Christmas time when you have to leave it.

Also there are so many lovely young dogs in rescue, and if you have never had a dog before you won't have to go through the whole toilet-training etc

What breed really doesn't matter, if you adopt, you can find out what dog has the best temperament for your family. You never quite know how a puppy is going to turn out.

Lord Arsraptor

ACD wrote: »

Hi OP,
how about a miniature poodle? They're playful, friendly, active and very intelligent and don't really shed, although they would require a lot of grooming.

Thanks, that also sounds good! Would they be common enough to find in a dog adoption charity, or would I need to get in touch with a breeder? Because I would be keener on finding an unlucky dog a new home, than getting a lobely dog that would be snapped up anyway!

Lord Arsraptor

Rips wrote: »

...What breed really doesn't matter, if you adopt, you can find out what dog has the best temperament for your family. You never quite know how a puppy is going to turn out.

Thanks, I actually hadnt thought about that! I suppose every dog's temperament is going to be different, which is something we have to take into account too !

DBB

What age are the 3 kids OP?
Have you or your OH had dogs before that ye have a bit of a grasp of it all? (although you do tick a lot of boxes, it's clear you've put a good bit of thought into this already )
For the Christmas break, you might consider home boarding for your new dog, where he/she would stay in the carer's home living the life of a pet dog and all the nice things that entails, rather than staying in kennels. They're usually not much more expensive, if at all, than a kennels!

ACD

Lord Arsraptor wrote: »

Thanks, that also sounds good! Would they be common enough to find in a dog adoption charity, or would I need to get in touch with a breeder? Because I would be keener on finding an unlucky dog a new home, than getting a lobely dog that would be snapped up anyway!

Not sure about how common they would be in rescues, maybe other posters could point you in a right direction. If you would be looking for a breeder there's a poodle club that could help with locating puppies from reputable breeders. Can't post link, but if you would google it it's poodle club Ireland.

shamrock55

I would suggest a cocker spanial,they are small, great temperment,great with kids,but they can be a bit boisterous and like lots of excercise as would most dogs tbf

thegreatgonzo

I'd like to share my experience of getting a dog from the pound in Dublin OP. I had told a vet I was looking for a small friendly male dog of no particular age or breed but was affectionate and a bit assertive. The very next day she brought me an 8 month old terrier of some description who was going to be put down the evening before. I've had him almost 3 months now and he is just the best thing on 4 legs as far as I know. He is nice to children, to cats, gets on great with my parent's dog, is gentle and obedient and even though he wasn't house trained when I got him he is coming along nicely with his toilet training. I would so recommend you try to adopt, apart from my fellow, I saw 4 other doggies adopted from that pound and each one would steal your heart.

murray.eoghan

a Labrador mix is very good for family life just very energetic as pups. Also very clean dogs and if it is a mix of different breeds they tend to live longer. I say this out of experience

Inexile

If a whippet ticks the boxes so might a lurcher or a small grey. I know of one rescue not too far from you that has dog that might suit will pm you.

Technofobe

shamrock55 wrote: »

I would suggest a cocker spanial,they are small, great temperment,great with kids,but they can be a bit boisterous and like lots of excercise as would most dogs tbf

+1 for this
Have one ourselves

cocker5

OP, just wanted to say I have a male (black) cocker spaniel, he’s an amazing dog (well I am biased) , he’s 9 now and I can’t imagine my life without him. He is excellent with my sisters kids and the neighbours kids.
They are fun loving, energetic dogs they do make great family pets, they are very family orientated (i.e. they want to be with their humans all the time etc.)

BUT when we got him as a pup we worked full time, which resulted in our guy suffering from terrible separation anxiety, he wrecked the kitchen (i.e. chewed all the kitchen press doors and open drawers and tore everything out – virtually every day), he dug down to Australia in many parts of the garden etc. – im not trying to put you off im just telling you what happened when I got a puppy cocker and worked that’s all.

They require a huge amount of exercise, or else they become destructive (most dogs do) even now at 9 he gets at least 1 hour walk every day and longer at the weekends plus swimming.

Cockers are quiet vocal dogs , not as in barking or anything, my cocker only barks when the poor postman comes around other than that not at all, but they are clingy they want to be with their humans at all times and sometimes this results in them being a bit whingey etc., but very loveable all the same!
I am speaking from my own experience my guys very sweet but not independent at all he adores us and wants and needs to be with us all the time - if that makes sense.

now don’t get me wrong he was a header until about 15 / 18 months old, the he relaxed and now is the most amazing dog… but I just wanted to be realistic and tell you what happened in my case that’s all.

God im not really selling the cocker spaniel at all am i? TBH they are fabulous dogs, a great family pet, but do require lots of attention, exercise and stimulation (like most dogs I suppose), once they get this they will be the best dog for you and your family – without it they become destructive that’s all.

Best of luck with whatever decision you make

Lord Arsraptor

Thanks for all your answers
I rang 2 animal shelters, and I'm going out to one in a few days to have a look at two young dogs, one is a whippet, the other a cocker spaniel.
Thanks again for all your help!

sadie06

I was going to give a big shout our for Miniature Schnauzers, as they are fantastic dogs, don't shed, are very affectionate (at least our guy is) and are an all round great family dog.

However, I see you may be choosing between the two breeds above. If I were you, I would go with the whippet providing you feel drawn towards them equally. The cockers I know, fantastic as they are, tend to be a bit neurotic. Their owners wouldn't be without them, but they have required constant attention, and as mentioned above, can be quite vocal about demanding it.

I wouldn't go for a breed that is prone to separation anxiety if you are going to be boarding them at Christmas. A whippet would be a great choice!

DBB

I'll also urge some caution with the Cockers OP, I know they have their fans (I have a Cocker X myself), but whilst I know there are always exceptions, Cockers feature amongst the breeds most likely to exhibit resource guarding, and for this reason they can be a little risky to have around children.
So much so that they would not be my first choice, or anywhere near it, for a family with children under 12.
Whippets are super little dogs in general, as are Miniature Schnauzers, and for my money the very best and easiest family dog is the Cavalier King Charles. However, they are prone to a lot of health problems.

thisNthat

Get yourself a miniature schnauzer, We have one and I can tell you they are a fantastic little dog, Our garden is not much bigger than yours and its like a field to him, They are brilliant with kids, They're not a yappy dog, only barks when strangers come to the door, great temperament and best of all they are non shed, No hairs on your couch or car seats, altho you will have to get them trimmed 2 or 3 times a year (30 quid a pop) and they will need an occasional brushing cause when their coat gets too long it can get matted.

They have a really soft fur coat rather than a harsher coat like you'd get on a jack russell terrier. They love walks but they also love to do nothing if thats what your doing, Most weekends I'm glued to the couch watching football and he'll happily sit beside ya for a full weekend only looking to be let out for a pee or some food. I wouldn't leave them outside at night tho as they really love company but there are no problems leaving them inside for 6 or 7 hours (Providing they have food, water and some toys to keep them distracted) Close all bedroom and living room doors too as they are very inquisitive when they are young and could start grabbing your shoes, socks, sheets or whatever they can (Altho most dogs will do that). Highly recommend them if you've young kids, very playful, loyal and easy to house train. Friend for life.
Here is a picture of our fella (Obsessive or what ha ha)

Lord Arsraptor wrote: »

Hey everyone
So my family are very interested in getting a dog, but we're not sure what breed is best for us. Suggestions?
Some info:

-Family with 3kids
-Will bring the dog on holidays with us using a pet passport, will have loads of open space then
-We live in Dublin City, but have several parks around us and normally can go for a walk in the mountains during weekends
-Can walk the dog 2 times a day, morning and evening, longer at the weekends
-Small back garden;6x7metres
-Can come inside
-Will be left alone up to 7 hours a day during the week
-We'll have plenty of time for him otherwise
-Will have to go to a kennel for up to two weeks a year over christmas
-Money for food, vet, bed, toys etc is not an issue

Would also like it to be small- medium sized, maybe between a king charles and a golden retriever. Happy, clever friendly would be nice.
Oh, and preferably it wouldnt shed.
Thanks