which breed is right for me

Breed specific discussion of your favorite breed.

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mark400
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which breed is right for me

Post by mark400 »

Hello

my name is mark and I am finding it very difficult to choose which breed is right for me.

I work from home so have plenty of time for a new puppy/dog and my wife is home all the time to we have to teenage daughters 17 and 19yrs. the thing is me and my family LOVE ALL DOGS BREEDS we went to crufts and discover dogs and both did not help and we would really like some help as we cant choose. every breed makes us happy. here's a few facts about us and hopefully you could point us in the right direction of what breed sounds most suited to us

1/ none of us have ever had a dog before this would be our first
2/ we don't mind how much exercise the dog needs but we can go from 1hr to 2 and half hrs
3/ I would like a dog who is mellow and calm don't full of energy and never settles we prefer a dog who would Seattle down in the evening and is calm indoors.
4/I don't mind about grooming as my wife was a groomer and don't care about coat coulor or length
5/ in terms of size no bigger than a Doberman and no smaller than a English cocker spaniel
6/we plan to go to training class's
7/ we live in the UK

what recommendations would you give for me and my family?

many thanks mark
JudyN
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Re: which breed is right for me

Post by JudyN »

Have you considered a lurcher or greyhound? One thing they are generally brilliant at is being quiet and settled in the house. They're not always mellow on walks - some lurchers I know are as mad as a box of frogs, and you will have to be aware of their prey drive, but they're not unmanageable by any means (as long as you don't live in the heart of deer country...), and my lurcher mostly just mooches fairly close to me. Recall can be an issue, but again, it will vary.

They come in all sizes, but even the larger ones can curl up into a small space, and don't tend to get in the way in the house as they're not leaping all over the place. They do have thieving tendencies, though!

Most lurchers aren't really into repetitive 'obedience training'. Ask them to sit, stand, and offer a paw a few times in a row and they're likely to think it's a complete waste of time so either lie down for a nap or try to go off & sample every other owner's treats - so you would need a trainer who recognises that and doesn't object if you let your dog take a break or go home early. (Again, it varies - if you have a collie cross lurcher they may need lots of training to keep them happy and well balanced.)
Jasper, lurcher, born December 2009
mark400
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Re: which breed is right for me

Post by mark400 »

hi

thanks Judy N for you reply, could a rescue dog be ok for a first time owner as there are a lot in rescues and Battersea dog and cats home is my local rescue. I do plan on going top training class's with the kennel club. I do like lurcher's and greyhounds funny enough my sister just rehomed a greyhound from Battersea and she the best dog ever my sister said it was hard at first and she needed to be house trained and learn good manners but she has settled very well now. my sister has had dogs before though. what do you think would it be ok for a first time owner to give a dog a second chance?

many thanks mark
JudyN
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Re: which breed is right for me

Post by JudyN »

Oh, I'm biased, but yes, plenty of first-time owners successfully take on rescue lurchers & greyhounds. Some things to consider:

- You need loads of patience - as your sister found out, the dog may never have been in a house before so you need to start from scratch as if they were a puppy.

- Greyhounds & lurchers are usually very sensitive dogs. Some can be upset at the slightest raised voice or even a dirty look. They might be petrified of flies, they might get upset because you're not sitting in your usual place, they might go into meltdown if you raise your voice (even if not at them)... they aren't all big on physical contact, either. You may have to be more low-key than with other types of dog. My dog will sometimes lay his head against my leg and sigh - this is equivalent to a labrador giving you a big body-slam and washing every inch of your skin with his tongue :lol: It goes without saying that forceful handling is an absolute no-no with a sensitive hound.

- They can also be prone to separation anxiety. As you and your wife are around most of the time you'll have ample opportunity to work on this. But some dogs never quite get over it. It can also be a pain when you need to get on with your work but you have to go out to give your dog some home-alone practice - the coffee shop over the road became my 'second office' for quite a while when Jasper was younger.

- They can play rough with other dogs. it can look and sound quite aggressive... which is fine if the other dog is OK with it, but not if the other dog is also not sure if it's play or not!

- Some lurchers & greyhounds can't be trusted with small dogs and will try to course them. On the other hand, there's nothing more irritating than the owner of a small fluffy dog assuming that your dog will think it's a rabbit when it knows darn well it's a dog!

- Choosing your rescue: to me, the ideal situation would be to get a dog who had been fostered in a knowledgeable lurcher owner's home rather than living in kennels. You then will hopefully know a lot about the dog's personality and possible issues before you take him home - some dogs in kennels can be so shut down that they seem quite easy and biddable at first, and then begin to show their true colours later.

- A good rescue will insist on doing a homecheck, and want to know all about your house, lifestyle & family. In fact, I don't think I'd be able to get a lurcher from a good rescue because I don't have 6' fences all round my garden... I bought my lurcher as a puppy and the garden defences sort of grew with him, but although he's a big dog, he's very respectful of boundaries (he once got stuck in the kitchen because I left a mop bucket in the doorway :roll: ). A good rescue will also offer back-up, and if you have to give up the dog, will insist that it comes back to them.

Have a browse round the Southern Lurcher Rescue website & forum: http://southernlurcherrescue.org.uk/ All their dogs are in foster, and they do really care about their dogs. Which isn't to say there aren't great lurchers & greyhounds in Battersea, I'm sure there are!

BTW, if you should read any of the forum posts about my lurcher, Jasper, please don't think he's typical of the type. He is very sensitive, but when he can't cope, his inner Irish terrier/Hound of the Basketcases genes kick in. Lurchers & greys are almost invariably very gentle dogs :D
Jasper, lurcher, born December 2009
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Nettle
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Re: which breed is right for me

Post by Nettle »

Judy has pretty much covered it. It's worth contacting Lurcherlink also because it is run by people who really know their lurchers. It's also worth doing some research on the nature of the type, because as they are crossbreeds you get a variety of temperaments and trainability. Apart from the prey drive, they are pretty easy to live with as long as owners are happy with the quiet nature. And don't be fooled by rescues that claim they and greyhounds don't need much exercise - they will love as much exercise as you can give them. And then they will sleep until you are ready for the next walk.
A dog is never bad or naughty - it is simply being a dog

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mark400
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Re: which breed is right for me

Post by mark400 »

hi

me and my family went to a rescue centre (Battersea) and went down to just see what it was like and when we were there we found the most lovely puppy a German shepherd/mix Labrador and we have adopted her and she has been fine in our house she is 10weeks old and have enrolled her onto a training course which will start in 2 weeks time when she is 12 weeks. what I would like to ask is I have been reading up on both breeds that she is mixed with and have learned that labs are BIG chewers but cant find anything about the shepherds other than my sister saying labs chew more than any other breed.

so are labs the worst chewers in the dog world?

and what are shepherds like with chewing when there young?

just want to get an idea so I can be prepared
JudyN
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Re: which breed is right for me

Post by JudyN »

Congratulations!

Basically, all puppies chew EVERYTHING. But with labradors, 'everything' is even more inclusive than other dogs :lol: I would start right now getting a whole collection of chew toys for her, and working out which she likes - some dogs like fluffy soft toys, others like harder rubber. Also try frozen stuffed Kongs, and maybe stag antlers (not sure if they are suitable for pups). Put away EVERYTHING you don't want her to chew - it can help to have a few big lidded boxes around the house into which you can put shoes, books, pencils, remote controls, tissues... But she still may go for immovable objects like skirting boards and the bottom stair! Oh, and make sure she can't get at electric cables, because this would not only endanger your appliances, but also your pup.

Are you planning on crate-training her or having a dog-proof area for her? If you can get her hooked on chew toys and happy in her area, it will make life a lot easier for those times when you can't watch her like a hawk.

The dog expert Ian Dunbar is very big on getting dogs to love their chew toys: there's an article by him here: http://www.jaquenetta.com/Chewing%20by% ... Dunbar.htm I notice he mentions rawhide - personally I wouldn't give a dog this as they can bite of little bits & choke on them, and they can play havoc with their digestion.
Jasper, lurcher, born December 2009
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minkee
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Re: which breed is right for me

Post by minkee »

I cannot sing the praises of bully sticks highly enough! They were an absolute life saver when we had our teething shark-puppy
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