best breed for confidance issues?

[sasha]

Hello

this is my first post and am looking forward to any advice anyone can give.

I think it would be best is I introduce myself and my and mu daughters situation.

my name is Jane and I live in Cheshire, UK I live with my daughter Sasha 21yrs.

I decided on getting a dog after talking to my family doctor. I think for everything to make sense I am better telling you our background. my daughter Sasha is the one who has issues with confidence, she wont go out on her own she suffers with panic attacks is she does. she does not trust anyone but me and her grandma. she did not always have issues like this as a girl she was very chatty and lively but when she was 8yr her farther passed away and it was tough for both of us but it really hit Sarah. she then started to get bullied very badly, she got beaten up she was nearly killed when this bully was obsessed with killing her that he strangled her but a teacher saw and he let go. the school would not do anything and when I asked what these marks were on her neck the school bluffed it off and Sasha did not tell me at first I did not know any of this was happening. and when she was beaten she kept it from me as she had bruises on her ribs and legs I did not know as there was not damage to her face and she did not tell me how bad things were. it was not until I walked in her trying to kill her self that I realised things were not ok. Sasha then broke down and told me everything that had happened. the school were not going to do anything and Sasha did not want to go back in so I took her out of the school this was when she was 15yrs old. we moved away for the safety of my daughter but things went better as I took her to the doctor the doctor said there was nothing mentally wrong she just has a fear of people now and has trust issues of being alone. however Sarah was to afraid to go out without me and she just stays inside when I do have to go out (luckily I do not work as I left my job to stay with her) it is heart-breaking to see her like this and I want her to be able to move on and I know she wants to be able to finish her education at college but her fear is stopping her.

I did get a second opinion and she was sent to a psychiatrist but after 1yr it was clear this did not help and she was then sent to a councillor and it did not help and there are several paths we have gone down and have not helped and im finding it hard to know what to do as she want to go to college but she just panics. so this is were we are now as we saw the doctor before Christmas and he suggested a dog as he said some dogs are being trained for confidence issues and dogs in general can bring someone out of the shell. and this is why I am on her now to ask what breeds you think would be right to bring someone out of there shell.

I have little experience with dogs that I grew up around and Sasha has always loved dogs. I don't really want a dog who is a service dog as I think it would be better for Sasha if the dog was just a family pet. were have looked in dog book at breed and Sasha fell for the German Shepherd but I don't feel this breed is right as it says they are reserved with strangers which is not good for Sasha confidence. I thought maybe an outgoing social dog might be best?

we are both active people so exercise is no problem as we both going running together in the morning and go for an evening walk. energy level would be medium I don't want a dog who never switches off like a border collie.

we decided on a puppy. we also prefer a large dog and don't want a massive grooming commitment nothing more than at least a Goldie. drooling does not bother us how ever we are not keen on a noisy dog breed. we would like a dog who is easy to train and will enjoy learning. I also don't want any of the guarding breeds or herding breeds. also giant breeds would not be right for us.

I am looking forward to your thoughts and breed recommendations.

Many thanks
Jane & Sasha

[Fundog]

It sounds to me that any of the sporting breeds would be right for you (but since I own two, I'm a bit biased ): Golden Retrievers -- friendly, outgoing, as a general rule, nice temperament, does need daily brushing which would help with bonding.

Labrador Retrievers -- very friendly, out-going, high energy, sheds a lot, but doesn't need as much brushing as the long coated breeds.

Springer Spaniel -- (my personal favorite) come in both long coat (show bred) and short coat (field bred), high energy, loves the out doors, very intelligent, easy to train, merry cheerful dog, friendly and out-going, does need daily brushing.

Bear in mind that the Labradors and Goldens should not be doing any real running or jumping until they are two years old, when their joints are fully mature.

[sasha]

Hello

thank you Fundog for you recommendations.

I have researched all three breeds and we really like the springer there not to small which is good as we did not want a small dog.

but we also really like the Goldie and the lab so I am looking forward to hearing more about these breeds or what others think to help us make our mind up.

[JudyN]

I think springers can be on the go 24/7. I'm in the UK though and don't know if this makes a difference - US springers have a different appearance to UK ones, so their temperaments may also differ slightly. I think your shortlist is good though as they all tend to be confident - a dog who can be anxious might not be right for you.

One thing to bear in mind - as I found when we got a puppy for my son who had social anxiety - is that if you go outside with a puppy, everyone will want to come and talk to you! I don't know if this might be a problem for your daughter. Also, friendly breeds tend to want to run up to and introduce themselves to strangers, something else that could be a problem unless you can prevent this.

Not connected to dogs, I wonder whether your daughter could find an online/correspondence course that would interest her and help her progress? Well done for supporting her and I hope she is able to be more independent and confident in the future.

[sasha]

Hello JudyN

thank you for your advice.

if people came up to her I think she will be fine once she has grown her confidant her problem stems from not have the courage to talk to people or trust them so I think if people came over and see that they are ok and that the puppy thinks there ok to then she might start to get better with her confidence. I live in the UK to and am between the lab and Goldie and cant choose between the tow as they look so similar.

is there any major difference's between the tow?

[Nettle]

It's a matter of sourcing your puppy extremely carefully. The right golden or lab will suit, but many are very bouncy and bullish with other dogs, which is hard enough to manage without having social issues too. It's no accident that assistance dogs are specially bred for the work over here in UK, and very often crossbred to dilute the bounciness.

Exercise requirements, feeding and grooming needs are about the same.