Choosing breeds?

Breed specific discussion of your favorite breed.

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Newsomefamily

Re: Choosing breeds?

Post by Newsomefamily »

We are between the Irish setter and English Springer Spaniel. After talking to my girls.

I would like to ask which one is the most hyper between the tow.

Scarletsci - when you say red setters are the most hyper setter do you mean like labs are hyper for the first 3yrs and then calm down?

Nettle- I have asked Elsa and she is OK to drop advanced obedience. She just wants a dog who is easy to train and eager to please us not independent or stubborn?
master2

Re: Choosing breeds?

Post by master2 »

Hi

Both those breeds can be on the wild side. Personally I'm not sure either would be suited to your family as most healthy dogs can live 12+ years and you don't know how your Arthritis will be in even 5yrs time. I would think about this as my mom's has gotten worser in the past 2yrs. I think you should find a breed who has all the above ( not overly Friendly with strangers but not reserved, 1hr 45mins of physical exercise a day , easy to train. Etc.) But is calmer in engery one who can be calm indoors yet active outside. I say this as my Italian spinion is not only active outside he gets really active inside and can be a wind of engery and can easily knock someone over. Yet I know of someone who owns an English mastiff and all she does is sleep when indoors.

Just give a think and talk with your girls about it.

Also I would not recommend a mastiff for a newbie as there big dogs.
ScarletSci
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Re: Choosing breeds?

Post by ScarletSci »

Newsomefamily wrote:We are between the Irish setter and English Springer Spaniel. After talking to my girls.

I would like to ask which one is the most hyper between the tow.

Scarletsci - when you say red setters are the most hyper setter do you mean like labs are hyper for the first 3yrs and then calm down?

Nettle- I have asked Elsa and she is OK to drop advanced obedience. She just wants a dog who is easy to train and eager to please us not independent or stubborn?
Red Setters, of all the Setters, have a rep as never really calming down. But... that reputation is a couple of decades old, and breeding for temperment can change a lot of things. That's why it's always better to meet someone who's actively breeding now, ask them about temperments of their dogs, what traits they breed for, what the breed is generally like. When I say being mad, it isn't necessarily hyper, they're clowns. Fun, happy, often daft. But they're trainable, affectionate, love their people kind of dogs.

And, as Nettle says, each dog will be an individual. I'm biased towards English Springer Spaniels since I have them and they're my 'heart' breed, they do tend to be daft for the first couple of years, but are exceptionally keen to please their owners usually, because working breed. But, I've also met super high energy Springers (and own one) but also met super lazy, mellow ones. My older one has always been much more calm and mellow, would do well in obedience, and doesn't require as much exercise and stimulation as my super high energy young girl. Remember there will also be differences between show lines, working lines, and pet lines. A working line Springer is more likely to require a lot more than 1.45 of exercise. They're bred to work in the field all day, and a fit Springer will go for hours and miles.

Setters are still worth exploring too. Look into both breeds. Do as you are, research the heck out of them, meet as many as you can, talk to owners of these breeds, and take everything with a pinch of salt, because each dog is going to surprise you with it's own quirks and personality, no matter the breed.
JudyN
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Re: Choosing breeds?

Post by JudyN »

There's a lot of Irish setters round here - there's about ten regulars in our local woods :lol: They strike me as being relatively calm, even the younger ones, certainly compared to most springers I know. Of course I don't see them in their homes, but the owners haven't complained about them being hyper. I'd have said that Gordon setters were bouncier and more clownlike. So again, it comes down to researching individual breeders as much as breeds.
Jasper, lurcher, born December 2009
Newsomefamily

Re: Choosing breeds?

Post by Newsomefamily »

Hello

Thank you scarletsci and JudyN for your reply I read them a few hours ago. Once I read your reply I talked to my girls and we decided Irish setter so I said I shall contact some breeders for a chat. So I did three hours ago. I have phoned three different breeders , I had a list of questions ready to ask. All three were lovely about me asking about the breed and were more than happy to answer my questions they answered more or less the same.

I asked of setter are more energetic then the other setters and they all told me that reds never really calm down, one describe it as not ever growing up there like Perter pan of the dog world were she said her Labradors are like that for the first 2-3yrs then they calm down a bit.

All three told me that 1hrs,45mins would not be enough exercise a day as there very active and the one who owns labs also said that labs would be OK with that but not a setter.
They also told me that they are class clowns who don't take training serious at times as they just want to have fun. Again the lab owner said she found her labs eaiser to train as all of them would do anything for a piece of hotdog :lol: .

After talking to all three I then spoke to my daughter's about the Irish and Elsa does not think there for us and I trust her with how knowledgeable she is as o we have said no to the Irish.

Elsa also said in the talk that as since as she has dropped the advanced obedience she is going to drop the stranger friendly thing as she as come clean and has told me she has always felt in her heart and mind that a Labrador or Golden would be best for us as there easy to train because they listern to there stomachs as labs , Goldie's love food. P!us there loves of people makes them want to please there owners.

So we're between a Labrador or a golden? Elsa said that Golden's tend to be calmer than labs is this true?
JudyN
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Re: Choosing breeds?

Post by JudyN »

A forum search on 'goldie' and 'lab' returns a few threads which could help: search.php?keywords=golden+lab
Jasper, lurcher, born December 2009
Newsomefamily

Re: Choosing breeds?

Post by Newsomefamily »

Hi all

I have been doing some thinking and am thinking maybe mum24dog is right about the lab.

Because of my age and I don't know if my Arthritis will get worse or not maybe I should go for a more lower engery dog then the Labrador as im worried they would be to bouncy or energetic for me.

Everything I said we were looking for in a dog still applies but iv just changed engery levels. Are there any breed who are lower engery than a Labrador. 1hr, 45min exercise would still be OK just a more mellow , laid back dog inside?

Preferably large size first before we start looking medium or small. Elsa recommend the Rough collie but I'm wondering if they might be to much for a first time owner with the de sensitivity thing. I would not now how to de sensitivity them.


What are your recommendations?
Newsomefamily

Re: update

Post by Newsomefamily »

Hi

With her knowledge of breeds Elsa has found a perfect breed a Cockapoo. She said there still active but a good size for me not to big but not to small for Elsa either.

While I'm researching is there anything any of you would like to tell me about the breed?
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Nettle
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Re: Choosing breeds?

Post by Nettle »

Only that it isn't a breed - it's a cross between a cocker spaniel and a poodle.

If a first cross, i.e. one parent a spaniel and one a poodle, then it will be fairly predictable in size, nature and coat type. If a further cross i.e. crossbreed to crossbreed, the results can be much less easy to predict.

If the parents are healthy, the pups should be healthy, and if the pups are well-reared then they should be as good as well-reared pedigree pups of healthy pedigree breeds.

Poodles are astonishingly intelligent and spaniels are very lively. Both are sporting dogs, so the cross will need a lot of exercise and mental stimulation.
A dog is never bad or naughty - it is simply being a dog

SET YOURSELF UP FOR SUCCESS
Erica
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Re: Choosing breeds?

Post by Erica »

There will also be a wide variety in size, depending on if the parent is a standard poodle or a mini. I think most cocker crosses use mini poodles though.

No personal experience with them, nothing to say on them as I know I'm very biased :lol:
Delta, standard poodle, born 6/30/14
Newsomefamily

Re: Choosing breeds?

Post by Newsomefamily »

Hi

After doing some research on the Cockapoo I'm not sure if there for me with them being a cross if he ends up being more like a Cocker than I know he would be too lively for me as Cocker's are to active for me.

I'm worried about my Arthritis and I know I need to put it into my decision on breed. as I am in constant pain when walking or moving so a really lively , bouncing dog like a Cocker or lab would be no good for me. Iv been honest with Elsa that I really think it would be better for me if I went small as there are more laid back dog in the small group plus there not going to knock me over when young if they jump up at me.


Can you please recommend any breeds of small size that would match the following. Thank you

1\ is happy with 1hr 45min physical exercise a day
2\ is no bigger than a Cocker.
3\ is not rare to find ( that's with me not having a car I thought it would be eaiser if they were more popular for me to find a breeder)

4\ when inside is calm and laid back and likes to be with his family ( hanging out with us watching TV or playing in the garden)

5\ barking is fine as you can train a dog not to bark but just not a dog who is prone to barking.

6\ who loves being outside going on long walks with his family and going on day trips out to the lake district etc.

7\ who is easy to train and eager to learn

So who do you think will match us?

Elsa has said no to the following.
Mini Poodle ( she prefers the standard but I think there to big for me to handle)
Frenchie
Bulldog
Staffordshire bull terrier
Bull terrier
Jack Russell terrier
Patterdale terrier
Pekingese
Dachshunds

She would also prefer the dog to at least weigh the same as a Shih Tzu 8kg.

Thank you
mum24dog
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Re: Choosing breeds?

Post by mum24dog »

1 and 6 are somewhat contradictory.

You aren't going to get a perfect dog whatever you choose. There are never any guarantees.

Cockerpoos - depends to a large extent whether the cocker part is show or working type. Very important to know.
Need regular grooming though whichever type.

If Elsa wants a dog let her get her own when she has a home of her own rather than control your choice. Do you actually want a dog yourself or are you being pushed into it? Be honest. If you are going to do it, do it for yourself not for them. Both your daughters are adults and could fly the nest at any time.

If you yourself really do want a dog that is laid back inside and doesn't need much exercise I would be looking at a suitable rescue lurcher. Recall could be hard work to train but not impossible and they do tend to be very interested in food. And they come in a wide range of sizes and types.

I appreciate that you don't have a car but surely finding a pup from a breeder would involve travel as well, and maybe even further afield?
Newsomefamily

Re: Choosing breeds?

Post by Newsomefamily »

Hi

Yes I do really want a dog and that's why I put my foot down and said I want a more laid back dog who is small in size.

JudyN told me about lurchers but there not for me. The 1hr 45min exercise I just wanted to let you know that was the most I could give , if the dog would be happier with less than that's ok. Also Elsa has said several times she will never move out as she does not want to leave me. And my girls still have to live in the same house as the dog so I want them to be happy with the choice. And Elsa is not pushing me into doing anything she loves me and only wants us to get it right plus Elsa will be just as involved as me with the dog.

Any more recommendations? Anyone thank you
Erica
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Re: Choosing breeds?

Post by Erica »

mum24dogs has a good point. While breeders are easy to find, *good* breeders are few and far between. Poodles are one of the most popular breeds in America but I still drove 9 hours one way to get to a good breeder. A person I spoke with yesterday got her dogs from a breeder on the other side of the country - 3,000 miles or 40 hours driving one way. They weren't a rare breed either!

No time right now to go through and recommend breeeds, but look for dogs from the toy group that don't have squished-in noses. Terriers are small but they are firecrackers! :) If you want a challenge, go ahead and look at terriers. They can be great companions if you know what you're getting into and will be ready to train a lot to keep their minds busy.

Pomeranians might be worth looking into, off the top of my head.
Delta, standard poodle, born 6/30/14
Newsomefamily

Re: Choosing breeds?

Post by Newsomefamily »

Hi Erica

I shall look through but will also wait for your recommendations to. Thank you
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