Lambo

Expecting my female counterpart just to "fall in line", as you put it, would be misogynistic in my book. I don't know about your relationships, but mine proceeds on an equal footing. Your assumption that it would proceed in any other manner is, quite frankly, insulting - all the more so since you don't even know me. And "falling in" is clearly not what I meant - why else would I try to ascertain from my OH if I was asking too much of her? My point was, quite simply, that I had communicated to my OH that if we get a Weim for example its likely to be needy and want to hang around her all the time and that such behaviour would be something that she would need to tolerate if we selected that breed. On the basis that I did not expect her to just to "fall in", I quite naturally asked if that was something that she would find acceptable; if not, it gets struck of the wish list. Simple. Smart alec psychoanalysts really get my goat.

Somehow I just figured someone would try to read it that way. Everyone in the family clearly has a role to play in caring for the family pet, even if they aren't its primary caregiver. One doesn't need to be a misogynist to express one's "expectation" in that regard to a female counterpart and to ask whether it is asking too much. At the risk of putting a few other noses out of joint, I would make one other observation. I have to say that I find the expectations that have been expressed by some contributors to this thread somewhat surprising. I am left with a sense - rightly or wrongly - that for some of you at least one should not be a dog owner at all unless one is prepared to devote all of his/her time (whilst not sleeping) tending to the needs of the animal. That may be overstating the position somewhat, but I think its a fair assessment. With all due respect, I don't share that view. If that makes me an "unsuitable" person to own a dog in the eyes of some, then so be it. I do not believe that a dog needs my attention 24/7, nor do I propose to even attempt to satisfy that benchmark. Certainly that degree of devotion does not gell with my childhood memories of the dogs I had as a kid - and I seem to recall that our dogs did not turn out all that bad.

Despite appearances, I should probably make clear that I'm not going into this thing on blind faith - we all know that assumptions make an ass out of u and me. I am talking through the issues being raised on this thread with my OH, and making clear what would be required of her so as to determine whether or not I am asking too much. So far her reactions seem positive, but I don't want to push my luck. For that reason, I guess I am starting to lean toward getting a more mature (say a 1 or 2 year old) Weim or Ridgeback - either from a breeder or as a rescue. And of these two, I'm getting the sense that maybe the Ridgeback will tick more of the right boxes. The Collie would probably be better than the Ridgeback - but I'm turned off by the shedding. If it's a barker too, that just makes things worse. Although the Whippet is growing on me, I'm still more partial to the larger breeds. I'm note sure where the Pointer sits in my order of preference at the moment. That said, I'm still not certain about abandoning the puppy idea altogether.

I didn't mean to imply she'd be home all the time - My OH does of course have a social life of her own. The only "problem" is that she's not really a dog person. That said, I figure a puppy would have a fair chance of melting her heart. ETA: Nor did I mean to imply that my OH would necessarily be as interactive with the puppy as me. But I understood Shortstep's question to be directed to how long the pup would be left at home by itself. If my OH is at home then it won't be alone will it? It will have company, just probably not as many hugs and treats as when I'm at home.

Stortstep, I'd allow say 10 hours for work and 5 hours sleep (I rarely sleep longer than this). Allowing for personal time, I reckon I'd spend around 6-7 hours with the pup/dog each week day. That's me personally of course. It'd have my OH has company during the 10 hours I'm at work. And my kids would spend time with it too. Then there's the weekend. I appreciate that raising a pup will be time consuming and hard work. However, I'm also well aware that a colleague of mine is in exactly the same boat as me and has been able to raise a Staffy puppy quite successfully. She spends even more time away from home than I do because she lives two hours (each way) away from where we work and hence leaves her buddy alone for longer. Having said that, I gather that her hubby gets home about 5 hours before she does. But because he's a brickie and starts work really early, I understand that they both go to be quite early - like 7 or 8pm. I'm rarely in bed before midnight. I know everyone's circumstances are different, and that each dog will react differently, but I figure if she can do it surely I could too?

Dancinbcs, in principle your suggestion of an older dog followed by puppy suits me - but I think I might only have one shot at this. Its taken 2 years to convince my other half to even let me have one dog! I think I might be pushing it to get two. Having said that, whilst my preference is for a pup, I still haven't ruled out rescuing an older dog. But if get an older one, I think I'd be more inclined to get either a Collie or a Whippet, or maybe a Pointer. I figure the Ridgeback and Weim might be too big to risk taking home an older dog that I haven't raised as a pup myself. I'm thinking of my kids' safety here. If fact, its the fear of the unknown history/temperament of an older rescue dog that makes me hesitate going down that route at all.

Shortstep, just to reveal my ignorance a bit more, we are talking about the same breed right? I'm referring to the Collie not the Border Collie - I didn't even know there was a difference before. GoldenWei, I assume its just a matter of training to teach the Weim (or any other dog) that he/she just to say outside the boundary of the kitchen area?

All I've heard about is rescuing dogs from the pound or animal shelters. How does the foster system work? ie, What sort of commitment is involved, how do I register my interest etc.

Bugger. Shortstep, I thought I read somewhere that smooth haired collies were light to moderate shedders only. Excessive shedding's going to be a real turn off.

I've been looking into all this a bit more and taking everyone's comments on board. Firstly, let me say that in addition to the comments on this thread I have also found the following site particularly helpful - http://dogtime.com/dog-breeds/profiles - as well as videos of the actual dogs themselves on youtube. By the way, a big thank you to those who have taken the time to PM me. Much appreciated. I'm now thinking along the following lines (in order of preference): 1. Smooth haired collie - this seems to be my eldest child's preference - its apparent intelligence puts it high on my list 2. Ridgeback 3. Pointer 4. Weim - I still like this breed best but given the apparent drawbacks I have put it further down my list (subject to my queries below). 5. Whippet - I am personally still chewing on this, but the missus seems to think its more elegant than anorexic. I have to say, they look a little more stockier as puppies compared to when they are fully grown With the collie, just how much does it shed, smell and bark? In relation to the Ridgeback, how well does it tolerate being on its own? Also, I saw doco about the health problems associated with purebreds and it mentioned that dermoid sinus. The same doco suggested getting a dog without the Ridge but said that often puppies without the ridge were put down. Is it possible to get a pup without the ridge? With the Weim, just how needy is the breed? I gather from everything I've read that it likes to hang around people like a shadow, but does it have the tendency to get underfoot or are they happy just to be in the general vacinity? Eg, is it likely to want to follow you into the loo? I've spoken to my other half about this and she has no objection to the dog being a bit of the shadow but doesn't want to tolerate it being literally under foot if she's moving around the house.

The sheer volume and quality of the responses to date are just awesome. Thanks folks. As for the reaction to my comment about Airedale Terriers - blimey! As I said, it was simply an immediate reaction - based on the photos on pedigree.com.au (it honestly did look small - and nice, hence "cute"). And no, I've never seen one in the flesh. So to those who know otherwise, I stand corrected. Likewise with my comment about a mix breed. It was just a thought, and a fleeting one at that. To Bryan Mannix, I'm in Brissie too - southside. As for the "negative" commentary on some of the breeds, I don't really mind this. As others have already pointed out, at least you go in with eyes wide open. I prefer this approach - its just that some of the websites seem to really give emphasis to the negatives and do not make sufficiently clear what traits can be considered the norm as opposed to the more extreme. Having said that, I accept that it is important for the negatives to be highlighted too - I'm after honest commentary, not someone just what to tell me what I'd really like to hear. Right now, I think my list is starting to look like this (in order of preference): 1. Weimaraner 2. Border Collie 3. Labrador 4. Staffy 5. Whippet (still chewing on this one). The Collie probably just beats the Lab at this stage. Once I settle on my final list, how do I go about checking out the dogs in the flesh? I know people have suggested going to dog shows and speaking to breeders, but I'm not familiar with the dog circle - how exactly do you locate upcoming dog shows? Does it cost anything to turn up to one? What about breeders, do they get narky if you just turn out to be a tyre kicker? When I bought my house I almost drove my family insane because we checked out at least 40 houses before I started to get a real sense of what I was looking for - I don't think selecting a dog that I'm going to have to live with for at least 10 (or more) years is going to be any faster. Three other questions that I haven't asked to date are to do with yard size, fencing and prices: (a) How much room do the breeds I have identified need? (b) How high should my fence be? At the moment I have a standard chain-link fence between me and my neighbours - say a meter high? I figure that I shouldn't get a dog until I raise the height to at least double this. But will that do - what say you all? © Finally, what's the typical price range for each of the breeds identified? I know I can get a feel for these off sites like, say, gumtree - but how do I know when someone's asking a bit much?

I've gone and done one of those online select-a-pet questionairres (the pedigree.com.au one). I've done this before, but I thought I do it again just to fill in the picture a bit. For this purpose, I specifically indicated that the dog will be home alone for at least 40 hours per week - although strictly speaking that would not be true since my other half would be around. I also had chat with her about some of the things that have been raised in the responses to date and stressed that whilst I do not expect her to be responsible for the dog, she does have to accept that any animal we select will be a member of the family and can't simply be ignored or isolated. I'm thinking that provided the dog doesn't eat her huge collection of handbags or shoes, or shed its coat on her clothes, everything will work itself out. But methinks that if the littled dude/dudette so much as thinks of even licking a high-heel it will literally be in the doghouse. Anyways, the recommendations from pedigree.com.au and my (immediate) reactions are: 1. Airedale Terrier - cute but probably too small for my liking; 2. Whippet - still mulling over this one, but I'm still thinking it looks anorexic (no offence to Whippet lovers); 3. Beagle - If I was going to get a smaller dog (which I still have not fully ruled out), it'd probably be a beagle or king charles (or a staffy); 4. Fox Terrier (Wire & Smooth) - not sure; 5. Hungarian Vizsla - Still thinking about this one, but am starting to lean against it in light of the advices I have received so far; 6. German Shepherd Dog - I like this dog, but its definitely ruled out at this time; 7. Weimaraner - This is still my preferred breed - but I'm still not entirely convinced that my family could satisfy all its needs. Given that the two breeds at the top of my list are the Weim and the Lab, I'm actually starting to wonder if I'd be better off seeking a mix of the two? Presumably this would provide the best of both worlds - the intelligence and independence of a Lab coupled with the grace beauty of a Weim. (I take on board though that some folks have highlighted that Labs don't necessarily like being left on their own all that much). I have also been tempted to get two dogs at once, or at least within a few months of each other. But that just seems like asking for a double dose of drama - not to mention issues like my other half not being thrilled by the possibility, the dogs bonding more with each other than the family, and double the cost of everything. Hence, this is definitely out of the question for me.

Thanks for the tip about the barking issue with Goldies. That's a definite turn off I'm afraid. Not only do I find yappy dogs annoying myself, but I live in very quite street - my neighbours will probably start bricking my house or letting the dog out during the day if I bring home one of those. The Collie recommendation is interesting. I had thought about that breed, and my eldest has said that she likes them too. I can't remember why I decided against them, but I think it came down to something I read about them being particularly destructive and noisy if left alone for too long. Is that the case? As for the suggestion that I attend a few dog shows/events, how do I go about this? How do you find out when these events are going on?

Thanks for the ongoing comments everyone. The response has been just fabulous. Bryan, I agree that your wishlist sounds about the same as mine. I've googled both the grey and the whippet. Both seem like nice breeds but look a bit scrawny to me. Do they breed them a bit meater? A few of the pups looked nice and solid, but the adult dogs look starved. As for the site shortstep hyperlinked, I think that site just about puts me off all breeds. Based on everyone's comments so far, I have to say that the Goldie is the recommendation I'm most inclined to take up. That breed was on my initial list but got struck off because of the shedding and health issues. I think I'll have to mull it over some more though. Despite the number of recommendations favouring the poodle, I'm still reluctant to go down that route.

To date my other half has only shown interest in two types of dogs - the Weimarener and the spoodle. So something like either of these would probably win her over. This is why I was leaning towards the Weim. The Weim is also attractive because I assume that its unlikely to be leaving hair everywhere. The lab would be next on my list - but the shedding is a drawback. In relation to exercise needs, I was kind of hoping that a daily run or walk would be enough to satisfy any of the breeds I have listed. I'm guessing from the reactions so far that this is not going to be the case.

Thank you everyone for the detailed responses. At this point, I should probably clear a few things up: 1. First things first, I am the "hubby" - it's the "missus" who isn't altogether keen on dogs. Thankfully - for me anyway - its my other half that drives the kids to all the activities. I get left home to clean the yard and the house, and to cook on weekends. So basically I'm home all weekend unless we need/want to go somewhere; 2. I'm not entirely sure if my other half really dislikes dogs or whether she just says so because she doesn't want to be left looking after it. She claims to already have three kids! I've seen her interact with dogs and quite frankly I think that she will be won over in the end; 3. My kids both love dogs - and so do I. In honesty though, most of the work will probably be done by me and my eldest; 4. The quarantining of the dog to downstairs will likely be an interim thing - exactly how long will depend on how well we can train the dog I guess. The real issue for us will be the shedding, the smell and any "accidents" as well as damage to the furniture. I suspect the latter three will all be down to training and grooming so are within our control. That leaves the shedding as the deciding biological factor - as well as any predisposition to excessive barking; 5. From the other posts I read on this site, there will be signficant adjustment phase for the puppy to get used to his/her new family and the new surroundings. I accept that. Hence, I do not intend to get a puppy until I take time off work at the end of the year - this will also ensure that the kids are on holidays and will be around for at least the first couple of months to help with the adjustment process; 6. I intend to enrol the pup for puppy preschool / obedience training classes; 7. I have been trawling through the RSPCA's website for rescue dogs - so I'm not entire against that idea, but I would still prefer a puppy since I never had one as a kid and I'd like to share the experience my my own kids now. I accept that others may not be convinced that I have sufficient time on my hands for a dog. I respectfully beg to differ on that score. But given these views, what alternative breeds do you folks suggest (other than the poodle and the greyhound that have been suggested so far)? PS, Pepper - the small dog I had as a kid - didn't look like either of the suggestions so far. My memory is a bit hazy since it was so long ago, but I recall that her ears were a little more floppy like, but nowhere near as long as, a basset hound's.

Thanks for the responses so far folks. To be honest, I thought the poodle would get the most votes. I can't really say what I don't like about them, but they just don't seem to be my cup of tea. Someone did suggest the greyhound to me once. I hate to sound pedantic, but they look a little fragile/brittle for my liking too. My views are probably coloured by the fact that growing up I'd always been a little partial toward Rotties and German Shepherds - both of which I readily accept that I am not sufficiently experienced to handle. Besides which, they're probably inappropriate given the age of my kids. Playing freud for a bit, maybe that's why I'm kind of partial toward the gun dogs - they look like smaller versions of the two breeds I would really like. The high energy needs of the dogs on my list don't concern me too much - except for the fact that the dog would need to wait until I get home! I am a bit of a bookworm so I spend most of my time downstairs anyway. The rest of the time I'm usually gardening, and I'd be more than happy running around the yard or going to parks with the dog. I just can't do so for about 10 hours a day during the week.

Hi guys, I'm new to this forum. I've been wanting to get a dog for some time but am having trouble working out what breed would best suit myself and my family. I've looked up the details of various breeds and have settled on a few that I think would be suitable - but I'm still not sure. Although I grew up with a few dogs as a kid, I've never had a dog of my own. And I can't quite recall what breeds we had when I was a kid - two were little terriers of some kind, and one was like a small weimaraner. Anyways, I'm looking for suggestions and/or guidance. My circumstances are as follows: I live on a moderate sized block - about 650m2. My other half isn't too keen on dogs, so I'm looking for a fairly low maintenance one - preferrably a breed that does not shed all over the place so as to keep the peace. The dog will be allowed in the house, but will probably we made to stay in the downstairs rumpus area - it definitely won't be allowed to sit on beds or wander into the bedrooms. Also, I have two kids, one 7 and other 10. So the dog needs to be good with kids. Finally, I tend to work long hours throughout the week, and my kids lead fairly busy lifestyles. So any dog we get needs to be comfortable with its own company for most of the day and not be too clingy. My other half will probably be home during the day but is unlikely to interact with the dog as much as myself or our kids. I wouldn't mind a smaller dog (like a beagle or a King Charles Cav) - or even a Westie - but I would prefer a mid-sized or larger dog principally because my limited experience suggests that small dogs tend to bark more and, in any event, I would like a dog that would be equally happy sitting around watching TV or jogging with me (I run for at a least an hour each night). Whilst I want a dog that will alert me to intruders or visitors, I don't want a dog that is particularly aggressive or that might turn on one of the kids or a visitor. Also, I don't want a dog that barks at everything that moves on street. At the moment, I'm thinking one of these wouldn't be too bad (in no particular order of preference): 1. Staffy 2. Labrador - the only turn off with this breed seems to be the shedding - and what seems to be a predisposition for HD 3. Weimaraner - I really like the smooth look of these dogs but everything I read suggests that they will be just too clingy and may bark too much if left alone for too long. 4. Aussie shepherd - these just look cute, but I'm not sure about the shedding or their ability to stand their own company 5. Hungarian Vizslaz - again, I like the smooth coat but I'm not sure about their capacity for independent living The poodle seems to tick all my boxes but quite frankly I just don't like the look of them. I've had some experience with Staffy and the Lab but only because a couple of friends have their own. I've never had experience with the other breeds but the Weimaraner really looks nice and is the only one that my other half has shown any real liking for. The Aussie is something that has really only come to my attention since reading a number of the posts on this site - the photo of "Isaak" is really cute. So there you have it, any suggestions? By the way, I've been trying to work out what breed of dog my family had as a kid - the one I described as a small Weimaraner above. Would anyone have any ideas? This was a short dog, probably no taller than a foot, or foot and a half, tall from the ground to the top of the dog's back. She had a smooth black coat and floppy ears. She had no problems whatsoever being left with her own company and didn't bark much from memory. Thanks in advance.