bigheartfordogz

You said the dog will mostly be an outside dog- please don't get a Cocker Spaniel. Their coat will get matted/dirty, they'll smell, they'll be too much trouble maintenance wise not to mention they are people dogs and will spend most of their day glued to the window watching you with those sad eyes, when they aren't digging your backyard to shreds because they are so bored and lonely. Cockers are people dogs, I've never known any to be happy living a solitary life mostly outside. Have you considered an Akita? They are beautiful loyal dogs who are renowned for their gentle nature with children. They don't mind a more solitary existence as they are more independent than most dogs I've come across- which is not to say you can forget about them in the yard, but they will complain less than other breeds. They are also fairly hardy and a wonderful watch dog.

I think it's great so much feedback has been given to Dr Brown, but as someone who studies the Media- hate to say it but he's the figure head for this most likely and not necessarily the person who decided to go with this. I daresay his fault lies in just doing what he was told, but it's the producers who should be copping some serious flack as well.

Thanks so much for the photos! What a wonderful gentleman he is Thank Dog there are people out there who have hearts big enough to give such a sad story such a happy ending.

I should have mentioned that a dog between the age of 2 & 4 yrs of age is what we are looking for, there's no way on earth I'd leave a puppy home alone during the day. They'd need feeding whilst we'd be at work, not to mention love and attention. And I know what puppies are like, cute as a button and HARD WORK!!! Anyone have any contacts for whippet rescue organisations? Also, I live in Melbourne and would really like to meet greys in the flesh. So far all my research has been online or word of mouth. Can anyone point me in the direction of a greyhound event, or a place I could go to meet the dogs and their owners? I've met heaps of whippets- they are a great apartment dog and we live in an apartment dense suburb so every time I go out for coffee I'm able to bail up someone walking a Whippet I've also rescued an escaped whippet who was running loose on a major highway and hung out with her for a day until her owners came to get her, so I know I utterly adore them. My OH grew up with a whippet cross also.

Thanks Shmoo! I think for my situation, for the sake of the dog (and keeping my own neuroticism manageable!) I will focus my attention on researching Grey's and Whippets. IG's sound like a lovely little dog but perhaps a dog for later in life, when small children aren't on the horizon. Having grown up with Akita's I know how lovely it is to have a dog you can rough and tumble with No one has any thoughts on a Dachshund? My OH is quite enamoured with them and I must admit they are a lovely little dog. They don't seems to fit our criteria as well as a Whippet or a Grey however- for example, could a dachsie cope with a long brisk walk daily?

Thanks Indigirl and Skitch for the clarity around leg breakages and kids- gosh you're so right you'd never ever leave a child alone with a dog! Congratulations Skitch on the soon to be new addition to your family! How cute that your Iggy is curious about the pregnancy, he sounds like a very endearing and intelligent little man

Thanks Skitch for those websites! The GAP one I've come across, and it's awesome, but the iggy one is new and they are one of the breeds I'm considering but hadn't posted about because I've heard they are really fragile and also prone to housebreaking difficulties. Has that been your experience? I'm particularly concerned for the Iggy because OH and I would be starting a family within the next 5 years and the dog and kids will need to co exist. I've heard even toddlers can break an Iggy Greytmate your post had my OH and I in hysterics! Love that photo of the curled up grey. You've told me what I want to hear in terms of them not taking up too much space. The more I hear the more I love the sound of the breed and think we'd be perfect for them and vice versa.

Hi! I'm doing my breed research at the moment in preparation for the time when my partner and I can adopt a dog. We will be providing a very loving home where the dog will be part of the family (although we realise the importance of the dog knowing it's a dog!). My partner and I have a few things we are looking for in a breed to make sure the match is a great fit. for both us and our pooch. OH's prerequisite's: - short haired/minimal shedding - minimal doggy odour - gentle and laid back - affectionate but not demanding of attention - not yappy or a heavy breather - small - prefers dogs with long noses (muzzles/snouts- eep! I don't know the right term..) and pricked ears. my prerequisites: - happy to go for a half hour to hour long brisk walk each day but doesn't need more exercise than that. - likes to be close to people - good with children - will happily snooze on the couch whilst OH and I are at work - healthy breed with few genetic concerns - sturdy and robust, not fragile - long lived I realise this really narrows our breed selection down. To makes matters even more complicated, we are both quite passionate about saving a life and won't be buying our dog from a breeder/pet store/other, we'll adopt from a rescue organisation or the pound. Hard to find what we are looking for! But, I reckon I've done the near impossible and selected one breed that fits the bill nicely. Whippets. Thing is, they are very rare in rescue organisations or pounds! So greyhounds began to look more and more attractive, there's nothing that isn't ideal about them except their size. Do greyhounds take up a lot of space in your home? Our pooch would be an indoors dog. Personally I love a big dog and greyhounds sound like a very clean, affectionate animal and the benefit of adopting an ex-racer through an organisation like GAP means we would get personality matched with our dog. Is there anything else you could add in terms of the benefits of greyhound ownership? Or negatives? What about Whippets? Does anyone know of a Whippet rescue organisation in Melbourne, Australia? Have I missed another breed that would be perfect for us? Dachshunds are on the list but I'm concerned about slipped discs and snappishness with kids. Happy to be convinced otherwise! Thanks in advance for your advice and suggestions