puppylovefor3

Thanks so much for the specific Adelaide info, greatly appreciate it. I'll definitely pay a visit to one of these events.

Thank you all so much for these great tips! I'm so glad I signed up here and posted on this forum. You have given me lots to look into. I'll go have a look at the other breeds you have recommended. I also liked the idea of chatting to the breeders and visiting the dog shows. Just a quick question regarding the dog shows, how do you find out where and when they are locally here in Adelaide? Sorry... Rookie question from someone new to this ..

Hi all, I'm new to this forum and also new to the world of owning a dog! I've always loved dogs, but never had one growing up for various reasons. But now, having kids of my own, I'd really like them to have a dog in the family as they grow up. so essentially I'm on the lookout for dog breeds that would suit our family lifestyle and was hoping to get some advice/reccomendations by posting on here. We have got three kids aged 8, 6 and 4 by the time we plan to get a puppy (next year sometime). We've got a decent sized backyard and access to several nearby parks and ovals. Our lifestyle is fairly busy, with kids and school drop offs, pickups and a few extracurricular activities. But I study part time/work from home and although my husband keeps longish work hours I'm always around so the dog won't be alone for more than a couple of hours at a go. What I'm hoping for is a dog that is medium to large in size (rather than miniature or toy size) is very good around young children (who I will constantly remind about appropriate behaviour around the puppy!!) is able to cope with daily 30 minute walks, but we are not a very active family that's say goes jogging daily or even weekly for that matter! In terms of play at home, we have a large grassy garden where the dog can run around with kids and play. the other critical factor is I'd like to limit the shedding..my youngest tends to have allergies to random things and while he hasn't demonstrated any overt symptoms I'd like to limit the shedding as much as possible, I'm happy to groom regularly, clip etc. the breed that came to mind for me was a Lagotto. if anyone can provide some information or advice on whether the Lagotto would suit our family, lifestyle (is it a dog that does well with children, cope with regular decent but not huge exercise, come along for car drives with us for school and activities, cuddle on the couch with the kids and watch tv? and are they responsive to training etc.. )It would be greatly appreciated. thanks in advance for your time!