What Breeds Would You Consider?

[t-time]

TTs have grooming requirements which I don't think a 10 year old would be capable of which is the ONLY reason I didn't suggest one

If an adult is happy to supervise grooming - even a clipped coat requires some maintenance - then a TT would be a perfect choice for agility.

TTs are exceptionally handler focused (they are renowned for their loyalty) and also quite toy oriented - some like food and some don't. ;)

Finding the right breeder is the key if you want a TT - "wary of strangers" are the key words in the breed standard and with the wrong breeder and no early socialisation, that breed trait does become evident.

PM me for for more info - I am the Puppy Enquiries Registrar for the Tibetan Terrier Association

Emm - I have PMed you :p

[helen]

I agree with the comments from Poodlefan and Vickie.

IMO the main thing is to go for a breed that is most likely to make the job easy for a junior handler. For me if you can do the grooming it would be hands down a Mini Poodle, I have had one myself and watched many at agility and they really just want to please. I would also speak to Sheltie breeders before ruling them out as they can be smart little dogs too. I think a Beagle might make her job that extra bit harder (no offence to Beagles).

ETA I have seen some very smart Maltese and Chinese Crested dogs

Edited August 25, 2010 by helen

[mrms]

My daughter was 10 ( she was also very small & the dog weighed more than my daughter) when she started training our Aussie Shepherd in agility, I was training Diva in obedience, she had a very reliable recall but no real respect for my daughter. The respect grew in time with patients & allot of hard work. I stopped training Diva in obedience after about 7 months, to encourage the bonding & respect.

The combination is about to enter their 3rd year, are competing in Agility, obedience, rally, heal work to music & fly ball. My daughter does all the training & get huge satisfaction from the competition results that they achieve, the bond these two have now is unreal, to the point that I'm invisible when my daughter is around.

[Scarlet]

I would also speak to Sheltie breeders before ruling them out as they can be smart little dogs too.

If you are still considering Shelties give MrsD a PM.

I met her sheltie a while ago now but he was the most calm, confident Sheltie I've ever come across. (I has Shelties as a child-ours weren't barkers but they were quite timid)

If I were to get a Sheltie I would certainly look at his breeders.

MrsD's sheltie plays/lives with a pretty full on kelpie

[CaseyKay]

My 3 BC girls are all small, (around 14-16kg), they are all extremely handler focussed, don't care about other dogs, other people etc. Bond very closely to their primary cargiver/handler. My 7 year old niece loves to train my dogs and they listen to her (she does a great imitation of her Auntie!). In fact she reckons since I have 3 dogs and she has none it would be only fair to give one to her...None of the girls are barky, at home they are all quiet/chilled out even 12 months puppy. I got my first BC, a 3 year old rescue boy, when I was 13 and we adored each other You sometimes see a little bit older BCs looking for homes, maybe didn't cut it as show dogs etc. You wouldn't have to go through crazy puppyhood and she can start agility training almost straight away which is another bonus.

[mita]

I'm sure I will offend many Sheltie owners but will run the risk anyway. They are a stunning dog with a definite working ability thereby making them ideal for agility etc BUT all the Shelties I have known bark like nothing else I've known.

We had 2 shelties, Danny ( a rescue), who was one of the quietest, sweetest dogs we've ever owned. Never a peep out of him.

BUT, Shelley, our gorgeous p/b was nicknamed The Mouth From the South (which says it all ). I used to think we should have a big pole in the back yard with an audio tape that said, 'Shut up, Shelley!' every 2 minutes.

She didn't just bark AT anything (she was kept away from the front yard with any passing parade outside), she barked to give her opinion on most things.

Like, our neighbour said she was the only dog he'd met that was a Greenie. Whenever he'd start to trim a bush or cut limbs from trees, Shelley would poke her head around the deck steps and bark/complain. He was actually very fond of her & she'd usually race over for pats. But she had some strong objection to anything in the environment being changed, especially greenery.

On the other hand, Shelley was brilliant at TELLING us that something was not as it usually was. Like, the cat was sitting in a wrong place. She was a Working Dog whose talent was dobbing... by barking to tell us to come fix something (like, get the damn cat out of the laundry basket!)

Apart from that, we adored our Shelties. Danny, the quiet one, was truly a heart dog. And Shelley was a red-haired, loveable lunatic in the manner of Lucille Ball.

[smisch]

I have seen a number of Really nice Sheltie and Sheltie X's including my own run by younger people but I honestly wouldn't recommend them for a young handler.. I have seen 2 types

1.Nervy, shy not so happy little dogs

2. Outgoing, crazy, insane, barkers lol

They are nice dogs But unless your daughter is prepared to deff go the hard yards I would be looking elsewhere.

A young Girl (14) Who I trial with and occasionally instruct runs a little Cavalier one from the right lines culd be quiet a nice dog, this one believes he is a rough and tough lab He is a very forgiving dog and solely goes out to please her and he has a blast :D

[indigirl]

Always remember the child's size.

Is she capable of lifting a table dog.

Some child handlers are just not capable of lifting the dog of their choice onto a table because of their small stature.

This is very true - Campbell would love to show a Fauve regularly but they are just too heavy for him to lift on to the table. Instead he will have to make do with run-offs for a while.

I'm sure I will offend many Sheltie owners but will run the risk anyway. They are a stunning dog with a definite working ability thereby making them ideal for agility etc BUT all the Shelties I have known bark like nothing else I've known. A friend was recently set up next to some at a show and every single time I visited her they were in their crates barking - I kid you not! I have spoken with some Sheltie people who have said that they highly recommend debarking to keep your sanity - and these were Shelties who did high level obedience & agility. Then there was my friendly Telstra technician who was recently moaning at how his neighbour's shelties did not shut-up ever if he was in his backyard - it has got to such a point that he no longer has bbq's etc. I'm not sure if it is something that is in lines (as howling is apparently with Fauves) or if it "simply" a trait of their working background but worth investigating unless you live somewhere where barking doesn't matter at all.

x 100

I have an elderly sheltie that never shuts up. He will prolly be PTS eventually due to the barking. I will never had a sheltie in my home again.

Hey Trish Campbell could easily lift an iggy :D