Choosing A Dog Breed And Dog Breeder

[4darlingdogs]

I saw someone posted they thought a pointer might be one of the dogs to fit the bill.....I would advise against this as the situation described would not give a pointer enough exercise and you could well end up with a destructive dog in your backyard. Good luck and all the best with your search.

[sandgrubber]

My breed bias . . . Labrador, goldie or flatcoat. All tend to be easy going, friendly, tolerant, easy, home-centered dogs. Btw., all dogs are not equally prone to wander. My dogs won't go out the gate when it's left open, unless a deer or another dog comes by. They don't think of digging out, though they could easily.

Selection within the breed is probably more important than the breed itself. Look for a breeder who not only says they breed for temperament but who will tell you what temperament they breed for. And make sure that is the temperament you want. Ask direct questions about the temperament of both the sire and dam. Find a breeder who temperament tests the pups and is confident they can pick the right one for your situation.

Someone who places pups with Guide Dogs is the right direction . . . as they want bombproof, trainable dogs that bond well with people. Field work may be the wrong direction. Many people who do competitive retrieving like high drive, and it doesn't sound like you want a fetch-a-holic.

With Labbies, there's more demand for girls than boys, so you'll get a better choice if you go for a boy.

If you're not prepared to cope with a puppy, consider looking for an older dog.

[Bec11]

I wonder if you are being seduced by the lure of a well trained dog (completely understandable) and judging more on that than breed?

That is a REALLY good point. These two schnauzers I know are standard schnauzers but one is an ex-show dog and very well trained and the other is much younger, well trained and was noted to have a more submissive personality by the owners. I really did fall in love with the dog and they do look lovely (to me) and they really bonded with the kids but whether I can recreate that myself, I just don't know and probably don't have the experience. If we do decide to get a schnauzer, maybe the miniature one would be a better fit.

I've been googling the other names on here too and will look into going to one of the local dog shows.

[RiverStar-Aura]

I wonder if you are being seduced by the lure of a well trained dog (completely understandable) and judging more on that than breed?

I'd be a bit wary of a toy breed baby puppy with a toddler unless you manage the situation very very closely.

What sorts of characteristics are you looking for in a dog? I'm hearing biddable and trainable but what else?

independent or people focussed?

Intense or laid back?

Coat type?

Social with other dogs?

Social with strange people?

A watch dog or one who shows the burglars the silverware.

How likely are interstate moves in the future?

I LOVE!! this post HW. I think a lot of people are seduced by well trained and/or cute dogs and fail to think about what's really important.

Choosing the right breed is not an easy task, especially for first time owners or for those who haven't had dogs for a while. I know choosing my next dog(s) will be made easier as I have the help of my current two in choosing desirable traits, features, personalities and looks.

Other questions to ask yourself:

Do you want the dog to be a snuggle dog for yourself and kids? If so, you might think about size

If you look into the hound group, are you willing to work with its desire to scent track?

Then there's the biggie: why do you want a dog? Is it 'just because', you want to show/compete in dog sports etc ... Whatever your reasons, they need to be taken into consideration too.

There is so much to consider that I don't envy those in the process of choosing their first dog. I too agree heading to dog shows so you can experience many different breeds. You'll be introduced to all the different qualities that make each breed unique. Once you have some narrowed down ask yourself if the breed possesses traits you can live/work with.

Best of luck with your search!!

[raineth]

A lot of the hounds have lovely dispositions but may not want to play ball and are usually more challenging to teach recall, and have a tendency to wander

I agree with this but will say they do have fabulous personalities and are amazing with kids :). Mine loves her toys, i never really taught her to fetch but I have no doubt she would(she tries to steal the toy off my kelpie when she is in the midst of fetching it LOL), recall is harder with a scenthound but I can comfortably let her off in relatively contained areas and her recall is pretty good, I pop her back on a long line when i notice she's getting more distracted. Scenthounds do follow their nose but frankly if they got out it would be my kelpie that would lead the charge, scenthounds follow their noses if they get out, other breeds follow their eyes or their ears or just gleefully trot down the street till they find something interesting to roll in, it all comes down to good fencing.

Oh yes I just love the hound personality (although I know that's a bit of a generalisation) and they are usually so good with kids.

Completely true about fencing. It is so important to have adequate fencing for any dog. When I say wander I more meant the tendency take off at off-leash places, rather than just hang out with their people.

[persephone]

How exciting/frustrating/challenging this time will be :)

I totally agree with going to see different breeds in the flesh !

also have you read about breeds in THIS THREAD :) it may be useful .

The point about an adult dog is a valid one .... :)

[Salukifan]

I wonder if you are being seduced by the lure of a well trained dog (completely understandable) and judging more on that than breed?

That is a REALLY good point. These two schnauzers I know are standard schnauzers but one is an ex-show dog and very well trained and the other is much younger, well trained and was noted to have a more submissive personality by the owners. I really did fall in love with the dog and they do look lovely (to me) and they really bonded with the kids but whether I can recreate that myself, I just don't know and probably don't have the experience. If we do decide to get a schnauzer, maybe the miniature one would be a better fit.

I've been googling the other names on here too and will look into going to one of the local dog shows.

If you choose well, equip your self with knowledge (via attendance at classes etc) and put the effort into training, there is no reason why not.

The more pertinent question is whether, in the midst of family life, you are prepared as a family to commit to that effort which could be reasonably intensive for the first 12=-18months of a dog's life.

If the answer is "yes" and you step up to ensure that dog and kids get appropriate boundaries for interaction and the dog gets its physical and social needs met then you'll in all likelihood get the dog you want to live with.

Raising a well trained dog isn't rocket science. Ordinary people do it all the time. It just doesnt simply "happen" that a pup grows up to be one.

If you are heading in the direction of Schnauzers (I love the Giants) you will need to take another step up to ensure the dog is kept groomed. That means regular visits to a professional and home maintenance.

Edited March 27, 2014 by Haredown Whippets

[mita]

A Tibetan Spaniel would fit the bill I think.

I'm biased, but it could lol! Also there are a couple of breeders in WA.

'Come when called' - hmmm, this takes a LOT of proofing with tibs, it does with all dogs, but their independant nature means that if they are sniffing something/someone exciting you have to offer a whole lot more to get them to come.

Also their coat may not be ideal for a beach dog, and I haven't heard of many that live swimming.

Other than that they are perfect :)

For a few of the OP's requirements, I could see 'Tibbie'. But, to be honest, in the total picture that the OP's set out, I wouldn't recommend Tibetan Spaniel.

[Bec11]

independent or people focussed?

Intense or laid back?

Coat type?

Social with other dogs?

Social with strange people?

A watch dog or one who shows the burglars the silverware.

How likely are interstate moves in the future?

Thanks for this list. It's generated a bit of discussion here so here goes our thoughts:

Prefer people-focused. We want a new member of the family.

Prefer laid-back. The dog needs to be able to fit in to the rest of the family dynamics without too much stress.

Coat type - not worried too much. Not too much shedding. Getting groomed is not a problem, we'd probably take a dog to where other family members take their dogs to get groomed.

Social with other dogs. We occasionally get other dog visitors and live in an area with a lot of other dogs so it would need to be able to get along with other dogs, but not a huge priority as we don't have an existing dog (but we do have a cat).

Social with strange people. Definitely - we often have kids/cousins/grandparents/friends over or we are visiting them. My Dad especially would love to have a dog over for a visit and doesn't have one himself.

Not too worried about a watch dog. Happy for a warning bark (I'm hearing impaired and like this idea of being warned there are people at the door more than my husband does), but it's more important that the dog will get along with strange people then be a watch dog. Our current house has good neighbours that are at home a lot and this particular house hasn't been broken into for 15 years (before our time).

Highly unlikely to move interstate. We moved back for family and health reasons (hearing impairment being the big one) and both have good jobs now. We haven't moved much in the past and no plans to in the future.

[bossyboo]

My mother has a new 6 month old female mini snauzer. She is a great dog, she was toilet trained in a couple of days! She is the most laid back easy dog I have ever met. Not demanding just soo easy, dosent bark hardly at all, if a dog walks past she will let out a bark but that's it. Loves my kids. Her breeder was fantastic and I think the puppy is a real credit to her. So I really recommend them in the right situation.

[bossyboo]

My mother got the puppy at 12 weeks, as she came desexed. Mum was a bit concerned about her being so young getting desexed but she has had no problems and it worked out better that it was all over when she got her. She is salt and pepper and a real stunner!

[Bindo]

The cat minder:

Edited March 27, 2014 by Bindo

[Christina]

If you are prepared to send to a groomer & pick up a brush for a few short minutes every day what about a Miniature Poodle.

Nice size for children.

People orientated. Have to be part of the family.

Intelligent & easy to train.

Playful.

Won't shed.

Like other dogs & cats.

Poodles love everything as long as they are nice to them.

[twodoggies2001]

I would not recommend a Standard Schnauzer as a first dog. They are totally wonderful when trained properly but can be a challenging breed to train.

Should have clarified, my experience is with mini schnauzers.

As for your remarks regarding the standard schnauzer, I beg to differ. Our first schnauzer was a standard and he was a wonderful dog, instinctively knowing what was wanted from him and actually, being highly intelligent, very easy to train. He was absolutely wonderful when our first grandchild came along even though he really had no connection with babies or children. Having said that,we have now gone down a size to the mini schnauzer who are equally intelligent and excellent with my grandchildren. So, naturally, my vote would go to the schnauzer, either size. The only drawback with the bred is the attention to grooming and clipping, which in my case is done every 8 weeks. The one thing, with whatever breed is chosen is to teach the children to treat the dog with respect and kindness and to leave it alone when the dogs wants quiet time for him/her self.

[twodoggies2001]

I hope you won't let the kids terrorise a dog like you let them terrorise the poor cat

They're a little older now,and I'm sure, a little wiser too

[minimax]

I hope you won't let the kids terrorise a dog like you let them terrorise the poor cat

They're a little older now,and I'm sure, a little wiser too

Who, the supervising adults?

[mackiemad]

My mini schnauzer has always loved and respected my cats. The burmese was always boss until he passed a couple of months ago (is it that long already?) and he was allowed supervised outside time in his old age. He was supervised by both myself and my schnauzer who would patrolled perimeter in case the local tom came by.

I can guarantee you that my schnauzer is still grieving losing Beans and has spent more time grooming, playing and snoozing with the other cat he has access to.

I have loved the versatility of the breed for the 7 years I've had my boy. Comes to work sometimes, stays at home others. Enjoys a party at home and loves chilling on the couch. Easy to train and enjoyable to live with. Also, easy to fit in a hatchback, SUV or wagon boot and still have heaps of other stuff or ppl in the car!

[twodoggies2001]

I hope you won't let the kids terrorise a dog like you let them terrorise the poor cat

They're a little older now,and I'm sure, a little wiser too

Who, the supervising adults?

I thought it would be obvious but it seems not. The children lol

[megan_]

Standards and minis are very , very different dogs . My extended family members have both but the minis are definitely more biddable. The standards are lovely dogs but far more strong willed and are physically much more strong. Don't gt me wrong, they are lovely dogs and the ones I know are fantastic with kids, but they require a strong, consistent and knowleable owner.

One very well bred and socialised dog nips men who stand to close to my gran..re: minis, mine are not car safe at all, but there are breeders who breed lower drive dogs.

Edited March 28, 2014 by megan_

[Jed]

If you have met a mini Schnauzer and liked it, why not get one?

Ask the people who own it where they got it.

Failing that, contact breeders, and try to talk to them for a while. Find out how much they know about the breed, why they breed, how long they have been breeding, and how they feel about the dogs. Also check with the WACA that they are actually members. DO not buy an unregistered Schnauzer.

Good choice, great little dog. Smart as can be.