Breed Suggestions For A Young Family

[Little Bear]

Hi everyone,

I'd love to hear some thoughts on breeds that might suit our family. Next month we'll have moved house & once we're settled probably visit some dog shows & chat with some breeders but I wanted to start getting some research in now. :)

I've put our details below but if I've missed anything just ask me

House: 3br with medium garden. The dog will be allowed inside & outside as he pleases, only bedrooms will be off limits.

Family: myself, my husband & our 6 month old daughter. There will hopefully be more kiddies coming along so we need a dog that is ok with children under 4 years old as they'll be about that age for most of the dogs life. Of course the children & dog will be taught how to interact & supervised.

Exercise: I think the max we can manage is 1 hour walk daily, off leash time 2-3 times a week, several short training sessions a day. I love training & would really like to have a go at agility.

I'm a stay at home mum so someone would be home with the dog all day (except when I need to do some shopping etc.) sadly I only have the experience of one dog, he was a Boxer & we lost him to cancer some months back. I love Boxers but I'd like something a bit less boistrous this time & a bit more trainable (not that Boxers aren't trainable) I don't know if he was a one off or if it was lack of experience on my part but he would never take treats or toys as a reward when I was trying to train him out of the house anyway that's probably a whole different topic.

So in summary the most important things to me are: calmness with children, trainability, short to med length coat, & of course something that will be a bit of a companion to me during the day, happy for cuddles etc. oh & I'd love a dog I could teach to play fetch!

Sorry that was kinda long, let me know if I've missed anything!

[Gretel]

Vienna is my first Finnish Lapphund and I've been blown away how wonderful she's been with my grandchildren. She's great to train too. Definitely a breed that's worth thinking about in my opinion. :)

[Things]

One thing you missed, what size(s) would you prefer? :)

[Purdie]

Perhaps a Vizsla..

[Little Bear]

hmm.. finish lapphund I hadn't thought about those. do they need alot of grooming? I'm not too fussed about size, although having said that the dog needs to fit in our car so that would rule out the giant breeds :laugh:

I have been looking at Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, Australian Kelpie & Smooth Collies so far. I haven't met many kelpies or collies though so we'll have to see.

Vizsla's are beautiful but I think I read somehwere they need several hours of exercise

[Salukifan]

If you were prepared to have a dog professionally groomed, you could have a lot of fun with a Toy or Miniature Poodle - great agility dogs and also tend to be good with kids. I'd probably favour the Miniature size as a family dog.

The pay off for the pro-grooming is that they don't shed.

In the larger dogs, a Whippet could be good but they aren't the most natural of agility prospects (some compete though).

Any gun dog or working breed is going to need a fair bit of exercise and stimulation, especially as an adult.

For some breeds that are calm around kids, you have to survive puppy hood to get there LOL

I think many dogs could suit your situation so a dog show is a good idea. A visit to an agility trial to see the sorts of dogs that compete might be a good idea too. I'd go a Papillon if I were looking for a toy breed for agility.

Edited July 19, 2014 by Haredown Whippets

[The Spotted Devil]

I am a gundog fan but mine gets a LOT of training and intense exercise - running and swimming.

The other thing I would clarify is do you want to dabble in agility or do you really want to compete? The latter requires a fair bit of commitment training wise but if you select a high energy breed you will end up with a dog that is easy to live with as a by product of all that mental and physical activity - I hope that makes sense! If you just want to dabble the CKCS would be perfect too - yes, they compete but can be a little more difficult to motivate.

Love the mini Poodles - would have one in an instant if I didn't love my gundog trials so much. Dalmatians can also be awesome family dogs but do need a good deal of exercise and structured, fun training. Oh and you need a sense of humour too :laugh: I do agility with my Dalmatian and my ESS in addition to retrieving and obedience - but I like a challenge :) Make sure you get the dog you want to live with first though!

[Gretel]

Lappies don't need a lot of grooming. Vienna moults less and doesn't knot as much as the Cavaliers. She does a major moult twice a year. I brush her probably fortnightly whereas if I left the Cavs that long they'd be very knotty. The Cavs moult quite a bit. They are lovely dogs and sound like they'd fit in well with your needs. Good idea to go and meet some dogs and see which appeal.

[Little Bear]

The Spotted Devil - I'm looking to dabble I think, or maybe a better way to put it is a dog I can learn with. I'm keen to get into agility, maybe even compete but I'm not sure if my handling skills will take me to that level, I've never done agility before so I wouldn't want a high end competition dog, the poor thing would probably get too frustrated with me

Gretel- I had a bit of a google for Finnish Lapphund, they seem like they could be a good match. I'll definitely add them to the list of breeds to check out :)

[Brandiandwe]

The right greyhound might work. Our two boys are awesome with kids, only a bit stubborn and really don't need much exercise. But it would have to be the right one and agility might be a challenge in terms of training and recall.

[trifecta]

You mentioned the Collie Smooth in your opening post - awesome family dogs in my opinion & all too often overlooked!

[WreckitWhippet]

Staffordshire Bull Terrier. They aren't called "the nanny" dog for no reason. They are fantastic with children and have a sixth sense when it comes to the kids, The amount of exercise you are willing to provide is enough and they love to be part of the family. They are easily trainable, thrive on reward and are agile enough for some agility. The only down side would be that they don't readily accept you not being able to walk and exercise them and that may be an issue if you plan to add to your family.

If you want something a little more laid back, that will go with the flow and not be so demanding on your time and exercise requirements then a Whippet would suit your lifestyle. As Haredown pointed out they aren't natural agility prospects but they are trainable, great with kids and are happy to lay around, which is great when you have a family and the demands that go along with it.

[aussielover]

I think a cavalier could suit.

There are a few competing successfully in agility. Most have a decent food drive.

And they are very sweet, gentle little dogs, but not so little that you have to worry too much about squashing or injuring them.

They are prone to a range of health problems though so finding a good breeder is important.

[Zereuloh]

I have Pembroke Corgi's and young children, they've been fantastic pets and great with the kids.

[Kavik]

Whereabouts are you? A visit to an agility trial would give you a great idea of the breeds that compete and what they are like. There are some big agility competitions coming up in the next few months, where you are bound to see the majority of Sydney and NSW competitors.

It also depends on the hair length/grooming and temperament you like. There is a big difference between the temperament of say a Spaniel and a Kelpie!

Smaller breeds: if you don't mind hair - Cocker Spaniel, Shetland Sheepdog, Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Poodle (Mini)

Medium breeds: Australian Shepherd, Whippet

Large breeds: Vizsla, German Shorthaired Pointer (though both of these can be boisterous!)

Edited July 19, 2014 by Kavik

[The Spotted Devil]

Yes, if you're in Melbourne I'd be happy to catch up at an agility trial and introduce you to a few folk with different breeds!

[LisaCC]

I agree with smooth collie. If you like them, perhaps go meet some at shows and talk to their owners/breeders?

I also agree with Haredown Whippets, surviving puppy hood would be your biggest issue to overcome. Even the calmest adult dogs can be terror puppies

[kelpiecuddles]

I think a lot of breeds have the potential to be great matches for you. Whereabouts are you? Members here could probably suggest some good trials or shows coming up where you could get some ideas.

[Little Bear]

Spotted Devil - I'm in NSW but thanks for the offer!

It would be great to go to some trials & shows, I really wanted to wait until my husband can come along too tho. He's away for work & we wont meet up with him until we move to Adelaide. It's a shame we have to go to Adelaide because there seem to be alot more dog shows & things here, & a lot more breeders

Does anyone know if there will be any trials or dog shows around Adelaide towards the end of September or later?

To be honest I'm not sure I know exactly what temperament I'm after, I was hoping when we go to some shows & visit some breeders we'll be able to have a better idea what they're like & maybe just gel with one :)

I agree getting through puppyhood is probably going to be the most difficult part. It's the bit when they're nearly fully grown but still have a puppy brain that worries me the most, does anyone have any tips on having dogs with young children? things you taught your dog which helped? things not to do? Even tho Toby (my Boxer) was boisterous I don't remember him being too bad in the house, it was mostly with new people or when we were out. I don't know, maybe I'm over thinking the whole baby dog interaction thing. Do breeds mature at different rates?

Does anyone know how Collies & Kelpies compare? I'm wondering if Collies might be a bit more laid back

[LisaCC]

Spotted Devil - I'm in NSW but thanks for the offer!

It would be great to go to some trials & shows, I really wanted to wait until my husband can come along too tho. He's away for work & we wont meet up with him until we move to Adelaide. It's a shame we have to go to Adelaide because there seem to be alot more dog shows & things here, & a lot more breeders

Does anyone know if there will be any trials or dog shows around Adelaide towards the end of September or later?

To be honest I'm not sure I know exactly what temperament I'm after, I was hoping when we go to some shows & visit some breeders we'll be able to have a better idea what they're like & maybe just gel with one :)

I agree getting through puppyhood is probably going to be the most difficult part. It's the bit when they're nearly fully grown but still have a puppy brain that worries me the most, does anyone have any tips on having dogs with young children? things you taught your dog which helped? things not to do? Even tho Toby (my Boxer) was boisterous I don't remember him being too bad in the house, it was mostly with new people or when we were out. I don't know, maybe I'm over thinking the whole baby dog interaction thing. Do breeds mature at different rates?

Does anyone know how Collies & Kelpies compare? I'm wondering if Collies might be a bit more laid back

Regarding the bolded I've found yes and down to particular lines as well. So talk to breeders about the specifics. My breeder for instance told me that in her lines the males seem to "grow a brain" quicker than the females.

I've only been around working keplies but the collies I've met are most definitely more laid back then them. I have a good friend who owns rough collies as house pets and working kelpies. He openly admits he doesn't think he could deal with a kelpie as a "pet". Not sure if you go towards show line kelpies.