Hi All - Searching For Another Family Member!

[hortfurball]

Mercedes, is it possible the field spaniel breeder was testing to see how committed you were?

Or perhaps they have doubts but all it will take is a little reassurance on your part.

A friend of mine wanted a golden retriever pup but her son was a toddler. The breeder said they never allowed a puppy to go to people with children. She persevered and convinced them, and the dog and boy have been best friends for nearly ten years. My friend regularly shares photos with her breeder and the breeder couldn't be more delighted with the situation.

Unless they said an out and out "No, we will not consider you" then I'd get back to them and convince them that you'll make sure the kids are no issue. If they have doubts, ask what exactly they are concerned about. If you have an honest answer for everything, and assure them that the children won't be left unsupervised with the pup, you may yet get your dream puppy. :)

If that fails, I'd definitely contact other field spaniel breeders...

and I also thought of a cocker spaniel for you straight away, even before I'd read that you were looking at a field spaniel.

[brightstar123]

We had a Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen when we were kids and he was the best family dog. Loved to go on adventures, happy little fellow, grooming manageable, not too stubborn lol. We also had Keeshonds, Samoyeds and Finnish Lapphunds and they were fantastic with children too. Super trainable and great with other animals. The grooming seems crazy at first but with the right tools and a few trips to the groomer every now and then it's really not hard. I wouldn't go for those if you like to swim/go to the beach a lot though!

[Bjelkier]

Th OP has asked for breeds that are low grooming and quiet. Most Spitz breeds are neither of these things, so why are people suggesting them as an option?

I wouldn't suggest a kees, sammy or a lappie for this situation at all!

I would suggest one of the smaller gundogs as an alternative to a spitz

Edited October 15, 2014 by Bjelkier

[Dogsfevr]

I would suggest you go to a dogshow ,not sure what part of Vic your in but the Victorian Gundog have there show soon over 400 entries Aussie wide .

Its free you will be able to see Fields & any other gundog breed ,have you considered the Welsh Springer Spaniel ??

Around the same time is two All Breeds shows again entries Aussie Wide .

There is also the Hound Club shows where you will see Daccies ,i have owned a Std Smooth & wouldn't recommend for kids the Std Longs are great dogs .

I now plenty of people who have Mini Smooth s around young kids ,they ywo are good compact dogs that fit easy into the car for family trips * easy coat care .

[~*Shell*~]

If you like unusual, maybe check out some of the mid sized Spitz breeds- I really like the Finnish Lapphunds, Keeshounds and German Spitz (Mittel)

I do also love the Finnish Lapphunds, those wolf markings are adorable! But the coat did scare me a little, I'm just uneducated in grooming though...

I have 2 Finnish Lapphunds and I don't think they would be appropriate for your needs if you don't want a dog that barks a lot. Lappies can be problem barkers and many people have them in bark collars all the time when they're outside. Barking is like their go-to when they're excited and little things can excite them. They are good with kids for the most part, but may decide that your cat needs chasing. My younger girl is 2.5 and she still loves trying to herd the cat. Grooming is an issue for them too - some lappies have much bigger coats than others, and particularly when desexed. They do look like cute teddy bears but they are a working dog and you have to keep that in mind.

[Mercedes]

Yes, Lappies are adorable but not for us I think.

I don't think I will go back to the original breeder I was dealing within regards to Fields. A trust has been broken there and they were just downright rude unfortunately. We attended the Rarer Gundog Show back in June, so I will look up the next Gundog one, thanks Showdog.

Thanks for your advice too HFB, I will try one more breeder and see if they concur. If it's not meant to be, it's not meant to be.

Thanks Kelpiecuddles, I will investigate the Bassets some more too, still like the look of them and they seem quite stable and dependable? Do the ears get very messy when they eat?

[kelpiecuddles]

Her ears only get washes when she is bathed She eat a predominantly dry diet though. I'm more than happy for you to meet her for a play when we come down if you like. Might help you get a feel for them as they aren't a breed you often come across in the street. :)

[Dogsfevr]

Here's the Schedule

http://www.victoriangundogclub.com/2014-ch-show

plus a list of the other shows

http://www.dogsvictoria.org.au/Portals/0/assets/gazette/Gazette_August14_schedulesforweb.pdf

This is all in Nov for the Melb cup ,awesome chance to see many dogs & outside breeders

[brightstar123]

Th OP has asked for breeds that are low grooming and quiet. Most Spitz breeds are neither of these things, so why are people suggesting them as an option?

I wouldn't suggest a kees, sammy or a lappie for this situation at all!

I would suggest one of the smaller gundogs as an alternative to a spitz

I really did find our Keeshonds (in particular) very low maintenance, in terms of grooming, exercise requirements, health and being easy to train What I liked was that most of the hair stayed in the rake rather than ending up all over the house. The groomers did the hard yards with the trimming/blow drying etc but otherwise they were very clean and a great indoor dog. I just spent 10-15min per day brushing them and it seemed to be fine. Our labs shed way more hair and I spend a lot more time than that vacuuming lol. She didn't bark much either, apart from alerting us to strangers being around. Anyway, perhaps we got lucky or Spitzs just fitted in well with our family :)

[Steph M]

Thank you Thunder. Unfortunately a Cav just doesn't appeal to me appearance-wise. I think I like a longer snout? Who knows why...

I asked the mini dachs breeder I spoke to last night about the standard dachs but she didn't think the temperament would be suitable for younger children. Too snappy generally speaking she said.

I love the rough collie (but I think maybe too big and coat may be too much for me to handle for a first timer). I also love the Flat coated retriever, but again maybe too big. I know I'm being too fussy, but this is a dog we will love for hopefully a long time. I can't believe I have been researching for nearly 12 months!

We have a flat coat, feel free to PM me any questions you might have or you can come meet him if you like? We are in Vic too. :)

[Mercedes]

Thanks Showdog! Of course I am devastated as I work at Flemington for the Spring Racing Carnival and the 1st Nov is Derby Day

I can make it to Sunbury on the 2nd and 3rd Nov though and check out the Collies and Corgis and Cockers!

What is on at the Geelong Showgrounds this weekend?

Edited October 15, 2014 by Mercedes

[mita]

I love the rough collie (but I think maybe too big and coat may be too much for me to handle for a first timer).

Have you considered the smooth collie? You don't have the coat to deal with. Just my opinion, but I think both the Cardigan Corgi & the Smooth Collie are two quiet achievers in the dog world. Here's a Smooth Collie as an example... just gorgeous!

http://www.dogzonline.com.au/breeds/profile.asp?dog=12633

My own breed of choice is the Tibetan Spaniel, but from your list of what you're looking for... I don't think a Tibbie would fit.

[Mercedes]

Thanks mita, I really must teach myself how to do that quote thing. The Smooth Collies are really special aren't they? I think a larger breed is something for me to consider once the kids are all in high school - goodness, imagine me trying to decide again!!!

[RuralPug]

I have a friend who breeds the smooth collies and they seem to be a lot more full-on and have more drive than the roughs, more in line with the average kelpie or ACD. They are clever and gorgeous but not really the quiet family dog...

A cocker spaniel or corgi from a GOOD breeder should suit you. Personally I feel that you would struggle a bit much much as a novice in Obedience with a beagle or whippet, although they might tick your other boxes.

If you are really interested in a smaller dog with great obedience potential, you might want to consider the Schipperke, but being VERY intelligent they are not really the breed I would recommend for a first family dog, they are easy to "break" which can lead to behaviour problems.

[Trisven13]

I don't often suggest my breed but I would think that a Basset Fauve De Bretagne would be a great fit for your family, as would be a Petit Basset Griffon Vindeen or even a Grand Basset Griffon Vindeen.

I breed and show Fauves but also live with a Grand and I honestly can't imagine a better breed with children than these two. Yes, like all breeds, they have their faults, but they could well be a good option to consider and I'd be happy to talk to you more about them. I know that there are litters planned in the next 12 months for Fauves and I could refer you to someone about the Grands. :)

ETA I may have missed you wanting to do obedience - yes if you wanted to do obedience with a Fauve you would require the right one as their attention really needs to be directed. Once you have one focussed on you (food drive is brilliant in my experience) then they will do loads for you.

Edited October 15, 2014 by Trisven13

[Mercedes]

Thanks Trisven, I will revisit the breeds you mentioned!

It has taken me a month of frustration to build up the courage to post here about my breed search so thank you to all of you here trying to help and throwing suggestions at me. There is so much conflicting advice to be found online, it really is fantastic to hear of all your first-hand experiences xx

[Salukifan]

No bigger than medium, smooth coat, not barky and good with kids....

Whippet

Staffordshire Bull Terrier (one of the best kids dogs EVER). Just avoid the "fashionable" blues.

If you can tolerate a voice, I'd have added Beagles to the mix. Very steady most of them.

[indigirl]

I second a fauve as a great breed with kids. Mine is bombproof. Not too big, not too small, easy care coat. Not barky, loves to play and fine with cats. My girl is very drivey but Trish promises me you can get mellow ones lol. They are def worth a look.

[Cleo's Corgwyn]

Cleo - Very happy to see you too, thank you. I sent an email to Sue a few days ago, but haven't received a reply. I don't think there is anything I don't like about the Cardi's. I especially love the blue merles, are they hard to come by? We are in Melbourne and I am trying to stick to breeders within Vic. I just like things to be more personal than only emails, and I would like to visit before committing to a breeder (in an ideal world).

I should warn you that the Cardi's like all Corgwyn, shed - a lot! :laugh:

I assume that you've emailed Sue Hadley at Bethwyn? You could also try Lynnette Harris at Kardibroke, and Jan West at Llandaff(Jan doesn't breed often, but she has the most lovely Cardis - her boy Oliver is my Zim's grandfather, and I'd steal her Gem or Olivia in a heartbeat). Check out the Australian Cardis Calling website and Facebook page as well.

Here's one of Zimri and Inari, taken at a local garden this month.

[Rainy]

No bigger than medium, smooth coat, not barky and good with kids....

Whippet

Staffordshire Bull Terrier (one of the best kids dogs EVER). Just avoid the "fashionable" blues.

If you can tolerate a voice, I'd have added Beagles to the mix. Very steady most of them.

If you consider a SBT please contact one of our forum breeders for advice looking for a breeder. Unfortunately there are dodgy people breeding even under ankc prefixes.

Sandra777 (SBT breeder)

SoL (SBT Breeder)

WreckitWhippet ( did Breed SBT and Whippet's)