What dog?

[Tezzabell]

Hi, we live in a small house and have a daughter who is 3 and 2 cats..........we are considering getting a dog. I've never had a dog before but have done research and think i would make a responsible dog owner. Does anyone have any suggestions as to which type of dog, i have a couple of ideas bit would welcome views ideas and experiences, please, x

[bryher]

What about a cavalier king charles I may be biased but they adore cats

[craft1948]

pussy it came from a house near York where the RSPCA had rescued 72 pedigree dogs which had all been kept in cages, so it obviously had probelms interacting with people. It was a shame really as I got him as a friend for my chihuahua/yorkie cross.............it was hate at first sight......

[jesimika]

Ive got a beautiful little Jack Russell, hes so much fun, your'e daughter would love him and they can adapt to other pets, he likes a walk every day, but doesnt need any grooming, hes nice and small and really affectionate, didnt need too much training but is really clever, he'll only get excited if you get him excited which is great, cus when we wana watch tele he sleeps on our laps and when we wana play he loves to play! He really is sooooo much fun, hes 10 month old now and I couldnt love him more!!

Photos;
http://www.facebook.c...=3251552&id=663863026

[Jan1957]

I had a bichon frise and they are lovely, friendly little dogs. Mine got on with my cats so well that they used to come for a walk round the park with us. People used to laugh at us, me walking the dog with two black cats following. They also don't moult, which does mean you have to have them clipped every 10 - 12 weeks, but means you don't have dog hair everywhere.

[fredpuli47]

More seriously:. You have to have a breed that is tolerant of young children. Of course, above all you have to teach the child well and before you teach the puppy!Children have to know how to approach a dog (any dog), to leave it in peace,not to keep picking it up, and all the rest. In short to understand its Dog Rights!
Some breeds are undoubtedly more patient and tolerant than others. When I was born my dog- wise parents got golden retriever ***.Perfect, but they moult a lot. A black or cream ( but not 'chocolate') labrador should be good.Terriers of all kinds, are not so good.American cocker spaniels, not good.Any guard breed is to be avoided at all costs.Any breed described as a 'one-man- dog' or 'faithful to its owner/family' may prove unpleasantly protective. That leaves a lot which are passably good or excellent.
Read around a lot,ask around, and study breed descriptions.You can get a good idea from what's said, and also read between the lines.It helps always to think what the breed was bred for, to know what it's like underneath, what its traits are to get an idea what yours will be like.

[fredpuli47]

Retriever ***** ? I mean a golden retriever female. Honestly , this site has absurd rules!
What's wrong with the normal word for a female dog,which I put?

[lankeela]

fredpuli, I asked in the suggestions section the other day about the word b i t c h!

As for Pulis, point taken, but would you recommend one for a novice dog owner? Can you imagine a Puli that does not have its cords looked after? Just very surprised that this site gave them as a suitable dog for my requirements.

All dogs of all breeds can be nice/nasty, like/hate cats, like/dislike kids. My own breed (Lancashire Heelers) are a small, short coated breed that can be great with kids if brought up with them, many live with cats or other dogs and many do obedience/agility competitions. However this very much depends on the parents temperament and their socialisation. Some can be right stubborn gits but most are fine if given enough attention/exercise.

Health testing is a very important aspect, and as has been publicised recently please do not buy from a pet shop or puppy farm, make sure you see any puppy with the mother and make sure you see all health test certificates for the relevant conditions.
Breed club secretaries will put you in touch with reputable breeders. Be very wary of buying from an internet site or freeads, as puppy farmers often use these to disguise their despicable trade. As I said before, there are lots of experienced people on here who can guide you. Just ask, we are happy to help.

[fredpuli47]

No Lankeela, I wouldn't recommend a Puli for the novice dog owner.The old Kennel Cliub guide to breeds had the very comment 'only for the most experienced handler' which always made me smile. But that wasn't promoted by grooming, which is comparatively slight, but by the sheer stubbornness, coupled with their innate....er.. 'disrespect' for every other dog! They're a lovely breed, but you have to understand dogs and handling, be on their case right from the word go, or they'll be too much their own dog, as it were! They're quite sweet then, tolerant of others.Mine always were, but you could see what the KC had meant.Mind, it's relative, the big 'sheep guard' the Komondor is much more of a handful.

That raises a pertinent point.The last thing to do is pick a breed because you like the appearance of it. A Yorkshire terrier, is still a terrier, even with a pink bow in its hair, not innately a clinging lapdog who never wanders off and always shows amazing tolerance of everybody!.

[mollykins]

I suggest you don't get a pedigree, perhaps one from a dogs home who gets on with children and cats, i know staffys get along with children, but they're not the most attactive dogs.

cavaleirs have been cruely bred so that their brains are too big for their skulls and often end up giving their owner a hefty vets bill when they get brain damage or have fits.

If you want a pedigree look into all the health issues they have, plus they're expensive to buy.

[mollykins]

for those reasons i'd never have a pedigree, but i believe they are working on changing the standards for many dogs.

on the kc or crufts website, it said something along the lines of any shar pei (i think it was jsut them) that is born without its ridges should be culled. but those ridges are because they have a genetic disease, spina bifida, so the kc or crufts or possibly both said that any shar pei without this genetic disease which leaves many people in wheel chairs for life, should be culled and many vets would do it, even though it was a fine healthy dog, but not to the disabilitating standards that i was expected to.

[jules77]

Problem with getting a dog from a dogs home is that you dont know its background. Most will give an assessment, but not all, and will not be able to assess in all situations. JRT's are not the best dog to get on with cats BTW.

Not all Cavaliers have fits, but some breeds have more health problems than others. I cannot understand why people think that a cross breed is more healthy than a pedigree, they are a cross breed of a purebred dog at some point, and in reality, they are taking on the health issues of more than one breed.

[brenda]

Some very interesting info about dogs in these answers for the poster. Sorry to disagree ,would not personally have a dog in this scenario at the moment, I would choose to wait until my daughter was somewhat older ,so that she could be more involved with the care and upbringing of the dog.Just my view.

[lankeela]

Mollykins your information is totally wrong I am afraid. The reason I mentioned health testing is because some unscrupulous breeders do breed from Cavaliers with heart problems and syringomyelia (the brain problem you mentioned) but not all by any means. If people buy from a puppy farm or without getting the necessary health certificates then they cannot complain if they buy a dog with a problem.

As for the Shar Pei, you are totally confusing this breed with Rhodesian Ridgebacks,
Shar Pei's are the wrinkly dogs which can have skin and eye problems, Ridgebacks are the ones with the ridge (clue is in the name!) and the information given in the tv programme about them was totally skewed. The reason puppies are culled is that the ridge grows inwards rather than upwards and causes major problems. This is just a very basic explanation but if anyone is interested in learning about dermoid sinus they should google it.

As for crossbreeds being more healthy, if these problems are inherited and you cross two breeds with a problem you will get problems! Also many dogs are put in rescue for temperament problems and you don't know their background. I would not recommend a rescue dog for a first time owner unless the full background is known.
I would also not recommend a Staffie for a first time owner. They are a very strong willed breed and although great with kids, often if another dog starts something the natural instict of a Staffie is to finish it, and god help anyone who tries to intervene, be it adult or child.

[Suetheramble]

Go to a rescue home ( Many tears on google) if you tell them what you want they will show you "nice"dogs. craft1948 is giving rescue dogs a bad name. I told the resue home I had a young child and cats and they suggested several of their dogs; the one I picked was the best dog ever. The dog has never growled or snapped and is 100% .Go to a resce home they are not trying to sell for a profit they want the dog to have a good home all breeders will say this dog is great for the money

[Suetheramble]

Ps If mongrels inherit all the ailments of the parents why is insurance cheaper for crossbreeds than pedigrees?

[craft1948]

Sue I am not giving rescue dogs a bad name.......my first dog was a rescue dog from the RSPCA which was why I went there for another one......I was just unfortunate with the dog I chose.......
When my little dog died in 2008 I again visited them for another rescue dog, but in the end I got a re-homed westie from someone who had decided not to keep him and wanted rid.

[saxy_jag]

Please consider a greyhound. Although large, they are usually gentle and affectionate, don't need inordinate amounts of exercise (quite the opposite - your typical couch potato) and eat relatively little. Whilst many ex-racers will chase and attack cats, there are just many who get along very well with them (my last g/h and my cat were best friends). They are also one of the few pedigree breeds without breeding faults. Moreover they usually walk nicely on a lead without pulling (so your little one can learn to hold the lead), are clean and make very little noise around the house.

And there are hundreds of them around the country in need of good homes.

[Tezzabell]

the dogs i were considering were, a whippet, i know they aren't great with small furries but if bought up with the cats from a pup, i don't feel they would chase the cats they know (feel free to correct me). I really like greyhounds but my house isn't big enough. I only have a small yard and garden but would happily walk a dog. i really like airedale terreirs but not sure if one of them would be too big? i have heard all the pedigree horror stories, we visited my grandad for a week and he has 2 king charles spaniels, they were great with my daughter but i wouldn't buy one because of health issues. like fox terriers too. Im very aware that any dog isn't 100% safe and it's largely down to me to ensure my daughter isn't pulling and tugging etc, whilst she is only young, the cats i have came to us as very sick kittens and she has been as good as gold with them....although she can't do much she is keen to be involved with feeding them etc.

[fredpuli47]

Airedale. Have you ever had one ?.It's actually as tall as a Labrador,though somehow it doesn't look it.It's a great watchdog ! It's still a terrier and terriers are not the most tolerant or long-suffering group.If you have a young child about that characteristic is worth a thought.They have a bit of a reputation for enjoying a fight too, though the two near here seem peaceful enough ( but they're both female, which makes quite a difference; if you do have one, a female would be a safer bet)
Whippet. Well, it's a sight-hound,like the greyhound. You may teach it not to chase (it's what they're bred for,after all) but that may take a bit of work.It'll look at you, hurt,pleading 'No???Why not? Go on, pleeeease.Just this once !' But they're softies easy to groom, short-haired, affectionate.Sight-hounds are bone idle BUT when they see a reason to run (a cat?), they run hard.They generally love bursts of enthusiastic exercise.What exercise will be on offer?