We would love a dog, and have been thinking about it for some time.

We both work full time, although I can work from home regularly and plan my own diary. It is not unusual for me to have two clear days a week at home.

My wife is a nurse, and does three 12.5 hour shifts per week….with planning, she could work 2 week days and 1 weekend day, meaning a dog would at worst have 1 prolonged period (5/6 hours) on their own.

Apart from that, we are pretty active, and regularly run/spend time outdoors – so I’m sure a dog would get what exercise they need.

Any thoughts on whether this will be acceptable? What type of breed would I be looking at? We have a 14 year old and a 6 year old…so something good with kids.

I love the look of Airedale Terriers, but have also seen Hungarian Vizslas that look nice.

We would probably be looking at next spring – we can both plan in some leave to have a couple of weeks off to get them used to the house and family.

I think with your outlook and planning, any breed would be fine.

Take a walk in your local park and have a chat with owners of dogs you like the look of…no doubt most of them will be happy to chat about their dogs.

A rescue Staffie. My mum’s got one. Such a stupid but lovely dog.
Don’t give money to breeders, there’s millions of dogs out there looking for a home.

Definitely not vizslas. They bond in a big way and won’t ket you out of their sight. Leaving one alone will destroy it.

A staf is a great dog and great with people, I would be wary of a rescue one with a six year old though, unless you know the dogs history.

Hungarian Vizslas can suffer from separation anxiety if left alone. Not a reason not to get one but just be aware of it and do some reading into the behaviours before getting one. A guy i work with has one and it pines if you go to the toilet and its left alone.

Thanks all. My wife said the same about a rescue staffie – although I am prepared to look at anything.

The rescue dogs I have known have always been great, but this was pre kids.

I know if I went to the rescue centre I would be coming home with a few of them!

Get two. Two dogs keep each other company and are really not much more effort than one.
I have a labrador and a doodle both are perfect family dogs. Were looking for a third now and I’m quite taken with Wheaten Terriers, good dogs and again great with the family you might be able to sort a deal for a couple of pups together.

Staffie for the win.

We’ve had Airedales and giant schnauzers etc. bonkers.

No worries with a rescue dog. As long as they visit your home and vet you properly they will recommend a dog that fits your home set up. It isn’t in the rescue organisations intersest to get it wrong. Biting dogs don’t get placed they end up destroyed. There’s more risk with an untried puppy with a family than a properly placed rescue.
The only caveat for a rescue is walk away if a batty old dog lover is running the show, there are fewer of them around these days though.

I would go to a rescue home and tell them what you have written above. The staff have been around the dogs for days or weeks and know which ones are likely to be good with kids and which ones are needy etc.

We went to a Eden Animal Rescue to get a saluki whippet cross and came away with a Patterdale Terrior. The lady we spoke to was a genius as the dog fits so well into our family life.

A rescue Staffie. My mum’s got one. Such a stupid but lovely dog.
Don’t give money to breeders, there’s millions of dogs out there looking for a home.

This. +100

There are loads of great dogs in rescue centres, get 1 or 2 of them.

A lurcher. Will run with you as long as its not regular half marathons and sleep the rest of the time. No inbred health problems either. Just avoid a saluki type longdog and get a dash of collie in it for trainability.

We have a vizsla cross. Absolutely lovely nature, but she has a another dog for company.

Agree with comments about staffs,but I don’t want one.

Lots of great lurchers around.

I would never get rescue dog with kids. Get a puppy bring it up in the environment & the people it’s gonna live with. Outdoors a lot, got kids like to run. Springer or a working terrier (border patterdale parsons etc). Two dogs equals twice the shit to clean up twice the vets bills. Staffs great dogs & very friendly but certainly not in the breed to run & be outdoors, staffs are pit bulls.

I’m sure my mums staffie would love to be called a pit bull. The cat terrorises her. I’ve had dogs virtually all my life and I must say, she’s the sweetest most loyal companion to my mum. She also gets dressed up on occasion by the grand kids and loves it.

We have a rescue Staffie X Boxer (alongside an older Boxer X Spaniel), and I’d trust him with any kids of any age. Just the daftest, sweetest-natured dog I’ve ever met – and he came to us with the cigarette burns on his paws still healing 🙁

Because he’s not pure Staffie he’s a little finer and more athletic – no problems keeping up with me on the bike; in fact, I have trouble tiring home out!

Definitely agree on getting a rescue though.. You can get rescue puppies too you know.

My experience of rescue dogs is mixed. When i was a kid, my parents took an 8month old Spaniel who had been abused by some kids from his previous home. Naturally, it hated me and my two siblings on sight. My hands and arms are covered in scars from bites.

The second rescue was a belgian shepherd puppy. He was lovely and very gentle. No problems.

Don’t let people guilt you into getting a rescue. Just focus on getting the correct dog for your family.

Rescue Staff X Lab here.

Really sweet natured dog and brilliant with kids,
will run all day if I wanted her to!

As previously said, rescue centres will not regime a vicious dog.
It’s entirely your decision as to what dog you get op but don’t rule out those looking for a caring loving family.

As a vizsla owner I can only echo the points above. They are high maintenance dogs that love loads of exercise and many do not like being left. Definitely not a breed to choose because they look nice. Mine is happy to be left for 4 or 5 hours but normally after a good run.

meaning a dog would at worst have 1 prolonged period (5/6 hours) on their own.

Do you know what dogs do when you’re not there? They sleep.

And when you’re there, but not doing anything? They sleep.

I wouldn’t be worrying over a few hours/days that you’re not around.

And we’ve two Spaniels, neither is crackers and while when out they will chase anything (including each other), at home they pretty much chill.

+1 Rescue Home

Any gundog will be good natured, athletic and very trainable. They will fit right into a family environment.
I would look to buy from a ‘working’ kennel/breeder as they will only breed from their best stock (usually the sire will be a field trial champion). I would go with a Labrador as the easiest to train. Springer spaniels are a nice dog too. Just do your research on the breed you settle on.

If you get a staffie it probably won’t walk to heel they always pull (not much fun after 100 yards) and to be honest they aren’t the brightest of dogs so trying to train a fully grown rescue might prove a challenge.

Do you know what dogs do when you’re not there? They sleep.

Yes, you only have to read the “the **** next door neighbour’s **** dog is barking all **** day and it’s driving me **** nuts” threads that crop up occasionally to see this is always the case. 🙂

Any gundog.. – apart from those mentioned above and pointers, which don’t like being left alone (or take years to get used to it). Speaking from experience.

If you get a staffie it probably won’t walk to heel they always pull – IME, again, in-laws staffie never leaves their side. Doesn’t need a lead. Sometimes it’s literally been “Where’s the dog?” “Right there by your feet!”.

Thanks again everyone, loads to think about.

We are talking to as many people as possible, and sending emails to breeders and rescue homes.

Wife still hooked on Welsh Terrier!

A dog thread without a single photo. Points finger and one and all, puts on stern judging face and muttering ‘for shame, for shame’

Rescue dog of some sort?

Our lab/springer X. Excellent temperament, will run all day or sit by the fire all day.

[/url]Untitled by Phillip Dalton, on Flickr[/img]

Ours is Lab / Springer X too. As above, it’s a great mix. Intelligent, lovely temperament, bags of energy when out and about but chilled at home.

I work full time, my wife works 3 days – he’s left on his own on those 3 days for up to 3 hours without any problems provided he gets a decent run in the morning (I get up around 6 to do this). We have a local dog walker look in on him and let him out if we can’t get back to let him out at lunchtime – she charges £5 a time. It works really well – he basically just sleeps when we are not there and someone is always home for the school run at 3:30.

As others have said, consider a rescue dog. A good rescue centre will be very honest about the suitability of a dog to live with children. They will be very cautious and not rehome an unsuitable dog. Be clear about what you want and be prepared to wait for the right dog.
We’ve got a rottie cross from Battersea. Great with other dogs and children but a bit of a plodder as a running partner. We had a setter/retriever cross before – a lovely dog but very excitable!

@sandwicheater – I’ve met that Brown Dog of yours when Mr Clark was looking after her.
Lovely dog, but try as hard as we could, couldn’t knacker her out when we took her for a walk

@spawnofyorkshire, hahaha, we need to sort a ride with Nick (though I think her permanent state is ‘a bit broke’ so no idea when).
We tired her out once walking the three peaks. With all the back and forth she must have done it three times over. Fell asleep sitting up in the car park while I looked for the keys in about 10 seconds flat.

DO NOT visit a rescue centre unless you are 100% positive you want a dog, because if one chooses you; that’s it.

Looks like a lab/springer is favourite so far…

Emails have been sent…now to think about names!

Inspire me, what’s yer dog called?

Looks like a lab/springer is favourite so far…

Sometimes referred to as a Springador or a Labdinger <shudder>. Quite a common “happy accident” in the shooting community.

Ours was originally named Derek which I think rather suited him but I was over-ruled. My son is a massive Star Wars fan so he became Lucas (Luke / George Lucas).

Inspire me, what’s yer dog called?

Just make sure it’s something you can shout and not feel like a bellend

“TICKLES! TICKLES GET BACK HERE!”

@sandwicheater
Hopefully she and her bike will be in one piece for once and we’ll get this ride sorted!

Definitely consider getting 2 as you can nip home to let them out and find guilty faces like this

As you can see, there are 2 beds but they always jump into 1

Inspire me, what’s yer dog called?
Just make sure it’s something you can shout and not feel like a bellend

“TICKLES! TICKLES GET BACK HERE!”

Yeah, my yellow Lab is called Echo and I often have people saying ” Oh you’ve called him the right name ” when he doesn’t listen to me…….

Inspire me, what’s yer dog called?

I to was overruled, ‘brown dog’ or ‘Dave’ weren’t catchy enough, we settled for Bramble.

Inspire me, what’s yer dog called?

Hope.

She was named by the previous owners cos she was a sickly pup and needed hope to survive. Her brother died 🙁 I rather liked it as it obviously has a bikey connection. Only trouble is, shouting for her sounds a little bit tourettes “HUH! C’mere!”
Photo needed for ID.

I’d also advise that you have a look at the free ads – Gumtree, Pets4homes etc. You get a lot of people rehoming nice dogs because they can’t have them anymore. Many have been brought up with kids and you can go and see the dog with the kids in their current home.

When we got our last dog, we saw one that couldn’t be kept due to a babys allergy, one that had to be rehomed due to a catering business being started in the house, and the one we chose – their daughter was autistic, and changed her mind about wanting a dog after they’d got him as a pup.

Many of them are balanced, obedient, well brought up dogs that are just unlucky and need to be rehomed. Don’t support the puppy farms! 🙂

Ponyo came to us a around 6 weeks ago, 14 weeks old now, lovely “little” Old English Sheepdog.

We didn’t want a rescue as we already have a rescue cat and two rabbits, the dog needed to be part of the family and we couldn’t risk destroying the home vibe with a dog that hated cats/small furry things. She has however destroyed a PS4 and a TV, who said dogs sleep when you’re out of the house…