Get a working Labrador, bred for fitness, hardiness, temperament, intelligence. I have 2 they can both run at 20mph next to my bike. I can ride with both on the lead without them pulling me off the bike.
Excellent with the kids. Just well balanced healthy, happy dogs.
Working strain though, not to be confused with the fat show dog efforts!
As we are now recommending our own dogs! lol
Jack/Boarder Terrier cross.
Used to have a Lab but no way near as exciting as the Jack cross, even he spends most of his time sleeping.
Grumpy bastard in the morning, tea-time & nighttime. But good laugh on walks v. friendly with other dogs, people & kids. Usually take him to the pub and he relishes the attention n v.happy with kids as long as the know tug-o-war. Usually, 2,3 big walks a week is enough to wear him out along with little one through-out the week.
However, the second you try and shower him he turns into Papilon!
Mrs Bullheart here, knew I could rely on Singletrack to distract me from my pregnancy insomnia with a good dog thread...
Husband has already put a pic of our dogs on, and mentioned the issues our rescue spaniel has (though he is a lovely dog...). However, I also got a rescue springer for my 14th birthday, who is now a very very old man who still lives with my parents. He was (and still is) the most amazing dog with kids and had no issues apart from extreme greediness. So it just goes to show that it's not necessarily the breed, rather it's the dog and its history.
Rather than thinking what breed to get, I'd get down to your local dogs trust centre and find a dog that suits your family and lifestyle, without having a preconception about what breed to get.
Hope that makes sense. Now been awake for 21.5 hours.
I have come from a family where we bred greyhounds, raced them but also always had pets, usually mongrels. In my adult life I thought the bestest dog ever was a flat coat retriever cross. Huge, soft and fit as. Clever to the point of attracting crowds when he would fetch balls or whatever over obstacle courses. He is now shaded by a collie/whippet lurcher. Shite guard dog but fast, soft and will run for 25 miles without complaint, or even any sign of fatigue - the git. Clever as hell and could sit, lie down, roll over and fetch within 24 hours of being in the house as a 3 month old puppy. If he has a fault it is that I wish he was a bit harder but that is all forgotten when you see him run; by the bike or after rabbits of something you've chucked. No1 mountain bikers dog so far IMNSHO. I'm looking for a deerhound lurcher to buddy him up with, purely because watching them run fills me with awe, but I'll be extremely lucky to get one that would fit the bill as a trail dog also.
Forgot to mention that the snappy lurcher comment on page 1. Greyhounds and slight dogs are the least aggressive of any breed. They generally have no aggression whatsoever. I've seen snappy just about anythings but not lurchers, they just don't waste their energy on it. Sleep and run, that is what life is all about! 
I would if I could. I like dogs. xx
Wife!
Get your own login!
Close call there Mr. Bullheart. That could have been an easy FRape. It's a good thing she loves you...
If you want a small dog that's good with kids and good for fitness, I'd go for a Cocker, working strain if possible. We have one and he is a terribly cuddly little thing, yet is full of energy when he gets out into the wilds. He does shed a bit, but that's an easy job with a hoover.
Failing that, follow the gestalt advice here and head down to a Dogs Trust. I have a lot of time for poeple that have given a dog a second chance and most of the dogs look like they do too. Ok, there have been some exceptions (a friend of mine with a lurcher is one), but by and large, the younger dogs respond well to a loving home.
Strangely, the calmest dogs I have seen recently seem to be rescue Greyhounds.
Oh and that dog dressed as an AT At isnt a greyhound, looks like a whippet to me or could be an Italian Greyhound
He's an Italian Greyhound called Bones. Apparently he likes cheese.
Strangely, the calmest dogs I have seen recently seem to be rescue Greyhounds.
Its not strange at all, greyhounds and whippets and most lurchers are very calm dogs, all dogs have breed specific traits, the ability to sleep for England is a trait of most running dogs as is being placid and the most useless gaurd dogs in the world. Saluki's apparently will bother to bark at strangers, the rest of them will struggle to raise a head from the sofa.
Mrs tandemwarriors had always had dogs, but I never had. Our first was a rescue greyhound, and he was just brilliant. They're so used to being poked and prodded at the track that a toddler climbing all over them and under them is barely worth waking up for! Red would have a 20 min walk morning and night, but would happily go longer if offered. If it was raining (pretty likely here in Argyll), he'd look out the door, look at me as if to say "aye, right", then go back to bed. They are the most regal looking dog, and those eyes just make you melt inside.
Only thing to be careful of, and any good greyhound re-homing charity will spell this out over and over again, is that they have been bred and trained to chase anything small and furry. So cats, small dogs, rabbits, squirrels, are all perfectly reasonable prey, so having them running off the lead can be difficult until you've got a good recall trained into them. Daughter-tandemwarriors has a ex-racer with good recall so happily runs off the lead.
Here's Red at full speed in a local field, just a beautiful sight...
Most greyhound charities have open days where you can meet the dogs and they'll see if you're an appropriate home for an ex-racer, go have a look, you won't regret it.
Rob
got to agree about a greyhound from a rescue centre. ive fostered them in the past. which could be an option for you to try before you buy. they are lovely lovely dogs and happy to sleep all day ( eg. while your in work ). my comment on lurchers being snappy is the sheepdog trait coming through not the sight hound, i love sheepdogs but they arnt for most people
look at the joy on that dogs face above - thats lush that is
A couple of ex racing greys are the only dogs that give Kea a serious chase in the park, they are quicker in a straight line but cant turn as quick as her, she's put a couple on the floor by feinting one way and going the other!!
She didnt really get the racing when she tried it though, giving some really fast dogs a head start turned out to not be a winning formula 
You'll always catch out an ex-racer-just turn right! Greyhound tracks run anti-clockwise so they're brill at left turns, but no practice on right-handers!!!
wingnuts - Member
Don't don't don't don't get a beagle! They are lovely dogs and have many good traits, especially with kids. However in the situation the OP describes they would be a nightmare. We had one years ago when I was a sprog. I have no doubt that you would do two hours hard exercising and when you got back and slump in your chair it would come up to you, look up adoringly and say, "now we've done the warm up can we start the real run?" The other issue is food. They will go to any lengths to scavenge food. In the house you'll need child locks on all the cupboards and never leave anything out. When off the lead no dustbin is save. They have a discerning pallet. They will try anything again and again just to make sure it's crap. We have had loads of dogs and the beagle was a lovely character, but hell to live with. Couple round the corner from us ignored the advice and now look like zombies trailing around on the end of a lead.
Hahaha we're having a right laugh about this post. Our beagle has done 12 all-butter Waitrose croissants in one sitting. Shepherds Pie dinner for ten? Check. Two huge duty-free Toblerones? Yes please and now can you take me to the vet before I have a stroke.
We love her absolutely but beagles are uncontrolable, they just pull you round town then ask for a biscuit just for coming back in the house. Look good though, everyone loves a beagle so loads of people will talk to you.
My next dog is going to be a retriever-poodle.
I'd be happy to recommend a working cocker spaniel, ours is happy to be left all day if needed (in fact like most dogs he doesn't know whether you've been gone 15 mins or 15 hours.
Will also happily run all day and good with kids. He will also chase anything, but will not let you out of earshot/eyesight - so will always follow/come-back.
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