I would like one that I can take running and possibly riding with..

and it needs to be good with kids and not be too big or smell too much.

anyone ?

Springer or cocker but only if you’ve got enough time to exercise them.
Fantastic with kids and will run till their legs drop off then if you stop for a breather they’ll soon let you know it’s time to go again.
Daft as a brush but very clever dogs.

A cat

Whatever your local rescue centre has in.
We love a mutt 😀

My dogs called Toby, but his not a ho because he is a dog.

Springer if you have time to exercise it. Mine is a laugh a minute, always entertaining but potentially frustrating and quite headstrong.

I also like:

Hungarian vizsla
Border Terrier
Working Cockers

EDIT – Oh if you fancy a springer/working cocker – check out NESSR.NET a specialist rescue charity for them. Good for advice on the breed with a handy forum.

Carbon, what happens when that dog’s lead pulls tight as he hits the water?

It’s all down to how much time you can devote to walking and excercise really and some dogs are OK being left alone for a few hours others climb the walls after 20 minutes.

Also you may want to think about how housepround you or your partner is as most dogs come with a cost in that regard.

I’d say from what you said you wanted some kind of short haired gun dog or retriver would suit.

go to a dogs home and rehome a pooch – RSPCA, Dog Trust, etc etc 8)

It didn’t – it was 10m long or something. Not his normal swimming costume but without on that day he wouldn’t of come out.

During the week, the wife and kids would walk dog min of 30 mins a day.

In addition I could take it running a couple of times.. for 30 -60 mins.

and if possible I could take it riding for 2 hours at the weekend most weekends..

I’d say from what you said you wanted some kind of short haired gun dog or retriver would suit.

what kinds of dogs are they ?

Double

the wife and kids would walk dog min of 30 mins a day.

for a young springer then. Most dogs adapt to lifestyles but they are creatures of routine and you will find they are more stable in a routine environment.

I guess you may have probs finding a suitable type of dog with that schedule. An active dog really needs a consistent amount of excersise each and every day.

To be honest I think you need to accept that you will have to change your lifestyle to fit around the dog and not vice versa. I think any of the gundogs reccommended prob need upwards of 2 hrs per day. My pointer certainly does – but having said that it is doable even tho we both work.

mine gets a 45 min run and a 45 min walk every day

try dogsblog – you can search by breed or area

My old Springer would go mental on 30mins plus a day and he’s 11.
If he only has a short walk, he’ll not rest and he’ll pace and jump up if anyone moves.

and if possible I could take it riding for 2 hours at the weekend most weekends..

Depending on where you live and the terrain you ride on you have to take care the dog does not get it` paw-pads slashed, seen that many times around here 🙄
Border Collie

Something else to take heed of is the amount of chewing young dogs do, can get through a fair amount of expensive gear 🙄
Then there are the hrs and hrs of training(2yrs ish) before you can trust any dog to walk/run off the lead.
If you are cycling through fields with stock in them a farmer may wish to take a pot shot ❗ Must/should always be on a lead.

ok. all this is good. i will show it all to Mrs Tobyho tonight.

Don’t choose a high energy dog just because of the possibility of taking him on rides. A dog that requires less exercise is probably going to suit your family better and be happier rather than you constantly feeling too guilty about not letting it run for hours and hours every day. And don’t worry you’ll be completely in love with your dog even if it sometimes smells, gnaws your stuff and you’ll have to walk it in the rain.

Think about rehoming a retired greyhound. They like short quick runs, but are just as happy snoozing in their beds during the day. Even a greyhound should have more exercise than you have posted above. I have a greyound x bedlington and she gets 30 mins in the morning, 30 at lunch and at least 30 mins in the evening during weekdays. She is also happy walking for 2-3 hours on Saturday and Sunday, although non-lurchers might not be up for walks that long.

+500 for rescue centre, The dogs trust can advise you on a suitable dog for your lifestyle and family based on it’s character traits.

Just one centre: Roden in shropshire have 150 dogs per month go throught their centre. None are put down.

That’s a lot of stray and unwanted dogs.

Don’t get hung up on breeds, just go find a dog you like.

Mongrels are more fun… 😉

I love the way you get a Pedigree Chum video advert on this thread with a dog spraying mud all over some white bedding 🙂

give up the idea of riding with your dog. seriously less fun and more hassle than you think, even when the whole ride is ‘safe’ and controlled….. and its gonna take you a long time to get to that position anyway.

unless you are a farmer that rides all over his land all day anyway – then get a collie.

give up the idea of riding with your dog. seriously less fun and more hassle than you think

Rubbish!

Genuinely I’d think about a Staffordshire bull terrier as a gun dog will simply go mental with that little excercise.

They dont need vast walks and being little a few miles a day will most likely be enough, they are fantastic with kids really loving and docile and they are very even tempered. They also seem quite happy being left for a couple of hours.

There are hundreds at homing centres but you will have to be cautious as many will have been either ill treated or their owners will have not been competent with dogs as they seem to be a fashion item for a certain type of owner. It’s a crying shame because a staffy that’s been treated well and trained properly is one of the best family dogs imaginable.

That shouldn’t put you off though as they really are wonderful animals.

ive got a great lab mix at the mo living with me, im a foster home. take dogs in and retrain them a bit and then find good homes. his called winny and hes great. he is 1 year old. he looks like a lab of 1 year but wont get bigger the vet said. hes got all his jabs etc done and a eu passport too fully paid.

if your interested i can email pics too you.

hes great with kids and other animals, we take him for a good 1 hr run in morning and 1 hr at night. hes house trained and he is great alone in the house. i never heard him bark, but does take a week to get used to new people.

nick

Wouldn’t recommend just getting a dog because the wife’s been going on about it for ages. Have a serious think about it and what it would involve. Probably not as big a deal if you already have kids, but it’s meant a big change to our lives. They’ll be a factor in every decision and plan you make.

We’ve got a little cavalier king charles spaniel. He’s now 11 months old and brilliant fun. Despite being a small dog he needs a good hour of walking a day and a similar amount of play time to keep him happy. We’ve also taken him on some fairly long walks (~3hrs) and I’ve never seen him look tired despite him running about 5 times as far as I’ve walked. If he’s had a walk he’s happy to be left on his own for up to about three hours. Wouldn’t take him riding or running, he’d be a total liability. He is however brilliant around any kids, adults, and other dogs, and we can take him anywhere that’s happy to have dogs knowing he won’t be any bother. He’s got bags of personality. He does get a little smelly at times but I’m assured by friends that our house never smells doggy!

Also recommend having someone lined up who’s happy to take the dog for a day/overnight/weekend. We’ve got a great dog minder who we know and trust and we’d find it a lot harder without her.

Cocker Spaniel. Not too big (poo scales on a per kilo basis 😯 ), great with kids, good on the trails, separation anxiety (so won’t chase rabbits miles over fields), don’t seem to lose too much hair, only smell when wet. Good life expectancy (10-12 years), and not so big that a second would be too many in old age. Get one like ours and it will run away from water (an unusual trait in spaniels). Ours likes exercise, but to be honest, he prefers company…

Springers have a LOT of energy and are a bit mad. Labradors seem to shed hair like I’ve never seen. And smell. I don’t really do big poos, hair and smells.

As a rule, rescue centres won’t let you have a dog as a first time owner if you have children.

The dog that loves to run … Husky.

We got a Border Collie/Lab cross a few years ago from a rescue centre. Great Dog, good with Kids, grew out of chewing phase and we trained her ourselves to suit our needs (never done it before) I take the dog out on the bike, she knows not to run in front on the trails, when we cycle on the road she is on the lead and she runs on the path, I cycle on the road, she never pulls so its not a chore, 15 miles on Saturday morning. As above, most rescue centres wont let you have a dog with kids but we eventually found one that did as we were determined to rehome a rescue dog as it semed wrong to have to buy a pedigree just because we had kids when we didnt intend showing/breding. We even managed to get her as a 10 week old pup so she grew up with the kids and didnt come with unsurmountable baggage. Works for us and wouldnt be without her.

Another rec for a working/sporting cocker.

Don’t overfeed them and 30 mins a day (off the lead) is fine as long as you can wear them out once a week.

Like this one:

And out and about:

I would like one that I can take running and possibly riding with will lie at home on the sofa all day..

FTFY!

You need a rescue greyhound!

… although this morning he did lead me on a merry dance through the woods and backstreets after he ran off in search of a (non-existent) rabbit.

They do take a lot of time and effort. Our 4 yr old rescue GSD gets 45mins in the morning, 30mins at lunchtime, 1.5 at night and 20mins just before bed, and she would still go out for more.

Great with kids, people, other dogs, utter monster with cats, foxes, other small hairy things that run away. She did win dog of the month at obedience so shes not all bad!

Ive got a pointer and a working springer and as long as they get half an hour with a bigger walk every second/third day they are fine- I think if you give a dog lots of exercise they get used to it so it a bit self perpetuating.

As for cycling with them it can be a bit frustrating but also good fun- however I need to be wary of raod crossings etc as the pointer’s a bit thick!

Please, whatever breed you decide to go for, seriously consider a rescue. I have one, my brother has one, my mum has one. Just because someone else didn’t want them, doesn’t mean they don’t make fantastic companions.

Did you read the STW article on cycling with dogs?

Collie.

This is Sam.

the pointer’s a bit thick!

Ha! not just mine then? 🙂

I’ve got a Working Lab/ Working Springer cross. (labradinger)

He’s amazing….. great when I’m walking, running or riding…incredibly obedient and great natured.

He gets two walks/runs a day 30mins miniumum, but is happier if they are twice that length.