Right we have started to think about getting a small dog.

In the house is Mrs R and my self and 2 girls (8 and 4), I work full time but Mrs R is at home with kids when not at school, we have been looking at something along the lines of the following –

Cocker Spaniel x Jack Russel.
Border Terrier.
Bichon Friese.
Shih Tzu X.

Can you give me any “good” advice about what and where to go and what to look out for.

We are quite an active family, love riding bikes and walking etc,

cheers

Staffie.

kala 005 por kala y simon, en Flickr
😉

Err NO NO NO, dont like them, they scare me.

minature dachshund. Ive got one and two young kiddies,great temperment and not snappy like a lot of terrier types. Don’t need a huge amount of exercise to keep fit but he’ll run all day long if you head out for family walks. Grow to just under 5kg and no downsides apart from the constant “awww,is that a sausage dog” comments.Go for a smooth coat and you get very little hair dropped or doggy smell. Need to use a good breeder as poor genetic lines can suffer back trouble.Always drop me an email if you want any info (i don’t breed/sell them so no sales pitch!)

get one like me, get one like me! 😀

we’re debating (arguing) between a westie and a patterdale

I used to dislike “small, yappy-type dogs” but friends of mine have just got a minature schnauzer puppy. He’s pretty cute. Like this, but all black:

We’ve got 2 Westies..

Awesome bits of kit IMHO..

Eric

Esme

They will quite happily do a full day in the hills, and are great fun.

Not yappy, but do have a bark.

Every Bichon Friese I’ve ever met has been a lovely dog – but you have to ask yourself…”Will I be happy to walk this on my own?” 🙂

Another vote for Border Terrier here – but in a thread like this you’re possibly going to get “Oh no, don’t have one of those, have one like I have”.

Whatever you get, you have to be hard as nails on it as a puppy – especially with kids around – it’s all to easy to “spoil” a puppy, but IME, it’s when you have to be harder. You get a better grown up dog which you can then indulge without spoiling it.

And most importantly, socialise it when it’s very young – every day introduce it to other dogs, the car, people etc. This will make for an easier life, than “Sit, down, roll over, up on your back legs, etc.”

Err NO NO NO, dont like them, they scare me.

They’re not for everyone, but they shouldn’t scare you. I’ve seen info stating that the Kennel Club recommended for households with children.

Cocker spaniel. Soft, friendly dogs.
Not a Jack Russell – yappy little psychopaths.

Try the Dogs Trust. Make a sad dog happy.

Get a Westie, but not the one that hora has got, as he seems to have turned it into some kind of child killing mental nutcase dog…

Or possibly not.

It’s hard to tell with him.

i have had staffies for ten years and without a doubt are the lovelist dogs ever! They are also one if only two breeds recommended to be with children but if they worry you then obviously not for you. I have also had a bichon and they are extremely stubborn and have to be properly trained, much harder work than a staff.

thread closed 😉

sorry about spelling am on a tiny phone !

Cavalier FTW!

He wants a dog you daft git, Flashy, not a car. 🙄

Loving the pics,

TBH if we get a dog in needs to be low maintance (in way of haircare) as I’m slightly allergic to the fur, but I suppose I would get above it also I dont to have the “dog” smell either.

So “Good” or “Bad” idear????

Ok just a note on Westies, they can be very prone to illness and skin complaints. We have spent more on vets bills than I care to remember on ours, honestly the list of ailments is staggering. You know you’re in trouble when the dog on the cover of the pet insurance leaflet is yours. Oh and he’s constantly pissing everywhere….on the rug, the little boys toys the chairs etc. So be warned. In my opinion get a mongrel, our old dog never went to the vets once in 15 years.

What about a whippet…

TBH if we get a dog in needs to be low maintance (in way of haircare) as I’m slightly allergic to the fur, but I suppose I would get above it also I dont to have the “dog” smell either.

Then DONT get a westie….ours is always needing a bath and he generally smells like a ferret.

Lakeland terrier?

Have a look at the Kennel Club dog finder, you can introduce certain criteria and it’ll give you breeds to suit. Good innit?

Cavalier FTW!

Great dogs but the breed is screwed gene-pool wise.

When we considered which dog in circumstances similiar to yours most survey results recommended a staffie. Friends have them and honestly they are fantastic house pets.
Thick as pig **** though!

Great dogs but the breed is screwed gene-pool wise

Aren’t pedigree dogs screwed up gene-pool wise by definition?

bedlingtonxwhippet lurcher best small dog in the world 😀

Aren’t pedigree dogs screwed up gene-pool wise by definition?

not necessarily but caviliers are particularly bad. Greyhounds for example are a very healthy breed as far as genetics are concerned.

Staffies are great in the house, but you have to be very careful with them around other dogs. I would find that tiresome.

Not at all, or at least no worse than other breeds. Now, if your exposure to Staffs is what you’ve seen with a chav on the end of a lead, well, what can I say? A well brought up Staff that has been socialised will not give you problems.

Archie

Westies are ace.

A well brought up Staff that has been socialised will not give you problems.

Dont agree, when push comes to shove some dogs run, Staffie’s dont.

Westie here, 5 years old now, fantastic wee fella!
We’ve had no real problems with him, skin wise or otherwise, he had an ear infection once which was cured with drops, drops absolutely no hair whatsoever but we have him clipped every 3 months or so, and he gets a bath about every three weeks. Bril lwith the kids, and the cat, loves the hills, beach or just a quick piss up the park! Has that typical selective terrier hearing thing though……. 😀
We wish we’d got two instead of just one…..

Borders are Great

DSCF0108 by eastham_david, on Flickr

I’ve seen info stating that the Kennel Club recommended for households with children.

I know Staffies can be nice but in general I would never take advice from the Kennel Club.

Dont forget to consider a Parsons Russel Terrier

great little dogs

go to the rehoming centre and let a dog choose you 🙂

Dont agree, when push comes to shove some dogs run, Staffie’s dont.

Sorry, I hadn’t realised you were talking about defending themselves, of course, the Staff is a strong and brave dog and will defend themselves without fear. Non of the Staffs I have owned or known are the first to strike. Mine had gone for other dogs, but only after they had been allowed to wind her (mine) up by their w4nker owners. Staffies being aggressive is a myth, being strong is not. Staffies want to please and for this are easy to train, which means they are very easy to train incorrectly if that is the desire. A staffie is not for everyone, not everyone has the ability to work with them, but it is the only breed I will have.

anything terrier related is very yappy !!!!!! my dad had 2 westies and all they did is yap yap yap all day long for years…lol
get a lovely affectionate whippet….make sure it has a good run daily then he will curl up on the couch with you….vey loyal ! 😉