[Closed] 1st family dog. Spaniel?

We were interested in a springer as our first dog but then we got onto labs .apparantly they are usually a good choice to go with cats (we have 2 house cats) and the mrs fell in love with chocolate labs, the rest is history!
Ours is now 7 months and so well behaved. She doesn't chew anything in the house other than her toys (of which there are plenty!), she walks good off the lead, plays with my nieces and nephews - never any concern that they'd come to any harm. Left fir a few hours on a morning and an afternoon with no bother. Just such a sweet natured dog.
She even let's us make her look daft 🙂
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The wife's 2nd choice is a choc lab 😉
I've been offered a bulldog today off a friend, which are due in the first week of may but the wife doesn't like them and I'm worried about the health problems.
I know they are great with kids and he won't be going on any bike rides but I still like them.

love labs. proper dogs.

that is all.

Vizla

NOT a GWP

Labs are great family dogs, very good temperament, intelligent, good with kids. We very rarely leave our dog for more than 4 hours and if we do we get someone to look in on her.

Dogs are not endurance animals, they are not designed to run for 10-20 miles ! Shorter bursts is more their thing. Our lab has to work pretty hard to keep up if I cycle out of the bottom few gears in the middle ring. The dog is walked every day, typically 30-90 minutes a weekend walk of 3 hours and she's pretty tired although I appreciate she's not the fittest. Labs don;t over-eat if you don't over feed them, measured dried food twice a day.

If you want to leave a dog all day twice a week then don't get a dog.

I think Springers can be a bit nuts and you certainly cannot leave a Collie alone indoors for expended periods, they are super intelligent and really don't like it.

Have two springer bitches,best dogs l have ever had. They are born half trained and only want to please you. I would get a cage to put them in if l was going out as mine tended to eat the kitchen if left alone. Had three young kids when they were pups and the worst they would do is give the kids a savage licking. Read up on good gundog training books ,lfound them far better than run of the mill training books. Bitches tend to to be softer than dogs. Ask the breeder if the parent dogs were strong or soft. Most of all enjoy your springer,you will not get dafter more lovable dog imo

I wouldn't choose a springer as 1st dog. A Lab would be good family pet though you need to get a chilled one rather than a mad worker. Chocolate ones can seem to be more hyper and a recent study by Tesco insurance suggests they are pretty clumsy too!

[url= http://www.k9magazinefree.com/k9_perspective/iss4p18.shtml ]Clumsiest dogs[/url]

Cavaliers are a nice family pet and I can only remember 1 aggressive one ever.

The dog de jour on here is the Border Terrier and I would consider one next. We have a Tibetan Terrier and she is great with the sprog an the cats as is the MIL own Tibbie.

Bulldog would be a definite no! Just too depressing with their health problems.

All the advice on training classes is great. Make sure everyone who has to walk the dog etc attends The classes too.

Get it insured with a good lifetime cover plan and enjoy years of happiness.

Our rescue springer is fine with 40 mins a day off lead ball chasing and is brilliant with the kids

Whilst most dogs aren't upto 20 miles you must remember breeds such as Dalmatians were bred to be coach dogs and would happily run alongside the coach all day- however dogs such as collies and sprinters will rum themselves into the ground to please there masters so care is required

i can say that my choc lab is far from clumsy, though being a breed that likes to explore and get about they may end up worse off than some other breeds. A dog is a big commitment and they need alot of time and paitence.The first two years are a big hill. They crave mental stimulation, training and playtime. when your away you should see about the kong automatic launcher or few toys. I wouldnt change mine for the world now though. there alright on bike rides if you have regular stops and lots of water, most id do is 10 miles top though. OP id look for a laid back lab and your family will be so pleased for many years, just control there food like humans, if they eat and dont get exercise theyll gain weight.

Our first dog is our springer Alfie. He's a working springer who's 7 years old now. He's always had two or three twenty minute walks/runs a day over the park with a longer walk at a weekend and that seems to be fine for him.
He's never been destructive apart from with his toys which he likes to shred so he's fine when left at home alone. Absolutely obsessed with tennis balls though and will happily chase one all day long if your happy to throw it for him.

Great with kids and our cats, will go mental if someone comes to the front door and pulls like a train when on the lead if you let him which makes it hard for younger children to walk him.
He just has soo much character, such a loving dog who just wants to be with you as much as possible but loves to sleep so will happily hop off to bed when he's tired.

Can't imagine life without him in it as he's such a part of our family now and if we got another dog in the future then I'd look no further than another springer.

+1 A decent outdoor cage.

We've a Field Cocker and tbh while he can be a total and utter nutter, he's also a great family dog. He doesn't need 2-3 walks per day, and will quite happily sleep at my feet for 12 hours (if working from home).

And

[i]I dont think any dog could run along on a 20 mile ride once a week. [/i]

Ours will quite happily, but he'll sleep the next day.

Vizla

I was thinking of building a small kennel inside a 4ft x 4ft x 5ft enclosed box, opening out to a 4 meter x 1 meter run for day times when we are out. He would be indoors when we are. Does this sound ok?
I think we are leaning towards the lab now.

if you let it in it will want to be in all the time.It will need to learn that its outside when no ones there. we let ours in to. if you have a utility or that and you dont mind it lying in it when your there.
Theres deff dogs that will do 20 miles, but its not good for them in the long run, its very sore on everything, heart ,lung ,joints. i actually ice my girls legs after a day were i feel im wrecked after a ride. few rests and if she finds a river she drinks and bathes in it a bit. i have to slow my pace and times to, they try to keep with you and dont understand that they could fall back some, but are afraid to let you out of sight.

short fast walks for the first six months till bones develop, and even up to a year old its nothing too long and straining. you gotta build them up for the bike so its leisuerly rides about 2 mile then up the pace, then again increase distance slow pace/ increase pace, increase distance etc. I feel in the back of mind i cant be helping her joints in the long run but im no athelte, its once , maybe even every other week nothing to fast and crazy and 10 mile tops. you wont be out on the bike with it until about 1 - 1.5 years.

Welsh springers not quite as bouncy as ESS.
I've had springers of both nationality for 22 years now, certainly not thick, far from it. Don't enjoy being left on there own. Great with the kids but they are a bread that needs a lot of attention.

If you do go for one, try & keep them off staircases for the first 6 months,

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My lurcher has a nice kennel thats insulated and a small back yard to be in when we're out. She'll be happy there all day as long as she gets a filled kong with dried tripe. Used to sleep outside until she was about 1 1/2 now sleeps on the sofa. She'll back the house down if left outside when we're in but she knows that means shes on her own for a bit neighbours say they never hesr a peep from her.

Just wait until he eats a scouring sponge or some string, as that's always a highlight of dog ownership.

Or my namesake, the dog Rata's, classic variation on this which was to eat a bobbin of very expensive metallic sewing thread. This emerged in dribs and drabs over the next week or so. On a practical front, it enabled you to tell whether she had finished her business in the courtyard of a winter's night by leaning out the kitchen door and shining a torch down the yard. It was a good week before the heaps lost a distinctive reflective twinkle. Mrs Ratadog was not impressed. I have never dared ask how much the thread cost.

[i]I was thinking of building a small kennel inside a 4ft x 4ft x 5ft enclosed box, opening out to a 4 meter x 1 meter run for day times when we are out[/i]

tbh You'd need something bigger, in fact we'll have a 7'x5' full height metal cage for sale in the next couple of months 🙂

therag:

I don't think the breed I have in mind exists,
1 good with kids.
2 only needs a short walk twice a day.
3 happy to sit quietly when the kids are in bed.
4 fit enough to run along on a 10 - 20 mile ride once a week.

I might have to give up on number 4 for an easier life.

this is pretty much my springer exactly. she's three and crackers sometimes. but not all the time and usually not in the house. she's happy with whatever walks she gets but will go at 100mph when were out. will do a 20mile run no problems (with appropriate stops and care of course).
she is my first dog. my parents had one when i was a kid that was pretty much the same temperament. they also have one now that is the same. crackers when you let him, calm when you want him to be. i think the key is training. as much for you as for the dog.

This keeps getting more confusing, I had been put off them, but now more good recommendations.

to be fair i don't think you'll go far wrong with either a springer or a lab. i have friends with both and all are happy with their choice. flip a coin. find some pups to go see and make sure you see the mum. but be prepared for the fact that whatever you go see, you will be bringing one home!
ours is left alone during the day. never chewed stuff she shouldn't. she'll get a 20-30 min walk twice a day. spends most of her time in hedges/ditches and won't stop for breath. and if i take a ball out for her she'll fetch and leave it until i get bored. she is perfect with our 2yr old son. he is constantly poking her and leaping on her and all sorts of stuff. she just gets up and walks off. if he follows her she hides under the bed. we did plenty of training and socialisation. i know people who have proper working springers, most of whom don't walk their dogs that much. as mentioned above most of them don't feel the need to. for us its about the stimulation while she is out, not the amount of time she is out for.

Retriever and a spanial at same time
Or a couple of ridgebacks
Me mates ridgebackss ripped to shreds 2chairs and a 3 seater sofa out of boredom in 30mins flat.
Keep one in cage and the otherone lies beside quite happy

I have seen both parents, they are kept in large kennels in the garden with huge fields next to the house and get lots of exercise.
When he let them out they ran crazy for a few minutes until the owner whistled, they then both froze until the next instruction. I was impressed.

what ever you choose, you wont regret it. out at 7am again with my boy, up and over strines.

lovely little lad.

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have you thought about Boxer's? they are a fantastic breed.
cooper, our boxer is 11 months old, he loves the children (8 and 5),loves whatever exercise he gets, whether its a 3 mile walk or a 3 hour run.
he is a bit mental,, as you'd expect. but once the children are in bed, he becomes a different dog, he'll curl up on the settee, and stay there til bedtime.
he has switched the gas cooker on a couple of times, and chewed throught the bathroom door, but that's puppies for you.

did he cook owt?

Springers are awesome dogs, but very energetic. Ours is amazing, they have a very high pain threshold which is combined with a very gentle nature means they're great with kids. Ours loves water too, which is good when it's hot but not when it's snowing.
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Ours is now 7 months and so well behaved

Just wait until she hits her teenage years (10 months+) as they are very easy right upto that point, once they hit adolescence things start to get a little more interesting .......

As for other dogs, Spinones are well worth a look as they are renown for their great temperaments, and easy to train. However they get very very dribbly, and smelly when they get older.

or recently I was chatting (you will get to talk to a lot of dog owners) to someone with a Slovakian rough haired pointer, which was like a long haired lab, but its coat was the colour of a weimaraner. Really nice dog, but a little daft, and the owner said she was great with kids.

Basically if you get a Lab, prepare to be revolted at what they will do if they think they can eat something.

I genuinely laughed at this, it's spot on. We have chickens and never have to clean up after them in the garden, if you get my drift.

My chocolate lab, Ruby, will eat anything and everything she finds when out on a walk. However she's been trained so that my son can sit on the floor with a biscuit and she'll pay no attention. The same when we sit down for a meal. She'll happily spend around 6 hours by herself, but any longer than that and she get's panicy. She's lovely with my boy and really chilled in the house. They don't call them laybythedoors for nothing. I never walk her more than 3 miles, but she gets 2 walks a day. Loves playing fetch with a throwing stick. Feeding is important, due to the amount of "extra sustinence" they find. Ours is on Beta working dog, but only a cup and a half a day with some seaweed powder for her teeth and a bit of bran for bulk. She looks good for it.

All in all, they're great family pets and certainly if we consider another dog it'll be another lab of some type or other. Probably a chocolate one again.

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Dogs are like bikes, nearly everyone reccomends the one they own, and very few people have owned enough different ones to understand the differences. Obviously dogs are a lot more complicated, since they're all quite different, even within a breed, depending on their personality and upbringing.

However, if you're both out working full time every day, give up on the 20 mile rides and get a cat.

I've had 4 springers over the years and love them to bits, they will go all day, but work better at there pace rather than yours and if off the lead will pick up a scent and cover a load more mileage, friendly with kids as long as there introudced from an early age, and despite there demenaour are very intelligent, especially if they think they can get some food out of it.
They do slow down a bit as they get older but not alot.
Bearded Collies will run alongside a bike for miles, and are fairly easy to train, the one we had either liked you or she didn't and if she didn't you werent getting in the house, again she was good with the kids.
Italian Spinone my parents have one at the moment she is 12 or 13 now still loves a good walk and used to walk for miles, but will roll in anything and with the coat it's a pain to get out luckily she loves the bath and hairdrier. The kids love her and she loves them, a little possesive over food and doesnt like strangers in the house, she is fine out and about but in the house needs to be kept an eye on, she is also the happiest when it comes to being left alone, she is also the best at travelling in the car providing it's in the back seat and not the boot.

what about a Greyhound? or Lurcher?

There are lots needing homes, they are well behaved, quiet and are like big cats as they sleep a lot.

They only need a quick burst around the field...

http://www.retiredgreyhounds.co.uk/

My mum has had a lurcher and now has a grey greyhound - far nicer than the Standard Poodles before!

Greyhound, Lurcher (like what I've got) or a whippet certainly fit the bill as far as loving sitting around doing nowt for 12 hours at a time, followed by an hours walk with a few sprints and then more sleeping. Ours is great with our 16 month old son and doesnt do anything other than get up and leave when he pulls her hair out or hits her with a toy. But she wouldnt be any good as a bike dog as she'd be off after the nearest small furry and leave you to your biking and despite her being really good with our son she doesnt like being treated roughly like a lab for example which often love attention even if its the being poked and prodded kind.
Call me over cautious but if I had young kids I wouldnt get a rescue of any breed I'm afraid.

Having been owned and been around Springers, Collies and Retrievers I can categorically say a Labrador Retriever is hands-down the best dog around young families.

They want for little (apart from food), patient, intelligent, can be left for long periods and from my experience are entirely passive.

My current Lab is 8 years old, he's perhaps not walked as much as he should be but he can suffer with his hips if exercised too much. Eventually when we had kids he became a play-fight mate, a step, a horse and their protector. He's gentle but makes his presence known when he needs to.

Okay, so we had to replace the kitchen a few months after we brought him because he chewed the lot but we never liked the faux cottage look anyway.

I'll point out that if you do go for a lab be prepared to buy expensive food (we buy Burns High Oats). Bakers and like like contain far too much salt and additives that can play havoc with a labradors hips.

Well I've just built a kennel but it's vacant at the moment.

I have a Rottweiler/Lab cross. He is very gentle, a lovely dog. I know Rotties have a bad reputation, but a dog is what you raise it to be. I would tend to recommend cross breeds as they are generally less prone to genetic illnesses, and cheaper to insure.

I work full time now, so I use a combination of a dog walker and a friend who will look after him on the days she doesn't work, so he is not on his own for a long time. If you are out all day 2 days a week and can afford it, a dog walker would be a good solution.

My dog won't trot along with a bike - gets too distracted. I do see dogs doing that though when I'm out and about.

my heart is currently breaking looking through the rspca website at all the dogs they need to rehome!

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My springer Sam who is from a working blood line loves anything wet, from rivers and puddles but most of all the snow. He's almost 2 now and has such a lovely nature. His only downside is his husky like pulling ability on the lead, but thats not too much of a problem as he's off the lead most of the time.

He can be left alone without any trouble, he literally goes to sleep the min you leave the house and your return even after maybe 4 hours looks peeved that you've returned and woken him up!

he is like my wife and my shadow around the house and loves to be involved with everything especially when heading towards the kitchen!!

One thing does anoy me is over weight dogs, there is absolutely no excuse. The owner controls what they eat! He's. Hungry is not an excuse to keep feeding because a dog being a dog will eat till they burst.

I am picking up an 8 week old Male spaniel on Thursday 🙂

I've posted a couple of times on here asking if anyone wanted to rehome my springer as I was stressing/worrying about leaving him alone during the day........but I am so glad I didnt take up any of the offers I had for him (sorry Alex), he is a gem. 12months old now and such a character, easily trained, and a perfect 'friend' for our 5 year old Spanish Water Dog (the reason we got him was to be a companion for our first dog as our work commitments changed meaning out of the house all day a couple of days a week). Wouldnt want to leave them alone all day but luckily a neuighbour goes in each lunchtime to say hello and let them out in garden for 20 mins, other than that they seem perfectly happy with two walks everyday - normally 30 mins in morning then an hour in the evening all of which is off the lead.

Yes, they have their mad times in the garden and churn up the lawn doing circuits around it so garden is getting fenced off soon soon so half is paved for them and the other half returfed for the family. Yes, he loves mud and water and this can be a pain but its part of owning a Springer (wooden floors very handy for cleaning) and yes, he is like my shadow, sometimes too much at times.

Have I any regrets about getting him? No. Would I do it again knowing what I know now? Yes. This might be a completely different answetr though if he was my only dog. As I said we got him to keep our other dog company and its worked a treat.

We've got two kids who he is great with (not small kids though, 18 and 15).

Vocal when 'protecting' the house, great with visitors.

Sorry this is all a bit disjointed, hope it helps a bit.

Good luck.

My springer Sam who is from a working blood line