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The dog pictures have cheered me up no end today, thanks everyone
something smaller, caring and attentive, that enjoying long walks without necessarily needing it each day (oh, and something that doesn’t bark too much).
Until that last point I'd have said Miniature Schnauzer all day. They are crazy smart, don't shed or smell, will walk all day long if you want them to or sleep all day if you let them, love a good cuddle but are also happy with their own space. Normally I give him an hour in the morning then he sleeps on the bed until I'm done with work and it's play time. Small enough to pick up and carry if you need to, big enough that you don't feel a prat walking it down the street.
The biggest problem is he barks at everything. He's better than he was thanks to a lot of training, but I'll never have my house burgled without knowing about it (I had a springer spaniel that slept through burglars taking off my patio doors before).
Spaniels are great. Our current sprocker will be 5 this year and she's happy running for hours or a couple of shorter walks per day. Although her current nemesis is my e-bike as she doesn't get as much of a break on the uphills as she does with my other bike.
We got her from uggeshall in suffolk who do working springer, sprocker and cocker spaniels. They even do a service where you can pick them up a little later and they'll have them house trained, walking to heel and socialised with different animals so they wouldn't be phased by the cats.
There's a climate crisis, don't get a dog.
Not the whole story, as mentioned above by the time lockdown dogs made to reputable centers they’d often been bought, sold, re-homed, abandoned so many times they were broken. The one I worked at/with had a full wing of long termers that had been there upto 18 months waiting for the right owners (who do exist), but struggled to get enough suitable dogs for ‘normal’ people (ie. the TV show). Some weekends we finished early because there simply weren’t any dogs suited to the people that had been cast into the show.
I don't work in the business, but my partner runs a small dog training business, & the local dogs homes (& cats homes) ARE STILL FULL AND ARE ON THEIR KNEES, full of ex-lock downs or the one still being breed after the lockdown high slumped or just the latest craze (cockerpoo/malamute, expect Akira and the huge dog breed currently flavour of the month, to be in there soon). I agree there are many many damaged dogs, who need more than a new home, food, and bed, we have one*. That's no reason not to try and get a rescue and give them a great home. Unfortunately my partner see's some worrying customers, with dogs as fashion accessories, ppl expecting dogs to come either fully trained or self training, or expecting one session will 'sort' the dog before they go away with it next week. Distressingly true
Please try helping these dogs
(Bewdley based)
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51526030797_a5818cc3cf.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51526030797_a5818cc3cf.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2mvbnPk ]Mila and Rupert in the snow[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/15253377@N00/ ]Paul[/url], on Flickr
*Mila on the left, a Rommy rescue, turned up covered in her own poop due to the transport arrangements, new owners were expecting a pretty puppy not the shut down scared creature they got, next owner sent her back 24hrs after getting her, she was saved by the foster mum & now has to put up with us
There’s a climate crisis, don’t get a dog.
The dogs already exist, if you get a rescue.
Small independent local rescues do a better job of assessing on a case by case basis.
Not much more to add here, other than a photo of Murphy.
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52602440461_d424c36255_h.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52602440461_d424c36255_h.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2o9ifUD ]Murphy posing for a quick shot[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/colinhines26/ ]Colin[/url], on Flickr
He has turned out to be a good boy. He is 2 1/2 now. Was hard work for 18 months or so, but he is settled into our lives really well. Loves a good sniff about, chasing birds and rabbits, and a fierce belly rub
There’s a climate crisis, don’t get a dog.
We have enough dogs that we can't go on holiday so we're probably in carbon credit V the average internet climate warrior (and certainly compared to the destinations featured on the Insta feeds of most of Just Stop Oil’s protestors 🤣)
“Needing” long walks is a myth. [...]
Don't know about long walks, but these two certainly need a couple of hours of energetic exercise every day. They get mental stimulation through the day too.
Don't get a Springer.
I’m not saying don’t have a fit dog or do as much exercise with them as you and they have time and energy for- just that it’s not a prerequisite for a calm, balanced, happy, healthy pet 😀
It just makes me cross when I read arbitrary guidelines about it.
(We have 2 Springers and 3 cockers at the minute but have had as many as 10 spaniels 😮💨)
I've got a Cairn Terrier and she's an ace dog. Will happily settle for a quick spin round the block and is also happy spending a weekend up the hills. Never fusses with other dogs and was successfully introduced to my partner's cats at seven years old.
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Dave and Mollie are both rescues. Dave is 8 now and slowing down a touch Mollie is a spaniel with two speed settings, full on and horizontal.
We get weird looks from folk when we try to explain that Dave doesn't really like black labs (he is pointer lab X)
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I'd say get a Briard; but only if you have a spare couch for it; enjoy the odd 10km tow-run and love brushing hair.
We always had goldens retrievers when I was growing up. Amazing family dogs but they are waay bigger than most people realise. They shed hair everywhere, love being wet and smelly and I wouldn’t get one now.
Your description is so true! Still miss mine who actually was more like a hippopotamus due to her love of rolling in anything and everything including decomposing hedgehog and fox poo. Any water was fair game especially stagnant and lying in puddles too. Even used to break ice in Winter so as she could swim in the pond and lake. Don't get me started on what she used to put in her mouth, ugh. The downstairs had to be hoovered every single day due to her bear-like thick coat shedding loads.
One of the adult children, upon hearing me mention that I was thinking of getting a dog, right away said it has to be another Golden Retriever. My response was 'no'.
Good luck with whatever you choose!
greyhound or greyhound cross, we have two, both rescues, one is half whippet. the whippet is slightly smaller and eats twice as much as the greyhound
15 minute blat around a (well enclosed) field and they're toast for the day
very easy to deal with around the house
low mess, not much hair
There’s a climate crisis, don’t have children get a dog instead
Fixed it for you (in our case mother nature decided as much)
Lots of lovely rescue dogs needing a new home through no fault of their own.
Thank God for the like button now. I’ve been smashing it all afternoon. Love dogs.
Get a rescue, we did despite no previous dog.
She's a thieving scumbag. I love her.
She doesn't bark, she paddle boards, she steals stuff from the toaster, she doesn't cuddle but she does stick her tongue in your ear and try and hump you.
Get a Maisie.
Jack Russel, Collie, Border terrier and many, many other things cross.
Here's the simple truth.
Every cat wants to be a dog.
Every dog wants to be a Labrador.
Every Labrador wants to be black.(with an honourable alternative being Fox Red).
Also... Labradors come into the world half trained. Spaniels leave the world half trained.
If you want a less energetic Lab, look more at the ones from a 'show' lineage rather than a 'working' / 'field' . The show ones are chunkier and with a broader head and chest than the more lythe working lines.
(This is a relative comparison- not walking a dog when you can't be arsed isn't an option). Labs (and many intellegent dogs) will chew and get destructive if you don't exercise them properly. A tired dog is a happy dog, and vice versa.
Haha, just finished work and catching up, fantastic - I'll take one of everything (is what I expect @crosshair to say!)
Really brightened my day and I promise to give dog homes a try first but my wife is very nervous about scaring the cats off and never seeing them again as we do love them.
I promise not to have any more children in exchange for getting a dog!
I really love the pride each of you have for your beautiful dogs, I can see in each of you how much they fill your lives
Recommend what you own.
A greyhound.
The females are/can be quite small.
Very affectionate.
Happy sleeping all day every day, 10 or 15 mins walk morning and night will keep them happy.
But, will walk for 4 or 5 miles if you want (they do need to build up to it).
Not overly clever so don’t need constant attention and play.
A lot, though not all, are fine with cats and small dogs. (Any rescue centre will be able to advise).
Very few hereditary diseases and negative traits.
They walk well in a lead as most retired racers are trained to do so.
Plus, there’s thousands waiting for rescue at greyhound trusts around the UK so they cost £200 ish rather than £thousands for a retriever pub.
Negatives?
They can be quite nervous.
You have to be careful where/if you let them off the lead as they may chase small furry things.
They are not the sharpest dogs in the kennel so don’t expect tricks or then to be able to understand lots of commands.
Oh, and they’re such graceful and majestic dogs.
Luna. Our two year old Labradoodle. She's my best mate. A bit like a lab but with minimal shedding.
Interesting perspectives on rehoming charities from TINAS. Nice one.
Obviously you need a rescue German Wirehaired Pointer, like Randal
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I see your snoozing Greyhounds and raise you my pathetic Collie cross.
Any dog can be fantastic, but the key is training - a badly trained owner is a nightmare.
Our friends have two working cockers and they are great - need lots of exercise, but great with visitors, and other dogs (trained properly). And they respected the cat !
Meet Nala; she's a Lab/Collie/Lurcher and totally ace.
Also known as Doggy Dumbarse
The green tinge is from rolling on the freshly mowed damp lawn...
Would have to be a Border Collie but I am biased.
Up North at the moment touring in the van with her
Callie the Cocker (unless I've screwed up inserting the pic...)
Put the effort in and they're fantastic dogs! And probably a bit of a nightmare if you don't....
Maisie can do the pathetic sleeping position too.
I posted earlier on about my wee Terrier, but I do get the spaniel love. The other half's spaniels are cracking dogs. Needier than a terrier, but very loving.
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Get one that can drive - makes getting home from the pub easier.
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Esther is our current dog - 5 year old black lab that we rehomed 4 years ago. She really enjoys an active, outdoor life, but has a pretty strong prey drive for small furry things. No problem living here with boundless space to run around, but maybe not so good in a more urban environment.
In 2 weeks we get a new basset hound puppy - is introducing a whole new host of ‘fun’. Most of our garden is unfenced and backs onto a nature reserve - including a herd of red deer with a very protective matriarch who does a good line in kicking dogs - Thankfully, Esther now ignores them have run too close.
For the OP, I’d look at matching the dog to their lifestyle - no point getting a high-energy dog like a Springer if you can’t give it lots of exercise and stimulation.
Lol! We only have 5 breeds 🤣🤣
Collie, Labrador, Cocker (x3), Springer (x2), Jack Russel (x2).
Oh, that’s 9 not 8 🤣 We lost two old ones this year and gave two trained ones to a young couple (friends of ours), just starting out in a position where they need 8 dogs so it’s easy to lose track 🤣
They all have jobs though. Even if it’s being a trail dog, playing flyball, doing agility etc etc let alone traditional jobs like ours- there is definitely something special about the relationship between humans and dogs when the dog is helping you both as a team achieve something you can’t do by yourself.
Our collie is a kind of rescue and took a year to properly trust me (my wife saved her from a ‘famous’ Yorkshire sheep dog trialer so she was wary of men). Yet when we’re struggling to move our handful of sheep and we turf her out basically ’untrained’ it is awesome to see her figure out what we are trying to achieve and what she needs to do to help.
Or the terrier running in front of the buggy to tell me which traps have caught a squirrel 🤣
“SQUIRREL ⬅️ “ 🤣
Meet Ozzy a Lab/retriever/poodle cross . Soft as a tin of grease, loves children and was relatively easy to train with the aid of cheese! 