Trying to complete the ‘family unit’ stereotype so looking to get a dog. We have two 5 yr olds (6 soon – possibly a present). One daughter really wants one but doesn’t want anything too big (cocker spaniel-ish max size). So – what sort of dogs should we be considering that will be good with children and relatively easy to care for?

Clockers are wonderful family dogs but do need daily grooming, weekly ear checks/ cleaning as they suffer from ear issues due to the deep ear flaps, feet need checking for mud between their toes after muddy walks and snowy walks. Jowls and teeth cleaning weekly. I used to keep all the feathers on my pair short as they would be out in all weathers and they needed cutting every two to three months ( 2 dogs took 5hours bathing, clipping, shaping using professional Oster clippers), for exercise minimum 1hr walk twice a day.
Lost both mine at 11 years of age due to unrelated cancers.
I know of an English Springer five month old dog that needs rehoming as hes not getting on with the other dogs already in the house.

Cockers make a great pet. Ours will happily run for hours but he is equally happy just relaxing especially if someone is fussing him. He gets a proper walk in the evening, a short walk morning and night.

He is great around people and always friendly with children. I have been surprised how low maintenance he has been. Regular teeth cleaning, the occasional trim with the scissors and a shower whenever he rolls in something smelly.

Dogs do vary a lot in temperament even within a breed so meet the parents wherever possible.

……and relatively easy to care for?

I don’t want to sound too Headmasterly here, but all dogs need a great deal of care and attention and buying one should be very carefully thought through. They take up a massive amount of time and you really have to make a lot of compromises over the next 12-15yrs as a result. Ideally you should never leave a dog for longer than four hours in any one day and most require at least two decent walks a day.

Obviously you may know all of this, so apologies if that is the case, but I hate seeing people buying dogs and leaving them locked in the house all day or not getting enough exercise etc.

FWIW, I waited until I was 45 before I had a lifestyle that meant we could have a dog and keep him properly.

Bitzer

Picking up our new sprocker on Saturday! Pictures will be forthcoming. If you want something really good with young children you should probably go lab or staffie.

+1 for cockers. Well bred cockers should have a ‘merry’ attitude to life, everyone is a potential friend and life is an adventure. Small enough to cuddle on the sofa, big enough to climb big mountains. Intelligent and biddable enough to train, but independent and sometimes stubborn. They are a bit high maintenance, but ours loved being groomed – you can clip them short if you don’t want the trouble.

Oooooo! Love these threads – get to post pictures of cute doggies!

Ours is a Labradoodle, but miniature so easy for the wife & kids to handle.

She’s a real softie, great with my daughter, but can get mischievous if not entertained – ie steals socks and chews them up (I think that’s the poodle in her!)

I don’t want to sound too Headmasterly here, but all dogs need a great deal of care and attention and buying one should be very carefully thought through.

I wondered how long that would take. 🙄

My wife grew up with dogs throughout her childhood until she left home and we have also managed to raise two 5 year old children so I think we’ll be able to cope thanks all the same.

Here’s our Lucas, now 7 months. He’s a springer / black lab cross (Springador) although often gets mistaken for a collie due to his markings – most are one colour and just have a flash of white on their chest.

A few folk have the same mix around here (Dartmoor) – really recommend it as a mix. Bags of energy, intelligent, loves water, great with kids but also really chilled at home. Just don’t leave your shoes lying round or he’ll have ’em. He gets 2 decent walks a day but is quite happy left on his own for up t 3 hours on the 3 days a week my wife is at work.

Too long have I waited for a dog thread. K9Yoda.

Dogs are therapy and entertainment in one package.

EDIT – @Drac more pics please top pooch.

1 vote for a nice heinz 57 dog. Cheap, reliable, adorable and they generally live quite long.
Go to the RSPCA first.
My bull terrierXlabXpig is 13 now. He’s nearly deaf, has one eye but he seems to have plenty of energy (which he mainly puts into ever more annoying ways of getting food into his mouth).

Yes my wife wants to get a rescue dog (which seems a pretty sensible thing to do really).

If you go for a wonder around the RSPCA and don’t find a suitable dog then you haven’t lost anything. Certainly worth a look at least.

Rescue.

End of thread.

Rescue.

End of thread.

But what rescue dog should we consider?

[opens thread again]

Just get a rescue mutt, stop the business that is backyard breeders (cockerpoodles etc).
Just go look and try not to come home with a dozen.

G/f has an ace story from working in the vets.. couple came in for advise on getting a dog, he was really quite anti getting one at all… the next visit they turned up with 6 really quite old or mangy looking dogs, when he was asked “what happened”, he replied “no one else was going to take them” 😀

But what rescue dog should we consider?

I’d just go in with an open mind. It’s a cliche, but you may find that a dog chooses you.
Oh, and report back please 😀

you may find that a dog chooses you

last time I had a new dog was shortly before I went to uni. My parents and sister went to Digbeth dogs home thinking about what breed they wanted and got chosen by a Heinz 57 dog-on-a-bit-of-string mutt who was so pleased to meet them (crazy wagging and licking through the bars etc) they immediately reserved her.

As you can see this don’t leave them for more than 4 hours at a time is bollocks. Dogs sleep a lot.

Depends on the dog.
Some get anxious at being left and will demonstrate this by destroying your home or barking non stop. Others (like mine and dracs) are just happy to get their heads down.

I love dog threads 🙂

Our black lab is / was fabulous with our kids but too large I suspect for you OP.

I would second any of Cocker or Springer or Border Terrier

We have a cocker and a cocker/labrador cross.

The lab-cross will eat ABSOLUTELY ANYTHING.

INCLUDING MY SPARE XT BRAKE PADS (I’ve found one of them, but it’s not much use without the other).

I’m now waiting for it to show up at the other end, I guess some brake pad cleaner should sort it.

I think that’s a fairer comment Wrecker.

Ours is a lab/springer cross we think. She was as an ex-prison service dog who failed the training school and was on her way to the rescue center. Couldn’t have nicer temperament and is brilliant around our young daughter.

I would recommend having a look at the rescue centers with a size of dog in mind rather than a breed and you should pick up something suitable that will really appreciate all the attention.

Mine is such a poseur in front of a camera.

Lovely dog isto.

Cheers wrecker she’s a really nice natured dog. So glad she was crap at finding drugs (not that i have a stash or anything) and failed the prison service.

Personally, I would get a Lab there is a reason they are so popular as they are born half trained, and have a great temperament and are good choice for first dog as they are really really easy. If you haven’t had a dog before, you need to be aware that they aren’t remote controlled and they do have a will of there own, so a highly intelligent, stubborn breed wouldn’t be a good choice

I have two dogs, one black lab who is very very easy and can’t actually disobey or be bad (if she has something that she shouldn’t have, she falls over on her side wagging when you say come here) and a Chesapeake Bay cross who is the polar opposite who is a dog people love (I’ve had people stop there cars to come and ask about him, and what breed he is) but would hate to own as whilst he is very entertaining he is very very high maintenance.

Love a lab too such easy going dogs.

Nice hound isto.

You can also get pretty small ones, just check the size of parents.

I’m a sucker for a border terrier. They always look so sad! Gets me every time!

I would like a lab too (it was the breed my wife was brought up with and I knew her last two dogs). I would like a black or chocolate one too 🙂

The house/garden is ample big enough for one, it’s just perhaps a bit on the big side for what the kids *want* (although I realise this is not a reason not to choose one as they will soon love it anyway).

So many small dogs.

I hate small dogs.

How about a normal springer as a compromise?

Upsides: Doesn’t look like a rat, can keep up on long bike rides, intelligent, not yappy, doesnt bark much, very sociable, excellent with children.

Downsides: Eats a lot. Gives you eyes and so you take them out more.

springers are pretty small….. mind you I like normal size dogs labs or bigger 🙂

West Riding Tripehound

richc – Member
springers are pretty small….. mind you I like normal size dogs labs or bigger
POSTED 46 MINUTES AGO # REPORT-POST

S’why I said as a compromise. It’s the smallest ‘normal dog’ that isn’t limited in any way in its behaviour or life by being small.

Labs? That’s like the dog equivalent of buying an electric bike.

Now if you’d said viszla…

Yup Wrecker they have a serious face on them it’s their beards.

Check these puppies out.

Miniature schnauzer, doesn’t shed hair and are just bloody brilliant little dogs, this one is my best mate. 😀

Lovely looking Schnauzer but I wouldn’t with younger children in the house. They have bad rep for being a tad snappy and good tempered lines are hard to find.
All the recognised breeds have rescue/welfare types that re home unwanted dogs. Steer clear of any run by the stereotypical mad dog woman. Better welfare types will assess both you and the dog. To see what I’m on about search out Dalmatian welfare and read up on the dogs waiting. (Previously run by mad lady type who just placed dogs willy-nilly without regard to dog or family needs).
Good luck with finding a suitable dog.