bulldogbrian
New member
Hello dog lovers, first time prospective dog owner here, looking for suggestions for the best breed for us. I (20M) live with my family of five (parents, sister, and godfather), and we have recently been searching for the perfect breed that fits our requirements.
Since it was my original idea, and I am doing most of the research, it will be my dog, and I will be primary caretaker, but my family is willing to occasionally take part in walking and if needed, other chores.
One of my most important requirements is either hypoallergenic, or sheds little, as I have some minor allergies to dust, pollen, and hair.
1) Will this be your first dog? If not, what experience do you have owning/training dogs?
-Yes, this will be me and my family’s first dog.
2) Do you have a preference for rescuing a dog vs. going through a reputable breeder?
-We would like to go through a reputable breeder.
3) Describe your ideal dog.
-Because I have some allergies, I would prefer the dog to be hypoallergenic, but one that sheds very little would probably be alright as well. Myself and my family all enjoy going for walks, so one that is active would be good, but we do also like to relax together and watch tv and movies, so one that doesn’t mind just laying around would be ideal. I’m also looking for a dog that doesn’t bark, or barks very little, because some of my family members don’t particularly like the idea of a dog barking too much. For size I think a small to medium sized dog is what I’m looking for.
4) What breeds or types of dogs are you interested in and why?
-Recently I’ve been looking at poodle mixes for the hypoallergenic traits, but I’m really open to any suggestions you may have.
5) What sorts of things would you like to train your dog to do?
-The usual, sit, stay, lay down, come, not super interested in tricks, as long as my family and I can easily keep the dog under control in any situation.
6) Do you want to compete with your dog in a sport (e.g. agility, obedience, rally) or use your dog for a form of work (e.g. hunting, herding, livestock guarding)? If so, how much experience do you have with this work/sport?
-Not interested.
Care Commitments
7) How long do you want to devote to training, playing with, or otherwise interacting with your dog each day?
-I usually work four to five day a week for eight hours, so I can do training and walks for at the least one hour a day. When I’m not at home, my family will be able to watch and take care of the dog, maybe take it on a walk.
8) How long can you exercise your dog each day, on average? What sorts of exercise are you planning to give your dog regularly and does that include using a dog park?
-As previously mentioned, at least one hour a day, and on occasion maybe longer.
9) How much regular brushing are you willing to do? Are you open to trimming hair, cleaning ears, or doing other grooming at home? If not, would you be willing to pay a professional to do it regularly?
-Me and my family would be able to do some brushing, but everything else I think would be better suited for a groomer as we have no experience with grooming a dog.
Personal Preferences
10) What size dog are you looking for?
-Medium would be preferred, but small would be okay too, just not too small.
11) How much shedding, barking, and slobber can you handle?
-Very little shedding tolerance, preferably less barking, and no slobber.
12) How important is being able to let your dog off-leash in an unfenced area?
-Somewhat important, as we do live beside a highway.
Dog Personality and Behavior
13) Do you want a snuggly dog or one that prefers some personal space?
-A snuggly dog would be nice, but one that doesn’t mind being with itself sometime would be good
14) Would you prefer a dog that wants to do its own thing or one that’s more eager-to-please?
-a bit of both, but more eager I assume is easier for training.
15) How would you prefer your dog to respond to someone knocking on the door or entering your yard? How would you prefer your dog to greet strangers or visitors?
-Where we live, we’re not super concerned about needing a protection dog, our community is somewhat isolated and everyone is generally friendly. Really as long as it’s not barking at everyone and everything, we really don’t mind.
16) Are you willing to manage a dog that is aggressive to other dogs?
-Absolutely not.
17) Are there any other behaviours you can’t deal with or want to avoid?
-We don’t want one that’s too stubborn or one that will be too difficult to train, and again, less barking.
Lifestyle
18) How often and how long will the dog be left alone?
-Almost never, there will always be someone at home to watch.
19) What are the dog-related preferences of other people in the house and what will be their involvement in caring for the dog?
-Primary care and training will be on me, but my family will be okay with occasional walks and taking care of it when I’m at work.
20) Do you have other pets or are you planning on having other pets? What breed or type of animal are they?
-We don’t have any other pets.
21) Will the dog be interacting with children regularly?
-There are many families in the neighborhood, so there will be some interaction with children when we go on walks.
22) Do you rent or plan to rent in the future? If applicable, what breed or weight restrictions are on your current lease?
-Not renting.
23) What city or country do you live in and are you aware of any laws banning certain breeds?
-I live in British Columbia Canada, I’m not currently aware of any restrictions on certain breeds.
24) What is the average temperature of a typical summer and winter day where you live?
-Summers days are usually around 25°C (77°F), but can sometimes get above 30°C (86°F), but not very often. Average winter temperatures can be from 0°C (32°F) to around 10°C (50°F), and can get as low as -10°C (14°F), but only on rare occasions.
Additional Information and Questions
25) Please provide any additional information you feel may be relevant.
-My godfather had a black cocker spaniel as a family dog when he was a young child, I’m not sure if a dog like that would be a good fit for our home. I’ve also heard that they have a number of health issues.
Thank you for reading my post, I look forward to any insight you may have!
Since it was my original idea, and I am doing most of the research, it will be my dog, and I will be primary caretaker, but my family is willing to occasionally take part in walking and if needed, other chores.
One of my most important requirements is either hypoallergenic, or sheds little, as I have some minor allergies to dust, pollen, and hair.
1) Will this be your first dog? If not, what experience do you have owning/training dogs?
-Yes, this will be me and my family’s first dog.
2) Do you have a preference for rescuing a dog vs. going through a reputable breeder?
-We would like to go through a reputable breeder.
3) Describe your ideal dog.
-Because I have some allergies, I would prefer the dog to be hypoallergenic, but one that sheds very little would probably be alright as well. Myself and my family all enjoy going for walks, so one that is active would be good, but we do also like to relax together and watch tv and movies, so one that doesn’t mind just laying around would be ideal. I’m also looking for a dog that doesn’t bark, or barks very little, because some of my family members don’t particularly like the idea of a dog barking too much. For size I think a small to medium sized dog is what I’m looking for.
4) What breeds or types of dogs are you interested in and why?
-Recently I’ve been looking at poodle mixes for the hypoallergenic traits, but I’m really open to any suggestions you may have.
5) What sorts of things would you like to train your dog to do?
-The usual, sit, stay, lay down, come, not super interested in tricks, as long as my family and I can easily keep the dog under control in any situation.
6) Do you want to compete with your dog in a sport (e.g. agility, obedience, rally) or use your dog for a form of work (e.g. hunting, herding, livestock guarding)? If so, how much experience do you have with this work/sport?
-Not interested.
Care Commitments
7) How long do you want to devote to training, playing with, or otherwise interacting with your dog each day?
-I usually work four to five day a week for eight hours, so I can do training and walks for at the least one hour a day. When I’m not at home, my family will be able to watch and take care of the dog, maybe take it on a walk.
8) How long can you exercise your dog each day, on average? What sorts of exercise are you planning to give your dog regularly and does that include using a dog park?
-As previously mentioned, at least one hour a day, and on occasion maybe longer.
9) How much regular brushing are you willing to do? Are you open to trimming hair, cleaning ears, or doing other grooming at home? If not, would you be willing to pay a professional to do it regularly?
-Me and my family would be able to do some brushing, but everything else I think would be better suited for a groomer as we have no experience with grooming a dog.
Personal Preferences
10) What size dog are you looking for?
-Medium would be preferred, but small would be okay too, just not too small.
11) How much shedding, barking, and slobber can you handle?
-Very little shedding tolerance, preferably less barking, and no slobber.
12) How important is being able to let your dog off-leash in an unfenced area?
-Somewhat important, as we do live beside a highway.
Dog Personality and Behavior
13) Do you want a snuggly dog or one that prefers some personal space?
-A snuggly dog would be nice, but one that doesn’t mind being with itself sometime would be good
14) Would you prefer a dog that wants to do its own thing or one that’s more eager-to-please?
-a bit of both, but more eager I assume is easier for training.
15) How would you prefer your dog to respond to someone knocking on the door or entering your yard? How would you prefer your dog to greet strangers or visitors?
-Where we live, we’re not super concerned about needing a protection dog, our community is somewhat isolated and everyone is generally friendly. Really as long as it’s not barking at everyone and everything, we really don’t mind.
16) Are you willing to manage a dog that is aggressive to other dogs?
-Absolutely not.
17) Are there any other behaviours you can’t deal with or want to avoid?
-We don’t want one that’s too stubborn or one that will be too difficult to train, and again, less barking.
Lifestyle
18) How often and how long will the dog be left alone?
-Almost never, there will always be someone at home to watch.
19) What are the dog-related preferences of other people in the house and what will be their involvement in caring for the dog?
-Primary care and training will be on me, but my family will be okay with occasional walks and taking care of it when I’m at work.
20) Do you have other pets or are you planning on having other pets? What breed or type of animal are they?
-We don’t have any other pets.
21) Will the dog be interacting with children regularly?
-There are many families in the neighborhood, so there will be some interaction with children when we go on walks.
22) Do you rent or plan to rent in the future? If applicable, what breed or weight restrictions are on your current lease?
-Not renting.
23) What city or country do you live in and are you aware of any laws banning certain breeds?
-I live in British Columbia Canada, I’m not currently aware of any restrictions on certain breeds.
24) What is the average temperature of a typical summer and winter day where you live?
-Summers days are usually around 25°C (77°F), but can sometimes get above 30°C (86°F), but not very often. Average winter temperatures can be from 0°C (32°F) to around 10°C (50°F), and can get as low as -10°C (14°F), but only on rare occasions.
Additional Information and Questions
25) Please provide any additional information you feel may be relevant.
-My godfather had a black cocker spaniel as a family dog when he was a young child, I’m not sure if a dog like that would be a good fit for our home. I’ve also heard that they have a number of health issues.
Thank you for reading my post, I look forward to any insight you may have!