wanting a puppy - what breed?

Kittendreich

For those so against crossing different types of dog to aim to encourage specific characteristics - how do you think all the different breeds were developed?

Everyone has different opinions whether it is better to get a specific breed or a cross - no one is wrong and everyone should respect other peoples decisions. Noone should be ripped off buying a dog - but they do all cost much the same to breed responsibly (size depending of course) and therefore should cost the same to buy. The same goes for the puppy / rescue 'debate' - everyone has different reasons for choosing their dog and those reasons should be respected.

I only have a problem with people who don't look after their dogs properly. They shouldn't be bought because they are fashionable, but that goes for breeds as well as specific crosses and Heinz 57 mongrels.

I have a rescue of unknown breed and he is perfect....for us. Other families need to do their research (which is what the OP is doing here) and decide on the best match for them. All dogs are individual and no breeding can guarentee anything - as long as you are prepared to expect the unexpected and put the work in you'll be fine!

flower24

I still can't decide, it's such a hard decision and I know how important it is to get the right dog so it's making it so difficult! What do people think of buying pedigree breeds that have no papers, is this a really bad idea?

hotcookie101

immynjoesmum wrote: »

I still can't decide, it's such a hard decision and I know how important it is to get the right dog so it's making it so difficult! What do people think of buying pedigree breeds that have no papers, is this a really bad idea?

As a vet, I would say so. The thinking behind buying a pedigree (IMO) is to get a well bred, healthy pet. Reputable breeders will health test parents for available diseases (including DNA testing for some conditions if available) and get the pups health checked prior to selling them.

Puppies without papers are often (not saying always) bred from poor parents, or non-pedigree parents, or parents with conditions that mean they shouldnt be bred from! Or just from a puppy farm/backyard breeder who wants the money with no thoughts on the welfare of the parents or the pups....

elsien

I agree - no papers to me spells puppy farm, unless you know the owner very well indeed and can be 100% sure there's a valid reason and the dogs are healthy.
You'll find that different rescue centres have different criteria, and some will take your individual family circumstances into account, so it might be worth visiting a couple and seeing what they have to say. When I got mutt there were two bull terriers I was looking at in the same centre - they said I couldn't have one as it was too bouncy and I had no garden, but were happier to let me have the other as she didn't need as much space. It's more about matching individual dogs to people rather than hard and fast rules, although some are stricter than others.

elsien

The thing about trying to narrow down specific breeds is that most people are likely to recommend their preferred breed - I'm surprised you haven't yet had the barrage of people telling you how wonderful staffies are. (Which they are, but they're not for everyone.)
There's probably loads of breeds which would fit fine into your family set up, and loads of mutts that will be the same. Maybe if you have more of a think around size, cost of looking after, grooming, energy levels etc, come up with a shortlist, then phone some breeders and see what they say. You're not committing yourself to anything, and you'll find out how likely your childrens age is to be a factor in the decision. Then if you get onto a couple of rescues as well, you can get a more balanced picture of what's available and what is more likely to suit you.
The breed standards are only a guide so don't take them as gospel- apparently mutt should be a good guard dog ( I've never met a more useless lump in my life in that respect), but she's as obstinate as they come, which is in there. She's hyper, my previous one was so laid back she was practically comatose. It's a guide and indicator of tendencies, not a guarantee.

flower24

oh yes, I'd not have a staffie with my kids, I'm thinking of a jack russell or some type of terrier cross, but definitely need to go and see some and have a chat to see if they are for us. Thanks for your help

loulou123

Personally i dont think you can ever say any breed of dog is going to be 'good or bad' with young children etc, as it depends so much on the individual dog. I was brought up with dogs from when i was a baby (all rescue dogs and all apart from the first were older dogs when we rescued them.) we had a great dane x bull mastif when i was very little, then a greyhound, then a new foundland and finally a spaniel x bearded collie, and all of them were always fine with me, although the new foundland could be a little unpredicable due to the abuse she had suffered from previous owners : ( But im pretty sure most people wouldnt consider a great dane x mastif as a suitable dog to be around a toddler - he was always a gentle giant.

But my family had always kept dogs and i was taught from a very young age to respect the dogs, not to try and take there food away, pull there tails etc etc, and in 27 years of dog ownership i was only ever bitten once (completely by accident - during play) and that was when i was 17!

Even if your not planning to get a rescue dog, maybe you could go and visit some dog rescue centres, to get a better feel for the different breeds etc?

Raksha

Caroline_a wrote: »

I'm not aware of any reputable breeders who are breeding cross-breds. Most of these are for sale on sites such as GumTree where some con merchant's dog has had a litter to the dog next door and thinks that they can make a killing by inventing a cutsey name. I've certainly never seen any advertised with health screen already done to both parents.

The ideal family dog is a trained, socialised dog.

OP - sorry for the hijack

Well you see, that's where you're going wrong, most reputable breeders don't need to advertise on Gumtree or similar sites, they have waiting lists built from word of mouth because of the reputation of the dogs their pups grow into. I know of at least two Labradoodle breeders (including the breeder of my own Dood Carol Gowing and Gail Lawrence) who not only carry out all the health tests, but also start socialising their puppies as soon as feasible.

Personally, i'd rather have a dog from known parents with good health check results (even if they aren't the same breed) and raised in a home and well socialised than one from CC stock bred in a kennel.....

Raksha

hotcookie101 wrote: »

Puppies without papers are often (not saying always) bred from poor parents, or non-pedigree parents, or parents with conditions that mean they shouldnt be bred from! Or just from a puppy farm/backyard breeder who wants the money with no thoughts on the welfare of the parents or the pups....

Or from a KC reg female dog who has been bred back to back with the last litter, so this litter can't be KC registered.

Desperate_Housewife_2-2

why not visit a local, reputable rescue centre? They have loads of dogs needing good homes through no fault of their own most of the time. The staff do an assessment of the dogs behaviour and what they are like with other dogs, cats and kids. Nothing is failsafe but it gives you a good idea of the dogs temperament.
I got a smasher of a dog just after xmas and she is the perfect dog, never regretted it for a minute, great with the kids, trained up and full of character.
Good luck whatever you decide