which dog for me?

Greyhorse

Hi there,
I am new to the forum but have work as a vet nurse and so have quite extensive experience of most breeds!

I find labs to be lovely family dogs and if you have the time and space they would be high on my list.
Size in my opinion does not matter as much as temperament, I have two huge dogs (a german shepherd and a german shepherd cross collie) and I find they are less hassle than mother in laws chihuahuas
If you do go for a lab please get one from proper health tested parents as they can be very prone to problems like hip dysplasia.
Generally labs have friendly outgoing personalities but do need a reasonable amount of excersise and training or they can become those mental ones you see out walking their owners!

I would avoid the ckcs, mainly for the health problems the breed suffers. Heart problems and eye problems are very common with the breed.
Cocker spaniels are lovely dogs but need lots of mental stimulation and are very needy. I find many become destructive when they do not have a job to do. One of the other nurses rescued one from our work and she is completely mental, has snapped at owners in a tantrum and is very destructive due to a lack of stimulation at an early age. They also tend to need experienced owners to get the best from them.

Have you thought about something like a Scottish Terrier, border terrier etc. Big dogs in a little body and are relatively easy to look after. Scotties generally make really lovely pets!!

geminibabe

Hiya, firstly I would like to add that we have taken on our first ever dog into the family he is a Beagle and is 3.5 yrs. We considered a dog for many years as the kids were growing up they are now 11 and 8 and understand the important of looking after a dog and not leaving things around and to respect him.

It is the best thing we have ever done. Which breed you choose totally depends on your lifestyle. So does the age of the dog. Any puppy will be crazy and want to play most of the time. Older dogs can be set in their ways and some untrainable. If youre fit enough to take a larger breed for regular walkies every day then go for it, if you want to just pop him round the block get a small one.

The internet was a god send to us when choosing our breed!

Good luck!!