Which breed to get?! Confused!

PuppyLove_2

Hi everyone!

Me and my partner have settled into our new home and would now both love to get a puppy. This is not something we want to rush into as although my partner grew up having dogs he has never had one himself and neither have I.

We have been looking at 3 breeds in particular: Labrador, Beagle or a Shiba Inu.

I just wondered if anyone has any experience with any of the above breeds, some advice would be much appreciated.

Thanks

dirtysexymonkey

ive experience of labrador and beagle pups. id go for a lab. beagles are a pain to train and dont half like to chew! good luck whichever you decide. and good luck with the inevitable "WHY YOU NOT GETTING A RESCUE DOG?!!!!!!!!1111" posts that will pop up soon. getting a puppy is a heinous crime to some!

bedpotato_2

I don't know about the other two breeds but labradors tend to be very loving, affectionate, playful, friendly and loyal. They can be very slobbery and messy as well (as can most large dogs) and ideally require a LOT of exercise, otherwise, like all dogs, they will get bored and restless and possibly destructive. They are one of the most popular breeds to have as a family pet, but originally were bred as working dogs to retrieve things from the water. They LOVE to swim (although I'm sure there are exceptions and the odd dog that's scared of the water).

I see far too many overweight, bored-looking labs out there, so hopefully you have not underestimated the impact a dog will have on your life in terms of the amount of walking you will have to do to keep it happy and healthy. (Four or five miles a day sounds about right).

PuppyLove_2

Thanks, I have heard that beagles are a nightmare to train, is this the case even if you take them to puppy classes etc? My partner would much prefer a lab, i just find them a bit big!

Pechow

I would NOT recommend a Shiba Inu for someone without a lot of dog experience! They're a "primitive" breed like huskies, for you that means they have a mind of their own, aren't recommended to be let off lead in case they decide not to come back, and you can't so much train them as try to persuade them to do what you want :rotfl:More like cats in a sense than a typical dog. They're cute and great for those that can handle them, but I strongly advise against getting one as your first dog.

Of those you listed, a labrador would be an ideal first dog.

krlyr

What is it you and your OH want out of a dog? What is it you can offer a dog?
Be realistic - if you're couch potatoes, admit you're couch potatoes, don't get a dog thinking it will spur you on to do 5 mile hikes because in reality, if you wanted to do 5 mile hikes, you'd do them dog or not.
Do you want a dog that will form a strong bond with you - but possibly at the expense of being wary of strangers, or perhaps even favouring you and not your OH/the other way around? Would you rather a dog that is generally much more sociable, but perhaps a little too sociable - you may need to train it not to run over to every dog or person it spots in the local park (the former can end up disasterous if he runs over to an on-lead dog that's not half a friendly, it's common courtesy to not allow this to happen)
Do you want a dog that thinks with its stomach (e.g. Lab - known for their appetite!), its nose (Beagle - bred to scent) or its brain (Shiba Inus, known to be independent which can come off as aloof or stubborn) - or none of the above?
Also consider that puppies are hard work. As a first time dog owner, I would recommend you look at adults - either rescues or perhaps an older dog that a breeder has had returned and needs to find a home for. It's hard enough to deal with house training, teething, etc. when you've owned dogs for a while, but when you're not entirely sure what you're doing, you may end up teaching the dog bad habits that are difficult to unteach. An adult dog with at least the basics of training in place will make your life a whole lot easier - and a year down the line you might feel that you know enough about dogs to tackle a puppy as a companion for your current dog.
The bonus of going to a rescue is that rescues will work with you to find the ideal dog for you/your situation, regardless of breed. Not every dog is the same - not all Labs are food-y, friendly dogs, not all Beagles have terrible recall, not all Shibas are hard work, but there may be dozens of other breeds or crossbreeds that you may not consider that may suit you perfectly. You may find smaller rescues are a bit more personal than larger ones, and also more flexible in terms of rehoming to fulltime workers, etc. (if you both work fulltime then a puppy may not be a good option anyway)
http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/item/2102
http://www.trainyourpuppy.co.uk/making-the-right-decision/what-breed-should-i-get.php

If you do decide to go down the puppy route, please do your homework and research for a reputable breeder who does all the right healthtests, socialises the puppies, breeds for temperament as well as health, etc. or your first dog could be a whole lot of heartbreak. Be wary of private sales, especially avoiding those offering to ship the puppy - often scams where no puppy even exists, or puppy farms under the guise of breeders/individuals.
http://www.apbc.org.uk/articles/good_breeder

Visiting rescues, breeders and dog events (bit short notice but Discover Dogs is on this weekend and there will be hundreds of different breeds to see "in the fur") are great ways to help you decide which breed/kind/age of dog to go for before making any commitment. Take your time - afterall, you could be spending the next 10-20 years of your life with the dog, what's a few months of waiting while you decide what dog to get?

Padstow

I'd discount the Shiba Inu, always having to be kept on a lead and generally agressive to other dogs. The easier a dog is, the easier it is to find a sitter for when you want a weekend away for instance.
Friends coming to the house will trust a Lab or Beagle, but be wary of the other. Dog walking is also a social exercise and anyone will walk with you and a Lab.
I too would go for the Lab of the three. Consider also a Labrador Retriever, I've never met a bad one.

Caroline_a

If you live within easy reach of London, the Discover Dogs show is on this weekend. They will have a huge selection of dogs to look at, talk to the breeders, etc etc.

http://www.discoverdogs.org.uk/

krlyr

Padstow wrote: »

I too would go for the Lab of the three. Consider also a Labrador Retriever, I've never met a bad one.

Do you mean a Golden Retriever? A Lab is a Labrador Retriever.

I'm not sure Shiba Inus are quite as daunting as some breeds, given their tiny size! I hadn't realised how little they were until I saw one in town, they're tiny little barely-knee height things, hard to be scared of!

Padstow

I don't suppose many people have time to walk a dog five miles a day, so don't let that put you off. Besides, while you walk two miles, your dog off lead, is running back and forth and covering 5 miles.

bedpotato_2

krlyr wrote: »

Also consider that puppies are hard work. As a first time dog owner, I would recommend you look at adults - either rescues or perhaps an older dog that a breeder has had returned and needs to find a home for. It's hard enough to deal with house training, teething, etc. when you've owned dogs for a while, but when you're not entirely sure what you're doing, you may end up teaching the dog bad habits that are difficult to unteach.

That is very true. If you insist on getting a puppy, at the very least, you'll need to do a LOT of reading about how to train your dog in the basics.

Do you know how to train a puppy NOT to have separation anxiety? If you don't, he will pine, cry and be destructive every time you go out of the room, and you'll very soon be at your wits' end and tearing out your hair. If you do not correct this behaviour as a puppy then the dog will probably be that way for life.

Do you know how to train him to recognise his name and come when he's called?

Do you know how to toilet train him?

If the answers to the above questions are NO, then you need to research dog training NOW. BEFORE you get your dog, not after!

If you don't want to do this training yourself then consider getting an older dog that has already been trained. It would react calmly and settle down to sleep every time you leave the house, know to come when it's called, and know to hold in its poo and wait to go outside rather than pooing all over your carpet.

A labrador that didn't make it as a guide-dog might be ideal. Not all of them pass their initial training and go on to become guide dogs, but just because they're not deemed ideal guide-dogs doesn't mean they wouldn't make a great family pet.