Dog advice

~daisy~_2

So - if you were thinking of getting a dog - young ish house trained short haired non shedding small to medium size - for a family with 2 older teenagers and a tiny garden and small 3 bed terrace house but very near a wood ......

where would you go and what would you get ??

would love opinions from the doggie people on here - TiA

elsien

Stands back so as not to get overwhelmed by the rush of "get a staffie from a rescue" posts that usually result from a query of this type.

OP - there's as many different opinions on this place as there are dog owners, and people tend to be very supportive of the merits of "their" particular breed.
If you're open to getting a dog from a rescue centre (and they come in all shapes, sizes, age and requirements) your best bet is probably to have a think about your family and what will suit it, in terms of exercise needs etc then I'd go down and discuss it with the centre. The temperament of the individual dog is much more important than the breed, and you'll probably end up with something diametrically opposed to what you had in mind in the first place.
Also suss out a few rescue centres - they all have differing requirements, so being turned down by one doesn't mean they all will. I got mutt when I lived in a flat with no garden because although on paper I was unsuitable, talking to them managed to convince them that I could still offer a good home.

krlyr

I would approach a local rescue and see what dog they matched me with Personalities vary in dogs, even throughout breeds, if it's got to fit certain criteria - good with kids, as they're teenagers you'll most likely want it to be fine with strangers so the kids can bring friends around, doesn't need a huge garden or house but safe to let off in a woods (you probably don't want a dog that has too high a preydrive and can't be trusted off-lead) and so on - you'll want a dog that's been assessed, preferably in a foster home with children.

~daisy~_2

That's really interesting because I just completely assumed that having a small garden would mean that we were deemed unsuitable by rescue centre - will have to look in to that !!
Thanks, keep the advice coming

Sooki

Think of your neighbours & get one that doesn't bark a lot!

krlyr

Try smaller rescues as opposed to RSPCA, Battersea, etc. as they can often be more flexible than the larger rescues. Though do your research as anyone can start a rescue centre and you can get bad rescues as well as good ones.
If you look up the Dogpages forum they have several sections advertising dogs for rehoming over the country (and you'll get some great dog advice on there too)

cullet

Miniature Schnauser

~daisy~_2

Sooki wrote: »

Think of your neighbours & get one that doesn't bark a lot!

omg we most certainly would as one of ours neighbours has the worst yappy annoying dog in the world and drives us all insane !

Caroline_a

Non-shedding? limits you quite a lot really. Poodles for one... hairless Mexican... ?? Don't assume a short-haired dog will shed less - the hairs are still there, just shorter, and imho harder to pick up!

Is there an allergic reason you need non-shedding?

~daisy~_2

not really - just thinking from the mess perspective .....

also how do you stop your homes smelling of dog ??

elsien

I don't!
Actually it's not that bad - washing bedding and said dog regularly obviously, plus asking my nearest and dearest to tell me if there's a particularly strong smell of eau de dog, when I get the carpet cleaner out. If you've got hard floors (mutt is banned from all the furniture so that's not an issue) then it's a lot easier to keep things fresh.