claireybell Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 My suggestion would be a an english Cocker Spaniel or Beagle. Both are great family dogs but like all dogs they require the right training. Crazy Daisey - a cocker like any other dog should not have a "funk". The only time I have known any dog to have a special kind of smell is when they have had anal gland issues which produces a coppery smell Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gtjell Posted June 24, 2011 Author Share Posted June 24, 2011 Thanks guys. Food for thought. My dh doesnt like the look of staffies and while I would love another Rottie (those pics didnt help - lol) I'm just imagining my kids friends parents stopping them from comming to play due to our choice of dog.. Maybe when they are all teenagers and I dont really have to stress about it So while I dont love the look of the cockers (dh does) they may be the first to investigate, followed by the shih tzu and pug at this point....still time though....and theres lots of great reading and pictures around this board. I will get this right this time or die trying. Does anyone know any good breeders of these breeds that I could contact at all please Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Esky the husky Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 What kind of dogs do you like the look of gtjell? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aztec Gold Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 Isn't a Rottweiler the same size roughly as a Golden? LOL these made me laugh: The last one is kinda crazy!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crazy Daisy Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 Crazy Daisey - a cocker like any other dog should not have a "funk". The only time I have known any dog to have a special kind of smell is when they have had anal gland issues which produces a coppery smell I would have to disagree. I personally think they can smell stronger than other breeds, that's MY opinion. It says you are in Qld, is that right? The breeder I would have to recommend for Shih Tzu's is Robyn Hawke from Tzutique http://www.dogzonline.com.au/breeds/member.asp?name=TZUTIQUE They are beautiful dogs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
budgiew Posted June 25, 2011 Share Posted June 25, 2011 (edited) I would like to point out that not every one has the same sense of smell.I have a heightened sense of smell. Open nail polish and i would be ill. I have allergies to many dogs.The spaniels,to me, have a stronger odour than wire haired breeds;that's not to say they are not clean. To me they just smell stronger doggy.Before my allergies i owned Cavaliers a Cocker cross and beagle.But i'm allergic to them now.My son who has H.F autism,has 'Anosmia',No sense of smell at all. Getting back on topic,What about a Bichon.After watching the thread with whippet and rabbit playing,i am liking those whippets too. Edited June 25, 2011 by budgiew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nekhbet Posted June 25, 2011 Share Posted June 25, 2011 (edited) I would not always worry about the look of the dog when it comes to friends playing - no matter the breed if you dog bowls someones kid over and scratches them up like some labs are GREAT at you will be unpopular If you can handle and love a rottie, go with what is good for your family, not what suits everyone else. You're the one living with it! I dont see a rottie pup being any more trouble for an experienced owner then most other 'typical pet' breeds like labs or goldens. We see more of those needing calming down at training then we see guarding breeds. Edited June 25, 2011 by Nekhbet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miss whippy Posted June 25, 2011 Share Posted June 25, 2011 I can second any recommendations on Cocker Spaniels in regard to temperament. Lovely sweet creatures. My family had a beautiful one when I was little. They can be quite boisterous at times though, and the upkeep on the grooming side is not for the faint-hearted. The goldens generally seem to have an easier coat from what I've seen than the blacks or blue-roans, but is a bit of pot luck. As someone else mentioned, if you clip them, they need to continue to be clipped quite often, which is a big job or a decent expense. If you don't clip them the coat needs to be stripped, I dont know how many groomers will do this. They need to be brushed regularly or they will end up with matting in the armpits. You also have to be constantly on the look out for grass seeds in the ears and feet and ear infections from not enough air in their ears due to their pendulous nature. Ours hated being bathed too, not the kind of dog you can just turn the hose on and wash off. We loved her to bits and she was reasonably easy to train, but was always a bit doggy-smelling, not a dog we could have had in the bed, like the whippet. Just a heads up on the possible joys of owning a long-haired dog! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oskar & Zsa Zsa Posted June 25, 2011 Share Posted June 25, 2011 I just typed out a long post in reply and lost it in the ether. Here it is summarised.... I have had 5 over the years, one which is still alive (15 this year) but was lost in the great divorce of 07. I have had them when I had babies, toddlers, small and large kids and they fitted in well. I have taken them deep sea fishing (Strika loved Squid and would steal the squid off the bait board if you didn't keep an eye on him), motorbike riding and camping, they flew, travelled the nullabor and did everything that a growing family would do. They were never agressive and I would have another one in a heartbeat!! They ARE smart dogs. Very smart! Strika in particular was clever little boy. He never had to walked on a lead, I could point command and voice command him. He was just awesome. They are also very protective of family. I had two of mine, keep a group of 5 or 6 aggressive teens away from my early teen boys. The two of them ganged up on whoever was the closest aggressor to my boys. I also witnessed Strika at age 4 launch himself at Labrador which was being agressive towards my wife one day on the beach. Strika when he saw his human mum frightened, bolted towards this Lab (it was a big Lab too.) and launched himelf at the lab fully body slam mid air!!! I was shocked! Then he snapped and growled at the Lab until it backed away from her! Most impressed I was!!! They also love cuddles!! But can be energetic if you want them to be. i would have another in a heartbeat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rozzie Posted June 25, 2011 Share Posted June 25, 2011 With 4 kids, it needs to be robust, medium sized and short coated, as the parents would not have time for a lot of grooming. It needs to be friendly and agile and happy to go for walks. It needs to tolerate being dressed up and put in a pram. It needs to be friendly will friends of the family who visit. I recommend the Australian Kelpie. The OP was a dog groomer, said she doesn't mind coat. Do you really think her boys will want to dress dog up and push it in a pram???? Of the 4 breed you suggest OP, Shih tzu!:D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancinbcs Posted June 25, 2011 Share Posted June 25, 2011 I can second any recommendations on Cocker Spaniels in regard to temperament. Lovely sweet creatures. My family had a beautiful one when I was little. They can be quite boisterous at times though, and the upkeep on the grooming side is not for the faint-hearted. The goldens generally seem to have an easier coat from what I've seen than the blacks or blue-roans, but is a bit of pot luck. As someone else mentioned, if you clip them, they need to continue to be clipped quite often, which is a big job or a decent expense. If you don't clip them the coat needs to be stripped, I dont know how many groomers will do this. They need to be brushed regularly or they will end up with matting in the armpits. You also have to be constantly on the look out for grass seeds in the ears and feet and ear infections from not enough air in their ears due to their pendulous nature. Ours hated being bathed too, not the kind of dog you can just turn the hose on and wash off. We loved her to bits and she was reasonably easy to train, but was always a bit doggy-smelling, not a dog we could have had in the bed, like the whippet. Just a heads up on the possible joys of owning a long-haired dog! A well bred Cocker with a correct coat is not hard to maintain. I organised a nice registered dog for an old work colleague, who had always had unregistered Cockers before. She had always had them clipped because the coats were too much work. When she got the one from the top show breeder, she managed the coat on her own with no problem. She was delighted to find that the correct silky texture does not matt like the woolly incorrect coats do so regular baths with conditioner, a little hand stripping and once or twice a week brushing were all this dog needed. Stripping a Cocker is nothing like having to hand strip a wire coated terrier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miss whippy Posted June 25, 2011 Share Posted June 25, 2011 I can second any recommendations on Cocker Spaniels in regard to temperament. Lovely sweet creatures. My family had a beautiful one when I was little. They can be quite boisterous at times though, and the upkeep on the grooming side is not for the faint-hearted. The goldens generally seem to have an easier coat from what I've seen than the blacks or blue-roans, but is a bit of pot luck. As someone else mentioned, if you clip them, they need to continue to be clipped quite often, which is a big job or a decent expense. If you don't clip them the coat needs to be stripped, I dont know how many groomers will do this. They need to be brushed regularly or they will end up with matting in the armpits. You also have to be constantly on the look out for grass seeds in the ears and feet and ear infections from not enough air in their ears due to their pendulous nature. Ours hated being bathed too, not the kind of dog you can just turn the hose on and wash off. We loved her to bits and she was reasonably easy to train, but was always a bit doggy-smelling, not a dog we could have had in the bed, like the whippet. Just a heads up on the possible joys of owning a long-haired dog! A well bred Cocker with a correct coat is not hard to maintain. I organised a nice registered dog for an old work colleague, who had always had unregistered Cockers before. She had always had them clipped because the coats were too much work. When she got the one from the top show breeder, she managed the coat on her own with no problem. She was delighted to find that the correct silky texture does not matt like the woolly incorrect coats do so regular baths with conditioner, a little hand stripping and once or twice a week brushing were all this dog needed. Stripping a Cocker is nothing like having to hand strip a wire coated terrier. We did have a registered dog from a top show breeder, but we found the stripping too much, and so did our dog. Maybe we were just unlucky with her coat. I have had discussions with some dog-owners walking cockers about the upkeep of their coats, but I admit I did not ask about their pedigree. Sometimes when recommending breeds we forget to mention the upkeep or the downsides: I only meant to offer my own experiences and I'm sorry if I've mis-represented the breed, I had no intention of doing so. I also missed the fact that the OP was a groomer. Sounds like a Cocker would be a good fit, and as I said, I definitely second that they make great family-members and are great with kids. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loopy Lola Posted June 25, 2011 Share Posted June 25, 2011 I would not always worry about the look of the dog when it comes to friends playing - no matter the breed if you dog bowls someones kid over and scratches them up like some labs are GREAT at you will be unpopular If you can handle and love a rottie, go with what is good for your family, not what suits everyone else. You're the one living with it! I dont see a rottie pup being any more trouble for an experienced owner then most other 'typical pet' breeds like labs or goldens. We see more of those needing calming down at training then we see guarding breeds. I fully agree with you Nekhbet ..........and from a rescuers point of view the rotti pups we get coming through are a lot less trouble than the majority of labs and goldens .........they don't seem to be as inclined to chew the kids toys and shoes or try to steal the food from their mouths ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crazy Daisy Posted June 25, 2011 Share Posted June 25, 2011 I just typed out a long post in reply and lost it in the ether. Here it is summarised.... I have had 5 over the years, one which is still alive (15 this year) but was lost in the great divorce of 07. I have had them when I had babies, toddlers, small and large kids and they fitted in well. I have taken them deep sea fishing (Strika loved Squid and would steal the squid off the bait board if you didn't keep an eye on him), motorbike riding and camping, they flew, travelled the nullabor and did everything that a growing family would do. They were never agressive and I would have another one in a heartbeat!! They ARE smart dogs. Very smart! Strika in particular was clever little boy. He never had to walked on a lead, I could point command and voice command him. He was just awesome. They are also very protective of family. I had two of mine, keep a group of 5 or 6 aggressive teens away from my early teen boys. The two of them ganged up on whoever was the closest aggressor to my boys. I also witnessed Strika at age 4 launch himself at Labrador which was being agressive towards my wife one day on the beach. Strika when he saw his human mum frightened, bolted towards this Lab (it was a big Lab too.) and launched himelf at the lab fully body slam mid air!!! I was shocked! Then he snapped and growled at the Lab until it backed away from her! Most impressed I was!!! They also love cuddles!! But can be energetic if you want them to be. i would have another in a heartbeat. I'm confused, which breed are you talking about? They sound great whatever they are Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cm64 Posted June 26, 2011 Share Posted June 26, 2011 What about an Airedale Terrier or Irish Terrier, if you wanted something a bit smaller ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gtjell Posted June 27, 2011 Author Share Posted June 27, 2011 We've found some lovely 12 week old shih tzu puppies in our area to go and have a look at. Any suggestions on what to look for - or to be warey of??? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poodlefan Posted June 27, 2011 Share Posted June 27, 2011 (edited) We've found some lovely 12 week old shih tzu puppies in our area to go and have a look at. Any suggestions on what to look for - or to be warey of??? Thanks Yep, Look for a registered breeder who's raised the pups in the family home. Be wary of anyone trying to sell you a purebred Shih Tzu without pedigree papers. Personally I wonder if a Shih Tzu pup will be robust enough to cope with a family of kids and a toddler in particular. Dropped puppies can be seriously harmed. Edited June 27, 2011 by poodlefan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crazy Daisy Posted June 27, 2011 Share Posted June 27, 2011 PF - I have three children under 7 and we got Daisy when my son was 2 and my daughter only a couple of weeks old. They are very strong little dogs but as with any puppy children should always be supervised when playing with them. Are they from a registered breeder? If not I would suggest looking elsewhere. If you can have a look at both parents (not always possible to see dad too). Look closely at their faces especially their eyes. Make sure they look clear and healthy. Good Luck. And you have to come and post photos for us ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gtjell Posted June 28, 2011 Author Share Posted June 28, 2011 Thanks for your replies. The puppies are registered on the main with CCCQ and vaccinated and microchipped. I asked if I could go and meet them and am just awaiting a reply.....nail biting stuff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poodlefan Posted June 28, 2011 Share Posted June 28, 2011 Thanks for your replies. The puppies are registered on the main with CCCQ and vaccinated and microchipped. I asked if I could go and meet them and am just awaiting a reply.....nail biting stuff Sounds promising! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now