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Choosing A Dog Breed And Dog Breeder


Bec11
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I actually haven't met a mini schnauzer before but I have met a couple of standard schnauzers owned by family and friends of family.

I did however wave down a bloke walking his miniature schnauzer at the park this morning and had a quick chat. He had great things to say too.

What's WACA? I only know it as the cricket ground and that's all that's coming up in my quick google search.

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I hope you won't let the kids terrorise a dog like you let them terrorise the poor cat :eek:

They're a little older now,and I'm sure, a little wiser too

Why are you answering on behalf of the OP? :confused:

I get the sentiment behind the comment, no animal lover wants to hear of animals being mistreated or the potential for animals to be mistreated. I wouldn't be considering getting a dog if we were unable to provide a good home for one and if the kids were unable to treat an animal with respect and kindness.

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What about a Collie Smooth? Excellent family guardians, great with kids & other animals & a generally sound & healthy breed if you buy from a breeder who does the neceesary health checks. They are very trainable & you will be well rewarded if you are committed to putting in the training that is necessary for all active breeds for the first 18 months of life.

I think the Collie Smooth is sadly often overlooked, they make great family dogs just like the Collie Rough, but the coat is obviously much more manageable - particularly for a busy family :)

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What's WACA? I only know it as the cricket ground and that's all that's coming up in my quick google search.

Try CAWA (Canine Association of W.A). They have a website listed as Dogswest too, where you can find info on upcoming shows/ events/ registered breeders etc: Dogswest

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I hope you won't let the kids terrorise a dog like you let them terrorise the poor cat :eek:

They're a little older now,and I'm sure, a little wiser too

Why are you answering on behalf of the OP? :confused:

Is it a crime?

Attitude much? Prickly thing aren't you.

I asked because it was confusing. I thought I may have missed something and that the op and yourself were partners or family or something.

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I hope you won't let the kids terrorise a dog like you let them terrorise the poor cat :eek:

They're a little older now,and I'm sure, a little wiser too

Why are you answering on behalf of the OP? :confused:

Is it a crime?

Attitude much? Prickly thing aren't you.

I asked because it was confusing. I thought I may have missed something and that the op and yourself were partners or family or something.

I have no idea who the OP is, and I was just stating my opinion as you were.

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I would go with a mini schnauzer, I have groomed a lot of them over the years and found them to have very good tolerance and are quite robust.

One (when he was alive) would stay with us when his owners went away and he was wonderful with the cats and other dogs. Their new one adores my kids and is super social, loves playing fetch and enjoys being groomed.

Just to add: I wouldn't recommend a poodle, they don't tend to be as patient or tolerant as a lot of other breeds around kids. I have owned them for the last 17 years and also rescued/fostered many and only 2 were great with kids the rest prefered adult company. I recently lost my old girl and as much as I adore them I won't have another until the kids have grown up.

Edited by Rascalmyshadow
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What about a Collie Smooth? Excellent family guardians, great with kids & other animals & a generally sound & healthy breed if you buy from a breeder who does the neceesary health checks. They are very trainable & you will be well rewarded if you are committed to putting in the training that is necessary for all active breeds for the first 18 months of life.

I think the Collie Smooth is sadly often overlooked, they make great family dogs just like the Collie Rough, but the coat is obviously much more manageable - particularly for a busy family :)

Rough Collies are not at all difficult to groom and they shed less than the smooths do. I too think a Collie is worth considering. Go to some dog shows, have a look at the retrievers, spaniels, setters, poodles, schnauzers and collies and talk to the breeders. All those breeds would suit your situation and if you can successfully raise well behaved children, you should be able to raise a puppy. Just think of it as baby number 3 without the need for nappies. Puppies, like children have to be taught exactly what behaviour you want and they need to be rewarded and encouraged when they get things right. Puppies mature at about the rate of one month as equal to a year for a child so you have less time to get things right but the training principles are the same. Consistency, encouragement, reward and clear boundaries.

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Friends of ours with two young children recently got a Havanese. They are keeping him clipped short to reduce grooming but have found him easy to train, easy to exercise, low shedding and great with her children. We have a cavalier and he has been great with my children. The youngest was three when we got him. He is a bit oversized and this has been good for us. He does shed a bit but its not overwhelming and he will adapt to any exercise we give him, although I love to walk so he gets a lot. We are also going to attend dog shows this year (searching for a second dog) as our puppy plans were put on hold last year. Good luck with the search.

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I couldn't recommend a cavalier more highly we have our third boy and he is just beautiful he will be 4 years old this year and he is a calm well behaved boy wonderfulwith kids but I have trained him since a baby puppy, much better behaved than our two old boys who have passed (we got them as older dogs). The secret is to crate or cage train them from the start and you can take them anywhere and know they are safe he just loves his bed plus if they need time out from the kids it is a save happy place.

I also love boxers having lost our beautiful girl just over 18 months ago but maybe to much for little kids.

My husband wants a schnauzer and my 8 year wants a pug, we will see who wins.

Best of luck

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Assuming the dog will be a puppy sourced from a carefully selected breeder who health tests and socialises well OR an adult dog from a good breeder or foster carer, then I suggest that they arrange to meet some of the following breeds:

In the smaller breeds, Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Tibetan Spaniel, Japanese Chin, Pug, King Charles Spaniel, Lhasa Apso*, Shih Tzu and Havanese all fit the profile of medium drive, easy to socialise and robust enough for children. I have ignored grooming in this list - the Havanese will need regular clipping or a lot of grooming and the Pug will shed heavily.

In the medium breeds ( again ignoring grooming) Cocker Spaniel, Cardigan Corgi*, Pembroke Corgi*, Whippet, Staffordshire Bull Terrier*, Bulldog, Beagle, Lapphund*, Tibetan Terrier, Grand Basset Griffon Vendeen, and Basset Hound.

The ones with asterisks you may want to consider only adults as the breed may have a propensity for higher drive and/or not so friendly to other dogs, but IMO enough individuals within the breed do fit all the criteria listed here. All breeds of course do have exceptions, if you want to gamble on the luck of the draw you might get a laid back terrier or poodle or a really focused Irish Setter, but I wouldn't bet sheep stations on it.laugh.gif

Purchasing from a BYB or puppy farm or Gumtree is not recommended as breed traits may not be optimised.

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Can I suggest that if you are looking at scenthounds and you are wanting a calmer dog then definately consider a basset hound over a beagle. I would describe a basset as all the happy of a beagle with a little less of the crazy and they can't jump fences. :laugh: Beagles are lovely dogs but are a lot busier than a basset, will need a lot more exercise and are less inclined to just chill out. Our basset is absolutely phenomenal with our kids and I honestly have never met one that wasn't happy to just stand there and let a child scratch them behind the ears(I'm sure they exist somewhere but I'm yet to find one!) the wait for a basset pup will probably be longer and they are more expensive but definately worth it if you want an amazing family dog. Size wise ours is 24kg but shorter than my kelpie so although they are considered a large breed it doesn't feel like living with one. If you want to ask any more questions regarding bassets feel free to give me a yell, at the moment I think I'm the only active member with a basset. :)

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Best thing I did when narrowing down breeds was visit a breeder and spend a really good chunk of time around the dogs. There where dogs that looked good on paper or from meeting one that ended out be dropped off the list for one reason or another. Sometimes it was as simple as the "energy" the dogs brought in, some where a bit too content to vanish and not stay involved while others where just always a bit too full on. In the end we found the dachshunds to have the right balance of everything to be our perfect dog and we haven't looked back.

It was also a great way to choose a breeder, mine has been fantastic and is only ever a phone call or email away if I need advice. Including when I was a paranoid new puppy owner :laugh:

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