Breed recommendations

[Dogsfevr]

Borders  whilst great dogs do need coat work ,she will need to work on the coat weekly as I gather going to the groomers is not an option .

They are a stubborn breed BUT do learn ,friend has two that excel in tracking .

I would suggest getting a Border Terrier from the east .

As to working Springers we board a fee and there not for the faint hearted ,the ones with owners dedicated to there needs awesome ,the ones who brought them as they have less coat than the showlines a disaster .

like the border terrier with coat I would also look at a Cairn terrier awesome little dogs ,great with kids and can see them in Perth .

A visit to a dog show would be a good thing 

Also Schipperke could work ,they don't have the looks everyone likes but great hardy dogs 

Edited March 30, 2017 by showdog

[RuralPug]

If you are thinking terriers, look into the Australian Terrier too. Fantastic sturdy little dog, you can get away with very little maintenance of coat if you don't want a showdog look. Loyal to the whole family, a liitle less barky than most terriers but fantastic mouser/ratters. 

[Roova]

I was going to recommend a Border too but I would say their coat is both easy maintenance and not.  For months when its short its awesome but it then starts getting wild and woolly (if their coat isn't rolled to keep it short). Living on a farm they might prefer clipping but it does change the texture to slightly curly and soft over time. 

 

I put effort in to training Poppy and she has a large repertoire of tricks and nice manners, she's a great little dog. She lurves learning but if I get slack with training she starts to bark at things outside the house.   They're an intelligent breed and they enjoy having their brain kept active whether it be trick training or enrichment so I would imagine if left too long to their own devices they may see behavioural problems (no different to other dogs though).  Like any smart dog they'll learn bad habits just as quickly as good ones. I made sure to socialise her well and she loves all people and dogs with kids being her favorite!  

Edited March 30, 2017 by Roova

[The Spotted Devil]

9 hours ago, Bushriver said:

Thanks everyone. We're going to do a bit of research on the borders and the working springers. From what I've read so far, the borders are a bit less "terrier" than most terriers? There is only one breeder on DOL in WA so it might be hard to meet one? Collie may be a bit bigger than what we're looking for. Any other suggestions most welcome. 

I'm not in WA but plenty of info about Working Springers on my website...

 

http://www.thornfield.com.au/

 

[Scottsmum]

15 hours ago, mingaling said:

These a bunch of coated breeds that would be excellent but to be honest and from personal experience I would stay away from anything with even a bit of coat. 

 

I was thinking beagle maybe whippet maybe smooth fox or JR.  or perhaps a Staffy 

 

If they really want coat I'd strongly recommend a wire coat like a Border Terrier. They are awesome rugged little family dogs. 

We've always had foxies as house dogs. Get on with the big dogs & have get up & go. Very low maintenance. 

 

These days mum has a dachshund as a house dog. She's 13 now,  surprisingly good around the farm & sheep (but did have an occasional snap in her younger days), and has seen more campdrafts & more of the country in the campervan than I will in my life!  But of course you need to be wary of standard things with doxies (backs, anxiety, some aren't so great with kids).

[Bushriver]

I had a look at the coat matainance for borders and it doesn't seem overwhelming. Especially if you were to do it a little each week. I'm becoming even more keen on this breed myself!! If anyone can recommend a great border terrier breeder that would be fantastic. If my sister was to get one it would purely be a companion, however I am also looking into the breed now and would be looking at showing and finding a breeder to mentor me and help promote the breed in WA. 

[Dogsfevr]

Border terriers are already promoted in Perth ,they where shown often in the past just not now .

If you want show quality you will need to look East but im fairly certain all are very careful where there breeding stock goes & if they send show quality will expect it to be shown .

 

I would suggest still heading down to shows to see the hand stripped breeds because as a groomer i can tell you now many people don't do the work on the easiest of coats & if you want to show then pet work compared to show work is not a easy job as rolling the coat needs to be done correctly & the seasons play havoc with coats ,it is work so best not to under estimate the work ,pet coats can get away with less effort

[Animal House]

What about a pug?

[SpikesPuppy]

I find a definite difference in temperament- I currently have 3 males and 2 females. The girls are smarter and more independent, wheras the boys tend to be a bit sookier and more willing to listen to you, easier to train but perhaps not quite as intelligent and free thinking as the bitches! But both make great companions and both sexes are represented in various dog sports. 

 

Coat maintenance really depends on the individual dog and what look you want. When the coat is longer and starts to split apart, it needs to be pulled out for comfort. But it won't matt or knot. For show, different dogs again have different requirements. Some need finite, regular rolling, others can be left a little longer. When I was showing regularly, it wasn't unusual to spend an hour or 2 each week (depending on the individual dog and what stage the coat was at) going through each hair one by one to shape the dog. Then 3 hours per dog 1 or 2 days before a show. 

If the coat isn't or can't be rolled (not all are suitable for constant rolling), then you will have several weeks over the year when you can't show the dog or will be showing it in it's underwear.

Personally I don't think the coat is difficult to maintain but it should be done regularly to make it easier. I just struggle these days as I have arthritis in my hands and an old injury so only show the Borders a few times a year. 

 

As for kennels, most on DOL are pretty good. Just make sure that they actually show or do sports with their dogs. I wouldn't recommend any of the ones who just breed. 

 

No health testing is commonly done or available for the breed at this stage.

 

[Bushriver]

Thanks for all the suggestions and information.  I'll keep up my research and see if I can find a breeder that's happy to at least guide me along the way, even if getting a pup is many years off. The coat seems like something I'll need to look into further and learn more about. I'm quite happy to spend a bit of time on it as I love anything to with my dogs. I realise that they would have been and are promoted, but they are proving quite hard to find here so I'm interested in having another in the state and getting them along to shows etc. My sister has decided against the flat faced breeds (pug) because of their health issues, otherwise an English bulldog was on the list!

[juice]

Hadn't thought of a Cairn , thats a good choice to think of too, Westie?

 

[Bushriver]

I looked at Cairns. The information I read suggested they're not overly keen on children?

[Dogsfevr]

Cairns are fab with kids never read any info saying they aren't ,one of the most popular breeds in junior handlers

[corvus]

Portuguese podengo pequeno. ;) Smooth-coated, little, tough, friendly and affectionate. My girl spends her days on my lap, but when we go out, she's leading the way. She does 12km trail runs with me comfortably, but doesn't bounce off the walls if she doesn't get out for a couple of days. She loves to explore, but stays close to us.