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Buying a puppy - what breed suits best?


RArlieC
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Hi

 

I'm so happy to have stumbled upon this forum! 

 

I am a lifelong dog owner who, for the first time in 32 years, is dogless after losing my old kelpie.  

 

I have had border collies mostly, a golden retriever and a little silky/daschund mix who was the best dog ever! 

 

So this time around, no longer living on acres,  I want to steer clear of the borders and kelpies and get something more adapted to suburban life. 

 

I am drawn to terriers and have been enquiring about border terriers (one breeder has puppies coming soon which I have been put on the wait list for)...but before I commit to the breed I wanted some input on borders and also is there a better option?

 

I live with 3 little boys (3,6,8), 2 cats and a lot of chooks. Dog needs to get along with us all! 

 

I used to do obedience and rally o and would love to get back to that, or agility. So needs to be eager to please/intelligent.

 

We enjoy bushwalking and cycling and would love dog to join us. 

 

Also want dog to be able to be calm in the house. 

 

Low shedding/grooming needs a plus, small size and I do like a wirey coat (or short, less keen on fluffy or long coats).

 

Any advice gratefully recieved!

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I have friends who do competitive tracking and lure coursing with there Borders and are great .

We have boarded a few and they are delightful dogs very much under estimated.

They certainly have there “why should I streak” which is something to factor but as a pet there great little dogs .

 

I was going to suggest Irish Terrier again a fabulous pet but note long legs aren’t your thing .They would be great for bushwalking,cycling 

 

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if you like terriers there is always robust Westies, Google 'Westies Agility' if you want to see some happy dogs though Border terriers have longer legs so my be more suitable for your family

 

and I posted just for a laugh...I think that this one would like to compete in dock diving

 

 

Edited by Boronia
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Personally I don’t think you could go past the Border Terrier. Yes there are a few other breeds that might also fit your wants & needs, but the Border is a robust affable highly adaptable wash n wear terrier, and cute as hell to boot! 
 

other suggestions to look at 

Parson Russell Terrier ( a Jack the size of a Border) 

Manchester Terrier

Smooth Fox Terrier

 

i think most of the short legged terriers, such as Westie , Cairn, Australian etc would fit most of you brief aside from cycling, and also most of them are of course lower to the ground and have a little more coat furnishings, so likely to pick up more debris and require a bit more maintenance and grooming. 

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Also you need to bear in mind that no breed or individual within a breed can really be deemed reliable with chickens (and possibly cats) until you have the dog and work out what level of management you need to implement for your situation. You might raise a bomb proof dog but it’s always wise to supervise and separate when necessary with chooks, and sometimes cats, when supervision is not available. 
 

a couple of other curve ball breeds in the slightly bigger than small category 

Standard Schnauzer (a bit more coat care. Most standards have harsher coat than Minis and is usually a bit easier for every day coat management) 

Whippet

Beagle. 

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And what @Dogsfevr said reminded me of the delightful little Griffon Bruxellois  I met at Christmas time ,  He was about 6 months old .. confident without being pushy, loves his Border Collie 'brother', happy to meet people, very trainable.      Maybe not quite what you want, but worth a look .. 

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