Hi all

[Jonas]

Hi all,

I'm from abroad and looking for information regarding dogs. I don't currently have one, but we'll probably get one somewhere '19. Still debating on what kind of breed to get, even if we want a pure or mutt.

Cheers

 

[arealhuman]

Probably not the right term to use! "Mixed breed" might be better . For us to give you an tips, we'll need to know a bit about you and where you live (house with garden, apartment, etc.).

 

[Josie]

Yes don’t think Bastard is quite the right word

 

[Jonas]

I updated to "mutt". Guess translation can be tricky .

Now about us... We're in our late twenties and if all goes well, we'll have kids being born during the dogs lives. We plan on having 2 dogs, but I've read on numberous occasions that bringing two new dogs in at once is a bad idea. My wife has trained her parents dogs in the past, my knowledge however is limited to being around them, taking them on walks and whatever I read on the internet (which can be rather contradictive).

We live in a stand alone house with about 800m2 garden on the countryside. We fully enclosed our garden by a 2m wooden fence and when we built our new shed we included 2 separate kennels which both lead into an area where the dogs can be when we aren't home. They will be allowed indoor but sleep outside in their "doghouse". We both like to be outside and hike a lot during vacation.

Anyway enough about "us"... We've debated about what kind of dog we want but can't seem to decide on what breed we want. We prefer dogs that do well with other dogs (and possibly cats) and aren't too cautious about strangers.
There's a terrier in our street that barks at everything that moves (might not get enough chance to lose his energy) and we both, for our neighbours sake, prefer dogs that don't have the tendency to do so. Size wise, we're thinking bordercollie and larger. As we live on the countryside there's lots of possibilities to walk without a leash unless they tend to run of at every occasion.
Activity wise I'd like to be able to go on runs together of like 5 to 10km and walks of a couple of hours, but it shouldn't be a necessity to avoid them going mental of lack of activity, as some nights there's just less time to spend.

I guess by now I've striped off about every breed that's around, looking for the perfect dog suited for our life. Since there's no dogs designed on demand (thank god) we're looking for a breed that would feel comfortable in the situation I described. I guess most important for us is child/human/dog friendly, and an energy level that's high enough for long walks and jogs but low enough that he won't act like a kid on Red Bull when we don't happen to have hours to spend.

Cheers
J

 

[JudyN]

A couple of things spring to mind...

First, dogs aren't naturally solitary animals and will always prefer to sleep close to their humans. Personally, I wouldn't want to have my dog in an outside kennel at night. Lots of dogs do sleep in outside kennels, just be aware that there is a risk that your dog won't be happy out there (and adding another dog for companionship doesn't always help).

Second, prolonged running isn't great for some dogs' joints, so you'll need to ensure the dog is capable of this, and also build up its fitness gradually. There's an article here about Canicross, which also has some suggestions for suitable breeds: USDAA - News & Events Some breeds can have dodgy hips due to bad breeding, so do your research and choose your breeder carefully.

Most important will be early socialisation, particularly if you get a puppy. You will want to do lots of introductions to children and adults of all ages, and all types. Bear in mind that socialisation is all about quality rather than quantity though - allowing children to squeal and pull the dog's ears won't help it be safe with children.

Labradors and retrievers spring to mind as they're usually good with children. Pointers and dalmatians could be good as running partners, but will maybe be generally high energy. If you are at work most of the day, whatever you choose is likely to need a decent walk beforehand if it's going to be able to settle for the day.

I'm not an expert - this is just what I've gleaned from the internet over the years. Good luck with finding your perfect pet(s).

 

[Mad Murphy]

*I guess most important for us is child/human/dog friendly, and an energy level that's high enough for long walks and jogs but low enough that he won't act like a kid on Red Bull when we don't happen to have hours to spend.*

In this case^ you can rule out a border collie.
They love to move and when you dont keep up the energy level they get bored and bored BC will bark and destroy stuff.. They can also be really good guard dogs and if you leave them alone they will think its their job to decide whats ok and whats not qua visitors.
Some of the things youve listed contridict each other. eg; High energy but not bouncing if you dont have time.. Dogs are normally one or the other they dont have an off switch.
Also many high energy dogs are the ones with high prey drive, but you want a dog that wont run off...
Being happy to sleep outside (cant say Ive ever agreed on this with pet dogs) yet being people and child friendly ..Most dogs who enjoy solitude are not social dogs and likewise most family friendly dogs would go nuts at being shut outside at night.
Its great you are asking and looking before taking the plunge but maybe you need to sit down and really look at what you can offer the dog and see then what type fits your needs. Otherwise theres a trainwreck coming your way.

 

[Kara 1]

Can i ask why you built 2 separate kennels and not one for 2 dogs ..
I think you have to write down what you can offer a dog and go from there ...lots of people keep lurchers in kennels...people often assume my lot live outside whereas they are fully inclusive and sleep indoors .
Are the kennels insulated and if the dogs beds are up off the floor (on wooden platforms )a gamekeeper i know has lovely kennels (as far as kennels go )where his labs and spaniels live whilst not working but he always keeps the dogs in pairs ....
As far as children are concerned i think children should be watched and taught not to touch dogs whilst they are sleeping or laying in their own beds ...children have to be respectful of dogs ...
Recently whilst doing a homecheck when asked about introducing children to the dog ...the reply was ...Well the kids might pull,it around or want to ride it like our last dog ....
Whereabouts do you live .....oh and welcome

 

[Jonas]

Well the kennels are next to each other with only dog fence in between them. Mostly so they can eat separately. A door we can open pretty much allow the dogs access to each other and a sandy area where they can stay at night.
Their doghouses are stone (inner /outer wall with insulation) and a rubber dog blanket at the bottom ontop of "pallet style" woodwork.

Both of us have the "don't leave kids alone with the dog" (or don't leave dogs alone with the kids) mentality.

Thanks a lot for the input by the way .