Find my perfect dog or breed im stuck now???

Question

I am and moving to the seaside (Bournemouth) next year with my partner, we are looking to buy a flat close to the beach so plenty of excersise and water to play in and cool of in the summer (we would prefer a dog who enjoys the sea/water), but it will be on the ground floor although there will be no garden I will be working part time and he will be a student also, so we wont be around alot but when we are or when I have a day off I'll walk it as I am active myself. We liked the look of a dougue de bordeux, boxer and a char pei but we dont think they would be suited to us, we are looking for an easy to train dog and we both have experience with dogs and the money to keep one (and the home will be permanent and will try and get one with a garden if possible but we are looking for a long term rent, so we wont be moving around), any reccomendations of a breed or dog please??

I work 17 hours so will be home 5 days a week its not as though Im never going to be there

12-6 1 day and 11 - 6 on 2 days

Answer 1

Well it depends on what size dog you are after. Obviously if you dont have a garden (or potentrially dont) and they wont be having masses of walks then a smaller dog would probably suit you better as it will get more exercise in the house than a bigger dog.

Sounds silly but if you plan to do lots of walks on the beach and get a wet dog i woudl certanly say to get a short haired as we have a long haired golden retriever and when he goes in the sea he takes ages to dry and the whole house just smells of wet dog!!

Long haired digs also malt more and create more dust (far more i can tell you) so for cleanliness purposes i would definately go for a short haired.

Boxers can be nice but VERY energetic and bouncy so probably not ideal in a place with no garden- not entirely sure what the other 2 breeds you mentioned were.

Patterdales and Border Terriers are nice. make sure you get something with a nice temperament as well and a trainable attitude- dont go for any 'ratty' dogs.

Answer 2

6-7 hours is too long to leave a puppy of any breed even if only one day a week, so I'd suggest you consider an older dog or hire a dog sitter/walker on the days you can't be there. I notice some-one recommended a Labrador or Retriever, but as pups they need lots of supervision. All the gundog/retriever breeds do. They are born to carry and that can quickly lead to inappropriate chewing. I'd recommend a visit to the nearest dog's home and a lot more research before you decide. You say you want an easily trained dog but that usually goes with intelligence and of the three top dogs, Border Collie, Poodle and German Shepherd I could only recommend the poodle, Miniature or Toy not the Standard!
Would you be prepared to pay for grooming though?
Research any breed you are told about carefully as they may have traits you don't like or want! Can't think of a breed that doesn't like water if the beaches round here are anything to go by.
Good luck finding your 'Ideal'

Answer 3

Based on what you've mentioned about your lifestyle, i suggest you get a labrador retriever for its a very versatile breed, he can adapt in all weathers. Labrador sheds but not as much as the other northern breed like siberian husky and alaskan malamute. They have also enormous amount of love of being in the water, that's what they are bred for. Labradors loves children,early training and socializing them with your kids will do a lot. And labrador is a very active dog that loves a long walk daily. From: Jayson Owner of 3 labradors, 2 miniature pinscher, a pitbull and a mastiff.

Answer 4

Best thing you could do is visit Discover Dogs in November at Earl's Court. Practically every breed available will be there & you will be able to get expert advice from knowledgeable owners. Some of the suggestions on here are unbelieveable! A Siberian Husky?????? You would probably be getting an older dog as housetraining would be difficult if you are not around most of the time & again, owners at Discover Dogs would be able to help you there:
http://www.discover-dogs.org.uk/

Answer 5

One that doesn't need loads of exercise - ie. a little one - as you aren't home with it all the time. How about a nice little rescue dog that needs a good home. Everyone either goes for puppies because they're cute or pedigrees for the snob value. Maybe you could give a good home to an older dog whose previous owner has died. Or how about an old greyhound who's past it as far as racing is concerned. Our local dogtrack is always looking for good homes for retired greyhounds. Another plus....they're free and don't need bags of exercise....although I'm sure they'd just love those runs on the beach.

Answer 6

go to animalplanet.com they have a realy good dog breed quiz. all you need to do is select what type of care u can give it, such as how often can u walk it, wat size u want, how active you want it, weather you have kids/ other pets, etc. after you finish the quiz it will give you a list of dogs that would be good breeds acording to how well you can take care of it. some dogs are much more high maintence than others. below are intructions on how you can find the quiz cause its kinda hard to lokate.

1st: go to www.animalplanet.com
2nd:find the area on the left that has Whats Hot, Pet Planet, Animal Planet Events, etc. click on Pet Planet, but dont go any further.
3rd:click on the dog breed dictonary part of the Pet Planet tab(near the bottom of the tab)
4th: now u r given 2 options- dog breed selecter and dog breed list. click on dog breed selecter
5th: take the quiz!!!

ps i find this quiz to be extremely acurate, one of the best on the web. it worked well for all my dogs (schnouzer, lab, and golden retreiver.) dont listen to every one who responds cause most people just want you to get the same breed that they have. not every one can give a dog the same amount of care. you might be diferent than someone else who responds.

also, if you dont have your heart set on geting a pure bred you might want to go to the local shelter or rescue place and try to find one that is a mix of a few breeds that come up on the quiz. these dogs need homes more or else they might be put to sleep. mutts usualy have better health too. hope i was able to help!

Answer 7

You can't give a dog exercise just when it suits you. A dog needs regular walks, not nice long ones now and again. Unless you can keep a regular timetable I suggest you get a dog walker whatever breed you get.
My recommendation would be a Border Terrier. Lively, short haired and full of character.

Answer 8

A west highland terrier would be a great match as they as easy trainable if trained at a young age, they love excercise but are affectionate and are independent as well. However i would not recomend leaving any breed of dog for more than 3-4 hours a day.
The breeds you have mentioned would certainly not be suitable.

Answer 9

dont be tempted into buying a pure bred they usually have health issues
go to the nearest RSPCA and start looking for a rescue dog (I have had two one for 10 yrs a blue heeler and one for 2 yrs a chuihuahua)
you can discuss with the shelter what your circumstances are and they will advise you on what they have available.
Little dogs are great like chihuahua,jack russell,terriers because they love excercise but they tire easily and wont object to being left home alone as long as they get a good walk.They are easy to care for wash brush and so on.
If you want something larger maybe a lab, retriever ,or cross breed.
I would steer clear of sheepdogs,malamutes,boxers and larger breeds because they demand more area,training and excercise.
well trained rottweilers and dobermans or wiemeraner (sorry not sure of spelling) are great if very well trained but are very demanding when puppies.
but go to the shelter and save a life your new found freind will be eternally grateful that you saved his life

Answer 10

Why look for a certain breed? There are so many dogs needing good homes and you sound sincere and caring.
I live in Spain and will be looking for homes in the UK for 5 beautiful dogs ( pups from the stray I rescued ). They have had their jags and micro chips and will be ready to give love and joy to new owners in the new year. Interested????