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Advice on Family Dog? (1 Viewer)

mr roboto

mr roboto

Footballguy
Hello all!  Hopefully Studs weighs in here...

We are an active family with 6, 8 and soon to be newborn girls. Wife and I work from home so often there's someone here. We have a roomy house, with a back yard that backs up to woods/a lake that are part of a city park so dogs aren't allowed to roam free back there. No fence and no desire to build one (would consider electric fence though). 

I don't want a tiny lap dog, wife doesn't want a big one. We had a yellow lab who was old and had a bad back so she was very sedentary but we know usually those breeds need a ton of exercise (and the shedding is a non-starter). 

Medium sized, playful, good with kids, low shedding, won't go crazy if left home alone on occasion. We would either look to adopt or buy an adult/trained. 

Weve considered springers, Brittany's, beagles, puggles, labradoodles and a few others. 

Ideas?

 
mr roboto said:
Shedding?
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2nd generation Goldendoodles are not suppose to shed. I am not sure if that is the same with Labradoodles but I would guess it is.

Golden Retrievers do.

In most cases it is pretty hard to tell the difference between Goldendoodles and Labradoodles. They look the same, personality traits are the same, etc. I have a Goldendoodle and for what you are looking for- absolutely would recommend either.

I can't tell you how many times I have been stopped by people with my Grizzly. (I wish I had him when I was single. The amount of hot chicks that have pulled over to talk to me with him or even take a picture, etc.... amazing!) Friends have sworn that they would get a Goldendoodle for the next dog. Often friends and family will ask how Grizzly is doing after they ask about the kids (and we are not one of those types that treat the dog as a kid). People just love him. Very kind hearted, great with kids, smartest dumb dog ever..... I could go on and on.  

 
mixed breed from a rescue

Go visit a few rescues before deciding, "interview" the dogs.  

 
Chadstroma said:
2nd generation Goldendoodles are not suppose to shed. I am not sure if that is the same with Labradoodles but I would guess it is.

Golden Retrievers do.

In most cases it is pretty hard to tell the difference between Goldendoodles and Labradoodles. They look the same, personality traits are the same, etc. I have a Goldendoodle and for what you are looking for- absolutely would recommend either.

I can't tell you how many times I have been stopped by people with my Grizzly. (I wish I had him when I was single. The amount of hot chicks that have pulled over to talk to me with him or even take a picture, etc.... amazing!) Friends have sworn that they would get a Goldendoodle for the next dog. Often friends and family will ask how Grizzly is doing after they ask about the kids (and we are not one of those types that treat the dog as a kid). People just love him. Very kind hearted, great with kids, smartest dumb dog ever..... I could go on and on.  
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pics?

 
mr roboto said:
That's what we did with our lab. We are open to it again. 
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Yea, we used Petfinder for our Grizzly. Had to drive out to Ohio to get him but worth it. I was told several hundred people "applied" for him- so getting a specific high demand breed like a Goldendoodle relatively young (about 1 year when we got him) without any disabilities may be hard but not impossible.

 
JoeSteeler said:
wheaton or airedale terrier?
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Wheaton would be a great option for a bit smaller dog. I 'knew' a Wheaton when I was working at the pet store and out of all the dogs that would come in- he was my favorite. Loved that guy. Very similar in a lot of ways to meet the same requirements but I would say as far as being good with kids- the Goldendoodle/Labradoodle would be far superior.

 
Don't do what we did for our only "designer" dog back in 2009.  We wanted a non-shedding, smaller, hypoallergic dog.  We went online and settled on a Schnoodle.  We locked her in before meeting her or her parents, I drove 200 miles to get her.  She was the last of the litter (for a reason apparently).  When I got her she was stand-offish and later it turned out she hated people.  We worked with her to train her, make her comfortable, etc. and that sort of worked for a while but she was never really comfortable with anyone.  My wife was pregnant at the time and gave birth after we had her for about 6 months.  Everytime the newborn would fuss even a little, she was scared out of her mind, hid and wet the carpet.  We took the advice of the vet for a few weeks but in the end we had to find a new home for her.  It just wasn't the right match.  

Bottom line, meet the dog the test its temperament before settling on an individual.  

While I prefer our dogs to have some German Shepard in them - our best two we picked by simply checking out a bunch of dogs were Shepard mixes, and you might like poodle due to shedding, a mix is often the best breed. 

 
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Is a golden considered medium sized?  I mean other than your size criteria and the shedding, goldens are the perfect family dog. Especially for little kids. Don't think you can beat their temperament. 

 
mr roboto said:
Hello all!  Hopefully Studs weighs in here...

We are an active family with 6, 8 and soon to be newborn girls. Wife and I work from home so often there's someone here. We have a roomy house, with a back yard that backs up to woods/a lake that are part of a city park so dogs aren't allowed to roam free back there. No fence and no desire to build one (would consider electric fence though). 

I don't want a tiny lap dog, wife doesn't want a big one. We had a yellow lab who was old and had a bad back so she was very sedentary but we know usually those breeds need a ton of exercise (and the shedding is a non-starter). 

Medium sized, playful, good with kids, low shedding, won't go crazy if left home alone on occasion. We would either look to adopt or buy an adult/trained. 

Weve considered springers, Brittany's, beagles, puggles, labradoodles and a few others. 

Ideas?
Click to expand...
scratched the beagle......they are 4 legs attached to a nose and without a 6 foot fence, don't bother.

adopt, don't buy.......so many need to be rescued.

 
Chemical X said:
scratched the beagle......they are 4 legs attached to a nose and without a 6 foot fence, don't bother.

adopt, don't buy.......so many need to be rescued.
Click to expand...
So electric fences won't hold a beagle?  Do they tunnel?

i mean I know they like to dig/root in the ground

 
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RBM said:
Is a golden considered medium sized?  I mean other than your size criteria and the shedding, goldens are the perfect family dog. Especially for little kids. Don't think you can beat their temperament. 
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I love golden's but the shedding... Our lab was too much for the Mrs 

 
love my boston terriers. Medium sized (30 lbs), very light shedders, smart, hilarious, like to cuddle, very athletic, they don't bark a lot... 

 
Ned said:
There are some big boxers out there.  If a lab was too big, a boxer would be too.

Labradoodle would be my vote if you like the look.
Click to expand...


Sure, but there are smaller ones as well.  Female boxers can be like 40-45 lbs and not much bigger if at all to some of the breeds listed here.

 
mr roboto said:
So electric fences won't hold a beagle?  Do they tunnel?

i mean I know they like to dig/root in the ground
Click to expand...
escape artists...........they will dig and find away.  the smell they want is too much to contain them.

also, I am not an electric fence expert, but I have heard issues of fences deactivating upon loss of power. 

 
RBM said:
Is a golden considered medium sized?  I mean other than your size criteria and the shedding, goldens are the perfect family dog. Especially for little kids. Don't think you can beat their temperament. 
Click to expand...
That is the only down side I would say from the criteria. My Goldendoodle is about 85 pounds though he does have an extra few pounds on him more than he should. But if he can get the wife on board- I really think a Goldendoodle or Labradoodle perfectly fits everything else for what he and the family are looking for. (just try to get the 2nd generation. My 1st generation Goldendoodle does shed a little bit. Not nearly as bad as a Golden Retriever but still a bit)

 
sublimeone said:
love my boston terriers. Medium sized (30 lbs), very light shedders, smart, hilarious, like to cuddle, very athletic, they don't bark a lot... 
Click to expand...
;goodposting:  Was just coming in to say the same thing. Our boston terrier has been a great dog for our family.  Very good with the kids, loves to cuddle with the wife, will play fetch all day long, but does not need a bunch of exercise.  

 
We have an Olde English Bulldogge...  very good dog that can take rough handling from younger kids.  Shedding is minimal.  Barking is minimal.  They neither need nor want a whole lot of exercise.  Ours knows where the property line is and stays on the property without the electric fence. 

 
snellman said:
;goodposting:  Was just coming in to say the same thing. Our boston terrier has been a great dog for our family.  Very good with the kids, loves to cuddle with the wife, will play fetch all day long, but does not need a bunch of exercise.  
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You guys are lucky; my sister's BT is a monster.

 
My parents and sister (she has three kids) have Labradoodles. Fantastic dogs. Hardly any shedding.

 
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I looked at local shelters' websites - some great mixes/mutts there. But lots are pit/pit mixes. 

Lots of terrier mixes and collie mixes. 

 
When I think of the Family Dog I think of  Chet Helms, Barry Fey, Stanley Owsely and some iconic music and art.  I don't expect many here to understand this post at all, absent use of google.

 
The best family dog I've ever had was an English Mastiff... very little exercise needed and super well tempered.  Of course, you'll have to convince the wife to let you get a man's dog.

 
Cold Dead Hands said:
You have kids? Pit Bull for sure. They were used as nannies back in the day.
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I would never trust a pit bull from a shelter - especially with kids.  As much as I advocate shelters/rescues, pits are on my "do not adopt" list.  And I say this as someone who has spent lots of time volunteering.  I've heard too many first hand stories.

If you must have pit, raise it yourself from a puppy.

 
Amused to Death said:
I would never trust a pit bull from a shelter - especially with kids.  As much as I advocate shelters/rescues, pits are on my "do not adopt" list.  And I say this as someone who has spent lots of time volunteering.  I've heard too many first hand stories.

If you must have pit, raise it yourself from a puppy.
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I think he was trying to stir the pot...

 
Kanil said:
The best family dog I've ever had was an English Mastiff... very little exercise needed and super well tempered.  Of course, you'll have to convince the wife to let you get a man's dog.
Click to expand...


Hope you like slobber - everywhere.

 
mr roboto said:
I looked at local shelters' websites - some great mixes/mutts there. But lots are pit/pit mixes. 

Lots of terrier mixes and collie mixes. 
Click to expand...
Adoption websites/shelters are over run with pit and pit mixes. I think it is a cross between the natural traits of the breed (they were breed to be aggressive) and in general the public perception of them. There are plenty of pit and pit mixes that have been great family dogs for many families. I would never consider one for my family, not just pit but any breed that was breed to be aggressive and is large like a pincher etc.

 
We have a goldendoodle. He is a great dog. Great with kids, great with other dogs, doesn't shed, pretty smart, not too big(65lbs). The only pain about him is that he needs a grooming every 3 months or so. 

 
sublimeone said:
love my boston terriers. Medium sized (30 lbs), very light shedders, smart, hilarious, like to cuddle, very athletic, they don't bark a lot... 
Click to expand...
:goodposting:

We have two bostons and they both are great in their own way.  One is 20 lbs and thinks she is a human, the other is 30 lbs and is just a big dumb dog that kills things.  Both are great with our 3 year old and 2 year old.

They can vary greatly in size, but they all have that adorable, stupid look about them.

 
Chadstroma said:
That is the only down side I would say from the criteria. My Goldendoodle is about 85 pounds though he does have an extra few pounds on him more than he should. But if he can get the wife on board- I really think a Goldendoodle or Labradoodle perfectly fits everything else for what he and the family are looking for. (just try to get the 2nd generation. My 1st generation Goldendoodle does shed a little bit. Not nearly as bad as a Golden Retriever but still a bit)
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My wife is on a goldendoodle kick right now since someone she works with just got one. We're trying to wrap our heads around a second dog though, with 3 little kids running around. 

 
RBM said:
My wife is on a goldendoodle kick right now since someone she works with just got one. We're trying to wrap our heads around a second dog though, with 3 little kids running around. 
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I have 3 little kids too right now (5, 2 and 3 months). I can't think what kind of demon would have to posses me to consider getting a second dog. If you did- you have much more time, energy, money than I could ever dream of. :D

Honestly, one day differently and I would not have a dog right now. Literally on the way back from driving out to Ohio to get our Grizzly and getting his various stuff at the pet store my wife said to me "Can we stop at CVS? I need to get something" which I immediately knew was a pregnancy test. If she had said that a day before, I would have backed off from the dog.... but hey, I love that Grizzly. :D

 
LBH said:
We have a goldendoodle. He is a great dog. Great with kids, great with other dogs, doesn't shed, pretty smart, not too big(65lbs). The only pain about him is that he needs a grooming every 3 months or so. 
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Shed or groom. Take your pick with dogs.

 
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