I Blame the Westminster Dog Show
This is completely crazy for me to say, but I think I want to get a dog. I blame the recent Westminster Dog Show on my sudden infatuation with getting a dog. There’s no actual science behind this, but I suspect that I’m not alone and that after seeing prize-winning Pekingese and Chinese Shar-Peis, dog adoptions will rise.
For years we have vowed that we wouldn’t get a dog again, at least not for a very, very long time. Between the shedding, slobber, vet bills, kennel bills, and dog poop, Tate and I both agreed that we didn’t need a dog.
Yet last night I found myself googling “best family dogs” and “family dogs that don’t shed.” We still definitely don’t need a dog, but I’m starting to get that itch — sort of like I did when we decided to start our family — that we want to add another little soul to our mix. A dog would be cheaper than a baby, though, right?
My husband and I are dog people, but after having kids the romance of having a dog quickly faded. Our first dogs were two of the sweetest, dopiest basset hounds in the entire world. They were our first children and we treated them like royalty. Admittedly this is ridiculous, but I even sent out birth announcements after Sophie, our lemon and white Appalachian bigfoot basset hound, was born. (Shut up, I bet you did the same thing with at least one of your pre-children dogs, didn’t you?)
And then six years later we had two human babies.
And we lived in a house without a fenced-in back yard.
And I was a very, very tired new mommy.
Our dogs still got fed and were let outside. We kept current on their vaccinations and took them to fancy kennels when we had to travel out of town. But the love and affection they used to receive was now given to our two children. When we did have extra time, I didn’t have the energy to give them the attention they needed because I was so exhausted all the time.
When my husband was transferred to a new job out of state, we found our sweet dogs a new family. Quite literally, we found them a home on a proverbial farm, complete with a fenced in yard and a kind and loving family. While giving them up was one of the hardest things I ever had to do, it was also one of the best things I ever did, because I knew they weren’t getting what they deserved from us.
It’s now over three years later and I’m no longer a new, tired mother of two babies. My children are increasingly independent so I don’t feel as burdened by the needs of others. There was never a time during my childhood, or my husband’s, that we didn’t grow up with a family pet, and I want the same for my children.
We are in the pre-pre-pre preliminary stages of dog research. While I love basset hounds – seriously human babies aren’t a cute as basset puppies – I know what a mess these dogs can be with their excessive shedding and copious amounts of dog slobber that ends up on the walls. We want a dog that we can add to our family and love for a very long time.
Do you have any suggestions for a good family dog?
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I am not a purse puppy kind of person. If the dog isn’t big enough to at least sort of scare people, then I don’t have much use for it. Esp if it’s a yippy dog. I adore our Golden Retrievers, but if you’re looking for the “don’t shed” variety, these are NOT the dogs for you. Ours shed worse than our cats.
I would go to a shelter and find a dog that needs a home. Most shelters have rooms so you all can go in and interact with the dog so you can find the best dog to fit your family. They’ll be able to tell you which dogs are good with kids, etc. and guide you in the right direction.
This is SO exciting and I cannot wait for pictures!!!
OK, don’t laugh…but how about a Standard Poodle? Or one of the smaller varieties? They don’t shed (but do need haircuts), are whip smart, and I am pretty sure good for families. And tbey don’t need those stupid dog show haircuts…they can look normal:)
@Gail, We have done a little research on poodles-it’s not a bad idea! They do seem to have a lot of great traits. Thank you for the suggestion!
I’ve had two Basset Hounds in my life and I really want another one. My husband is very firmly in the “against” column, but I’m working on him. Unfortunately, he didn’t fall for the “let’s just go look at Basset Hound puppies, maybe the kids won’t like them.”
I don’t like tiny dogs. I’m a canine size-ist.
I can’t wait for you to get a dog! Or a pony!
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I’ll second the poodle consideration. I always had one growing up and once I got married, my he-man husband strongly opposed anything foo foo. While we loved our dalmatian and our mutt and our lab (THE BEST!!), they were all huge and terrible shedders. I wanted to go back to little dogs that I could bathe in the laundry tub. We now have two bichon-shihtzus which are adorable, but after 4 and 5 years, they are still puppies! Our poodles were always so well trained with so little effort. My parents were not experienced dog owners so it’s something of a miracle we didn’t have issues. I credit the breed for that. I have done so much more research and training and I struggle with some of the behavior of our current dogs.
PS My he-man husband? More in love with these dogs than I am!
My husband and I rescued our dog from the no kill shelter where we volunteered (pre-kiddies!). We worked with families also looking to rescue/adopt dogs and puppies and our advice was to always look for a dog with an energy/activity level one level less than you think you can handle/you think you want. We saw so many adoptions not work out b/c people had the wrong expectations of how much attention, time and exercise a certain breed or mixed breed might need. That being said, poodles tend to be a higher energy dog, but they are wicked smart and easily trained from what I have heard/read. You can choose to get them groomed in a manner that doesn’t make them look like they are headed to Westminster too! We are crazy/weird dog people (dress up our 85 lb. Rottie mix in a tutu along with our little girls for Valentine’s Day pics – I said we were weird!) and I wondered how postpartum life would be with kids and dog and sharing attention, but we’ve figured it out. He has helped me commit to a running program again, and I find that I look forward to our early morning runs – just my dog, my thoughts and the sound of our feet on the pavement. Best of luck to you and your family!!!
Rat Terriers are the best! They are slightly calmer than a Jack Russell, yet play and wrestle like a big dog. They come in 3 sizes to suit your home: toy (crossed w/ Chihuahua), miniature (like a Jack), and standard or Decker (which is 20+ lbs). They do not have major health problems (worst are allergies or mild knee popping). They are EXCEEDINGLY easy to train (mine knows all kinds of commands and tricks), are mild barkers (some don’t), and show only some protective qualities (not excessive). They ARE excessively loyal and require play and attention, but the kids I care for wear my guy out every day. I am a complete convert– a Rat Terrier is a GREAT dog!
Oh! Forgot to say Rat Terriers do not slobber and have mild short-hair shedding.
We have a cocker spaniel… a properly bred cocker is a great family dog, BUT. I have to say, the grooming needs drive me completely out of my mind. I can’t afford to get $70 haircuts but my dog does!! And not because he’s spoiled, that’s just what it costs to keep him cleaned up. Even with that, there is constantly hair everywhere. I love my dog but probably wouldn’t get a cocker again.
I’ve heard excellent things about pit bulls, believe it or not, as family dogs… certainly I would advise you to find an adoptable pit whose temperament has been screened and child-tested. Boxers are also supposed to be great and love kids, although I think sometimes they can be a little overprotective toward people outside of the family.
We have a miniature schnauzer and she is great with children and was very easy to train. They have hair not fur so they are hypoallergenic and don’t shed or smell at all!
http://animal.discovery.com/videos/dogs-101-miniature-schnauzer.html
I love our Standard Poodle. I can’t say enough about the breed.
He is wicked smart, easy to train and no shedding. He is also
great with our girls. As my husband says once you go Standard Poodle- you never go back
If you aren’t interested in a stray from the pound. Gail mentioned the Standard Poodle. I worked with vets for quite a while and they are one for the best family dogs out there. You don’t have to give them that awful show haircut. They can be left shaggy or just get a uniform length all over trim. They are wonderful with kids, don’t shed or drool and are big enough that tugs and pulls won’t bother them like they do with a little dog. They don’t bark a lot and love to play. In fact they will often fetch as they were originally bred as hunting dogs. They are very trainable and even enjoy learning new tricks.
If using a breeder make sure that they are reputable and check fro things like hip displaysia and Addisons. If you don’t want to go through a breeder there are Poodle rescue organizations, as there are for most breeds. Some are wary of the rescues because they think that these dogs are all mistreated or neglected. This is not so. Frequently they are just dogs that no longer fit into the originally owner’s life due to illness, jobs, family issues or necessary moves. There are often dogs that were just a bad choice for the previous owner and need to be relocated.
My husband’s cousin has a hypoallergenic dog that she says does not shed at all. They also have a 4 month old that the dog is great with. I never knew there was such a thing until I asked her how she kept on top of the dog hair. Might be something for you to check out. Good luck!
So I am probably going to be very unconventional in this comment compared to other suggestions but I would rather relay my experience than take a guess at a good breed. I grew up with German Shepherds for my whole life. We had one that was a mixed breed when I was very little and when I was a bit older (maybe 5th grade?) we got a GS puppy. We always stuck with female dogs bc while they were still territorial they were smaller and overall less agressive at least for that breed. The thing about GS dogs is they are loyal, smart, great with kids, and herding dogs so they have a tendency to keep track of the family members and get nervous if someone doesn’t seem right. They require exercise but are perfectly happy to run around the backyard with kids.
This breed does shed a good deal but mostly only in the spring when they lose the winter coat. They aren’t particularly drooly and once trained are so well behaved and smart it kind of blows my mind. Once I’m done having children and mine are a little bigger and more independent my husband and I really want to get a GS puppy of our own. It’s a breed that I really think does well with families and I personally like having a big dog around to make me feel just a little bit safer when my husband is out of town.
Anything mixed with a poodle wouldn’t shed – I always grew up with Golden Retrievers, which shed a lot! However, if you got a Goldendoodle (a mix of the two) then they should have hair like the poodle that won’t shed a lot but the personality of a Golden Retriever, which is a great family dog!