Breed advice please

[JudyN]

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My sister-in-law has a bichon frise. She's a lovely dog. They do have a bit of a stubborn independent streak, but I find that quite endearing - SIL's dog happily decides what she wants to do, then goes ahead and does it. So careful training is needed to ensure that what the dog wants to do lines up with you want to her to do (which is the secret to all dog training really). This isn't something that should put you off the breed at all, just something to be aware of.

I think they also have a tendency to bark whenever someone comes to the house, even if it's a member of the family!

 

[merlina]

As for barking you're right about so many breeds but also individual dogs- my current spaniel can be heard the next village! That means we've had two quiet and two noisy so far. Thank-goodness our next door neighbour has a beagle that barks and then does a sort of drawn out car horn ending.

 

[merlina]

Ah...new beagle, just remembered!

 

[Rachelleigh]

My sister-in-law has a bichon frise. She's a lovely dog. They do have a bit of a stubborn independent streak, but I find that quite endearing - SIL's dog happily decides what she wants to do, then goes ahead and does it. So careful training is needed to ensure that what the dog wants to do lines up with you want to her to do (which is the secret to all dog training really). This isn't something that should put you off the breed at all, just something to be aware of.

I think they also have a tendency to bark whenever someone comes to the house, even if it's a member of the family!

Very good guard dogs then! Lovely description - thank you!

 

[Rachelleigh]

As for barking you're right about so many breeds but also individual dogs- my current spaniel can be heard the next village! That means we've had two quiet and two noisy so far. Thank-goodness our next door neighbour has a beagle that barks and then does a sort of drawn out car horn ending.

I'm guessing it's not possibly to predict which is which when making a puppy selection?!

 

[JoanneF]

I'm guessing it's not possibly to predict which is which when making a puppy selection?!

Not exactly but there is a 'personality' test that can be done on puppies that is an indicator of how they will turn out - some examples include how independent/handler focussed they are; how stable/suspicious of strange objects they are; how comfortable being handled by a stranger etc.

 

[Rachelleigh]

Not exactly but there is a 'personality' test that can be done on puppies that is an indicator of how they will turn out - some examples include how independent/handler focussed they are; how stable/suspicious of strange objects they are; how comfortable being handled by a stranger etc.

Thanks JoanneF - this is useful - I didn't know anything like this existed. I've just had a quick Google and there are lots of links. I was just wondering if there was a particular technique that you might be able to provide a link for? Thanks again!

 

[JoanneF]

I don't have a link but I believe Guide Dog puppies are selected using the Volhard test.

 

[Buddy1]

It can be quite difficult to establish ‘personalities’ when viewing a litter of puppies as you only get to see a quick snapshot of their day. Puppies can go from energetic to exhausted quite quickly; therefore, the puppy hidden in the corner that may appear timid or uninterested could just be in need of a nap.

I would always go with the breeder’s advice when choosing a puppy from the litter. They have been with them around the clock since they were born and will have a good idea of their developing personalities. The breeder will also want to ensure that they match you up with the most suitable puppy. Obviously, spending time with the puppies’ mother will also give you a good indication of their future temperament.

 

[leashedForLife]

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Another vote for a post-puberty pup or a young dog, rather than a baby puppy who’s 8 to 12-WO. // The infant needs to go out EVERY 3 HOURS for scheduled potty breaks, in addition to ‘triggered’ potty breaks - triggers include:
* waking from sleep, even if that’s a 15-minute nap
* a meal or a large drink of H2O
* any exciting events [defined by the pup], such as a child or spouse arriving downstairs to join the breakfast party, meeting a stranger on the street, a package delivery, the mail arriving...
* immediately after active play

The adolescent or young dog is either already housetrained, or will quickly become so, as they are 9 to 12-MO or older - their bladders & bowels have fully functional sphincter muscles, they are ready for advanced training, their personalities & coats are easily assessed [Are they excitable, placid, comfy meeting strangers, Nervous Nellies?... Is the coat wiry, or curly & open, both of which require grooming every 6 to 8-weeks, plus near-daily detangling in some areas?] -
In short, with a teen or young adult, WYSIWYG - What U See Is What U Get, while a young pup is a highly-demanding bagful of potential, which can mature to be something quite different than the original labeling predicted.


Adopted dogs have big advantages when U have young children:
U can specifically look for a dog who’s previously lived with kids, AND STILL LIKES THEM, despite their noisy unpredictable behavior, invasive habits re personal space, & tendency to poke, pull, & generally provoke dogs. * eyeroll*
Dogs who love children are gems - that doesn’t mean U can leave the dog & the child/ren together unsupervised... kids & dogs need an adult, to monitor their interactions! - but it does mean that this kid-savvy dog was already tested in the refiner’s fire, & has proven to genuinely enjoy children.

Any child under double-digits [less than 10-YO] cannot be together with a dog or other pet, without an adult overseeing their behavior. Kids who are unusually responsible, empathic, & careful might be ready to handle solo time with a pet; mostly these under-10 compassionate kids are girls - not always, but the great majority of the time.

Parents should be aware that statistically, BOYS between 5-YO & 9-YO are Over TEN TIMES as likely to be bitten by a dog than same-age girls; boys yell more, shove more, smack more often, race around more, wrestle more, & tend to poke, pull, & pinch or punch more than girls do.
[Those stats came from a US-research study; i don’t know if there’s been a similar comparison of UK boys vs UK girls, vis-a-vis pet dogs & bite risks.]
This doesn’t make boys evil - they just explore & experience the world differently than do most girls, & their empathy tends to arrive later. // For the record, my then-14-YO middle nephew came to visit my mother & i for 3 solid weeks, staying in our 2-bedroom apartment... & he **NEVER** met my Akita bitch in all that time, up close & personal. She was seen only in passing, on leash, going from my bedroom where she stayed, outside - or from outside into my bedroom, & the door was kept locked.
My middle nephew was born with ADHD, has lousy impulse-control, & made his mild-mannered younger brother’s early childhood a running nightmare, by teasing, harassing, & sometimes just plain flat-out abusing him.
When the older bro, Graham, was 9-YO, i caught him tormenting my 4-MO puppy by deliberately running his large toy-truck’s wheels over the puppy’s toes, studiously observing how he yelped & flinched, then doing it again. I came within a hair of slapping that boy clear out of his clothing, but restrained myself & instead, picked up my poor whimpering puppy bodily, told Graham that he was NEVER to touch him again, & left the room. // For the rest of my visit, my pup was in the same room with me, & never out of my sight.

That puppy was a Basset x Dachshund who literally adored every human he ever met; he was specifically adopted as a future therapy pet, & he was brilliant at it. He was also incredibly forgiving & way-too tolerant of meanness.

My Akita was a whole different kettle of fish; she didn’t suffer fools, & even as a pup, she would have taken his hand clean off, if had he run that truck’s wheels over her sensitive toes JUST ONCE - so i never, ever even introduced them, not even on leash.
It simply wasn’t worth the risk to my dog’s good temper - & by the way, she was also a therapy pet, & wonderful at it; but i saw no reason to expose her to Graham’s nasty ways, in her own home. It was bad enuf that she had to listen to the boys & their mother argue & quarrel savagely, during their stay.
[The 1st 2 weeks was just the boys; they fought, but it wasn’t nonstop. The 3rd week was the brothers plus my younger sis, their mother, & the fighting reached such a pitch of intensity that my poor dog retreated to her open-doored crate AND STAYED THERE for 3 days straight, emerging only to eat or exit the apt to potty / go for walks & play.
That Wed night, I reserved a hotel room, & vacated my own bedroom until my sister & her boys left on Sunday, staying at the hotel with my dog whenever i wasn’t at work; it was worth every hard-earned dime, to have a peaceful place for the 2 of us.]

Kids & dogs can be wonderful, but don’t let either the child or the dog provoke or teach bad behaviors to the other. It’s unfair to ask dogs to suck it up, & tolerate unkind or painful or exhausting invasions of their persons; dogs aren’t dolls, they have feelings, & they get tired of playing dress-up or being hauled about.
Kids can learn a lot from dogs, & dogs are wonderful playmates, confidantes, & companions for children.

I’d go for an adoptee, with the size, coat-care, temp, activity levels indoors & out, etc, that will suit Ur family. Good luck, & happy hunting,
- terry

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[Dibbythedog]

Thank you - I appreciate the suggestion - the Bishon Frise has been suggested by others too ...

I second bichon frise.