We want to get a dog. What's the best way to find the best breed for us?

We are leaning towards getting a dog in the next few months. We want to make an informed decision and pick the best breed for our family. Where and how can I best research this?

So far I know that we need a dog that is "hypoallergenic" as I am somewhat allergic to dogs. We need a dog that is good with very small children as we have a 4 yo and an infant. Not looking for a dog that is too high energy (as I saw in the Dog Whisperer). Not sure what other considerations we should have.

Any help would be appreciated.

ETA: Neither DH nor I has ever owned a dog. Also, we moved OOS.

Message edited 6/13/2014 4:24:45 PM.

Re: We want to get a dog. What's the best way to find the best breed for us?

This is a good article.

Ten Best Family Dogs

My husband says golden retreivers and labs are the best family breeds - and I can agree with that as we have had both and they are incredible around children and loyal to their owners. Great temperament.

We want to get a dog. What's the best way to find the best breed for us?

No dog is hypoallergenic. You may not react to a certain dog but even if you are ok say with a maltipoo you may not be ok with another maltipoo

You can research temperaments online but again that is general and each dog will be different just like people are different.

I know this might not have helped but you just need to know even if you think you find the right breed the individual dog may not end up fitting that exact profile.

Also having a puppy is like having a newborn so just be prepared.

We want to get a dog. What's the best way to find the best breed for us?

Definitely look into rescue groups or shelters when you do figure out what breed you want. Quite often they will know if a certain dog is good with kids and all that stuff that you want to know. Good luck!

Re: We want to get a dog. What's the best way to find the best breed for us?

Message edited 6/13/2014 5:43:25 PM.

We want to get a dog. What's the best way to find the best breed for us?

Since you question your allergies, I'd suggest going the rescue route and fostering to see if the dog is a good fit for you.

Many dogs can appear low energy in a shelter but perk up at home. Getting a puppy doesn't mean you won't be allergic to it.

I would start with what SIZE dog you want and then contact various rescues to see if tehy have a fit you can foster to adopt.

Re: We want to get a dog. What's the best way to find the best breed for us?

Re: We want to get a dog. What's the best way to find the best breed for us?

#ADOPTDONTSHOP

Re: We want to get a dog. What's the best way to find the best breed for us?

There are many online questionaires that can narrow down the right fit. Labs and golden retrievers are high energy and shed A LOT, so I definitely wouldn't recommend them with your allergies.

Re: We want to get a dog. What's the best way to find the best breed for us?

My mom is allergic to dogs and has a toy poodle, they are basically hypoallergenic as long as it's a pure breed. So are Maltese. Malti poos are adorable.

I'd say to adopt/rescue. You can do breed specific rescues. Good luck!

Re: We want to get a dog. What's the best way to find the best breed for us?

Re: We want to get a dog. What's the best way to find the best breed for us?

Have you tried this dog breed selector site?

Dog Breed Selector

We want to get a dog. What's the best way to find the best breed for us?

the link kimchee posted is awesome! that is one of the best ways to find a perfect breed for you. we have a cavalier king charles and he is amazing for us.

Re: We want to get a dog. What's the best way to find the best breed for us?

Hypoallergenic is a misnomer, because if you are allergic to the saliva of a dog, there is no dog without drool. However if it is the dander that bothers you, dogs that do not shed but grow hair would be the best option. Most dogs like this are small, which I don't love with kids. However, there are a couple larger breeds like a standard poodle who would fit into the category of larger non shedding dog.

My first choice would be a soft coated wheaten terrier. Usually a good temperament with children, not too hyper, not too small, but not too big. I say usually because EVERY dog is different.

Like others suggested, get help with breed finder links, and talking to local rescues.

My info. comes with lots of years of working with dogs and matching with families

GOOD LUCK!

Re: We want to get a dog. What's the best way to find the best breed for us?

Please consider fostering to adopt

Re: We want to get a dog. What's the best way to find the best breed for us?

Message edited 6/17/2014 8:25:39 AM.

Re: We want to get a dog. What's the best way to find the best breed for us?

I highly recommend going through a Rescue organization that fosters dogs. They will know the temperment of the dog and whether or not its good with kids, other dogs, etc. You could even try fostering a dog to see if it affects your allergies prior to adopting.

Re: We want to get a dog. What's the best way to find the best breed for us?

I had a Golden Retriever as a kid and she was a great dog. Very calm, lovable, and had a really sweet demeanor. They are on the bigger side so if you were interested in a smaller dog then a GR might not be the best fit.

I have a Cocker Spaniel currently (and I had one before her) and she's awesome. She is so sweet, loyal, and very good with the kids. The kids can literally do anything to her and she never reacts, she's really patient with them. She loves to cuddle and be pet, she really loves being a part of everything with the family.

We got both dogs from reputable breeders. I did a ton of research before getting my dogs because I wanted to make sure, with cockers especially, that they weren't from a puppy mill. Our breeder just LOVED the breed and was doing everything to maintain the integrity of the line.

I'm a huge cocker spaniel lover so they always get my vote for best dog!!

Re: We want to get a dog. What's the best way to find the best breed for us?

I would recommend the foster to adopt route as well. DH never had a dog growing up and was told he was highly allergic but we now have a lab mix that we got from our local shelter and he's not the tiniest bit affected by his hair, dander, saliva, etc.

If you go the hair route instead of fur (ie a smaller dog that needs to have its hair cut) please consider the extra cost and maintenance of that. I once adopted a Lhasa who was awesome but his constant grooming was expensive and time-consuming for me at the time. Just something to consider.

Also, fostering lets both you and the pet have a chance to see if it will work out -- a few years after getting our dog we fostered another dog with similar energy/size/stamina because we thought our dog would benefit from having a second dog in the home. Turned out the "new" dog was significantly older than anyone thought, had broken his leg and never had it properly set and as a result he couldn't keep up with our younger dog (or even handle the stairs in our home). If we had adopted him right away, we would have been heart broken to give him back to the shelter - instead the rescue group placed him in a home that was more fitting to his needs (no children, very calm lifestyle, ranch-style home).

Re: We want to get a dog. What's the best way to find the best breed for us?

Re: We want to get a dog. What's the best way to find the best breed for us?

Please, the one thing I can tell you is not to go to a pet store. google puppy mills if you are unfamiliar, not only are you supporting the torture of the pups parents, but the pup you get will most likely have health issues. I would recommend a shelter, or a private breeder that you research thoroughly.

Off the top of my head, labradoodles and golden doodles, do not shed and are great family pets. there are breeders up state and down south that you can privately buy them from. also schnauzers do not shed, but are very head strong being in the terrier bred. with all dogs, be realistic - because they need exercise, mental stimulation, and attention. if you both work 10 hour days, its not fair to the dog.

Message edited 6/17/2014 1:46:41 PM.

Re: We want to get a dog. What's the best way to find the best breed for us?

We want to get a dog. What's the best way to find the best breed for us?

Just so you know if you decided to get a puppy and buy the puppy it IS ok.

I did a lot of research before I bought my dog. I personally would never go to a pet store, however it is absolutely ok to buy your dog from a reputable breeder.

Things to look for:
Size: How big a dog do you want? 10lbs? 25 lbs? 50? 75+
Temperament of the breed
How much exercise do they need? Is it a VERY active breed, or less?
Shedding: There was no way in hell I would get a dog that shed.
Grooming: I take my guy once a month because he needs it. How much grooming will the breed you get require/need.
Kids: is the breed good with kids?
Home: How big is your home, and how big a dog can you get. I know people who have small apartments and BIG dogs. Its just something to think about..plus:
Sleeping: JUST keep in mind if you are ok that a 75lb dog might end up sleeping in your bed with you.

When you get a puppy you have to make sure they get a potty break in the middle of the night, and you CANT leave them alone for 8 hours a day when you first get them. So that might help you make a decision to get an older dog/rescue or maybe a puppy.

Good luck. Make the decision that is right for you about buying or adopting. There is nothing wrong with either. I do say that if you buy don't go to a store if you can, try to find a breeder with a good reputation.

Re: We want to get a dog. What's the best way to find the best breed for us?

Read the book "Living with Kids and dogs without loosing your mind" by Colleen Pelar. Our breeder recommended this book to us and it was great. It really breaks everything down, even how to select a dog.

We have a miniature Goldendoodle who is very playful but will lay around and cuddle next to you. We just brought home our Australian Labordoodle and he is great. Defenitly has that puppy engery, but as he is getting older (he is only 11.5 weeks) he will have the same temperament. Australian doodles are bread for temperament.
We also have to deal with dog allergies. We lucked out and that my son can tolerate my doodles, my SIL on the other hand, it starts to bother her if she is at my house for a long time.

We want to get a dog. What's the best way to find the best breed for us?

I know many people advocate fostering and adoption, but I don't think that's the right option for everyone. DH and I knew we wanted a boston terrier, and were very familiar with the breed. We also knew we wanted a puppy. Yes puppies are work, but any time you bring home a new pet it's going to be work. I like knowing the approximate size a dog will be when grown, that they will often have breed standard characteristics, etc.

I will second the poster who said not to go through a puppy store though.

As for breeds, you will probably want to look into dogs that have hair rather than fur, but be aware that dogs like this don't lose hair and therefore need to be groomed regularly.

Mini schnauzers, malteses, bichons, poodles are all on the akc list. You can check their website for more info.