[HealthyPup]

We are currently looking into getting a puppy/puppies. But we don't know what breed is for us. Here is what our family is like:

We get up at 6am. Have breakfast, feed the animals. Then we get dressed and get ready.
I rush my girls off to school and then come home to watch the animals. I am mostly the sole-caretaker of the animals while the girls are gone but when the girls are back, they watch ALL The animals.

Now, our animal list includes:
4 Ferrets
4 Chinchillas
6 Guinea Pigs
20 Guppies
2 Betta
AND
4 Rabbits.

Now, we are trying to find a dog breed(s) that will fit our family. Any suggestions(You can also read my "Hello" thread in the "New Dog on The Block" section for more info on how our house is set-up. I can't really share it all here!)

Anyway, our backyard is huge(Considering its spread across 2 lots).

So, does anybody have suggestions on a breed that might fit our family? We don't care on size, shape or color.

We are thinking maybe Australian Shepherd. I had one in an Apartment in College.

[cigwyllt]

Hi there - what a great menagerie you already have. I LOVE the idea of the animals having their own rooms although, like your daughters, I kept my guinea pigs in my bedroom when I was a child. They are lovely pets.

But dogs................ Personally I would only want one puppy. I have three dogs now - we've had three dogs for most of the last 20+ years - but only ever one pup at a time. There are lots of reasons but for me I guess I love the puppy stage and it seems pointless to have two together when there would be the option of enjoying the first one then experiencing it all over again when he/she is a year or so old. Also, it is much easier to train one dog than two. Two puppies also have a tendency to bond with each other from the start rather than with their human pack members and that too makes training harder.

As for what breed - I don't often say it but in your case - stay away from terriers!!!!! No matter what the breed characteristics there will always be someone who can say "My Jack Russell is soooo gentle with my rabbit" of "He lets the guinea pigs run all over him" but those are the exceptions. It's really not worth the risk of introducing a working dog to a household where his prey is highly valued and loved by the human occupants!

I would also recommend not getting any of the dogs that work by sight - greyhound, whippet, or even collie. They are all likely to spot the movement of a small creature and pounce first and think after!

Aside from what NOT to get I don't really know what to suggest - small dog could squeeze through an open door and rush in and attack your small furries or a large dog could leap the lower half of the door and, in play mode, swipe a small furry and kill it.

I hope I haven't sounded negative and put you off, It's just that my experience is the opposite to yours - I have the dogs then have to work out whether or not I can keep small furries and if so how to manage their safety rather than have them established then adding dogs. I am sure there are loads of suitable breeds and others will have some great suggestions for you.

[Marc]

Retrievers are usually great family dogs. They tend to be gentle towards children. Not sure how they would fare against your other critters though.

In addition to terriers, stay away from chihuahuas and dachshunds - they are natural mousers/ratters and would probably go after your critters every chance they got.

[HealthyPup]

Originally Posted by cigwyllt

Hi there - what a great menagerie you already have. I LOVE the idea of the animals having their own rooms although, like your daughters, I kept my guinea pigs in my bedroom when I was a child. They are lovely pets.

But dogs................ Personally I would only want one puppy. I have three dogs now - we've had three dogs for most of the last 20+ years - but only ever one pup at a time. There are lots of reasons but for me I guess I love the puppy stage and it seems pointless to have two together when there would be the option of enjoying the first one then experiencing it all over again when he/she is a year or so old. Also, it is much easier to train one dog than two. Two puppies also have a tendency to bond with each other from the start rather than with their human pack members and that too makes training harder.

As for what breed - I don't often say it but in your case - stay away from terriers!!!!! No matter what the breed characteristics there will always be someone who can say "My Jack Russell is soooo gentle with my rabbit" of "He lets the guinea pigs run all over him" but those are the exceptions. It's really not worth the risk of introducing a working dog to a household where his prey is highly valued and loved by the human occupants!

I would also recommend not getting any of the dogs that work by sight - greyhound, whippet, or even collie. They are all likely to spot the movement of a small creature and pounce first and think after!

Aside from what NOT to get I don't really know what to suggest - small dog could squeeze through an open door and rush in and attack your small furries or a large dog could leap the lower half of the door and, in play mode, swipe a small furry and kill it.

I hope I haven't sounded negative and put you off, It's just that my experience is the opposite to yours - I have the dogs then have to work out whether or not I can keep small furries and if so how to manage their safety rather than have them established then adding dogs. I am sure there are loads of suitable breeds and others will have some great suggestions for you.

No. Your not negative. Its just hard finding a breed that will fit our families life.

Would a Golden Retriever fit our family?

[Lunareclipse]

I think Saint Bernards make great family dogs. Maybe I'm just biased.

[Marc]

Saint bernards and golden retrievers would be great dogs around kids. I think you'd win with either of those.

[cigwyllt]

We had a golden retriever when our son was small and she was the most obedient dog I have ever known. He was two and a half, she was the size of a small pony and he would walk her to heel, off lead, release her and recall her all by himself.

I know your girls are much older but that is just an example of how trainable they can be.

My only worry though is that one playful paw investigating a small animal could be fatal. But perhaps a larger dog is easier to manage in some ways than a small one.

[Sidney]

I think a large breed dog is the way to go, but have you considered the a herding breed? My friend has a some Aussies and they have been trained to be great around small animals. He even got them to take pictures together.

Many of the breeds mentioned are high energy and goldens would not be good around small animals. I had two goldens and the male killed one of our ducks. Then, the female killed wild birds.

Above everything else, how your dog will act is up to you, but each breed has it's own set of characteristics. If you have the ability to train the puppy, and you are confident then by all means it's your personal choice.

[angiesample]

i think its probably good to stay away from herding dogs.. just bc u have all those animals, ur puppy might try to herd them. Plus they have a tendency to be high energy. My Aussie mix always needs somethign to do. I do agility, obedience training, take her on walks all the time, go to the dog park... and she always wants more.


I think a golden or a lab might be a good choice. My father in law trains service dogs for people and the company he works for always uses labs. Those dogs learn so quickly and they are very loyal. Whatever u decide good luck!!

[cigwyllt]

I agree with you about the herding breeds - I've watched borders herding ducks and I can imagine they would be just as quick with rabbits or guinea pigs. Although not malicious it could be enough to scare the poor creature into a heart attack.

I don't think there is any breed that will necessarily be 100 % trustworthy. I don't know anything about St Bernards but I can imagine one "investigation" from a paw would be enough to flatten a guinea pig. Likewise with a retriever. But retrievers and labs are keen to please so more easily trained perhaps than some other breeds such as Jack Russells (although there are always exceptions of course) and a good quality well trained dog will have a soft mouth so should anything happen and the dog takes a rabbit in his mouth it may will escaped unharmed - unless the bunny dies of fright of course.

[Lunareclipse]

My saint Bernards would actually have to cunjure enough energy to get up, let alone lift a paw to squash something. Mine are pretty gentle. Buster's retarded, but he wouldn't hurt a flea. It doesn't matter what type of dog you get, any dog should be monitored around small aminals and children. When I had ferrets, they had their own romper room away from the rest of the animals and kids. I would trust my saint Bernards with small animals before I would trust the neighbors Jack Russells. I had a Miniature Fox Terrier once that attacked anything that moved. I never had any other pets when I had him. He was tiny and had a very high prey drive. I'd stay away from herding dogs. They would herd your kids and other animals. I would stay away from breeds that have high prey drives. Have you considered rescueing a greyhound? They are big couch potatoes. They are also sighthounds, so you would need a fence for your yard. The majority of them tend to be pretty mellow inside the house.