Best dog for running and kids

[Tahr]

I'm getting boring and repetitive, but please rehome a dog which would otherwise die or be incarcerated for months/years. Approx 250,000 dogs a year are destroyed in the UK because there are no homes or kennels for them to go to. Every time someone buys a puppy they tip the laws of supply and demand in favour of breeding more surplus dogs, and that means more healthy dogs die or suffer. Be part of the solution and go to your local dogs home- you will get good advice and get a suitable dog for you and your family. Don't fall into the trap of thinking you must get a puppy for it to be safe with your children. Its an old wives tale, based on absolutely no evidence at all. If you go to a good place e.g. the Dogs Trust, you will get a dog that has been thoroughly assessed, and you will have support before and after homing if needed. And free up a space for the next one on the production line which would otherwise be destroyed in the council pound.

Stagger is right, lurchers tick every box, but if they don't take your fancy there is every possible type of dog out there you could hope for. You do not need some fancy breed just so you can have the ego gratification of saying "I've got a [insert name of this years dog breed fashion]". A non-pedigree dog is also much healthier, and therefore cheaper. I knows what i'm on about because i work in this field day in day out and have been dealing with this situation for 20 years now.. hence the rant. Ta ra.

Longdogs I was almost going to put a link on to GWP rescue,I don’t think anybody here has suggested any breed of dog that is unsuitable for running with although some breeds/crosses are more suitable than others IMO, one factor has to be how far you are running as to what will be best, but irrespective the owner has to have a dog they like, even if everybody else thinks it is a hairy ugly mutt.

One point I will challenge is that mongrels are inheritably healthier that pedigree dogs, while some breeds especially show breeds do not have the best history of health that is not always the case and is a big generalisation, how many mongrels have had the family tree checked for inheritable diseases? Hips scored? Blood tests? Physical examination by a vet of the parents before mating? A enthusiastic and responsible breeder will do all this and then would only breed the best dogs to the best dogs for the benefit of the breed not profit, unfortunately this is not always done as too many breed for profit and for this corners are cut when chasing the pound.

Dogs I have had “rescued” have always required more effort than pups, but maybe that is because I have taken on the worse cases, but being extra work is not a reason not to give a dog a second chance just be aware of it, of course you could have a dog that requires less work if it has had a good home and the situation for the owner changes rather than the dog had been badly treated.

In general I agree if you can find a dog that needs rehoming then do so, plenty of pedigree and mongrels that need our help, most pedigrees breeds have a rescue charity looking to rehome that particular breed you might like the look of and you think will be suitable for your needs.

One thing because of our chosen sport our dogs get an almost ideal life style with the time spent in the hills instead of being shut up inflat or small garden all day.

ATB

Tahr

[Longdogs]

Tahr, while i would agree that the GWP is much healthier than most pedigree dogs, the fact remains that the incidence of disease in even these dogs is way way above that of cross breeds/'mongrels'. The evidence is overwhelming and is out there. Cross bred mutts aren't subject to testing for inheritable disease because they don't need to be. The incidence of inherited disorders is negligble, we mainly see these dogs for things like trauma and old age stuff. A larger gene pool is simply better, that's just biology. Even the most 'responsible' breeder is still producing a product that is more unhealthy than a cross bred 'mongrel'. The best case scenario is still bad- why do we need to 'improve the breed' when there are a quarter of a million excess dogs per annum already. A breed is just what someone in the past decided it should be and employed artificial selection to produce. Why is it assumed that we should perpetuate this? It's not necessary. There are plenty of dogs as it is..

[Longdogs]

And i can count on the fingers of none of my hands the number of times i've been asked by a dog breeder to examine their dog/bitch prior to mating!

[noel]

I'm often amazed by the reasons why some dogs were bred. I think the most staggering is Leonbergers. They were bred to look like heraldic lions! And they only live to about 7 years.

Our Max is still going strong at about 13. His previous owner got rid of him because Max chewed the video, and as the video cost more than the dog, they got rid of the dog. Flawless logic!!

[Graeme78]

That's one of the dumbest things I've ever heard in my life. Dogs chew, it's what they do. It used to drive my Mrs insane when our dog chewed things up. He was young and was probably bored, it was a pain, but that's not a reason to get rid of a dog.
Some people don't realise when you have a dog you need to look at your own behaviour as well, your it's pack leader and need to use your brain. Like if you don't want your video to be chewed up while your out put the dog in the kitchen or other suitable room where there aren't so many things for it to damage. Failing that get a crate for your dog. It may sound cruel, but our dog loved his crate. It was his space and no one elses.

[Flopsy]

I definitely support the idea of rescuing dogs rather than buying puppies. So many lovely dogs that want a loving home and make wonderful pets. Makes me cross that so many people it's too late to train a dog when they're older. That's not true it just takes more effort. Our Max (collie) was completely untrained and a bit of menance but a year later he is fairly well trained. Ok it's too late to train him to be a working collie and it's harder to keep his herding instincts under control tha n if we'd trained him forma puppy but he has taken to training well and is overcoming some of his previous poor behaviour.

I would note two points of caution though. Whilst undoubtedly pure breds generally are more prone to genetic disorders cross breeds can also suffer a mix of those genetic disorders and also can be affected by poor diet and exercise when young. Our last rescued dog, Ben, was a GSD / lab cross and max'd out our pet insurance every year with arthritis in his hips and spine, as well as stomach and bowel disorders. Both prone in those breeds. Key lesson is get good pet insurance because when it goes wrong it can be expensive.

Also note that just because a certain breed may be better suited to running that doesn't mean they will want to or like running.

By the way steer clear of collies with kids - well known for being snappy (obviously not all of them) and so most collie rescues won't rehome with young kids.

[noel]

Also note that just because a certain breed may be better suited to running that doesn't mean they will want to or like running.

That's a good point. I knew a friend of a friend who got some sort of sighthound (greyhound or lurcher, I forget). It took a long time for the dog to get used to the idea of running for an hour at human pace.

(Falling back on breed stereotypes here), I believe typically they like to run for less time at about 30mph. And obviously, they prefer something fluffy to chase.

[Daletownrunner]

And obviously, they prefer something fluffy to chase.

Mine isn't the keenest, as she loses interest I boot gravel/ stones, being a terrier she automatically sets of in hot pursuit, I have found that when I want a steady run she want to pull like a sled dog (I run her on the lead) and when I want a proper run she wants to lay down and play dead:thunbdown:

[Pyrenees Haven]

Springer spaniel everytime although we rescued some kind of French hunting dog a few years ago and he is absolutely fantastic with our 5 year old and Gary has yet to tire him out on a run.

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Debbie
www.pyrenees-haven.com

[Fairyfeet]

That's good to hear Debbie. I have a 5 month Springer that I hope to run with one day. She's from working stock, is smashing and great fun, although my boys (7 & 11) are still learning how not to take their play too far. She needs clear signals.