I am sure there have been posts here with this question, but I can't find an
obvious place to search, so I will post it nevertheless.

We are trying to decide on a breed for our new dog. We live in the United
Kingdom, have 5 children (ages 4-14) who are homeschooled, so the dog will
have a constant attention. We need a dog that is medium size, does not shed
much hair (allergies!), does not bark too much (neighbours) and can stay
outside the house (allergies again) most of the time (in a suitable kennel).
It must be really good with the children. There is space near the house for
good exercise. We also have a garden.

This is the first dog in our family; my wife used to have dogs when she was
a child.

We have looked at Jack Russels (our friends have got them), but they seem to
be a bit too noisy (neighbours) and maybe too small (children). Golden
retrievers are most popular here, but they are slightly too big for us
(hair!). We looked at spaniels and labradors, but somehow feel there must be
something else to choose from.

Obviously, we would not want to spend a fortune, and would probably be
satisfied with a cross-breed. If there is somebody here from East Anglia, we
would like to hear from you as well.

Are we missing something?

Thanks in advance,
Adam


--
Adam Kleczkowski
University of Cambridge
e-mail adam AT kleczkowski DOT com
http://kleczkowski.com (private)

"Adam Kleczkowski" said in
rec.pets.dogs.breeds:

We need a dog that is medium size, does not shed
much hair (allergies!), does not bark too much (neighbours)
and can stay outside the house (allergies again) most of
the time (in a suitable kennel).

Your final requirement is pretty much of a deal-killer as to
recommendations for a suitable breed.

Since breed choice may possibly answer your allergy concerns,
why do you want to house your potential dog away from its
family?

--
--Matt. Rocky's a Dog.

On Mon, 3 Oct 2005 17:11:17 +0100 Adam Kleczkowski whittled these words:
Don't expect it will change just because a dog arrives. That is not
likely.

Someone has to specifically make the effort to see that the dog
has adequate interaction with his family. That means if the weather is
miserable, you still have to provide the daily dose of social interaction
for the dog.

If you honestly believe you can provide a minimum of four hours a day,
every day, of social interaction for the dog, then look for a dog that is
mentally mature. That would be one at least two years old. Rescue and
shelter organizations will be reluctant to place a dog where the stated
plan is to isolate the dog most of the time. Being left alone for long
periods is a top reason many of those dogs ended up there in the first
place. So if you have a plan to ensure the dog is not actually isolated be
sure to explain that. I'd look less by breed and more by the qualities of
the actual dog. If the dog is in foster care the person acting as foster
will have a good idea of the qualities of the dog.

But don't be afraid to tell the children that you aren't prepared to give
a dog the kind of home it needs. Part of responsibility is that sometimes
they have to give up what they want because it is the right thing to do.
Just be honest and realistic about whether you can meet ALL the needs of
the dog. IF you can, great, there are plenty of dogs who need a good
home.

--
Diane Blackman
There is no moral victory in proclaiming to abhor violence
while preaching with violent words.
http://dog-play.com/ http://dogplayshops.com/

Rocky wrote:
"Adam Kleczkowski" said in
rec.pets.dogs.breeds:

We need a dog that is medium size, does not shed
much hair (allergies!), does not bark too much (neighbours)
and can stay outside the house (allergies again) most of
the time (in a suitable kennel).

Your final requirement is pretty much of a deal-killer as to
recommendations for a suitable breed.

Since breed choice may possibly answer your allergy concerns,
why do you want to house your potential dog away from its
family?

No dog that is likely to be a good companion for your children will thrive
if kept outdoors in a kennel most of the time. (I'm tempted to say no dog
would at all, but there may be exceptions among the livestock guardian
breeds, I suppose. ) It's particularly good that you are not considering a
golden retriever, because they *really* want to be with their people, and
would be miserable in such a situation. Dogs kept confined away from their
families are inclined to develop bad habits such as barking for attention,
and to not develop the habits necessary for functioning as good companion
dogs.

I have read about ways of managing allergies that do not involve banishing
the dog from the house. For starters, keeping the dog out of the bedrooms of
the allergic individuals and vacuuming regularly with a HEPA filter machine.
But before that, choose one of the breeds known to be easier for allergic
individuals to cope with--bichon frise, poodle--and have the allergic
individuals spend some time in a house where dogs of the breed live to see
how they tolerate it BEFORE getting a dog.

I would suggest not getting a dog, since you want a dog that does not shed,
does not bark and must be kept away from everyone; it does notmake sense to
me to buy a dog; buy another type of pet for the children. Dogs kept
outsides away from the family they love, can go bad and become agressive.
Also they would be inclined to bark a lot for attention.

"Adam Kleczkowski" wrote in message
...
I am sure there have been posts here with this question, but I can't find
an
obvious place to search, so I will post it nevertheless.

We are trying to decide on a breed for our new dog. We live in the United
Kingdom, have 5 children (ages 4-14) who are homeschooled, so the dog will
have a constant attention. We need a dog that is medium size, does not
shed
much hair (allergies!), does not bark too much (neighbours) and can stay
outside the house (allergies again) most of the time (in a suitable
kennel).
It must be really good with the children. There is space near the house
for
good exercise. We also have a garden.

This is the first dog in our family; my wife used to have dogs when she
was
a child.

We have looked at Jack Russels (our friends have got them), but they seem
to
be a bit too noisy (neighbours) and maybe too small (children). Golden
retrievers are most popular here, but they are slightly too big for us
(hair!). We looked at spaniels and labradors, but somehow feel there must
be
something else to choose from.

Obviously, we would not want to spend a fortune, and would probably be
satisfied with a cross-breed. If there is somebody here from East Anglia,
we
would like to hear from you as well.

Are we missing something?

Thanks in advance,
Adam


--
Adam Kleczkowski
University of Cambridge
e-mail adam AT kleczkowski DOT com
http://kleczkowski.com (private)

On 3 Oct 2005 18:04:07 GMT whittled these words:
On Mon, 3 Oct 2005 17:11:17 +0100 Adam Kleczkowski whittled these words:
Don't expect it will change just because a dog arrives. That is not
likely.

*Sigh* the first half of the post got left off*

Short story - dogs are social. They need a LOT of social interaction.
The problem isn't indoors vs outdoors. The problem is most people aren't
willing to spend the necessary time with the dog if it means the person
must be outdoors. Bare minumum, four hours a day. Failure rate for dogs
without that level of social interaction is very high.



--
Diane Blackman
There is no moral victory in proclaiming to abhor violence
while preaching with violent words.
http://dog-play.com/ http://dogplayshops.com/

Thanks for all the constructive comments. They are certainly helpful in
clarifying the potential position of a dog BEFORE we get one.

Greetings,

Adam

[excessive xposting snipped]

on 2005-10-04 at 10:29 wrote:

NO shedding, but you must groom him/comb him, or he knots up.

i have yet to meet a dog that did not shed. if it has hair,
it sheds. period.

--
shelly
http://www.cat-sidh.net
http://cat-sidh.blogspot.com/

"shelly" wrote in message
arble.net...
[excessive xposting snipped]

on 2005-10-04 at 10:29 wrote:

NO shedding, but you must groom him/comb him, or he knots up.

i have yet to meet a dog that did not shed. if it has hair,
it sheds. period.

Meet the miniature schnauzers. These dogs can sleep on your pillow and
never leave behind a hair. (Mud and grass, yes.) Sit on your lap while
you're wearing black pants and leave no hair behind. Hair does come out
when you comb the leggings and beard. But no, there is no hair on my couch
where they nap.

I suppose a thorough search of my house would find an occasional dog hair
here and there. But for all practical purposes, no dog hair.

Amazing, huh? Until we got our first schnauzer, I didn't believe it either.
I figured that okay, they shed less. Maybe a whole lot less. I was
surprised to find it so close to nonexistent.

~~Judy

"Judy" wrote in message
...
"shelly" wrote in message
arble.net...
[excessive xposting snipped]

on 2005-10-04 at 10:29 wrote:

NO shedding, but you must groom him/comb him, or he knots up.

i have yet to meet a dog that did not shed. if it has hair,
it sheds. period.


My toy poodle never sheds. His hair sometime comes out when I brush it but
he never sheds and leaves hair anyplace (at least not that I ever see).