Hi guys. I've always had lab bitches; a black and a yellow when growing up and two yellow bitches with my wife. One of our girls died last year, so we're looking for a companion for our remaining 6 year old. I love the breed, but I've had enough of two coats blowing at the same time! We don't have kids or other pets, just our lab. We've a fenced garden, but it's pretty small. We walk every day, 40-60 mins, and often go for longer walks at the weekend out in the countryside. Walks are usually half on, half off. We live in a suburb, but 10 mins on a lead will get us to a beach or a park, and a 5 min drive gets us into the countryside. We'd like to keep the exercise requirements in this ballpark. The new addition is going to be purely a pet; no hunting, agility, showing, etc. Someone is usually at home during the day, but we may need to leave them alone for up to 6 hours or so say 3 times a week. Right or wrong, wed like a puppy rather than a rescue. We'd like to find a short, single-coated lab, but I know that's not an option. We'd also like to stick to regular breeds, rather than labradoodles etc. We were seriously considering a Rhodesian Ridgeback but, from all I've read, the short story is that they're just too much hard work. Plus, when we met the dam, she was on the skittish side of reserved, which concerned me. We're currently thinking of a Weimaraner, or possibly a Cocker Spaniel. I've loved the Vizslas I've met on walks, but they seem to be too energetic, and Dobermans seem to need too much daily exercise. We're looking for a breed that's not going to shed as much as our labs have, and which ideally has short-medium hair (as I understand all dogs do shed). One that can be trained not to bark, or at least not to bark incessantly when left alone. Definitely no howling (so that rules out Beagles, unfortunately). An ability to tolerate mid-to-high 20s would be great, as Lulu struggles with the summers now we've moved UK-NZ, but I imagine the shortish, single coat will address that. Obviously, we're spending loads of time researching this, but I was wondering if anyone else had trimmed down from a 2 lab to a 1 lab family because of the hair, and which way they jumped. Or just recommendations of breeds you think are a good fit.
If you're able to train a good recall and have decent fences I'd suggest a Whippet. Easy care coat, won't get too hot, pretty quiet, easy going and happy to fit in with you and your exercise needs.
I think I'm going to try an english pointer next, but I will more than likely end up with a lab again. They are just the best. English pointers are nice and I get on with them very well. I've met a few now. They would fit into my life well and have the sort of nature which appeals to me. Not too sure about weimaraners met a few nice ones but I've also met a few which seem very stressy and some which have had aggression problems. Of the ones i know well they are dogs that can get very upset quickly and need very careful sympathetic handling. It really hard once you've had a lab because they really are that good in many ways they are hard dogs to follow.
Hi and welcome to the forum! It seems to me you are looking at high-energy, hunting breeds, which would not work well for your lifestyle as they require more exercise and working tasks than you want to be involved in. Weimaraners (and vislas) are hunt-point-retrieve dogs, that need lots of training and can be very difficult if not given enough to do, as they are highly intelligent. I'd stay well clear of Rhodesian Ridgebacks personally, having just had a very bad experience with them. They can be fine, but can have latent aggression problems - they were bred to protect life stock from lions, which should give you a clue! Working cocker spaniels are very, very high energy and LOTS of work and definitely not what you are looking for, but I could imagine that a show-line cocker would suit you better and would fit into your lifestyle well. I also like Rachael's suggestion of a whippet. My old dog Billy was a Labrador/spaniel cross. He looked just like a slim chocolate Labrador - but he only had a single coat, so barely shed at all! He was great, very intelligent and loyal. I'm sure you'll find the right dog for you - looking forward to hearing more about your journey.
Welcome, from Hattie 8 years a Labradoodle and Charlie our rescue boy 5 years a Labrador x Pointer. I agree with Karen, those dogs are very high energy. Charlie requires lots of extercise and constant training. Where I live Cocker Spaniels and Springer Spaniels are very popular but most of the owners are struggling because they don't know how to train them and they are such high energy needing so much extercise. What about a Greyhound, contrary to popular belief they don't need a lot of exercise but I don't know how much they shed their coats? They make wonderful pets/companions.
I don't know about other spaniels but my Clumber Spaniel produces far more hair than my lab does!!!!! I'd second a greyhound/whippet choice for low maintenance. They are sighthounds though and will leg it at the sight of a rabbit or potentially cat!
I used to have German Shorthaired Pointers (akin to Weimaraners and Vizsla) and they shed more than you would think. I would stay clear from them as they are high energy dogs, though you could be lucky with a Vizsla. A Cocker never sits still! If you like Labs, then black Labs are better than yellow for shedding and I find them easier to live with hairwise than a GSP.
Poodle ~ seriously, I know people who adore them and they don't look silly if trimmed sensibly. They are fun dogs and don't shed ...
My dog-before-last was a cocker spaniel and had a gorgeous nature. However I did need to groom her frequently, at least the ears, and I also had her professionally groomed every 3 months. I'm a recent convert to poodles. Well I've always liked the standard poodle but was never keen on the toy. However someone in my training class has a toy poodle and she's a brilliant little dog - friendly, clever and absolutely no yapping. I think it helps that her owner also has 2 working Irish Water Spaniels, so the poodle is expected to behave as they do. No shedding with poodles, but regular clipping needed.
That's true, poodles are actually super dogs. Very clever. The big standard poodles need a lot of exercise (they were also originally bred as hunting dogs!), but the smaller ones don't need quite so much exercise. Also, what about a dachshund? I LOVE dachshunds...
I am quite partial to a poodle, particularly the parti poodles! There's a lady on Facebook with one and her pictures always make me smile
Wire-haired dachshund, anyone? Come on, proper little dogs they are, don't need too much walking, can be a bit.. er.. stubborn.. but then they're not too big so they are easy to transport..
Yes in principle but the horror stories of bad backs, eyes too big for heads and legs so short their chests are on the ground scare me off finding a good one.
True, you'd have to look hard for a well-bred one. They are still used as little hunting dogs here in Germany, so the wire-haired ones are pretty sturdy.
Lots of Dacshunds in our village too, horrible little things, a wire haired one too which is nervous and aggressive of course not all of them are. Having a part Poodle (Labradoodle) myself I can vouch for their lovely temperaments, clever, funny, kind, learn very quickly and LOTS of fun. The Standard Poodle is a water bird retriever, I think. Beautiful dogs but I wonder if they are ever used as gun dogs any more?
Yes, they are used here sometimes. Not very often though, they seem to have gone out of fashion. Very sad in my opinion, I think they are super dogs.
You rarely see working poodles but there are a few people trying to train them as gundogs I think. I saw is it a Teckle? Which is a working dog like a dachsund with a wire coat. I think Heidrun said they are holy terrors to train though
My combination of Lab and 'English' Pointer works really well. The pointer is a gentle soft natured dog, very playful and full of character. They're easy to train, quiet and calm at home, the only down side is that they can cover great distances in seconds so you need a very good recall or secure ground to exercise them on. I used to have a Weimaraner and wouldn't hesitate to have another but......they are strong willed dogs who will test you to the limits and can be very protective, certainly not as soft natured as a Lab, and you'd need to do some careful research as there are a lot of health issues in the breed.
That's good news. I reckon if I'd known about gun dog stuff, not that I do now Hattie would have made a pretty good gun dog as she's 3/4 Poodle and she learns so fast has a good recall and stop whistle and loves to learn new things She might have turned a few heads and upset the pure breed brigade x David would love a Standard Poodle
