What type of dog should our family get?

We're considering biting the bullet. We have two kids (7 and 9).  I grew up with a yellow lab, but - as much as we loved him - in retrospect he was pretty large. Our ideal would be a non-shedding, medium-sized dog that isn't known for excessive barking but I'm curious any thoughts anyone might have?

Thanks in advance -

- rj

Adopt a shelter dog.

How about a Border Terrier?  Here are mine, Henry and Logan.  I had two yellows myself before these two. Much easier !

re: adopting a shelter dog - that's what we had in mind, especially if we can find a younger one – in fact, we wanted to go to the PetSmart event today in Milburn  but unfortunately I have some other commitments… We were also thinking of visiting that Berkeley Heights shelter but definitely welcome any suggestions in this regard with thanks.

- rj 

We have a pug now (he's our third pug) and I've had a Kerry Blue Terrier in the past. That being said, the healthiest, longest-lived and smartest dog I've ever had is a mutt my mom adopted when I was a teenager. The dog seemed to be part Sheltie and part who-knows-what, but she could learn anything in less than 30 minutes, was not destructive and only had one incident of illness in 16 years (when she ate something she shouldn't have, as much our fault as hers).

So, I'd also suggest going with a rescue or shelter - if you pick a dog who is 6-8 months old, you should have a good idea of the dog's eventual size and maybe even an idea of what breeds are in its background. Puppies are adorable, but a lot of work - it's like having a 2-year-old child running around the house! Getting an adolescent or young adult dog is helpful in terms of size. Our daughter adopted a shelter dog last year - it was a puppy and they told her it would be about 40 pounds and about Cocker Spaniel size when fully grown. The dog is now just a year old, bigger than a Lab and weights about 90 pounds. 

There is an animal shelter behind the PetSmart on Route 10 (Livingston?) that has a good reputation. We looked there for a pug when we were getting our current dog, but they didn't have any at the time. They were very helpful and I have heard good things about them, so you might want to stop by there, too.

Petfinder.com.    As a starting point.  

Thanks for thinking of shelter animals.  Our mutts were/is great dogs.  We took our time looking for the right ones-  twice the search took 6+ months, but worth the time and effort.  We made repeated trips to rte 10; it seemed that nice.  Just didn't happen for us.

We kept looking sometimes, pretty far afield, then decidded to bite the bullet and go to Newark.  BINGO.  You just can't tell where your family's love machine is waiting for you.  Take your time this is going to be your third child for any years.

G L

cody said:

We have a pug now (he's our third pug) and I've had a Kerry Blue Terrier in the past. That being said, the healthiest, longest-lived and smartest dog I've ever had is a mutt my mom adopted when I was a teenager. The dog seemed to be part Sheltie and part who-knows-what, but she could learn anything in less than 30 minutes, was not destructive and only had one incident of illness in 16 years (when she ate something she shouldn't have, as much our fault as hers).

So, I'd also suggest going with a rescue or shelter - if you pick a dog who is 6-8 months old, you should have a good idea of the dog's eventual size and maybe even an idea of what breeds are in its background. Puppies are adorable, but a lot of work - it's like having a 2-year-old child running around the house! Getting an adolescent or young adult dog is helpful in terms of size. Our daughter adopted a shelter dog last year - it was a puppy and they told her it would be about 40 pounds and about Cocker Spaniel size when fully grown. The dog is now just a year old, bigger than a Lab and weights about 90 pounds. 

There is an animal shelter behind the PetSmart on Route 10 (Livingston?) that has a good reputation. We looked there for a pug when we were getting our current dog, but they didn't have any at the time. They were very helpful and I have heard good things about them, so you might want to stop by there, too.

Mt. Pleasant Animal Shelter. We volunteer and contribute. Good peeps. Definitely try to rescue a sweet pup.

Adopting an adolescent dog can be really hard (speaking from experience here!) so I would actually recommend either going with a puppy (8-12 weeks) or an adult dog (3-4 years old at least). With a puppy you have the benefit of easier bonding and not missing out on those important early socialization opportunities. Of course it is tons of work and you have the difficult adolescent period before you. But if you have the time and energy there is nothing like raising a  dog from puppyhood especially for your children. Benefits of an adult dog are being able to know size and temperament and not having to deal with puppy antics, accidents and destruction. 

Best of luck to you! And just remember that no dog is perfect. Some labs are hyper and some labs are mellow. Part of it is genetics. A lot of it is environment and training. Go into the process with an open mind and heart and enjoy the journey!

Let me add support to those who have already suggested adopting from a shelter.   Most of the animals at shelters make wonderful pets.

A friend was at St. Hubert's in Madison recently and said they had a number of puppies, as well as dogs beyond puppyhood but still young.  You could put your name on a list for puppies.

Here's the link to St. Hubert's if you want to consider them:  http://www.sthuberts.org/petadoption

got a shelter dog from St Hubert's, he's been wonderful. also went for the obedience training, well worth it.  short haired & medium size, like a rat terrier, very sweet, quiet and smart. 

We have a docile beagle that LOVES kids, and everyone else. A bit stubborn but worth the occasional aggravation! 

I'd recommend a black and tan coonhound from Coonhound Rescue:

http://www.coonhoundrescue.com/

We got one from them and she is the best dog ever!  Very sweet, cuddly, playful, loves her people.  She came housetrained and spayed.   

Here's the AKC summary of the "Brave, Bright and Easy Going" black and tan coonhound:

http://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/black-and-tan-coonhound/

bettyd said:

I'd recommend a black and tan coonhound from Coonhound Rescue:

http://www.coonhoundrescue.com/

We got one from them and she is the best dog ever!  Very sweet, cuddly, playful, loves her people.  She came housetrained and spayed.   

we also had a black and tan that was an amazing dog, it is a larger breed that needs allot of exercise and area to run.

Our beagle sheds and howls for food but she's awesome anyway

petfinder.com has a section that discusses character traits of the various breeds. It isn't a guarantee, but it provides some guidance. I believe the various kennel clubs discuss this on their websites, too. 

Check out Home for Good Dogs.  We got our second dog there and loved the experience.  They foster all of their rescues, so our young dog came to us house trained and crate trained.  The dogs are calmer because they have been fostered with a family or adult...not quite as frantic.  They hold adoptions at PetSmart.  You have to be pre-qualified, but it's a pretty easy process.

I can absolutely recommend rescue mixed breeds.

If you are thinking purebreed, still go rescue.  I grew up with boxers, which is a medium/medium-large breed, very playfull, and protective of it's family.  And best of all, they do not bark much.

poodle!

We're big supporters of rescue dogs and they're all mixed breed. We usually start with Petfinder.com and then we visit the shelters that have the dogs we're interested in (helps to call before going as sometimes the site isn't quickly updated). Our last adoption was September '15 from the Bloomfield Animal Shelter. He's a joy with a face that cracks us up. When he does something naughty, he gives good face and I have giggle fits. He's such a great addition to our other adopted lovely. We love them both and although our girl could use a shot of chill, she's the sweetest, most loving dog. 

Greyhounds are sweet and quiet and calm and come already trained. They almost never bark, barely shed, and don't need much exercise at all. Because of their calm, lazy dispositions, and how quiet they are, they don't feel like big dogs at all.

Husky House did a huge puppy rescue recently. They do amazing work. They have many different breeds.  Recently they did a major rescue from a pet store that  had failed inspections and have run up enormous bills treating sick pups from Puppy Mills. I have donated towards their bills at Garden State, so I would love to hear that someone adopted from these good folks.

They go above and beyond.

We have a shelter dog from St. Huberts. He is totally awesome!

He is some sort of terrier mix. I'm allergic to "fur" dogs like labs. No problems with this guy.

There are some "Find your breed" quizes on-line such as this one from the AKC:  http://www.akc.org/find-a-match/#slide1

That might be a good starting point.   

wedjet said:

Adopt a shelter dog.

Haven't read the whole thread, but, YES, this ... 

And Lucy agrees!

debby said:

Greyhounds are sweet and quiet and calm and come already trained. They almost never bark, barely shed, and don't need much exercise at all. Because of their calm, lazy dispositions, and how quiet they are, they don't feel like big dogs at all.

I know debby has had a few greyhounds. We've had two, and our second is still with us. Many of them are not playful, and I can see that being a problem if you want a playful dog. I can toss a ball for Waffle (our greyhound) and she will look at me and wonder why I did that. But she loves to walk and meet people and dogs. And it's true that many of them almost never bark. Waffle is 12 years old, and she has barked only about seven times, EVER. Every time, it was to tell a dog that she was annoyed with it. Waffle's disposition is so calm that she calms down people and animals. Rambunctious dogs become calmer around her, and she can even calm down a wary cat and make friends with it!

Medium-sized, non-shedding and limited barking?  My recommendation is a Tibetan Terrier.  Barley, our 6 year-old female Tibetan, is about as chill a dog as they come.  They range in size and weight, but most are 25-30 pounds, and great with people.  While not lap dogs, they love being around their "family"; they're also smart and rather willful.  There are a few NJ breeders -- and pretty sure the local one now has dogs that are ready to be placed in homes.  

robjohn99 said:

We're considering biting the bullet. We have two kids (7 and 9).  I grew up with a yellow lab, but - as much as we loved him - in retrospect he was pretty large. Our ideal would be a non-shedding, medium-sized dog that isn't known for excessive barking "> but I'm curious any thoughts anyone might have?

Thanks in advance -

- rj

We had Bijon Frises for years - the first one when our children were 2 and 9.  They are loving, gentle dogs with a frisky personality  They don't shed but need grooming.