I'm looking for a breed that is right for my family. A dog that does not shed a lot.
A dog that is no bigger than 60cm. NOT A SMALL DOG EITHER (Mastiff was too big)
A DOG that is good from allergy suffer (very important)
A dog that is good with children. we have a daughter that is about 7
A dog that does not need a huge yard (but I could take it on a walk)
A dog that does not bark often (if you could find one)
A DOG THAT DOES NOT SHED A LOT (average)
Photo Credit: greg westfall./Flickr CC
PLEASE CHOOSE A DOG FROM THIS LIST that is the best one you recommend
lab
godlen retriever
American bulldog
old english sheepdog
Borzoi
mastiff
Great Pyrenees
Labordoodle
Goldendoodle
Chesapeake Bay Retriever
Australian shepherd
THANK YOU
Answers and Views:
Answer by RACHEL
Golden retriever
they are so nice!!
Answer by Madie
all those dogs will give you awful allergies. A greyhound is wonderful and he doesn't need a big yard but he needs a fenced yard. I know you said no small dogs but a Maltese 1. doesn't give you allergies 2 is great with kids 3 doesn't need fenced or big yard 4 doesn't bark often. a greyhound is the same only the fenced yard. if i had to choose from the list I'd say lab but they give you awful allergies. I got a greyhound.
Answer by australian shepherds
Australian Shepherds. Usually every day, they shed... But harmless.
Answer by Nedra E
Great Pyrenees run from 25" to 29" and 60cm is 23.6" so a pyr is taller than your stated interests. If your allergy is specifically to dogs, which is less common than to cats, then a pyr might be more of an antagonist, as the pyr tends to shed. Pyrs are wonderful with children. They prefer acreage but can do fine with small yards so long as you exercise them regularly. They often are nocturnal barkers as they are guardians by nature and the barking is pre-emptive to ward off bad guys. BUT… if kept inside, this can be kept to a minimum. Their weight range is 85 to over 150#.
Australian Shepherds are in the size range you want, but with their long hair, you might have the same problem with shedding and possible allergy antagonists as you have with pyrs. They are a high energy dog, so, while they would be ok in a small yard, they will need more exercise. They are herding dogs, and will happily herd your children. I don't know about barking, but if it sleeps inside, it should be ok at night. I'd expect shedding to be possibly more than you want.
You didn't mention Blue Heelers (Cattle Dogs) and some of them are short hair, and they are herding dogs similar to the Shepherds but those with short hair would not be too likely to be an allergy antagonist and I know from my Aussie (Shepherd/Blue Heeler mix) that they hardly shed at all. I think this would be a good choice for you.
The Lab, Golden, Borzoi, Mastiff, and OE sheepdog are all large breed dogs. Go to the AKC website and check their height – it's in the breed information for each of them. The golden might be a shedder. The OES would probably be a big shedder.
The Labradoodle and Goldendoodle are MUTTS… which is what all designer dogs are, and I don't like poodles, so I'll leave those to someone else to discuss.
I know nothing about the Chesapeake bay retriever.
Answer by BullyFan
I would love to say American Bulldog but not a chance for your requirements. I would say the Labradoodle or Goldendoodle would be best but it is hard as both are high energy dogs. Not a single dog on your list is really good for hypoallergenic needs. You would need like a larger miniature poodle or a lower energy medium breed that would be happier.
The only ones truly good if you have allergies are Poodles, Bichons, Yorkies, and Schnauzers.
Any other breeds and I have seen people needing to rehome their pets as the hair was not correct it was fur.
Know better? Give your own answer to this question!
austring06 says
American Bull Dog. I have three children under 6 he is great with them, and he was easy to train. And he doesn't shed that much.
Kira says
I think that you should take that list of attributes you want and head to your local shelter. The dogs there may not all be purebred but they have a lot of advantages over buying a purebred puppy.
First off, because you would most likely be looking at young adult dogs, you would already know their temperment. With a puppy it's like Russian roulette; you can only pray that they fit your lifestlye naturally.
Second, purebreeds often have issues with genetic disease (hip dysplasia, etc.) and mixed breed dogs have less of a chance of developing those problems. Also, you would be informed of any medical issues the dogs has.
Third, your family would be involved in the decision and you could all pick a dog that fits your lifestyle. (If you can't walk the dog or don't have a large yard, don't go with a high energy dog….etc.)
Fourth, the dogs there would most likely be trained. This could save you expensive training classes and the stress of having to train a dog, especially if you have a busy life.
The nice thing is that most of the shelter workers are more than happy to help you find the perfect dog for your family. Often times adopting from a shelter is also cheaper than buying a purebred puppy.
I hope you find the right dog for your family!
doc holiday says
The two best family dogs that's on your list is a golden retriver, and chesapeake bay retriver. I had both. I bread chessies, they are very hyper, active , and tend to bark a lot.
The golden retriver is much more laid back, and very good around children. The lab is also laid back.
Good luck.
financegal27 says
Goldens and the old english sheepdog shed alot! Mastiff's and Great Pyrenees are huge. Australian Shepards are great dogs, but do have a tendancy to try to heard kids and have very very high energy levels. If you are serious about being an allergy sufferer, two dogs that are considered "hypo allergenic" are not on you list, those are poodles and the portugese water dog. Based on the things you are looking for absolutely none of the dogs on your list meet your criteria, as a matter of fact I'd say they are all pretty poor choices given your list. If you really want a dog that meets your criteria look at the Basenji, which is known as a barkless dog, has short hair, doesn't shed alot, they are considered hypoallergenic as well. Boxers are fabulous with kids, good size dogs, and do not shed much. As mentioned above the portuguese water dog is hypoallergenic and great for those with allergies. Check out the links below for more info on those breeds, the breeds on your list don't sound like a great fit for what you are REALLY looking for.
dog whisperer says
a big dog it seems tha you want. from your list i would choose none because of shedding. labradoodles and goldendoodles do shed depending on the coat they have. some are more like poodles and some more like labs, or goldens. why not a standard poodle? but if you aren't willing to spend the money on grooming every 5 weeks or so, then forget it. but the personality is calm, and friendly. very gentle. but do require exercize. all of the dogs on your list shed terribly, except for the old english. and he's a herding dog, so he needs something to do. borzoi's are pretty active also. check out AKC.ORG and research what these breeds were meant to do. that will give you an idea on the activity level they need. anything with short hair is going to be a shedding problem. if you don't want a shedding dog, then you have to take into account the grooming expense needed to keep the coat in shape and not become a mated mess. i hope you do this because i have seen way too many "Doodles" that have a matted and unkept coat because the owners did not know what they were getting in to.
Elissa B says
I think the best thing for your family to do is:
Go down to your local shelter. There are hundreds of dogs needing loving homes. They may not come with papers. They may not be pure breds. But they need affection, love and a family. Everything you have. Pick out the dog based on the personality.
Why breed and buy when shelter dogs die?