[GodsGlorified]

I’ve wanted a dog for many, many years! I know the responsibility so I’ve never committed. I thought I might go back to Hawaii.

What cruel person would put there doggie through an extended quarantine unnecessarily!?!

Anyway, I will be watching videos and learning how to train one for a few days or weeks before I decide on a breed...


It will be my first personal doggie but I alone took care of our family dogs much of my youth. I remember getting knocked down by a hungry, exhuberant Dobie at dinner time when I was 4 or 5. I had to try to dodge him and play jump rope over his chain! I rarely won both feats so I intend to have a dog that either does not, or rarely, needs a leash.

I travel, and I think it it is best for the dog, if they are highly trainable in any circumstance anyway. I can spend a lot of time with my dog but it’d be very helpful if I could leave it with food, water, and shade for 45 minutes here and there, +/- to get things done.

I don’t want to have to tie it on a leash. I’d also like it to not be a danger to children.

Could a Jack Russell do this?

I was thinking about an Aussie Shepherd, a Chessie maybe...

Short hair could be good for low maintenance, small size for ease, and vibrantly healthy of course, but a dog must be intelligent, good natured, and trainable to be off of a leash and not a danger to children!!!

 

[Zub23]

Congratulations, what an exciting time for you! I know how hard it is to wait, I waited for years to get a dog because both my husband and I worked full time. It didn't seem fair to anybody in that situation. We have two dogs now though. Yay.
I don't really have any breed recommendations for you though because we have two mixed rescue breeds. I would suggest double thinking the leash however because almost anywhere you go ( at least here in the States) you need to have your dog on a leash. Sure, a Lot of people ignore the rules but that's just vastly irritating to those of us who follow them.
Good luck, whatever you decide.

 

[Crow]

Your dog is going to need to be on a leash in 99.9% of places (in the US anyway), and you won't have issues keeping them on a lead if they're taught how to walk on one. Same goes for being safe with children. Some breeds are more tolerant of children's antics but no well-adjusted dog is going to be a danger to a respectful child.

JRTs are neat dogs but IMO not particularly great off-leash dogs, and while I wouldn't say they're inherently bad with children, they do strike me as the type that wouldn't hesitate to give a warning nip if pushed (but that goes for a lot of breeds and dogs in general). Aussies and chessies are both good but most err on the side of being reserved with strangers so approach those with caution if you're looking for a buddy-buddy, loves-everyone sort of dog.

You might want to look into a golden.

 

[Francl27]

I'm confused by your post. You travel a lot... yet you want a dog. What will you do with your dog when you travel? Then you said that you want to be able to leave your dog (outside, I assume) without a leash for 45 minutes at a time... unless it's in a fenced area, that's just never going to be safe...

Also, there are leash laws in, I'm quite sure, most of the States, so your dog will need to be on a leash. I'm confused about why you think that being on a leash is such a big deal.

Anyway, for breeds... I always recommend an adult rescue. It's much cheaper than a purebred puppy, and you know exactly what you're getting.

 

[LeoRose]

By Chessie, I'm assuming you mean a Chesapeake Bay Retriever? If so, just because they are a retriever doesn't mean that they will act like your average happy-go-lucky Labrador or Golden.

Frankly, in most circumstances, love is a leash. Dogs that are reliably able to be off leash have had a LOT of training. Lots and lots of training. And even then, they can still take a wild hair, and throw training to the winds in the right (wrong?) circumstances.

Neither a JRT or Chessie can be safely left loose and unsupervised in an unfenced area by themselves. While it's definitely not my first choice of confinement, I'd rather see a dog chained than running loose and getting into trouble.

Any dog can be a danger to children if not exposed to them and taught how to behave around them. Even a dog who tolerates or likes their "own" kids might not like other kids (my late Ilka, for one). Herding breeds, like Aussies, tend to want to herd kids.