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Hi, my wife and I would like some advice in our search for our first family pup. We are both former dog owners and have two children under 2 years of age.
We've knowingly and uncomfortably gone down the rabbit hole of attempting to design the perfect pup and found this forum because of a few threads about cavachon seekers (my spouse is still somewhat down the rabbit hole even still).The advice in those threads was refreshing change of pace from what we found in our designer search.
We really want a dog that fits our lifestyle, but that is mostly for our kids enjoyment (more of a pack dog than a one person dog). We're a young, active, growing family, we have a .4 acre yard, and we have a beautiful (and frequently busy) walking trail nearby. We want the dog to be able to be active for walks, hikes and even some bike rides, but also be able to relax in the house on lazier days or days where kids don't allow us to be as active. My wife does not like little yippy dogs, and would desire the potential for walking off leash on the trail (her last bichon was her hiking partner) We can tolerate a little drooling or shedding. Life is busy, so we also don't want to spend a ton of time coming up with ways to stimulate the dog (e.g. border collie), we're hoping it can be more plug and play in terms of current activity levels. We also are considering dogs more on the smaller side, it just seems more practical with a smaller house and more children likely on the way in future. We would consider something medium or larger but practically smaller seems better.
Breeds we've considered are Cavalier king charles spaniel - we have been referred a breeder by someone with a 1 year old from them. Love the sound of the disposition. General concern about breed health issues
Bichon - I like this one since it seems like a playful, pack animal that would get along with my kids more)
Aussie shepherd - I think maybe too high energy or intense but possibly?
Anyway, your advice is greatly appreciated. Thank you!
We've knowingly and uncomfortably gone down the rabbit hole of attempting to design the perfect pup and found this forum because of a few threads about cavachon seekers (my spouse is still somewhat down the rabbit hole even still).The advice in those threads was refreshing change of pace from what we found in our designer search.
We really want a dog that fits our lifestyle, but that is mostly for our kids enjoyment (more of a pack dog than a one person dog). We're a young, active, growing family, we have a .4 acre yard, and we have a beautiful (and frequently busy) walking trail nearby. We want the dog to be able to be active for walks, hikes and even some bike rides, but also be able to relax in the house on lazier days or days where kids don't allow us to be as active. My wife does not like little yippy dogs, and would desire the potential for walking off leash on the trail (her last bichon was her hiking partner) We can tolerate a little drooling or shedding. Life is busy, so we also don't want to spend a ton of time coming up with ways to stimulate the dog (e.g. border collie), we're hoping it can be more plug and play in terms of current activity levels. We also are considering dogs more on the smaller side, it just seems more practical with a smaller house and more children likely on the way in future. We would consider something medium or larger but practically smaller seems better.
Breeds we've considered are Cavalier king charles spaniel - we have been referred a breeder by someone with a 1 year old from them. Love the sound of the disposition. General concern about breed health issues
Bichon - I like this one since it seems like a playful, pack animal that would get along with my kids more)
Aussie shepherd - I think maybe too high energy or intense but possibly?
Anyway, your advice is greatly appreciated. Thank you!