I have a fairly busy house with wife, four kids (11, 8, 7, and 2) and a 10lb Shi Tzu dog. Wife and I are home pretty much all day, every day minus a few errands. I don't really know what the dog thinks about the pack structure. She's out most of the time; but is crated when we leave the house. She expects to be let out immediately and the kids oblige. She sleeps with wife and I, but usually ends up in the floor. She can be crated during the day, but sometimes she doesn't tolerate it very well. This is my wife's dog and my wife isn't really up to follow Ed's groundwork program to the letter.

I want my own dog. I work from home in the basement at my computer/desk and would like a dog as a companion for me. I'd like a jogging partner (though I'm not in great shape. I usually only do a couple miles at a time). I've bought Ed's DVD on "Establishing Pack Structure with the Family Pet" and also "Basic Obedience". I think I can follow his advice with my dog though I can't make promises about my wife's dog.

First, I don't know if this is even going to work. I don't know how to keep the dogs separated 100%. During the day is no problem. What I'm most worried about is when the kids get home and want to play with the new dog and also after dinner when the wife and I are hanging out together. I know the right answer is kids don't play with new dog unless I'm there. I guess I could crate the new dog in the evenings during down time with wife. Doesn't seem fair though that her dog would be out and free roam of the house while new dog would be in kennel. So I'm looking for advice on how to manage this.

Second, I'm looking for recommendations for breeds. I'd like a lab or something similar. I'd like a dog to shed less than more. I'd like a dog that can be calm inside with me in my office, but also enjoy outdoor exercise. Finally, I'm considering rescuing from one of the local shelters instead of getting a pup from a breeder. I just don't think our family is prepared to go through puppy training and house-breaking.

I look forward to your suggestions!

Good points about mixed breed shelter dogs:

Due to liability issues, a good shelter will never knowingly give away aggressive dogs. No way in hell.

Pure-bred shelter dogs get adopted fast. I would venture to say, the shelter would be more willing (maybe not consciously) to tolerate a wierdo pure-bred dog because they know someone will want it. And because they get moved so fast, you never really find out how well they tolerate the general stress of a shelter environment.

So if you feel sorry for some pure-bred lab in a shelter, don't even give it a second thought. Someone else will probably pick him up an hour later.

On the other hand, any wierdo behavior from a relatively unwanted mutt would be subject to less tolerance (again, maybe not consciously). Thus, they'd be more likely to get the needle. And, they'd probably be in the shelter much longer...and if they are still in good spirits and not freaking out from the environment itself, you've learned somethng already about its temperment.

The odds of getting a non-aggresive, non-dominant, resilient-to-stress dog would be highest in a female shelter mutt.

As far as jogging, find the particular one with a suitable energy level.

I agree with Steven, except to add: are you sure about a Lab? Labs need LOTS of exercise, something a couple of miles of jogging won't put a dent in. Although if you had a fenced yard, an hour of fetch with a ball would probably be much appreciated by a retriever type dog. If you want a less shedding dog you could go with something like a Standard Poodle, Standard Schnauzer, or even a boxer.

Also with a large dog, you need to be careful with your kids and other dog; even the friendliest 80-lb mutt will knock your toddler over. There is also the prey drive issue: some large breed dogs cannot live with small dogs as they see smaller dogs as prey.

Going to a shelter is a good idea but I'd even go one step further and see if you can't find a local rescue that uses foster homes. A dog in a home has usually been evaluated against other dogs, kids, cats, etc and the foster person will give you a very honest assessment of how they think their dog will (or will not) fit into your lifestyle. Purebred rescues will often have purebred dogs available and some (not most) will allow long distance adoptions.

For a rescue near you, you can look on http://www.petfinder.com

Good luck!!!

Standard Poodle.
They don't shed, they are athletic and agile, but also content to lay at your feet.


You don't HAVE to give them the stupid haircut.

There are many breeders out there breeding Poodles to the true retrieving, working standard. Or you could try a Poodle Rescue.

I appreciate the quick responses. What started this whole thing is that my wife met a couple that had two Golden Retrievers, a small backyard, and two new babies. They were overwhelmed and looking for someone to take the younger of their two dogs. You never really know, but they seemed on the up and up and the dog seemed well behaved. That's a lot of hair though!

So I went to PetsMart and saw one of the local rescue organizations who brought their dogs for show. These are being fostered in someone's home. They had a beautiful Saint Bernard that was underweight. Said the dog was very placid and enjoyed lazing around at someone's feet. Was very good with the other dogs at the foster home. However, said that the dog didn't like crates at all and had a bald spot on her head from trying to break out of the crate. Wife is cool with a St. Bernard, but it still seems like a lot of dog.

Thanks again for the suggestions

I guess the trade-off is a effort in grooming the dog (poodle) or effort cleaning hair (lab/golden).

I've also been thinking about a boxer. I'm worried though that a Boxer wouldn't be content to hang out in my office for much of the day and would require more training/mental exercise than I can give it.

If you don't like fur - don't get a Golden or a Saint. (As an added bonus, Saint Bernards drool. A lot.) Goldens and Saints are beautiful, but all that light-coloured fur sure does soak up mud. And shed. Also, they shed. After they shed, they shed some more. Sounds like you are NOT ok with that.

A dog such as a boxer or hound will also shed, but the fur is shorter and easier to sweep up and mud/dirt doesn't stick much to a short coat like that.

A dog like a standard poodle or schnauzer will not shed at all, but will get muddy unless you keep their fur cut short. (of course, not an issue if you don't have a muddy yard like me).

A dog like a golden-doodle or labra-doodle will both shed and need a haircut! lol.

What other breeds, other than the Saint Bernard, did the rescue have? Many mixed breeds make excellent pets.

Edit: Boxers do tend to be on the "need stimulation" end of the spectrum. This is where the rescue can come in and tell you about the temperament of each dog. A boxer or boxer mix might actually be placid in the house. CHeck petfinder and see what comes up.

Yea, I'm leaning more and more to a mixed breed. They had a couple of cute pups she said were some mix of a terrier and a whippet. Not very large, but certainly would have endurance to run with me. But no fun going through puppy training again. Maybe such a mix wouldn't be as chewy and smart enough to crate train easy enough. Added bonus for easier to travel with.

There were quite a few mixed breeds of various sizes. Here's the complete list from petfinder: http://is.gd/pJCp

Well.. I have to say I am not sure I agree with their breed identifications. However, what about Coral? She is small, though, but she loves kids and would have the energy to jog 2 miles.

You could also inquire about:
Scooby, boxer mix: http://www.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=11649148
George the lab mix: http://www.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=10741817
Darwin the greyhound: http://www.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=12240311

etc....????

I think a hound or a hound mix might be a good dog for you. Not too much shedding, grooming is as simple as a hose and an occasional brush down, you do have to keep an eye on their ears, but nothing too difficult.

In my experience they are decent sized, content to lay around the house or go run for miles, pretty good with other dogs, and kids.
All dogs are individuals of course, but in general the hounds I know and have/had make really good family dogs.

I don't know where you are located but there is a black and tan coonhound rescue that does nationwide work. We always have a lot of hound mixes in the shelters around here.