I don't wean either
never had any problems though it is recomended.

- I would make sure areas are fenced off - such as the pond ready for a home check. Have your landlord sign a paper to demonstrate to a rescue that you are allowed to keep a dog on the property.

- Read a good book such as the one I previously suggested to gain a good understanding in training and behaviour.

- Visit a few training classes to try and find one that you like the look of. Look for one that uses positive methods rather than yanking the dog around/dominance etc.

- In terms of food, some dogs have sensitive tummies and people generally suggest you introduce new foods over 5 or so days. Personally I don't bother but my dogs seem to have tummies of steel!

Some breed suggestions;
Staffordshire bull terrier
Boston terrier
cavalier king charles
daschund
Retired greyhound

Many rescues will test the dog in various situations such as how good they are round dogs, people, cats/small animals, guarding behaviours etc so you should get a fair idea of what you are taking on.

HI there
T o be honest if you were asking me to home check you from a rescue perspective ( i help run a rescue up here ) and had all the info you have given etc I know I would pass you in a heartbeat. You have clearly thought about what you are doing, its not just a whim, you are asking the right questions, thinking about costs and how to make garden ok, have already spoken to landlord etc... You are every rescue workers dream homecheck In my opinion !!

I think a rescue would really work for you - one that is cat tested and possibly used to caged animals from the point of view of your tortoises, however as long as the tortoise is adequately fenced from the dog accessing it shouldn't be a huge problem,

If you don't want to have to toilet train then again a rescue is a good option as mostly all are toilet trained, and although some may have the odd accident particularly if come from kennel environment, they are usually very quick to adapt.

As long as your garden is adequately fenced it really doesn't matter if its postage stamp sized or acres.

Everyone always says there own breed on here when it comes to suggesting an option, but a well assessed staffie would be a great option, lazy when they need to be, and a big dog in a compact package and not yappy! They get a bad rep, but are great family dogs and will take as much or as little exercise as you throw at them. I would go to a good breed rescue though to ensure cat tested.

Wish you were scotland as I could have 3 or 4 dogs lined up for you !!

Good luck with your decisions

What happens if for some reason you have to move into property owned by a different landlord...?

I ask because my brother works in Lettings and I have helped in his office - I have seen firsthand how tricky *some* Landlords can be. Many do NOT want tenants with dogs.

Just something to think about. And I echo what has been said about getting it in writing from your current landlord that he is fine with you having a dog - this is VITAL.

Re LABS:

My Lab was a rescue; I got him when he was 14 months. Labs are gorgeous but young Labs tend to be extremely boisterous, energetic, and can be pretty demanding of attention. Don't get me wrong - he's adorable and I love him to bits. But young Labs can be very hard work! As pups they can also be quite destructive.

Would you consider a slightly older Lab via a rescue? I would recommend one that is anything over the age of two. If you go down this route, be sure that when you visit a specific Lab, you walk them on lead - insist on this. You will learn a lot about the dog this way, though do bear in mind they may be a bit over excited if they've been in kennels for a while!

Gave our vet a call to see how much their plan for dogs costs and it's £16.50 a month which covers everything except for pre existing illnesses and out of hours emergencies. That's regardless of breed/size.

I've been having a browse online of various rescues and did notice that there's lots of staffies for rehoming. I have to wonder why? I do think they look nice and my other half agrees.

An older rescue lab would be fine. From what's been said I guess I'd be better avoiding puppies and looking for an older dog. I was just thinking that there's no guess work as to history with a puppy as it hasn't had much.

Would the pond outdoors need to be fenced off for older dogs? I'd do something for the indoor pond regardless of the age of the dog. I don't want my turtles becoming chew toys.

As regards moving. I can't see why we would need to for the foreseeable future. We're very settled here and just extended our lease by another 5 years. We've been here 4 years already and have no intention of moving and the landlord owns a number of rental properties in the area so he's not like we have had in the past where the landlord is renting out the house they used to live in and decides to sell up. Our landlord buys to let so we're more secure here.


Getting it in writing from the landlord wouldn't be an issue, he's very accommodating and helpful.

Staffies are sadly a bit of a breed in crisis

Since the ban of the pitbull many wannabe hard people have taken these dogs on as status symbols. They are sometimes used in illegal fights etc. More often than not are just brought, recieve little attention, training or stimulation and end up being rehomed when they start to display behavioral issues from the lack of effort on the owners part.
Many staffie owners also buy a dog and unscrupulously breed it, creating thousands of puppies without enough homes to go around.
It is a sad situation as in the right home they are lovely dogs. They love their comforts and cuddles!

Of course all the above is a huge generalisation and there are many caring stafford owners, but sadly they equally have attention off the wrong sorts of people.


With regards to the pond, it really just depends. I have a pond at home which housed goldfish - my dog dives in and really bothered them.
As it is pretty shallow it doesn't sound too dangerous as long as the dog could get out in the event it fell in but it is something to bare in mind especially with labs etc that love water. Also - a dog that jumps in the pond, then comes in and shakes water all over the house is no fun

Your house and moving situation sounds fine, and I'm sure if the time came you could find a new landlord who would allow one well behaved dog.

The reasoning for that is simple, people tend to get them for the wrong reasons, and they are popular and then when they tire of them they just get rid. Back yard breeders also churn them out with no consequence thus pounds are inundated, as are all breed rescues. I am a staffie convert, never having liked them before, I have now owned one for 9 years ( a rescue) about to bring a third child into the world and he has been nanny to our first two from the moment they were born, I now help to run a staffie breed rescue in Scotland and have to say for me I would never have another dog. They are fantastic in the right hands and they are very devoted.

Perhaps have a wander down to your local rescue and/or contact breed rescue and see if they have any shows/events on locally soon so you can meet some. Only thing i would say and will say with any breed but more so with staffies is if you go to a rescue centre/pound to see them please get them out of their kennel as they will be a different dog out of there prison - don't just walk past cos they are barking etc as they don't do well in kennel situations at all..

Staffies are fab dogs, and there are loads of them in rescue, a lot because people just get bored of them, don't believe the bad press they get staffies and staffie crosses are wonderfull

A point to consider might be the ages of your children. Kids just love to be able to take the dog for a walk. Some breeds I would not entrust to preteen or young teen children. If for no other reason than the sheer strength of the dog.

You could not go wrong with a cavalier kc spaniel (but bear in mind their health concerns). They are as happy sat on your lap watching TV as they are following you round the house or out for a very long walk and mine didn't even want to go into the garden at all unless I was out there with it! Loved going on walks tho.

How about a rescue greyhound or whippet? They are not generally nutcases.

No offence to anyone but greyhounds and whippets don't appeal.

The pond is 18" at the deepest point but being a wildlife pond it's a long gradual slope so anything that falls in like hedgehogs (or dogs!) can easily walk out.

I saw some lovely what I think were scottish terriers at the vets the other day.