Can I ask advice please

Hi my name is Jaseem (Jay for short )
Im not sure if its ok to ask this but here goes,
I have recently split from my partner after 7 years
He just announced that he no longer wanted to share his life with me ,Just as I announced to him about getting a dog to share what I thought was our lovely life together .
Now at present Im working from home ,So I have loads of time on my hands for a new addition ,But what I would like to ask advice on is which breed would be best ?
I have not owned a dog for many years as I was a bit of a wayward fellow ,
I grew up around various breeds , That belong to family members ,But my own family pets were mostly strays that we got from rescue centres ,
But I would like a dog thats loves excercise as I have let myself go a little over the years with Nigel ,
But I would like one thats good around children as a lot of my close friends and family have children ,So it would need to be a breed thats known for liking children and having great temprements ,
I do not plan to go into this lightly I do plan on researching a few breeds etc before obtaining my own dog, But I just thought as there is a vast amount of different breeds belonging to you lovely people I would get a few opions
Best regards Jaseem

Hi,

I hope you get some good advice. I would offer my own but i'm terribly biased towards staffies and would be no good

They are great with children though!

Good luck in your search and well done for seeking advice on such an important decision!

Mike

If you are open to any type of dog, I would go to my local rescue and speak to the staff. They would be able to look at your situation and wants and be able to point you in the right direction.
Either that or a Labrador (cant go far wrong with a lab )
Good luck in finding your dog

What sort of size are you looking for? Staffies love their exercise and are usually great around kids too (depending on the history of the dog depends on how it will be with other dogs as all dogs need socialisation but staffies in particular).

Any dog will need to be socialised well with people and children and make sure that all their interactions with children are positive but as a rule, skittier breeds tend to be put off more by children's sudden movements so you need a confident, bouncy (but not too bouncy!) breed to be able to be truly happy around kids.

Mine tolerate kids but their sudden movements worry them.

Staffies are known as nanny dogs for their qualities with kids and labradors were bred as a companion animal for children who's fathers fished on the labrador sea (apparently) so they tend to be pretty good.

Hi Jay and welcome. I see you are in NI and also used to rescue dogs. You will know how many rescue dogs there are there desperate for homes (my latest recruit is from Ireland) - so how about just going round the rescue kennels till you find your own special dog? I bet it won`t take long! Gundog breeds are generally people friendly and will also give you a lot of exercise. Good luck.

Hi Jay, welcome. I'm afraid i'm biased towards german shepherds and leonbergers but it would be a good idea to go round some rescues and see if anyone takes your fancy or you may prefer a certain breed to another - if all else fails - get a leo or a gsd, lol

Hello,

I am also biased towards my NI and lurcher. If you want a dog that enjoys short bursts of exercise and will then be happy to laze around the house for the rest of the day (allowing you to work) then you can't go wrong with a lurcher. They come in lots of shape, sizes and colours, they are excellent with children on the whole and are such well natured dogs. there are also always lots in rescue needing good homes to go to.

An NI will need a bit more exercise and if you are up for a challange you could try Caninx (cross country running with dogs)! They are just as well natured but are big dogs.

Hiya Jay! When I was researching breeds before getting my dog I did an online breed selector questionaire (you can find one if you google 'dog breed selector'). It will ask you lots of questions about your lifestyle etc and come up with suggestions for breeds that would suit.

it is always hard when asked a question like that as everyone has there fav breed, i have got lab's, jacks and a pocket jack diffrent in size etc. All my dogs are great with kids, dogs and people but its what you put in to what you get back hun. So you could always get a pup and start as you mean to go on, or as people have said look at the rescues and see if there is a young doglet that you like. hope you find what you are looking for hun and good luck sorry not much help.

Hello Jay and welcome, if you want a pure breed then there are limitless amounts of advice here and on other websites. As already mentioned, Labradors, gun dogs, (ie. spaniels etc) Dont know much about Staffs, but the few I have met are lovely. (Dont listen to the press and dont let adverse news put you off, I think that a dog, no matter what breed, is fine as long as you treat them right, from being a pup. When I see the news and hear about certain dogs attacking children etc it makes me so mad that the poor animal has probs not been brought up correctly.
If you go for a rescue dog, then you are more likely to get a cross breed esp from RSPCA etc. There are rescue centres for specific breeds and you can find them on line, just google the name of the breed you are interested in.
I have had Cocker Spaniels and they are lovely and springy!!
I have had a Boxer who needed lots of exercise while he was young and had a lovely outlook.
I now have a Border Collie cross which we got from a rescue centre and he's lovely too.
Good luck and let us all know here how you get on. Can't wait to see the first pics of you soon-to-be doggie friend.