Help me give my sister ideas! Which breed for me?

my sister is finally settled in her house, and is missing a dog horribly! she wants me to help her decide and go help her look for one, so naturally my first port of call was here.

she has requirements so i will list them for you:

nothing small (she thinks my chinese cresteds are small so nothing smaller than them, preferably a bit bigger)

nothing bigger than GSD size, preferably a bit smaller.

nothing that moults excessively.

nothing that needs lots and lots of grooming.

something that doesnt need lots of exercise, but will happily take it if given.

something that is affectionate and likes cuddles, snoozing on the sofa etc.

most importantly a breed that is good with children with her having a baby, the dog and baby will be growing up together.

now she has said she will quite happily go to a rescue, and i have suggested a greyhound to her. the only thing that puts her off is theyre a bit skinny looking for her liking. the other breed ive suggested is a staffie, again she is a bit unsure but has said she may look into it.

she doesnt want a puppy, but she doesnt want a really old dog, so anything between the ages of 2-5.

she will most probably get a random mix of a dog, but she also wants to know what other breeds there are that could suit her, she likes a lot of different breeds, so providing one is suitable she will consider breed rescue. any ideas?

I would say cavalier or staffie

shes not that keen on cavaliers, well anything from the toy group really. ive said staffie think it would be a really good choice for her. the only thing im worrying about is having to go to a rescue with her, i will end up coming home with one!

A large lovely cat?
A beautiful english Bulldog. Did u see those pics earlier?

Staffie, but then I'm biased lol.
If she goes to a dedicated rescue she should be able to find one to meet her needs.
Or what about one of the medium sized terriers, such as a Norfolk or Cairn ?

Archie!!! Go look at the thread. Hes gorgeous!

nooo i didnt see the bulldog, but oh my i want one!

Have a look at Wobler's thread---just after your post, today. The dog is called Archie an English Bull dog. (You could baby sit. then kidnap him!)

A Whippet sounds ideal if she can get over the skinny thing.

Good thing about going to a rescue is that a good centre will match the dog to her and her requirements

Lurcher (possibly one that is cross with something that isn't that skinny)

staffy.

I'd advise her to wait.

She's a new mum just starting out with her own place. My guess is that finances are tight right now?

She'd probably be better waiting a couple of years at least until she's settled and comfortable in her own place, the baby is a little older and she's certain she can afford another mouth to feed.

Ditto this....

May I ask, is she working?

Agree with the others - personally I wouldn't take on a dog so soon after having a baby. I am not sure how accommodating a rescue would be to that either.

I also think her needs are a little stringent too...medium in size, low moulting, no grooming, not much exercise. Apart from the grooming bit, there are more toy breeds that fit those requirements than medium or large breeds.

I agree with getting a cat,
no need to exercise it like a dog, still good for cuddles and some play time, better suited to lack of training/attention when child is keeping mum up with teething, short haired variety cuts out much grooming. Would expect lower cost to feed (since they don't eat as much as a lab sized dog) and I think insurance for them is cheaper too.

Otherwise I would also say to wait until the child is of school age, and then look into getting a dog. Most rescues wont re home to a family with a young baby, it's not easy with a new dog and it's not easy with a baby/toddler never mind putting them together.

Agree with the above,

A single mum, with a young baby is enough to be going on with at the moment.

Is she a single mum? I must have missed that bit.

I got Yogi when Ben was only six months old. I have a very dog-orientated and outdoor lifestyle and an exceptionally helpful hubby, but I still struggled and would never recommend having a young dog and a young baby at the same time. Sorry.

If she were to wait until her baby was ,a couple of years older, that would free up some time to enable a new dog to settle in and get the attention that he/she also needs.

However, if your sister is determined, then I would suggest she contact a few local rescue centres to see what their suggestions would be.

I just looked at one of Clo's old posts and yes she is. 18 years old, single mum, newborn baby in a council house. I don't see how she could possible afford the upkeep of a dog when there is no money coming into the household, bar benefits presumably?

Hmm, yes I would strongly suggest she waits a while before thinking of introducing a dog into the household. Time and money is bound to be rather tight at the moment

That put's a different perspective on it then. I'm afraid I have to agree with others, now is not a good time to be thinking about a dog.

Can I just say that before you jump to conclusions. Clo does have more than one sister.. I however am not sure which one Clo is talking about on this thread though. Just thought I'd throw that you can have more than one sibling of the same sex in there..