Hi all.

[Maggie]

Hi everyone,

I'm Maggie I'm 36 and am from London. I live with my hubby and three boys. I joined this forum as we are (in two weeks) hoping to buy a Puppy. We're looking for a puppy that will grow into a medium sized dog, but at this present time we haven't decided what breed to go for? So I am going to need all the advice I can get from you guys.

We have researched and picked out two breeds, both have Positive & negative traits.

Staffordshire Bull Terrier ~ although is a loving family pet, it is prone to attack other dogs. (that's all I need when walking the dog! LOL)

Springer Spaniels ~ Loving adorable family pets but are prone to illness ie: Eye problems, hip problems and ear infections etc..... (does that mean they fall ill often?)

As you can see we need some help, there are most probably a lot of other breeds out there we have over looked. But we want a medium sized dog as our house isn't that big, although we have a large garden and a park five minutes from where we live.

Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

[skippygurl00]

hi Maggie
I am a huge staffy fan and is a great choice for an active family with children,as with dog aggression,training when young(puppy preschool is brilliant)will help with this problem.lots of socialisation is the key.I havent had a problem with a dog fight yet during my walks,call it luck or maybe the other dogs sense my little staffy knows hows to look after herself.another breed I may suggests is a cavelier spaniel,gorgeous dogs although they do also tend to have health problems.hope this helped somehow.good luck in your search :)

[toppers]

Check out the breeders. If your pup comes from parents with good temperaments then you are sure to have a good pup. A good and honest breeder will not mind you asking questions, they won't mind you visiting several times to view the pups. I breed dachshunds and spend most of my time answering emails from prospective families, supplying photo's and having visitors to view pups. I have a web page so people can view my dogs and puppies (if they live too far away) - most breeders do now. Remember take your time - if you think the breeder is pushing you to buy a pup ask yourself why? Check out the KENNEL CLUB WEBSITE they have a puppy register, accredited breeders are the ones to check out. Check out the breeders paperwork - does it match up to the pups, can you see both parents or at least see the pups with mum and get a photo of the stud. Discovering Dogs at crufts is excellent if you are unsure of what breed to get. Be cautious when buying a puppy, you are investing in a life - read lots of books on training and obedience, obedience classes alone are not enough.

[shell]

Have you tried looking in an animal shelter? There are a lot of great animals out there that get over-looked just because there don't have the pedigree papers. Most shelters have puppies as well as adult dogs and if you're not planning on showing or breeding your dog it is a great way to go. I grew up with both purebreds and mutts and both types of dogs have their pros and cons; I do find that in general mutts have fewer health problems. I hope that you find the right dog for you and I hope that this helped. Good luck! :)