# Looking for a family dog and fishing companion...



## CBR (Sep 12, 2007)

So I have agreed to get a new addition to the family but I have some requirements. A dog.

Originally we had planned to get a Beagle, they sounded perfect but after research have found it is impossible to get them to break the habit of chasing a scent. I want a dog that will stay on the boat while I am fishing with out having to keep them on a leash.

1) Must be a female
2) Must be a small breed (10-30lbs)
3) Must have short hair (minimal shedding)
4) good with children
5) good with strangers
6) must be a good fishing buddy when I go solo.

Anyone have any suggestions? I am looking for a pure breed.


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## .45 (Sep 21, 2007)

Except for the weight problem.....I would recommend a 'Lab'....but my lab weigh's in at 125 lbs.. :shock:


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## Grandpa D (Sep 7, 2007)

A bit bigger than you may want, but I have had spanials almost all of my life.
Great companions and love childern.
[My wife is a babysetter]
Springers, like I have now,shed a bit, but not bad.
My ****ers and britneys didn't shed at all.
The one thing that they do require like many other breeds, is grooming once in a while.
They are a great choice for a family pet.


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## LOAH (Sep 29, 2007)

You could get a bassett hound, but their short little legs might make it hard for them to keep up walking around.


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## Texscala (Sep 8, 2007)

Look into the Frech Brittany.


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## Nibble Nuts (Sep 12, 2007)

A Fila Brasiliero sounds just like it fits your description.


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## jdmckell (Nov 12, 2007)

Get a cavalier King Charles. They're on the smaller side of the spaniel family. They love to swim and be outdoors and they're not huge. Very smart as well as very obedient.


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## Nor-tah (Dec 16, 2007)

I have a 50 lb lab for sale on ksl. She is a small for a lab and a purebred, she is great with children. She doesnt mind the water but would not be in it so much that you couldnt fish. She is 4 years old. She is in Perfect health. She doesnt shed. The only reason we are getting rid of her is because we hunt ducks and she doesnt do that. Here is a link, http://www.ksl.com/?nid=218&ad=2425272&cat=&lpid= PM me if you have questions. I know she is a little bigger than you are looking for but I think she has the energy to keep up with you fishing and for the kids where another breed may not.


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## Riverrat77 (Sep 7, 2007)

CBR said:


> 1) Must be a female
> 2) Must be a small breed (10-30lbs)
> 3) Must have short hair (minimal shedding)
> 4) good with children
> ...


I've got one of those and he's just a random mutt that showed up on my doorstep one day. Do a dog a favor and save a life at your local pound. The dogs you'll get there will more than likely be just as good as any high strung purebred and just might turn out to be one of the best dogs you've ever owned. The price for adoption isn't bad either, especially when they throw in a spay/neuter and microchipping for a small fee just because of the adoption. I certainly have never had any reason to look beyond a dogs "appearance" to make sure it was worthy of a little love and companionship... mine have all been great mutts.


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## americanforkdude (Sep 13, 2007)

I disagree with Jd on that one. I agree they're a great family dog, but they don't listen very well. My brother has had 2 of them now and neither one of them act like they can hear you, they just do their own thing.


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## k2muskie (Oct 6, 2007)

.45 said:


> Except for the weight problem.....I would recommend a 'Lab'....but my lab weigh's in at 125 lbs.. :shock:


Ditto .45... Labs are a great breed unconditional and hands down in my book. Good with kids, affectionate, great all around dog. You and your family won't go wrong with a "LAB".. females weigh a little under 80lbs. Sorry, I can't go into anymore detail as the tears are starting to well up...  .45 knows the story. But Labs are the best IMO for an all around "pup." :!: :!: :wink: :wink:


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## lionhunter (Sep 11, 2007)

I have a 162 lb lab and he is the best partner I could ever ask for. EXCEPT he tries to eat all my fish I catch and that is alot of fish. :lol:


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## Huge29 (Sep 17, 2007)

I will second the idea of a lab, why the weight restriction? Is this an inflatable boat from which you fish? If you go the lab route, I would recommend an older dog, the one mentioned above could be good. The pups just chew everything that they can get ahold of.



Grandpa D said:


> A bit bigger than you may want, but I have had spanials almost all of my life.
> Great companions and love childern.
> [My wife is a babysetter]
> Springers, like I have now,shed a bit, but not bad.
> ...


FYI the ****ers are known as being aggressive at times based on the way that the breed has been so inbred for so many years, I know this from a close friend who had one and had his nephews bitten twice in the face.


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## schaueelab (Dec 30, 2007)

Lab!!!!!!!


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## orvis1 (Sep 7, 2007)

We have shih tzu and they are wonderful family and lap dogs. We take them out in the boat they don't take up much room and Gizmo likes to give the fish a little kiss before we put them back in the water. They are not good cold weather dogs or swimmers though and we will not fend off any wild animals for you but loyal. If you get a female you can breed her and the puppies will sell for 400-700 each. Gizmo has paid for herself several times over and we kept a female pup from our last litter Coda is her name.


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## jahan (Sep 7, 2007)

orvis1 said:


> We have shih tzu and they are wonderful family and lap dogs. We take them out in the boat they don't take up much room and Gizmo likes to give the fish a little kiss before we put them back in the water. They are not good cold weather dogs or swimmers though and we will not fend off any wild animals for you but loyal. If you get a female you can breed her and the puppies will sell for 400-700 each. Gizmo has paid for herself several times over and we kept a female pup from our last litter Coda is her name.


The one thing wrong with this statement is Shih tzu. :wink:  Just playing with you. I have two black lab mixes and they are both 60 lbs. Great companions, big enough to protect us, but still small compared to other labs. They are great with my six month boy also.


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## orvis1 (Sep 7, 2007)

Trust me if the man of the house got to pick the pet we would have a bulldog. But I live with 2 women and was outvoted so wussy dogs I have. They make my wife and daughter happy and that in turn makes me happy.


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## jahan (Sep 7, 2007)

FishGlyph said:


> Riverrat77 said:
> 
> 
> > Do a dog a favor and save a life at your local pound. The dogs you'll get there will more than likely be just as good as any high strung purebred and just might turn out to be one of the best dogs you've ever owned. The price for adoption isn't bad either, especially when they throw in a spay/neuter and microchipping for a small fee just because of the adoption. I certainly have never had any reason to look beyond a dogs "appearance" to make sure it was worthy of a little love and companionship... mine have all been great mutts.
> ...


BTW both of my dogs were free. The one dog was abanded and I found her shivering and starving so I kept her, and the other was someones who couldn't have a dog anymore. I couldn't agree with you more Riverrat77!


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## Nibble Nuts (Sep 12, 2007)

orvis1 said:


> Trust me if the man of the house got to pick the pet we would have a bulldog. But I live with 2 women and was outvoted so wussy dogs I have. They make my wife and daughter happy and that in turn makes me happy.


What type of bulldog are you talking about? If it is an American Bulldog, you should have got one. I adopted a pit a few years ago and she is the greatest dog I've ever been around, more loyal than one could imagine a dog being, great with people, loves kids, hates other dogs and gets confused when fishing, and wonders why I keep throwing things she can't retrieve. Loves to swim and even pulls the boat when swimming, but not the kind of dog for the novice and not a fun fishing companion. Excellent gaurd against anything.


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## CBR (Sep 12, 2007)

Well, here is the thing. My space is limited. I live in a 1800 sq foot home so a bigger dog would dominate especially with 2 young daughters and my wife. I am out numbered. I don't want a pug although they have been suggested by several people, bulldogs also have been suggested but the wife things they are ugly. Ya see what I am dealing with?

So I need to find a good option to make everyone happy, kids want something they can walk, play fetch with, and have as a friend. I want a pup that I can have a a fishing buddy when I go fishing solo on the boat (20 ft bass boat), and the wife wants something that is obedient (after training) and has minimal to no shedding.

Any of those cross bred dogs work? Haven't they found a way to breed the scent trail of a beagle? Thats the only **** thing keeping me from getting one. I have met some awesome beagles (indoors) that are great companions.

Thanks for all the advice so far.


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## Nibble Nuts (Sep 12, 2007)

Thats a tough bill to fill there. I can think of some breeds that would work well on the boat, but not sure if they are sturdy enough for the kids to play with. Other dogs that come to my mind would take a bit of extra responsibilty and the wife might fear them at first, but would fit your description. The hard part is finding one that won't be an energetic burden while fishing.


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## Nibble Nuts (Sep 12, 2007)

Actually, after thinking more into it, a miny Australian might fit your descrition. Should you be interested, I have family that breeds and sells these dogs and could give you their info.


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## El Matador (Dec 21, 2007)

I have a great lab, but they wouldn't fit your requirements based on the shedding alone. I might look into the King Charles if you want a pure breed. My friend has one and he's a great family dog. It's true that he doesn't always listen, but I tend to think that's more of a training deficiency than a fault in the breed. Regardless of how good the breed is you still need to train a dog properly if you want him to obey you. Once you decide on a dog be sure to get some good training literature.


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## Nor-tah (Dec 16, 2007)

so what about our little lab? Ill give you a good deal :wink: I think she would match pretty close..


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## americanforkdude (Sep 13, 2007)

Nibble Nuts said:


> Actually, after thinking more into it, a miny Australian might fit your descrition. Should you be interested, I have family that breeds and sells these dogs and could give you their info.


+1, they're great dogs. You would like this and it would match everything your looking for.


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## Petersen (Sep 7, 2007)

CBR said:


> 1) Must be a female
> 2) Must be a small breed (10-30lbs)
> 3) Must have short hair (minimal shedding)
> 4) good with children
> ...


Okay, you're not going to like this, but you just described a miniature poodle. Yeah, I know the image that comes to mind, but they actually meet every one of the qualities you just mentioned with the exception of short hair, but they don't really shed, so maybe that doesn't matter.

I'm not talking about the yappy toys or the full-sized standard poodles, I'm talking about the 15- to 20-pound miniatures. They're loyal, they like strangers, they're outgoing (if they're socialized properly when young), they're very smart, they're good with kids, kids like them, they're highly trainable, they like the outdoors, and they're good swimmers. I mean, poodles were originally bred as retrievers until people started giving them those ridiculous hair cuts that ruined their image. Seriously, a miniature poodle with a non-offensive hair cut might just be your dog.


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## Texscala (Sep 8, 2007)

Those hair cuts were actually invented to make the dogs have less drag while swimming.


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## Packfish (Oct 30, 2007)

I'm a lab guy- My criteria was the same as yours- except for the weight. Greatest dogs I have ever owned. The best fishing dog I have ever seen. Though I think I probably got a 1 in a 100 lab as far as the fishing goes. She backpacks also. But she is 13 now and she still goes- no hip problems but she is winding down. I have actually looked into one of these: A Border terrier- the price though is the onlynthing holding me back

http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/borderterrier.htm


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## Riverrat77 (Sep 7, 2007)

You know the person mentioning the Aussie rang a bell with me.... have you checked out the little cattle dogs? Heelers Blue/Red? They are pretty obedient dogs from what I've seen, very loyal/protective and will run your kids into the ground in a good way. They will be good family dogs too from what I've seen personally of them and they never seem to get very big. Just a thought.... I'm not sure how many of those there are around for sale though.... :?


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## jahan (Sep 7, 2007)

Maybe a smaller border collie, they could herd yours kids into the corner. :wink:


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## De Jager (Sep 27, 2007)

I would go with this Terrier. Loyal dog and fun to play with. I checked out this website for you and it said these breeds do not shed or shed very lightly:

Airedale Terrier Australian Terrier
Basenji Bichon Frise
Boston Terrier Bouvier des Flandres
Cairn Terrier Chinese Crested
Havanese Kerry Blue Terrier
Maltese Miniature Schnauzer
Norfolk Terrier Norwich Terrier
Poodle (all types) Schnauzer
Shih Tzu Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier
Tibetan Terrier Welsh Terrier
West Highland White Terrier Xoloitzcuintli
Yorkshire Terrier 

The Airedale Terrier is the largest of the terrier dog breeds. The Airedale has a hard, dense and wiry coat that is water resistant. This well-balanced terrier has a long flat head with a deep chest and straight front legs. The dog’s tail is usually docked. The Airedale’s wiry outer coat is bright tan-colored with black or dark grizzle body saddle and top of neck and tail. Male dogs range from 23 to 24 inches and female dogs from 22 to 23 inches at shoulder height. Airedales can weigh from 40 to 55 lbs.


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## CBR (Sep 12, 2007)

So I have been researching......

I have been told that any spaniel breed would be a fit.

But I also was told a Lab and Beagle mix has mellowed out the scent chasing and howling to a point where if you are consistant you can get them to control themselves.

Has anyone had any experience with a well trained lab/beagle mix?


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## El Matador (Dec 21, 2007)

Sorry I don't have any experience with those  But I will say this: You're making a great effort to find the right breed for your family, you should also make an effort to find the right individual puppy for your family. Every dog book I've read suggests looking at several litters (if possible) before choosing, and then paying attention to the behavior of each puppy. So I guess my point here is that you should find a breed that will allow you to do this. Don't try for some rare kind of spaniel that you have to mail order from Spain. Oh, and bring your kids with you when you pick one out :mrgreen:


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## cfarnwide (Sep 10, 2007)

Okay, I'll try.

Ive always been partial to spaniels as well. We have had both ****ers and currently a brittany. The brittany has won me over, I will always have one till the day I die.

Those would be on the large end. On the smaller end of your range look at the Wirehaired Dachshund. Scrappy little dogs. My brother has one and she is awesome. Wrestles with the brittany, loves everyone, good watchdog, great traveler. The coat is pretty cool too. Hardly ever need baths and just a light brush every once in a while.










Just a tidbit from a website: "The name "Dachshund" comes from German (dachs) badger (hund) dog but in Germany, its country of origin, the breed is known as the "Teckel." Early German documents from the 16th century refer to predecessors as a little "earth dog", "badger digger." *Often hunted in packs, they were bred for hunting ferocious badgers (in Europe) and would follow them right into their underground burrows, drag them out and kill them.* The original Dachshunds were smooth coated. Longhaired variety came later, followed by the Wire hair variety near the end of the 18th century. The first Teckel stud book was created in Germany in 1890 and it referred to Smooth, Longhaired and Wirehaired varieties. The working ability of the breed is paramount and thus its size and structure are chiefly functional. Miniature varieties came later."


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