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If you're not too fussed about a particular breed I'd recommend having a look at a rescue. Not sure if you've read up-thread but I've just adopted a dog from an organisation called Underdog International. We gave them a description of our lifestyle and our home and they basically picked us a dog based on that. In our case we needed a dog that was good with cats, good with young children (I have a 6 month old niece) and happy living in a busy city with a small garden but they have dogs that would suit any circumstances really.
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I have a GSP!- my dog coming up for ten years old now. As with most dogs & people partnerships, everyone's generally really biased positvely on their choice, but with as much objectivity as I can offer, I think as long as you can carefully manage the early stages of accepting and teaching that the existing livestock is off-limits as prey, you shoudl be good.
The beauty of my GSP is that she is extremely trainable, really very keen to please and food motivated, so with a bit of skill and patience on our part, can train to do pretty much anything within reason. Really sound with my kid when we got her (kid was about 8) , they're still best frieinds. He stared uni in october and she still looks around the house for him now and again.
As with all puppies, the early years with bundles and bundles of energy is where you need to be on your game to channel that into something positive. I used to take Madge for ten mile + bike rides, never really managed to tire her out.
I've had a few dogs over the years, cross breeds mainly, and I'd say that my GSP Madge was /is one the easiest to train . Mind you, she is still a pain at greeting people who come in the house, she's all over them with excitement, not aggression - never really managed to sort that out. But thats on me not the dog.
TLDR is Yes GSP great but also yes, they need plenty of exercise- like all / most dogs- we do mainly 4 mile walks daily off lead, with much longer bigger at weekends and all is fine.
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Sounds idyllic already!! Before we got our dog we were recommended Ian Dunbar's "before you get a puppy" (e)book by some friends and even our local vet. It was the single most useful resource I've come across. I highly recommend reading that before you make any decisions on breed, or anything else! I can send you a copy if you don't have it or can't find it online. It let us know what we were in for and got us ready for some challenging (and loving!) times
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allshookup
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@Olly398
Hello. First post in this thread, askin some advice. We would like to get a pupper. We already have a cat, eight chickens and a cockerel, five beehives and two kids under 4. We live in a rural village with lots of garden and walkies.
What stopped us until now was that we both worked in london, but obviously that’s changed and likely pretty permanently.
Neither of us has had dogs before. Reading about medium sized breeds that are good with kids and cats has brought us to the German Shorthaired Pointer. Does anyone have experience of the breed? Some say they need lots of attention/walking is it more than usual?
Any other breed advice? Thanks in advance x