What dog to get??????

Question
Hi Charlotte

I am thinking og getting a puppy but I do work all day and out of the house from 08:00 until 18:00 Monday to Friday. I know that this is not ideal for a dog so will be paying for someone to walk the dog for an hour each day and also the dog will go to my Mums one day a week. I will be taking the dog for a walk for 15 mins in the morning and also 15/20 minutes in the evening and the dog will get a long walk/run at the weekends. I also have a 4 year old, 3 legged cat who is a bit scatty and scratches people. I will be keeping the dog and cat seperate during the day. I have done alot of research on which breed is best to get but would be grateful for your knowledge. I am also thinking of getting a cross breed with the main breed as a Bichon Frise.

Thanks for your time

Answer
Hi Mandy;
I have had many dogs.
some were purebreds and some were mixes. I have had dogs from large to very small.
I have had some of the so-called "vicious breeds", and havd trained dogs of almose every breed.
As far as intelligence, I have known some highly intelligent mixed breeds and some pretty dull purebreds. So I don't think purebred has an intelligence advantage, and both are capable of complete love and loyalty.
the hounds and hunting breeds require a lot more exercise and room to run, so it is difficult to raise thwem if your time or space is limited.
Some large breeds do well in apartments.
My family members have had German /shepherds and Rottweillers in apartments. They wer very well behaved, and exercised themselves by walking around the parrtment, and of course they did get walks and runs on weekends.
The mix you sounds fine. You can most likely find such a mix at rescue groups or the Humane society, or possibly at a city pound.
If you get one from a city pound, you have no advantage of a Veterinary examination to guarantee a healthy dog, but you certainly save a little life.
3 of the dogs I have now are mixed breeds that I fostered for a rescue group, but fell in love with and couldn't part with. The 4th is a purenred Sheltie my husband took from a co-worker that was looking to find him another home. He is a little love, and so well behaved, I can't imagine anyone just getting tired of him, but it is our good fortune they did.
fo a small dog, the exercise program you laid out sounds as though your dog will get enough exercise and attention.
Gom Girl!! sounde like you pretty well have it all figured out how to integrate a little 4 legged child into your family.
I would suggest a dog at least 6 months or older, as a very young puppy needs more attention given at shorter intervals. They need to be fed 4 times a day, but at 6 months, they can be fed three times a day.
Th hour ong walk may not be as necessary as the person who comes to walk it just play with it and give it attention.
You can have a good romp inside tyour house in the evenings and that is good exercise for both you and the dog.
Get some Kong toys or NylaBone toys for it to chew on during the times it is alone. This gives the chewing exercises they need, and will help keep it from chewing on furniture etc, and they are hard enough so the dog can't bite off a piece to swallow and get choked, so it will be safe for it to play with those toys when no one is watching over it.
I would try to make a situation where the cat and dog can't get at each other, but can sniff and get aquainted. When we took in a cat, we made a fence across a door the cat could get over but the dogs couldn't, so the cat could go where it felt safe, but the dogs could see it, and they could get close enough for the cat to sniff them and know they would not hurt it. It took three days for the cat to jump out into the room and start playing with the dogs.
We made the gate out of those plastic covered wire shelves my husband got at Home Depot. They come in all widths.
If you get a small dog that is not a jumper, one of those baby gates you put across a doorway would work.
Dogs and cats that live in the same house, most usually become friends, sometimes very close friends.
Charlotte