Our kids have been begging us parents to get a dog "for ever", and we've previously always said no mainly because my wife is sligthly allergic to them, and also because we've considered the kids to be too young to take responsibility of one. You know the story...kids say "please, please, please, we'll do anything for a dog" and then the next thing you know, you're the only one who takes it out and cares for it.
Well, recently my wife and I thought this over, and to our 'surprise' we both concluded that it wouldn't be such a bad idea, after all. I was genuinely surprised that my wife was for it, since she's never been a 'dog person' and never had a dog. In contrast, during my childhood our family had three consequetive dogs, I've always liked dogs, and know pretty well how to deal with them. I guess the weird and stressful times we are living might have something to do with the decision. We feel like a dog would bring some positive spirit, joy, and focus (other than Corona !) in the family. And, it might give the kids an opportunity to learn more of how to be responsible and the dog might even give them comfort in this mad world. Plus, I really like dogs.
Anyways, because of my wife's slight allergy we've been looking at hypoallergenic breeds, and now we've narrowed it down to two options: 1) Standard Schnauzer 2) Labradoodle.
I'm not that familiar with Snauzers but from what I've read they are highly intelligent, very loyal, and 'serious' dogs who like to 'do chores'. I like that description! Personally, I'm not a big fan of really small, 'funny' and 'wild' dogs that 'bark all the time' (sorry my prejudice). So, the miniature Shnauzer is out, and as the giant Snautzer is too big, I give my vote for the standard sized (original) Snauzer.
My wife and daughter think that the labradoodle is sooo cute, and that the Snauzer is a too 'serious German dude with whiskers'. It appears that they'd want the labradoodle instead. Our son hasn't yet given his vote to either one. Since labradoodles are a quite recent mixed breed, I have some concernes about how robust their health might be (unpredictability of health and other factors is mentioned on several pages I've seen). The original Snauzer, on the other hand, has been around for over 200 years. Some sources say that the labradoodle is highly intelligent, some say that you never know.
So, does anyone here have any experience with either breeds or good knowledge on them? I guess since I'm the only 'experienced dog owner' in our family, my vote will have considerable weight in the final decision (I could be wrong about that !). My experience is that it's more important that the dog is intelligent and loyal than how cute or 'fun' it is.
Well, recently my wife and I thought this over, and to our 'surprise' we both concluded that it wouldn't be such a bad idea, after all. I was genuinely surprised that my wife was for it, since she's never been a 'dog person' and never had a dog. In contrast, during my childhood our family had three consequetive dogs, I've always liked dogs, and know pretty well how to deal with them. I guess the weird and stressful times we are living might have something to do with the decision. We feel like a dog would bring some positive spirit, joy, and focus (other than Corona !) in the family. And, it might give the kids an opportunity to learn more of how to be responsible and the dog might even give them comfort in this mad world. Plus, I really like dogs.
Anyways, because of my wife's slight allergy we've been looking at hypoallergenic breeds, and now we've narrowed it down to two options: 1) Standard Schnauzer 2) Labradoodle.
I'm not that familiar with Snauzers but from what I've read they are highly intelligent, very loyal, and 'serious' dogs who like to 'do chores'. I like that description! Personally, I'm not a big fan of really small, 'funny' and 'wild' dogs that 'bark all the time' (sorry my prejudice). So, the miniature Shnauzer is out, and as the giant Snautzer is too big, I give my vote for the standard sized (original) Snauzer.
My wife and daughter think that the labradoodle is sooo cute, and that the Snauzer is a too 'serious German dude with whiskers'. It appears that they'd want the labradoodle instead. Our son hasn't yet given his vote to either one. Since labradoodles are a quite recent mixed breed, I have some concernes about how robust their health might be (unpredictability of health and other factors is mentioned on several pages I've seen). The original Snauzer, on the other hand, has been around for over 200 years. Some sources say that the labradoodle is highly intelligent, some say that you never know.
So, does anyone here have any experience with either breeds or good knowledge on them? I guess since I'm the only 'experienced dog owner' in our family, my vote will have considerable weight in the final decision (I could be wrong about that !). My experience is that it's more important that the dog is intelligent and loyal than how cute or 'fun' it is.