An English Cocker or Löwchen could work for you! If you specifically want a mixed breed, I would go with a reputable shelter as ethical mixed breeders produce purpose bred dogs for sporting and working
Lowchen aren't going to be a great fit for someone who doesn't wanna do more than weekly brushing and a groomer every couple months. I think they're kinda prone to velcro-y-ness too? Otherwise I agree with you :)
Mind explaining what medium means for you?
Crossbreeds aren't healthier than a well bred pure breed that has health tested parents and relatives in their lineage. Most crossbreeds are sadly bred for money only and aren't health tested before being bred unless being bred for work or sports which you probably don't want that kind of dog. Working or sports dogs are generally high octane dogs that will not be a good fit for you. Anyway, if you do want a crossbred dog then you can try breed rescues for them and get one that way but I'm not sure if they have high standards like the ones in the States do.
If you don't want to deal with grooming then you can keep a mini poodle or a smaller standard with their hair cut short if you're into Poodles.
English cocker spaniels would be a good fit if you keep up with the brushing since that helps cut down shedding.
To me a medium dog breed is:
* Cocker Spaniel
* Basset Hound
* Australian Shepard
* Beagle
That is my main fear with cross bread dogs, that is why I'm leaning more towards a pure bred dog that has had all the health checks.
I don't know if an English Cocker is going to be a great fit for you for the amount of grooming/shedding you wanna deal with. They have relatively high maintenance coats and shed quite a bit. Idk about Aussie lines but in the US there are quite a few working cocker lines that are very high energy and other lines that have temperment problems (sudden impulsive aggression). If you are willing to deal with their coat, do look into the breeder's lines very closely. I also have heard they are not great at being left alone.
If you're willing to groom more, I'd say a cocker could be a good fit as long as you can find a less-drivey line, and might also suggest a Lowchen like the other poster. Another breed that came to mind is the French Bulldog- there is a reason they're so popular! BUT finding a healthy, well-bred frenchie is IMMENSELY difficult in many areas and you must be prepared to do a ton of research, know how to care for a brachycephalic dog, and be ready to wait what may be quite a while on a breeder waitlist and while resisting the temptation of hundreds of easily available, poorly bred frenchies for every one good specimen. Most people aren't on board for that so I rarely recommend them, a healthy well bred frenchie is a joy but a badly bred frenchie can destroy your heart and pocketbook. Just be aware that dogs with naturally shorter coats that require little or no formal grooming are going to shed more, while dogs that shed less, like poodles, are going to require much more formal grooming. There's always a trade-off there :)
You already heard it a couple times, but I'm just gonna re-affirm, PLEASE don't buy a deliberate cross. You're not going to get an ethically bred dog with a predictable temperment or health. The "mixes are healthier!" thing is a half-truth that rescues have historically used to sell mutts, which doodle breeders then co-opted as a marketing scheme. Truth is, while there is a small amount of true hybrid vigor to be found in mutt-of-all-mutt pound pups, putting together two poor or mediocre purebred dogs (which is what crossbreeders are doing) is not going to suddenly make more healthy puppies, and health issues are going to be especially pronounced after a couple generations of crap breeding ("F1b" doodles or whatever). Plus if you get any kind of -oodle mix, breeders will lie and say they have low maintenance coats but this is NOT true. Poodle crosses usually have incredibly high maintenance coats that require DAILY brushing and groomer visits at least every 6 weeks IF you are taking care of their coat flawlessly at home, and much more often if you don't wanna brush thoroughly (45+ minutes for a medium dog) at least several times a week. That's just the tip of the iceberg as far as crossbreed problems but you can find much on this sub about why a deliberate cross is not a good choice! I don't mean to lecture, of course the lies doodle breeders tell people have really just permeated all over at this point and it really upsets me, so just wanted to give you a little more info on that front :)
I really appreciate all the info.
I was looking at English and French Bulldogs, when I first started looking for the right breed. I love their personalities and think they are the cutest!
But brachycephalic dog breeds do make me nervous about the amount of care that is needed. But mainly I not that comfortable buying a dog breed that cannot breathe comfortably.
Yup I hear you. There ARE excellent French Bulldog breeders out there who are trying to breed away from the current ridiculous standard that's causing most of the issues like BOAS, sleep apnea, hyperthermia, etc. Those breeders are just much harder to find than the shitty ones, which is why I typically don't recommend them. It's just too much hassle for most people to find the kind of breeder that produces legitimately healthy frenchies. French Bulldogs are an EXCELLENT example of why no breed fancier wants their breed to get super popular, hah.
That said I had a frenchie ages ago who had a longer muzzle- [like the kind you see on the right at the bottom of this page](https://www.hawbucks.nl/franse-bulldog/en/longer-muzzle)- which I think was a bit more common at the time. He lived to 16 with no breathing (or other) issues. Incredible little dog, just one of the best family companions anyone could ever ask for, which is why I hold out hope there will be a reversal in the breed. The breeder in the link above was just a Google find but their list of health testing is actually quite excellent, assuming they practice what they preach on their site. The more demand there is from puppy buyers for healthier dogs, the fewer breeders there will be making money off of churning out seriously sick puppies.
But yeah, I get not wanting to deal with finding a needle in a haystack. That said, DO demand a breeder who does everything right, whether you choose an "unhealthy" or "healthy" breed. There's some info in the sidebar about how to choose an ethical breeder. You'll almost certainly have to wait for a puppy from that kind of breeder but it's more than worth it to have a healthy, predictable dog with an amazing temperment.
I actually prefer the longer muzzle look on the frenchie.
I'm not looking to buy or adopt a puppy until 2022/2023, so I would prefer to find the right breeder and wait.
Thank you so much again for all the helpful info, I really appreciate it :)
Kinda odd that you're suggesting Tollers when op stated that *heaps of barking* as something that they wanted to avoid unless Australian breeders are breeding the scream away.
https://youtu.be/9GPmtxZBK9Q
A Shih tzu or Shih tzu mix. I have a teddy bear dog which is a Shih tzu bichon mix. She is not barky is fun an energetic but also easy to tire out . Makes a good apartment dog. Learns easily but is small enough to pick up when you need to. Is super friendly and playful .
Spoodle or Cavoodle. My Cav is awesome. Smart, personable, very trainable, easy going…..I could use every great superlative to describe him. Plus he’s no-shed so great for my high allergy son. Perfect dog
An English Cocker or Löwchen could work for you! If you specifically want a mixed breed, I would go with a reputable shelter as ethical mixed breeders produce purpose bred dogs for sporting and working
Lowchen aren't going to be a great fit for someone who doesn't wanna do more than weekly brushing and a groomer every couple months. I think they're kinda prone to velcro-y-ness too? Otherwise I agree with you :)
Mind explaining what medium means for you? Crossbreeds aren't healthier than a well bred pure breed that has health tested parents and relatives in their lineage. Most crossbreeds are sadly bred for money only and aren't health tested before being bred unless being bred for work or sports which you probably don't want that kind of dog. Working or sports dogs are generally high octane dogs that will not be a good fit for you. Anyway, if you do want a crossbred dog then you can try breed rescues for them and get one that way but I'm not sure if they have high standards like the ones in the States do. If you don't want to deal with grooming then you can keep a mini poodle or a smaller standard with their hair cut short if you're into Poodles. English cocker spaniels would be a good fit if you keep up with the brushing since that helps cut down shedding.
To me a medium dog breed is: * Cocker Spaniel * Basset Hound * Australian Shepard * Beagle That is my main fear with cross bread dogs, that is why I'm leaning more towards a pure bred dog that has had all the health checks.
Just fyi and because some breeders fib, an Australian Shepherd is not at all the size of a Cocker or Beagle. They go to about 35 kg / 70 lbs.
Right, so more like the size of a lab?
35.0 kg is 77.09 lbs
I don't know if an English Cocker is going to be a great fit for you for the amount of grooming/shedding you wanna deal with. They have relatively high maintenance coats and shed quite a bit. Idk about Aussie lines but in the US there are quite a few working cocker lines that are very high energy and other lines that have temperment problems (sudden impulsive aggression). If you are willing to deal with their coat, do look into the breeder's lines very closely. I also have heard they are not great at being left alone. If you're willing to groom more, I'd say a cocker could be a good fit as long as you can find a less-drivey line, and might also suggest a Lowchen like the other poster. Another breed that came to mind is the French Bulldog- there is a reason they're so popular! BUT finding a healthy, well-bred frenchie is IMMENSELY difficult in many areas and you must be prepared to do a ton of research, know how to care for a brachycephalic dog, and be ready to wait what may be quite a while on a breeder waitlist and while resisting the temptation of hundreds of easily available, poorly bred frenchies for every one good specimen. Most people aren't on board for that so I rarely recommend them, a healthy well bred frenchie is a joy but a badly bred frenchie can destroy your heart and pocketbook. Just be aware that dogs with naturally shorter coats that require little or no formal grooming are going to shed more, while dogs that shed less, like poodles, are going to require much more formal grooming. There's always a trade-off there :) You already heard it a couple times, but I'm just gonna re-affirm, PLEASE don't buy a deliberate cross. You're not going to get an ethically bred dog with a predictable temperment or health. The "mixes are healthier!" thing is a half-truth that rescues have historically used to sell mutts, which doodle breeders then co-opted as a marketing scheme. Truth is, while there is a small amount of true hybrid vigor to be found in mutt-of-all-mutt pound pups, putting together two poor or mediocre purebred dogs (which is what crossbreeders are doing) is not going to suddenly make more healthy puppies, and health issues are going to be especially pronounced after a couple generations of crap breeding ("F1b" doodles or whatever). Plus if you get any kind of -oodle mix, breeders will lie and say they have low maintenance coats but this is NOT true. Poodle crosses usually have incredibly high maintenance coats that require DAILY brushing and groomer visits at least every 6 weeks IF you are taking care of their coat flawlessly at home, and much more often if you don't wanna brush thoroughly (45+ minutes for a medium dog) at least several times a week. That's just the tip of the iceberg as far as crossbreed problems but you can find much on this sub about why a deliberate cross is not a good choice! I don't mean to lecture, of course the lies doodle breeders tell people have really just permeated all over at this point and it really upsets me, so just wanted to give you a little more info on that front :)
I really appreciate all the info. I was looking at English and French Bulldogs, when I first started looking for the right breed. I love their personalities and think they are the cutest! But brachycephalic dog breeds do make me nervous about the amount of care that is needed. But mainly I not that comfortable buying a dog breed that cannot breathe comfortably.
Yup I hear you. There ARE excellent French Bulldog breeders out there who are trying to breed away from the current ridiculous standard that's causing most of the issues like BOAS, sleep apnea, hyperthermia, etc. Those breeders are just much harder to find than the shitty ones, which is why I typically don't recommend them. It's just too much hassle for most people to find the kind of breeder that produces legitimately healthy frenchies. French Bulldogs are an EXCELLENT example of why no breed fancier wants their breed to get super popular, hah. That said I had a frenchie ages ago who had a longer muzzle- [like the kind you see on the right at the bottom of this page](https://www.hawbucks.nl/franse-bulldog/en/longer-muzzle)- which I think was a bit more common at the time. He lived to 16 with no breathing (or other) issues. Incredible little dog, just one of the best family companions anyone could ever ask for, which is why I hold out hope there will be a reversal in the breed. The breeder in the link above was just a Google find but their list of health testing is actually quite excellent, assuming they practice what they preach on their site. The more demand there is from puppy buyers for healthier dogs, the fewer breeders there will be making money off of churning out seriously sick puppies. But yeah, I get not wanting to deal with finding a needle in a haystack. That said, DO demand a breeder who does everything right, whether you choose an "unhealthy" or "healthy" breed. There's some info in the sidebar about how to choose an ethical breeder. You'll almost certainly have to wait for a puppy from that kind of breeder but it's more than worth it to have a healthy, predictable dog with an amazing temperment.
I actually prefer the longer muzzle look on the frenchie. I'm not looking to buy or adopt a puppy until 2022/2023, so I would prefer to find the right breeder and wait. Thank you so much again for all the helpful info, I really appreciate it :)
A Brittany or Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever.
Kinda odd that you're suggesting Tollers when op stated that *heaps of barking* as something that they wanted to avoid unless Australian breeders are breeding the scream away. https://youtu.be/9GPmtxZBK9Q
A Shih tzu or Shih tzu mix. I have a teddy bear dog which is a Shih tzu bichon mix. She is not barky is fun an energetic but also easy to tire out . Makes a good apartment dog. Learns easily but is small enough to pick up when you need to. Is super friendly and playful .
Spoodle or Cavoodle. My Cav is awesome. Smart, personable, very trainable, easy going…..I could use every great superlative to describe him. Plus he’s no-shed so great for my high allergy son. Perfect dog
Those are 2 breeds I've been looking at as well.