We have a new dog. It's the first I've owned since leaving home and having kids. We figured we should be very particular about breed, for two main reasons; we have five children under eight years old, all small for their age, and we live on five unfenced acres. After a lot of research, I was very confused. The internet dog-selector programs would give me wildly different results, and there was just too much information to filter.
During our holiday to Merimbula in NSW (Australia), and saw a dog for sale at a petting zoo. He was a Maltese x Fox Terrier. After a few days of deliberation, we contacted the seller and .. long story short, we bought the brother. Not sure whether we have done a smart thing or not, but I'm determined to train this doggy as best I can, so he stays close to the house and has behaviour to be proud of. I'm really looking forward to having a dog that others will be pleased to meet. I have friends who have had Maltese crosses before, and mostly I've found them to be annoying, but none of these dogs were trained past house training, and even then it was taught using punishment. I understand that Malteses and Fox Terriers are very smart, so I've got high hopes for our new family member.
The kids have called him Furry (sigh). Wish me luck!
Re: new Dog
Sounds like a great mix for your busy family!
You might want to check out Sue Ailby's Training Levels program. It gives you a framework to follow for training and your kids can help too!
http://www.dragonflyllama.com/%20DOGS/%20Dog1/levels.html
With some reading, it provides all the info you need to learn how to train the dog top become a great family (by level 3) & society member (further up).
Good luck!
As a dog trainer I was
As a dog trainer I was recently reading up on terriers and found them to be highly energergetic, sometimes mouthy, but over all a good family dog. It sounds like you chose a good breed, mixes are always nice too because there's less chance of health issues that other people tend to find in purebred dogs. Just keep in mind terriers are hunters and even though he is a mix breed, his desire to run and hunt may still be instinctive for him at times but then again maybe not. All in all I will wish you luck, I would also like to add that with 5 young children and postive training, Furry will become an excellent addition to your family.
Zara