Looking for the right Dog

You can look on petfinder.com, they have lots and lots of dogs for adoption of all different mixes and sizes.  I would just say stay away from people advertizing doodle puppies of any sort, they are puppy millers or BYBers and those would not likely be healthy dogs. 

Ottoluv hit it dead on - petfinder.com

look for a dog that has been with cats before. Go down to your local shelter, talk to the staff there, they are excellent at pointing you in the right direction, they know those dogs the best.

A WELL bred dog from a reputable breeder is far less likely to have health problems than is a "pure bred" from a puppy mill or backyard breeder who does no health screening, no health testing and does not prove their breeding stock in the confirmation ring or some other performance related venue.  Remember, when you are dealing with doodles or any of the other "designer breeds" you are getting a purebred parent of EACH breed and therefore, the same kinds of problems you'd find with a byb times TWO.  Certain breeds, if not carefully screened and tested, are more prone to certain conditions.

Goldens, Schauzers and labs, by the way ARE purebreds.

Might I suggest a nice mixed breed from a shelter or rescue?  There are some truely lovely dogs, older pups and even little ones, in shelters and rescues every day of the week.  The good ones do temperment testing and you aren't going to get "stuck" with a boatload of problems.  Often, the owners failure to take a dog for obedience training or to install any manners is the reason for the surrender.  Those cute little puppy behaviors are not so cute in a grown dog.  And, it's NEVER to late for training.  Just a thought.....

Thank you for the great advice. We will check into the rescue shelters and humane society here in town. Appreciate your helping us out. Will let you know what we come up with.

Will try that! Thanks for the good advice!

Hi there !    And welcome !    Everyone has already said it, but I wanted to add some personal experience.   Both of my dogs (one past, one present) are rescues.    The first one was from a shelter.   She was a 2 year old cocker spaniel mix when I adopted her.   She was dropped off at the shelter because her owners "didn't have enough time for her".   Her only issue was submissive urination (ie: she wanted to show her submission and she did this by squatting).   By trying to be even more submissive ourselves my husband and I helped her overcome that in a very short time.   We had 11 wonderful and beautiful years together - she was perfect for us.    My current dog was an 8 month old miniature poodle mix that I got from a rescue organization - she was found as a stray and had no identification.   She's a bundle of energy and is my little comedian.   In a few weeks it will be her one year "gotcha day".   She's cute as a button and is my ever present buddy.   After experiencing two shelter / rescue dogs I can honestly say that I'd never do it any other way.   The folks at the shelters and rescues will do their best to find the "right dog" for you - they really go out of there way to help.     Before I adopted my Michelle (the cocker) I was considering a border collie mix that was at the shelter - the folks at the shelter didn't think it would be a good fit so they took my information.  Michelle was brought in a week later and they knew she'd be perfect for me so they called me at work to ask if I wanted to meet her before they did anything else.   They were right, she was PERFECT for me.

Keep us posted on your search - I know there's a dog out there that is waiting especially for you.

I should have said that we ARE entertaining the thoughts of getting a dog, sorry for the way I worded it. And really appreciate the replies, will help with our decision!

Kewood15

First thing is first, don't go out specifically looking for a mix. No matter what type of dog you get, they all are going to have health problems, which is why you go to a reputable breeder. Start doing your research online. Take some breed selector quizzes and maybe go to a few dog shows and talk to some people who have the dog you may be interested in. There are MANY breeders at dog shows. For the whole breed decision thing, its really your opinion. Look online at some dogs you like, and do your research on that breed.

Me, being the HUGE Lab Lover I am, and I am currently on my 4th one, I highly recommend. If this is your first dog, then you should be doing LOTS of research. If you just get one from a backyard breeder, your going to run into some problems. Labs have their share of health problems, and if they come from a bad line, they can be very hyper and destructive. Take it from me, who's first Lab came from a Petstore. He was so bad, we had no choice but to give him up. Field Labs (tall and lean) tend to be more active then your average English but it can vary for each dog. My boy Mason, who passed away a few months ago, was an English and he was all around the best dog I've ever owned. Very loving, mellow and all around a big couch potato. But my current Lab Chance, who is of English stock, has nice house manners, but is pretty active and chews a lot if he gets bored. This is a breed that needs lots of patience and training from a young age. Though they are usually willing to cooperate. If you get one from a good breeder, then you'll have no regrets because this is truly an amazing breed,

what everyone else has said sounds great. You would be surprised with the dogs you can fall in love with at the shelter. Plus, sometimes a shelter dog has been evaluated by a foster parent on how they are with cats. Besides, my mom's most recent cat (RIP Ruby) could tell off my german shepherd and have him running away from her. You'd be surprised how well they can hold their own!!