First time dog owner

[u/lawschoolhamster]

So, as the title says, my fiancé and I are hoping to adopt a dog within the next 6 months to a year from now and are going through options. At this time we know we want a small dog because we've never trained a dog before. We both grew up with dogs (he grew up with a corgi and i grew up with a lab, Doberman and a pit at one point) but again never trained. My schedule is honestly pretty flexible and we have our own home with a MASSIVE and i mean massive back yard for a dog to run in. We know a little about dog training but, would this be a breed that you'd recommend for first time dog owners?

[u/Dragonlurker9005]

Its probably not ideal as a first dog, but I think they're needs are pretty similar to a corgi's, so if that level of energy and commitment feels doable, it'll probably work out. As with most herding breeds, they generally need activity and stimulation to avoid a lot of the behavioral issues, although its not like an Aussie or border collie, those are a level higher on the discipline/activity need scale.

[u/Gurtlushlemon]

Hello! My partner and I are first time dog owners and have a 9 month old Swedish vallhund. We both also grew up with dogs but were never the dog's owner.

What I will say is that it's been HARD. We did so much research and still weren't prepared for some things. Our little gal brings us so much joy but she is sassy, stubborn and needs a lot of physical and mental stimulation. The large back garden will help but you'll still need to do a lot of work. We're planning on getting ours into agility soon.

She does have less desirable traits, which from what I understand aren't uncommon in the breed - she's smart and will try to outsmart us, vocal - not just barky, she grumbles, huffs and you know when she isn't pleased with you. And her bark is LOUD for her size. She also so so so affectionate and clingy (this one we love!) but it means she can get distressed when we leave a room.

I'd say make sure you do lots of research as I imagine there are probably 'easier' breeds out there. But for us she is still 100000% worth it for all the joy she brings, and we secretly love her sassiness! She's a funny, goofy little thing who does her best to please us and picks up tricks and commands super easily. As long as you're prepared to put in work you'll get lots of rewards.

[u/polyhimnia]

This breed is a lot of dog in a smaller package. They have opinions and aren’t afraid to share them. Not a breed I’d suggest as a first dog. Have you had a chance to meet any in person?

It’s not so much having a lot of room to run, they need engagement and mental stimulation.

Do you have a local dog training club? Regular training classes are a good way to go. Finding a good breeder that can match temperament to what you’re looking for is also important.

We have 3 of them, all males, ages 5-5-2.

The first one we got, the breeder reached out to double check that we were okay with a more active, intense dog. We’ve been in weekly obedience classes since we made it through puppy classes. We also do scent work and take weekly herding lessons. He is okay with chilling in the house but he’ll reach a point where he just needs to _do_ something and he’ll let you know.

The middle 5 year old is my husband’s dog and is more chill and is happy for attention in any form.

The youngest also does obedience and herding lessons and is a handful.

The size of the dog does not dictate how much training effort will be involved.

[u/avideno24]

There isn’t enough mention of this when people ask about getting one as a first dog, but Vallhunds are a primitive breed. If you don’t know what that means, it’s very important to research it and meet a few of them before getting one.

I wish I had known that with my first SV. It was a long road to figuring things out. Training the second one has been much easier. Positive reinforcement is almost always the only way to train them, and anything else generally gets a frustrating response.

[u/Equivalent-Board930]

Not really, but this also depends on how involved you were with your past dogs. I do really recommend a herding dog as a first time dog with no backstory.

also, this is not a breed that just because you have a massive backyard and a massive house that it’s gonna be fine. This is a breed that you need to put work into. This is not a breed that you could just leave in your backyard and hope for the best or leave your home and hope for the best. Lack of socialization and exposure as puppies turn them into basket cases.

[u/EnzoDK2]

It was my daughters first dog and she did not grew up with dogs. And they are very easy to train. It was also my first dog, but I grew up with poodles. As I said they are easy to train, they are an intelligent breed, but that also mean you have to be firm and consistent. They have their own personality and meaning of what to do and when, so they will challenge your choices. I think they are wonderful dogs. My dog has never bit me not even by accident and love to fetch ball or stick and tug rope.

[u/thecarpetbug]

If you never trained dogs, I'd recommend you try to dogsit a Swedish vallhund and try to train with them before deciding on the breed. If you're lucky, you'll get a food motivated dog that'll be easy to train, but you might also get one like mine who works with you and not for you.

As a puppy he loved training and was motivated by making me happy. As a teenager, I could only train him on his terms (I could have the most delicious candy or the funnest toy, but if he didn't want to train, he wouldn't) and now that he's an adult, he wants to train with me and for treats. He became food motivated at around 3 and an adult at 4.5.

They are a lot of dog in a small package. They find their own jobs, sometimes even if they are properly stimulated. They learn very fast, but they are also stubborn as hell. If you get one, they'll be your best friend, but they'll also age you about 10 years before they mature. I wouldn't trade my pup for anything, but I would lie if I told you that it wasn't an uphill battle during his teenage period.