Dog breeds
Everyone has their own special love and bias regarding certain breeds. I can give you some advice from experiences I have had working at a vets for 10 years and also from personal experience. A chihuahua is a great little dog but like most toy breeds need a lot of attention and we, as owners, tend to baby them which turns them into shivery, yappy, insecure little dogs that can be hard to trust when they are out of their comfort zone. Don't get me wrong, I love little dogs and have two of my own. An Elkhound was my all time favorite dog that I ever had. But, they shed like mad in the spring because they have an undercoat like most spitz type dogs. Which includes huskys and malamutes. An American Eskimo is a nice little dog, not yappy and don't shed a whole lot If you like the look of that type. They do need exercise and socialization though, just like any dog. Queensland heelers and austrailian shepherds are great but they are working dogs and need to work doing something or they can get very neurotic and destructive. If you are worried about peeing to mark their territory your male dog needs to be neutered and don't forget an unspayed female will go into heat and make a mess and are great escape artists when they are ready to breed.
I am sorry that I am going on, but PLEASE do some research on the breeds you like. There are so many dogs in rescue groups and animal shelters because they were "such cute puppies" and the people who got them didn't think ahead about how big they would get, or how bored, or just lonely and become an "inconvenience" for the owner. And don't forget there are expenses involved. Spaying, neutering, vaccinations, flea control, grooming, emergencys and just plain feeding them a good quality dog food.
I am not trying to discourage anyone just trying to make you plan and think ahead.
For Christmas, I asked Santa for a dog. A chihuahua would fit the apt. rules:
