I need help choosing a dog breed!

Malorie said:
:confused: For Christmas, I asked Santa for a dog. A chihuahua would fit the apt. rules:
*No LOUD barking
*No peeing on the plants, trees, other people's property, etc.
Well, that's all the rules.
I like huskies, malamutes, and other snow dogs, but in the book I'm reading right now, it says northern bred dogs are NOT for unexperienced owners. But they're sooo cute when they're puppies. Thier fur on their necks are so soft and fluffy...
Maybe an 8-week-old Yorkie pup.
If not a yorkie, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.
Instead maybe I can have a Norwegian Elkhound.
If you find a small dog that isn't messy, isn't a heavy drooler, doesn't shed a lot, and doesn't have any specail grooming needs. Thanx!
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Try this site! www.dogbreedinfo.com and http://www.seefido.com/dog-discussion-forum/index.php

A male dog will pee on plants, trees, walls, and other peple's property if you allow him on their property.. and a puppy will pee on everything in the house until it is house-trained, which doesn't involve dragging the dog to where it has had an accident and putting his or her nose in it.
Also, puppies at around 8 weeks need to go out once every hour or so to make sure there are no accidents in the house.
The websites I have posted are amazing, the 2nd is like aquariacentral for dogs.

I suggest you look on www.petfinder.com for the dog you want. There are thousands of dogs and puppies who need you. Also, my favorite 2 dogs(shh.. don't tell the other dogs) are my adopted pit bull terrier, and my mixed breed dog(pomeranian mixed with shih-tzu), who is so smart.. And very loyal.
 
kygrl said:
How about a Pomeranian?
This is Emmy. She weighs in at a whopping 3 1/2 pounds. She doesn't bark alot and as long as you keep her brushed she doesn't shed alot. She has very little grooming. Just around her privates. She has been a wonderful addition to our family. She is very loving and she was very easy to train.(I know every dog is different):)
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OP said they need a dog that doesn't bark loudly and probably would prefer one that doesn't bark constantly. That excludes the pomeranian. Probably would prefer a dog that doesn't try to bite the crap out of everyone too lol.

i am a major dog lover, but this is the ONLY breed I can't stand. To each his/her own though.
 
My favorites are the Shiba Inu's, they are similar to mini Akitas. They can be rather independent, are really clean dogs, mine doesn't shed much, and they are excellent guard dogs. They are very smart though and do test their limits, so training is a must for them. Just something else to consider! Good luck finding a dog!

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MonoSebaelover said:
My favorites are the Shiba Inu's, they are similar to mini Akitas. They can be rather independent, are really clean dogs, mine doesn't shed much, and they are excellent guard dogs. They are very smart though and do test their limits, so training is a must for them. Just something else to consider! Good luck finding a dog!
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I have to say, Shibas and not beginner dogs... They are rather full of themselves :D
 
lilim10 said:
Basenji, they are very clean and non-bark dogs. But personally I like shiba inus better.
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I'm a Shiba owner and would NOT recommend them for an inexperienced dog owner - they're very independent and headstrong (in other words, difficult to train into complete obedience) and definitely do not meet the "no shedding" quality you are looking for.
 
Unless you are gone for no more than 4 hours a day, you should not be getting a puppy, they require lots of time and patience to housebreak and socialize properly. An adult dog, already housebroken, would be perfect for you. Shelters have lots of beagle-mixes and small shepard mixes that could suit the characteristics you're looking for. The personality of an adult dog is much easier to gauge and the shelter staff will be able to match you well.
 
Scientiste said:
Unless you are gone for no more than 4 hours a day, you should not be getting a puppy, they require lots of time and patience to housebreak and socialize properly. An adult dog, already housebroken, would be perfect for you. Shelters have lots of beagle-mixes and small shepard mixes that could suit the characteristics you're looking for. The personality of an adult dog is much easier to gauge and the shelter staff will be able to match you well.
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Exactly... Having a puppy and PROPERLY bringing it up is almost as bad as a baby. Especially with my breeds, because if they don't act perfect they'll be hauled off to be put down or have to wear a bright orange collor and muzzle stating that he or she is dangerous.

A shiba in unexperienced hands could be very bad... They are adorable fluff balls, but they are independent, and hard to train.

I suggest a shelter, again, lhasa apso's are very intelligent, and not hard to train.. but you cannot get her or him and say that you'll spend the hours a day needed to properly train a dog and to socialize it with every kind of person, place and other animals and do it for a while, then after the dog gets older and you get used to the idea of having him or her around, you cannot stop the training, training is for life with dogs.... I did a breed search with what you wanted(or close) with toy breeds, and it came up with these:
http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/cgi-bin/dbi-search.cgi

It does say mini schnauzer on there, but I do not recommend a white schnauzer, they are inbred, my grandfather owned one that he left to us.. that was one of the worst dogs I have owned... he was very inbred, and unpredictable at best. He constantly attacked out pit, and us if we were cutting his hair or trimming his nails. We finally gave him up to an old rich couple who wanted something to baby, and they can afford to take him to a groomer and have him put to sleep while his grooming is going on.
 
I work at a vet clinic which has me a little prejudice against small dogs..not going to lie. Once you have to wrestle an angry Chihuahua to take some blood, you won't look at them the same way again! :silly:

If you are set on getting a purebred, my favorite of the ones you listed is the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. Every one I met is the sweetest, most affectionate dog. Just make sure you get your puppy from a reputable breeder...every january we get a huge influx of Christmas-bought pet shop puppies that are very sick. :headshake2: Plus, with the Cavalier you have to make sure the parents and puppies have been tested for heart problems...they are kinda known for that.

With smaller dogs like Chihuahuas (especially toy) you really have to make sure you are home to care for them. Since they are so small they need to eat frequent small meals to keep their blood sugar levels up..otherwise they may become hypoglycemic.

Steer clear of any herding/working dogs unless you plan on exercising them constantly. Otherwise you will have a disaster zone for an apartment!

I would also recommend looking at Petfinder...mixed breeds have a reputation for being much healthier overall.

Like I said, my opinion is based on what I see at work. Too often people don't do enough research and rack up quite a hefty vet bill because of it.
 
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