Need your opinions on a smaller dog

Small family dog

Here's my .02. All it takes is a look at my avatar. She is our fourth Scottish Terrier. Each has had a different personality. We raised lots of children with scotties present. One of our daughters currently has three of them. If you train them well and treat them as a family member, they will reward you with loyalty and love. Great house dogs that do not shed. Do need a trim every couple of months though.


John

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Juice said:
I have to disagree with this, I've owned quite a few different terriers that did not live up to the "terrorizer" & stubborn title most people give them, and were incredibly easy to train. So this may be true for some, but not ALL.
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I agree with Juice. I have a terrier mix now and used to live with 2 others. My mom has two rat terriers right now and they are all pretty easy to take care of dogs. I don't think I've ever met a terrorizing terrier.

BTW, rat terrier is a great suggestion, IMO. They do shed but a quick brushing once or twice a week will keep the hair in your house to a minimum. Sharp looking dogs with a great personality.
 
Lol everyone has their own opinions!

I have to say check the local shelter first. 2 of my dogs are shelter dogs and they are fantastic pets. If you decide on a specific breed, I would look for a breed rescue in your area.

Now for my advice on a nice smaller dog I would say a soft coated wheaton terrier. They are energetic, smart, non shedding and just plain goofy. They will always make you laugh! I think this would be a good choice because they are a great size, about 30lbs. Yet you can take then running and play with them. They thrive on attention.

For an even smaller dog I highly recommend shih tzus. They tend to not be as yappy as many toy breeds (mine rarely barks). They are sweet and affectionate and usually pretty easy going. Mine does therapy dog work at the Children's hospital. Even though he's a toy dog he's smart and has been through a few obedience classes. One of my pet peeves is people that get toy dogs and don't treat them like like dogs. Then you get the spoiled brat that most people think of when they think small breeds.
 
Have you looked at pugs? Not sure about their shedding....but they remind me of compact little bull mastiffs!!
 
shepard mix. i have one, from the animal welfare league ( :) ) and she is the greatest dog. she is pretty (also muscular), energetic, playful, but also VERY gentle. so gentle she plays with my cat :D
 
Thank you so much. You guys have been a great help!

I'll be checking out some shelters with the wife soon..

Great suggestions on this thread. That wheaton terrier looks great! Rat terrier is cute too. . . That scottish terrier seems like a great dog as well. . .

I'll be looking through this thread and research them all.

I know it's a little too much to ask, but I would add that hopefully I'll be able to remove the leash when bringing the dog to the park. Believe it or not, my area doesn't have any enclosed dog parks. People still bring their dogs to the park, but there aren't any enclosed areas. Therefore I would like a dog that won't take off when distracted by something. When dogsitting my brother's dog, (King Spaneil), I never had a problem with this. It stuck to me like glue, and when it would venture off a little bit, it would constantly keep an eye on us to make sure we weren't too far. A quick call out to it would bring him back immediately. I know a lot of this has to do with training, but I've been reading that there are dog breeds that shouldn't be left without a leashe because of their natural instinct of running after prey.

In any case, I'll keep you guys posted, and thanks again
 
Cheech said:
Thank you so much. You guys have been a great help!

I'll be checking out some shelters with the wife soon..

Great suggestions on this thread. That wheaton terrier looks great! Rat terrier is cute too. . . That scottish terrier seems like a great dog as well. . .

I'll be looking through this thread and research them all.

I know it's a little too much to ask, but I would add that hopefully I'll be able to remove the leash when bringing the dog to the park. Believe it or not, my area doesn't have any enclosed dog parks. People still bring their dogs to the park, but there aren't any enclosed areas. Therefore I would like a dog that won't take off when distracted by something. When dogsitting my brother's dog, (King Spaneil), I never had a problem with this. It stuck to me like glue, and when it would venture off a little bit, it would constantly keep an eye on us to make sure we weren't too far. A quick call out to it would bring him back immediately. I know a lot of this has to do with training, but I've been reading that there are dog breeds that shouldn't be left without a leashe because of their natural instinct of running after prey.

In any case, I'll keep you guys posted, and thanks again
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With good training you will be able to Cheech!
 
About the off leash thing, you'll probably get mixed feelings about whether it is ok to do or not. I'm one of those that has to do that same thing so as long as the area is away from traffic, I'm alright with it.

Breed types that are good for off leash, IMO, are terriers, herders, and retrievers. Breeds that are likely to be a bit more troublesome off leash are hounds and spitz types. As always though, there are always exceptions, just like with fish. :)
 
coach_z said:
{{dont take this as being rude...:)}}
A little dog can be just as scary as a big dog. Just because you can kick it down to the end of the hallway or pick it up and run it away from someone it is going to bite/hump does not mean that 'smaller is better'.

A properly trained dog, no matter the size, is a great and happy dog and will become a respectable part of your family.

IMO, little dogs generally get no training but need training the most. They exhibit all of the traits of a large dog but are ignored because of their size. Get the size dog that you want, and train it to be the dog you want it to be. This involves spending money on the dog for training and it can range from 300 to 5,000. depending on the classes that you want to go through.


Do not get a dog if both of you are not on board with getting one. A dog isn't something you can buy and return, or pick up from the shelter and bring back because 'you weren't comfortable' with it. It is an 8 to 18 year commitment. I would suggest you make the right decisions before making the decisions to get a dog. Go spend some time at the pound. Babysit a friends dog for the weekend. Talk to some dog trainers. Do all of this to see if she wants a dog, and then you can pick the dog that is appropriate.

-Chris
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I definately agree with coach, small dogs can be more of a problem then big dogs. Alot of my bf's business if made up of small dogs that are treated like children and get bratty. They bite and growl and run the owners lives.
But on another note how about a westhighland white or a cairne terrier if you like cute and active. They do have to be stripped every 6 weeks or so also, but shedding is at a minimum and you can learn to do that yourself. Or a chinese crested, they have the powder puff type which is covered with hair instead of hairless body and head and ankles covered in white hair. My favorite small breed is a Corgi, but they shed plenty.
 
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