Breed Recommendations for my sister

[Doggie07]

Um, hello chaz, long time no talk!

Any way, my sister and her family are planning on getting a dog sometime between April-June.

They live in an apartment and are willing to pay extra to have a dog.

However, there is a size limit on whatever dog they get.

They can get a small to medium sized breed.

I've recommended the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, but would like some more recommendations from more experience dog owners, especially those experienced with small breeds.

So, if you guys know some playful, affectionate, smaller breed dogs that are generally good with children, please go ahead and recommend and tell us about the breed or breeds.

Thank you.

 

[CaliTerp07]

What is "small to medium"? Is there a weight limit?

How much exercise is your sister going to give to the dog? Walks? Off leash running in a fenced in area?

How old are the children?

What kind of shedding/grooming is your sister willing to put up with?

Are they concerned with vocalness or prey drive or any other doggy-qualities?

 

[Doggie07]

What is "small to medium"? Is there a weight limit?

How much exercise is your sister going to give to the dog? Walks? Off leash running in a fenced in area?

How old are the children?

What kind of shedding/grooming is your sister willing to put up with?

Are they concerned with vocalness or prey drive or any other doggy-qualities?

There's no weight limit. Small to medium would be a pom to a beagle.

About one or two 15-30 minute walks a day.

There's one child and she'll be 4.

Grooming, she's okay with brushing every one or two weeks.

Vocalness is a concern, but they are not concerned about prey drive. Just to be safe, probably need a dog that generally gets along with other dogs.

 

[milos_mommy]

About one or two 15-30 minute walks a day.

Very, very few dogs are going to be okay with this amount of exercise a day. 2 30 minute walks...maybe...but just one 30 minute walk or 2 15 minute walks are NOT going to be enough for really any puppy/young dog and for very few older dogs. Unless the apartment has a yard where the dog can run around...

 

[RD]

Cavalier does sound like a good bet, she just needs to be aware of the health issues in the breed.

Just saw that she only wants to brush a dog every one or two weeks... Probably shouldn't get a Cavalier, then.

 

[BostonBanker]

I have started to adore Cavaliers now that I'm around some really nice ones. Absolutely the sweetest dogs I've ever known. I would expect that with some good playtime and interaction in the house, they'd do just fine with a couple of decent walks a day.

I do think their feathering would tangle and mat pretty fast if not combed out every couple of days though.

 

[~Dixie's_Mom~]

Dachshund or Dachshund mix, maybe? Chloe gets a short (20-30 minute) walk, and does just fine with playing tug and fetch inside on days she doesn't get walked. She likes getting out and about, but doesn't NEED it. She's really calm and well behaved, even if she doesn't get walks at all. That said, she is almost 6 years old, and we got her at 5, so I'm not sure if she was more hyper as a puppy or not. And she doesn't need much brushing at all, and just an occasional bath.

 

[JessLough]

I do not know, I would not recommend any dog. Especially not a puppy

 

[~Dixie's_Mom~]

Especially not a puppy

I agree that an older dog would probably be best for the situation.

 

[Juicy]

Very, very few dogs are going to be okay with this amount of exercise a day. 2 30 minute walks...maybe...but just one 30 minute walk or 2 15 minute walks are NOT going to be enough for really any puppy/young dog and for very few older dogs. Unless the apartment has a yard where the dog can run around...

Just would like to say, walking isn't the only form of exercise. My dogs get a daily 10-30 minutes walk, some days I skip their walks and they do just fine. I have a yard where they can have zoomies and I take them to the dog park every now and then. Though with apartment living they got more walks (still pretty short walks) since I didn't have the luxury of just opening a back door so they can go do their business. But some days they would go to 'work' with me, so they had a good amount of walking, plus I took them to the dog park every now and then.

 

[Romy]

Smaller dogs have smaller bladders, so she'd need to plan more than one or two walks a day for potty breaks. Much much more for a puppy. A small breed puppy would need to go out at least once every hour or two, even in the night.

Shih tzus and maltese both seem to do very well in apartments and make fantastic companions. If you check in shelters and on petfinder you can find a lot of very sweet mixes of these breeds because of the "designer dog" fad. If she's willing to go with an adult they can find a dog with an activity level/personality that matches the living situation.

 

[motherofmany]

Throwing my .02 in here for a rescue dog. There are so many mix a lot dogs in rescues right now and this sounds like a home better suited for an adult dog than a puppy, imo.

 

[Backward_Cinderella]

I do not know, I would not recommend any dog. Especially not a puppy

^ This. It doesn't sound like she's willing to put the time and effort into a dog, much less a puppy. You have to brush a dog more than once every 1 - 2 weeks, no matter what the breed. Even Cresties with no hair require more grooming than that. You can't only walk a dog once or twice a day for 15 - 30 minutes. That's unfair to the dog. My two get three mile long walks per day, plus potty breaks, plus I play fetch with Doom and tug with Bobsie. Maybe she should hold off and wait until she has the time and willingness to care for a dog properly.

 

[Doggie07]

I can tell her what you guys said and see if she would be willing to do more for a puppy and a dog. Also, see if she'd want an older dog.

Now, the 4 year old will want to play with the puppy or dog, so there's some extra excercise there . . .

 

[CaliTerp07]

Now, the 4 year old will want to play with the puppy or dog, so there's some extra excercise there . . .

The 4 year old will definitely want to play for the first week. Eventually, the novelty will wear off and the majority of kids will lose interest. Not all--but you cannot rely on a child (especially a child that young) to exercise a dog.

 

[Doggie07]

I'll just have to "break it down" for sis, tell her the stuff I've learned and about everything it takes to care and raise a dog. I thought a cat or guinea pig or rabbit may be more suited for the situation, but that's just me. Really, knowing sis, she'd make the adjustments. She'd excercise the dog more, buy the stuff, and even buy good dog food that doesn't come from the grocery store. We'll see how it goes.

 

[CaliTerp07]

Not a rabbit--they are incredibly fragile and have heart attacks easily. As a general rule, we didn't adopt them to families with children under 8 years old (exceptions made for super savvy owners)

 

[BostonBanker]

You have to brush a dog more than once every 1 - 2 weeks, no matter what the breed. Even Cresties with no hair require more grooming than that. You can't only walk a dog once or twice a day for 15 - 30 minutes. That's unfair to the dog. My two get three mile long walks per day, plus potty breaks, plus I play fetch with Doom and tug with Bobsie. Maybe she should hold off and wait until she has the time and willingness to care for a dog properly.

I should immediately be reported for dog abuse and have Meg sent back to the 'shelter' in West Virginia then.

Now, I'm not saying at all that these people need a dog in their lives right now, but seriously? I do not remember the last time Meg got brushed. Probably sometime prior to dog coat season when she was standing near me when I was grooming the horse, and I ran the curry over her a couple of times. Definitely has been months rather than days or weeks. I own a short coated dog for a reason! 15 years with a Bedlington taught me that I am not a groomer.

And while Meg does get some days of hard core exercise, hanging out at the barn, or agility - she also has days where her outdoor time consists of dashing out the front door, going to the bathroom, and running back in. I doubt there is a dog in the world who is happier with their life than Meg.

I think someone who was truly committed to walking a dog 40 - 60 minutes a day and who was smart about the dog they got could very easily keep a dog happy and exercised. That is a heck of a lot more than most dogs I know get. I did make the assumption that they were going to let the dog have potty breaks more often than that - I consider walks exercise, not the sole chance to go to the bathroom for the day. If I misunderstood that, then I certainly agree that no dog should have to put up with that.

 

[Laurelin]

I agree. I brush the papillons about once every couple of weeks if we're being honest. And they have long coats lol. When I lived in the apartment we took 2 hour long off leash hikes daily but here... nowhere to walk. So we go play in the yard. Honestly, with the exception of Mia, they'd all be happy with just playing chase with each other and some ball couple times a day. Mia needs more but she's a bit... Mia-ish.

I think I'd look into a small/medium (bigger than a toy breed with such a young kid) rescue that's already an adult and lower energy.

 

[JacksonsMom]

Dachshund or Dachshund mix, maybe? Chloe gets a short (20-30 minute) walk, and does just fine with playing tug and fetch inside on days she doesn't get walked. She likes getting out and about, but doesn't NEED it. She's really calm and well behaved, even if she doesn't get walks at all. That said, she is almost 6 years old, and we got her at 5, so I'm not sure if she was more hyper as a puppy or not. And she doesn't need much brushing at all, and just an occasional bath.

I like the Dachshund idea. My dad has a long haired Doxy mix who requires not much exercise. He sounds like Chloe -- sure, he's happy to go on a walk with his mama (my stepmom) but he doesn't NEED it to be content and happy. He's fine with a few play tug sessions in the house, and a few sprints around the backyard. He is almost 3 years old. He is a very happy dog! Granted, he needs to lose a few pounds, so they have upped his exercise and lessened his food. But my stepmom is a very good dog owner, and just because she does not give him 3 mile walks every day, doesn't make her a bad owner. Some dogs simply don't need it.

Now my dads JRT mix on the other hand and Jackson NEED exercise and mental stimulation to keep them content. Jackson can lay around the house for 2 days before he starts NEEDING something to do.... 2 days can even be pushing it. The JRT mix will be a barky, obnoxious, annoying mess without exercise. Jackson will sleep all day, but come 5pm, he's ready to roll if we didn't do anything during the day.

I think you can find a specific dog out there that is right for her.