The breed for me?

[Julie]

I would like to add something about housebreaking.
I don't think it has ALOT to do with the chosen breed.

I think it has alot to do with the way they were kept as puppies.
Although alot of smaller breeds might fall into the catagory as "harder".
But still I think it has to do with how they spent their first 8 - 10 weeks.

In a cage defecating where they sleep........or access to outside and not messing in their beds. Was the mother able to show them an alternative place to defecate? (other than their living area)

In my personal experience dogs kept outside while puppies (not that I agree with this) were at least 70% easier to housebreak. Even pups with an area other than sleeping quarters to do their business should be easier to housebreak than a pup used to pooping on the blanket he sleeps on.

Maybe this will spark some questions you may want to ask before you get a pup. (not to mention alot of other things) since the housebreaking aspect seems like an important factor to you.

 

[FoxyWench]

ooo a doxie, that could actually be perfect for you.
they are origionally a working breed and used to hunt badgers so they love to have a good romp and play, but there snuggle bugs when its quite time (they also tend to burrow so expect it to get under the blankets lol )

there are 2different TYPES of doxies the standard and the minature, the standard usually has ahigher drive than the minature so are a little more active.
in those 2 types there are 3 coat types, the wire haired, the smooth coat and the long haired. from seeing these dogs in the feild and knowing a fe feild breeders it tends to work out that smooth coated have the higher prey/work drive and are the most high strung. the wirehaired tends to be the clown of the 3 he has medium drive and the lowest maintenence coat, then the longhaired is supposedly the sweetest (lowest drive) of the bunch ad is the most lapdoggish of the 3.
short haired shed more than the wire or long haired but they dont seem to shed all that much. a wirehaired needs a good brush through about once a week....longhaired needs combing through every couple of days and trimming around the genetals in a sanitary trim every couple of months (nothign big here just trim)
the only issues with these dogs is being long and short they tend to have back problems, so no jumping off anything...a ramp or steps is a MUST with this breed if there allowed on the bed or couch. and they tend to not be good around rats/mice ect... oh and they tend to be diggers...so if your very maticulous about your yard, a doxie might not be great. (youd have to kep an eye on it while its in the yard to make sure it doesnt dig)
there easier than toy breeds to housebreak im told and they seem to be wonderfull with people...there VERY inteligent so be carefull they might figure out a way to train you!

my dad wants a mini longhaired doxie once me and the chis move out lol...
for you id suggest either a mini or standard longhaired. they usually have the sweetest temperments.

a note on the "sprinkling" get your dog spayed if its female or neutered if its male at around 5-6 months of age, this will cut back tremendously on "sprinkling" which actually sounds more like territorial marking. a neutered male is much less liekley to pee on everything in the house and "sprinkle" it also completly removes the risk of testicular cancer and alot of behavioural problems that can come with unneutered males, if you get a female spaying her at 5-6 months will remove all risk of reproductive cancers and mammery tumours as well as behavioural problems associated with an unspayed female and PMS (yes female dogs get pms) as well as remove the messe associated with the heat.

i have seen alot of pugs with both eye and breathing problems and they dont do well in a very hot climate and need ac in the summer and the heat on in the winter in cold climates.
bostons as was said arnt as rambunctious as the other terriers they have the temperment of the pug without as many helath issues...they still have a slightly shorter muzzle so again watch for breathing problems in hot weather (and snoring lol) but they lack the extra wrinkling of the pug and are less likely to have skin problems.

beagles are wonderfull but they are a hunting breed, they tend to follow their nose so dont let one off leash unless your in a securely fenced area. there a little higher energy than some of the other breeds but would make a wonderfull junior obedience agility or flyball companion or even just a walking/jogging companion. there typically VERY frinedly, they do shed a bit but a product called a zoom groom will reduce the shedding if done every day (it takes mabe 3 minutes tops to use, my aunt uses it for her danes....they tend to be talkers though. they have the cutest howl! and a beagle would probably make a wonderfull therapy dog. (and who doesnt love a beagle? lol, ive seen beagles bring a smile to the face of everyone from the olders to the youngest...!)


RD gave you alot of great info on the papillon, these little guys would make an awsome junior flyball or agility partner, there fast and have great drive and so logn as they get some excersize during the day they will be happy to cuddle up at night...

hope this helps and its wonderfull your doing your reaserch ahead of time!

 

[Muttlies3]

The very first breed I thought of were Maltese. They are big dogs in a tiny fluffy body. Of course, you will have to maintain their coat quite regularly but they rarely shed. Steer clear of puppy mills though.

My grandma has three Maltese and they are the cutest little things ever.


Of course, my very first suggestion is to have your parents bring you to your local shelter to look around. Try petfinder.com, they have an option where you can specifically look for small dogs in your area.

 

[RD]

Benji, if ease of house training is very important to you I would strongly urge you to steer clear of the Papillon. They're great little dogs, but the breed as a whole is notorious for being difficult to house train. A lot of Pap people that I know have their dogs trained to go in litter boxes or on "pee pads" because they were unable to teach them to go outside.
Julie, you made an interesting point about puppies that stay outside being easier to house train. My Papillon rarely relieved himself outdoors as a puppy, because we trained him using a litter box. Perhaps the fact that my dog (and many, many other toy breeds) spend so much time indoors and so little outside has something to do with the way they view their living space...and therefore the way they react to attempts at house training.

 

[bubbatd]

Julie, I agree with you . Maybe small breed owners don't mind the small poops and don't train the pups when little. By 3 weeks, my whelping pen was 1/2 bedding and 1/2 paper.... most of the pups went to the paper. At 4 weeks I'd let the pups out for " play time" and had papers in areas outside their play areas. Yes, this did take a lot of time and managment as to picking up any dirty papers as they were wet or pooped on was a must. I'd layer the papers so I could pick up the soiled ones. With an average of 8 pups and 4 poops a day .... 32 clean ups. Paid off though.... no new owners had any potty training issues. They'd put a paper down outside and the pup would go on it. Within a week, papers were up and pups used the outside. Do breeders pamper the smaller breeds ?? I've know many small breed owners that let them go anywhere because their poops are so small.

 

[Violet21]

My bf's beagle pees all over the house and barks at everything. He will run away from you if your outside and he gets a smell. He has pyscho strong tracking instincts and he also tree's animals all the time. Hes very sweet, but those are his downfalls.

 

[yoko]

i hate to be kind of the downer in the middle of all the people giving great info to you. but maybe waiting before you get a dog might be a good idea? there are a lot of other pets (birds hamsters) the such that you might like. now i'm not saying this just to be mean i have my reasons

1.) you're 14. in not too long you'll be graduating. it doesn't seem to soon now but it will and i'm sure your dog will live to see graduation day since most people graduate 18-19 and that would only make your dog 4 or 5 and the toy breeds live pretty long. what are you going to do with the dog after that? are you going to stay living at home or are you going to move out?

2.) if you do move off to college it doesn't sound like your mom would be too willing to take on your dog seeing as she got rid of your other one for the housetraining problem, which could have been solved through some training. would she be willing to take care of your dog?

3.) if your mom doesn't take your dog will your dad? even though he took your other would he be willing to possibly take in another dog that previously belonged to you?

4.) pretty soon you're going to hit the age where you're going to want to be with your friends all the time. aka the funnest time of your life lol. but would you be willing to give up some hang out time with friends/bf to go home and care for your dog? i know there have been a ton of times i've had to turn down spending the night out of town because i knew that i would have to let my dog out and take her for a walk.


sry to be kind of a downer in the middle of this but i just thought i'd bring those to your attention. i always wanted a dog at 14 that would be JUST MINE luckily my parents didn't allow that because i know as soon as i got my liscense and graduation got near i probably wouldn't have been able ot care for it as well as i should have. luckily it was my whole familys job so we could juggle who did what

that being said i like long haired doxie

 

[stevinski]

i still think that a minature, short haired doxie would be good!
i either want a mini short haired doxie or a long haired chi and i am only 14. lol

 

[Rubylove]

Poodle. Get a miniature, though, not a toy, they can be high-strung and skittish, although quite sweet. Minis aren't exactly toy-size, but they're not big, either. Poodles are the most fantastic dogs. And they are SO smart, you'll be able to easily teach one all kinds of tricks and they're great to have in the house, too, as they don't shed.

Or, perhaps, a Maltese. They are extremely sweet and pretty but medium-maintenance, also can be a bit difficult to housetrain, like all small dogs.

Some have recommended a Boston to you but I would highly advise against this. I would advise against ANY terrier breed for a young girl with limited experience with dogs. Terriers are lovely dogs, but stubborn and wilful and highly intelligent, and a handful for inexperienced dog owners. They need a confident, firm handler, who can train them with experience. Particularly Bostons, which can be difficult to housebreak, and were originally bred as fighting dogs, so can be wilful and dominant.

A Beagle is a not such a good idea, either, they have minds of their own and need a patient, experienced handler. They are very wilful, and will do whatever they want without firm guidance.

Another one to consider is a Miniature Schnauzer. They love children, but can get themselves into trouble with their showy displays with bigger dogs. A well brought-up Schnauzer is a joy, though, they are a lovely breed.

Also, perhaps your Mum could consider actually training a dog and not getting rid of it because it hasn't been taught properly. It is rarely if ever the dog's fault when it does something we don't like - it is our fault for not teaching it. That is the first thing you MUST understand when owning a dog. If you want it to behave, you have to teach it. It's not gonna teach itself.

And as Julie said, it is much easier to housetrain dogs when they have outside access. Our pups spend the days outside mostly, and they were housetrained within two months. They love it out there, they've got tons to do and they have a great time together, rolling around on the lawn and getting up to mischeif!! Our yard is very secure - if there was a chance of anyone getting in they'd be inside 24/7. However, it certainly does help with the housetraining!

Just my two cents!

 

[benjihairybutt]

I have thought about going to college and stuff like that. I'm kind of a loner now and prefer being with my pets than my friends so i don't think that would change much in high school. I would aslo probubly take my dog to colege with me if at all possible. I want to be a vet, so maybe having a doog would even help. I love having responsibility over animals. I have rats already, and I do a great job with them, but I want a bigger responsibility.

So far I think I like the pug the best. I've always sort of had a sort of soft spot for them. I'm not sure how much the shedding would be a problum.

I would like to get a dog from a resque, but I'm sort of afraid to. I think I'd be better going to a respectable breeder. That way I'd know it's history and temperment and I'd probubly be more likely to get a healthy dog.

I also want to be sure to get a puppy. When I got benji, my pom, he was already about a year old and supposed to be housetrained. I'd rather get a puppy this time and train it myself.

P.S. I do have a few rats. They stay in a closed room, and I wouldn't let a dog play with them or anything. But I wouldn't want a dog that would try to hurt them. Is this a breed thing, or a training thing?

 

[FoxyWench]

that would be a bit of both, so long as there kept seperate it shoudlnt be a problem with any breed, but if you got a hunting/terrier breed theyd be more likely to want after the rats than a breed whith no hunting/ratting background.
but you willhave to train ANY breed to be gentle with the rats.
if you realy like pugs then id say look into a pug contact breeders see if theres a breeder locally that would let you go and play with their dogs.
it might also be a good idea before you get a job go volunteer in your local animal shelter for a few hours a week.
MANY colledges DONT allow pets on campus...and its also difficult to find pet frinedly accomodation (renting an apartment/house) so you have to be prepared to perhaps instead go to a college closer to home and live at home to ensure you can keep your dog, or start looking into colledges youd be interested in NOW and look into how pet frinedly the area is interms of renting with pets/pets om campus ect.

i do know there are plenty of responsible 14 yr olds and the fact that your here asking people their opinions is definatly a step in theright direction, i think spending sometime with the breed your interested in as well as doing some volunteer work woudl be an exceletn way to realy prove that your ready for a dog of your own.
i know what its like being a loner,i too am and have social anxiety, my dogs are my children and my lifeline and have given me the courage to do alot more than i ever could have without them, but they also restrict me, i havent been on vacation in 5 years because i just cant leave my puppies in someone elses care...im currently looking ot go on vacation and and finding it hard to find somewhere pet frinedly that my dogs can come with me. i was lucky with colledge as a local college has the courses i need, and many let me work online so i live at home with my parents (i pay rent on a lower floor room) and am saving up to buy my own home upon moving out (its incredibly impossible to find dog frinedly rentals in this area so my ONLY option is buying as giving up my dogs is not an option)
also talk to your mother about this, i assume shes okyd you having a dog but rember untill you are completly independant (paying vets bills food ect all by your self) officially its partially HER dog too, if shes helping you pay of vets bills ect then she has partial ownership of the dog. so make sure this is what she wants...it MIGHT be a better idea to wait till after highschool but i do understand the desire to have a dog so as long as she understands its partially her responsibility too then there shouldnt be a problem.

remember when getting a puppy to housebreak it its going to have to go out every hour or even more at first, and it doesnt happen over night, are both you and your mother prepared for accidents.
I agree it might be a better idea to contact a breed rescue and get a slightly older dog whos already up to date on shots, spayed/neutered and housebroken. while getting from a breeder assures you knwo where the puppy came from it doesnt always assure the best temperment as the temperment doesnt truly develop fully untill there about 1yr old. so rescuing would mean youd know what kind of behaviours and temperment your getting in the dog...most breed rescues are foster programs so the dogs live in a home situation and they will be able to tell you whether the dog is houseborken what its liek with peopel and pets ect. and getting an older dog some of the basic obedience might already be taught too.

hope all this info helps!

 

[Muttlies3]

I would like to get a dog from a resque, but I'm sort of afraid to. I think I'd be better going to a respectable breeder. That way I'd know it's history and temperment and I'd probubly be more likely to get a healthy dog.

This is NOT, absolutely NOT true.


There are millions of perfectly well-tempered and completely healthy dogs in rescues. Just because you're going thru a "respectable breeder" does NOT mean you're getting a healthy dog. Mind you, pugs being bred how they are generally have many health problems as it is... rescued or from a breeder.

Also, going thru a breeder means more than likely you'll be getting a puppy, which you'll have NO clue what his/her temperment will be like in the future.

Shelter dogs are just as good as any breeder's puppy.

As an example of how false and bizzarre your statments are - take my next door neighbor's dog for example. They spent hundreds on her because she had "lines that went back to excelent hunting dogs" etc. They have had more health problems in the 2 or so years they've had her than I have EVER had in my 8 years of owning shelter dogs.

 

[Fuzz Puppy]

It depends on the rescue or breeder you go through for your dog or puppy from. Some shelters will give you a really unhelthy dog, just like some breeders will. Not all breeders are bad and not all shelters are bad I'm not saying that, but the chance still exists that you will have problems with the dog wherever you get it from. Eventually you will have some problems. Liberty came from a breeder and he has excellent health. True story about the only rottweiler I ever worked with. Someone rescued a rotweiler who pulled some kind of mucle, I forget what the muscle is called, and needed sergery. She was fine in the end, but she ended upright back in the same rescue that adopted her out to the family. Other rescues were in great health. So, it absolutely depends on the dog. In some cases dogs from breeders can be healthier and in other cases, rescues are helthier.

 

[benjihairybutt]

hmm well, I'm not quite sure what I will do about the breeder or resque thing, I'm not really that far along in looking for a dog. Right now I'm just looking for a general idea of what breed I would do good with.

About volenteering at an animal shelter, I've accually looked into it before and I think you have to be 16. If I could find one where I was aloud to volenteer near by, I'd be there all the time.

In fact, if anyone knows of a resque near Millville, DE that needs help, let me know. I would love to help out.

 

[FoxyWench]

excelent attitude, you could give any rescues a call that are in your area and explain that your looking into getting a dog but want some first hand experience first and wondered if they can suggest anything...they might not allow you to walk the dogs but if they have actual play feilds that the volunteers atually play with the dogs in they might let you go in with an adult volunteer...thats how i started out, once i proved i was mature enough to handle the dogs they then started letting me walk them. the 16 thing is for liability reasons for if say one fo the dogs was to bite someone your not ocnsidered an "adult" and the shelter could gt in huge trouble...but if you have one local give them a call and explain to them what the situation is and see if they can suggest something...
and lest if you see the dogs in the shelters it might change your mind on rescuing...

 

[benjihairybutt]

That's a good idea, I'll look and see what the closest one is and give them a call. If I can't help there they may be able to suggest something. I hope so at least, that would be a perfect way for me to earn community service for school and I'd get to be around animals.

 

[adamwehn]

I found this breed selector tool very good, dunno what anyone else might think.

http://www.k9country.com/perl/dogBreed.pl

 

[aelizilly]

Sorry, didn't have time to read all of the replies, so I apologize if I repeat anything here.

But...as much as I am partial with my Beagle Bailey, I do not think a Beagle would be your best option. I saw you mentioned Boston Terriers and I have heard good things about them. I do not care for pugs, but there again do not know much about them. I would at this point suggest checking into the Boston Terrier breed and see if it fits your preferences.

I am glad you are doing your homework first and researching a good breed rather than rushing into a particular breed. Also, please do look into rescues, b/c often times the muts become the best dogs ever!

 

[michelleB]

how about a dachshund or....just keep checking your local shelter for the right mixed breed pup. if youre patient, you will find the right one. we had a shelter-adopted doxy-terrier mix that was 16yrs old at her passing. she was the greatest dog ever. easy to train and a real lover. just take your time when selecting from a shelter, wait for the right one.

good luck

 

[benjihairybutt]

I think I will look in a shelter first. I don't need a purebreed as long as it's healthy and nice. If I don't have any luck there I can still look at breeders for a pug maybe.