Breeds for the first-time owner.

[ravennr]

I'm sure she'd prefer a puppy, but realistically I told her it's probably best to have an adult for her first dog.

She said she wanted a 'short-haired Pomeranian', lol. She says she likes the Pomeranian as a breed, but if she had one she'd keep it cut down, I assume.

[Aleron]

Originally Posted by ravennr

I'm sure she'd prefer a puppy, but realistically I told her it's probably best to have an adult for her first dog.

She said she wanted a 'short-haired Pomeranian', lol. She says she likes the Pomeranian as a breed, but if she had one she'd keep it cut down, I assume.

There's no reason that she shouldn't have a puppy if that is what she wants. Plenty of first time dog owners raise puppies. Honestly, I think sometimes the more people know, the more they overthink things

A lot of pet Pom people keep their dogs short or in lion clip. They actually look pretty adorable in a lion clip. Poms are generally nice dogs and not too wild. That sounds like a good choice! There is a huge difference in looks between most show and pet line Poms - enough that you may really love the look of one type and not the other. If she has a strong preference for look (or size) with them, that might also determine where she gets her dog.

[ravennr]

I will show her one of the Pom sites I have bookmarked that talks about those lines! I had one saved from when someone tried to say only conformation lined Poms are purebreds, lol. That might interest her, a lot of them have coats a bit closer to what she SEEMS to be looking for. It seems she doesn't entirely know what she's looking for so I gave her some blogs to look at, as well.

I'm not actually 100% sure she's not looking for a dog to constantly carry in a purse. I hope that's not the case, though.

[Bahamutt99]

Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. Not necessarily the healthiest breed as far as I've gleaned -- although I'd bet if you kept them a decent weight, their chances are better -- but the ones I've met have probably the best temperaments overall as a breed. In my life, I've never met a nasty Cavalier.

[Skivvies]

Originally Posted by Aleron

A lot of pet Pom people keep their dogs short or in lion clip. They actually look pretty adorable in a lion clip. Poms are generally nice dogs and not too wild. That sounds like a good choice! There is a huge difference in looks between most show and pet line Poms - enough that you may really love the look of one type and not the other. If she has a strong preference for look (or size) with them, that might also determine where she gets her dog.

Just look at Boo! He rocks the lion clip.



Poms are awesome. My friend has one, he's dumb as a box of rocks but the sweetest little guy ever. He's kind of on the noisy side though.

[ravennr]

Oh god, Boo is like a vacuum. He just sucks you right in with that face.

[Lilavati]

Originally Posted by cliffdog

Mini poodle. Smart, small, good companions. I had one as a kid. Very embarrassing to walk, but a great little dog.

Keep them in a puppy clip and no one will know . . . .

[Panzerotti]

Originally Posted by Bahamutt99

Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. Not necessarily the healthiest breed as far as I've gleaned -- although I'd bet if you kept them a decent weight, their chances are better -- but the ones I've met have probably the best temperaments overall as a breed. In my life, I've never met a nasty Cavalier.

I love those little guys! I was also going to suggest them, however, I don't think that it's possible to get one without some level of health problems, even going to the best breeders.

[Aleron]

Originally Posted by ravennr

I'm not actually 100% sure she's not looking for a dog to constantly carry in a purse. I hope that's not the case, though.

As long as she'll take good care of the dog - toy dogs were sort of meant to be carried around

The show bred Poms tend to be the most consistently small for sure. If she'd like a bit more size, a pet bred one would be the way to go. If she's set on a puppy, she could always keep an eye on classifieds for one.

Originally Posted by Bahamutt99

Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. Not necessarily the healthiest breed as far as I've gleaned -- although I'd bet if you kept them a decent weight, their chances are better -- but the ones I've met have probably the best temperaments overall as a breed. In my life, I've never met a nasty Cavalier.

While it's always good to keep any dog at proper weight, keeping a Cav lean and fit won't do much to prevent the health problems the breed is overwhelmingly prone to. The vast majority of Cavaliers have a heart defect, so it isn't so much a matter of if your Cav will have heart trouble but when they will. With some, it isn't an issue until they are older but about half are affected by 5 years old.

"Heart mitral valve disease (MVD) is the leading cause of death of cavalier King Charles spaniels throughout the world. MVD is a polygenetic disease which afflicts over half of all cavaliers by age 5 years and nearly all cavaliers by age 10 years, should they survive that long." http://www.cavalierhealth.org/mitral_valve_disease.htm

The other issue is Syrinhomyelia which is also extremely widespread, about 50% of Cavs have it. It is an issue related to shape of the skull and causes neurological symptoms.

"Syringomyelia (SM) is an extremely serious condition in which fluid-filled cavities develop within the spinal cord near the brain. It is also known as "neck scratcher's disease", because one of its common signs is scratching in the air near the neck.

The back half of the cavalier King Charles spaniel’s skull typically may be too small to accommodate all of the brain’s cerebellum, which may also be too large, and so it squeezes through the foramen magnum – the hole at the back of the skull – partially blocking the flow of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) down the spinal cord. The variable pressure created by the abnormal flow of CSF is believed to create the SM cavities – called syrinx – in the spinal cord.
SM is rare in most breeds but has become very widespread in cavalier King Charles spaniels. The number of diagnosed cases in cavaliers has increased dramatically since 2000. Researchers estimate that up to 95% of CKCSs have Chiari-like malformation (CM or CLM) – also known as caudal occipital malformation syndrome (COMS) or occipital hypoplasia (OH), the skull bone malformation present in all cases and believed to be at least part of the cause of syringomyelia – and that more than 50% of cavaliers have SM. The severity and extent of syringomyelia also appear to get worse in each succeeding generation of cavaliers. It is worldwide in scope and not limited to any country, breeding line, or kennel, and experts report that it is believed to be inherited in the cavalier."
http://cavalierhealth.org/syringomyelia.htm

Cavs are known for having wonderful dispositions but anyone considering one should be aware that they tend to be a "heartbreak breed". They have some very serious, very widespread health problems which aren't prevented by good care or by going to a good breeder.

[OutlineACDs]

Italian greyhounds are nice smaller dogs. Medium to low energy indoors, but can be active if needed and they are usually quiet dogs.

I agree with everyone who said rescue too.