Small breeds?

I'm usually more of a large dog person, but I'm despairing of finding an apartment with a large dog. (Currently I'm dogless.) So I'm considering small dogs. Maybe there's one out there that would suit me?

Here's what I'm looking for:

- an easily trainable breed
- preferably easy potty training too
- low prey drive
- not a lot of grooming required. (Some brushing is okay, but nothing extensive like a shih tzu.)
- not barky
- a breed that can handle being alone during the work day as an adult. (I would probably adopt an adult.)
- does okay with 30 minutes - an hour of exercise per day
- a breed with minimal health problems, preferably. (I know responsible breeders test for problems, but . . . still. Especially after those threads about how most breeders of toy dogs don't health test for luxating patella. Scary!)
- under 25 lbs

For various reasons, I'm not interested in the following: terriers of any type, daschunds, beagles, shelties, chihuahuas, poms.

Any thoughts?

I thought Cavalier King Charles Spaniels fit all your requirements but one quite well . . . They do have their fair share of health problems, especially BYB Cavs. Heart problems are a biggie in the breed, as are eye problems. Luxating patellas seem common in all small breeds but I don't know if Cavs have issues with that.

a cav king charles would work great.
a chinese crested would fit very well, they are officially a terrier but arnt as "intense" as most the terriers, if you dont like the hairless look look into the powder puff veriety.
a whippet or italian gryhound might work too...

or if your adopting an adult any ole mutt from the shelter in your weight range that attatches itself to your heart. (and i mean any ole mutt in an enderaing way )

I didn't think of the IG Foxy, that's a good idea. Only thing I've heard about them is that they're very difficult to housetrain. Not sure how much truth that holds.

ive heard they can be, but i feel its like every other small/toy breed, if the dog has an accident, you wernt watching close enough.
chis are supposed to be the worste for housebreaking, yet both mine were 100% reliable within 1 week of persistence.

I love Cavalier King Charles Spaniels! I've heard they get anxious when left alone, though? They'd be alone during the work day--well, except for the cats.

I'm a little reluctant to get a small dog from the local shelter . . . My very first dog was a pom mix who abruptly died after I had her a month. I mean, I know you shouldn't judge from one instance, but it was hard. She was only a year old, too. (My second dog from the same shelter was a large dog who lived fourteen years . . . Go figure, huh?) Also, there usually aren't very many small dogs there, they tend to get rehomed quickly.

I'm a big fan of Italian Greyhounds and whippets (and greyhounds), buuut . . . I don't know, a sighthound with three cats zipping around . . . :/ I know some sighthounds are trained to get along GREAT with their feline friends, but . . . I think it would be something I'd constantly worry about. It seems easier to me just to pick a breed without that instinct (although I realize you have to be careful selecting the individual dog, too.)

I don't know much about Chinese Crested, I'll do some research on them.

I agree on Cavs as an option. Chinese Cresteds could also work and I simply adore them. Italian Greyhounds are also amazing little dogs.

Wow, I'm no help lol.

You could always consider a Clumber Spaniel. Small enough to be an apartment dog but not tiny. AND I have seen purebred adults in rescues. I am planning on that being my next breed once I am moved and settled. They are very smart and well behaved. And are pretty low key and inactive indoors not in need of too much exercise as an adult. They make good apartment dogs.

They do however have your typical Spaniel health problems. Cateracts, hyp dysplasia, some have sensitive skin, and their diet needs to be watched carefully. They also can have Juvenile Lameness but if you get an adult you would probley be okay. OH! they are also known for swallowing objects they shouldn't so they are a breed not to leave little things around. But not all are like that.

Height- 16-20 inches
Weight- 55-88lbs

Of course it varies per dog.

http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/clumberspaniel.htm

the italian greyhounds you dont have to worry too much about that sighthound instinct, your cats would easily beat up an IG, the IG's ive met have most of thier "chase anything that moves-ness" bred out and love to chase in play but arnt a "bring down" sight hound.
Whippets have alot more of that chase an dbring down instinct but most wont even attempt a normal sized cat (i wouldnt trust them with a tiny kitten though)
the nice thing with any sight hounds is give them 1/2 hour of good running/play time and theyll happily take over your couch the next.

if you like the sighhounds i think an Italian grey might just be perfect.
there not as difficult as some of the other small breeds to housebreak, the ones ive met have all been healthy with great personalities...
in the summer expect to use sunscreen (there very thin coated) on the nose and ears, and in the winter a nice sweater will be apreciated, but otherwise their fairly low maintenecne in terms of coat upkeep lol.

Cresteds are a wonderfull breed, alot of people think there ugly, however the powderpuff look gorgeous and have a terrier x sighthound type of presonality.

I think some of the problems with size is many apartments (at least here) have a 'no pets over 25 lbs' policy. Here you can't hardly rent if your dog is over 30 lbs. Could be different other places though.

I have a poodle who is awesome.

We just got a Brussels Griffon and they seem to meet your requirements (with proper training of course)--maybe a Brussles or an Affenpincher? They do need some maintenence on their coats though.

Yep, I keep finding places that allow dogs--but only if they're under 25 lbs (or 20 lbs sometimes.)

What do wire-haired breeds like affenpinchers and brussels griffons need for grooming? (Adorable dog, BTW!) Also, how many times a year do poodles need to be clipped / groomed (in a simple lamb clip)?

Also, how much grooming do papillons need? I've always liked the little guys.

On Petfinder I found a small dog rescue group in a neighboring city . . . I'll be keeping an eye on them.

Papillons are super easy to groom in my opinion. (Of course, I have shelties so that might make anything look like an easy grooming job). I brush the paps every day or two, comb the ears. Every few weeks you trim the hair on the feet and lower parts of the back legs with scissors. I bathe them whenever they need it. They're a single coated breed- they DO sheda bit (Some people say they don't, but they're lying to you), just not nearly as much as a double coated breed. They're kept really natural so the actual trimming requirements are minimal.

As far as your other requirements, they could fit, but they can be vocal (I don't think they're that vocal, but others say they are) My paps only bark when a sudden noise is heard or the doorbell or something like that. They don't sit around barking. Papillons are also one of the more active toy breeds. They're very intelligent and need a lot of stimulation. That doesn't mean they don't enjoy down time or can't be by themselves, but that they're most happy with people and playing and learning. Very athletic little dogs too. Mine are fine home alone and they enjoy to snuggle.... for a while. Then it's off to zoom some more. Great toy dogs for people that don't want a toy dog, if you know what I mean.

Pug?

We had one once, and he had no health issues. I know they can have breathing problems, but ours didn't have any problems.

Not a barker. Not a high prey drive. Funny. BIG shedders, though, but no special grooming requirements other than cleaning facial folds.

Boston Terrier??

They're probably a bit more active than a pug, but a good walk a day should be fine. They don't shed very much, but they do shed. My boston hardly barks at all unless he's playing really hard or someone bangs on the door. They are usually between 15-25 pounds, and they're quite the clowns.

I think a Pug or a Boston Terrier would be a good option.

If you're going to be gone for long parts of the day DO NOT get a Cavalier. They do not do well alone, if they have another dog around to keep them company then it might work, but if you're gone for 8+ hours then even a playmate may not help.

Cavaliers are prone to an imense amount of genetic disorders that even good breeding doesn't always prevent. You should expect to be spending about 2-3 years finding a good breeder and being on a waitlist. Cavaliers are also one of the more expensive breeds out there, the average price for pet quality is 1200-2000, anything significantly different then that is a huge red flag on the breeder and the quality of their pups.

Another thing is that Cavaliers are the largest of the toy breeds. The standard states that they should be 12-13 inches tall and weight between 13-18 pounds, but most are often larger than that recomendation and they have a tendency to get fat.

Going by your OP with what you want in a dog I would recomend the Brussels Griffon. But if you like the Cavalier without all the problems the I would go with the Papillon.

If you have a cat and get a small breed puppy, do the cats ever act as though the puppy is prey? Do they have to be separated when unsupervised? I would probably get an adult, but you never know . . . I have indoor cats, so they don't have any practical experience in hunting, but are always agog when a squirrel is outside. They have met dogs before, but only large ones.

In my experience, even small puppies will aggravate cats. The cats try to stay out of their way and swat at them to let them know their antics are unwanted, but they don't chase them or hunt them. My vet told me that in 25 years of practice, he had only had one puppy who came in with a major injury from a cat, and that puppy was unusually persistent even after the cat had made numerous attempts to let him know to stay away.

My cats just stayed higher than my dog when he was a puppy. One of them now chases the dog, but the dog is bigger, and it's a back-and-forth game. They chase each other. The dog is VERY careful to never actually catch the cat, though.