New Dog, Need Help

this this this! If you are looking for a nice pet get a grown animal not a puppy, you really can find perfectly nice dogs in shelters. Being set in their ways is good lol you just have to work at finding one that is set in ways that you like. And of course that doesn't mean they're untrainable or anything.

Puppies, ugh, messy nippy, harder to know what you've got (dog aggression, noise phobias apparently), tiny attention span etc. I'd get a proper dog.

Puppies are a lot more difficult than adults in general. Raising Mia, my 'clean slate' puppy, was so much harder than adding Summer in most ways. She screamed in her crate all night, she chewed everything, needed TONS of exercise, wouldn't walk on a leash, had no idea about potty training and took forever to learn, needed lots of socialization because she was a little nervous as a pup, lots of training. Worth it but hard and I have always lived with lots of dogs and lived with lots of puppies. Mia was my first 'on my own' puppy and it was definitely an experience.

There are several options if you want an adult.

1) Shelters

2) Rescue- you usually can get more background if it's a rescue that fosters dogs in a home

3) Breeders. Yes, you can often get adult dogs that washed out of a breeder's program for whatever reason. I got Summer this way when she was four. Another good way to get a dog with some background on it.

If it were me, I would just sit back a little while and think on if we can afford a dog and what to do differently. Get a plan together and take your time to find a dog that is a good fit for you. IF I were renting, I would definitely not be looking at a dog over 50 lbs and probably preferably 35 lbs or less. Just in my experience 35 lbs is the typical cutoff especially in the area you're in since you're pretty close to where I lived. Honestly, I have two papillons now because of renting in apartments in college. It's a lot easier to do with small dogs.

I've looked into some hairless breeds and aside from the needing protection from the sun they seem like fun little guys to own.

They are spiffy too because you can groom a black one to look superficially like a schnauzer, if having a "tough" looking dog is a factor.

I agree that puppies are super irritating. I have a 1 1/2 year old "puppy" that I've been raising from 8 weeks old, and he's JUST NOW becoming tolerable. LOL. I would absolutely NOT get a puppy while living in an apartment: puppies bark/whine, have potty accidents, chew stuff up, require frequent trips outside, etc.

I agree with the suggestion of getting a poodle or poodle mix. I live near Austin and spend a lot of time in the shelters due to my job, and I see tons of poodle mixes in shelters, particularly the Austin shelter.

Yeah I raised Mia in an apartment. Looking back it wasn't the smartest idea, she was a rough puppy.

ETA: And I'm still dealing with some fallout from worrying so much about her screaming and bothering the neighbors.

What's more tough than a teenage mutant ninja turtle??


Or a pirate?

I got to dogsit for one last week. I'd met a few before at weight pulls and got to talk to a few people who knew the breed but honestly, it didn't begin to compare with actually spending time with one, so incredibly playful, fearless (they ARE Terriers) and the best way I can describe Stryker's affectionate nature is it's most like an APBT.

What really surprises you is how soft they are. Like velvet!

Super jealous :X I've never met one face to face I've always wanted to pet one!!

For spending so much time colouring and grooming the dog, they could really spend more time on those nails :yikes:

Stryker is a Pitbull-class snuggler <3 He'd go blasting around to play with the not-quite year old Great Dane, Phoenix (Stryker thinks his head belongs in Phoenix' mouth for some reason) then run around the room and stop to sit on my feet, then stand up and ask to get in my lap.

Oh, and he's an enthusiastic kisser

I've met a few hairless breeds... I can't stand touching them :rofl1: I hate how they feel

I have to agree with everyone else... if you couldn't keep your reactive Schnauzer/Border Terrier from attacking another dog, please stay FAR AWAY from any breeds prone to DA. GSDs, Rotties and Staffies are typically very dog reactive, if not dog aggressive. Especially with a novice owner. Especially in a closed in apartment setting. If you think DA/DR is a pain to deal with, you are going to face so much more difficulty working with a human aggressive protective breed. They require immense socialization, training, management and vigilent control over your dog. When you have assy neighbors who already have a reason to hate you, the last thing you want to do is terrorize them with an intimidating breed of dog... especially if you are not up to controlling and training that dog. Please do yourself and the dog a favor and find a breed that not only complies with your allergies (how could you just "GET RID OF" your cats due to your allergies, but go out and get an 80 lb highly allergenic dog?!) but that is also a much easier, much more beginner friendly dog!!!

My suggestions for breeds who are less likely to cause allergy issues and are typically friendly: Bouvier des Flandres, Chinese Crested, Coton de Tulear, Irish Water Spaniel, Portugese Water Dog, Standard Poodle. Standard Poodles are really smart, amazingly sweet dogs. I wasn't a huge fan of them until spending every day around my boss's stunning, awesome girl who just chills in the grooming shop and welcomes everyone. The upkeep on their coats is costly, but they are a really NICE breed, athletic, intuitive, intelligent and although they're friendly I would expect they would protect their owners. I would say a Smooth Collie fits your needs as they are generally wonderful dogs, but they do shed. I would advise saving up for a well-bred dog from a reputable breeder, if you want a puppy. Then you're getting a dog from parents with a stable temperament and good genetic health, and you can get guidance from the breeder. You might have to pay $1000, and wait a while, but it's worth it to get a great dog that suits you who will be your companion for LIFE!

That's why I was so surprised. The Cresteds I've been around didn't feel anything like Stryker.

Looks almost Weimish...although it would require frequent touch up.

Heavens, yes! Meg was 1/1 and a half when I got her. She had "issues" (she'd never even been indoors), but she slid into our home like she was ours from the start. House trained almost instantly, zero destruction, soft and kind to all people. The training issues we had were mostly because of what I wanted her to be (a sport dog). As a family pet, she would have been practically ready-made. A nice adult rescue can be such a good answer.

As for the allergy issue - don't set yourselves up to be miserable. I have allergies, with cats being my worst pet allergy. So I don't have cats. There are tons of dog breeds with a reputation for being easier on people with allergies. I had a Bedlington Terrier growing up, because of my allergies (dog allergies seem to have faded over the years, probably due to surgery and exposure). They can be relatively mellow for terriers and might be something to consider.

My real advice would be to wait a few months and set money aside. Save enough for the dog, at least 2 rounds of training classes, and at least $500 extra for vet stuff. Have that all right on hand and in a separate place so you know you can take care of that stuff. Then start looking for the dog.

I agree their temperaments would probably fit what you need, but I can definately testify to the fact that smoothies shed A LOT, especially in the Texas summer!

^^^^^YES, absolutely!

I agree with everyone here as far as GSDs or Rotties go. Having had three GSDs, I can tell you they shed like crazy. They and the Corgi are the heaviest shedders I've had and most of my other dogs have been much hairier. GSDs shed all the time and shed even more during season changes. They also tend to have a stronger doggy odor than a lot of breeds. They can be very territorial and guardy towards strange people and dogs. They are fairly to be dog aggressive or dog reactive or dog intolerant in some way. And they are said to be one of the worst breeds for people with allergies. Rotties are also a guarding breed and dog aggression/reactivity/intolerance is also common in them. pretty sure they shed a good amount too.

The suggestion of a Poodle is a good one. A Mini or a Standard. If you're a fan of the Schnauzer look, they can be groomed to look like one



While there can be laid back, calm Boxers that really isn't the norm for the breed. I have known quite a lot of them, well bred and responsibly owned and most are extremely high energy, very physical dogs. Many calm down a bit once they are fully mature (4ish) but even then, they can be quite excitable.

LOL There's a good reason I used the term "calm...ish."