Small Dog Brainstorm

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#1
Okay, so my friend is going to get a dog. A small dog, of course. I am trying my hardest to help her but she is stuck on certain breeds, which I know are not good for her, and it's getting tiresome. Since I'm not up on small breed dogs, I figured I'd ask you all.

She lives in an apartment. She got the okay from the landlord but he is a SUPER anal picky man. The dog can not be a barker/yapper and also cannot use piddle pads (ie: can't be one of the dogs that is hard to housebreak). She wants it small enough to fit in her purse (ugh). She will be hiring a dog walker and a groomer. And of course, I'll be on call for behavioral and normal training issues. I require that the dog isn't a weenie because you'd best believe I'll feed it to my bulldogs if I think it sucks.

Alright, folks, throw some suggestions out there please!!!
 

Dekka

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#2
If she can find a fairly healthy one what about a Cav.. I love them. NOT weenies lol.
 
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#3
I have more rules now. LOL! She really wants a dog with hair, and she wants one around 5 pounds. UGH! Is this really one of my best friends we're talking about here? LOL!
 

Dekka

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#4
I don't think you get under 5 pounds that is reliable known for being easy to house train. Other than the weight I still like a Cav, or maybe a Bichon.
 

Laurelin

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#5
Housetraining, I think really depends on the individual and the owner. Summer, Beau, and Nard were easily house trained, but Rose still has problems. I'm sure if we'd had Rose as a pup she would be too, but they're not a breed known for being easily house broken.

I can't think of a breed under 5 lbs other than a chihuahua! lol Everything else is going to be bigger. A Cav would be nice but you're not going to be toting one in a purse long.
 

CaliTerp07

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#7
5 lbs sounds REALLY small...you may want to show her a bunch of little breeds and show her how they all get bigger than that so she can revise her estimates.
 
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#8
The thing that kills me is that she absolutely LOVES my dogs, and was Wally's second mom. I'm trying to get her to go see a Pap breeder to meet the dogs, but she seems dead set on one specific breed (which I won't mention yet because I want people to give me more ideas). I also told her that we may be able to find a dog under 10 pounds, but 5 was really pushing it.

I'm also going to bring her to the local shelters to look at small mixed breed dogs, see if there is one that fits.
 

Laurelin

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#9
The thing that kills me is that she absolutely LOVES my dogs, and was Wally's second mom. I'm trying to get her to go see a Pap breeder to meet the dogs, but she seems dead set on one specific breed (which I won't mention yet because I want people to give me more ideas). I also told her that we may be able to find a dog under 10 pounds, but 5 was really pushing it.

I'm also going to bring her to the local shelters to look at small mixed breed dogs, see if there is one that fits.
The right pap *could* work. Rose would be pretty good in a situation like you described (except the previously mentioned house training issue). She rarely barks, she's pretty low energy and would do fine with just a 30 minute walk a day, she's perfectly content just hanging with you and playing every now and then, but I'm not sure how she'd do in a purse. Now a pap like Summer or even Beau could be a bit too much for the situation. My main worry would be their mouths. Those two are pretty vocal. You CAN also find undersized paps pretty frequently. Nard is barely over 5 lbs and looks to be staying that small (sadly). But I think if you expanded her weight limit to just 10 lbs, you'd have a lot more options.

What breed does she have in mind? Other thoughts would be shih tzus, pugs, bichons, cavs, etc. Those tend to be lower key than a pap.
 
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#10
Originally she wanted a pug, but ended up shooting it down because of health issues. Now she's looking at Yorkies . . . and except for size and looks I REALLY think it is the wrong breed for her situation.

This is getting frustrating. I wish she would just expand the size a tiny bit. Heck, she was Wally's second mom why the heck wouldn't she want at least a medium sized dog?!
 

smkie

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#12
nice mixed breed from petfinder. I had a little manchester mix which was not all that much bigger then a pug that was a first rate dog, non barker, a shop dog all the way. IT can be done if your diligent enough in your training.
 

Fran101

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#13
for her situation, id say the toy poodle. they are small, cute, easy to put into a purse they weigh about 6-8 pounds usually

Pros:

* Little physical exercise is required so he is perfect for apartments and condominiums
* makes an excellent watchdog
* As much as any dog can be considered a non-shedder,
this is the one. People with allergies often are able to
live with a Toy Poodle
* He's a lively companion with amusing antics

Cons:

* Professional grooming is required every six
to eight weeks
* Because he's so popular, he's been overbred which accounts for all the potential health problems. Buy from a reputable breeder
* if overspoiled and undertrianed they can be nightmares


like with most dogs, a poodle from a good breeder is night and day from one from a bad one. Badly bred poodles are neurotic yappy little MONSTERS! lol so a good breeder is definetly the best bet on this one


They need to be kept mentally stimulated. for my moms little dog, some great toys, the TV on, and a good walk once a day usually does it

she is gonna have to work on a bit of training at a young age but they will naturally bark when someone knocks at the door. but a quick "SHH!' or "no!" and training will stop that


Breed i definetly would NOT reccomend:
min pin.. lil devils on 4 legs lol they are very active, barky, and most are pretty hard to potty train from what I hear. my cousin has one that is four pounds, hes a lil cuddling sweetheart but its one of those dogs you want someone ELSE to have lol


as for yorkies, being in miami (aka: yorkie capital USA) id say they aren't your best bet. people forget they are TERRIERS, they are active, like to bark, like to dig and need to be stimulated both physically and mentally. A yorkie bark is highpitched, frequent and can get rather annoying and they will use that to their advantage if left alone
 
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#14
Yeah the barking issue will be important as her landlord doesn't allow dogs but is breaking his rules for her and he really doesn't want barking (I told her she needs to get this new amendment to her lease in writing).

I'll definitely suggest a poodle. Grooming, like I said, isn't an issue. She lives in friggin Dog Capital USA for super swanky pet owners: lots of groomers and dog walkers to choose from. She has slight allergies, so I'm sure a poodle will suit her better.

I'm also browsing PetFinder for her and I've fallen in love myself. LOL!

Adopt a Chinese Crested Dog: (BB) Gidget: Petfinder
 

Laurelin

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#15
I think the right yorkie could work. You said she's interested in looking at shelters? How about breed rescues? I have never looked at yorkies but in the breed rescues I've browsed you do stumble upon dogs that are atypical quite often. Even in looking at bcs you will find calm, less intense dogs pretty often (which was actually the problem with the pup I inquired about). I know the pap rescue gets dogs in that are the whole range. There are a few that are at the epitome of the energy scale and then some that would be happy just being a lap dog forever.

The reason I say all this is because my grandmother has a yorkie (named Rose, actually). She is the LAST person I'd ever recommend for a terrier of any sort as she's not active at all due to her health, and she's not very dog savvy. She actually has two terriers that people have given her. Her rat terrier is a HORRIBLE fit. She's typical high energy, scrappy, hard headed, etc. But her yorkie is about the best dog you could find for her. She's really calm, really quiet, dog and people friendly. The only problem (on your list) is she's quite oversized and would probably cause you to lose feeling in your arm after only a short time in a purse, lol.

I think an adult mixed or purebred could work if she's open to the idea of an adult instead of a puppy. It'll just take some time to find a good fit.

ETA: Poodle would be a good idea too. I still think shih tzus are some of the easiest going little dogs too.

Omg, that black and tan mutt is sooooo cute!
 

Giny

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#16
You live in Mass, right?

If she does seem interested in a toy poodle maybe showing her some of the poodles in New England poodle rescue. They often have small poodle up for adoption. The rescue would probably want to make sure that the situation with her landlord OKing the dog before adopting is all clear before though.

Rescue Me - Please!
 
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FoxyWench

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#17
sis i woudnt call that little dog a crested but she is cute lol

in terms of breeds...
a yorkie is HIGHLY likley to break the 6-8lbs barrier, unless she buys a "teacup" and since those are just runts/sickly from bad breeders because teacups dont exist its NOT a good idea unless she wants to be huffing something a little larger in her purse.
my biggest concern with the yorkie is the potential to be incredibly barky little dogs.

a chihuahua might be a good choice...
while they are "known" for being hard to house break, its simply a case of not taking them out enough to start with....they simply cant hold it as long as a larger breed and need to be taken out every 1/2 hour at first with persistency they can be house broken. they are very inteligent. have a good energy level (they CAN get enough excersize runing round the house but enjoy a good walk too...)
they are the right size (with a chi bred to standard being anything from 3-6lbs...(again do not buy teacups (which usually end up in the 3-6lbs range anyway and watch for byb's)
barking can be an issue with chis but ive found the squirt bottle and "quiet" command to be wonderfull training tools. my chis bark ONCE if the door bell rings then i give the "quiet" command and thats it...all stop. it took about 2 weeks to get all 3 behaving...but it worked and woudl be mush easier if trained from the get go.
they come in long and short hair and while its not a "Hair" they are both considered Low shedding dogs and coat upkeep is VERY simple. (long haireds tend to shed less than short even, and there usually good with allergy sufferes too)
a chi however MUST be well socilized, and allowed to be a dog once in a while, theres nothign wrong with carrying any dog round for some of the time but they ALL need to be allowed to walk and get dirty too, this is particularly true for chis who tend to be owner posessive/protective particularly when carried around all the time.

Toy Poodle:
again, expect them a little larger on the weight scale than the 5lbs, while there are some very small toys out there watch out for "teacups" "tiny toys" "pocket" ect.
very smart...
more grooming upkeep than the chi but shed even less!

Chinese crested: Powderpuff
great breed, they tend to be a little bigger than shes looking for, a cresti in the 5-8 lb range is considered VERY small with 8-12lbs being the common average...
the powderpuff is fully coated (though theres nothing wrong with the hairless either but i understand not to everyones taste)
however they have HAIR not fur (though it can vary from a silkie human feeling hair coat to a wooly lambs wool feeling coat neither types are shedders, this breed is considered "hypoalergenic" like poodles, even when fully coated.
they do require frequent grooming, but not as intense as the poodle. puffers can be clipped, full coat requires alot of upkeep.
cresties can be talkers but are not prone to BARKING, instead making a combination or yolws, grumbles and occasioan short yips...they CAN bark and some do like to hear their own voice, but there also very sensitive and if they know it bothers their person they generally stop. (quite works well for these guys too)
they are inteligent but can be aloof with those other than thier people...
(ie, if dad tells ruby to sit she will look at him...then look at me...and WAIT...if i confirm the sit she will (or if he has food lol) however if i dont she just kind of gives him the "why?" look.
cresties LOVE to run and while will be ok in an apartment will need a good playtime and walking...
powderpuffs dont have the skin issues or dental problems that the hairless do.
leave natural faced for a terrier look or have the face shaved for a more "refined" look.
cresties, even powderpuffs require protection from the elements, lighter dogs are particularly prone to burning, and should wear sunscreen, and t-shirts in the summer and coats/sweaters during the winter.
most cresties are allergic to wool...
if she likes the hairless a hairless would be perfect, absolutly no shedding there lol.

Pappillion
other than the potential for energy level a smaller pap might be perfect.

maltese and shitzu are also potentials but tend to be alrger than her desired weight bracket.
 
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#18
Hi

I believe Shitzus hardly bark at all. My neighbor has one. Beautiful dog. He says she was easy to train. I have a cairn. They train fast and housebreak well, but barky and can get above 15 pounds. Yorkies (my sister has one) very hard to housebreak, so not recommending those.
 
S

Squishy22

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#20
Maltese??

My chihuahua is a yapper. The older he gets, the more he loves to use his voice. Not just at a knock on the door or alerting to people on the property, but during play as well. The good thing is that he has a small voice. LOL. I will say that he is not as bad as pebbles, who is half min pin. Now she doesnt know when to shut the hell up.
 

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