Not Sure Which Dog Breed Is Best For Me

[callmerox]

Hello!

I am a woman in my mid-twenties that is looking to adopt a dog. I have had a dog before, when I was younger and in college, and had to give him away due to me losing my job and housing and having to move back home. It has been 5 years since that happened and I am wanting to adopt again, and do it the right way, since I am more stable with a better job and a bit wiser.

I do work full time now, and I am wanting to adopt a dog that is a bit more low key and calm and mellow. I believe that would fit my own personality type a lot. I do live in an apartment complex, so, small to medium would be best, small preferred. I am able to walk them every day for 30 minutes. Maybe longer on weekends.

If any more information is needed, I would be glad to answer! Thanks in advance for all of your help!

 

[Elrohwen]

I would take the list you just wrote out to a shelter or rescue and let them match you with a nice adult dog. There are plenty that would fit your requirements across many breeds and mixes. A dog over 3 would be best because most young dogs are not particularly mellow.

 

[*blackrose]

I would take the list you just wrote out to a shelter or rescue and let them match you with a nice adult dog. There are plenty that would fit your requirements across many breeds and mixes. A dog over 3 would be best because most young dogs are not particularly mellow.

This! It there is a particular breed you have your eye on, you can contact breed specific rescues to see if they have an adult dog that will fit your requirements.

And while they aren't small, a retired racing Greyhound would also be something to look in to.

 

[GoingNowhere]

If you're just looking for a cuddle-buddy type and don't care that a dog can keep up on hikes/runs, a pug might be a good option. Though honestly, there are PLENTY of laid back, adult mixes (and purebred) dogs in shelters and rescues. My friend just adopted a little dog that looks like a rat terrier mix. This is not typically a breed that one should recommend to someone looking for a "laid back dog," but this particular little dog is already an adult and is quite mellow so she is working out perfectly with my friend.

Especially if you opt for the rescue route, an adult is the way to go if you have size and energy constraints. Puppies, especially mixed breed puppies, can be a huge gamble in the size/energy department, especially if you cannot meet both of the parents. In the case of rescue, it's rarely possible to meet both parents unless the dogs were from a puppymill bust or other exceptional circumstance. Even then, the sire and dam can be so traumatized that their "true" colors don't show through in terms of energy level.

The retired racing greyhound option isn't bad at all, but you might run up against weight limit restrictions on housing because greyhounds are not small dogs. They are, however, mellow enough that they could be quite happy in an apartment, provided that you are comfortable finding a place to live without weight restrictions.

An adult will be more mellow than a puppy for sure, but if you know that you want to go the puppy route, pugs are the first breed that came to mind. A mellow cavalier could also work, or a shihtzu. Look into health issues if you decide to go for a purebred. Some of these dogs are excellent companions, but can have big health issues that will likely result in expenditures later down the line (the same can be true for mixes, it's just less predictable, so researching health issues won't get you as far).