Puppy information - is there a Pricescope for dogs?

[basil]

Mr. Basil are looking into getting a puppy at some point in the future. Since I''m an obsessive researcher, I want to start looking into breeds and maybe read a little about training before that time comes (realistically, about a year from now).

We (will) live in a condo, so a small dog is a must. I live right across the street from a large dog-friendly park, though, so there will be lots of opportunity for our puppy to go out on walks. Mr. Basil has some mild allergies, so we are looking for a dog that doesn''t shed or has short hair.

I grew up with dogs, but Mr. Basil did not, though he is very excited about getting one. My Cavalier King Charles spaniel Pepper just passed away at the age of 9 after a 2 year battle with a genetic heart disease. If not for that, I would get another Cav in a heartbeat, but I can''t go through that again. My parents took better care of her during her illness than a lot of people do for their relatives, and she had lot of happy times during her borrowed time, but it was certainly not what we would have wished for her.

Basically, we are looking for a small, nonshedding or short haired, dog who likes to cuddle. Anyone know of any good websites comparing breeds, or have any suggestions?

Also, I know I need to find a reputable breeder, but I''m not sure how to go about doing that. Any good websites for that?

 

[SarahLovesJS]

I would recommend a Bichon Frise which is what my family have and what I essentially grew up with. They''re generally very kind, love to cuddle (love attention), and they do not shed at all. They usually weigh from about 13-16 lbs depending on the breed standard.

We went to GA to get ours, but I believe we found our breeder through the Bichon Frise Club of America here''s their website. Let me know if you''d like to see pics or info!

 

[neatfreak]

I think the easiest thing to do is to start researching breeds you might be interested in, and then find the discussion boards about said breeds. I don''t know of any "general" dog breeding/questions websites, but I know practically every breed has discussion boards where people discuss the breeds, endorse good breeders, etc.

How fun!

 

[littlelysser]

Basil - My favorite smallish dog is a french bulldog. I currently own two dogs, neither of which is a Frenchie, but at some point, I am going to have one! I think they are absolutely adorable. They are short-haired and absolutely hysterical little dogs. They have some energy, but tend not to be total nuts.

I think they usually top out at about 20 lbs. They have big dog courage and they are silly dogs. They are also great apartment dogs.

There are a couple cons...they can be INCREDIBLY expensive and they can have some health issues. Also, it is very important to find a reputable breeder. If you are really interested in a Frenchie, let me know and I''d be happy to do some preliminary research on breeders around you.

On the plus side, there are some great rescue organizations, including the French Bulldog Rescue Network - http://www.frenchbulldogrescue.org/. They have some great dogs. Anyway, that is my plug for a Frenchie!

 

[E B]

Another breed you might research is the Maltese. They're small, intelligent, and they don't shed. I don't know a whole lot about them past that, but it's a start! I'd like to own one someday.

Plus- I dare you to find a puppy cuter than this. Except for a pug puppy, of course.

 

[basil]

Sarah - Thanks! We''ll have to do some more research on bichons. Would love to see pictures of yours! Have your dogs every had any health problems?

Neatfreak - Thanks, too! I''ll definitely do that, but it''s tough to get an unbiased opinion since most of the breed specific websites are filled with owners.

littlelysser - We''ll have to look into french bulldogs. I googled a pic and they are cute! Cuter, IMO, than the regular (?American) bulldogs. I never realized there was a distinction, which is probably why I never considered them before. The part about the health issues scares me off a little though. After my experience with Pepper, that''s something I really want to avoid as much as possible.

EBree - We actually had been considering a Maltese after we caught an episode of "America''s Greatest Dog" or somesuch and they had a really cute one on there. I love that picture!

I don''t know if I''m searching for information that doesn''t really exist, but I''d love to be able to get a breakdown of different breed''s propensity for different health problems. Like x% of Maltese have luxated patellas and require surgery, or y% of bichons have eye problems, etc. It''s just so difficult when you read message boards...cause you know the people whose dogs have problems are the ones who are posting, not the other vast majority!

I guess puppy buying is not like diamond buying...you can''t look at the cert and know that it will be a good performer or have certain characteristics.

I am also having trouble believing that I will ever love any dog as much as I loved Pepper, so I think that''s making this a little difficult, cause right now I''m basically ruling out every breed for some reason or other. I''m hoping that time will heal that wound.

 

[E B]

Here's a pretty active-looking Maltese forum:

Spoiled Maltese

I belong to a pug forum full of incredibly helpful members. When I was a new pug owner (almost 4 years ago!) I had many questions, and they knew the particulars of the breed. It was invaluable to have a support system of fellow pug owners at the very beginning and even now!

 

[brazen_irish_hussy]

The best place to start looking for breeders is the AKA, http://www.akc.org
Another thing to consider is that different breeds have different average life spans, although small dogs tend to live longer overall
Many hounds have short hair, although my favorite, Norwegian Elk hounds, have long hair
poodles tend to have coats that don''t cause allergic reactions and are very smart, at least the standards, I can''t speak towards the toy ones though
Australian cattle dogs tend to be fun and have short hair, but may be bigger than what you are looking for

To be perfectly honest, I am irritated by most little dogs and find them to be neurotic and yappy. The one consistent exception to this that I have found is yorkies, but they do have long hair.

 

[SarahLovesJS]

Hi basil! I had a bichon mix that had problems, but to be honest we didn''t buy her from a reputable breeder. She was the sweetest thing, but had to be put asleep when she was only 6 - her endocrine system went into failure after an intestinal blockage.

But our current dog, Georgia, that we bought from a reputable breeder has thus far been very healthy. She comes from a show dog line, so we did have to sign a contract saying we wouldn''t try to show her but that didn''t really bother us. The only thing health-wise she has issues with are allergies which mainly presents as occasional ear infections (poor thing I know how she feels there

). Bichons do have delicate endocrine systems if I recall correctly from when we researched before we got Georgia, so what we found then was it is best to not feed them people food for one thing. They should really only eat their own food with exceptions of some fruits and veggies and maybe an occasional small snack of boiled beef or something. This goes for all dogs, but it''s also important to keep them from eating things that could cause blockages. For example..floss. Floss can get into a puppy''s intestines and actually embed in them and wreak havoc.

The other thing our breeder recommended when we got Georgia was to space out her shots as a puppy so they weren''t all at one time. I know they do some like every six months, but he recommended we just do one shot at a time and our vet said that wouldn''t be a problem.

Here''s some photos - sleeping Gigi on the way home:

 

[SarahLovesJS]

Awkward teen years!

 

[SarahLovesJS]

Here she is as an adult with an okay haircut, but not the best one. That is one more thing they have to be groomed regularly to keep their hair from matting(sp). Anyway I will stop swamping you with photos so you can get more info from folks!

 

[sba771]

I would suggest a min pin, great apt dogs, fun and small. Mine is 8 lbs and he doesn''t shed. He even traveled under my plane seat with me when I moved to Germany

 

[sba771]

he is my love

 

[sba771]

Min Pin''s do have a lot of energy though so they take some time to train, but the pay off is worth it

 

[tiffanytwisted]

Basil- try www.dogbreedinfo.com you can search by breed, it gives a description of the breed, history, temperament, health problems associated with that breed, and some other info.

 

[NewEnglandLady]

Date: 10/19/2008 8:41:59 PM
Author: neatfreak
I think the easiest thing to do is to start researching breeds you might be interested in, and then find the discussion boards about said breeds. I don''t know of any ''general'' dog breeding/questions websites, but I know practically every breed has discussion boards where people discuss the breeds, endorse good breeders, etc.

How fun!

Ditto to this! When we first started reseraching dog breeds, this is exactly what we did. We bought books on many breeds, then narrowed it down to one and started going to events at that breeds local clubs, visiting breeders, etc. The information you get on breed-specific sites and at breed-specific clubs is much, much better than any generic canine site.

Good luck!! Finding the right breed for you, learning all about it and visiting breeders is a long endeavor, but it''s fun and completely worth it!!

 

[Miscka]

Well I would have to pipe up and suggest a long-coat chihuahua. They actually shed less than the short-coat ones, according to my research. I have one (although he is an atypical 10lb-er!) and he is the absolute light of my life. And now that it is cold, he is SO snuggly! They can be great dogs, and have a bad reputation I think. It''s all about how you raise them IMO.

No matter what, congrats on getting a dog! I never grew up with dogs, but always wanted one. It was the best decision I ever made! Let us know what you end up with, and we need pics!

 

[neatfreak]

Date: 10/19/2008 11:52:50 PM
Author: brazen_irish_hussy
The best place to start looking for breeders is the AKA, http://www.akc.org

I''ve got to disagree with that. The AKC really doesn''t regulate much about their breeders except for paperwork. There are a LOT of breeders with poor breeding practices who technically have AKC registered and "supported" breeding practices.

 

[purrfectpear]

Having had four of them, I have to put in my vote for the Silky Terrier. They look a lot like the yorkies, except they weigh more (around 8 to 12lbs), don''t wear silly bows, and are oblivious to the fact that they are little dogs.

They have spunk, love, love, love people, and best of all they shed like people, not like dogs. The Silky has no undercoat. Each hair follicle comes out of the scalp just as in humans. Therefore there is minimal shedding and very little dander. Because they are not an over popularized breed they have few genetic diseases in the breed. They''re just healthy little furkids

I don''t have a picture of my Silky, Trooper (they''re all back home) but this guy looks just like him.

 

[Linda W]

Date: 10/19/2008 9:53:26 PM
Author: EBree
Another breed you might research is the Maltese. They''re small, intelligent, and they don''t shed. I don''t know a whole lot about them past that, but it''s a start! I''d like to own one someday.


Plus- I dare you to find a puppy cuter than this. Except for a pug puppy, of course.

Ebree, Is that your dog too???? What a cutie pie, oh that face!!!!!!!

 

[Peepa]

Date: 10/20/2008 4:54:11 AM
Author: sba771
I would suggest a min pin, great apt dogs, fun and small. Mine is 8 lbs and he doesn''t shed. He even traveled under my plane seat with me when I moved to Germany

I second that. Our min pin is awesome. Cuddly, playful, a superior watchdog, unquestionably loyal and so adorable.

 

[IloveAsschers13]

Hey I also wanted to recommend a bichon. We just got our Gracie last summer and we are IN LOVE with her. My family has never had a dog ever when we were growing up and then my dad moved out and my mom wanted a companion so we got Gracie. We got her from a breeder my mom researched over the internet (in MI). Here is a puppy pic of the cutie and also a more recent pic.. We love her. The exercise she gets from running around the backyard is enough, but my mom takes her on extra walks which she LOVES!!!

 

[IloveAsschers13]

And here is Gracie Louise this past September. She is soooo lovable. I will say it is nice not having the hair around, but she does need to be groomed more often than a normal dog. We give her baths at home in between her grooming appointments, but then we have to blow dry her but it really doesn''t take that long.

 

[IloveAsschers13]

There we go

 

[AmberGretchen]

I think its wonderful that you are trying to do your research and go through a reputable breeder for your next furry family member - kudos on that.

The dogbreedinfo website should have some good information about different breeds characteristics, health issues, etc... Here is another one to check out - they have great information on finding a reputable breeder and many other things dog-related.

I want to just add a few thoughts, if I may - I train dogs for my local shelter and my family and I used to breed both show and working dogs.

The first thought is that in terms of health and likely temperament, dogs are like diamonds and you can know what you are getting. However, only under very specific circumstances. The first is if you buy from a reputable breeder. A reputable breeder, among other things, will show their dogs in dog shows and breed only the very best examples of the breed, and they will have extensive health testing done not only on the immediate parents but many generations back of any dog they are breeding to prevent the kind of heartbreaking health problems that it sounds like your poor Cav suffered from. This is incredibly important when getting a dog through a breeder - it is the only way to truly know what you are getting and to ensure the future health of your dog. If you have any doubt at all about what constitutes a reputable breeder, this article is an excellent summary of what to look for.

The other thing to know is concerning your husband''s allergies (another topic close to my heart, as a soon-to-be PhD immunologist). Allergies to animals can be very specific to a particular animal, and can change when the animal goes from being a baby to being an adult. What this means is that if you are really concerned about your husband''s allergies, you need to be aware that just because he isn''t reactive to a puppy, he might still be reactive to that same dog as an adult and vice versa. One potential way to get around this would be to ask a reputable breeder if they have any slightly older dogs - say 1-2 years old that you might be able to adopt. These dogs will still bond very strongly to you, and you would miss all the extremely hard work of a puppy (getting up every few hours around the clock to let them out to potty, etc...) plus having reassurance that your husband''s allergies wouldn''t be an unexpected issue.

 

[Haven]

I know a lot of people only want to own a purebred, but PLEASE at least give your local shelters a shot before you purchase a dog from a breeder. There are so many sweet, adorable dogs who need homes, especially in this recession. If you don''t find a little guy who suits your needs you don''t have to take one home, but at least you''ll know you tried.

If you do go the breeder route, I used to babysit for a family with a Tibetan Terrier. He was small, and good for individuals with allergies. The family''s son has diabetes, as well as a host of other health issues, and that pup didn''t trigger any of his allergies. He was the sweetest little thing, too. His name was smudge.

Good luck! Dogs have been some of the biggest blessings in my life.

 

[purrfectpear]

I love shelter dogs too

However, when someone says they have doggie allergies, I try to recommend dogs that are low on the allergen scale; Poodles, Silkies, Yorkies, Havanese, Maltese, Bichon (which at the dog shows we fondly referred to as b*tchen frizzies

).

Min Pins, Chihuahuas, Puggies, Mini dachsunds etc. are terrific dogs but all produce more dog dander (which is what triggers most allergies for those who are allergic) than the above.
Unfortunately a shelter doggie is likely to be a mixed breed with the normal dander issues for an allergy sufferer.

 

[basil]

I just got home to find all this great advice waiting for me!

It''s really exciting for me to be thinking about getting a dog. I''ve wanted one for about 6 years now (Pepper lived with my parents), so I''m so happy to finally be "starting a family"

with my husband.

Sarah, sba, and Iloveasschers - your puppies are so cute!

NewEnglandLady - I hadn''t thought of going to local breed events, but that would probably be both fun and productive. I would really love to meet different individuals in the breed(s) we are considering to get a sense of their differences and common traits.

Amber - what kind of dogs did you breed? I guess I did feel a little blindsided when it comes to genetic defects...My parents and I really did our research (I was about 20 at the time) when we got Pepper. She came from a reputable show breeder who said that there were no guarantees, but that her parents and grandparents were healthy. Unfortunately, MVD typically develops past breeding age, so there isn''t too much way to tell. Pepper developed MVD at age 7, so she would have probably had many puppies before it was caught, if she had been a breeding dog. As far as my husband''s allergies, he''s in denial

I know that he sneezes more around my brother''s dog (an abnormally fluffy welsh corgi), but last time we were around him, the effect wore off after a few days of being around him a lot. He also had a similar reaction to Pepper. So I don''t know if this is a true allergy or not? But the setting is always my parents'' house, so I don''t really know for sure whether it isn''t some other allergen around there other than the dogs (they live in the woods kind of). Mr. Basil does have some seasonal allergies...so my assumption is that puts him at higher risk?

Purfectpear - your list is most of the dogs that we are considering! The Maltese, Havanese, Yorkie, Silky, and Bichon were the ones at the top of our list before I started this thread for size and allergy reasons. The things that worry me are: their repuation for barking - we do work, though not horrible hours - the dog would be left alone for several hours a day. And since we live in a condo I would not want to annoy our neighbors too much. And their supposed difficulty with housebreaking - we have a lot of carpet.

Have any of you with small or toy dogs have difficulties with barking or housebreaking that were not correctable with good consistent training?

 

[purrfectpear]

Silkies are not yappy at all. They only bark when the doorbell rings, or mine barks when my cellphone rings. Other than that, Trooper is silent. He is crated during the day while I''m at work, and I''ve had him for 11 years. I know he doesn''t bark when I''m gone because I''m in an apartment now (on an out of state assignment), and in a condo when I''m back home.

None of my Silkies were barkers.

I don''t have experience with the other breeds, but I don''t think they are known as yappers. I do know that Silkies are quite smart, and easy to housebreak. Mine is only crated since he likes to chew electrical cords if he''s given run of the house while I''m gone. He''s the only one that does that, and he doesn''t chew anything else, ever. I think it''s his terrier way of saying "Up yours mom, leave me and kiss your cable TV goodbye"

They''re easy to groom (simple comb out) and don''t require trimming. If you want to make it really easy, just have them do a yorkie puppy cut twice a year and you don''t even have to brush them daily. Another bonus, they don''t smell "doggy".

The only dog I ever had that was a PITA to housebreak was my mini dachsy. She leaked like a sieve (but she was soooo cute).

 

[SarahLovesJS]

Just wanted to say everyone''s puppies are so cute! Man I

animals.