Doggie people... what''s a small, easy-going, affectionate, laid-back breed?!!

[Erinleigh]

Date: 11/25/2009 9:41:46 AM
Author: dragonfly411
I have to put in a word for yorkies! Mine is calm, easy going, loves affection, but is also independent enough that she won''t suffer anxiety attacks if you go to work, she likes to play but likes to cuddle, She''s not loud unless you''re in play mode but if you say quiet she will be quiet as a mouse. She''s EXTREMELY intelligent.

+1!! We have a yorkie and love him to bits. He''s super affectionate and has no issues at all with separation anxiety as some small breeds tend to (but I think this might have alot to do with how they''re raised...). That being said, he''s a bit sassy. We love it about him, but if you''re looking for a more laid-back dog, a CKC spaniel is an awesome choice. We''ve always been debating about getting our yorkie a CKC spaniel friend!

 

[tlh]

I own a cav. They are wayyy laid back - gentle dogs. Perfect for me, they play when you want, and lay when you want.

http://www.luckystarcavalierrescue.org/page.php?name=Rescues if your friend is interested in rescues....

 

[Haven]

Date: 11/25/2009 12:17:40 PM
Author: Erinleigh

Date: 11/25/2009 9:41:46 AM
Author: dragonfly411
I have to put in a word for yorkies! Mine is calm, easy going, loves affection, but is also independent enough that she won''t suffer anxiety attacks if you go to work, she likes to play but likes to cuddle, She''s not loud unless you''re in play mode but if you say quiet she will be quiet as a mouse. She''s EXTREMELY intelligent.

+1!! We have a yorkie and love him to bits. He''s super affectionate and has no issues at all with separation anxiety as some small breeds tend to (but I think this might have alot to do with how they''re raised...). That being said, he''s a bit sassy. We love it about him, but if you''re looking for a more laid-back dog, a CKC spaniel is an awesome choice. We''ve always been debating about getting our yorkie a CKC spaniel friend!

That''s so funny--my husband loves both Yorkies and Cavaliers. We only adopt from shelters, so if he ever sees either of those breeds in a shelter or rescue, I''m sure he''ll be taking that dog home!

 

[MustangGal]

I''m a big dog person, so I''ll chip in with my experince through friends'' dogs...

We did try a beagle for about a year. Completly psycho and will wander off after any scent.

Bassets really are pretty large, and tend to howl and have health issues when they age.

Cocker spaniels pee. A lot. And aren''t that smart. The apartment management company I used to work for didn''t allow them because of the peeing issue.

I like the pug suggestion, and that pug in the bumpo is awesome!

I''m more of a mix breed lover. Usually less heath issues (although my lab/golden retreiver mix had his fair share of them). There''s probably some rescuse organizations in your area, it might be worth looking into a puppy from one of them. The ones here will have some cross breeds along with the pure breds, and the dogs are usually housed in foster homes, so they have a better idea of the temperment of each animal.

 

[Callisto]

As many people have mentioned genetic problems of many small breed dogs, I''m gonna make a vote for a mutt. Temperment is not quite as predictable but they have FAR less health problems. I''ve seen some really sweet lab/dachshund mixes and they were all pretty small. My suggestion is to find a breed or two she likes and then look for mixes with those breeds in them, hopefully the temperment will come through without the health problems.

I''d stay away from any small hounds (beagle, basset, etc) they can be SO noisy. A lot of the small terriers are terrific (carin, norfolk, etc) I think that as a generalization the small terriers are WAY more laid back than most of the toy group. Stay away from bichons and yorkies, I know there are good ones out there (nothing against anyone who has one) but I''ve met SO many with behavioral issues.

Actually, having said all of that, my vote is to convince her to get a big dog haha. I LOVE my big puppies, nothing under 100 lbs for me

 

[risingsun]

Although Cavaliers can have neurological disorders, the same type of condition can occur in other toy breeds. Speak with a canine neurologist for the latest information. We purchased our Cavalier from an ethical breeder who does health testing on the parents and grandparents of the puppies. Hearts and hips are included in the tests. Ethical breeders are doing their best to breed healthy pups. Anyone one who tries to sell a Cavalier at "bargain" prices is to be avoided. A breeder that doesn't ask you more questions than you have for them is not doing their job. If you investigate different breeds, they each have specific disorders and characteristics of which you need to be aware. We know that large breed dogs tend to have shorter life spans, fo example.

I highly recommend Cavaliers. They are loving, funny, playful, laid back, and great lap warmers!

 

[risingsun]

A larger pic of Charlie

 

[Mara]

i would toss in a recommend for a westie because we do think portia is pretty darn cool, but what i wanted to add in general is that a lot of it has to do with the pets and their personalities and the owners and their own personalities as to how the dog turns out.

i have known very 'typically' high strung breeds who with a little training and supportive, loving household to turn into the most mellow, relaxed dogs. and i have known other breeds who don't necessarily have a reputation of being yappers or high strung to end up being that way depending on their owners. dogs that are allowed to become yappers will, it could be any breed...i have known even big dogs to become yapper barkers if their family allows it.

what does the dog whisperer say...there's no bad dogs only bad parents. hehee.

so because of that if your friend is willing to put the time in to do the training and supply a positive household then she can get almost any type of breed of dog in my opinion. westies are supposed to be really stubborn and bad with kids and not that affectionate but portia is not any of those things. well she does have a little stubborn streak we are working on but not badly, aka she doesn't ignore us when we call her. but we were aware of what her 'breed' is prone to and tried to train her to make sure that she didn't have those traits long-term.

i love westies because they think they are big dogs in a small dog body, the personality is large. but she is still 20 lbs so we can easily pick her up and cart her around. she is not a barker or a yapper, she chases squirrels and cats (terrier mentality), and she is very eager to learn and easy to train. westies are also hypo allergenic aka they have hair not fur which helps with allergies and she only sheds once a year. but they are prone to having skin problems (do your breeder research) and can have hip dsyplasia like a lot of smaller breeds.

so for any dog your pal considers, make sure she does the research on genetic and health issues so she is aware of what she might be signing up for as well.

re: cavaliers... i had heard from one or two owners that these dogs tend to have bladder problems and do the 'pee when excited' thing, not sure if any owners here have that issue? P did that for the first 2 years of her life when guests would arrive, but doesn't do it anymore.

 

[risingsun]

^^^We have had no bladder issues with Charlie. He does pee like a girl, but that''s ok with us. My friend''s cavalier is high leg lifter, but no bladder problems, either.

 

[Haven]

Marian--BE STILL MY HEART!
That face! Oh my gosh, what a handsome man Charlie is!

 

[sba771]

Date: 11/25/2009 2:20:32 PM
Author: risingsun
^^^We have had no bladder issues with Charlie. He does pee like a girl, but that''s ok with us. My friend''s cavalier is high leg lifter, but no bladder problems, either.

This made me laugh! I wish Darth still peed like a girl, he is liter trained but because of the lifting of the leg he has made a mess or two. He learned to lift his leg at the dog park.
Your pup is beautiful! I want a Cav so badly...but FI thought they were too ''girly'' for him. Boys are silly.

 

[soocool]

Date: 11/25/2009 9:23:29 AM
Author: April20
I have a yorkshire terrier/poodle mix. He''s a 100% house dog, no shedding either. He only barks when he feels our safety is threatened by mom''s passing with strollers, joggers or bike riders. Or if I''m leaving as he''s only slightly attached to me. He loves to cuddle with us and he loves to play. I cannot say enough good things about his breed mix.

April, your dog is soo cute!

There are a lot of dogs in my neighborhood. I have a mini-schnauzer who is about 15 lbs, doesn''t shed, but alll terriers need exercise about an hour a day. I have him run twice a day either outside (weather permitting) or inside (laser light). He is very intelligent and took less than 2 weeks to potty train and knows commands (verbal and hand commands).

A friend has a cavalier (Cooper) but he too needs to be exericised daily. He''s very lively. Another has a bassett who is laid back, but sheds and he slobbers alot!

Two neighbors have Bichons. They are very cute and lovable. Almost no exercise, doesn''t shed, but they are stubborn and don''t listen. Took them al long time to potty train.

Neighbor across the street had a Pomeranian (sheds) but was very docile and lived to around age 19. Never had any health issues until age 17. But who doesn''t, including animals, when they get very old.

Lastly, my friend has a Yorkie (her second) and he is the sweetest, most docile, lovable dog there is (next to mine of course). Both her dogs are/were house dogs, minimal exercise (she just let them outside and they stayed close to the house). You could even go for the Yorkie/Poodle mixes (like April) and you thencan have a non-shedding or minimal shedding dog. I would probably recommend this breed to your friend.


A few people have Poodle mixes and they are extremely intelligent and easily trained. One has a Cavi-Poo (Cavalier Poodle mix and he is about 25 pounds) non shedding, wavy fur, and very lovable. The other is a Cocker Spaniel/Poodle mix and is also non shedding, highly intelligent and lovable, but around 30 pound. The size probably depends if the dog was bred with a toy or mini poodle. It seems that the poodle mixes will create a minimal to non shedding dog, of high intelligence and few health problems.

Once your friend has her choices narrowed down, it is best to do some additional research and look for reputable breeders who can also help her with any questions she might have.

 

[Loves Vintage]

American Eskimo Dogs sure are cute. Below is a pic of Jonah, who is available for adoption in Maryland: http://www.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=15156099

I have to recommend that your friend strongly consider adoption: http://www.petfinder.com/index.html There are so many purebred dogs and lovely mixes who are living in shelters (or who will have a worse fate) through no fault of their own. It is really heart-breaking to think about it.

 

[Lynn B]

Awwww... thanks, everyone, for your stories, experiences, pictures and advice! Wonderful thread!

Honestly, if my friend does end up getting a dog, I think that she will likely get it from the shelter. She is very aware of avoiding BYBs and puppy mills, etc., and although she is certainly not adverse to adopting a purebred from a reputable breeder, she feels strongly about rescue if at all possible.

So thank you all for your suggestions! It''s been really fun hearing everyone *sell* their breed, I love it!

There sure are a lot of wonderful pets here on PS!!!

 

[DianaBanana]

Date: 11/24/2009 9:04:49 PM
Author: Haven
Cavalier King Charles Spaniels!

My best friend has one and he is the calmest, sweetest little man in the world.

I hear they were bred to warm the laps of nobility. I can''t vouch for the truth to that story, but the Cavaliers I know are little cuddlebugs who only want to be sit in your lap and gazing up at you lovingly.

Big ditto...we had a Cavalier and he was an awesome little dude. I still miss him and it''s been about 8 years.

 

[setell]

How small of a dog does your friend want? My little boy is a maltese and they are generally no more than 7lbs (according to AKC/CKC standards). As to being yappy/barking, it''ll be based on the dog''s personality. My FMIL has a maltese too and he''s a big barker while my little boy barely barks. Charlie is so quiet that it makes me wonder at times why he doesn''t bark.

 

[Brown.Eyed.Girl]

Hey Lynn!

I can''t really offer advice because our Chihuahua was pretty needy and high-strung. Plus Chihuahuas in general tend to get very attached to one person, and isn''t really low-maintenance as far as personality goes (up-keep yes, personality no).

We just got a Papillon. So far he''s been the friendliest dog ever. He took to us right away. But I think if I were to recommend a more laid-back small breed, I''d say one of the spaniel breeds would be good. I think pugs are great too, but I''d be hesitant about getting a dog that''s so predisposed to respiratory problems.

I also like one of the poodle mixes (Maltipoos, Yorkipoos) since they tend to be small, friendly, and I think not as yappy (maybe the poodle influence?) and I know that Maltipoos are hypoallergenic (not sure about Yorkipoos).

 

[Mara]

Maltepoo''s are sooo cute... !!! I love how they look kinda like miniature floppy eared soft Westies.

 

[risingsun]

Date: 11/25/2009 2:33:29 PM
Author: Haven
Marian--BE STILL MY HEART!
That face! Oh my gosh, what a handsome man Charlie is!

Charlie is a little charmer. He loves everyone and everyone loves him

 

[risingsun]

Date: 11/25/2009 2:39:16 PM
Author: sba771

Date: 11/25/2009 2:20:32 PM
Author: risingsun
^^^We have had no bladder issues with Charlie. He does pee like a girl, but that's ok with us. My friend's cavalier is high leg lifter, but no bladder problems, either.

This made me laugh! I wish Darth still peed like a girl, he is liter trained but because of the lifting of the leg he has made a mess or two. He learned to lift his leg at the dog park.
Your pup is beautiful! I want a Cav so badly...but FI thought they were too 'girly' for him. Boys are silly.

My DH walks Charlie with pride

Cavaliers are not too frou frou, IMHO

ETA: DH just told me that cavaliers can be trained as gun dogs

In one of my cavalier books, there is a pic of a cavalier carrying a rather large bird--gently--in his mouth!!

 

[risingsun]

Date: 11/25/2009 6:11:08 PM
Author: DianaBanana

Date: 11/24/2009 9:04:49 PM
Author: Haven
Cavalier King Charles Spaniels!

My best friend has one and he is the calmest, sweetest little man in the world.

I hear they were bred to warm the laps of nobility. I can''t vouch for the truth to that story, but the Cavaliers I know are little cuddlebugs who only want to be sit in your lap and gazing up at you lovingly.

Big ditto...we had a Cavalier and he was an awesome little dude. I still miss him and it''s been about 8 years.

I''m sorry for your loss. This breed just tugs at your heart, doesn''t it....

 

[DivaDiamond007]

Date: 11/25/2009 9:35:59 AM
Author: geckodani
Pug!!! I describe my sister''s pugs as furry puddles of love.

They are fantastic. And amazingly tolerant...

Hahaha! That picture is great!


I also have to put a plug in for pugs. DH and I have a 7 year old fawn female pug, Nessa. She''s extremely laid back and gentle with our nearly 17-month old son. We rescued her several years ago. We used to have Nessa and a male pug named Chewie, but he was too jealous of our son and is now in his forever home

Pugs are wonderful with children but are very stubborn and can be hard to train. Fawn pugs have a double coat so they shed. A lot. Year round. Black pugs have a single coat so they don''t shed as much but are just as sweet. My DH has a soft spot for black pugs so there may be one in our future

Pugs are noisy little critters though. That pushed-in face means lots of snorting, snoring and snorks and they tend to inhale quite a bit of air so they are a bit gassy too. Pugs also do a reverse sneeze, which sounds horrible but isn''t. I once rushed one of my parents'' pugs to the vet the first time she did it - I thought she was about to die! Luckily the vet explained it to me so I didn''t have a panic attack the next time it happened.

 

[Irishgrrrl]

Yes, as some have mentioned, Frenchies can be pricey. In fact, if you find one that''s NOT pricey, you should be seriously questioning the breeder! They are expensive dogs to breed (artificial insemination and/or Caesarian section are usually necessary), so the breeders have to charge a lot for the puppies. Also, if she decides she wants a Frenchie, tell her to make sure she finds a VERY reputable breeder! The breed is prone to health problems, but getting a puppy from a reputable breeder greatly reduces the chances of getting a sickly puppy. The breeder should be doing health testing on the parents prior to breeding them (spine x-rays, patellas, hips, blood testing, etc.), and there needs to be a health guarantee. Also, the breeder should not be releasing the puppies to their new homes until they''re at least 10 weeks old. (Frenchie pups mature a little slowly and need a little more time with their mothers than most pups do.)

But being owned by a Frenchie is SOOOOOOOOOOOO worth the expense and the trouble of finding a good breeder! They can be a little stubborn sometimes, but they do get that you''re the boss as long as you''re consistent with them. They are VERY loving and like to be with their people as much as possible, but they''re not clingy or overly needy. And I don''t know if we''ve just been lucky, but Tucker has been pretty easy to potty train. We''ve been crate training and he does have two adult dogs to act as good role models for him, but still . . . he''s six months old and he''s about 95% potty trained already!

 

[Irishgrrrl]

Here is our little munchkin!

 

[AmberGretchen]

Date: 11/25/2009 7:05:23 PM
Author: Brown.Eyed.Girl

I also like one of the poodle mixes (Maltipoos, Yorkipoos) since they tend to be small, friendly, and I think not as yappy (maybe the poodle influence?) and I know that Maltipoos are hypoallergenic (not sure about Yorkipoos).

Hi Lynn! I just wanted to chime in and say how wonderful I think it is that your friend is considering adoption - I''ve worked with many of the breeds mentioned here, and as many people have correctly noted, the personality depends heavily on the individual dog, environment at home, and training. Of the breeds mentioned, my personal experience as a volunteer trainer has been best with Maltese - in my experience, they tend to be a little brighter and much easier to train than some of the terrier-type breeds, especially Yorkies. Small Poodles can also be delightful to train.

I also wanted to chime in to correct the misinformation above. I''ve written at length about this before on PS, so I will try to be brief here, but I think its important that folks know that NO DOG (especially a mixed breed) CAN BE GUARANTEED HYPOALLERGENIC. Allergies just don''t work that way. In fact, by definition, all Maltese-Poodle crosses, Yorkie-Poodle crosses, and whatever other "designer breed" dogs that are out there are a complete roll of the dice for each individual dog on what they will turn out like. Yes, both Poodles and Maltese are generally less allergenic than many other breeds, but a Maltese-Poodle cross could come out with anything in between the two, and similarly with a Yorkie-Poodle cross.

Also, calling these dogs "Maltipoos" or "Yorkiepoos" perpetuates the myth that these dogs can be bred responsibly, when, by definition, they can''t because no reputable breeder would ever cross their breed with another, so you are breeding bad examples of both breeds, and genetics dictates that each puppy is likely to be a completely different mix of the parents - could have all the good qualities of both breeds but could also have all the bad. Then these so-called "designer breeds" are sold for outrageous prices in pet stores, while IDENTICAL mixes are put to sleep in shelters all over the country every day.

Anyway, sorry Lynn, I don''t mean to threadjack, and I wish your friend the best of luck in her doggie search - there are some wonderful options out there, and I''m sure she''ll find her perfect lap warmer soon. Also, bless her for wanting to go the rescue route and save a doggie

 

[risingsun]

Date: 11/26/2009 9:57:26 AM
Author: AmberGretchen

Date: 11/25/2009 7:05:23 PM
Author: Brown.Eyed.Girl

I also like one of the poodle mixes (Maltipoos, Yorkipoos) since they tend to be small, friendly, and I think not as yappy (maybe the poodle influence?) and I know that Maltipoos are hypoallergenic (not sure about Yorkipoos).

Hi Lynn! I just wanted to chime in and say how wonderful I think it is that your friend is considering adoption - I''ve worked with many of the breeds mentioned here, and as many people have correctly noted, the personality depends heavily on the individual dog, environment at home, and training. Of the breeds mentioned, my personal experience as a volunteer trainer has been best with Maltese - in my experience, they tend to be a little brighter and much easier to train than some of the terrier-type breeds, especially Yorkies. Small Poodles can also be delightful to train.

I also wanted to chime in to correct the misinformation above. I''ve written at length about this before on PS, so I will try to be brief here, but I think its important that folks know that NO DOG (especially a mixed breed) CAN BE GUARANTEED HYPOALLERGENIC. Allergies just don''t work that way. In fact, by definition, all Maltese-Poodle crosses, Yorkie-Poodle crosses, and whatever other ''designer breed'' dogs that are out there are a complete roll of the dice for each individual dog on what they will turn out like. Yes, both Poodles and Maltese are generally less allergenic than many other breeds, but a Maltese-Poodle cross could come out with anything in between the two, and similarly with a Yorkie-Poodle cross.

Also, calling these dogs ''Maltipoos'' or ''Yorkiepoos'' perpetuates the myth that these dogs can be bred responsibly, when, by definition, they can''t because no reputable breeder would ever cross their breed with another, so you are breeding bad examples of both breeds, and genetics dictates that each puppy is likely to be a completely different mix of the parents - could have all the good qualities of both breeds but could also have all the bad. Then these so-called ''designer breeds'' are sold for outrageous prices in pet stores, while IDENTICAL mixes are put to sleep in shelters all over the country every day.

Anyway, sorry Lynn, I don''t mean to threadjack, and I wish your friend the best of luck in her doggie search - there are some wonderful options out there, and I''m sure she''ll find her perfect lap warmer soon. Also, bless her for wanting to go the rescue route and save a doggie

Thank you, AmberGretchen, for your wise post. If you suggested such cross breeding to an ethical breeder you would would be told to take your business elsewhere. There are also people trying to breed increasingly small versions of toy dogs. They are often referred to as "teacup" size and cost a fortune. These folks are clearly in it for the money and not for love of the breed. It''s an abuse of the breeds, IMHO

 

[Mara]

The other thing about the cross breeding to create these designer breeds is that a lot of times you don''t know til years later potentially what type of genetic issues the breeding introduced. With known breeds you also know what things you need to look out for (aka westies skin issues or his dysplasia) but with some of these newer breeds, I''d be so paranoid that 5 years later I''d find out some horrible side effect of the new cross breeding, and it might take thousands to fix.

Some of these cross breedings too seem just soooo ridiculous. Like the one that is poodle, lab, and pug? I don''t even know what that is called? Or the pug and beagle one? Who thinks these things up?

One of my coworkers got a puggle puppy because his wife thought they were cute, and didn''t even know that with the pug side there could be breathing issues in the future. I just hope that dog doesn''t get turned into some pound a few years later if it exhibits negative traits.

 

[merrijoy]

Date: 11/25/2009 12:27:18 PM
Author: MustangGal
I''m a big dog person, so I''ll chip in with my experince through friends'' dogs...

We did try a beagle for about a year. Completly psycho and will wander off after any scent.

Bassets really are pretty large, and tend to howl and have health issues when they age.

Cocker spaniels pee. A lot. And aren''t that smart. The apartment management company I used to work for didn''t allow them because of the peeing issue.

I like the pug suggestion, and that pug in the bumpo is awesome!

I''m more of a mix breed lover. Usually less heath issues (although my lab/golden retreiver mix had his fair share of them). There''s probably some rescuse organizations in your area, it might be worth looking into a puppy from one of them. The ones here will have some cross breeds along with the pure breds, and the dogs are usually housed in foster homes, so they have a better idea of the temperment of each animal.

You tried a Beagle for a year? How do you try a dog? What happened after the year?

 

[setell]

I actually don’t understand why people want cross breed dogs either. There is no guarantee you’ll get what you want nor the look you want too. Something else I want to chime in regarding the hypoallergenic “dogs”. No dog is truly hypoallergenic as people that are allergic to their dog are generally allergic to their saliva. It’s just that some dogs are less prone to cause folks problems hence they are “hypoallergenic” dogs but it’s not 100% guaranteed you won’t be allergic to your dog. But I think OP needs to ask her friend how ‘small’ of a dog she wants before you can go see which breed he/she is looking for. I consider small dogs 10lbs and under, sorta like how everybody has a different view of what eye clean is. Some of the suggested breeds are not small dogs to me but then it’s really up to OP’s friend to figure out what she really want

 

[KatyWI]

Date: 11/25/2009 10:19:19 AM
Author: MonkeyPie
I didn''t want a yippy dog, either, so I did a quiz on animalplanet (I think?) to see what breed matched me best. I got American Eskimo - cute, fairly easygoing, and cuddly.

My parents have an American Eskimo.

SHE NEVER SHUTS UP. EVER. EEEEEVVVVEEEERRRRR. If you put something down too hard and it makes a noise she barks. If you step too heavily she barks. If the garage door goes up she barks. If you open a door she barks. If the doorbell rings SHE GOES INSANE.

Please for the love of god, do not get an American Eskimo, even if they LOOK like the cutest dogs to walk the face of the earth. OMG.