Question for Dog Lovers
 

The munchkin has begged for years for a dog. I am thinking of getting him one for Christmas.

I'm not really a pet person. I grew up in the country, and had my own dogs, but that was because they were free to roam 100 acres of property. Outside of dumping some food in a dish, they really didn't require much care.

My backyard is not fenced, and I do not believe in having a dog if you have to keep it caged. So this is going to have to be a critter than can be an indoor dog.

He wants a doxie. I'm not liking what I am reading about their trainability and temperament for an inside dog.

Have I mentioned yet that I really dislike the idea of animals inside? What I'm looking for is a dog along the following lines, if such a thing exists.

a) It has to be small.

b) No shedding. I'm a clean freak, and am not dealing with having dog hair all over the place.

c) Easy to housebreak.

d) Medium level of energy is okay.

e) Low maintenance. I know full well who is going to end up taking care of it, so the easier the better.

I think beagles are cute, but I don't know how big they end up getting.

Any suggestions are welcome. I'm really not crazy about the notion at all, but due to some things going on, I think it might not be a bad idea for him to have some additional love in his life.

Maybe a Maltese

They're covered with long silky white fur (not fur under hair like many breeds) and they do not shed at all. They don't get much bigger than 7 or 8 pounds as adults. They were bread to be companion dogs and are excellent with children and even infants. They socialize well with other dogs and even cats too. All around a stable, loving, small and clean breed of dog that's just about perfect for children.

You can read more here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maltese_(dog)

I have a basset hound and he sheds ALL the time. They don't have a shedding season. They are perpetual shedders.. so I'd be leary of a beagle because they aren't to far off the basset branch.

omg.. why would a boy want a white puffy girl dog? :Oh crap

Children don't think in terms like that usually. A dog is a dog, and whatever mom will let them have they'll take. Trust me.

Until he takes it for a walk and he gets beat up? lol
Whenever I see a man walking a girl dog, I can't help but laugh at them. lol

Selena, if you want a dog that's easy to train, consider getting one that's a yr old and already trained.
There's TONS of homeless older dogs. Research the breeds, find one that fits your needs and contact a rescue that specializes in that specific breed. :)

We're not talking about a man, we're talking about a child that's been described as a "munchkin". We can assume he's probably not a full grown adult.

I don't know where you live, but around here, people don't beat up children for walking dogs they consider to be "girl dogs".

i <3 doxies!

http://www.ratemyeverything.net/imag...fing_Butt.ashx

Nope, not full grown at all, even if his mouth at times tends to write checks his ass cannot cash.

He's 12, will be 13 in January.

I told him it would have to be a chiwawa (have no idea how to spell that) to gauge his reaction, and he didn't flinch.

Thanks for the input so far, everyone! :)

One of these.

www.warmandfuzzyfeeling.com


i joke..

Perhaps a Boston or Border Terrier


What ever you do, do not get a yorkshire terrier!
They are a complete pain in the ass and get endless ammounts of problems.

Don't get a Beagle!

They're bred to run ALL day, are very active
and not the kind of dog that will be happy in a house all day.

BTW almost all those small house dogs are high maintenance in
one form or another.

Good luck finding something suitable with all your restrictions :winkwink:

Check this link..

http://www.breedersonline.co.uk/Small-Dogs.asp

lol I live in PA and I was mostly joking. But I'd never get my 12 yr old son a dog that looks like this :

http://www.littlepawz.com/dog_images/maltese2.jpg

I'd imagine that hair would be a bitch to take care of!

You know what you might consider doing? I assume your son is telling you that he will indeed take care of the dog and you don't have to worry.

Maybe suggest that he volunteer one day a week on the weekend or after school at the local SPCA shelter. He'll come in contact with lots of different kinds of dogs there, plus he'll really get an idea of what it's like to take care of and clean up after a dog. If he makes it through a month and is still enthusiastic then let him get a dog. Maybe you could consider adopting a dog from the shelter.

A child of that age will be fine with an adult dog, most likely. You want to be careful with younger children though because shelter dogs can be less stable and they won't have the same bond as they will with a puppy. But again, at 12 or 13 and when talking about small or medium breeds, that won't be a problem.

One thing is really consider getting pet insurance. It's about $30 a month and well worth it.

I actually thought it was going to be a much younger child so I was weighting temperment with children heavily.

Personally, I think a boy that's 12 or 13 should have a lab. They're one of the best companion dogs period IMHO. That's what I had at that age. Unfortunately, that doesn't meet some of mom's criteria.

Ill just say make sure you are VERY careful in choosing one. We just had to give away a nightmare of a puppy lol. I LOVE dogs, and I just could not stand this puppy. He was just a demon. Found out he had Blue Tick Healer in him, and that was most likely the problem. Im so used to my dog Shelby that I've had almost 13 years now that is still like a puppy.

This is my woofer.

http://www.stickyboxbucks.com/woofer.jpg

Here is the demon in disguise. lol

http://www.stickyboxbucks.com/ninja2.jpg


And them playing together.

http://www.stickyboxbucks.com/ninja1.jpg

Just cause they are cute and fluffy doesn't make a match.

The little fucker would get up on our 2200.00 leather sectional and poop. lol Well it went to a home that has a big fenced in back yard so good stuff in the long run lol. Thing had claws like a cat I still have scars on my arms.. :Oh crap

What part of PA? Im originally from Western Pa nw of Pittsburgh.

I'm more east and in the middle.. Northumberland county. The land of old people.

That's really good advice.

me thinks warchild has a soft spot for the doggies, i've never seen him so nice as he is in this thread!:)

You must be kidding me :1orglaugh

Impossible. Low maintenance pets? Low maintenance DOGS? Right....
Dogs shed. Period.

Cats are low maintenance. But they ALSO shed. So....

Another thing: dogs vomit on your carpet, the drag their shitstained asses over your carpet when they have worms giving your floor a nice brown hue.

A Beagle will fail miserably on all of your requirements.

I know lol, I think he has a couple of Rott's from memory.

I second that. Even more, I don´t think you should get a dog Selena. If you read the requirements for the type of dog you are searching for, you will see the best decision for both - you and the dog - is not to get a dog.

Please do not take this as an offence, but training dogs (hunting dogs) is my hobby for almost 30 years now and I´m dealing with dogs which were more or less unwelcomed as well. A dog is not a toy you buy for Christmas and and lay it aside if you got bored. The dog needs training, must be fed and cleaned and this duty stays for several years.

So warchilds advice is the best you can do if you and your son really consider to get a dog.

Oh, I am not offended at all. I don't want a dog at all. But my son really does, and based on some stuff he's going through, it's a sacrifice I'm considering making.

Even though I don't want one now, I remember how special it was to have a pet when I was young. :)

WarChild's advice is great, and I'm taking it, along with all the other comments under consideration. It's certainly not a decision I'll make lightly.

Thanks everyone for the posts. :)

I think this is what you are looking for;

http://www.lakewoodconferences.com/d...40/Toy_Dog.jpg

A chihuahua fits your requirements. They are lapdogs, they like to just lay down all day on your lap or on a pet bed. They are very easy to train and you can "litter" train them or train them to go on pee pads. This works out well especially if you get snow in your area, because any snow over a couple inches is generally too much snow for them to be able to walk in.

Shedding is very minimal and if you buy a decent quality Chi they will not be a yappy dog. They don't require much of anything. A full bowl of food will last them a week, but the fountain type cat water bowls and you will only need to fill that one up once a week too. Pee pads you change once or twice a day and that is it other than a yearly health check.

A West Highland can be fun... but a boy wants a bigger doggie.

I too had that little daemon, it's a sheperd and will be huge, from Belgium I think. They are cute but make you upset quick being daemonic at the beginning. But after a short while they became the smartest dogs.

http://members.shaw.ca/plentypaws/aboutbelgians.htm see pics

i have 8 dogs 1 maltese, 3 chihuahuas, 3 different types of terrier, and 1 basset hound that was left by the people my house was purchased from i agreed to keep cause its way old and was "too old and proly wouldnt survive the trip to their new home in arkansas" which was almost 2 years ago now lol....out of all of them the female apple head chihuahua is my favorite...whatever you do don't get a male, no matter what you do they will pee in on stuff ;) yeah females suck because they bleed on stuff but you can get her fixed, even if you dont a few days of annoyance is better than pee every day...

I have a male dog for the last 5 years. He has NEVER peed in the house, destroy any furniture, and has only barfed twice - after I was stupid enough to give him a t-bone. If you train your dog and give him the attention and exercise they need, no dog should act out and have to 'mark their territory' in some fashion. When it comes to choosing your new pet, I dont' believe it matters on the gender either, train and treat your dog with respect and they will do the same to you, your family, and home.

Go for the dachshund he wants.

We had one for 13 years when I was a teenager. He was very well-behaved and very trained. He would scritch at the door when he needed to go out. Stayed all day when my parents went to work and we went to school with no accidents. We had a smoothcoat red. I have seen some really great looking dapples lately.

My brother has a 6 year old rescue dachshund now that he got about 6 months ago. Other than being a bit of a chow hound (he had to battle with 3 bigger dogs in his previous home), he is a great dog. He is very very attached to my brother in just a short time.

You might check for a local dachshund rescue.

PK

if you're not a pet person do the dog a favor and dont get one.

it's there you just don't know where to look....might be just a couple drops on the corners of your kitchen table, chair, floor heater, the legs of your bed, or a plant stand, but i bet if i went thru your house i could find it...im not talking about giant puddles of piss, but if you pay attention and look carefully you will find little water spots on the corners of things around your house:2 cents:

yep the great hiders of piss. lol I think good boy shorty stopped then I move furniture to do something and there is a little surprise.

yep there is nothing that you can really do the most you can do is train them to know it is wrong so they at least respect you and do it when you aren't around...it took me years to figure it out, cause its just little drops and when dust starts to collect to it it looks like someone dropped a drink and it splattered on the chair or something...just thought i had shitty house guests or thought they were from sneezes or something...also if its on hardwood it evaporates and concentrates into some pretty nasty shit similar to cat piss...

Sorry to dissapoint you, but my dog doesn't do that. He is walked three times a day - sun or snow, keeps us all in shape and my house pee free. And when that is not enough, he lets me know if he has to go out. Maybe being neutered helps too.

yeah neutering helps it's not impossible that your dog doesn't do it but i really think i could find spots in your house:winkwink:...the number of other pets is a big factor too...if you have other dogs or cats you are pretty much guaranteed to have them...

ps...its not a need to pee issue, the number of times you walk your dog to piss will not change territorial marking patterns

True, it is more territorial, and we only have one dog. But you are welcome to come and look at my home. I'm trying to sell it anyway.... :)

The other way to think about it. He IS marking his territory when he is walked. Because he makes sure he pees on very thing I allow him to in the neighborhood! Let him mark the firehydrants and trees all he wants, when it keeps my house pee free.

We did have a chihuahua as a house dog when I was younger. It wasn't bad at all, and I could probably live with one of those. If so, I'll do as BusterBunny says and go for the female.

I will certainly take that advisement into consideration, because that is the breed he really, really wants. Glad to hear that someone has had better results than the stuff I have read about. :)

I wasn't a child person either, but the two I have are well cared for, spoiled, and loved. ;)

While I wouldn't get a pet left to my own devices, if I agree to let him have one, it will be given what it needs. But I do want to research as much as possible to get a breed that best fits with the household.

I am really appreciating all the input. I have been looking some tonight at sites where you can check off criteria, and it suggests different breeds.

Even hard hearted bitch me melts at the sight of these, which is one of the breeds suggested:

http://www.brussels-griffon.info/2008PictureContest.htm

A dog is not the same as your own flesh and blood. Puppies are alot of work and when the kids gets bored with the dog. Who is going to give the dog attention? There is a big age gap in my house so when I was a grown man and out of the house. My brother and sister were kids, my sister wanted a dog. My parents are pet tolerates at best. When my sister got bored with that dog, he was feed, walked but got very little attention and was a very lonely dog. When you learn about dogs they are pack animals and want to be an active part of the family.

If you're sure getting a dog is the right decision, here goes...

If you want low maintenance, definitely go for an older dog - preferably from the pound or a rescue group (check petfinder.com). They'll be calmer, usually housebroken, have their shots, be spayed/neutered, cheaper, and won't be contributing to puppymills or backyard breeders.

As for breeds - perhaps an Italian Greyhound? They are small, shorthaired, generally calm (they tend to be more lapdogs and not super outgoing). They are also very intelligent and learn quickly.

Doxies are also a good option, actually. They are mainly indoor dogs, and if you get a short-haired one, they fit a good deal of your preferences. I've never met a mean or bad-tempered doxie, for what it's worth.

Stay away from hounds, golden retrievers, bull breeds, boxers, labradors - they are all bouncy, high energy dogs and take a LOT of work. Beagles are cute, but almost the exact opposite from what you said you wanted.

Do you still have my email? If you ever need help with dog-related things/behavioral issues, I can try and help. I've worked and volunteered at pet stores and shelters, so I know way too much about all the dog products and foods out there... and I successfully rehabbed two very abused shelter dogs, so if anything pops up, I may have advice on how to help. I love dogs and talking about dogs and so on and so forth, if you can't tell <3

my doggie does not pee in the house either. once we are outside, he squirts a little on everything he can till he runs out then he dry pees stuff.

now if we are indoors somewhere where other dogs have peed, he'll lift a leg at those spots.