Little dogs?

[Julie Billingsley]

Forever I've wanted a dog, and I have convinced my husband that the time is right. I had my heart set on a Shiba which is a medium size dog, but in all honesty I think a smaller and more common dog would suit our family and our home better. BUT my husband says he doesn't like little dogs. He thinks they are all high-strung and yippy. When I was a kid, I had a westie and loved her, but I want something else now. So tell me about your experience with little dogs and what breeds you like. Kid-friendly is a must and for my husband's sanity it can't be high-strung. Any breeds to avoid?

[isaacsmom]

We have two little dogs. Pepper is a rat terrier. She is a little high strung and does bark at strangers and any animal she spots outdoors. She is good with our kids, but when they bother her a lot, or hit at her, she does nip at them. My boys are 1 and 6, so she has been pestered a lot by those two!

Our other dog Ginger is a pomeranian/chihauhau mix. She looks like a little teddy bear and is a sweetheart. She is pretty low key, doesn't bark a lot and loves to cuddle. She is very good with the kids.

Both dogs shed a LOT! That is one thing I kind of dislike... But other than that, we love our dogs. We got both of them at the local shelter and have had them for 12 years. They are the best of friends and get along great!

Here is a layout I did so you can see what they look like:

[emmasmommy]

we have a cockerpoo (cocker spaniel/poodle mix). she is honestly the best dog. she's not quite a year old yet but she is already so good with the kids and most of the time we don't even know she's here. she won't get bigger than 15-20 lbs, she doesn't shed, and the girls bug her every second of the day and she never once has nipped at them. she does bark at things outside and she's very protective of us (not nipping but she's leery of strangers) but it's not annoying (and i'm pretty easily annoyed).

[Melissa Bennett]

We have a Shih Tzu and she is spoiled rotten. She is very attached to hubby and I but will run and snip at the kids when they run by her. She also barks at the wind blowing. LOL!! I love having her and prefer her to the bigger dogs we have had in the past, but I don't think this breed is good for being around kids. She sleeps on our bed, loves to go with us in the car and is a true lap dog.

[Julie Billingsley]

awesome! Please show pics too! I'd love to see your babies!

[pewtertm]

I would suggest going to one of your local shelters and spending some time with the animals. If the shelter has a website, you might be able to get a look at some of the animals there, and if one that you are interested in is being fostered, you can arrange a meet and greet. You may find that there's one or two in particular that you really feel a connection with.

[Jenn Barrette]

We have a Pug, and she is the sweetest little dog. She is so amazing with the kids, they hug her, squeeze her, try and dress her up, etc and she has never nipped or growled at them. She does bark when someone comes to the door, or when she sees other dogs when we are out walking.

[emmasmommy]

here's our belle

[juliemarie]

I have always disliked little dogs because all the ones I've known are too yappy. But my oldest recently came home to live while going to college and she brought a 1 year old chihuahua with her. I love the dog, he is even great with my 5 year old Before this we have always had labs, but now I can see having both!

[marlathrall]

I have the best dog ever. He's such a relaxed, friendly guy and he's adorable, too. Seriously, he's sleeping at my feet at this very second, where he's been all day long.


I'm in love! by As the Farm Turns, on Flickr

I'm really just showing off his picture though... Because he's a 140 lb Bullmastiff. I'm not big on little dogs. Lol.


In Disguise by As the Farm Turns, on Flickr

Good luck find the perfect pup for your family.

[AmberK]

I have a Silky Terrier named Lucy. She is a crossed between a Yorkie and Australian Terrier. She is 6 lbs and a tad on the yappy side but not too bad. She is GREAT with the kids and sleeps smack dab in the middle of our bed like she owns it. Best thing about her is even though her hair is long she does not require frequent grooming. I give her a bath once a week and then we take her for a day of beauty once ever 6 month- really just to trim her up. But her hair does not grow super long like Yorkies.

Here is a pic of her:

[nun69]

my daycare provider has a long haired Chihuaha and we babsat her for 2 weeks and she was absolutely rotten by the time she left...she was seriously so good that she hooked my husband in LOL....they only thing she really barked at was the act {sicne my babysitter doesn't have cats} and when somebody rang the doorbell...I am hoping to get one for Abby for XMAS

[Nutmeg]

Originally Posted by AmberK

I have a Silky Terrier named Lucy.

I'm so excited that somebody else has a Silky! My mom used to show them, so I grew up with Silkys all my life. I'm married and out of the house now, but my family still has 3 rescues. They're wonderful dogs! Intelligent, loving, and not too yippy!

[sczos911]

i have a mut.

henry is a jack/rat/Chihuahua mix...we think. definitely jack. but anyways - he is about 8 months old and he is great. he's a spaz, but he fits well with us. he is hyper when it is acceptable and a cuddler when we want him to be. he's on hubby's lap right now..wait now he's getting his tummy rubbed... he's tiny - maybe 10 pounds. just a little guy. he's fun to have around and i cannot imagine live without him. he just loves kids, loves and adores my girls and tortures the cats.

[sczos911]

as far as barking - not much. just when another dog passes or is outside. normally it is a low growl. i think barking has a lot to do with training. and speaking of training - henry knows sit, stay, dance, shake, down, drop it, leave it, here and he is only 8 months old. he's super trainable and super smart.

[LeeAndra]

I've never had one, but I've always wanted a Corgi.

[Andrea Gourley]

Oh Julie, how can you say you don't want another Westie? You've seen him before but here is my baby


Haggis will be 3 at Christmas and he is so soft and very spoiled! He sleeps on our beds and goes everywhere with us, loves car journeys so we all tend to go out and take hime with us and we take turns to look after him when we're out so that he is never left on his own. He is a bit woofy when people walk past our house and he is scared of cats so if one of those dares to walk across the street he is noisy but other than this he is just perfect

[Gemma]

I have a little dog. She is a Chihuahua cross, but not sure what she's crossed with. She does bark when someone knocks at the door and she does like lots of attention but she isn't too spoiled, she isn't allowed in any of the bedrooms and she has her own bed in the living room. She does love to lie on my knee though, or at least right beside me so I can't move without disturbing her lol.

Here she is all curled up on the cushion -


SleepyDog-* by GemmaC24, on Flickr

[Janet Phillips]

We have a pug and we LOVE LOVE LOVE her. I have always had big dogs growing up and I thought I hated small dogs. And then through a series of events we ended up with a Pug and I will never, ever have a different breed. Pugs are great with kids, they can be trained not to bark, they are super affectionate, LOVE any and all people, aren't yappy, and are just all around super amazing. They are known to be hard to house train, though. We have had ours for about 9 months and I want another one!

[SmallMoments]

You NEED a Yorkie-Poo!!! He is the best dog EVER. We got him when Luke was three and he let Luke pick him up and drag him just about anywhere. Now he lays and listens to Luke read; he stays in the yard when we're out working; he's VERY loyal; he doesn't shed; he's 3.5 now and only ten pounds. He RARELY barks- really only when there is another dog outside the window that he doesn't know. And his bark isn't a yip.

And he's adorable.

[nikkiARNGwife]

We just got a new dog about a month ago. He's a mutt...the vet says he's probably a shitzhu mixed with something..not sure what the something is lol. But we adopted him..he's about 2 years old and SOO sweet. He came from a family that had small children and he so gentle and good with the kids. He has long course looking hair but it's really super soft. The best part about adopting him was he was already fully house trained and the even better part is he's not a barker at all. I mean he'll bark playfully with the kids or bark at a squirrel in the yard but when people come over he'll try to lick them to death but never barks one time. There was like zero transition with him in the house..it was just like he'd always lived here. And no awful puppy stage with messes and chewing up everything. We've had him about a month now and he's totally stolen my heart he's such a sweetheart. His name is Harry lol oh he's fully grown and weighs 16 lbs..he looks bigger b/c of all the hair

[MissKim]

I have a chihuahua/terrier mix. We didn't get him until he was a year old, which was nice because he was past the puppy stage and really ready to be trained. He only barks at my husband (seriously... he doesn't like my dh) and he's always been really easygoing. He's getting old now and he's a little more grouchy and prefers to be left alone, but then again, so am I.



I'm a small dog person. I want a dog who is my companion. Who travels well (we take our dog on vacation with us when we can). Who doesn't take up much space.

[aggiefamily]

We have a miniature schnauzer. She is a great watch dog but is not high strung or yippy at all. Schnauzers are very easy to train and are great around children and other dogs. We choose a schnauzer because they do not shed as long as they are properly groomed, are small but not tiny, are energetic but not spastic, are easy to train and are low maintenance as far as personality.

I do take Katie about every 2 months or so to get groomed. Mainly because it is always hot here. She was very easy to housetrain and quickly learned a few other commands. Katie goes everywhere with me and is my shadow.

Katie is a black and silver schnauzer with white markings. As she has gotten older the liver spots (her dad was liver/tan) have turned to silver. She now weighs about 12 pounds.

2.5 years ago:



Full grown:


I have tons of pics on my facebook.

[Leah]

Awww I wanna a puppy. lol

I grew up with Lhasa's. Nice dogs, long hair, non-shedding and great for people with allergies. We had a litter of puppies and they were adorable. Personality-wise...I don't know. But they're sure cute as puppies.

When DH and I got together, we were Golden Retriever people. Gorgeous dogs, wonderful personalities, perfect family dogs. But they are big and you need to have the room for them in your house.

We just found new homes for our Golden's last Xmas. We had them on our acreage (lots of room), but didn't have the space or the time that they deserved when we moved back in to the city. It was really heartbreaking for me, but I knew it that they deserved more than what I could give them at this time in our life.

Surprisingly...we have become cat people. *gasp* I love my sweet kitty.

Anyway...if and when we ever get another dog, it will be a small dog. Not sure what kind yet though, so I like these thread and all the pictures too!

[Kenzi]

Well just cause I gotta show him off here's my big boy Dryfus aka. Bubba Bear


He's a Leonberger and as a whole I LOVE this breed or any other giant breed for that matter. In my experience (I've been in the veterinary field for 10 years) you can make any dog be what you want for your family. Yes every breed has their tendencies and if you want to get down to it, the dogs us technicians fear the most as "biters" are the small breeds lol! That being said if I were looking for an older dog to adopt I would be more worried about their breed characteristics as far as kids were concerned. If you get one as a puppy and train it right and give it plenty of attention you;ll get a good family pet. Some of my favorite small breeds are Pugs, Pugles (Pug Beagle mix) French Bulldogs, any Poodle mix, Westies, Cavalier King Charles Spaniels. I could go on and on, on this topic, but I won't bore you lol. Good luck and have fun selecting your new family member!!

[Julie Billingsley]

Thanks everyone! I'm going to read up on some of breeds! You've given me a great start on suggestions! Please keep 'em coming I'd love to see more pics and hear about your loves!

[misfitinmn]

Originally Posted by marlathrall

I have the best dog ever. He's such a relaxed, friendly guy and he's adorable, too. Seriously, he's sleeping at my feet at this very second, where he's been all day long.


I'm in love! by As the Farm Turns, on Flickr

I'm really just showing off his picture though... Because he's a 140 lb Bullmastiff. I'm not big on little dogs. Lol.


In Disguise by As the Farm Turns, on Flickr

Good luck find the perfect pup for your family.

GAH!!!! He's SOOOOOOO cute, I just want to snuggle him to bits!! I am a big dog lover.

I will share my poochie, just because he's a lazy bag of bones. But he's not little! He's a springer spaniel and we love him to bits, even though he drives me CRAZY when there's a baby around (I am much better around him once the babies are grown more!).



Good luck, Julie! Can't wait to hear what you decide to get!

[scrapsandsass]

We have two Boston Terriers. The good thing about them is they are really friendly and amazing with kids. They also don't really smell like dogs. (That was a big plus for me.) They are pretty high-energy, but not yappy. They like to run like crazy around the yard, and they play with each other like there's no tomorrow, but when we just had the one (Kate), she was pretty mellow. Bobby likes to bark more (at cats who pass by), but he's just trying to be the alpha. Otherwise, they really don't yap much at all. Kate is 15 pounds of delightful sweetness. Bobby is a bigger Boston, which is kind of weird. He is 25 lbs of pure muscle.

Here are my sweethearts.

[pewtertm]

Bear definitely isn't a little dog, but he thinks he is (ie, he thinks his 55lb self should be able to sit on your lap, especially if it's thundering outside LOL)

[taracotta7]

Originally Posted by Kenzi

Some of my favorite small breeds are Pugs, Pugles (Pug Beagle mix) French Bulldogs, any Poodle mix, Westies, Cavalier King Charles Spaniels. I could go on and on, on this topic, but I won't bore you lol. Good luck and have fun selecting your new family member!!

OMG!!!! I am so excited you said this! We are looking for a smaller breed dog and going back and forth between pug and beagle! I had no idea there was a mix!!!! Holy cow! I think I may be way too excited over that fact. LOL Thanks for sharing!!!!!

[tanbanan]

We have 2 small dogs:

Ginger is a Red short-hair Dachshund, 16 lbs and she's 10 yrs old. She's been the best dog, minimal shedding. She only barks because the younger dog barks and she's been so great with all our children. However, I do know that some Dachshunds can be nippy and/or growl when you pet them. They usually attach to one person.

Sugar is a Toy Poodle, 6lbs and 7 yrs old. She is your typical yippy dog when the doorbell rings and she gets really nervous in the car. But, she is an adorable dog, no shedding, and very loving.

I'll have to find a picture to post!

[Julie Billingsley]

sorry to pop this topic up again, but I'm still on the puppy prowl.

Anyone have a Pomeranian? I read a bit about them and then I met 2 today and just fell in love with them. Of course they were puppies, so what is not to love about a puppy. LOL

[jessica31876]

We have a Keeshond. She is so pretty (some people think she is part wolf but in no way acts that way). She was super easy to house train. Like withint two weeks tops she was trained. She did make a little bit of a mess when I left her home while my husband was in the hospital even when I came home at night being home all day alone she did not do well. She has never met a dog she does not like and is protective of the cats and all of us too. Oh she is about 35 pounds....maybe 40



here is what she looked like as a puppy:

[jessica31876]

oh and keeshonds are closely related to pomeranians so you would probably love one of them too

[taracotta7]

Jessica! What a cute dog! I have never heard of that breed. We are in the market for a small - medium dog. Julie, I have recently been researching Goldendoodles. Golden retriever/poodle mix. They have mini, medium and standard size. Totally depends on the size of poodle that is bred. (I am leaning towards a medium 25-40 lbs) They don't shed either! Our neighbor has a standard size one and I am totally in love with him. Best temperament I have ever seen in a dog. Not hyper or barky. Great with kids and other dogs. I want one so bad!

[AmberK]

My mom has a Pom and he is a really good dog!

[momtutu]

We had a llasa that we had to put to sleep about a month ago. Got her from the humane society and had her for 6 years. She was about 11 and it absolutely tore me up. She was a wonderful dog. Easy going, non-shedder (but we kept her very short). We also have a cockapoo and he is HYSTERICAL! He's 5 now, no shedding and has the best personality - everyone who meets Jack just loves him. He is super smart, knows commands and hardly ever barks and weighs 40lbs (much bigger than I ever thought he would be). Then, we have Molly, a maltese/poodle mix who is older and very sweet. Also non shedding (we have to have non-shedders due to my asthmatic son). She can be pretty yippy but is a real cuddle bug.

Jack has been depressed since Maggie died and so for the past week and a half or so, I've gone to the humane society to just look around. DH, the kids and I went today and adopted a new furbaby and we are so excited!! He's a 5 month old shih-tzu/pomeranian mix (they think) and he is just perfect for our family!

Here's our sweet Maggie..


Jack..


Little Molly..


And our new little guy (we haven't decided on a name but are taking suggestions)..



Oh shoot!! Sorry the pictures are so big!! I'm not good at editing them down, I just copied them from FB!!

[EvaK]

Originally Posted by taracotta7

Jessica! What a cute dog! I have never heard of that breed. We are in the market for a small - medium dog. Julie, I have recently been researching Goldendoodles. Golden retriever/poodle mix. They have mini, medium and standard size. Totally depends on the size of poodle that is bred. (I am leaning towards a medium 25-40 lbs) They don't shed either! Our neighbor has a standard size one and I am totally in love with him. Best temperament I have ever seen in a dog. Not hyper or barky. Great with kids and other dogs. I want one so bad!

We have a goldendoodle and love her to pieces, but she isn't a small dog (even tho she is on the small size for a standard size at a little under 50 pounds). Lola is the most easy going dog I have ever had. Never barks when the doorbell rings or if someone is walking by the house (and she is peeking out the blinds). The only time she barks is when she wants inside from the backyard -- and then she uses her "big dog" bark (which used to make me think someone was trying to get in our yard... but now I realize she is just silly and wants inside).

For a small dog I would suggest anything mixed with a poodle (a toy poodle for a small dog). I have had dogs all my life and the biggest advantage to a poodle mix is that it don't shed (or shed very very little). You don't realize how much dogs can shed until you have one. Granted all of the dogs I have had who shed were not small dogs, but I am still getting rid of cat hair on furniture from our cat that passed away last year (and she was a short hair). I hate cat and dog hair on my clothes. Yuk!

You were asking about Poms. My bestest friend in the whole world is a vet and she has always loved Poms and usually has one. She actually has quite a few dogs and cats -- and somehow they all get along.

I'm sure whatever you choose you (and your DH) will love him/her. Hubby tries to say he doesn't like Lola sometimes... usually when he is wrestling on the floor with her. LOL She is my dog (he really didn't want me to get her -- so I waited until his ship was deployed to get her), but he loves her just as much as the rest of us do... even if he won't admit it.

[KristinCB]

Originally Posted by taracotta7

Totally depends on the size of poodle that is bred. (I am leaning towards a medium 25-40 lbs) They don't shed either!

*I* don't have one but I do know that you have to be careful with this because they can shed.. so just putting that out there so you know

[jessica31876]

He? looks like Cooper to me. Maybe Buster.

Originally Posted by momtutu

And our new little guy (we haven't decided on a name but are taking suggestions)..



Oh shoot!! Sorry the pictures are so big!! I'm not good at editing them down, I just copied them from FB!!

[brooke22]

I havent had any experience with Pomeranian but we have a chihuahua that we love to bits. They get a bad rep about being yappy, but the golden retriever barks more then she does. She loves my kids, especially my eldest, but is not really a kids dog in the way that other kids scare her.

Here she was as a puppy:


And with her best friend:

[kendallt]

Originally Posted by LeeAndra

I've never had one, but I've always wanted a Corgi.

Me too, LA!! We have a sheltie and just lost our almost 10 yo dachshund this summer.

They're both great breeds for different reasons, but I'm not sure I can recommend them. Dachshunds are notoriously stubborn and hard to house break. They also can be a bit on the overprotective side. Our sheltie is the very definition of high strung! The literally runs around in circles.