Help needed: want to buy a puppy. (1 Viewer)

[David Susilo]

Okay, I'm thinking of getting a puppy. However, there are criterias that need to be met.

1. no shedding (hypoallergenic)
2. stay tiny
3. NOT stupid
4. cute
5. blonde... (oops, that's from a different list)

Any help will greatly be appreciated.

 

[Mark Brewer]

Begals!!!

Or Sony has a great Puppy

 

[Malcolm R]

I don't think there's a dog that fits all those criteria.

As Mark says, I think you need to look at artificial pets. All animals shed, so you're out of luck right there (unless you get a non-hairy variety such as snake or lizard).

 

[Mark Hayenga]

Toy poodle, without a doubt.

http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/toypoodle.htm

Relevant quotes:
"Poodles shed little to no hair and are good for allergy sufferers."

"The Toy Poodle is sensitive and remarkably intelligent. Highly responsive, they are said to be one of the most trainable breeds."

"Weight: 6-9 pounds (3-4 kg.)"

 

[Richard Travale]

I think you should look at a Jack Russel Terrier. You know, like "Eddie" from Frasier.
Warning, these dogs are pretty smart so they get bored easily. You have to make sure they are well trained and that you are able to spend a decent amount of time with them.

 

[Keith Mickunas]

Look at a bichon friese (something like that), they're a small white dog that is hypoalleginic. They're french circus dogs that are quite small and a bit hyper. My neighbor had one and it was one of the most playful and friendly dogs I've met. Full grown its still so small its like a puppy. When it jumps on you, you can barely feel it.

 

[SteveGon]

As Mark said: Beagles

 

[nolesrule]

You need to realize that some people aren't just allergic to dog hair/fur. Many people are allergic to dog dander or saliva as well or instead, so that is something you need to determine before getting a dog.

My wife is allergic to dogs, and she has reactions to every dog that is supposed to be safe for people with allergies. She is allergic to my grandmother's toy poodle, to counter the poodle argument.

And to the person that recommended a Jack Russell, they shed like mad. We used to have a neighbor who had one.

 

[Philip_T]

Boston Terrier,
-short hair
-intelligent
-cute (well, depends on who you ask)
-small
-friendly disposition & playful

 

[Todd Hochard]

I love my Beagle (Barney). He is 9 now, and is moving into his "crotchety old man" phase, but I still like him. He's a bit too smart for his own good sometimes. He once moved a chair to the table to eat a sandwich I left for TWO minutes, and he can unwrap dinner mints before eating them- are you seeing a pattern here? And, he understands about 200 different words (including similar sounding words like "car" and "park"). He's not TINY, but about 13" at the shoulder. He requires lots of interaction with people, and thinks himself above other dogs (he fancies himself a person). He's a worrier/nervous type, but I think my wife did that. His face went white when we moved to Maine for six months.

He sheds pretty lightly, but there is no dog that will be completely free of dander (well, Aibo, but...). Perhaps you ought to look into allergy treatments. I was a very allergic person (including my dog), and the injections are helping quite a bit. We also bathe him often (once every week or two) with a very mild Aloe dog shampoo, which helps with the allergies, but doesn't seem to bother him at all (other than the fact that he hates water in general). People remark that he has the shiniest, softest coat they've seen.

Todd

 

[Keith Mickunas]

I'm thinking of getting myself a puppy soon. My coworker is hoping to breed her boston terrier, so that's one option. If that doesn't work out I'll be looking for something else. I'd prefer a smallish dog, but I don't have a lot of requirements.

I've heard that beagles bark a lot, can anyone shed some light on that? I had a cocker growing up, and I've heard many times those aren't great with kids, but I've never known one to be a problem, so I don't always know what to believe about the generalizations made of different breeds.

 

[Bob Graz]

We have a cockapoo (poodle/cockerspaniel). He's a great dog. He's 18 lb's, doesn't shed, is smart and has a great personality and he looks good. When we were looking 3 years ago we could not find a pure breed that we liked. The poodle/cocker mix was perfect.

Other positive attributes. He doesn't dig, chew things (except during that puppy teething stage) and he's very people friendly. We keep him in lots of toys and give him a rawhide to chew on every night. He loves those things. We buy the one's from the vet that are treated with dental stuff to clean his teeth.

 

[Bry_DD]

check out Miniture Pincher.

 

[Jay Heyl]

Rather than recommending a specific breed, I think you would be well served to do some research on your own. Check out Your Purebred Puppy: A Buyer's Guide. This book has complete descriptions of every AKC breed, including all the characteristics you asked about. It's pretty easy to browse the book and come up with a short list of breeds that fill your requirements. The book also talks about what kind of breeder to look for, how to properly pick a puppy from a litter, how to care for the puppy, etc. I bought a copy of the book because I thought it was very well written. You might want to check your local library first. Mine had a copy. Well worth the expenditure of time and money.

 

[Mark Hayenga]

I can't believe I forgot to mention www.petfinder.org .... it's a nationwide database of local shelters and rescue groups (many breed-specific). You can enter your zipcode and search for adoptable pets of a given breed/sex/age within a given area.

Re: JRT's - very smart dogs but require a lot of time from you. They tend to be very active and some are hyper. Like most really smart dogs (eg border collies, etc) they require a lot of people contact and activities to keep them from getting destructive. Great dogs, IF you can handle the commitment. Dunno about shedding.

Re: Beagle barking - it varies. I've heard some at the dog park that just bark and bay all the time, while others are perfectly fine. I think most small hound breeds (dachsunds, beagles, basset hounds) tend to be barking-prone (the five dachsunds my parents have owned have all been barkers, and Mom said the same of the beagle she had on the farm when she was growing up).

A miniature shnauzer might also be a good dog for you, I think they're low/no shedding and reasonably smart.

Me, I have a border collie/springer spaniel mix that sheds everywhere and takes up an hour of my day at the dog park every day Smart as can be though. Smart dogs are a lot easier to take care of IMO so long as you are able to keep them happy. My Cali takes verbal and nonverbal cues very well even when I haven't spent time training her to do so.

 

[Erik_C]

West Highland White Terrier. Best dog ever.

Super smart, tops out at around 18 pounds, does not shed, great around kids, and mine lived 15 years, which is a long life for a dog, but average for a Westie. You couldn't ask for a better or more loyal friend. I'm technically allergic to dog hair, too, and never had any allergy problems with Westies.

EDIT: Just noticed you're in Canada. Westies love cold weather. Mine alternately used to bury his face in the snow and roll around in the snow (I grew up in upstate NY, where it snows alot).

-Erik

 

[MarkHastings]

On the Hypoalergenic thing. Here's a good read:
http://www.k9web.com/dog-faqs/allerg...hypoallergenic

You should also be very careful in your quest for a pet. You must be honest with yourself: if you later must give up your pet, it is much worse for your pet than it is for you. It is a sad fact of life that many pets given up by their owners, especially once fully grown, are put down at shelters. So, do not focus so much on your own desire for a pet, but rather consider the potential pet's welfare first.

 

[nolesrule]

Mark, that first part is exactly what I was trying to say.

And even though my wife is allergic and I will never have a dog in my home, I consider myself a dog lover (the only dog that ever freaked me out was a psycho doberman that a former neighbor had) and I strongly agree with that second quote.

 

[MarkHastings]

I strongly agree with that second quote

Yes. I would LOVE to have a dog. My brother has a Golden Retriever ("Zack") and I want one SO bad. I can play with Zack and my allergies don't act up too much, so I tried dog-sitting him for a week...after the second day, I could barely see and breath.

I now know that I really couldn't have a dog in the house with me and I would never want to give away a dog, so I don't even put myself in that situation. As bad as I want one, I realize it's best that I don't.


p.s. I have 2 cockatiels and they don't bother me at all (go figure), but I also tried keeping a friends bird (at my apartment) before I got one as a pet to make sure I would be fine with it.

 

[Jon_Welker]

I have a Lab and a Siberian Husky, and am generaly a fan of bigger dogs, but if I had to get a small one, it would be a Pug. They stay small, I don't think they shed a lot, I don't think they're stupid, and they have plenty of character.