OT-New Puppy in the House

[leanan]

It is important to get a dog that is temperment tested with children and small animals weather you have kids now or not.

 

[landsm99]

Go for a rescue dog! We used petfinder.com as well. I love german shepards but they are too big. So I looked and looked for a shepard mix @ around 30-35lbs. It took a few months but we got exactly that. All for the big price of $75.
You have to be so careful where you get the puppy from. Do your research on the store/breeder.
Good luck!

 

[JJ&JSMOM]

Like everyone else has said - do your research. In my experience, Humane Societies (sp) are very careful where they place animals - they want a happy ending as well. And its quite a process to adopt - lots of paperwork and visiting different animals. Anyway my only experience w/breeders is re: Newfoundlands (my favorite dog) which are probably way too big for your family. So I'm not much help - good luck - this is an exciting time for your whole family but take your time for the perfect fit!

 

[eliza61]

We have a small pound puppy called "hobbes". He's a mutt so it's really hard to tell what breed he is, we think Lab/beagle mix. He is a fabulous dog. He was very easy to train, he's got a great mix of wariness to strangers where if some one new comes into the house, he will bark and sniff the new comer but he doesn't jump on them or growl. Very good with my sons and their friends. Only downside is that he does shed in the summer.

He's a major part of the family and only ran us $75.00 bucks for his shots and to be neutered.

 

[rbork]

Maltese owner here. Had 2 so far. One from the shelter and one from a breeder. BOTH great dogs. The maltese from the shelter was 4 yrs old when we got her. She was already potty trained etc.. But needed dental work$$$. Worked hard and trained the expensive puppy from the breeder but it has paid off since she is kennel trained. An unanticipated expense we hadn't considered was the cost of kenneling/dog sitting when we travel in addition to the yearly check ups and shots. The dog runs about 18$ per DAY to kennel for vacations.
There is a maltese rescue in MD, perhaps one in your state as well???
Good luck and do what is right for you!

 

[murcor]

I agree with Leanan "It is important to get a dog that is temperment tested with children and small animals weather you have kids now or not"

We just got our cocker spaniel puppy 1 week ago. She is 3 months old and a great family dog. Currently she is 10 lbs and will double in size. I guess that will make her a medium size dog. A cavalier King Charles is basically the same but the minature version.

We searched various pet shelters for months and couldnt find the size & temperment we were after. I still feel guilty that I couldnt rescue a dog as we would have taken a mature dog too.

Here are a few pictures of Abby

IMG]http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u313/murcor/Abby/14.jpg[/IMG]

 

[CinRell]

I am in a puppy mill rescue group ... marilynsvoice.org

Please keep in mind if you don't go through rescue, any breeder who doesn't question YOU and make you feel like you are being tested, walk away. Any breeder who sells on the internet or newspaper, walk away. Any pet stores that sell puppies.. RUN away.

These are all from puppy mills... and you'll end up with a lifetime of vet bills plus you'll be supporting a horrid industry.

There ARE many small dogs in rescues and shelters.. you have to visit frequently as they are usually fast to be adopted in some areas.

 

[Accentuate+]

Awww i love all the puppy pictures, so cute!

I was going to sing the praises of Cocker Spaniels, also. Mine was small and stayed around 20 pounds but they're not delicate dogs. Some get quite a bit bigger, though, so ask to see mom and dad to gauge that.

Someone mentioned grooming, make sure you factor that cost in if you get a Shihtzu or other dog that requires it. If you want to keep them in the 'haircut' that's standard it'll mean grooming every 4-6 weeks so that can add up. I know someone with a shihtzu and they are adorable and hers at least is very well behaved.

My parents unexpectedly rescued (dog was being mistreated by some of my trashy cousins so my parents took it away from them) a chihuahua. I know they have a reputation as being yippy little ankle biters but this dog is great and low maintenance.

There are rescue websites for most breeds. Some googling might lead you to the perfect dog. A friend adopted two miniature schnauzers this way and they are wonderful.

Good luck with whichever you decide on. Dogs are great additions to the family!

Edited to add:
I can't believe I didn't do this in my original post but I want to also sing the praises of the mutt. We've had a couple through the years and they were all sweethearts. Your shelter may not have the exact breed your looking for but if you visit there's likely to be a little halfbreed that will take your heart. I'm a sappy dog lover but the mutts seem to pull the best of whatever breeds went into them.

 

[james'mommy]

In my opinion little dogs are barkers, yappers and jumpers. Right now I have a full bred female boxer. She's about 50 pounds. She absolutely adores my DS4. She loves to snuggle up with him. I also have a rottie-mix who is on the small size and is 50 pounds. She's still a puppy so she's rambunctios. But my all time favorite is my Rottie that passed away. He was always so sweet and gentle especially when my son was a baby. Just because a dog is big doesn't mean they are agressive. My rottie was the biggest baby, he would try and climb into your lap or curl up on top of my feet. Rottie's are the best, they love unconditionally and whole heartedly.

 

[james'mommy]

Oh I forgot to add that my boxer and rottie both came from hobby breeders. My rottie mix is a rescue. She cost about $150. We decided to go with a rescue because we weren't able to save our Bubba so we saved another dog in his memory. I suspect we will do the same thing when my boxer passes.

 

[wilderness01]

I'm sending you a pm.

 

[Princess Stitch]

We have a schnauzer poodle cross at home (schnoodle). He's not tiny, maybe about 20lbs (about the size of a mini schnauzer I'd say). He's got a great temperment, and isn't yappy. He's never bitten, even when he was a puppy. Also, they don't shed their coats so they are "non-allergenic".

I'm not really sure how much my parents paid for him, but he was from a great breeder and had all his shots. If you're interested I could post some pics later. He really is a cutie!

 

[cl1067]

Just wanted to tell everyone thank you for all the info! We found shih-tzu that I fell in love with and my husband can live with the price she costs. She will come home with us sometime after July 7th, so once we get her home, I will post pictures!

I am so super excited!!!

 

[pbharris4]

Congratulations! You will just love your new companion! Did you think of any names?

 

[seawitch0313]

We have a pug, she's 6 months old now and I had been in contact with her breeder since before she was concieved
I disagree with the snot and drool mentioned above, she doesn't do any of that unless we take her for a walk when its warm then she has a bit of a 'wetter' mouth than usual. She also isn't very noisy, probably cause its just her. She's not very snorty like pugs can be and usually only does that when she's excited or she's sniffing something out heavily. She does snore on occasion tho I would be worried about having a pug with kids as young as yours as their eyes are very delicate and kids can't resist 'poking' sometimes. Also pugs are very social, they are bred to be companion dogs and want attention 24/7. She will sit off by herself and chew on one of her toys, but usually she's under foot or wanting in someones lap. At meal times we put her in her crate cause pugs tend to be glutonous 'beggars', and she's fine in there if we need some space for a little while (she's in there taking a nap right now, pugs are also very 'nappy') Mine is also very 'licky', she's not a wet licker, but a licker none the less. Pugs are also very prone to overheat due to the flat face (as are all brachiocephalics) Their palate is shorter than most dogs and dogs pant to cool themselves off so pantings not as effective for them. For that reason its recomended that pugs be house dogs and not left outside in extreme weather. Potty training any small dog is harder than a big dog cause they can't 'hold it' as long. I find its more me being trained then the dog and recogizing her signals that its time to go out. I also leave a 'piddle pad' by the door she goes out of in case she has to go and can't make it and she is very good about going on there for her 'accidents'. I should also tell you pugs are reputed to be heavy shedders. I can't say I've had a problem with mine, but mines black and they tend to shed less than the more common fawns. I'll see little black hair on her bedding, and I notice alot of shedding right after she's had a bath, but other than that I'm not living in the cloud of hairs that I thought I would be from reading. Grooming is minimal, other than keeping the claws clipped.
I should also say I had a hard time shopping for my pug. I made the mistake of calling the 'show breeders' first, which where crazy expensive ($2000 at one!!and thats for a 'flawed non show pug') plus the breeders were a bit snobbish and not the least interested in providing me with a family dog. I was lucky to find a breeder nearby that was more geared towards placing their puppies with families than people looking to show them. Mine cost me $600. She had her dew claws removed (recommended so they don't 'gouge their eyes out') and all her shots up to date. I spent $35 at the first vet visit, and will be forking over $130 to get her spayed next month. Theres a pet store nearby that sells puppys (90% chance they're from a puppy mill) and they're selling their pugs for up to $1500. Its an expensive breed due to popularity.
My brother has a boston terrier that he paid $300-$500 for and he is crazy hyper! I decided on a pug because I wanted a dog like him w/o the hyperness. I have seen other bostons that aren't so nuts, but the energy he has is amazing. I've never actually held him and petted him cause he's always running or jumping like he's got springs. When you do get close to petting him, he burries his muzzle in your hand and 'slimes you'. I was on 'poop duty' for him a few times when my brother was OOT and for such a little dog they've got alot of muscle cause he'd practically drag me across the yard. He's well out of his puppy years but he's still the same. My brother says he's not as nuts when other people aren't around. My niece just turned 2 and they had him before she was born so he must be alright with kids. From what I hear bostons don't shed much. He's very snorty, but isn't too noisy with his barking.
I have a friend with a schnauzer, she got that breed because her son has alergies and they're supposed to be dander free and non shedders. I don't really care for schnauzers, they are heavy barkers and are a bit aloof. But I don't have much experience with them so can't say much about them.
Thats the extent of my experience with dogs, I hope you guys find one you really love!

 

[deejohn]

I got a miniature dachshund from NextDayPets.com. He came from Iowa. He is 9lbs and 8 in off the ground. He is fantastic with our DD13,9,3 & DS7. Not too small for rough play, not too big for our 3-bedroom townhouse with 14 sq ft yard.

He was $200 with papers and $250 to ship first-class freight from Iowa. They make good watch dogs. He likes kids and cats, but has issues with other dogs – Napoleon Complex according to our vet.

This same breed was $999 at our local pet shop. We have had him 3 years this October and I have yet to break the $1000 in costs (he gets a mix of dog/people food thanks to the 3 year old!!!!)

Good luck….

 

[stacy6552]

Here's Tony Almeida

He's a puggle, a mix of pug and beagle. I agree with everyone who has said do your research. We had a pug many years ago and last year we looking into adopting a beagle. The foster mom, looked at our neighborhood and picket fence and said, we'd never be able to keep her in the yard, too much to smell and she'd get over or under too easily. Later I heard about puggles and how they have energy for kids, like beagles, but are good lap dogs too like pugs. They don't tend to have the respertory problems of pugs and the beagle hunting disposition is lessened. Its been the perfect fit for our family.

 

[crisi]

Be aware that with the "designer mutts" there isn't a breed standard - for instance, with a puggle, you can get the beagle tendancy to stray - or maybe you don't - its luck of the draw on which breed tendancies appear. Labradoodles may get the poodle tendancy not to shed - or you may decide you need a new vaccuum to keep up. To some extent, this isn't any different than any other mutt you pick up (we have a rescue mutt ourselves) - you end up with an idea of what you might get (which is true with purebreds as well - but to a much lesser extent). The thing with the designer mutts is that you often pay heavily for the privledge of being surprised.

 

[*KeepMovingForward*]

We have a lhasa apso and we paid around $1200 for him. I would have liked to get a dog from the shelter, but DS is severely allergic to most breeds, so we had to be sure we got a pure bred. Lhasa's and shih tzu's are in the same family. My aunt has a shih tzu and IMO they are just smaller lhasa's. Both are good dogs, although my aunt's dog does seem to be a bit yappy and bark a lot-our dog does not unless there is a stranger around or someone knocking on our door. Very good dogs and they are excellent with children. No worries about allergies since they have hair instead of fur-bonus is no shedding! Good luck whatever you decide!