Tell me about your minature/toy dogs

[Minnie]

A couple months ago the sweetest dog *yellow lab* in the world passed away and is missed every single day She just flat out loved our family and I miss coming home to her

We also have a blue Austrailan Shepherd that is a ball of energy. We live in the country and have underground fencing over 3 acres so she has plenty of room. She'd be out with the horses if she could

This time I really think I want a small dog to be well a lap dog. We will ensure the Aussie doesn't play rough so that is not a concern. I have a teen DS so I'm not worried about little kids.

Main concern - I really don't want a "yappy" dog or a designer breed. I definitely want a pure breed puppy and will not go with a puppy mill.

So if you made it this far... please tell me your favorite toy or minature breed dogs. I'm still pretty open at this point to breed - possibly considering a minature Aussie but I'm not sure that's the best lap dog....

Thanks!

 

[NeverlandClub23]

I too had a yellow lab that passed away 3 years ago. About 4 months later I got my sweet little miniature pinscher. I had never had a small dog before. She has SO much personality, extremely loyal, loves her toys, loves running and going for walks (I swear nothing wears her out; we went on a 10 mile walk this past weekend and she was out chasing squirrels around the backyard as soon as we got home), she's super sweet with the people she knows and is a big dog trapped in a little dog's body. She's ok around kids, barks at strangers, and has separation issues which is common for her breed. They live about 15+ years and have no major hereditary issues. They're very low maintenance, bath once a month (if I could keep her out of puddles and mud she would only get one once a month), no brushing or grooming other than cleaning eyes and clipping toenails.

Good luck with your decision! Little dogs are great and I don't know if I'd own another big one again. I buy a big bag of dog food once every 5-6 months, she's cheap to board, easy to take places and sheds minimally.

 

[abdmom]

My favorite breed is the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. They're the dogs you see in old English paintings as lap dogs. They are fabulous lap dogs and very easy going. They can take as much snuggling as you can give. They are not "needy" dogs though. They are 12-18 lbs. They don't have a long life span though, only 10 years on average. They tend to get mitral valve disease and syringomyelia. Both are nasty.

 

[rainy~daze]

My favorite breed is the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. They're the dogs you see in old English paintings as lap dogs. They are fabulous lap dogs and very easy going. They can take as much snuggling as you can give. They are not "needy" dogs though. They are 12-18 lbs. They don't have a long life span though, only 10 years on average. They tend to get mitral valve disease and syringomyelia. Both are nasty.

another vote for the King Charles! Our little guy just turned 1 in January. BEST.DOG.EVER.
He is sooooooooo sweet, so smart and just the cutest little thing.
He follows me everywhere around the house and lays on my feet if I am standing and in my lap or right next to me when I am sitting. He barely ever barks. He only barks when I am leaving the house without him or if one of the cats is outside wanting to come in.

 

[NeverlandClub23]

My favorite breed is the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. They're the dogs you see in old English paintings as lap dogs. They are fabulous lap dogs and very easy going. They can take as much snuggling as you can give. They are not "needy" dogs though. They are 12-18 lbs. They don't have a long life span though, only 10 years on average. They tend to get mitral valve disease and syringomyelia. Both are nasty.

My brother and his gf have one of these. They are the SWEETEST, snuggliest dogs. She's only a year old but she's had so many health issues it's crazy. I told him he needs a preferred member's card to the vet it seems like they go there at least once a month (not saying all cavaliers are like this but from what they tell me it's not uncommon). But they are so sweet and laid back and I swear she can sleep at the drop of a hat! (They paid $1,500 for her, I paid $350 for my Min Pin [I forgot to say that before]).

 

[Cindyluwho]

We have a 5 year old Chihuahua mutt named ChootChoots. She's 4 1/2 pounds and has quite a personality but not very cuddly. Our 14 yo Cockapoo passed in July and in January we got a new puppy!! He's a little yorkie-poo, almost 4 months old now and about 2 1/4 pounds. He is the cuddliest little thing, smart as a whip and the cutest thing I have EVER seen. ChootChoots loves him, they are best buddies. And they both play with our black lab, it's so fun to watch. Oh...we named the new guy Lyubovnik, we call him Louie. What a fun little guy!

 

[Momvic5]

We have two miniature Schnauzers that we love. I honestly can not say enough wonderful things about them. With 3 children in our home, we have a very active home, and they just love to be where the action is. They are quick to learn and eager to please. Our Schnauzers are females, and they have never shown any signs of aggression. Our 5yr old Schnauzer never barks, and our 1yr old Schnauzer only barks when someone comes to our door. Children from all over the neighborhood come to play with them because they are so friendly. I don't know if they are just freaks of the breed, but they are the best little dogs. I am hooked on them. I have been called a neat freak a time or two so I also love the fact that they do not shed. However, they do need to be taken to a groomer every 3 months or so...so that needs to be a taken into account when considering a schnauzer.

 

[meliss8599]

We have a pug who is the most laid-back creature on the planet. Incredibly mellow, he is unflappable--nothing bothers him. While he can fall asleep sitting up, he will have energy when required. He enjoys walks and will run around and bite the ankles of our labs when play fighting.

He loves to be with you and is excellent with children. Our daughter wrapped ours in garland from foot to the top of his head and he sat still for her the whole time. Same thing when she painted his nails. She also used to race, and I mean race, him around the house in a mini plastic shopping cart and he would be falling asleep in there. Never once has the dog growled, shown his teeth, or anything other than love.

Pugs are known as clowns, always making you laugh with their antics (we taught ours to sneeze) or funny faces/head cocking. DH has always loved labs but ever since getting our pug, pugs are all he ever wants in the future. When you talk, he is "listening" completely focused on you. You are their world. We always say that if cloning ever comes down in price, we are cloning our pug. Aside from his medical issues, he is PERFECT.

Some downsides, they can have eye and knee problems, their teeth/mouths are horrible, and they have a facial wrinkle that needs to be kept clean or it can harbor bacteria and yeast. Ours has eyelids that roll inward and he needs two types of medications twice daily. Oh yeah, and they shed something awful!!!!!

Regardless, they are totally worth it! Good luck in your search. I also highly recommend Petfinder as they often know the history of the dog and if there are any medical needs. That's who I will go with in the future.

 

[winefairie]

We have had three small dogs, 1 toy poddle, 1 toy yorkie and our current a rat terrier. Of the three the rattie has been the best dog. We have three kids, 10,8 & 5, she loves playing with all of them. She can be a bit mouthy but has never bitten any of them, plays tug a war with her toys and catch with her ball. Can out play the kids but loves to snuggle with mom and dad on the couch and bed. She loves everyone that comes to the house. She is a light shedder twice a year and only needs bathing once a month in winter, more often in summer due to play time outside. She loves the cat and other small dogs, she however wanted the guinnie pigs to "play with" She weighs in at about 11#'s not too small not too big. Great family dog.

 

[golfgal]

We have had three small dogs, 1 toy poddle, 1 toy yorkie and our current a rat terrier. Of the three the rattie has been the best dog. We have three kids, 10,8 & 5, she loves playing with all of them. She can be a bit mouthy but has never bitten any of them, plays tug a war with her toys and catch with her ball. Can out play the kids but loves to snuggle with mom and dad on the couch and bed. She loves everyone that comes to the house. She is a light shedder twice a year and only needs bathing once a month in winter, more often in summer due to play time outside. She loves the cat and other small dogs, she however wanted the guinnie pigs to "play with" She weighs in at about 11#'s not too small not too big. Great family dog.

I was going to suggest a Rat Terrier too. They are very sturdy little dogs. We call our dog "Velcro" because as soon as you sit down, she is on your lap . They are happy and content to run around all day or lay in the son and snooze. Our dog is 13 lbs.

 

[Gabes_mommy]

I have a pug and she is a wonderful dog except for one thing - she sheds a lot. That being said - she is sweet, friendly, very calm and never barks. She loves everyone and totally ignores other dogs who bark at her during our walks. She has been a delightful pet.

So if you can handle shedding, pugs are fantastic dogs! I got my little old girl from a breeder here in South Florida.

 

[golfgal]

I have a pug and she is a wonderful dog except for one thing - she sheds a lot. That being said - she is sweet, friendly, very calm and never barks. She loves everyone and totally ignores other dogs who bark at her during our walks. She has been a delightful pet.

So if you can handle shedding, pugs are fantastic dogs! I got my little old girl from a breeder here in South Florida.

My BIL has a pug that hates everyone, barks all the time and will attack any dog he sees (except for his "sisters" their Jack Russell and a Boston Terrier" . He has gotten much better since they put him under to get his teeth cleaned and they "thought" died. They figure he now has brain damage but his behavior has improved so much they don't care .

 

[LindaR]

I have a toy poodle and would recommend a toy or miniature.

BUT, besides choosing an excellent breeder and visiting and checking out mom and dad's personality traits............the REAL key to sucess is training/socialization!!! No matter WHAT you choose, you need to socialize the heck out of it! Everywhere, all the time!

And TRAIN! Most people think that little dogs are "so cute" and they never correct them or really treat them like DOGS!!! So they end up being little monsters!

People should be alpha.....and ANY dog should be way down the chain of command!

Train.

Socialize.

 

[stsomewhere]

I have a 1 yr mini aussie. She is a bundle of energy. She weighs 16 lbs. She likes to cuddle on the couch with us

We are hoping to adopt a 6 yr. mini aussie (home visit is this afternoon).
He loves to snuggle. His foster mom said that he would rather snuggle than play ball or go for a walk.

He snuggled with my kids for 2 hours when we visited him.

 

[Minnie]

I too had a yellow lab that passed away 3 years ago. About 4 months later I got my sweet little miniature pinscher.

What a sweet picture

I have a 1 yr mini aussie. She is a bundle of energy. She weighs 16 lbs. She likes to cuddle on the couch with us

We have a "runt" aussie that is as you said "a bundle of energy" and sheds like made... She is a cutie though

 

[kilee]

We have 2 shih tzu's. They are 6 and 2. They don't shed and are very sweet. They love to be held like babies or just sit on your lap. The flip side is they are not balls of energy and never have been. Though we chose them because we didn't have a big yard and knew in cold weather we wouldn't want to go for long walks. Therefore, we looked for a breed dog to be known as couch potatoes, and that is what led us to them.

They do require a lot of grooming, and ours are pretty quiet (very rarely barking).

 

[Arkansan]

Our 16 yr. old Lhasa Apso, Geisha, passed away in Oct. quite suddenly. She was our first "baby" and so loving. She was also grouchy, though, and barky (but I liked that as DH travels on business) and high maintenaince for grooming. That being said, we thought we'd wait until after our Disney trip in May to get another dog.

We couldn't wait! Instead, we welcomed our Havanese, Gilly, into our home in November! She is SO sweet! We researched lots of breeds before getting her. She doesn't shed, is very friendly, is cuddly. She will be even more snuggly in a couple years after the "puppy" wears off. Now, however, she is so fun--great with kids, very smart, wants to please. She weighed 2 pounds when we got her at 8 wks. old and now at 6 mo. weighs about 7 lbs. We guess she'll be around 10 lbs. fully grown. (This is at the low end of the range for the breed.) She will need to be groomed soon, similar to our Lhasa, but she doesn't need much exercise and is really loving.

No dog can replace the one we lost, but she is a wonderful addition to our family and we're so glad we didn't wait!

We found some web sites that were great during our search. One even let you put the attributes you desired in a dog into the site and then would recommend breeds based on that. (ie: non shedding, etc.) We found our breeder from the AKC site. (you put in your location and it tells you the closest breeder)

Good luck!

 

[dizneygurl007]

My favorite small dog breeds are Chihuahuas and Mini Schnauzers. Both are great dogs. I have a Chi and he is the sweetest dog ever. He loves to cuddle up on the couch with me and he rarely barks. He does shed and needs a regular bath but that's really it for maintenance. Schnauzers are sweet dogs too. My aunt had one and she could be sweet but was very bossy. If you have the patience to work with the dog they will be wonderful pets. I prefer Chi's but that's just me.

 

[Minnie]

Bumping this up for more stories

Love to hear your ideas

 

[mjkacmom]

Do not get a minpin! I could never fully housebreak her (toys are much harder), and she was crazy! Two of my friends had them, too, and were not happy. I'd never get another little dog.