Thinking about getting a dog...

[Microcell]

Here are my requirements:

Must be small
able to deal with stairs
able to deal with a three and seven year old
not too yappy

gets along well with cats


Tell me what to get!

 

[Kimberly]

I hate to say it, but there aren't too many small dogs that don't bark a lot. There are a rare few, but the best dog for you might be a labrador retreiver or a golden retreiver. They're not huge, but certainly not small either...

 

[lewdyan1]

You might want to consider adopting, this is a site I am involved with and they are all small dogs and are being fostered, so the fosters parents can tell you all about the dogs! Dog Rescue

 

[spoon full of sugar]

How about a Pembroke Welsh Corgi? I have two now, had one before these. They are wonderful with children, one of my cats loves them,will lay down in their bed with them! My other two cats could care less.My little girl weighs 29 lbs, fat boy weighs 35.They are considered a medium sized dog, but they are really short, they look kind of like a small reddish german sheapard with the legs sawed off . The only possible problem you may have with them and kids and cats is that they were breed as herding dogs, so they may chase them if they run away, not to attack, but because it brings up the herding instinct in them. You will get that reaction in any herding dog though. My dogs only bark when they hear the neighborhood dogs barking, they are not yappy.Good luck!

 

[Microcell]

Thanks for allt he tips! I do think a medium sized dog is a good idea. We could ave gotten a Daschound, but the owner pointed out our many stairs are bad for thier backs. I will look at the link and the corgi too!

 

[r3ngels]

We have 2 dogs...and my list was almost the same as yours (I have a 8,5,3 yo plus at the time I had a big fat cat)

A cairn terrier and a shih tzu... neither of them bark (except when they are playing). I have had small dogs my whole life and I don't think they bark more than big dogs. We have blk labs behind us and they are barking all the time... and I won't even bring up my in-laws basset hounds.

I love both of my breeds . The shih tzu is still a puppy doing puppy things but she is very lovable and not hyper at all.

One other thing that I will add is that they don't shed... that was top on my list.

Good luck aw:

 

[janette]

We have 2 Bichons . They meet all of your criteria, kind of like a poodle but they are sturdier dogs. One of ours barks at people he doesn't know and some outside but really not a barker, the other one rarely barks except when we get home and she has to wait more than 2 seconds to get out of her crate.

 

[justhat]

My mom has a beagle and a mini schnauzer. The schauzer is still a puppy, 6 months old, but all she does is bark. The beagle, OTOH, lays on the couch all day and doesnt' say a word. Now, when he's out in the backyard at night he'll howl, but we just bring him inside once he starts with the howling. He's wonderful with kids, they're usually not too big, around 20 pounds (ours got a freak gene and is huge, but generally they're much smaller-2 types actually, under 13 inches and over 13 inches).

 

[Cindyluwho]

There's a great book out there, "The Right Dog for You" by Tortora. You can probably pick up a copy at the library. According to your needs the book would probably point to a King Charles Cavalier or a Japanese Chin. There aren't very many small dogs out there that like kids and aren't yappy, but those two seem to rate the best.

 

[solferino]

A pug! Loves the child, loves the cats and everyone loves him back. He barks when someone is at the door, but that's not incredibly unusual, IME with dogs.

 

[Chicago526]

Don't forget, dogs are a LONG term commitment. They tend to live for 10 to 15 years, they can be expensive (shots, exams, food, grooming, and illness or injury are always a possibility too). Then you have to consider them every time you want to take a vacation or need to be away from home for an extended period of time (like you leave at 6 AM and due to a hectic schedule, won't be back until 8 PM or later).

Then there are walking them in the winter (cold!) or the height of summer (hot!), they may have accidents in the house (even housebroken pets pee on the rug on occasion. They can also get sick, up-chuck is so much fun to clean!).

Now I'm not telling you all this so you change your mind! Dogs are wonderful additions to peoples lives, and even with all the above drawbacks, I'd never NOT have a dog in my life. But these are all things that can lead many people to change their minds and send the new pet to a shelter in a hurry.

Just make sure you think through your decision. It's not fair to you, your kids, or the dog if after 6 months you decide it's too much trouble/work/money/mess to deal with.

 

[tinker1bell]

our first dog that we had when our son was born was a French Bulldog. They are about 26 to 30 lbs. They are about the friendliest dogs ever, however, they burp, snore, pass gas like they were human Butch never complained even when our son pulled his ears. There is some shedding, but he got along with other dogs and really didnt know what a cat was so he just ignored them. He did bark but you get that with all dogs and there are ways to let a dog know when it is appropriate to and not to bark.
The only thing about a King Charles Cavlier is they really want your attention. My sister has one and she loves him, but he is just so possesive.

I agree with looking at all aspects. Each breed of dog has its own lifespan and health problems. It is sad, but pets get sick and they just cannot tell us what is wrong. Vet visits are as expensive as our doctor visits. All said, we would do it all over again. With our work schedule that we have now, it is easier to have cats because they can use the litter box. Yes, we still get the little Surprise gifts they leave but you just learn to walk around with slippers on

 

[Nickimouse]

I agree with the Corgi suggestion! Ours,Sassy, just turned 1 and is about 20 pounds. She was the runt,most get a little bigger. One of our cats doesn't like her ,but the other plays with her a little. Once she was about 4 months old the stairs weren't a problem. She is a great family dog,loves everyone.(sometimes too much)
They are protective of their family and will bark if the kids fight or someone knocks on the door. And yes, once in a while the herding instinct kicks in when the kids run.She likes to grab their pant legs and if the cat goes out the back door she circles it and runs and it back in the house.
Good luck finding your new dog!

 

[agotta]

Our last dog was a terrier/golden mix and she was great. Medium size. Had the energy of a terrier, but only barked when someone came to the door. Other than she was gentle and a lot of fun. She loved stairs too!! We had to give her up for adoption but here is a couple pix of her, from a puppy to ful grown (she weighed around 30 lbs)

 

[ckret01]

I wouldn't suggest a Yorkie. My little one below LOVES to bark all day long. If she is up, she is always barking. No joke. It kind of gets on your nerves-LOL although I love her so much. good luck with choosing one.

Golden retrievers are great dogs but they aren't small like you would like but worth considering

 

[DarkSideMoon]

scottish terrier, we had one for years, barked when barked at, only bit once when someone grabbed her tail and pulled her to the ground, and could take the stairs fine.

also, another great loving dog is a Goldendoodle, we got one in june, and he is the cutest, most loving dog ever. he is a little on the large side though.

 

[Shugardrawers]

I have to sing the praises of my toy poodle Petey though poodles may not be for you. He barks when he senses the presence of other humans, dogs or cats although he gets along famously with our cat Simon. He was raised from puppyhod with my nephew and does great with him but outside children make him nervous. If you'll have kids in and out of your house a poodle probably isn't for you. I'd suggest going to the animal shelter and adopting a small mixed breed puppy or young adult. Pure breeds are overrated. If you don't need a show dog then a pure breed is wasted IMO. Dogs raised from puppy hood with cats usually don't have a problem with them. They either ignore them altogether or become playmates. Dogs can learn not to bark at any old thing. Petey is learning right now not to bark at everyone we pass. If I ignore them or don't seem threatened he is to stay quiet and he's doing a good job. He's learning to only raise hell if I do not tell him "it's ok" in a soothing tone. Anyway, check your local shelter. I'll bet your soul puppy is just waiting for you there.

 

[dbarker]

We love our Basset Hound. However, they have sensitive ears and Howl at train whisltes and sirens. "Lady" howls b/c it hurts her ears. She loves kids and anyone else that will pay attention to her. She is an attention hound.

 

[miste76]

There's a great little dog just like the one that you just described... it's already potty trained, doesn't shed, and never runs away!!! You can find him at the local Wal-Mart - in the toys section. Stuffed animals work great for owners that want the perfect dog!!!