Which dog suits me the best?

Question

I am looking for a dog to fall into the following characteristics:

-cannot be a mini noise maker
-short fur
-great with small children
-smart smart smart
-cant be too big
-wont kill the mail man
-lives longer than gold fish

Answer 1

My Four choices would be:

1) Whippet. They're large enough to tolerate kids, Very quiet (Some dogs will literally go months without barking), are excellent obedience dogs and are very sweet. They also live between 12-15 years. Whippets are one of the best sight hounds for obedience trials and do quite well at them.

2) Pug. They're on the smaller side but are sturdy dogs. They're short coated, have sweet personalities and are pretty good at obedience type work.

3) Boston terrier. These guys, too, are known for going long periods of time without making a noise. They're short coated and will entertain you with their need to please and high energy. They're said to be good with older kids.

4)Chinese Crested. Low maintenance, especially in the powder puff form. They're not known for endless yapping and are on the small to medium size scale. They can tolerate older kids as long as the handling isn't too rough. My aunt has one and he's a hoot :-) . They're not very common, but they can make excellent obedience dogs.

Breeds to avoid include most herding breeds, especially Shetland sheep dogs. They're one of the yappiest breeds out there! Herding breeds need their voices to help move flocks and to keep in touch with their handlers and other herding dogs. it's great in the Fields, but horrid in the home.

Answer 2

Boston Terriers are absolutely wonderful with families (I have three children, from 2 to 13 years old, and they love every one of them. They are very gentle with smaller children, and great playmates for the older children.), very smart, medium-sized, good for a guy-dog, also good at cuddling, lives about 13 years, barely sheds a hair, and doesn't bark excessively. They are higher energy, so can go on outings with the family, but not so excessively hyper that they drive you nuts, either. I can't personally vouch for the other breeds, but they were all great suggestions! Definitely research all of these and see what you like best! I'll be back with a link to some Boston info, just in case you're interested, of course...

Here... Read this. It's a FAQ about Bossies with some very good info regarding your requirements.
http://www.bostonterrierclubofamerica.org/faq.html

Best of luck, and I hope you find the perfect dog, no matter what you choose!

Answer 3

Try looking into a Welsh Corgi. They do not bark at all the best they can do is yodel and that is easily hushed as they aren't a yappy dog. They have short hair and they are very intelligent. One thing to consider is that ANY dog can be brutal around children so beware.When you meet the dog pick it up, pinch it gently between the toes and gage the reaction. If they nip not the best around small kids as they will do this when ears or tails get pulled. Welsh Corgis are also about 25-30 lbs

Answer 4

Try a Pug!!! They are very smart and great with kids. They aren't usually a "yappy" little dog (but they do snore...). My 4 year old male pug is about 20 pounds.

Important to consider:
Pugs are pretty much inside dogs as they don't tolerate heat or cold too well.

Little dogs live longer than big dogs.

Check with your local humane society or animal shelter, also. They sometimes have cute mixed breed dogs or rescued dogs that need a good home.

ANY dog needs obedience training to reach it's full potential to interact with you and your family at the best possible level.

Answer 5

Your best bet is to visit the local animal shelter and adopting one of the dogs there. Mixed breed dogs have been proven to be the smartest and have the least amount of health problems. With a little luck you can probably find a great lab mix or other mix that will fit great with your family. You can even bring your child to the shelter to see how the dog gets along with your child.

Good luck, try the shelter you wont be sorry.

Answer 6

LAB LAB LAB
even better, get a lab MIX. Mutts make the BEST pets, they know you're saving a life. and the volunteers at the shelter can tell you whether or not the mutt is good with kids. I think a lab/border collie mix would be best. I have one and he's too smart forr his own good, has medium fur, ok with everyone, he'll BARK at people only because he wants their attention (like the mail man) and good sized.
I honestly think a lab or german shepard (or even better- a mix of both) would be perfect for you. like i said - mutts make the best pets. they know you saved their life and are just so awesome!

Answer 7

I have a welsh terrier and he is great. In fact we are getting another from our breeder in Romania.

They are very loyal, playful and smart. They are about the size of a mini-Schnauzer sp?) and have wirey hair that does not fall out all over the place. They are very playful and need attention but no so much to be annoying. Just give them 20 mins of good play and they are good to go. Mine sleeps in the bed with us and really loves to snuggle between my wife and I, but will also sleep alone in the kennel with no problems.

Plus they look great and ckick dig them.... :-)

http://www.akc.org/breeds/welsh_terrier/index.cfm

Answer 8

I took a quiz, and came up with these results.

the quiz is below.

Whippet (77%)

Welsh Corgi (Pembroke) (77%)

Border Terrier (75%)

Australian Terrier (75%)

Scottish Terrier (75%)

Cocker Spaniel (73%)

Answer 9

It sounds like a bassett hound would suit you perfectly. They have all the qualities you are looking for. Good Luck!

Answer 10

Go to petfinder.com they have a "which dog is right for me" quiz. Consider adoption, you will save a life and get lots of "extras" for one low price.