Dog for a small home?

Question

I want a dog, but live in a smaller home with a small yard area. I would prefer to get a large lab, but hate to do that to a big dog. What is a good dog for a smaller space that doesn't yip a lot and is known for being nice.

Answer 1

I live in an apartment and I have a English Cocker.. he does really well in the smaller space and I would reccommend a cocker to anyone.. they are wonderful. (But only if you can afford to groom)

Answer 2

Actually (and contrary to popular opinion), big dogs are much better in small houses and apartments than small dogs. Small dogs are much more active, more vocal and always underfoot. The exceptions are Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, Japanese Chins and Pekingese - great dogs that are not too hyper and need less exercise. They are small, sweet and quiet.

A dog like a lab would need two long walks everyday and a visit to a dog park or somewhere similar where he could run and fetch a few times a week.

Get a healthy dog with a temperament that best suits your lifestyle. Since you have a small house which is presumably close to others, you should avoid the scent hounds, terriers, herding and toy dogs that tend to bark a lot. English Springer Spaniels, Vizslas,. Setters and Goldens are great if you've got the energy to exercise them a lot. The bigger the dog, the longer they can go between walks and the easier they are to housebreak. Pekingese, ENGLISH Cocker Spaniels (not American!) and Cavalier King Charles Spaniels are a great, friendly, quiet apartment dogs if you want something smaller.

Irish Wolfhounds, Greyhounds and Whippets are terrific apartment dogs, as long as you can take them out for a long daily run. They ARE couch potatoes (like our Borzoi - Russian wolfhound) and you won't even know they're around most of the time. They are quiet and easily housebroken and much better than most small dogs. Be careful if you're adopting a racing greyhound off the track. They are often fine, but many have behavior problems (like destructive chewing) from being locked in a cage with little socialization. Also, remember that sighthounds are hunting dogs and some will kill small animals (cats, rabbits, toy dogs) if they haven't grown up with them.

BEFORE you get any dog you should read some great books on training. (Try not to pick books randomly - there are a lot of bad books out there also!) These are some of my favorites and you can get them on Amazon.com
What All Good Dogs Should Know – Volhard http://www.volhard.com/
Good Owners, Great Dogs - Brian Kilcommins
Dog Tricks : Eighty-Eight Challenging Activities for Your Dog from World-Class Trainers by Haggerty and Benjamin
Don't Shoot the Dog - Pryor
Training Your Dog: The Step by Step Method - Volhard
Dog Problems - Benjamin
Cesar's Way - Cesar Millan
Also, watch the Dog Whisperer on the National Geographic Channel. Cesar Millan is the best trainer I've ever seen on TV.
http://www.dogpsychologycenter.com/

Find a good breeder by going to www.akc.org or talking to people at dog shows. You can also find info about the breed clubs on the akc site - they probably have a rescue group where you can get an older dog for less money. The best breeders will be members of their breed club, promoting healthy dogs with great temperaments. They should ask you a bunch of questions to make sure their puppy will be getting a good home. If all a "breeder" seems to care about is whether your check will clear, you can be sure he won't care a week later when the pup is dying from distemper or parvo and you want your money back.

Whatever you do, DON'T go to a pet shop, a flea market or buy one sight-unseen off the Internet!!!! You'll pay top dollar for what is usually a poor quality puppy mill dog. And you'll be supporting one of the cruelest industries in the country. The breeding animals are often kept in deplorable conditions - spending their entire lives in small wire-bottomed cages. They probably haven't been vaccinated against contagious diseases or tested for any health or temperament problems or genetic diseases - that costs money and cuts into their profits. A female is often bred every time she comes into heat. When her poor little body can't take it any more, she is often clubbed in the head and tossed into a dumpster or an open ditch. Most puppy mills ship their pups to pet stores at wholesale prices and many pups die before they even get there.

Answer 3

Check with the humane society for a smaller sized mixed breed dog they usually have several nice dogs of that type that need good homes and make good pets.

Answer 4

If you want a Big dog look into some Greyhound Rescues...These dogs are GREAT! They are pure couch potatos..require little excersise...Are not Yippy at all..Being Sight hounds they have to be in a fenced area or on leash at all times because if they see a leaf blowing a half mile down the road they are going to check it out!They arent real commen and have an elegant look to them..I Love My Greyhounds...Read up on them,They housebreak easy,Come crate trained....I can go on all night........

Answer 5

Retired racing greyhounds do well in small spaces. Contrary to popular belief they need very little excersise - they are sprinters. They have short bursts of energy and then sleep. Because of this they earned the nickname "the 45mph couch potato". Overall they can sleep from 18-20 hours per day. They do enjoy running but don't need to do it daily (really they can't do it everyday). Two short leash walks per day can provide them all the excersise they need, plus several other trips outside for potty breaks. If you are interested in more information go to http://www.greyhoundpets.org

Answer 6

Carien Terriers are perfect and if u live in the illinios/indiana area there is a lady in munster with really low prices.They r so nice with people in the house including children.but they do bark a little when visitors come by but if they come by alot they're used to the person.

Answer 7

I am a surprised-proud owner of 2 toy poodles. Now you are thinking a Fru Fru poodle like you see on the Dog shows. I do not cut my poodles like that. They have normal dog cuts. They adapt quite well in small homes with small yards. Poodles are loving, smart, sweet, comical, hypo-allergenic,nonshedding and easily trained. Anyone wanting more information email: [e-mail]

Answer 8

Is there an off leash dog park in your area? If you want a dog. Thats a good place to go for them to run and play. Then they can get socialized which is a good thing. Then you can get a larger dog it you want..

Answer 9

I would probably choose a smaller dog. Maybe go the the link below and base your decision on that.

Answer 10

Large labs aren't good for small yards and houses.