What's a good dog breed...?

Question

My grandmother is looking to get a dog. She lives alone in a good-sized house. She's in good health and goes on daily walks. She would need a dog that doesn't dig or anything like that, since she's a gardener. She wants a small dog that she could have in her lap. One of her main requests is that the dog doesn't shed much.
She would also need a dog that's okay with kids. She often has grandkids come over(ages ranging from 3 to 18).

Anyone have any suggestions?

Answer 1

ENGLISH Cocker Spaniels (NOT American!), Japanese Chin, Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, English Toy Spaniels and Pekingese are great and need less exercise than most dogs. They are small, sweet and quiet - bred to be lap dogs. They dog shed some, but not too much - short-haired dogs actually shed MORE than longer haired dogs and their hair sticks into the upholstery!
http://www.akc.org/breeds/cavalier_king_charles_spaniel/index.cfm
http://www.akc.org/breeds/english_toy_spaniel/index.cfm
http://www.akc.org/breeds/english_cocker_spaniel/index.cfm
http://www.akc.org/breeds/japanese_chin/index.cfm
http://www.akc.org/breeds/pekingese/index.cfm

Most of the dogs that don't shed (Poodles, Yorkies, etc) tend to be yappy and snappy with kids. All small dogs are harder than average to housebreak - small dogs have small bladders and need to go out about every four to six hours.

Plan on using a crate for housebreaking and get her 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
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 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.

These so-called "breeders" have now figured out that they can use the internet to ship a dog directly to the customer and thus make more money by cutting out the middleman. If you buy a dog from out of state, good luck getting your money back if there's something wrong with the pup. These people count on you becoming instantly attached to the poor little guy and being willing to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars at the vet to treat whatever is wrong with him.

People selling dogs at flea markets are not usually quality breeders - they are often reps for puppy mills. I wouldn't get any dog at a flea market!

Answer 2

Here are the non-shedders. They actually have a hair folicle that does not fall out. They lose the same amount of hair the average person does. It does continue to grow, so they need to be groomed every 4 months or so. Less often if you keep them well brushed.

Poodle
Lhasa-Apso
Bichon Frise
Maltese
Yorkshire Terrior
Silkie
Shih-tzu

There are also breeds that shed very little- most fall into the terrior groups. These dogs tend to be a little higher energy level though.

I have a Lhasa Apso, she would be ideal in this environment. She loves kids and other animals. She needs very little exercise to stay happy- she mostly likes to cuddle. She will retrieve so we normally take her to the park to play ball. I walk each day would be plenty of exercise. She has never gotten into trouble- digging, getting into trash or anything like that.

Lhasas were breed in the monastaries of Tibet as guard dogs. They would pace the perimeter of the monastary and if they sensed anything unusual they would bark. This would draw the attention of the Mastiffs kept outside. Cassidy, our dog, often exhibits this behavior, pacing the house at night, she always has her eas pricked up. We live in an apartment so we taught her very young that barking was unexceptable. Now she will bark occasionally, no more than any other dog.

Answer 3

Boston Terrier: they love to go for walks, they are small enough to sit beside you, and don't shed much. The kid and digging thing has to do with training. So long as they are introduced to children early and NEVER LEFT ALONE (this goes for ANY animal) with a young child, things should be great. They are also incredibly smart and easily trained- most prefer love over food for rewards. I have had all sorts of dogs my entire life- but I will always have at least one Boston in the house. Right now I have 5 bostons, an english bulldog, a great dane, a pit bull/bullmastiff mix and five cats. The bostons are still my favorite!

Answer 4

I have a wonderful little Yorkie named Yoda. He doesn't shed at all and is definitely a lap dog. He was quite easy to house break and they love to please their owner. I've seen some people on here say that they are yappy but I haven't had that problem at all. The only time he barks is when he trys to get the cat to play with him otherwise I never hear a peep out of him even when someone comes to the door. They are high energy dogs and love to walk. I read in a dog book that you should let them walk and not carry them around as they can become lazy and not want to walk. Hope your grandmother finds herself a wonderful little pet.

Answer 5

I would check out www.dogbreedinfo.com. They have a breed selector quiz where you put in what you are looking for and it tells you what breed match. Then you can click on the breed and read about their tempermant, size, exercise requirements, etc.

You may also want to look into adopting a dog from a local shelter or rescue rather then buying a pup from a breeder. You have a better chance at getting a dog that will work with your family when you choose an adult dog, since they tempers are fully developed. Good Luck on your search!

Answer 6

i suggest finding a breed that she likes and then searching for the breed resuce, you may find an adult dog that is hopefully trained and your grandmother would not have to go through all of the puppy stages
i rescued my first dog and she was great 10 years later i get my first puppy ever and well puppies are a different sort
much more time, money and energy is needed for a puppy
i love my puppy, he will be 1year old this week but i suggest a breed rescue
for a breed i recommend a whippet or italian greyhound

Answer 7

My husband and I are in our late fifties and we have a wonderful small Boston Terrier. She loves to walk and loves to sit in our laps. She is absolutely wonderful with children. The puppy stage was a little rough since she wanted to chew everything in sight but once we got past that she has been a real doll. We dress her up for the holidays and just have the most fun with her.She does shed a little but she is worth the trouble.

Answer 8

I would recommend a cockapoo. That's the kind of dog I have, he's 10 months old, and we got him for similar reasons. He's full grown at 20 lbs. never sheds, is extremely smart, easy to train, and great with babies, small children, adults, other dogs, and even cats. He's hypoallergenic too so people susceptible to dog allergies aren't really affected by him.

Answer 9

The perfect dog would be the shih-tzu. Shih-tzus are very cute, small, and fluffy (depending on whether you cut their hair or not)! They look cute either way! They enjoy going on walks, but it's not a necessity for them. All of the ones I know don't dig in gardens, but they do like to be playful. I have 2 shih-tzus and they don't shed at all. They are both very nice to me, as long as I treat them nice. I love shih-tzus with all of my heart! LOL

Answer 10

a Yorkie may be her answer,they do not dig,are small,.love to sit on ones lap,give kissed and never shed,my boy only weighs 4 pounds.the best dog ever!