I am getting a dog...?

Question

I am getting a dog, and i was wondering what the best kind of dog would be that doesn't bark often, and is smaller than the average dog. =)

Answer 1

Shelties (Shetland Sheepdogs) They mature at about 14 inches and 20 lbs. They are the second smartest breed of dog without the aggression of the #1 smartest (border collies).

They are LOYAL dogs and real easy keepers, even with all their hair I only need to brush mine weekly because they keep themselves so clean.

They are also one of the easiest dog breeds to train, they have been bred for centuries to obey the commands of a shepherd from hundreds of yards away, and any nonobedient, aggresive, or shy dogs weren't bred because you can't have a sheepdog with those traits.

Any one looking for a loyal, obedient, and smart pet would benefit greatly from choosing a sheltie, or any other dog from the herding group such as German Shepherds, Ausies, Border Collies etc.

Of course the smarter and more loyal the dog the more time and energy they take, but the more reward you will get. My sheltie gets annoying and is always underfoot if I don't work with her once a week, but she catches on to things fast and know over 50 commands, knows how to read 13 words (I hold up the paper and she does what it says ex. "sit"or "down"), Sunny has also gotten more than 10 Champion and Reserve Champion ribbons at county level in 4H and 2 Grand Champions at State, and thats with only 3.5 years in the program (We haven't been to State this year it's in Sept). I couldn't ask for a better dog than my Sheltie, Sunny.

A word to the wise - don't buy a terrier or hound, both groups are notoriously difficult to housebreak and obedience train. And terriers are often very high energy, generally yippy, and are great roamers and are likely to run away.

Answer 2

well first of all, make sure you go to an animal shelter or BREED rescue-- do NOT go to pet stores or breeders. Save a life!
Also there are plenty of mixed breed SMALL dogs that don't bark a lot. Small dogs like Chihuahuas, bisons, and poodles tend to bark more often than labs, rotts, pitts,etc.
If you find a breed you like, make sure you check out breed rescues. (just google in the breed and then type rescue after it.) Breed rescues work out of FOSTER homes, so the foster parents can tell you everything about the dog, whether it barks a lot, if it's good with other dogs, etc. and also you will be saving a life. dogs from breed rescues are purebred, and also much better than any pet store purchase.

Answer 3

First, small dogs do not bark more than any other dog, barking is a training issue (one of many) that you need to be prepared to address as a responsible dog owner.
If barking is a problem avoid the guarding, herding and hunting(including terriers) breeds as they are a little tougher to train in the barking dept.
Also, while the Basenji doesn't bark like other dogs they are not mute. They have many vocalizations among them the "yodel" which can be just as loud as any bark.
Just be sure to do your homework when choosing a dog, the AKC website is a good place to start, go to local dog shows, training facilities etc... Talk to as many people that have the breeds you're interested in. Most responsible breeders are more than happy to tell you the good, the bad and the ugly about their breed. If someone tells you they're a breeder but that their breed is perfect, try somebody else, no breed is perfect and a breeder who is honest will not try to convince you that theirs is...
Good luck to you!

Answer 4

Small dogs bark more.

You could try a Basenji, they don't bark at all, they just make a happy yodeling sound sometimes. But they are not very small, 30-40 pound range.

Go to www.akc.org and look at the different breeds.

Answer 5

Well, you have to keep in mind that purbred dogs have health/personality issued bred into them. However, when getting a mix, though a lot of those issues are muted a bit because of the mixing blood, you don't know really what issues might present themselves in time.
What are you looking for? High/Low activity? Low maintanence on grooming? Can be left along during the day while you're working?
I would go to akc.org and take the breed test. You choose what you want in a dog, and they match you with your personal top 10. Then research the health or personality problems and see if you're willing to tackle them. If not, get a mix where the specific breed is prevalent (if it matches you to a golden retriever (which make GREAT family pets) and you don't want to worry about Hip Dysphasia look for a Golden Retriever mix). Make SURE you know what you're getting into.
Here is my personal horror story:
My first puppy is my current dog, an Airedale Terrier. I thought I would like to be more active - terriers are active. I wanted a little more of a medium to large dog - airedales are the largest terriers at 40lbs. I read up on them, their personality, and found they can sometimes have skin irritations/infections/dermatitis, but, I thought I could handle that.
When I got her home, she was so cute and sweet and gentle. Then came time for training. Terriers are hella smart, however, they are very independant and won't do things just because you want them to. I had a very hard time in the beginning training my puppy to be a good dog (housebreaking was easy, it was walking on a leash properly, tricks, manners, etc.). I was about to give up. I then realized I had to change my whole way of thinking in order to get through to her.
Next, I thought an active dog would be good because I wanted to be more active (not that I was more active - I wanted to be) that was a mistake, because at that time in my life I was a little to busy to be more active, so I would come home to chewed up furniture and the house torn apart because I couldn't accomidate the activity level my dog needed. I had to change my life around to fit a dog that wasn't the best fit for me. But I did, because I love my dog (and, in the end, she's gotten ME much healthier).
Speaking of health, the skin issue did arise. Oonagh had horrible dermatitus, and I spent well over $3000 on different foods, oils, medications, etc. to try and help the poor pup. In the end I found a food that was right for her (Canidea) but it wasn't without a lot of suffering of the dog, a lot of money, and a lot of headache on my part.
Know what you're getting into. Go to AKC.org, get a list of top 10, and then read about them. Narrow it down to 3, and then call vets, breeders, look for forums, and ask about the dog, and what you can expect.
For all my trials and tribulations, I have one great dog, and wouldn't give her up for the world. However, it would have saved both of us a lot of time, money, and mental health if I had been a more informed buyer.
And while it is very admerable to get a puppy from a shelter, often these dogs have been abused and neglected. They need A LOT of patience, care and time. I do not recommend shelter dogs for first time dog owners.

Answer 6

Bad idea because small dogs bark quite more and love digging in your yard unless you live in a apartment. And if you have a large dog,it can protect you from any harms way and warn you of a fire.

Answer 7

Shih-tzus don't bark much (mine only bark when someone comes to the door) and they don't shed. They are small dogs though, the standard is 9 - 16 lbs. They are my favourite breed of dog, they are little clowns that will entertain you with their antics. We loved our male tzu so much that we went out and got another one when he was a year old.

Answer 8

small dogs tend to be the most annoying when they do bark
rule of thumb the smaller the dog the yappier its bark the bigger the dog starts to sound like fog horn.

Answer 9

lol i weiner dog!! all dogs bark when they are little but when they start maturing, a weiner stays quiet most of the time. or a chuwawa. lol or however u spell it. or a miniture yorkie. those are really cute. or the best dog i think to choose is a basenji. they dont bark practically at all and they are the cutest things on earth. there are tons more of smaller than average dogs that i listed, but these are wat i suggest. :-) sorry for all my spelling mistakes!

Answer 10

wheaten terrier. they only get to be like 30lbs,they rnt tiny but kind of medium small. they dont shed and arent yappy like other terriers. the only time my dog barks is if she really want smy attention nd cant get to me. nd she aonly does this rarely

basenji are known as the barkless dog so check that out 2
and b4 all of this, check a shelter. maybe u can save a life