What is the best breed of dog for my elderly mother?

Question

My mother has told me that she wants to buy a dog. We are both currently researching a breed that would fit best with her lifestyle, and I was wondering if anybody could help us.

Because of my mother's declining health, she will not be able to take care of a dog that needs to be walked more than once a day. We are looking for a dog that would be content just playing indoors or keeping her company. Also, I don't want a dog that is big enough to knock her over.

We were thinking about getting either a whippet or a boston terrier. Does anyone have any better suggestions? Thanks.

Answer 1

A female miniature Red Dachshund. The females are sweet and, they are quiet. The short haired are easy to maintain, and they do well with people. Our male Dachshund is nice, but a yap-per when the door bell rings she is not. But all in all they are a great breed. We bought the female 1 year after the male , and they both were house trained within the first week we got them, they just go to the back door and nudge the blinds on the door with there nose until one of us let them out. Wonderful Breed, low maintenance. I hope you find the perfect breed for your mother. Take care

Answer 2

The Boston Terrier would probably be the better choice of the 2 - Whippets do need to get a chance to run. A similar looking but much more of a lap dog breed would be the Italiian Greyhound.

I suggest going to www.akc.org & checking out the closest Boston rescue group. It would be wonderful to get your mother an older dog that is already past the wild energetic puppy & housetraining stage. Plus, she would be giving a dog a much-needed 2nd chance. Everbody wins!

Another breed you both may want to check into is the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel: http://www.akc.org/breeds/cavalier_king_charles_spaniel/index.cfm this is a mellower small breed that makes a nice companion - again, I would suggest checking at a breed rescue for a 3+ year old dog.

Answer 3

Didn't like the 16 answers you got when you asked this a few hours ago huh?

Well I didn't answer before, and I would go to the shelter and see what you can find. It might be better to find an older dog at a shelter that will be more content with a quiet, calm lifestyle.

I hope that someone can help her care for a dog. I mean really, all dogs need to be walked more then once a day. I used to bring dogs to the senior citizen home in my neighborhood, I can't tell you how those people's faces would light up just to pet an animal! hopefully it will help your mother.

Good luck to you and remember to have a future plan with the dog if you choose to get a young one. It's a horrible thought, but one that needs to be considered.

Answer 4

Don't be fooled by the fact that whippets are racing dogs. They are known as 40-mile-an-hour couch potatoes. They are one of the few breeds that don't need to be walked more than once a day. Furthermore, male whippets are easily house-trained, and respond quickly to other training as well, as long as harsh methods aren't used. A retired race dog might be a perfect companion for your mother. There are rescues that specialize in retired racing dogs. This also goes for greyhounds. Like whippets, greyhounds are gentle, quiet, need little exercise, and don't eat very much. Both breeds are very affectionate and beautiful. Another plus is that they are both short-haired and have very few medical problems.

Answer 5

I am someone's elderly mother with a lifetime of dog history....all house dogs. My first was a cocker-poo. Sweet, smart and obedient. She loved everybody so much that someone stole her out of the back yard.

The second dog was a Poodle. Also sweet, smart and obedient....(AFTER she was spayed! Till then she was wild.)
We lived in and ran a Motel and she loved every guest.

My current dog is a terrier mix. Another sweet and smart dog. She is actually a little too lively, as all terriers are prone to be.
Her vocabulary is such that we have to spell some things!
Like our other dogs, she has been trained to accept children and adults as friends. It's too easy for evil people to dispatch an aggresive dog with a gun.

The main thing is: have your dog neutered and get the best training you can! whatever the breed. It will be money and time well spent to have a wonderful companion for many years.

Answer 6

Whippets were bred for racing, and although ideal apartment dogs, they DO need to be exercised frequently--and not just a walk, they need to run.
Here's a great source to help you choose a breed:
http://animal.discovery.com/breedselector/dogselector.do

Also, I would not suggest getting a puppy or young dog, as your mother is getting on in years. First of all, they're very energetic, and all of the house training and playing can become tiring/stressful. Another reason would be that a young dog might outlive her (although I have no clue how old she is or how good/bad her health is, and don't want to suggest that she will die anytime soon). Older people tend to get into accidents more easily, and if anything happens to her, who will take care of the dog? A great idea would be to adopt/rescue an older (not necessarily elderly) dog from a rescue/shelter/sanctuary, as they will probably be calmer, more docile, have less energy, etc. You will also be saving a life.

Answer 7

I'd reccomend a nice pug. There's a good website - dogbreedinfo.com. I expect a lot of the toy breeds would do well for your mother. They're very devoted to their owners, don't need much exercise, and were bred to be companion animals anyway.
Or you could go for a nice sedate mixed breed dog from a nearby sanctuary. A lot of the dogs in those places that are getting on in life are very calm dogs that don't need too much exercise, and need one heck of a lot of love to make up for the time they've lost. As once a dog's muzzle goes grey in a sanctuary it's probably got no hope of being adopted by someone who wants a bouncy young pup, it'd be really lovely to give one a home. Added bonus of it probably already being housetrained, although it would probably need a refresher course.

Answer 8

I think its wonderful that you want a companion for your mother.

However, both whippets and boston terriers are good dogs for this situation. They are both lively dogs (in fact, all terriers are), and will have way too much energy for your mother to keep up with.

There are no dogs that will be happy, healthy, and well-behaved if they are only walked once a day and are expected to play quietly indoors. The only dogs that might fit this bill are specially trained elderly companion dogs. They are expensive, but they are well worth the expense, especially if your mother might need a dog that can dial 911 for help. Seriously.

Otherwise, might I suggest a cat. Cats are much more suited to looking out for themselves than dogs are.

Answer 9

Whippets need exercise, and boston terriers are HYPER and very strong despite their size- I'm a healthy 22 year old, and my boyfriend's boston can practically knock me over when he gets a running start!

For starters, I strongly suggest adopting and adult or older dog. Not only are they calmer and easier to care for, but you don't want to buy a puppy that could live 20 years if your elderly mother cannot- it's not fair to the dog to be passed between houses and put through all the confusion.

I would suggest: basset hound, mastiff (they're large, but very calm as adults), greyhound (couch potatoes!), bulldog or french bulldog, chihuahua, dachshund, great dane (again, large but calm), papillon (the ultimate lap-dog, and very smart).

Answer 10

Once a day is not good for ANY breed of dog. However, there are potty pads for small dogs. Ask your local large pet store for advice on that. Even small dogs can 'knock over' a person...so what you need is a CALM doggie. Actually any breed can be trained to be a peaceful companion but some are better than others. Miniature Schauzers are excellent and they are super intelligent not to mention cute.

Breeds you want to steer clear of are the usual 'dust mop' doggies as they can be too excitable...this includes dachsunds.

Stick to terriers.