Which is the best small dog breed for family pet?

Question

I am looking into getting a little addition to our family, we lost our old dobe last nov and while I wouldn't have changed her for the world and loved her to bits she had an immense dislike for other dogs, despite our best efforts and much early socialisation, which often made life difficult for us. We were thinking something smaller, maybe a jack russell or Patterdale, however I have heard that particulary the Patterdale does not make an ideal pet as they need to work. Can anybody recommend an ideal breed that would be quite easy going with a short coat??

Answer 1

yorkshire terrier mine is brill.

Answer 2

I would recommend a Beagle! They are great dogs, very tolerant around children. I have had two in the past and they are so sweet...never had any barking problems. Extremely loyal and with enough exercise are great family pets.

I currently have a jack russell and while it is a great dog, I wouldn't necessarily recommend it for a lot of people. I had wanted one for years and finally thought it was the right time. I am young/single and have the time to commit to her so she is great. Yet, she is basically my number one priority...almost everything revolves around her. I taking her to training classes every week, soon she will be starting agility....and you really have to have hourssss each day that you can play with and exercise them. I definitely wouldnt say they are the most easy going dogs. They are very independent and determined to get whatever they want. As smart as they are, they will play games with you....therefore it can be diffucult to train them. Getting them to pay attention for more than a minute is also a challenge. However, if properly trained and socialized they are indcredibly fun dogs and definitely get attention from other people. Good luck with your decision!

Answer 3

We have a family of 6 & we always had Dachshunds & Labs. But now I am off on my own & I have a family of my own & we have a Miniature Schnauzer that is absolutely wonderful! He is such a good dog, Potty trained at 5 months, sleeps through the night, doesnt bark alot & so friendly! We have to get him trimmed every 2 1/2-3 months but he doesnt shed & is good for people with allergies! Also Pugs, French bull dogs, Boston Terriers, Jack Russells & Miniature Rat Terriers would be a good choice for a small family dog. Take this test to see what dogs would be good for you & your family! I hope this helps! Good Luck :)

Answer 4

hey there my name is amanda i think that the best small breed of dog would be a jack russell i have 2 jack russells one is a 1yr old male tyson he is so good in the house esp if anyone knocks on also his 13week old daughter kia.
They are active dogs they can keep going for 3-5 hours a day just playing there really social dogs depending on how they are brought up i would deft say a jack russell terrier best dogs ever.
You may also check www.tkkennels.piczo.com for some more info if you wish let me know what you get thanks so much.jack russells coats range from short haired to wire haired my 2 jacks are smooth short haired as they dont malt as much.

Answer 5

If you want an easy-going dog, I would NOT recommend a beagle or jack russell terrier. Both breeds are very energetic and require a lot of time and attention. Your best bet would probably be a Scottish terrier. Hounds and cocker spaniels are also more easy-going, and generally friendly.

Answer 6

Hi,
The most well behaved, children friendly and loveable small dog is the Shitzu. We have had 3 over the last 10 years. The first was a mistreated rescue dog. Unbelievable that anybody could abuse such a beautiful creature. Unfortunately she died after 4 years with us but we bought another one and now have 2 to cherish. They are extremely well sited to living in the home, make very little noise and are unbelievably loving and friendly to all that come in.
Hope this helps your decision.
Regards

Answer 7

I had a silky terriers
She was great
It's a beautiful dog
It's about 8 to 12 pounds
My had a great personality

We getting a new dog, but a different breed
I have an seven year old daughter
I am thinking about a cockapoo or a cavopoo
good like

Answer 8

A Chihuahua is the perfect answer here. Both long and short coats are very easy to brush and manage, and they love to be around children. Whilst very bouncy, they are quiet and timid. They do not have a problem with other dogs but some Chihuahuas get into quite a few fights, thinking they are bigger than other dogs. But this is easy to handle.

They are some of the easiest dogs to take care of, are inexpensive, easy to groom, easy to feed and easy to take out for walks.

I'm sorry you lost your dog.

Katz x

Answer 9

There is a number of small breeds that make great family pets but what will be a great pet for one family , will be a lousy match for another, due to personality, temperment, energy level or amount of care required, fragility etc, my suggestion is try using a breed selector tool to find the best matching breed for your family, there is one on the Animal Planet site, Iams site and another on the Purina One site, using a couple breed selector tools should help to narrow down a couple good matches for you

Answer 10

border terrier will tolerate other dogs well as they were bred to work with hounds. lakelands fell terriers and patterdale terriers have a more aggressive nature as they were bred to kill their quarry and not bolt it like borders and Russell's. if you have young children go with the border terrier as these are the least snappy of these terriers.. or if you want something a bit different you could try a bedlington terrier.they look lamb like but can stand up for themselves when provoked

Answer 11

Yorkies... I can only speak for my own but...

He's not a huge yapper like most small dogs.. He barks if he has a reason (ie. I see a cat or animal of some sort) they are terriors after all, loud noises, someone is in the area that he is not acquainted with

They are beautiful dogs... You can keep their coats long as you see them at shows (which is a bit painful) or you can keep them short. My Yorkies hair length is completley weather dependent..
He really enjoys being outside so I have to keep him cool in the summer etc...

They like like attention and liked to be rubbed but they do not desire to be underneath your feet at all time.

My Yorkie wants to be rubbed but for no longer than 10 mins. and he wants to sleep at my feet not right up on me.

Best money i've ever spent in my life..

Only drawback he was hard to house train but I eventually got him broken