I'm allowed to get one dog for my birthday and I would like one that isn't too high maintainance. And it can be any size but good-tempered, family dog and playful.
2007-03-21 04:07:00 · 26 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Dogs
The two dogs I'd recommend are
A Beagle
And a Puggle. (Pug, Beagle mix)
A puggle is much cuter in my opinion, but can me more high maintenance the a Beagle. Both very good tempered and play well with other dogs. The best family dogs I know of.
2007-03-21 04:16:27 · answer #1 · answered by Beth 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have four dogs - all rescued from shelters. I highly recommend you adopt from a shelter. You should spend time looking - I've generally spent a month or longer looking until I found the right dog. You can spend time with the dog in an enclosure - possibly walk the dog - and really get a good sense of whether your personalities match. Go to a bookstore or library and look at the personalities of various breeds and have an idea of the personality and energy level you want. Do you want a dog that will jog 5 miles a day with you? Or do you want a couch potato who wants to sit on your lap? Does it matter if they bark?
I specifically picked dogs who were exceptionally sweet and bonded to me immediately. My dogs tend to fight (lovingly)over who gets to sit next to me and give me kisses. They are not aggressive and don't require alot of exercise although I walk my Pappillion mix one mile a day and my Border Collie and Rat Terrier mixes two-three miles a day. No matter what kind you get, you do have to have the time to walk them every day.
Golden retrievers and labs are very sweet, great family dogs but they need alot of exercise. I absolutely love Border Collie mixes because all the ones I've had are exceptionally sweet, smart, and loving. Pure breds are going to be more high-strung. Beagles and shelties have more of a tendency to bark. I have a rat terrier mix who has an adorable, sweet, submissive behavior. I personally think mixed dogs in general have sweeter, less agressive personalities. But, once again, what's important is that the dog's personality fits yours.
Don't get a puppy just because it's cute and not look into what type of personality it will have as an adult. Shelters are full of dogs that looked cute as puppies and then when they grew up their humans realized they weren't a good fit. You can do a pretty good job of determining what type of personality a dog will end up having even if you pick a puppy. I do highly recommend adopting an adult dog though. I've adopted only one pup and I won't do it again. It's way too much work for me. The other dogs I've gotten have been about a year old. A dog can learn at any age, so don't worry that you won't be able to train it. But, if it's aggressive, it would be very difficult, although not impossible, to change that.
My dad and I picked out a dog together and he wanted to get a beautiful pup we saw but I pointed out it's huge paws and decided it was going to be a huge dog that would be too big for our house and it also had some Rottweiler markings and I didn't want to take a chance on an aggressive dog. We chose a Border collie instead. I was really unhappy with her at first because she was so shy. She would cry whenever we picked her up and hid under all our furniture. I tried to give her away but couldn't find someone I felt she'd have a good life with. I'm so glad we kept her. When she reached six months, all at once she decided it was great to sit on somebody's lap and get tons of attention. She is both my watchdog and my angel. My new neighbor was a little wary because my dog is very territorial in my backyard, but when she's on a walk, she's the sweetest girl and everyone falls in love with her!
Learn all the basics - like never leaving a dog in a parked car or making sure you have a fence if they're going in the back yard. And please, don't get a dog if it's going to live outside and not get the love and attention it deserves. Dogs behaviour is a direct correlation to the amount of love and attention and time you put into your relationship with them. But having a dog that you love and care for is one of the best things in life! :)
2007-03-21 11:41:07 · answer #2 · answered by Loves dogs 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Most important is examine your lifestyle and find a dog that fits in well. If you are not very active, don't get an active breed and vice versa. If you are going with a purebred, please do some research on the internet. I have a Weimaraner that someone gave me because he couldn't "handle" aher nd she didn't fit in well with their family and lifestyle. I, like so many others, believe that rescue is the only way to go. You'd be surprised how many wonderful dogs out there need a forever home. I have 3 rescues and I will never own anything but a rescue.
2007-03-21 18:40:24 · answer #3 · answered by Mom to 4 Weims 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Get a Lab. Those are one of the lowest maintenance dogs I have ever dealt with. Stay away from smaller dogs as they tend to have bad attitudes towards other family members and strangers. I have found yorkies, Chihuahua to be like this, as well as jack russell's.
General rule of thumb the smaller and cuter the higher the tendency of being a problem.
Also there are many "Which dog is right for me" surveys out there. You answer questions like how often can you groom them, how often can you exercise them, how big is your yard. Try to find a couple of the surveys and see what breeds are recommended.
2007-03-21 11:35:55 · answer #4 · answered by mr_reet2001 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
suprisingly this is an easy question to answer...I am not a dog person I am a cat person but I do ennjoy a dog here and there but only certain types...imagine it like this...you get home from work one day all tired or whatever and a big thing jumps on you big hairy nails digging into you full of slobber you get the jyst...if that is not your kind of thing then a big dog is not for you.l..on the other hand if you enjoy a light loving jumper on the lap and such light licking and things like that then a small dog is for you....you ahve to think in terms of the long run not just what is cute right now.
2007-03-21 11:15:06 · answer #5 · answered by Megan M 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
From past experiences (owned three in my life time and boyfriend has two of his own)dachshunds are small, easily maintained, well behaved, great pets for the family, cute, reasonably priced, and are always available. If I could get another dog, I would get a miniture dachshund (A.K.A wiener dog) Not to mention they each have a distinct personality that shines out. They are tons of fun.
2007-03-21 11:13:29 · answer #6 · answered by scareforce 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
That would really depend on a lot of things... fenced yard vs walks, coat maintenance, energy level...We have and have had Airedale Terriers for years. They are good tempered, playful and energetic. They do need a lot of exercise... we have 5 acres...and the coat maintenance is high... but we love them !!!! I would suggest a spayed female... a little smaller...Search on the Purina Web Site for dog breeds and information..
2007-03-21 11:17:20 · answer #7 · answered by carasmom 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I agree! Go to the humane society or the local pound and find a wonderful dog that just feels "right" for you. I have a wonderful Lhasa Apso that I rescued from a kill pound. She is just precious. There are so many dogs that need good homes. Rescue is the way to go!
2007-03-21 13:01:35 · answer #8 · answered by doris s 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Get a poodle! They're low maintenance (unless you want them to look liek a poof ball like some people do their dog's doo) and they don't shed at all. Their very intelligent, obedient, and easy to house train. You can get them in all kinds of sizes, from the big "standard" breeds, to the little 5 lbs. "toy" breeds.
Want a puppy?
Go to www.ourcozyhome.com/
poodlepuppies.html
2007-03-21 11:17:03 · answer #9 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Lab, Mini Scnauzer, Pug. Boxer
2007-03-21 11:14:33 · answer #10 · answered by Maria b 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋