Dog Breed Help?

Question

What's a good dog for this? A large house like 2 acres but 1.5 acres is the house itself. 3 teenagers in the family and the parents. Already have the swetest dog ever who is a Newfoundland but a strangly large Newfoundland who weighs 220 lbs. The dog is so so so sweet though. We want the dog for our 11 year old. She was looking for a shih tzu but we found out those are hyper. So whats a great toy dog for this family. The dog has to be very mellow though.

Tin Can Sailor my house isn't 65,000 sqaure feet its only like 15,000 if it was 65,000 it would be like 2 acres of land, oh sorry i meant the oppisite my house is half an acre and the backyard is 1.5 acres. I love the Shih Tzus and I love the Cavaliers. I can't chose which one. My daughter loves the size and looks of the Shih Tzu but the personality of the Cavalier is way better.

thanks so much for your help. That's amazing that we were thinking of
1.Shih Tzu
2. Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
3.Havaneese

Answer 1

We have a little 5 month old Shih-Poo. I can tell you that she is a wonderful pup. She definitely has her own personality, and is very active at times, as any healthy puppy would be. I can also tell you that she is extremely smart. We pay a great deal of attention to her, training, discipline(positive reinforcement) and lots of love.She is housebroken, knows how to walk properly on her leash, runs free, listens to her commands etc. She is so much fun, and so adorable. Of course she has her slip ups, but she is well on her way to being a great pet, and is a very welcomed new family member. We live on 3+acres, which she loves to run on, and our home is approximately 3,000 sq. ft. Not that the size of our house or property would matter, unless we were concerned about enough room to be fair to a large dog, and we have plenty of space. So far, she does not seem "hyper" or does she needlessly bark. She does not shed, and is so cuddly and affectionate. Whatever you chose, I hope you are as fortunate as we are to have found the perfect pup for your daughter.

Answer 2

If you're planning on getting a puppy, remember that puppies are rarely mellow, no matter what breed they are. I know you have a dog already, but I've found that many dog owners forget just how much energy and mischief can be contained in one little bundle of 8-10 week old fluff. :)

Stay away from the herding breeds, these are the type of dogs that I love, but I have to say that they are anything but mellow. Same thing goes for high drive hunting breeds.

Since your daughter likes the Shih Tzu, you could check out the Havanese, which looks a bit similar. From what I've read, this might be the breed for you.

Answer 3

If you are looking for mellow toy breed (in which case house and property size don't matter so much), one choice would be a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. They are affectionate, people oriented dogs and relatively easy to train and don't bark much. Like any puppy they can be active and hyper, but they seem more relaxed than a lot of toys as adults.

I also know an adult shih tzu that I would not describe as hyper at all. Perhaps look at some other breeders. Keep in mind that all puppies are hyper to some extent.

Answer 4

You should look into getting a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. They have the temperament of a Golden retriever only not nearly as hyper. They make perfect family dogs. They hardly bark unless they have a reason too. They are very loving and affectionate and aren't too active. They are happy just sitting on your lap all day. But when out side they love to romp and play with the big dogs. I have 3 Cavaliers and they got along great with my 90 lb American Bulldog and 65 lb Boxer. They were all best buddies until both the Boxer and American Bulldog passed away.

Answer 5

Many Shih Tzu are NOT hyper. I have 5 of them. Out of the five, 2 are hyper, the other three are "lap lizards!" If you get with a reputable breeder, tell them what kind of personality you want (laid back and calm) they will find one for you.

In both of my past litters, I have had the hyper ones and the laid back ones. You can definitely see their personalities about 6 weeks or so. Any good breeder will be able to recognize the ones that are "full of piss and vinegar" and will steer you away from those. (Although, some people like them and will specifically request that!)

Don't give up on the Shih Tzu, they are really wonderful dogs! Just make sure you get one from a reputable breeder. These dogs are frequently over breed, under sized, and puppy milled! Check out the American Shih Tzu Club's website for more information on them! Good luck to you!

http://www.shihtzu.org/

Answer 6

To be honest, you don't want a toy breed if its playmate is 220 lbs, I promise you, that poor pup will end up with broken bones or dead, and the other dog will pay the price even though that dog never ment to hurt the smaller one. they just don't know their own strength. I would concider a medium size dog if I were u. Something like a corgi, border collie, aussie, catahoula, boston terrier, or something in about the 30 to 45 lb range. They will be a little more "durable" and less likely to end up dead from an injury that the bigger dog never ment to inflict. It will save alot of heartache in the end, I promise. Please please think before you buy a toy breed. You may never intend for them to play together, but after a few weeks pass and the newness of the pup wears off, they will be let out to play, injury will happen, it may not happen in a week, or a month or a year, but unfortunatly, odds are, it will happen, and most likely the big dog will pay by either being shipped off to the pound and killed (the bigger the dog, the harder to rehome) or labled as aggressive by the family and put down. either way, the newfie will pay for someone's bad judgement. Please rethink the size of the breed you are looking for.

Answer 7

The shih tzu is not a hyper dog, any more than any puppy is. Once grown they will be an excellent pet to have. My mother had one from puppie to 16 years old, and he was great. There is also the Chihuahua or Rat Terrier that are small but fun.

Answer 8

I hate to tell you this but I've owned dogs since I was 5 or 6 and presently own 14. Over the years, I have to honestly say the best dogs I have EVER owned (including now) have been MUTTS. Go get a free puppy from a private person's ad in the paper or something. My best dog now I picked up as a pup FREE at a swap meet. He looks like a collie/spaniel mix and is the UGLIEST poor thing I've ever seen but, MAN, what a great dog he is.

Answer 9

You can get a rescue dog for less than $1000.

Most rescue puppies are around 130 to cover the cost of vaccination

Adult rescue dogs are around 200

Elderly dogs are even cheaper
NEVER BUY FROM A PET STORE.
http://www.sniksnak.com/ac/mills.html...
Getting adult dog you'll already know whether abit about its history

All dogs are Hyper when puppies-there no such thing as a Mellow Puppy! Most dogs quieting down when there about 4yrs old-my dog hasn't though! But she a Golden Retriever x Labrador&she 9yrs old.

Dog breeds
http://dogbreedinfo.com/purebred.htm

I like the Australian Cattle Dog(Medium)
http://dogbreedinfo.com/australiancattledog.htm

Australian Kelpie
http://dogbreedinfo.com/australiankelpie.htm

Australian Stumpy Tail Cattle Dog
http://dogbreedinfo.com/stumpytailcattledog.htm

Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
http://dogbreedinfo.com/cavalierkingcharlesspaniel.htm

Staffordshire Bull Terrier
http://dogbreedinfo.com/staffordshirebullterrier.htm

Border Collie
http://dogbreedinfo.com/bordercollie.htm

Labrador
http://dogbreedinfo.com/labrador.htm

Beagle
http://dogbreedinfo.com/beagle.htm

Bearded Collie
http://dogbreedinfo.com/beardedcollie.htm

Golden Retriver
http://dogbreedinfo.com/goldenretriever.htm

Australian Bulldog
http://dogbreedinfo.com/aussiebulldog.htm

Answer 10

Think first of what dog might get along well with the 220lb Alpha dog. This is very important when get any new pet. I know of a friend who had a very loving,kind, beautiful Dapple Dachshund .He was so precious. Also having a large yard and love of animals they decided to get another pet. They went to the Humane Society and adopted a wonderful Walker hound. The 2 of them became friends quickly. The hound was very gentle when playing with the Doxy. But one day buy accident the Doxy couldn't get up. His spine ruptured into his brain and he was paralyzed.They spent 2000 dollars to try to save the Doxy but it was not his fate. The Walker is still around and loved because they know she would never have meant to hurt the smaller dog. But accidents do happen. So choose your new pet wisely.