which dog breed for me?

Question

I am thinking of getting a dog. which breed?

My mum wants it to be small (maximun height of a cocker spaniel), no wrinkles and cute.

We currantly have a rabbit and hamster so will need it to get along with them. We are not asking it to become best friends with them, I would just prefer it if it just ignored them.

We want the weekly cost of grooming and feeding to not cost much.

Basicly, all we want is a cute, lovable, companion puppy which will be spoilt rotten.

My mum tells me she wants a Chihuahua but if we get a chihuahua, should we get a long haired or short haired?

BTW, we live in Hemel Hempstead, you know, the place where buncefield exploded? Yeah.

Any answers will be appreciated.

P.S. we are fed up of people calling Chihuahua's snappy, annoying dogs. To be honestr, any dog will be snappy and annoying without propper training.

Answer 1

Why not check out Battersea? They may have the perfect little dog for you, that you never knew existed!
Cocker Spaniels are nice, but need a lot of attention to their coat (especially ears) to stop it getting matted.
Border Terriers are full of character as are minature pinschers. It really depends on whether you want a cross or a purebreed. At least if you get a rescue dog, it will come with an evaluation on its temperament and with so many dogs needing a good home, I would urge you to try to get a rescue dog first

Answer 2

You want a Beagle. They love everyone.
They are not a big dog, about 25 lbs. Mine is a freak and close to 40 lbs, not fat just big.
Grooming is a brushing once in a while, they do not shed a lot.
You have to be careful about what you feed them as they will get fat in no time at all.
Oh, and Beagles are clowns and do funny things. I'll point you at a picture.
Chihuahua's are not snappy, annoying dogs. I had a little long haired one that was a great lap dog. He was about 9 lbs. He was a bit funny looking as his hair grew in all different directions. Named him Harry. He was a bit shy and jumpy around people he did not know. He was cute enough that someone came into the yard and stole him.
I also have a Chi/Rat terrier, about 20 lbs, that is a great lap dog and is so lovable and loyal and always next to me. He is my oldest at 9 years.
My other two are, or will be, bigger dogs then you want. I have a 55 lb American Pit Bull Terrier and a 4 month old, 20 lb, APBT. I don't care what anyone tells you the Pit is probably the most lovable dog there is.
Here is the shot of my clown, Snoopy:

http://s200.photobucket.com/albums/aa19/rcordellft2/?action=view¤t=Snoopyinpillows.jpg

Answer 3

I'd recommend going to a shelter and adopting a dog first off. Those dogs have a lot to offer and a lot of love to give and you'd be saving a life. If you feel comfortable adopting a Chihuahua, go for it. Not all Chihuahuas are "yappy"-they really are sweet dogs and live a long time. There are also TONS of them in shelters. I personally find that Dachshunds are great dogs that fit into all of the qualities that you want. The thing with Dachshunds is you can't let them jump or climb a lot and you have to watch out for their backs. Consider a mixed breed too because those are great dogs and lots of dogs are mixed with Chihuahua. There are usually more short haired in shelters, but you can find long haired, so I'm not sure which one you should get there. Good luck finding a long time friend!

Answer 4

Your PS indicates that you are not really open to advice. It is also nonesense to say that certain breeds are not more snappy and yappy than others. Of course there are breed characteristics or what would be the point of the years of breeding that produced the difference between a pit bull and a poodle.

Anyway, a beagle is a nice even tempered short haired medium sized dog but they do suffer a bit from inbreeding defects.

Answer 5

Maybe a little yorkie, they are cute. Chihuahua's are good I don't know if long haired ones shed but I'd go with the short hair. What about a weiner dog? There's lots of cute little dogs out there, maybe even a minpin.

Answer 6

I agree that you should be able to find a companion matching your criteria at a shelter. If you're looking for specific breeds though, I'd say a Corgi but they'll treat your other pets like prey so they aren't a good choice. I think a Pap or Cav King Charles would be good options but you're not going to find these at a shelter.

Answer 7

i have worked with and trained dogs for Nealy 20 years and I'm sorry to tell u chihuahuas are snappy i personally would not have one near kids there a one person dog i would go for a king Charles cavalier aka cavi they would suit u much better than a chihuahua

Answer 8

definately a short hair chihuahua long hair will need to be maintained with a short hair you basically just wash and go.
By the way you can often find wonderful small dogs and almost any animal shelter

Answer 9

A short haired chihuahua and name her Taffy. Learn everything you can about the breed tho. Not all breeds are snappy and annoying.

Answer 10

Jack Russell terrier. They're small, cute, enthusiastic, fast-learning and short-haired! Or a Fox Terrier, which are similar to Jack Russell Terriers