What Breed Of Small Dog?

[julzjc]

This one had me stumped. Im not officially planning on having any more of my "own" dogs for a while so this is more for future reference as I like to throughly research any breed that I consider owning one day.

My eldest would one day love to have a dog of her own (I would still be its caregiver/trainer obviously), a dog that would be a companion to her, that she could walk(with me) and take to obedience perhaps. As it is our two dogs are 100% "my" dogs. They do play with the kids and listen to them but still look to me for a hand signal when the kids ask them to do something they are unsure of. The kids generally have to come to the dogs for cuddles as the dogs always choose to lie at my feet rather than with the kids and obviously there is no way I let them hold the lead of our Sibe or Amstaff just incase something startles the dogs.

Are there any breeds that-

Do well in a multi-child household (my kids are very dog savy but I know some breeds may not cope with four children running around)

Are not solely one owner dogs/possesive of their owner

Are able to play/cope with larger dogs

Are affectionate (enjoy being lap dogs)

Are gentle enough on lead for a child to be able to keep under control should they be startled

A plus would a breed not known as an excessive barker but that is not a big issue.

I truely love small breeds (used to have a Papillion) as well as my large breeds ( Saluki, Sibe, Amstaff) but just worry that two large dogs would be too much for a small breed and I cant have a breed that is protective over one person (as my pap was). Any suggestions?

Oh, and I am so very very sorry but I am not personally a big fan of the Maltese, Shih tzu, toy/minature Poodle (love the standard) breeds. *hangs head in shame* so sorry!

My only thought so far was possibly a Cav but Im not sure how they would go with a "mad" house? Or a beagle but Im not sure if they are very "lap dog-ish" and believe with them being a scent dog that they may be a little strong/distracted for a child to walk?

Thanks guys, Julz.

[Clyde]

Cavalier!! Love 'em, great little dogs

[raz]

A pug.

[Greytmate]

Whippet? Not really small, but small enough to be controlled by a small person on lead.

[Remarkabull]

Jack Russell Terrier. Big dog in a little dogs body. I have 1 pure JRT bitch and 1 JRT X male (both desexed) and they live with 2 kids, 2 cats and 3 other dogs including a Amstaff X and a Dobermann.

Not to be trusted with mice/rats/birds but lovely with other people and dogs and always eager to have cuddles and sleeps on a lap/lounge/bed!

Both my kids (now 9 and 11) walk them with no troubles and have done for a few years now.

[pixie_meg]

don't now much about them but what about the swedish vallhund. small, looks fairly robust though it is a working breed.

[Staranais]

Beagle?

[Fevah]

Min Pin ^^

My first grew up with a Koolie and I know someone on here has a Min Pin and Husky.

They are very hardy, though stubborn. They are watch dogs, so they bark at strangers, but with training they can be stopped from becoming 'problem barkers'. Easy to groom, easy to feed. Tend to have a 'favourite' within the family but also love to spread the love around. Equally happy to chill out with you at home all day or go out on adventures!

[whiskedaway]

don't now much about them but what about the swedish vallhund. small, looks fairly robust though it is a working breed.

Being Spitz you'll be used to the temperament too. And they're definitely able to cope with bigger dogs and I believe they are fairly affectionate (Corvus's Erik is anyway).

[joelle]

Our nearly 3 yr old JRT lives in a house of 2 kids, cat and there was other dogs here before too. Mstr 12 takes him for agility and obedience and the two are well bonded but he loves everyone in the family. he is a bit possesive and protective of mstr 12 especially around big strange dogs but I dont think thats the breed, I think thats his experiences of being attacked and stood on by big dogs , so I think its due to human error not bad breeding :D

Ive heard the phrase before but he really is a big dog in a little body

[poodlefan]

I think a range of breeds might suit this situation.

You're clearly giving this matter quite a bit of thought so provided you can manage these issues, I'd buy the breed whose temperament appeals:

Are there any breeds that-

Do well in a multi-child household (my kids are very dog savy but I know some breeds may not cope with four children running around)

As has been said in the past, this is probably more about the kids than the pup. Smaller pups are more fragile, need careful handling and can be injured if roughly handled or dropped. In terms of temperament, look to the right breeder to help pick a resilient pup.

Are not solely one owner dogs/possesive of their owner

You kids will need to understand that the person who feeds, exercises and trains the dog will probably be the person the dog bonds to most strongly. That said, I do believe some breeds have a genuine affinity for children. :D Dogs that are possessive of their owners are often a reflection of their owner's management. Resource guarding owners says "boundaries need adjustment" to me.

Are able to play/cope with larger dogs

Carefully managed, most confident pups will play with larger dogs. The more important issue will be the kind of play your larger dogs want to indulge in. If you've got the kind of dog that favours full body contact style play, no small dog will be up for that. Not all dogs modify their play to suit their playmates. Separation while you're not at home may be necessary for life. Prey drive and tiny pups can end in disaster until its clearly imprinted that the small fluffy is a dog.

Are affectionate (enjoy being lap dogs)

Choose a breed bred to be with or work with people. Dogs of more independent spirit can be affectionate but in my experience breeds bred for companionship excell at that function.

Are gentle enough on lead for a child to be able to keep under control should they be startled

I think this would be more a function of body mass than temperament.

If you want a dog that won't frustrate the hell out of a kid that wants to take it to training then again, select a breed bred to look to people for direction.

That says some Toys, the smaller working breeds and poodles to me.

My short list (excluding the poodles) would be:

CKCS - choose a bold one - they are out there.

Papillon (smart as whips)

Corgi - both kinds

Pug

Chihuahua- tough as teak in the temperament department but their fragility must be managed.

On the list for consideration but less obvious choices:

Whippet (not as 'trainable' as some) but great kids dogs IMO

Staffordshire Bull Terrier - opposite sex to your Amstaff and in my opinion, one of the all time great kids dogs. Strong though.

Edited November 8, 2010 by poodlefan

[joelle]

Dogs that are possessive of their owners are often a reflection of their owner's management. Resource guarding owners says "boundaries need adjustment" to me.

Hi PF :D Would you mind giving me more info on what you know about this :rolleyes: I dont want to hi jack the thread so you can PM me if you like hope you dont mind ;)

Edited November 8, 2010 by joelle

[poodlefan]

Hi PF Would you mind giving me more info on what you know about this :rolleyes: I dont want to hi jack the thread so you can PM me if you like :D hope you dont mind

Start a new thread Joelle - that way you'll get a range of input!!

But think of it this way - if your dog 'guards' you from others like it would guard a bone, how do you think your dog percieves you - as leader or possession?

[halfthewords]

Min Pin ^^

My first grew up with a Koolie and I know someone on here has a Min Pin and Husky.

They are very hardy, though stubborn. They are watch dogs, so they bark at strangers, but with training they can be stopped from becoming 'problem barkers'. Easy to groom, easy to feed. Tend to have a 'favourite' within the family but also love to spread the love around. Equally happy to chill out with you at home all day or go out on adventures!

Seconding the Min Pin! We have two; they make great playmates for bigger dogs as long as the play is a bit modified for their size. :rolleyes: My girl plays with my staffy non-stop. They live with three large Huskies also. Absolutely fearless, respond well to training (consistent from a young age but as with any dog), they are eager to please, will handle as much exercise as you give them and they are not over the top barkers. They love to burrow and are definitely lapdogs even though they're a vermin-hunting breed.

[corvus]

I'd say corgi. My first dog was a corgi. Despite the fact my mum did all the feeding and spent more time with her, she always knew she was my dog.

Vallhunds are tough as old boots, play rough, and are very bold and confident, but they aren't exactly gentle as a breed. IME, corgis are not as drivey and are a bit easier to manage. My corgi played well with large dogs, but she was very gentle with kids and adults. There's no way I'd trust Erik's handling to a child. He is hardcore! He will walk all over anyone that doesn't pre-emptively tell him what to do. It's just what he does. He looks for opportunities. If there's a gap, he'll exploit it for all it's worth. It's not a dominance thing, it's just his exploitative nature. It's the same thing that makes him such a dream to train.

I think that Erik is a bit extreme, though. There are some much gentler and more mellow Vallhunds around that are easier to manage. I do worry that they are all a bit quirky. You can't push Valls around. If they don't want to do something you just have to find a way to gain their willing cooperation. There's no taking them for granted. "The tone" just makes them run the other way.

Super, super cuddly, though. Erik is a cuddle monster. He gives cuddles like a toddler. Can't stay angry with a dog that cuddles with such focus and dedication!

[julzjc]

Thankyou for all of your replies everyone. It has deffinatly given me a few more breeds to look into. The min pins fascinate me so deffinatly need to look more into them.

PF you mentioned papillions. Off topic-My boy was possesive but it was not his fault, he was stolen from my yard and severly beaten as a 6mth pup by some 16yr olds. However a couple other paps I met were quite possesive of their owner although I am pretty sure they were products of being "babied", do paps lean towards being protective of one owner? Also I noticed that basically every breeder states that they will not let a pap go into a home with children 5 and under, no exceptions. Is it a case of going to shows regulary with my children to meet breeders to show/proove that my children are dog savy and that a pap pup would be safe in my home?

OT again but I know what you mean about them being smart. One time a friend was minding him and they pretended to shoot him, at which point he played dead. Well, they didnt know how to "revive" him and spent the next 1/2hr trying to call me as no matter what they did (even picking him up) he remained limp as a ragdoll lol. They finally got hold of me and were told how to "revive" him :rolleyes: , needless to say they never asked him to play dead again. They were so worried they were going to call the vet (they had never owned a dog before). I would love to have a pap in my life again, miss my old boy Tyke so much.

Ill be back online later, there is a storm approaching and need to race around and get the rabbits and lizards inside.....

[SeeGee]

i would second a beagle....

[poodlefan]

julzjc:

PF you mentioned papillions. Off topic-My boy was possesive but it was not his fault, he was stolen from my yard and severly beaten as a 6mth pup by some 16yr olds. However a couple other paps I met were quite possesive of their owner although I am pretty sure they were products of being "babied", do paps lean towards being protective of one owner?

I'd have to call my experience limited but I find them to be very smart, quite outgoing and inclined to take the lead if their owners fail to. Sounds a little like your Pap's issues might have been fear related - when did he display possessiveness - was it at home or around strangers.

He may have been like the fear aggressive dogs who display aggression to keep other dogs away. Honestly what kind of young man beats a toy dog FFS.. just sick. :rolleyes::

[poodlefan]

Oh, I"ll add another breed to the list for consideration. OK, its a Terrier but the ones I've seen have been pretty amiable and great kids dogs.

Have a look at Cairns. :rolleyes:

[Monah]

Lakeland Terrier. :rolleyes: