what kind of dog?

[Sheryl]

So it's feeling really strange to be dogless. The cats are great, but they're just not a dog (they don't even care when I get my runners on to go for a walk... they just lay there!). So I am going to be very careful in choosing my next dog. I am now doing some research on different breeds to maybe find one who could fit into my lifestyle, and I thought I'd see what some of you think.
I rent a house that has a large unfenced yard, and have an offleash area nearby. I work 7.5 hours a day, and am home for lunch for an hour every day. I have started a job where I will be travelling to different communities for two to four weeks at a time, and then back home for time off for two to four weeks. I would want to take my dog with me, so would prefer something smaller and not too barky. I walk half to one hour every night no matter what the weather (unless it is below -20C, and then I do a couple of ten to fifteen minute walks). I have two cats. My sister who I visit a few times a year has a one and a three year old, my boyfriend has a 9 and a 14 year old. I don't want anything with long hair, or that needs to be professionally groomed (no services in my area). I definately plan on a rescue dog, or one who is being re-homed, and perhaps had a lifestyle similar to mine with lots of travel and very adaptable.
Any suggestions?
Thanks!

[Amber]

I normally wouldn't advise this, but my friend has a Chi who she picked up off the street. He lived by her mom's house and the people who owned him stopped caring for him and he got really skinny and they let him stay out in all kinds of weather, so she took him one day. She has a 5 year old and a 3 year old and the Chi is WONDERFUL around them. I banking on the fact this is because he is around 5 or 6 and been around kids before. He only barks if someone knocks on the door. What about this breed?

[Luciann]

I have two chis and they do bark but ususaly at strangers and stuff that but i would say that chis or maybe a jack russel terrier might fit the bill

[Andre Mendizabal]

Listen, I would go with a JRT, a beagle (not just because I'm a beagle owner), maybe a pug, a chi, basset, daschound... and, of course, a small mutt!!!!

Those are the ones that pop into my head right now, although the barking thing its mainly up to each dog...

Good luck

[Susie B]

Both my brothers and my sister have Jack Russells and they bark all the time. They do travel well but are somewhat temperamental when meeting dogs of a different breed than JRTs. You can probably get a good mixed breed from a rescue that would fit into your lifestyle.

[Chris Smith]

I would opt for a mixed breed that is under 30 lbs. If you are flying to these other towns for work I would check on the size and weight requirement to bring your dog on the plane with you in a carrier rather than him going in the cargo area. If you are driving, it may not matter so much. Larger dogs usually need more exercise too.

I wouldn't recommend any of the herding dog mixes since they need "jobs" and lots of activity and exercise to make them happy.

If you don't have a fenced yard, you probably also don't want a hunting breed dog since their instincts will take over and you will either always need a leash or a fence. And they need lots of exercise.

Jack Russels that I have known are very barky. What about a ShihTzu or mix of something like that? They have grooming issues, but maybe if you could keep their hair real short, they wouldn't be an issue with it? There are lots of Shih Tzu owners on this board so I am sure they could tell you much more about that breed but it might fit with what you are looking for.

[Sheryl]

Thanks for the replies so far. I have considered a JRT, but then I read that they can never be trusted with cats (one article I read said that they could be fine with a cat for years and then you could come home and find the cat slaughtered one day!). I also really like the look of a beagle; I read that you can't do any off-leash or they'll run away. I think chis are cute, but my sister says they can be nasty (I guess just the ones she's known). I read that doxie's have back troubles because they are long and low. None of the communities where I will be travelling have a vet.

I have to fly for my job, so a dog that would fit in the cabin with me would be great. I will definately get an adult.... puppy training would not fit into my schedule right now. And I have definately not ruled out a mutt!

I'll keep doing more research and keep you posted. Thanks again!

[Amber]

Yeah, JRT's are VERY barky and hyper hyper (yes, I meant to type that twice)! Shih Tzus are wonderful dogs. Any small dogs that need grooming you can learn to do yourself. They may look a little weird at first (if you are like me! lol) but you'll get the hang of it.

I didn't even think of a Pug. That would probably be a good choice too. I don't know a lot about the breed, though.

A basset or beagle would probably be too big to carry on the plane, right? You want a dog to carry on? I wouldn't trust an airline company to carry my dogs down below with everything else!

[heathea]

Does it have to be a purebred? If I were in your position, I would look on petfinder.org and just type in adult small dogs. then look for the size that will allow you to bring it on board the plane and go from there.
All dogs are different, even when they are the same breed, but if you are looking for an adult I would talk to some rescue groups and explain exactly what you are looking for.
As for small dogs, my favorite traveling dog belonged to a friend of mine, his name was Luke and he was a pekinese. That was a dog who LOVED to travel. They also traveled with Tibetan spaniels, and a bunch of small mixed breeds.
I wish you luck and hope you find a little dog that makes you very happy.
:)
-Heather

[Marsha]

I have a small mixed breed right now, but I have had a Pug. He was extremely quiet (as far as barking.....very loud snorer!!) and could travel anywhere easily. We could take him anywhere with no trouble. They're low energy and don't seem to mind quietly resting while waiting on you to come home. Of course, with both dogs, I have been home most of the time. But the dog I have now is much more energetic and would need alot of playtime after a day of being left alone. The Pug, at least ours, was quite a couch potato, and I think that's typical of the breed. So, they're great for travel and companionship. Not too good if you're looking for a breed to be outside with you or a walking partner, though. Very sweet dispositions. And heavy shedders!!

[Amber]

Sally is a Pekingese/Shih Tzu mix and she is very laid back. She has a lot of personality traits of a Shih Tzu in that she will lay around on the couch if I let her (or so I was told that was one of their personality traits).

I read in a lot of places that Pekingese are not good around kids. Maybe if you get a Pekingese mix and the other breed in the mix is good with kids, like I did...like Heather said, all dogs are different even if they are the same breed.

[Susie B]

There was a puggle (sp?) in our obedience class (beagle/pug mix). He was adorable. Very friendly and didn't bark much. She said he liked kids but did like to dash out the door sometimes.

[Andre Mendizabal]

I agree with some of the others, you may be better off with a mixed breed... I have a beagle, she's quiet, she needs medium amount of exercise, she likes to be with you 24/7, but she just can't be trusted off-leash... I also have a mini-schnauzer, although some of them are quite little screamers.
I also heard that pure breds can have more health issues than mutts or mixed breeds... don't know if that's true but something to think about if you won't have a vet nearby.
Good luck :-D

[Kimberly Lyons]

I would look at Scotties, Schanauzers (the minituare of course) or poodles. The Scotties where I work, are wonderful dogs, with a TON of personality, they like excersize (most of the time!) And can be groomed at home. Many of the small dogs, you are going to have to learn a little about how to groom them, the first two, can be shaved all over. The poodle, might require a bit of study, but they really are good dogs, and the last two, will fit in an airline under the seat carrier. If you are looking for a lower matinence I would look at the American Eskimo dog, they do well in warmer climates just as well as cold. You can shave them, but really you just have to brush them. The ones Ive met are great dogs, and really friendly, course if you get an adult you will have to evaluate each dog seperately in temperment and personality, then the breed comes into play. You will have to ask yourself with a rescue especially. "Once this dog is comfortable and trained, What breed personality is going to come out?" It also needs to be decided male or female? Older dog (3-9) or a slightly younger, just out of puppyhood hard head. Of course sometimes, the older the dog the more the baggage, sometimes the opposite it true though. Just evaulate everything seperately and think of how thats going to fit into your lifstyle. I though long and hard about what breed of dog I was looking for before I decided to look for a Brittany.

[Jody Bidlack]

I have a Lhasa Apso that is the quietest dog in the world. He travels very well. We have taken him on some very long road trips. He never gets car sick and is very calm in the car. We go for 2 half hour walks everyday. Lhasa Apso's generally weigh 12 - 18 pounds and stand about 10-11 inches tall. If you like the elegant, high maintenance look, they have beautiful coats that grow very long. If you like the wash & wear type of coat, they do very well in a puppy cut. We keep Leo's hair short in a puppy cut. Lhasa's are also a very long lived dog. It is very common for them to live 15-17 years. And to top it all off, they are cute. If you have never seen a Lhasa puppy, you should go look at one. When Leo was a baby, he did not look like a dog. He looked liked a stuffed toy. When I took him out in public, people used to exclaim, "He looks just like a baby ewok!" They also tend to be very intelligent and easy to potty train.
Jody

[Emily Selmer]

I am very partial to Boston Terriers, as I have three, but I think they would be the perfect dog for your lifestyle. They are small, adaptable, love to travel, are WONDERFUL with children, and have fantastic personalities.

They love to go on walks, but don't require extensive amounts of exercise. With a jacket, they do okay in colder weather. I know many people who have bostons that live in very snowy climates, and they are okay as long as you consider their needs.

I adopted two of my Bostons through a wonderful rescue group called American Boston Terrier Rescue. It is based in the Dallas-Fort Worth area of Texas, but they can adopt out to most places in the U.S. and parts of Canada. They have a large network of volunteers who can do home visits for them. Are you near Calgary or Edmonton? One of our adopters lives in Calgary, so I know that Wanda can transport a dog there. Of course, the adopter is responsible for transportation costs.

If you are interested, the website for ABTR is: www.abtr.net

[heathea]

You should go to a doggie shelter and you will fall in love with a "its so ugly it's cute" older dog of indeterminate breed and he or she will become your little baby....

Also, be careful generalizing breeds with certain characteristics because I think someone said Pekinese don't generally like children, but I have never seen that...so who knows?
You will find your baby soon, just by starting to look, the right one will come along.

Take care,
-Heather

[Amber]

I have to say, all the lhasa's I have been around have not been that partial to children. Of course, if you get a puppy and raise them around the children, that may be a different situation. I worked at a shelter where we got a few Lhasa's for biting not only adults but also a few children. Something to think about...

Of course, it also goes back to supervision.

[Jody Bidlack]

My lhasa, Leo, loves children. Of course we only let him play with well behaved kids and there is supervision.

Lhasa's are bred to be guard dogs, so, as with any dog, effort must be undertaken to socialize and train them. Most small dogs have reputations for being snippy with small children. Dogs need to be socialized with them, and children need to be taught that animals are not toys. If you were a 15 pound dog, and a 40 pound child ran into you, stepped on you, fell on you and accidentally poked you in the eyes whenever he/she tried to pet you, you would be prone to biting them too. If you want a small dog, special care must be taken that you never assume that just because they are small and cute, they will always be good with kids. Most small dogs were bred for specific jobs, and sitting there and looking cute is not the job. Doxies were bred to go down badger holes, miniature schnauzers killed rats, Lhasas were guard dogs in Tibet, etc. Small dogs are tuff guys bred for tuff jobs.

Lhasa's that are treated well and socialized are good with kids. Lhasa's that grow up in houses where the humans assume that training can be overlooked for small dogs are sometimes not so good with kids. That is true of any dog. I think small dogs get a bad rap because of irresponsible and/or ignorant owners.
Jody

[Sheryl]

Thanks to everyone for your suggestions and ideas! I will let you all know what I decide. This is a great place to toss ideas around, and I am so glad I found it!
Thanks again!!
Sheryl