# Picking a dog breed for my inlaws



## Birdie (Jun 28, 2009)

My first thought was a Shih, Lhasa, or a Pomeranian. I like the CKC idea, too. You would want a dog who is small, calm & with a very low prey drive (so not a terrier lol) who could get along with the kitties and would be fairly low maintenance like them. I think a Mini poodle may be a bit TOO active if they don't want a dog with high exercise requirements. Maybe a toy? They are a bit more manageable as far as exercise, but they are still pretty crazy when bred correctly. And when bred incorrectly they can be a bit more of a problem child than a pleasant pet... 
I think a nice Shih or Pom would be a good fit here. Shihs have a lot of grooming requirements, which may be too expensive but they are wonderful little laid back dogs when they have the right temperament. Great for calm people who want a cuddle buddy who still likes to play some. Poms can either be like that or they can be little firecrackers....  Lhasas are nearly exactly in between those two. They are more active and "dog-like" thank Shihs so they tend to need more attention, but they are still sweet and lovable little babies who like to play.


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

I would suggest a Papillon (unsurprisingly!). They love to go everywhere with their people, shed a little but not excessively, will love a walk but be happy with lots of play in the yard, and should get on well with the cats. They have few breed health problems, especially when compared with CKCS, and are usually intelligent, lively and definitely un-bratty!


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## Keithsomething (Oct 31, 2009)

I'd second the Papillon, I saw the cutest puppies at the show last weekend and I was floored by how much I like the look of that breed!!
and I'd suggest the Japanese Chin as well, compact dogs that are super attentive to their owners and not very demanding in the grooming departement

If I were ever looking for a small dog it would be between the Pap, and the Japanese Chins (my friend has some GORGEOUS!! Chins)


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## PonkiPoodles (Feb 25, 2009)

I would steer away from getting a Cocker spaniel if they are looking for a low exercise requirement dog. Unless they adopt a cocker older than 5. 
Cocker spaniels are hunting dogs... they are high energy dogs and need a lot of exercise to stay balanced and happy otherwise they develop issues due to boredom. 
I don't know much about westies... but all the one's I've come accross is also pretty high energy.

I would would also recommend a Pomeranian, Papillon or CKCS. (I'm not a big fan of Shih Tzu's but the one's I've interacted with are pretty low key.)


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## FunkyPuppy (Jan 27, 2011)

I also vote for a ckc. I adore the breed and have never met one i didn't fall for. I'd never get a pom, too yappy. The black ones seem much calmer than the blondes or parti's, but that could be coincidence.


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## Quossum (Mar 18, 2011)

How about a Pug? Not my favorite breed, but it fits with many of their requirements. 

Just be prepared for them to not follow your advice. Happens to me all the time. My saddest defeat: after all my advice to a good friend about good breeders and appropriate breeds for her more sedentary lifestyle....she went and bought a rat terrier from a pet store. =P

--Q


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## schnauzerpoodle (Apr 21, 2010)

Mini poodles ARE active and they do need quite a bit of exercises (Slow, short walks probably are not enough).

Have you considered toy poodles?


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## Purley (May 21, 2010)

What about an English Toy Spaniel. There was one at the show this weekend. It placed in the group. I had never seen one before. They look like they have slippers on their feet. Really cute!


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## outwest (May 1, 2011)

I have to be honest here- a toy breed is not the best choice for an older couple that has not owned a lot of dogs. Toys are adorable, funny and very entertaining, but they are much more hyper, more 'doggy' and more active than many dogs. My friend has a toy fox terrier and says she loves him like crazy, but that dog is more work than her two goldens combined. If they don't think they want to hassle the grooming, a poodle is a bad choice.

Here is my salespitch for one of my two favorite breeds of dogs (the poodle, of course, being the second):

Since they like cats, may I suggest a whippet? Whippets are about the most cat like dogs there are. Mine cleans himself and does not like being dirty. After dinner he has to go outside and clean his face off in the grass. They are couch potatoes and very calm, sweethearts of dogs and don't bark much. 

They do need to run when they are young, but my whippet has burned a hole around the corners of the yard exercising himself. Boy, can they run fast! He was the absolute easiest puppy I ever had. You can teach them to catch and exercise them in the backyard if you need to. Some people say whippets are not great with cats, but I beg to differ:









They need virtually no grooming- a washcloth is about it. They shed very little and the shedding they do is tiny little hairs. 

They are dogs that must be allowed in the house (not good outside dogs) and are not good in the very hot and very cold. They are not good for people who must leave them alone all day long because they are gentle, sweet dogs. They are smallish, especially the females. They are absolutely lousy watch dogs, but will happily keep the yard squirrel free. 

They were bred as pets for Englishman, to warm their beds and to catch rabbits. Because they were bred as pets, they love their humans and are very easy to train. They are more tuned to their people than greyhounds are. They are smart is a totally different way from poodles. They will never be amongst the winners in agility -they just don't care enough- but they can see, hear and smell incredibly well, much better than my poodles. They watch everything since they are sighthounds. 

And- they are cool to look at. It's like having a sculpture of a sphynx lying around the house. They are around 15-30 pounds and about 18-20 inches tall, the females quite a bit smaller than the males (a medium dog):


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## JE-UK (Mar 10, 2010)

I was going to say that other than the size requirement, a rescue greyhound would be a good fit. A rescue whippet, past puppyhood, would fit even better!


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

The only problem with a retired greyhound would be finding one that is OK with cats - they do exist, but ex-racing greyhounds in particular usually don't fit well in a household with cats.


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## PonkiPoodles (Feb 25, 2009)

fjm said:


> The only problem with a retired greyhound would be finding one that is OK with cats - they do exist, but ex-racing greyhounds in particular usually don't fit well in a household with cats.


I applied to foster with a greyhound rescue and the woman who ran the rescue told me that at least 1/2 of the dogs that come off the tracks are good with cats in the house. As long as the rescue tests for prey drive there should be no reason why they couldn't adopt a retired racing greyhound. So I wouldn't totally opposed that option... on the contrary I would say it would be a better fit than a smaller dog.


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## kris6332 (May 14, 2011)

I've had two cocker spaniels in the past and they were both awesome dogs. The first, Bailey, a total cuddle bug that followed me everywhere - bathroom included. He was the best dog ever. Very calm, very loving, and wonderful with anyone willing to give him attention. He was solid black. Holly, my parti cocker, was a wild thing from day one to the end. She chased anything in sight, cats included. Lots of grooming and shedding, though. Our most recent dog, a mini pin that we inherited after my grandmother's death, was the best lapdog. Very loyal, but not territorial. Wonderful with kids of all kinds. I had never had experience with them before, but fell in love with Buster. Don't know how they are as puppies since we got him at a very advanced age, but when I went to sales training school in Nebraska I met a wonderful older man who raised four min pins with his wife, and he said the breed is perfect for older folks who don't need a high maintenance dog, but want a loving companion. Just my two cents......


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## Keithsomething (Oct 31, 2009)

I agree with the Whippet recommendation, but not about the toy breed comment.

My Grandmother has only ever had westies, and while they're yappy annoying things (cute as buttons!!) I think their requirements are about on par with what an elderly (an active elderly) couple is able to put up with.

I think it would be best if your inlaws were able to meet a few different kinds of breeds maybe at a conformation show, or another club event. Email some breeders and schedule a time to meet up with them and get a feel for their dogs I know alot of the breeders in this area are more than happy to spend time with people interested in their breeds.


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## Purley (May 21, 2010)

Funny you should suggest a whippet because that is exactly what I was going to say. I have never had one. I know they can run fast but I have also heard that they can be couch potatoes, don't take a lot of fancy expensive grooming and love their people.


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## Birdie (Jun 28, 2009)

Ooh, I agree with the whippet suggestion as well. Those are super low maintenance.  I love whippets. Maybe an adult rescue with a low prey drive would be a good fit for them. They sure are charming little snuggle bugs! As long as they get out to run a couple times a week, they should be fine with normal walks during the day. 

I don't think a Pap or other athletic toy would fit, honestly... they are looking for a low-key dog to fit in with their cats, right? and Paps & breeds like them need lots of exercise and stimulation. Same with terriers. Westies, Toy Fox, Rats, Manchesters, etc are ALL terriers and they act like them! I have never met a low energy Westie who wasn't elderly; they are high-energy, demanding terriers. Lovable as all hell, but terriers that I don't think are a good fit for someone looking for a low-key companion dog. Most toys aren't like that, it's just terriers. Toys are companion breeds, and so are bred to be calm, tolerant companions. As long as you don't confuse a small terrier with the other toy breeds you'll be fine, lol.


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## Fluffyspoos (Aug 11, 2009)

Dogs I'd recommend; pug, pomeranian, papillon, boston terrier, cavalier

With their concerns with the cavaliers, ANY breed can have health problems. We all know this. Urge them to find a reputable breeder that has health in their lines and values this.


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## outwest (May 1, 2011)

Most breeds can be good with cats if they are raised with them from puppies.

There are very few rescue whippets. They are such low maintenance, love bugs that they don't tend to end up in rescue situations. There are a lot of rescue grey hounds, but those are huge dogs and some are not 'tuned in' to people very well (again, not all of them are like that). A whippet is at least half their size and tend to be more personable. If a grey hound is considered, make sure they have been around cats, though. 

I didn't mean to offend toy dog lovers. I just meant to point out that they are more maintenance and work than many medium or large dogs. They are personable and adorable, too. Many of them are yappy, but not all the breeds, of course. I thought a whippet was a nice choice for a smaller medium sized dog that was low maintenance and sweet. I absolutely love my whippet- totally different than my poodle (which I love too!).

The suggestion to go to a local dog show and look at the different breeds is a good one.


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