Which one of these dog breeds would fit my lifestyle?
Posted: January 3rd, 2011 | Author: admin | Filed under: Common Questions | Tags: Breeds, Lifestyle., These, would | 9 Comments »My fiance’ and I are looking into getting a puppy or two. I know it sounds crazy but we also have a baby due in a couple of weeks. I’m going to tell you our lifestyle and then the breeds available for us to get I need you to tell me which breeds would work best for us.
Lifestyle:
We live in Manhattan. I work as a dance teacher and he works as an accountant. We have our first child due in a few weeks. I am currently working on opening up my own bakery. We are also planning a wedding! We live in a condo so we have neighbors. I would be able to take the dog around with me as needed. We can bring the dog to professional grooming and the vet as often as needed. We need a dog we can teach basic obedience to. A big factor for us is having a dog who gets along with cats because we have two kittens. We also would like a dog who isn’t SUPER barky! (i.e. beagle’s bark too much). And of course a friendly dog who will be gentle with the baby.
Breeds available for us:
Norfolk Terrier
Cocker Spaniel
Norwich Terrier
Bichon Frise
Labrador Retriever
Pug
Pembroke Welsh Corgi
Border Terrier
Cardigan Welsh Corgi
Cairn Terrier
English Toy Spaniel
Toy Poodle
Papillon
Yorkshire Terrier
Maltese
Please don’t say “you shouldn’t get a dog” just tell us which breed would work best.
Thank you!
So yes, if the dog breed is small enough I will be bringing it around with me as much as I can. But if it is a medium-large dog it will be home alone for 4-6 hours a day. And I forgot to add, I need a dog who won’t destroy the floors/furniture if we leave it alone! (We have wood floors)
I also LOVE German Shephards!
Labrador or Cocker Spaniel.
Maltese out of your list, I suggest shih tzu-amazing family dog! Yorkies are awesome too but tend to be nervous around small children (I have yorkie and shih tzu) German Shepards are AMAZING also, but they are bigger and not sure how they would do in a condo…cocker spaniels and poodles tend to be little on the aggresive side, don’t know a whole lot on the other breeds.
Oh, labs CHEW CHEW CHEW for 1st like 2 years of their life…
Good luck on your wedding, BABY!, bakery, and new puppy =)
Terriers tend to bark. All dogs can be trained, its a matter of working with the dog and patience.. Papillon are nice dogs in a small package. They are full of life and energetic but don’t weigh more than 15 pounds, usually. If you want an active dog that will require more attention, go with the papillon, a pug loves to be with people and doesn’t need as much exercise. Good luck,
My fiance and I have a Rat Terrier that is absolutely amazing. They are beautiful dogs and so smart. You have to be able to take the time to train them because they do have a lot of energy. We started training our dog when we got him at 8 weeks and he is about 7 months old now and behaves better than any dog I’ve ever seen. He sits, lays, rolls over, jumps, comes when called, eats, drinks and will leave his toys on command. They usually range from about 15-25 lbs… ours is about 18 now and probably won’t get much bigger. He knows when he’s allowed to run and be rowdy and when he has to chill out. They are extremely loving and protective. Good luck in your search for a dog and congratulations on the wedding and the baby.
http://fineartamerica.com/images-medium/rudy-the-rat-terrier-rebecca-poole.jpg
Those breeds sound great, and I’m sure you will be able to handle them and make them part of the family. The only thing I would do different, and you didn’t say WHEN you want to bring home the puppy or puppies, but I would wait until after you have the baby and get back home and settled in with baby, that way the puppy sees the baby as already part of the family immediately when you bring it home. . I’m SO ready for another dog as well, but I’m due in late February, so we are going to wait until after that, prob towards the end of my maternity leave time to get another dog.
Anyway, just remember it takes time and energy to housetrain them, I would also only bring home one dog and housetrain at a time before you get another. But if ya’ll work together on everything, it should be fine. You’re going to be awake at night with a new baby, good time to take the puppy out too
I would avoid terriers of about any kind, they are hyper, barky, and harder to train. They may not be best for around a new baby.
I know it’s not on your list but have you considered a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel? They are the gentlest, friendliest and most patient of dogs! They are great with kids and other pets (I used to bring mine with me when I babysat and he would happpily tolerate the kids dressing him up and carrying him about), don’t need too much exercise and are small enough that you should be able to bring it around with you.
Also, they are not very ‘barky’ as a rule, and if they have enough exercise and a nice cozy place to call their own, they will sleep happily while you are out
Best of luck!
Deeanna
http://www.pups-seeking-homes.com
http://www.pups-seeking-homes.com/blog
I would take Pem and Cardigan Welsh Corgi off the list. They are not cute little dogs. They are very high energy herding dogs and would not do well in your situation.
Also I would strongly suggest getting an older dog, not a puppy. Puppies and toddlers are a recipe for disaster. Small breed dogs and toddlers are equally bad. Starting a business and having an infant is going to take up more time than you can ever imagine. I would wait a few years on the dogs.
The best dog to get for those of you who are looking for something small, beautiful, and noble in stature, should be the Maltese.
These adorable little white creatures were literally bred for companionship. After taking one look at a sweet Maltese, how could anybody ever get angry at this dog? Is so gentle, friendly, and has the innocent look of an angel. Their dark eyes sparkle like gems and its snow white coat creates a vulnerable, yet alluring presence.
Love Is Everything
The Maltese is definitely not the dog for anyone with a big ego. This dog breed should have been named “Love Dogs”, simply because that is all they know. The Maltese loves everybody and every animal it comes across.
And when around strangers, it is affectionate yet always keeping an eye out for its number one favorite person, its owner. It is truly an eye-tearing display to watch. These animals are so eager to make you happy and please you in any way it can. Their entire mission is to feel good by making its owner feel good.
Maltese dogs are naturally great around children but it is not advisable to keep them around kids that are younger than 9 or 10 years old. It’s not that kids are bad for the dog, or vice versa, it’s verse that it’s hard to supervise the activity between rough-playing children and the small, delicate frame of a Maltese dog. These dogs can even break their legs by simply jumping off a standard-sized sofa or chair.
Maltese Manners
So far in reading this article you would assume that the Maltese dog is a perfect little angel that does nothing but sit quietly and blink its eyes at you. Unfortunately, is not the case for every Maltese.
A friend of mine has had his Maltese for four years now. When the dog was about a year old, it had severe behavior problems. If a bug flew too close to its face, he would bark for hours on end. The smallest of items left around the house, such as papers and tiny objects, would be chewed and torn as much as the dog could muster.
What was the problem you might be asking? Well, as mentioned previously, these dogs are so sweet-natured and adorable that many people find it hard to bring themselves to giving discipline to their Maltese when it is young.
The last thing you want to do is hurt its feelings by yelling and disappointing the little guy. In time the dog realizes that there are no repercussions for its actions and because it was not trained early in its life, behavior issues become a common problem. The key is to avoid spoiling your Maltese when the time is necessary for strict discipline and obedience training.
http://www.mypetmaltese.com
That is a challenge since you are considering a lot of things before having a dog. Just make sure that you will have time to take care of the dog. I suggest that you get a pet dog like Yorkshire Terrier or a Pug. I am an owner of the two breeds and they give me much joy. You can visit http://www.trainpetdog.com/dog-adopting.html to learn more about dog adoption.