currently considering a dog

Knowing that some people here have smaller dogs, I was hoping someone might have a few of the answers we just can't seem to find online.

We are currently considering a dog... and I know I've always said we don't have enough yard/house for one, but the current debate is about a "toy" breed/mix. DD has been asking for a cat for years, but with a guinea pig still in the house there is NO way we could keep the piggie safe 24/7 since the kids adamantly refuse (and I agree with their reasoning) to put a lid on the cage. Lately both kids have had an obsession with tiny dogs though, and DH & I have discussed it a bit and have decided that a small dog might be a good "compromise" between the full-size Lab DS so desperately wants & the cat that DD wants - if that makes any sense.

At this point we have talked to the kids about the possibility of adopting a small SHORT-HAIRED dog, and of course they both desperately want one. We suggested saving our "family fun" budget towards the adoption fees, as this will take us 6-8 months to save up $300. This is partly to gauge the kids' seriousness about wanting another pet, but also to give us time to decide for sure on breeds/mixes & accumulate the items & information we need to make the best possible home for a new little member. So I guess you could say that we're in a "getting ready, but not ready to adopt yet" state of mind right now.

What we are wondering, is what DO we need to bring a smaller dog home? Obviously we would need a harness & collar, toys, a bed of some sort, a couple of bowls, but is there anything specific to small dogs that might otherwise be missed? One thing we were specifically wondering about is things like dog-coats, for walks on cold winter days. I'm not used to dressing my pets up and have always viewed it as a bit absurd until I saw my sister's Lab (who lives in FL) shivering to pieces when she visited in December. Also, are there any books or websites that might be helpful for us to read? And I have looked just a bit on petfinder.com and seen that many of the toy-sized dogs specifically state that they are for no-children homes. Does this mean that a toy dog might not be a good fit for us, or is this meant to discourage families with younger/more active children? We are quite used to caring for smaller/elderly pets with special needs with our guinea pigs, but a rodent is NOT a dog and this would be our first "non-caged" pet so we would like to be sure we are doing the absolute best by them long before bringing a new pet home.

More than anything, we want to be sure that we are making the right choice for a dog as well as for our family. Even though we know we CAN adopt a small dog, we would very much like to know if that would be a GOOD decision for us - and for the dog, before we actually brought a new friend home. Any suggestions, comments, personal horror stories and/or snide comments would be very greatly appreciated
love,
mom

 

I love the fact that you are considering adopting a dog instead of purchasing a purebred from a breeder. This is definately the way to go.

My husband and I adopted out little dog, a chihuahua/dauchound mix several years ago. She's been wonderful! We found her online at petfinders.com. You can search by size of dog, local area, see pictures of the pet, and they even list if the pet is not a good pet for kids, if they have that information. I believe that it cost us less than $100.00 to adopt our dog from a local shelter. (Oh, I see you've tried that, too.)

We haven't had any trouble with our dog. She's very good with kids. My oldest daughter had a little male chihuahua mix that was not so good with kids. He would bite, so he had to get a new home. I think that a lot of toy breeds are like that. They aren't good with kids because of tendency to bite, plus they are so small that they could be easily hurt when playing with kids.
I recommend a small breed, not minature or toy. I have some friends in Colorado who run a chihuahua and small dog rescue, you might try checking your local area for a rescue organization for the breed you are most interested in.

If you have a fenced yard like we do, I highly recommend a doggie door. It's the most wonderful invention ever!

We live in the midwest, in Kansas, and we never put our dog in a coat. She's a shorthaired dog. We honestly don't get too many extremely cold days, and the limited time that she is outside, she does just fine.

We have three kids, 2 snakes, 3 hamsters, fish, and a dog. I think a dog is the perfect pet for children. They are so loving and loyal and just want to be your friend!

Good luck with your search!

Here's our dog...her name is Honey!

 

I would suggest that any dog you are considering, you have that dog have a face to face meeting with your piggie first. Alot of small dogs are prone to chasing "prey animals" like squirrels and other small animals. I wanted to adopt a rat a few years ago but couldn't because of my toy rat terrier (go figure!). That said- all dogs will have their own personality and while you can pick out a breed that may fair better with a small piggie, it is really up to the individual dog on whether he/she will be able to be around another small creature and not want to chase it untill it has a heart attack.


Best wishes to your family and whatever pup you choose!

 

Oh, thank you! That is a wonderful idea! Our piggie cage is sitting on a standard-height table in our dining room, and we had been planning on letting Oreo (our pig) out to run while the dog was out on a walk, or corralled in a different room so our dear little fuzz-friend stayed safe. Nose-to-nose introductions might be a good idea though, depending on the type of dog we decide on.
love,
mom

 

You can also get those little hamster balls so Oreo can run around the room totally protected. They should come in larger sizes for piglets everywhere.


x

 

That's how the hamster got loose in the house. The lid wasn't quite shut on the ball. Thankfully, my dog isn't the hamster eating type.

 

I would avoid terriers and terrier mixes. Their instinct is to hunt rodents and such. Even toy terriers... they are still terriers! Of course you can work with nearly any dog to not go after pet rodents... but honestly, why subject yourself to that kind of work and commitment if you don't have to? Especially if you are first time dog owners and don't really know anything about how to train and condition dog behavior. You can read up on it all you want, but you just don't know what you're doing until you've done it successfully, and I'd hate to think that your guinea pig could end up a casualty as a result of that trial and error process.

Don't fall for the stereotypes either - as in all small dogs are yappers. People think all chihuahuas are shaky, yappy dogs. They are not. It all in how they are raised. Every chihuahua in my family, raised by me, is a very calm, friendly, loving, QUIET dog. Same goes for yorkies, but yorkies unfortunately DO have a nervous tendency... It really depends on the individual dog - you could find a yorkie that is perfect for your family - but most of them, I would avoid... plus yorkies have long hair anyway.

If I had to pick one breed or breed mix, I'd pick short coat chihuahua. The fact that you are adopting is awesome, but I will be honest, unless you luck out and get a very young puppy, it is going to take some work in most cases to help a dog come out of it's shell and be happy, not nervous, calm, obedient, etc... if a smaller dog ends up in a shelter, it's usually because SINCE it was small no one raised it the way it should have been raised as as a result became a nuisance. Not the dogs fault. Just that it seems like most people don't think they have to work with smaller dogs because "they are too small to cause any trouble". And no one socialized them, that's what contributes to the "shaky nervous" attribute.

Hope that all isn't too confusing... if you take none other of my advice, stick with the "no terriers" part. Not just because their instinct is to go after other pet rodents, but because they also tend to be a little TOO energetic, destructive, loud, and difficult to train. The terrier group is really best for experienced dog owners that know how to train and condition dogs already. And with small children, the terrier group can be kinda nippy - since their instinct is to go after small fast moving prey and catch it, fast moving children's limbs often inadvertantly get hunted, lol.

 

Xexon - I've heard from multiple places that those "giant hamster balls" aren't safe for piggies. It had something to do with their spines being bent into unnatural angles, but I forget the specifics since this was YEARS ago that we researched them & we just decided to skip them if there was any chance it could hurt our boys.

Lilyrayne - THANK YOU!!! I had no idea that terriers could be a problem with Oreo! He's a tough little guy from being in a rather abusive situation before coming to live with us, but I certainly wouldn't want to test that against a dog that weighs 5-10 times what he does!

We have tentatively narrowed it down to a chihuahua or pug-mix, based on suggestions from several people. (Yes, I'm aware that pugs come with multiple breathing issues - so do our kids, and they liked the idea that our dog might have similar issues) Our kids are 8 & nearly 13 and don't have "young child" issues like wanting to pet too roughly, tug tails or roughhouse with a tinier animal so several people have now specifically suggested chi's.

We are quite accustomed to shelter-pets being rather withdrawn & coming with "issues" and were considering choosing a dog that specifically DOES need a little extra TLC since that is what we are used to, and seemed to help strengthen our bonds with the piggies. I understand that dog issues could end up being a bit bigger than we're used to, but this is something DH & I have discussed for about a year now. We both had dogs as kids, but our parents took care of them as much (or more, to be honest) than we did so while we're used to dogs we are by no means experienced owners.
love,
mom

 

Pugs are awesome dogs! Yes they do have breathing problems but they aren't so widespread that it's a high chance you'll get one with a breathing problem. But, they can out snore a chihuahua by a long shot. I know this from experience! HAHA!

Here is what *I* personally know about chis vs pugs:

Pugs: small chance of breathing problems, but generally healthy overall
Chis: easy to make sick if they get into food they shouldn't or eat kleenex. Which they do. They also tend to "get sick" more than pugs do, like from allergies and such.

I've had way more chi's than pugs, but every single chi went to the vet for an issue at least 3 to 5 times for every one time each pug went. That may also have to do with the state I live in, it's full of germs and allergens. Also, chi mixes have less health problems than either full breed, at least the ones I had did.

Pugs: will typically eat anything you give them, particularly fond of "people food" so tend to beg more (harder to discourage begging)
Chis: tend to be a bit picker - I've seen chis with pug appetites tho. Tend to beg less. (in other words, easier to discourage begging).

Pugs: Love to and will insist on investigating EVERYTHING. They are not too agile in doing so, either (as in, a pug will insist on taking as big a whiff of the guinea pig as possible, even if it means rolling the guinea pig over to do so - several times a week not just the first time) - they also tend to knock things over in their attempts to get at whatever it is they want to investigate. they are pretty clumsy.
Chis: for some reason, don't really care to investigate much after the first initial investigation of your home. They will definitely quickly check out strange noises and such, but most of the time don't care. They are not clumsy and are very agile dogs. A chi would probably be less likely to care about the piggies after they've checked the out one good time - unless you get a chi that likes to try to play with them all the time then they will jump on them. Chis just mostly care about 3 things: their people, their food, their toys - in that order.

Pugs: are horrible, horrible shedders. You WILL have fur. EVERYWHERE. You said your children have breathing problems - the amount that pugs shed could make this worse. They seem to "blow their coats" every month, not once a year, lol. Indoors or out! Need a TON of brushing outside to keep the amount of fur all over the house down. (I reccomend the furminator brush for a pug). Also tend to have skin issues. and, some pugs have an odor... it's not bad, but it's not pleasant. something to do with their skin, I'm not sure of the details of why this is. easily controlled by the right amount of baths. (too many baths make it worse, too little make it worse, what the "right amount" is depends on the pug)
Chis: also shed, but not NEARLY as much as pugs do, most chis seem to hardly shed at all. rarely have skin issues, don't have much odor, especially when bathed regularly.

Pugs: like to sit in laps but get easily annoyed and walk away if you "love" on them too much (kisses, hugs, petting, etc) (just a general rule, this is NOT all pugs)... like they LOVE it at first but have a "Time limit"
Chis: LOVE affection and can not get enough of it. Content to be worn like a piece of clothing if possible. If not, will insert self INTO clothing where possible (even when you're wearing it)

Pugs: VERY sturdy dogs. Can take a lot of rough and tumble and has lots of stamina. but there is the breathing issue, if they play too hard and start snort-breathing you have to make them calm down until they can breathe normally again. Are generally more likely to play than chi's.
Chis: Sturdier than they look, but also easy to break/sprain legs if playing too hard (chi's think they are bigger than they are) depending on the chi, may not have a lot of stamina, they have much lower pain tolerances and yelp a lot more (many times, they aren't seriously hurt, they just complain about it more than pugs and scare everyone with the screaming). Are generally less likely to play than pugs.

Pugs: are sneaky and have the brains to make it work for them (they have the amazing ability to make food disappear from your plate while you are looking at it without you seeing them do it... ok not really, but they are pretty sneaky)
Chis: are sneaky, but not quite as smart about it

Pugs: do not fit in most dog clothing. It is very hard to find clothing to fit a pug's shape.
Chi's: much, much easier to dress - if you can find their sizes! (small!)
I personally prefer when people do NOT dress their dogs, however children have fun with it and if the dog tolerates it, there's nothing wrong with it... but in very cold weather, it can be helpful.
BOTH BREED TYPES are HUGE babies about cold weather, or wet weather. I've found if they tolerate clothing, they are more likely to cooperate about going out to potty in cold weather if they have a dog sweater or something like that on.

In terms of rescues: in most cases, mistreated/abused pugs, chis, and mixes of both tend to be very nervous and withdrawn and difficult to rehabilitate out of their shells (but not impossible). However - I have noticed that chis and chi mixes tend to have more "aggressive" types than pugs and pug mixes. This is usually just fear aggression, and not real aggression, but I did notice that not only were there more fear aggressive chi's than pugs, but they had no problem biting. I don't know if this is just my experience because of the area or the rescue railroad I was on, or if it's like this everywhere. Just thought I'd mention it.

Rescue Pugs: tend to be less "shaky nervous yappy" than chi's
Rescue Chis: tend to be more "shaky nervous yappy" than pugs
If you are rescuing one of these, or a mix that has mostly one of these, you are more likely to get a shaky nervous yappy rescue if it is a chi than a pug. As I said, it's all in how the are raised, of course, but pugs do naturally tend to be a bit more easy going and harder to make them nervous dogs than chis. It's part of their personalities. The trade off is that if they do have behavior problems that need to be worked with, pugs require much much more patience than chi's do and take longer to condition those behaviors out. They are not harder to train, it just takes a lot longer. That same part of their personalities that makes them so easy going also makes them lazy when it comes to responding to conditioning and training.

I'm sure you know, pugs aren't exactly "small dogs". They fall in between the small-medium to medium range. They are usually 2 to 3 times bigger than chihauhuas. Like I said, I am sure you were aware of that but wanted to make sure just in case. Pugs can kind of hurt when they jump on your lap or walk on you, and make your legs fall asleep when they sleep in your lap. They are rather hefty even for their size.

All that said, both types are wonderful dogs, I hope some of what I have said here helps. And of course, all this is just general rule of thumbs, there are ALWAYS exceptions to the rules. It's not uncommon to find a pug in a chi body or vice versa And I have only met 2 chi/pug mixes - very ugly, but loveable dogs lol and both seemed to have the best traits of both breeds.

Good luck and be sure to update us when you get a dog! Also, if you can, adopt from a shelter that lets you "try the dog out" for a month or so and still lets you bring it back to get a different dog up to a month in case one doesn't work out well with your family. Most dogs have a honeymoon period of 2 weeks where they seem to be great... if they have behavior issues, the 2 to 3 week mark is when they show up, as that is when they start to get comfortable with their new places and let their guards and manners down. For a family that hasn't had their own dog before AND has piggies, a shelter that would allow trade ins until the right dog is found for the family is of immense value to you. It's sad to "trade in" a dog, and I won't lie, it is hard on the dog, but only temporarily. Having a dog that conflicts with the family for the next 10 or so years is worse.

I apologize if I seem like a know it all, lol. Before I got sick, I worked HEAVILY in rescue, and was a rehabilitator in addition to training and conditioning dogs.

 

Wow, that was a TON of info! Thanks Darn, I hadn't known that pugs would shed - they've got such short hair, I just figured they'd be no worse than my sister's dog! We're still debating, but we've got awhile to decide still.

And thanks for the link... I was wondering where to get a nice "green" puppy jacket!
love,
mom

 

get a pure bread small dog or some pure bread of some sort

 

a

 

Thanks Pixeewinged We did consider poodles for a short while, but every poodle we've ever known has been quite nippy & high-strung which would make all of us a bit nervous & just didn't sound like a great idea when we're used to somewhat calmer lap-pets.

I suppose I should have mentioned that the only reason we were even mentioning specific breeds is because all of the shelters around us are divided by breed and breed-mix. We are quite excited about getting a "mutt" of one sort or another, but for temperament & a bit of "narrowing down" it seemed easiest to break things down by breed.
love,
mom

 

a

 

I also think it is really cool that you are considering a rescue dog rather than one from a breeder.

I rescued a Maltese puppy a few years back and he is simply the best little dog! The rescue group who I adopted him from told me his chances of surviving were slim, since he was very sick and underweight, but I kept him with me all the time, feeding him every two hours and even taking him to work with me for several weeks until he fully recovered.

I named him "Spirit" because I knew he had the spirit to survive and would not give up as long as he knew my love for him was eternally true.

He is now a healthy and happy little dog and here is a picture of him in a bunch of wildflowers during one of our walks. When I got him home that day, he was no longer white, but yellow and orange, temporarily that is...

 

thats true. the ones in the pound and in the humane society are the ones who need homes more. whats more important? having an "aryan race" dog or one that is adorable no matter what and needs a home more?

my puppy is a pitbull/australian shephard mix and she would have been abandoned if my sister didnt bring her to my house and win over my mother (she's such a dog person). even though she was mad at first, as soon as she saw her i knew that was our dog

 

i own a terrier and id like to back up what people have already said about them. they have a very strong prey instinct and theres the possibility of issues wiht your piggy. a jack russell would probably not work out.
but my border terrier, though he loves chasing rodents, never touched my rats, guinea pigs, cats or any other tempting animal that i made him understand was mine and not to be even looked at wrong. not even when he was young. so some terriers are very trainable that way and if you find one that is otherwise perfect, i wouldnt rule it out as long as it meets your pig first.
what i love about terriers is their toughness. they arnt prone to anything and they live long lives, theyre smart and lively and adventurous. theyre real characters. and they dont shed if you get a wirehair one like mine.
but, they need a lot of stimulation and exercise especially when young or they can be a little crazy.
pugs are good and chis although ive known some awfully nervous ones. it is all about how you raise them though.
the only thing i dont like about ornamental toy breeds like that is that they arnt very resilient lol.
for clothing, you will probably have to put a sweater on any small dog at certain times of the year. my petey only needs one if were out for a long time in snow or if its wet and windy. he wears plaid
anyway, its great that your adopting, thats totaly the way to go. small dogs rarely seem to end up in the shelters or they go fast, so check often. i was lucky with petey. he was so insane looking, springing up and down in desparation to get out of that place, that no one wanted him lol.

 

I have been training and showing dogs for my entire life, and i worked at a kennel for the past two years, and all I can say, it that toy breeds are not good family pets. Sure there will be exceptions, but it is not in their nature. If you are stuck on small, please please please consider something corgi-sized and more family friendly.

 

As a youth, our family dog killed our hamster with fear.

The hamster was in the cage. One day the dog barked at the cage (a lot) and apparently killed the hamster with fear. No damage to the cage, no claws on flesh...just fear.

A ball may not keep your guinea pig safe.

By the way, where were you going to keep the dog when you went away for Vacation, Thansgiving at grandma's, or you and your DH taking a weekend together? (Dump the kids AND the dog with grandma?)