If it was the right time for you.... (Charlotte, Pembroke: homes, train)

[SnowWhiteQueen]

Animal Shelter or Humane Society. At the animal shelter they kill animals so please go rescue one before it is murdered!!! I wish there were more humane societies. They are good to their animals.

[chicagocubs]

Just re-reading your question:

I did not choose my dogs...they chose me. Chipper, the lab mix jumped right into the car when I opened the door to pet her when I found her abandoned in the alley of an empty house. She decided that I was the one....

Ashely was given to me by a friend in Statesville. He runs a convenience store and someone dragged in this (literal) bag of bones that had just had puppies and asked my friend if "he wanted a dog". My friend was sickened by the sight of this poor abused animal and said, "sure"! But, she needed more care than my friend could give, so, I came up there with Chipper and ended up keeping Ashley, too. Chipper & Ashley have bonded more than any animals I have ever seen. They eat together, chew bones together, and become distraught if they are separated. Maybe it was the common thread of abuse that they knew they escaped from. dunno.

But, I do know a bit about dogs (I was a vet assistant a lifetime ago) and know a little about the different breeds. It is also easily researched on the web. A mixed breed is usually smarter and somewhat less stubborn too. Smaller dogs can be harder to handle. The bigger the dog, the easier to train, I have found. don't know why.

[LAMF]

I prefer larger dogs, which is why I have two Saint Bernards. I will not bother extolling the virtues of this most excellent breed, however, as your stated preference was for a much, much smaller dog.

On that note, my wife happens to share your preference which is why we also have a Basset Hound. To be perfectly honest, the Basset Hound does not like me very much, nor I her, but she does have some qualities that many find preferable in a dog:

1. Short little stumps for legs, so they don't run very fast. This was included in the breed so fat, French hunters could keep up with them without breaking a sweat. The practical application of this is that they do not require a whole lot of exercise and do well with a short walk every day and are perfectly happy with a smaller yard. They also make excellent apartment dogs.

2. On average, they have very gentle demeanors and make great family pets. Our basset has been subjected to our two year old niece on multiple occasions and has proven to be amazingly tolerant.

3. They can be quite the lap dog, if you are into that sort of thing. In fact, most evenings will find the Basset curled up on my wife's lap, which it is safe to say is both of their favorite pastimes.

4. They can also be very independent, as long as they have a comfortable place to sleep, which can be quite helpful if you need to get something done without being bothered by canines.

5. This is a low energy, low maintenance dog. They don't need a lot of grooming and spend most of their time sleeping.

Good luck to you. No matter what breed you select, I am sure your new friend will bring you years of friendship and joy.

[chicagocubs]

Wow, Jon, there are a lot of great dogs on that site. Of course, I am partial to Zoey, but, there is Bailey the beagle...they can be a bit hyper until about 2 years old, but, then they calm down....(probably closer to your weight range). Had a beagle in Chicago for many years.

and then there is Giget if you want a Westie....(lots of hair...shedding)

[BigJon3475]

I think Zoey would be my choice also or Vanilla although that would be a hard one to pull off.

[BigJon3475]

Originally Posted by chicagocubs

Just re-reading your question:

I did not choose my dogs...they chose me. Chipper, the lab mix jumped right into the car when I opened the door to pet her when I found her abandoned in the alley of an empty house. She decided that I was the one....

Ashely was given to me by a friend in Statesville. He runs a convenience store and someone dragged in this (literal) bag of bones that had just had puppies and asked my friend if "he wanted a dog". My friend was sickened by the sight of this poor abused animal and said, "sure"! But, she needed more care than my friend could give, so, I came up there with Chipper and ended up keeping Ashley, too. Chipper & Ashley have bonded more than any animals I have ever seen. They eat together, chew bones together, and become distraught if they are separated. Maybe it was the common thread of abuse that they knew they escaped from. dunno.

But, I do know a bit about dogs (I was a vet assistant a lifetime ago) and know a little about the different breeds. It is also easily researched on the web. A mixed breed is usually smarter and somewhat less stubborn too. Smaller dogs can be harder to handle. The bigger the dog, the easier to train, I have found. don't know why.

From what I understand the smaller the dog the more sympathy the less likely it is for the owner to be stringent in the training. The dog ends up being the pack leader by using sympathy.

[chicagocubs]

Originally Posted by BigJon3475

From what I understand the smaller the dog the more sympathy the less likely it is for the owner to be stringent in the training. The dog ends up being the pack leader by using sympathy.

Small dogs have "small dog syndrome" meaning that they *think* that they are really BIG dogs. They can be stubborn, willful and constantly compete with you to be the alpha. (by contrast my 70 pound dog thinks that she is a lap dog and continually wants to climb in my lap). They usually rule the roost, not the other way around....

[chicagocubs]

The problem that you are going to have with Vanilla is that she resembles a Pit Bull too much. I understand that she is a different breed, but, most people won't know that. Since you live in an apt., you will have a difficult time as you mentioned.

Zoey should not get bigger than 50 pounds (at the most). They are usually stocky, not excessively huge.

[BigJon3475]

I'm just going to drive by there tomorrow. There was no out of office message for the holiday on the phone.

[chicagocubs]

you WILL let us know which one you chose, right?? (complete with photos) also remember that there are dog parks which are now free scattered throughout Charlotte. It would do good for you and your pup to go there as often as you can to let him/her exercise and socialize with other dogs. You can socialize with the other dog parents, too, so, it becomes a kind of "play date"