Big dog or little dog? (West: apartment, how much, homes)

[shenane]

Depends on the maturity of the kids. It isn't safe to get a small dog for very young children. The children could hurt him or her - even break bones.

Of course a big dog could hurt the kids, but that's why strict supervision is important and training for the animal is important.

I have volunteered at an animal shelter for 6 years. Big dogs (that are not pure breeds) have a much harder time getting adopted. Lots of people think little dogs are easier and lots of apartments won't allow large dogs. So getting a large dog might help out a dog who has trouble getting adopted and might live out his/her life in a shelter (no kill shelter) or get killed (kill shelter)

If you decide to get a big dog, you might want to check with your insurance company. Some of them won't insure (or charge higher insurance for) Pit Bulls, Shepherds, Rotties, etc.. Boxers are great dogs, but some people get them confused with Pit Bulls so I don't know about insurance, but some of your neighbors might be afraid of boxers.

I know some large breeds have bad reputations and that a big dog bite hurts more than a small dog bite, but my very unexpert opinion is that Chihuahuas and Weenie dogs are much more likely to be aggressive than lots of large brieeds. At the shelter where I volunteer, the meanest dogs we have are all very tiny.

Yes, a big dog might leave a bigger mess, but I bet that a smaller dog would leave more messes. Their bladders are smaller and they can't hold it as long.

Any size dog would be good protection. As all you want them to do is bark to alert you to strangers. You don't want them to learn to attack people - this could be a serious liability. I have read that smaller dogs actually have better hearing so they would make great alarms. But of course a large dog barking behind a door might be a good crook deterrent.

Good for you for thinking about training the dog to live inside. That's the best protection. I never understood people who get a dog for protection then leave it outside 24/7 where it barks at everything that moves because it's bored and lonely. If a crook breaks into the house, how is the dog supposed to protect you from the back yard?? Also, if it is always barking, how will you know when he is barking at a crook or barking at a cat on the fence?
Even worse, a dog on a tether 24/7. How can he/she protect you from a chain?

Some other things to consider - small dogs live longer, have fewer hip problems as they grow older. But small dogs can tend to be more neurotic (unexpert opinion again). Small dogs eat less. If you travel, you might have a hard time finding hotels that will take your big dog. And on some flight, tiny dogs can fit right under your seat. Whereas a large dog would have to fly with cargo.

If the grownups are going to be at work all day and the kids at school all day, consider getting two pets so they can keep each company. Dogs are very social creatures.

Peronally, I like big dogs. More to squeeze and love and lay on. When you sleep in bed with them, you don't have to worry about rolling over and smothering them. You dont' have to worry about stepping on them when you are walking around. Large dogs can be just as good a companion as small dogs. I visited my brother who has a very sweet hundred pound lab. This dog didn't know me, he slept in bed with me and let me "spoon" him all night. I lived with a 65 pound Akita Mix for 15 years. Now I have two medium sized dogs. (30 pounds each). They are special needs dogs who sort of adopted me.

Whatever you decide, please consider saving a stray or adopting from a shelter. San Antonio is number one in strays, euthanasia, and road kill. The pound kills up to 50 thousand animals a year. Not only will you be saving a life and discouraging uncertified breeders, but mixed breeds tend to be more hardy medically. And shelter dogs are extremely grateful. Think back to all the news strories you have read about dogs performing heroic acts. They are almost always rescued strays or shelter dogs.

Also, people will steal pure breeds. If your dog gets loose, some horrible people will pick up your dog, remove your ID tags and either keep your dog, or sell your dog.

Back to Boxers and Pit Bulls. I remember the horrible story about 6 years ago in SA. Someone's Boxer was stolen. Someone returned him with his tongue cut out. Apparently, the people who stole him though he was a pit bull and was going to use him for fighting. They cut the tongues out so it won't get in the way of fighting. Of course the dogs can't drink without a tongue but that doesn't matter to evil people.

Also, consider getting an adult. A lot of them come already housebroken. And the ones that aren't, tend to be a lot easier to house train. Many adults are past that chewing stage as well. I have fostered puppies and adults in my home and puppies are a LOT more work. Especially considering you have 3 kids to run after.
At the shelter where I volunteer, we have large adults who already know how to walk on a leash and know basic commands.

Once you have decided on small or large, look at the peronaltiy and the dominate breed of the dog and look at your family situation. Working breed dogs like labs and border collies need lots and lots of exercise. They need something to do or they will create their own "job" that you might not like.

Some shelters will sit down with you and discuss you needs and recommend a dog that works best for your family situation.

Oh yeah. I have read lots of dog books. My favorite is "How to Speak Dog" by Stanley Coren. Gives some great insight on dog "language"

Good luck!

Originally Posted by nicholasa101

What's your opinion-I want to surprise my kids with a dog, but I am not sure if I should get a big dog (lab,boxer) who will protect the kids and the house- and will also make much bigger messes in our new house during his "training" period. Or get a small dog who will be a good companion, and make much smaller messes! Any advice from big/small dog owners, what are some of the pros and cons? BTW- kids are young- 9 yrs old and 5yr old twins.

[millie61]

The story about the Boxer is awful how can people do that ?
Yes sorry meant to say we adopted Roscoe our black Pug when he was 18 months from a pound he is wonderful had to teach him everything but he is now great and gets on great with the other two. He is also a great guard dog barks first when anyone knocks and they all live in the house sleep in my bedroom !!! so we have three of them snoring.

[els565]

Shenene,

You clearly love and understand dogs. That was a great post!

[jules07]

Gonna throw this out there ~ if you have the room, consider a Great Dane! They don't need a huge yard, just that they take up lots of space in the house. We rescued a beautiful Blue Merle (which is NOT a "special/rare" color - but a "fault") when she was 4 months old. At the time, my youngest was 7 months old. They grew up together (my son's almost 12 now). Our 2 youngest children were born after that, and they all crawled all over her, dotted on her, loved her, squeezed her. Our cats would sleep with her and she loved on them. Only hard part is that they don't live as long as other dogs, usually around 11 or 12 years. (We had to put Dana down 2 days after Christmas this year, as she had an extremely aggressive cancer.) We know lots of people who have Danes and would have no other breed of dog. They are truly wonderful family pets!

Now, we also have a Boxer and a Matli-Tzu (Maltese/Shih Tzu cross). Although we adore both, I'd have to say that Boxers really need an adult to be their primary care giver. They have tons of energy and are very strong. Ours wants to play all the time, and quickly gets to be too much to handle for the younger kids (11, 8, & 6). She's my 17yo son's dog, and does much better with him. And with little dogs, I'd have to agree with shenane's post. Not all little dogs are good with kids. Our Malti-Tzu is my 8yo daughter's dog, and most of the time he's great with her (and he positively adores my 2 granddaughters and follows them around non-stop when the come over!). But if he's sleeping and my daughter goes to pick him up without waking him first, he sometimes snarls and snips. (And he's done that since he was a puppy, so it's not an old age thing.)

Good luck in your decision! Read up on lots of different breeds, and like several have mentioned ~ check the Humane Society, the rescue association (nearly EVERY breed has a rescue organization), and the city's Animal Care Services. Lots of great dogs out there just waiting for homes. (All of our dogs were adopted or rescued. And we couldn't love them any more!! )

[Bo]

Why not get the kids' input on the decision? I'm concerned that the "surprise" aspect might be a little selfish. There's also a strong possibility that if you don't get their input, in the long run the dog will be viewed as yours, rather than theirs.

Assuming you want them to help with the care of the family's new pet, they'll have a larger incentive to do so if they were in on the decision in the first place.

They'll also have more of an emotional investment in a pet they helped pick out. If you take them down to a shelter to make the selection, they'll understand how they're giving their new pet a better life at your home than it had at a shelter.

The family pre-purchase discussion (What breed/color/sex of dog should we get? Who will take it for walks? Where will it sleep? Where will it eat? Who will feed it?) is also a great teaching opportunity that will help the kids understand what adding a dog to the household will mean. The kids can check out books from the library on different breeds. If you wait to have that discussion after the pet is already in the house, it will be harder to get the kids to focus on it, because they'll be too excited about the newest family member.

[nicholasa101]

Thank you so much for the input- my husband has actually been saying he wants a pug, I would love another Lab (we had one previously) but they shed so much and we have tile floors, and I know I will be the one doing the clean up- do pugs shed much?

[nicholasa101]

As far as getting the kids in on the "pre-pet" discussion- trust me there has been LOTS of discussion! We have kept both my sisters dog for a week at a time (one is a Westie and the other is a Sheltie) and I have made the kids responsible for EVERYTHING- because they have been begging for a dog for some time now- we did rescue a beagle from the city pound, but that dog is probably still running down the road somewhere! Everytime we opened the door, he bolted, we always chased him down, but one time- we couldn't catch him and he never came back- never saw him- so I assume someone got him. Now we have a yard - though we do intend to have our dog be an inside dog.

[millie61]

Yes they do shed but no more than any other dog if they are brushed and bathed.
But you will have to watch the children as they Pugs tend to be greedy and can get overweight !!! look at the pic of my black one !!! he is on a diet right now. They also snore so be prepared

[apies1819]

I am currently looking for homes for 2 mixed puppies. One looks like a min schnauzer and the other looks like a mini lab
They will be between 10-15lbs
If your interested or want to see pic's send me a direct message

[SanAntoQT]

Originally Posted by majormadmax

We currently have two Westies (West Highland White Terriers) and have had a couple of them prior. Great small dog with a big dog attitude. Kid-friendly but very protective, playful and energetic but also likes to sleep quite a bit. Not too destructive but as they are terriers they may dig a little in the yard. But they are also smart so if you let them know that is wrong, they will usually stop. Just and all and out great dog...



Cheers! M2

Aaaawwww...what a CUTIE!!!! I want one!