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We are wanting to get a small indoor dog for the family. We have a huge Labradoodle, and want a small lap dog as well. What are some of the smartest ones, w/ the fewest health concerns? We have 3 kids, and they have all been taught how to act around & take care of pets.
I have it narrowed down to Pomeranian, Poodle, Papillon, Havanese, Lhasa Apso,Maltese. I'm not opposed to mixed breeds, but I've always loved reading the ancient history of where each breed came from. Thanks for any help & personal experiances! Pics would be a BIG plus!
If you didn't have a 'huge labradoodle' I would ask about the ages of your children. However, you DO have a large dog and the combination of a toy dog with a big one is NOT safe. Large dogs, even though playing, have been known to injure, and even kill, toy dogs.
My parents have a sweet 63 pound dog. As gentle as they come. But when I visit them I need to watch my little dogs (especially my rescue chihuahua whom I can't put on the floor when their dog is in the room) because their dog could misplace ONE paw on her back and she'd be paralyzed, if not dead.
This is not a good idea. You can never leave them alone together. Toy dogs are fragile and generally aren't good around small children or big dogs.
A few people on this forum have had the experience of a playful large dog killing their toy dog. Some people learn the hard way.
If you didn't have a 'huge labradoodle' I would ask about the ages of your children. However, you DO have a large dog and the combination of a toy dog with a big one is NOT safe. Large dogs, even though playing, have been known to injure, and even kill, toy dogs.
My parents have a sweet 63 pound dog. As gentle as they come. But when I visit them I need to watch my little dogs (especially my rescue chihuahua whom I can't put on the floor when their dog is in the room) because their dog could misplace ONE paw on her back and she'd be paralyzed, if not dead.
This is not a good idea. You can never leave them alone together. Toy dogs are fragile and generally aren't good around small children or big dogs.
A few people on this forum have had the experience of a playful large dog killing their toy dog. Some people learn the hard way.
That is a good point. However, when we lived in the country, we had a tiny Pom, and Doodle was as gentle as a lamb w/ him, tiptoed around him like he was walking on eggshells. The Pom would crawl all over him in "attack mode" & Doodle just licked & loved on him him like a Mama dog. Doodle is mostly an outside dog, and the puppy will be an inside dog.
My kids are 14, 7 & 2 1/2, (the youngest has cerebral palsy, cannot walk independantly) and all are great w/ animals. We used to raise chickens,ducks,turkeys,etc. & they learned how to handle tiny, fragile creatures. Never lost a baby chick/duck/poult due to any accidents!
You realize every breed you've considered requires professional grooming? It's NOT cheap. There are so many dogs in the pound (including small ones) that desperately need homes. And they're in the pound because so many people can't afford their dogs, much less their over-mortgaged homes. I work in pug rescue and it's so sad to see people have to surrender their dogs because they simply can't afford them any longer.
Please consider a rescue! My tiny chihuahua was dumped at the pound, through no fault of her own, and she's a FABULOUS dog!
Yes, I realize that, I have experiance in grooming. I don't need a lecture about homeless animals, but thanks! I realize that there are those who are anti-breeding of any sort, but I am not one of them! I prefer to know the history of any animal I bring into my home. I insist on meeting the parent dogs, to see what their health & temperment is like.
I've had three small dogs: a Yorkie, a Maltese, and a Westie. My maltese was the most laid back of all of them and probably required the least amount of work. He was loving but also independent and not always a lap dog. He was playful, gentle, could walk for miles and good with kids. Medium energy level . . laid back. He was pretty much a one-person dog though - not really friendly with strangers until he got to know them. I kept him in a puppy cut so grooming was not a huge ordeal. It is if you let the hair get out of hand. No shedding whatsoever.
My Westie is a lot like that only more .. dog-like. He likes to spend a LOT of time outside whether we are out there or not. He's very independent but will cuddle on your lap at night. He's great with kids - but he also spent his puppyhood at a soccer field surrounded by adoring kids. He's a digger. High energy. He's very sturdy and can take some roughhousing with kids. More so than the maltese OR the yorkie. Not as patient as the maltese. He would be the happiest in a busy home but would require a lot of walks to keep him exercised and calmer. Westie's have an easy coat . . but there is some shedding.
My yorkie I would not recommend for small kids. She is tiny, fragile, reactive, and fearful. She's a lot of work and a source of constant worry due to her very small size and she also has health issues.
I would recommend a maltese or a Westie for a small dog. The maltese will be more fragile though and is more fine boned than the Westie. The maltese will not be a stubborn as the Westie. The Westie will enjoy a little more roughousing than the maltese.
Yorkie and Dachshund/Cocker mix. How can you not love those faces
Your dogs are adorable!
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