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New Dog - What Should I Get? (1 Viewer)

Kev4029

Kev4029

Footballguy
My wife and I are looking for a new dog. We recently lost our Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and the house is a little lonely without a dog. So, I'm looking for the FFA's input.

Here are our needs:

  • 15-25 pounds or so. We will be taking the dog on a plane at least couple times a year to visit family, so it needs to fit in a carrier under the seat (our dog was 20 lbs and was probably pushing the limits of the under-seat carrier). 
  • Friendly with kids and cats. We have a cat and a toddler who can be a little rough.
  • Something that won't need a ton of exercise. We have a good sized back yard and we'll be able to walk the dog on most days, but I don't want something that is so energetic that it will tear the house up if we miss a walk.
  • A little shedding is okay, but the dog will be inside most of the time and knowing my wife, it will be allowed on the bed and the couches.
  • We are pretty laid back when it comes to training a dog, but we do want something that will listen and can be trained to walk on a leash.
  • We spend time in the Colorado mountains during the summer and do a lot of hiking. We won't be taking the dog on long backpacking trips, but we will need something that can do a 5 mile hike.
We aren't looking to grab a dog soon, but probably sometime this fall. Shelties and Cavalier King Charles Spaniels (my wife is also partial to the designer breeds mixed with poodles and other non-shedding breeds) seem to meet most of the above. We are also considering getting some sort of mutt from a shelter, and at some point before we make a decision we'll stop by and see if there is a dog that meets our needs. Any other breeds we should be looking at?

 
Go to a rescue shelter and rescue the first dog that looks like it will be a great fit. So many dogs need rescuing, please consider this before going to a breeder. 

ETA:  looks like you are considering it.  :thumbup:

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Scoresman said:
Go to a rescue shelter and rescue the first dog that looks like it will be a great fit. So many dogs need rescuing, please consider this before going to a breeder. 

ETA:  looks like you are considering it.  :thumbup:
Click to expand...
Echoing this. Go to the shelter. Let the dog pick you out. Can still keep it in your weight range. Got dogs of all sizes at the shelter.

 
ShamrockPride said:
Scoresman said:
Go to a rescue shelter and rescue the first dog that looks like it will be a great fit. So many dogs need rescuing, please consider this before going to a breeder. 

ETA:  looks like you are considering it.  :thumbup:
Click to expand...
Echoing this. Go to the shelter. Let the dog pick you out. Can still keep it in your weight range. Got dogs of all sizes at the shelter.
Click to expand...
:goodposting: We use petfinder.com or, in the case of the dog we rescued last Friday Coco's Heart Rescue

Wife always wanted a "Lap Dog".. Myself, I've never had a dog smaller then our beagle that crossed the bridge last week so I wanted a "Big" dog..

Guess who won :lol:

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Kev4029 said:
My wife and I are looking for a new dog. We recently lost our Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and the house is a little lonely without a dog. So, I'm looking for the FFA's input.

Here are our needs:

  • 15-25 pounds or so. We will be taking the dog on a plane at least couple times a year to visit family, so it needs to fit in a carrier under the seat (our dog was 20 lbs and was probably pushing the limits of the under-seat carrier). 
  • Friendly with kids and cats. We have a cat and a toddler who can be a little rough.
  • Something that won't need a ton of exercise. We have a good sized back yard and we'll be able to walk the dog on most days, but I don't want something that is so energetic that it will tear the house up if we miss a walk.
  • A little shedding is okay, but the dog will be inside most of the time and knowing my wife, it will be allowed on the bed and the couches.
  • We are pretty laid back when it comes to training a dog, but we do want something that will listen and can be trained to walk on a leash.
  • We spend time in the Colorado mountains during the summer and do a lot of hiking. We won't be taking the dog on long backpacking trips, but we will need something that can do a 5 mile hike.
We aren't looking to grab a dog soon, but probably sometime this fall. Shelties and Cavalier King Charles Spaniels (my wife is also partial to the designer breeds mixed with poodles and other non-shedding breeds) seem to meet most of the above. We are also considering getting some sort of mutt from a shelter, and at some point before we make a decision we'll stop by and see if there is a dog that meets our needs. Any other breeds we should be looking at?
Click to expand...
:oldunsure:

 
Scoresman said:
Go to a rescue shelter and rescue the first dog that looks like it will be a great fit. So many dogs need rescuing, please consider this before going to a breeder. 

ETA:  looks like you are considering it.  :thumbup:
Click to expand...
Yep. Just grab whatever mutt 'clicks' for you. 

 
Yeah rescue is the way to go, most dog people will tell you that. And take your time. We're lucky to have a really high-quality local shelter with a huge selection and they even put pics of the dogs online so you can browse. Since you have a size requirement, you will want to be 100% sure of what you're getting. They told us our dog would probably top out around 80 or 90 pounds because she had really big paws and long legs for her size at 8 weeks. At 5 years she's 2 feet tall and 45 pounds. So either get an adult dog that has stopped growing, or a puppy with obvious traits of a smaller dog like a dachshund or Yorkie or whatever. Our mutt has hound & terrier traits and we have idea what in the hell she is. 

 
McGarnicle said:
Yeah rescue is the way to go, most dog people will tell you that. And take your time. We're lucky to have a really high-quality local shelter with a huge selection and they even put pics of the dogs online so you can browse. Since you have a size requirement, you will want to be 100% sure of what you're getting. They told us our dog would probably top out around 80 or 90 pounds because she had really big paws and long legs for her size at 8 weeks. At 5 years she's 2 feet tall and 45 pounds. So either get an adult dog that has stopped growing, or a puppy with obvious traits of a smaller dog like a dachshund or Yorkie or whatever. Our mutt has hound & terrier traits and we have idea what in the hell she is. 
Click to expand...
We adopted my first dog when I was really young. My parents were told it was going to be a 'medium'  size dog. It grew so large it could put its front paws on my dad's shoulders and look him straight in the eyes. My dad is 6'1". :lmao: Loved that dog and still have a fondness for big dogs because of it. 

 
McGarnicle said:
Yeah rescue is the way to go, most dog people will tell you that. And take your time. We're lucky to have a really high-quality local shelter with a huge selection and they even put pics of the dogs online so you can browse. Since you have a size requirement, you will want to be 100% sure of what you're getting. They told us our dog would probably top out around 80 or 90 pounds because she had really big paws and long legs for her size at 8 weeks. At 5 years she's 2 feet tall and 45 pounds. So either get an adult dog that has stopped growing, or a puppy with obvious traits of a smaller dog like a dachshund or Yorkie or whatever. Our mutt has hound & terrier traits and we have idea what in the hell she is. 
Click to expand...
Makes for a fun game.  "Well, his tail looks like a German Shepherd, his head shaped like a rat terrier, long legs like a greyhound, coloring of a golden retriever, neck of a bulldog...."

seriously, our dog is the only non bulldog I've met whose neck is bigger than his cranium but the rest of his body looks normal.  He can't wear collars. 

Pound special, best dog ever. 

 
rescue from an org or a shelter............I am a beagle fan, they can be small guys and are pretty happy, but must be on a leash, so hiking may be rough if you want them to do their own thing.  and by own thing, that means eating poop or chasing something and ignoring your pleas to stop.  sounds like the wife may be difficult, may I suggest trading her in for a newer model as well?  lots of online sellers of Russian brides.

 
-OZ- said:
Makes for a fun game.  "Well, his tail looks like a German Shepherd, his head shaped like a rat terrier, long legs like a greyhound, coloring of a golden retriever, neck of a bulldog...."

seriously, our dog is the only non bulldog I've met whose neck is bigger than his cranium but the rest of his body looks normal.  He can't wear collars. 

Pound special, best dog ever. 
Click to expand...
Carmela has a torso like a greyhound and runs like a bat out of hell, so funny to watch. I take her with me to play disc golf and there's a huge open field where she can run off leash. She'll take off at full speed and go 300 yards, turn around and come back straight toward me, miss me by a foot, pull a u-turn and collapse on the ground, tongue hanging out, looking at me like it's the best day of her life. Then get  up and do it again. Once we get to the 7th hole there's a creek, and she's hot from running, so she runs in full speed and does a few laps back & forth in the ankle-deep water splashing like crazy, runs out soaking wet and again takes off like a damn cheetah. I wish I loved anything as much as that dog loves to run.

 
McGarnicle said:
Yeah rescue is the way to go, most dog people will tell you that. And take your time. We're lucky to have a really high-quality local shelter with a huge selection and they even put pics of the dogs online so you can browse. Since you have a size requirement, you will want to be 100% sure of what you're getting. They told us our dog would probably top out around 80 or 90 pounds because she had really big paws and long legs for her size at 8 weeks. At 5 years she's 2 feet tall and 45 pounds. So either get an adult dog that has stopped growing, or a puppy with obvious traits of a smaller dog like a dachshund or Yorkie or whatever. Our mutt has hound & terrier traits and we have idea what in the hell she is. 
Click to expand...
That is my concern with a rescue puppy.

 
Chemical X said:
rescue from an org or a shelter............I am a beagle fan, they can be small guys and are pretty happy, but must be on a leash, so hiking may be rough if you want them to do their own thing.  and by own thing, that means eating poop or chasing something and ignoring your pleas to stop.  sounds like the wife may be difficult, may I suggest trading her in for a newer model as well?  lots of online sellers of Russian brides.
Click to expand...
Sounds expensive.

 
Kev4029 said:
McGarnicle said:
Yeah rescue is the way to go, most dog people will tell you that. And take your time. We're lucky to have a really high-quality local shelter with a huge selection and they even put pics of the dogs online so you can browse. Since you have a size requirement, you will want to be 100% sure of what you're getting. They told us our dog would probably top out around 80 or 90 pounds because she had really big paws and long legs for her size at 8 weeks. At 5 years she's 2 feet tall and 45 pounds. So either get an adult dog that has stopped growing, or a puppy with obvious traits of a smaller dog like a dachshund or Yorkie or whatever. Our mutt has hound & terrier traits and we have idea what in the hell she is. 
Click to expand...
That is my concern with a rescue puppy.
Click to expand...
Most rescue places will know the mix/breed if it is a Mutt.. If nothing else, you can always ask to have your Vet examine them before deciding.
If your Vet can't give you a rough estimate of what size the dog will be, then it might be time to find a new vet ;)

 
You want a small dog and have a cat. I'm a 100% big lab guy and allergic to those freakin rats with hair who #### in boxes and put their whiskers where they don't belong after leaping on kitchen countertops. Sorry - rant over. Can't help. 

 
Judge Smails said:
You want a small dog and have a cat. I'm a 100% big lab guy and allergic to those freakin rats with hair who #### in boxes and put their whiskers where they don't belong after leaping on kitchen countertops. Sorry - rant over. Can't help. 
Click to expand...
I had a couple labs growing up and absolutely loved them. As a whole, they are probably my favorite breed. We just travel too much to make a big dog practical. It's easy to hand off a smaller dog to family, a big dog takes a lot more work.

I'm allergic to cats as well, so my wife got a Siberian for us. They are somewhat hypoallergenic. When I'm in a house for too long (a couple hours) that has a cat, I can hardly breathe and my eyes will itch like mad and turn red like a tomato. With our cat, as long as it doesn't sleep on my pillow and I don't rub my face on the cat, I have no allergies. 

 
Buckna said:
What part of Colorado you in? If anywhere near Denver, my wife volunteers for the Dumb Friends League. They are a great rescue organization, extremely well run, more than 100 years old.
Click to expand...
We're in SE Aurora. That was actually one of the two shelters that was suggested to us, so we'll definitely take a look there.

 
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