Advice on picking a breed

wopper10

Hi guys,

Just bit of advice/opinions needed.

Thinking about getting a small breed dog for my mum for her birthday. We already have a medium size dog and large breed dog both bitches. So looking for a small breed dog long haired or curly( bichon frise or poodle type) a boy as well(Don't want another bitch with hormones). Looking for an unusual breed can anyone recommend a breed.......?

Sigma Force

A mix breed, can be pretty unique, plenty of small rescue dogs out there.
Bichons, poodles etc. are all pretty common and not unusual. A cross breed or mix breed rescue would likely look more unique and different to a pure breed dog.
But don't fall for the madey up names some 'breeders' use they are just selling a mix breed dog and some try to fleece people.
Wether rescue or bought do research on the breed you choose and ensure your mum is sure about it too.

wopper10

Oh god I know I am not paying a cent for one of those sooo called designer breeds from backyard breeders!!! She kind of wants to get into the showing as a bit of a hobby but if we don't go for a pedigree will definitely be going to a shelter we have had 2 previous rescue dogs beautiful guys!! My dad has a GS cross at the moment 9 months old from dogs trust Thanks for your reply!

andreac

If she wants to show then she really needs to decide what breed she wants as all breeds are different when it comes to showing.

wopper10

Yea she is throwing a few around was just hoping some people on this might know an unusual or least not a really common breed just to have something differnet. She likes toy poodles so was thinking maybe one of those she also likes chows but there a bit bigger than she wants.....when she finally picks one we can then start to research and see if it really is suitable for our home.

Sigma Force

If she wants to get into showing then it would be a good idea for her to narrow down the types of breeds she likes personality/temprament as well as the look of the dog etc. Lot of small breeds can come with health issues and you have to watch them around young children and larger family pets because of their size they can be easily stepped on and hurt.

Once she's chosen a breed then she would need to talk to other dog owners of the same breed and look in to what to look for in a show dog. It's more fiddley and complicated even if she bought a pup for instance from a reliable breeder than has show dogs themselves there's not always a gurantee that pup will turn out to be show standard.

Just be very careful on the breeder you choose, price isn't always a good guide but look for a breeder who knows what they are talking about, willing to ans. questions you have, are willing to hold the pup until 12 wks old and chips and fully vaccinates the pup because small breeds can be delicate you are better off waiting a little longer for the pup and full vaccinations mean you can start to take the pup out safely straight away and socialise him.

We've two rescues, one border collie and one mix and our mix breed girl is so pretty and she's only 7.4 kg. We've two girls and a boy he's the youngest and a Papillon.

Papillons have the best personality ever imo for a small breed dog. They are so adaptable, love kids and adults and love men..for some reason dunno why.
They will walk for miles or are happy to run about in the garden and happy to veg out on your knee for hours. They need a lot of company though and can feel the cold so are indoor only.
They can have health issues like knee problems etc. but if you pick a good breeder it's less likely but that's the risk you take with any dog you take on.

They aren't as common as some other breeds, probably because being small and a little delicate people might be afraid to have them if they have kids etc. better for families with older kids really.
Coats are really easy to take care of, but they are very intelligent so need their walkies and to be kept busy, personality wise they are like a collie crossed with a fairy. They love to twirl..a lot and play for ages.
Our guy can chew for ireland and can make short work of a black kong, for a small dog they have a big personality.

garancafan

A great source of information about breeds is youtube. My own favourite is the mini-schnauzer. Have been privileged to have one as a companion for 12 years. I love her a little more each day.

andreac

wopper10 wrote: »

Yea she is throwing a few around was just hoping some people on this might know an unusual or least not a really common breed just to have something differnet. She likes toy poodles so was thinking maybe one of those she also likes chows but there a bit bigger than she wants.....when she finally picks one we can then start to research and see if it really is suitable for our home.

Oh god, def dont choose the chow, they really arent a breed for everyone. They are a strange sort of dog with very weird temperaments. They arent very affectionate and their coat takes huge amount of work so i would avoid one at all costs.
Why doesnt she pop down to a dog show and have a look at all the types of dogs there are and talk to the owners.
Theres a show on next sat in Dublin, at The National Show Centre in cloghran.

There really are hundreds of breeds, so depending on what type she is looking for its very hard for us to recommend something.
Does she want a terrier, working breed, toy, gundog, etc etc.

wopper10

Oh yea I forgot about Papillions there a lovely little dog and the character sounds good, I'll do some research. She wants a dog that will rough and tumble with the others. So a small dog with a big dog brain/heart inside is the kind of personality we like. I'd love her to get a Boston terrier or French Bulldog but she's not gone on the look.

She's not a fan of schnauzers unfortunately!:(

andreac

Frenchies have serious attitude problems and are very feisty so im not sure if i would recommend that for her either.
She needs to decide does she want a coated breed or a short haired breed. Theres a huge difference in the maintenance of each of these so i would narrow it down that way first.

wopper10

Hi andreac thanks for the reply, yea I know I'm trying to get her to give me an idea of what she would like and then I can give her options but she's unsure. At the moment all I know is:

-Small
-Long haired
-Friendly dog willing to be boisterous and playful with larger dogs
-But a lap dog also something that will curl up on her
-Grooming and coat care not a problem
-Something she can show (preferably)
-something different (not found in every other household)

Yea were going to that show was going to go to the show tomorrow but next weeks show is a lot bigger so should be more of a variety.

wopper10

andreac wrote: »

Frenchies have serious attitude problems and are very feisty so im not sure if i would recommend that for her either.
She needs to decide does she want a coated breed or a short haired breed. Theres a huge difference in the maintenance of each of these so i would narrow it down that way first.

Yea I wanted them. She definitely wants a coated breed

andreac

Yeah the one tomorrow is very small, wont be that many there. Next weeks is much bigger as its a champ show, tomorrow is only an open show.

Ill be there next week myself showing my fella.:)
Frenchies are class and i considered getting one only for the huge price tag on them:eek: They are great characters but not really for a novice owner though.

What about a Japanese Spitz, Tibetan terrier, Lhasa Apso, Shetland Sheepdog?

ISDW

andreac wrote: »

Yeah the one tomorrow is very small, wont be that many there. Next weeks is much bigger as its a champ show, tomorrow is only an open show.

Ill be there next week myself showing my fella.:)
Frenchies are class and i considered getting one only for the huge price tag on them:eek: They are great characters but not really for a novice owner though.

What about a Japanese Spitz, Tibetan terrier, Lhasa Apso, Shetland Sheepdog?

Having read the thread, I was thinking of a Tibetan Terrier, seems to fit the criteria.

pokertalk

how about a cairn terrier

Cherry Blossom

Tibetan terrier sounds perfect to be honest if she wants something with long hair and still able for a bit of rough and tumble with the big dogs.

Zapperzy

What about a scottish terrier? Most terriers are hardy little dogs fit for rough and tumbling. This might help: http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/cgi-bin/item.cgi?category_cs=40 Click on the group and it gives you a list of breeds within that group, click on each breed and it'l give you a description and picture.

Inexile

I dont know much about them but love the look of a a Norwich or Norfolk terrier and you dont see so many of them around.

mymo

I have a Tibetan terrier and a Lhasa Apso. I wouldn't recommend them for a beginner, unless you have experience grooming.
The Tibetan we planned on showing, but due circumstances we didn't really start preparing until he was about 8 months. By then his coat was very long, and was taking about an hour a day to keep in condition. I like walking my dog so every time we went out I had to brush all the debris out, in the autumn its awful, long grass means slugs stuck in the hair, rain means drying and combing out. Then when they reach 10months or so they get the adult coat coming through, that takes some serious grooming, you cannot cut out matting, and the coat takes serious amount of brushing(and certain types or brush and comb so the coat doesn't split).
I gave up trying to manage his full coat when he was about a year, I now keep him trimmed, he still requires a few minutes a day grooming, but its much easier short (he seems happier too). You can't show them that way, but I'm happy with my wonderful boy.
If you want a dog to show, that you can walk and play with, and allow to play with other dogs, I wouldn't recommend a Tibetan or a Lhasa (shorter so closer to the ground, so more debris and mud) for the same reasons.
Don't get me wrong they are both fabulous dogs, I'd love a house full of both(if I had the time and money), but if your mother wants to get into showing go for something easier to manage to start, just to get experience and see if you like it.