Thanks for all the help guys! Keep it coming, debate amongst yourselves; I haven’t done enough research yet to jump in.
One thing - Ross and Edlyn: Maltese and King Charles Spaniels are both fairly longhaired breeds, aren’t they? Don’t they shed a lot?
Here are some links for you to check out the breed.
Chelsea Whippets is who we got our little angel from. They have a litter now with Redford as sire–he’s a good looking devil; he was on the Eukanuba Tournament of Champions on ANimal Planet, not that I’m endorsing Eukanuba. Anyway, Chelsea Whippets has some beautiful dogs, and Deann Christiansen is very protective of her dogs, which is a good sign of a breeder’s worthiness of the breed.
http://www.chelseawhippets.com/litters.htm
By the way, where are your parents living? If it’s somewhere like Minnesota…whippets have really thin skin and not much body fat to protect them from the cold, and Tahoe is very lethargic in the heat (who isn’t?)
Here’s a link that has lots of Whippet facts, FAQs etc., although it hasn’t been updated recently, it contains timeless wisdom.
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Estates/7575/
Also, the http://www.americankennelclub.com has an informative website, with all the breed standards and personality blurbs.
Here’s another website with general breed choosing guides and info:
http://www.canismajor.com/dog/tchoose.html
And finally, http://www.poochpicker.com has some quizzes one can take to match up personality-wise with a dog.
So having blabbered on and on, and provided links to all these sites which have all this breed info…I have met some great rescue dogs at the dog park. You said your parents want something a little different from a toy poodle? A mutt is as different as…well, it depends on the mutt. Learn about the dog breeds and can’t decide? Shop for a mutt at the local shelter who combines these breeds and you’ll get that hybrid vigor as a bonus–I mention that since so many breeds have their own particular plagues.
By the way, whippets are slender “medium” sized dogs, ranging in height from 19-22" at the shoulder, and 30-35 lbs. Just the right size to pick up and carry if you have to–they conveniently tuck under your arm, but big enough so that you can do a lot of fun stuff outside. The first famous frisbee dog was a WHippet, Ashley Whippet, who ran on to the playing field of a baseball game with her owner and wowed the crowd. You should see whippets run. They are beeeeyuuuuteeefull.
Okay, basta!
Here’s a cool site that’ll pick for you. I am told I should look into a foxhound, for what it’s worth. As it happens my three dogs are mutts.
http://www11.activebuyersguide.com/abg/nav/StartGuide.cfm?PID=50X11X51X21472X39d4a&CatID=5
I say go to your local SPCA center and adopt a pup. They usually have a large selection, and will work with you in making a choice. They want to be sure that you and the dog are a good match.
You’ll be surprised at the number of very nice pooches people have abandoned.
Save some bucks, and save a dogs life.
BTW; Mutts, in general, are better dogs than purebreds.
Peace,
mangeorge
AMEN, mangeorge!
The shelter folks know their dogs and want to place them in suitable homes. Since your folks aren’t interested in show dogs, breeding, etc. why not go for a great, loving mutt? They’re just as wonderful as companions, they just don’t have protected bloodlines. They’re thoroughly great dogs just want a family to belong to.
Take your folks to the local shelter and let them meet some dogs. Betcha the one they’re looking for is waiting for them.
Veb
K.O.S, two years ago when my dog Bootsie (mixed breed) died, I got a mini Dachsie to keep my other dog, Rusty, company. I had no experience with pure-bred Dachsunds. (Bootsie was 1/2 dachsie and 1/2 Beagle.) Well, to make a short story long, this dog has simply amazed me. She is smart, easily trained, friendly, playful, alert, and a very good watchdog. Dachsunds also come in many colors and coats. Greta is a short haired dapple, black and silver, and weighs about 12 lbs. Based on the five conditions that you’ve outlined, I think this is a breed you may want to consider.
Sure. If you want a freaked-out, overgrown mouse. 
My daughter has three chi-hua-huas. She hates it when I say that.
Actually they’re pretty cool, but delicate. Physically and mentally. You can’t treat them like regular dogs.
Besides, they give you that funny look. Kinda sideways like. Wierd.
Peace,
mangeorge
I’ll second Ross’s choice of the CKCS. If you don’t mind the shedding, they’re a perfect breed for older people – small, cute as heck, not that active, and very affectionate without being much of a pest.
There’s a few rare low-shedding small dogs out there – the Havanese and the Coton de Tulear among them. The Havanese and Coton are related to the Bichon Frise.
I have boston terriers and I love them dearly.
they are great because they are very very affectionate. they are “people” dogs. short hair, bathe easy. all the qualities of a bulldog, but more “peppy”. they are smallish and need almost no exercise. (they are not really walking dogs…a couple of blocks at most). they catch rodents and bugs.
and heaven help someone breaking in. they are adorably cute, but I wouldn’t want an angry one after me.
I would recommend a girl…ours is MUCH more calm in comparassion to the boy.
there are many many rescues out there, so you CAN adopt a dog that needs a home and get the type you want, too.
look for rescues on the net. we found our Girl in Houston. she was worth the drive.
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by mangeorge *
they give you that funny look. Kinda sideways like. Wierd.
[QUOTE]
friend who was half Mexican and it may sound strange but
that look was the same look that she gave me.. maybe a
little more with the eyes.. Well, for some reason they
remind me of her..
actually, I began digging Chihuahuas the day I went over to
my friend's place for lunch.. I had to get a fork and got up
to do so.. when I spun around with my fork her dog growled
at me.. Chihuahuas are pretty smartAnother vote for a Jack Russel Terrier. My roommate and I got one a couple months ago and she is the sweetest little thing. High energy but quite possibly the most loving dog I’ve ever seen in my life. While she does like to play she’s also very content to just sit in my lap all day while I’m on the computer or busy doing school work. She sheds very little and absolutely loves playing with cats. Not mean play but fun happy kind of play.
While an older couple might be a good match for a Jack Russell attention-wise (they get bored easily, and a bored dog has the potential to be a destructive dog), there’s always the concern that they wouldn’t be able to keep up exercise-wise. Also, while JRs in general are loving little dogs, the temperment of the breed in general can trend toward the aggressive. They wouldn’t be my first choice for someone unable to provide a lot of free exercise space.
If they like the idea of a Jack Russell or Fox terrier but are unsure about activity levels, there’s the Rat Terrier. My grandmother got one when I was two years old, and Kari always showed great tolerance for the limitations of both kids and seniors. Outdoors, she always seemed content to nose around in a fairly limited area around her human companion (a farm dog, she was never on a lead, and only would have needed one occasionally). Walking around the block a few times every night along with a good sprint off-lead in the dog park every once in a while would probably take care of their exercise needs. They have smooth coats that don’t shed much, and they’re whip-smart, but again, I think their temperment is much more even than one would see in a Jack Russell.
Oh, and they’re called Rat Terriers for a reason. Hooo-boy you ought to see one lay into a member of the rodent population. Pure, distilled tenacity. More effective than a cat (at least my cat. she’s pretty worthless, mouse-wise. )