Recommend a dog breed

In My Humble Opinion
1

My beloved Shiba Inu got out of the house during a party a week ago; someone had left the door open mistakenly. Instead of heading north, where there’s miles and miles of open ground to run on, he headed south, towards the busy road. He was struck and killed. :mad: Made for a fun holiday party, let me tell you. I’m still sick over the whole thing.

Now, we’re left with Edith the Pug, who is a lovely doggy, but one who does better with a buddy around. Plus, Mr. Athena and I both are pretty certain we want another doggy sooner rather than later.

We’re considering both Shibas and Pugs. The thing that makes me think twice about Shibas is the tendency to want to run; our Shiba was trained pretty well, for a Shiba, but he always would take off if he had the chance. He’d always come back - he never ran away, he just wanted to run. But of course, running dogs and cars don’t mix. Other breeds tend to stay around the house more - our Pug, for example. If she were to get out, she pretty much stays within a few feet of the house.

Pugs are great, and we’re leaning heavily towards another. They fit our lifestyle. They like to stay indoors, they’re playful, they’re cute, and they’re little clowns. The one thing I don’t like about pugs is that I do like to occasionally take the dog out when going snowshoing or hiking or running or whatever. Pugs are lap-lumps. She’ll go out hiking with me, but gets tired easily. I don’t think she’d last very long on a run, and she can’t go snowshoing at all - she just sinks into the snow!

So what we’re looking for is:

  • A medium to small breed. Big dogs are too much work, plus I want something that can play with the pug without hurting her.
  • Medium activity level. I don’t want a lump, but I also don’t want a hyper animal. No yap dogs, please.
  • A certain level of grace and athleticism. The Shiba excelled at this - he was a beautiful dog, and a pleasure to watch as he jumped and played. This is also where the pugs fall down - graceful and athletic they are not!
  • A dog whose tendency is to come when called, and that does not have the running instinct like a Shiba or a Husky

And to everyone who says “get a mutt from the pound.” Um, no. Probably not interested. I do keep an eye on what turns up at the local humane society, but in general I want to pick out a dog that fits our lifestyle, and will be happy living with us. Mixed breed dogs are too difficult to gauge, and we live in a small, rural area - not many dogs turn up at the pound, and the ones that do tend to be hunting type dogs, not the pets we’re looking for. If the right dog showed up at the pound, I’d be all for it. But I don’t feel I can count on that.

Thanks in advance!

2

I am so sorry to hear about your Shiba Inu. How awful. How is your pug taking it?

We are currently in the market, as it were, for a new dog. Our lab is a mutt, but she looks purebred. She has mastiff in her. If I could clone her to be exactly, I would do it. However, I don’t have 50k to blow on pet reproduction at this moment.

I am looking for a mid-sized family sedan kinda dog. Not a compact. Not an SUV. Middle weight, no shedding. why can’t they make a lab that doesn’t shed?Must be able to accomodate children. Probably a terrier of some sort. Not a barker and must have brains.

Reading my AKC Dog Book to give me guidelines, many stick out: Manchester Terrier, Soft Coated Wheaton Terrier, Airedale Terrier, Irish Terrier…There are a few others that I’ve been keen on, but those are the top contendors. Another that I had my eye on is the Boston thingie…Terrier…bulldog. Can’t recall. I really liked it for many reasons, but an old former best friend of mine - with 8 kids - has one and…I couldn’t do it know. It’s complicated.

I have owned a poodle and a basenji in the past. I would gladly get another basenji. Great non barking, non shedding dogs, compact, sporty looking, yet really useless in anything but show department, clean, intelligent dogs. They don’t bark. They yodel. It is freaking cool and fun. Only one thing, Athena AFAIK, because of their African/Egyptian roots, they ( or at least mine) hate cold weather.
If the dog is medium enough, I would like to get two. For the kids.
I would love to get a Westie or Skye or even a corgi, but the problem we have is with our dirt roads, the dog would be filthy most of the time. So something with longer legs is critical. And my husband has issues with small dogs. He naturally gravitates towards Mastiffs, St. Bernards and Great Danes. I told him that if we got one it would be named, “Compensating.”
I will be watching this thread for any input on any breed info that someone shares.

3

A Cavalier King Charles Spaniel might be a nice choice for you. It fits all your criteria, and it will have more endurance than a Pug, although they are also happy to be couch-potatoes. However, they are long-haired, so you will need to keep up with brushing to prevent matts.

4

I’m so sorry you lost your dog. How awful.

A really fun dog is a Jack Russell Terrier, but they also run. I think most don’t live to old age because of cars. We have the Invisible Fence and it has worked beautifully. But I dread the day she decides to jump it.

But she is very active. Things my husband does with her, and she LOVES it:

inline skating: He skates with her on the retractable leash. She will run for two hours. Sometime in there they stop to rest and eat. By the end of the two hours she is trotting. At the beginning she is pulling him. (16 pounds vs. 160 pounds)

cross-country skiing: He attaches the leash to his waistband. She pulls him along. It works best on a path because she is more likely to go straight.

Canoeing: She loves going in the canoe. We used to tie a slip knot to one of the thwarts, but she would then lean out with the leash holding her. Now we just leave her loose and she doesn’t lean out too much.

Kayaking: She loves kayaking as well. She actually stands on the kayak behind him and leans on him. Sometimes she has to stay in the hold, but it is hard to get her to stay in there.

We have a Scooby-Doo life jacket for her, which she hates. But she does have the tendance to slip into the water from time to time.

Walking and hiking: Anytime, anywhere. She will do anything we let her do.

A really fun dog to have. But things do get damaged in the house. She has chewed things that are unfortunate.

5

She also lies down in mud puddles to cool off and drinks whatever is handy.

6

Lots of pure bred dogs turn up at the pound, esp at this time of the year (oh, let’s get junior a puppy for X-mas…2 days later…oh this is too much work). Keep checking the pound - save a life maybe.
And don’t rule a mutt out - they can be some of the best dogs to ever have. There’s lots of small mixed-breed mutts at the pound that are every bit as great as their pure bred counterparts.

7

I have a Shiba too and you just described my worst nightmare. I’m fortunate that mine is not a door bolter, but he can’t be off leash ever. He’s a hardheaded little bugger, but I love him. I don’t really have any breed suggestions. The only other breed I’ve owned is a mini Schnauzer and if you don’t like noise, forget it. They bark like mad, however they are small, tough, easy to train, and a lot of fun.

8

Also check with the breed rescue group. This year we switched Miss Emily’s annual memorial donation to English Springer Rescue, and some of the pictures and stories on there broke my heart. We love purebred springers, and it’s wonderful having Phyllis and Dottie together so they can be buddies, so I think when the time comes we’ll see if we can take in two orphans that need to stay together – I bet those are harder to place.

9

we have a basenji/chow mix. she’s the most stubborn dog i’ve ever seen, but we’ve managed to train her pretty well. she’s a jumper and a runner, but other than that, she’s a pretty good dog. she used to be insanely hyperactive, but she’s calmed down a lot. super smart, too. which isn’t always such a good thing.

she loves the snow, though. maybe it’s because the chow half of her gives her a little more of a coat. her hair’s about an inch long. she’ll walk in the back yard and use her snout to shovel snow up. she’ll just walk around eating snow all day.

she just has a huge hunting instinct. if she sees a squirrel it’s all over. she’s jumping, crying, running… not the kind of dog that can really be broken of that instinct.

we had a lhasa apso mix when i was little. she shed like no other. but we kept her hair relatively short. she was very obedient. probably the best trained dog i’ve ever seen, short of ones on animal planet or something. she got very territorial in her old age, and was a little hesitant towards men, but that’s the only bad thing you could say about her. well, she did stink. basenjis dont. people scoff when i say that, but seriously, we haven’t given the dog a bath in 6 months and she smells like absolutely nothing. it’s great.

10

I’m sorry to hear about your Shiba :frowning:

My vote is to go with what you know. You already have a pug, you know what to expect from one, and if you get a boy pug you could have yourself a new stream of income if you were so inclined.

I’m biased, though. I love pugs :slight_smile:

This handy little quiz might help you get the ball rolling, too.

11

Athena! What a time of year to lose a dog. You have all my sympathy. I want to say get a poodle. I know people huff at them but my family had one for more then 20 years. Never a sweeter dog there ever was. Poodles are highly intelligent, available in “your size” and just cools dogs if you don’t do the weird haircut thing.

On that note…Shirley, Mum has an Airedale. It is obscenely cute (looks like a damn teddy bear), brilliant with kids, intelligent…in a well trained houseplant way (but it does a better cock eared confused look then I have ever seen). She loves a run in the park but doesn’t go stir crazy if she misses a day. She has that terrier sense of play thing going on (currently is mum to about 6 stuffed toys).

I think an Airedale may be a bit big for a pug (though mum’s one loves the cat) but as a mate to a Lab? Perfect. And no shedding though Kate has 6-8 weekly haircuts…did I mention the “looks-like-a-doggy-teddy-bear” thing? :smiley:

12

I just lost my airedale to the road. Slow moving car, only car on the road, and Ruffi just had to run and stand in front of it. She was also very hyper, even at 4 years old, so if you plan to have kids, they might not be the best with small children. Not aggressive, but rammy. I also have a standard poodle, who is the most loving dog I’ve ever had, I think. She’s sweet, smart and affectionate. She doesn’t shed, but she definately has coat maintenance. Not huge, but not small, she can go for hours. She likes water. She’s bouncy, but she’s not hyper, even though she’s really a pup. She loves to lay on my bed next to me while I read. She’d love to be a lapdog - when I sit at the computer she tries to crawl in my lap. If I pet her and tell her to go lay down, she does. I don’t think she’d have a problem playing with your pug - she’s playful but not dominant.

Dobermans are a breed that I really love. Grace, my dobie, is an attention hound. She sheds, but not a great deal. She’s not aggressive, but protective. Obviously very intelligent and trainable. She’s been patient and gentle with the poodle puppy. They’re larger than your target size, but keep them in mind. I’ve had 4 throughout the years, and absolutely love them.

All my dogs have been rescues. You can find mighty nice purebred dogs that need homes.

My condolences about your puppy. I know first hand how hard it is to lose one, particularly to a preventable accident.

StG

13

Don Burkes Top 10 includes a caution about Jack Russells - they are notorious biters

14

Losing a companion like that is just terrible, Athena. You have my deepest condolances.

As for breeds a Cavalier King Charles Spanial, as Miabella suggests, might be up your alley. I also think a Schippeke could fit. They do tend to be a little more active, so they may be too much.

Stay away from Greyhounds and other sight hounds if you’re worried about bolting.

I know these links mostly tell you about the looks of the animals, but it’s a start. If nothing else just check out the American Kennel Club’s website, for more information about a wealth of dogs. Knowing the history of your breed can help to understand why it does those obnoxious, scary and amusing things it does.

In the end, training will be your best friend, I think. It can be a lot of work, but I find it terribly fun and rewarding.

I hope this is a whoosh for me, but even if ** Abbie** is joking I hope no one takes this seriously. In the end, breeding dogs shouldn’t be about making a profit. The costs of doing it right are too high, as are the costs of doing it wrong.

15

Thanks for all the suggestions, I’ll take a look at 'em. One thing I forgot to mention, I’m horrible at grooming dogs, so a long-hair dog isn’t gonna happen. Also, I’d like a dog that’s good with kids.

Basenjis are interesting, but I’d want to see one in real life before committing. I’ll take a look around. I also like standard poodles, but Mr. Athena doesn’t like 'em, so that’s out.

Jack Russells are just too yap-doggish for me.

Also, thanks for all the sympathy on the Shiba. I forgot to mention, the whole thing is written up in my livejournal. Scroll to the 18th for the writeup and pics.

sigh I go in phases… part of me is excited and happy about the idea of a puppy, then I slip back into just wanting the Shiba back. We’re looking for a new doggy fairly quickly in part because the pug really needs a buddy, and also because it just seems right both me and Mr. Athena. Sad, but right.

16

Edith the Puglet is spayed, so there will be no breeding. Even if she wasn’t, I agree with you - the amount of time & effort is way beyond what I want. I just want something little and cute to cuddle with.

17

Okay, skip the Schipperke then. They were originally breed to be ratters on ships, if I recall correctly, and tend to be a bit high strung. Also, they have a lot of fur.

Are you against taking a pup into a groomer? If not, consider a minature poodle (toy might be better, but I think a minature would be a better match for the pug). They need grooming, but they don’t shed and they don’t have to be yappy.

My parents have one, as their small dog, and I think he’s terribly yappish, but Mr. Kangaroo thinks he’s not yappish at all. Also, he gets a puppy cut about every 4-6 weeks (I think), and it’s nearly no hassle. Except that he’s a boy and the groomers insist on putting bows on his ears. Luckily, he’s secure in his neutered manhood, and doesn’t care about them.

18

I’m sorry to hear about your Shiba–losing a beloved pet is a very hard thing to go through.
My parents are visiting me for Christmas, and they are bringing their dog, which happens to be a Shiba Inu. Their dog gets along swimmingly with my Dachshund, Frank. (I really hate small dogs, but the SO gave me a choice of “Small dog or no dog.” I made the obvious decision.) You might think Dachshunds are too yap-ish, but they really aren’t. They are wonderful companions.

Also, there is a pug up the street that Frank and my parent’s dog loves to play with–they are all best of friends. However they won’t be seeing too much of the pug over the Holidays, as the high temperatures will barely be above zero.

19

I understand your feeling on this, but I just wanted to put in that I have a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, and the grooming is not really that bad. I take him to a groomer about once every 2-3 months to get a bath and a trim. I brush his ears and around his collar about every other day to prevent mats, and that’s about it. Mine is black and tan; a dog with a lot of white on him may need more tending.

They are usually sweet dogs who like to nap on the couch but are ready to run and play when you are. Mine adores playing with other dogs and kids, even kids who pull on his ears, try to ride him like a pony, etc.

So sorry to hear about your Shiba. That is heartbreaking.

20

Boston Terriers are COMPLETELY INSANE, most of the time. They are very well trainable and very sweet, cute dogs, but they need a LOT of exercise. They also shed like crazy.

We had the breed male from my uncle’s foray into breeding and showing bostons, and he was a fat lump of a dog. Very sweet, very gassy and very loud snorer. His littermates were jumpers and barkers. They liked to play tetherball, hitting it back and forth to each other until one caught it and deflated it. My cousin was on “stupid pet tricks” on David Letterman with Lulu and her tetherball.