# Suggest a dog breed for us. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 6, 2020, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-a-dog-breed-for-us/853255 "2020-05-06T06:03:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2020, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-a-dog-breed-for-us/853255/1 "2020-05-06T06:03:57Z")
Household is two adults, two kids and two cats. Cats be bitches though!! We live in an apartment that has green spaces, and 5 min walk from a beach. For 99% of the time there is someone home, so doggie would rarely be lacking human interaction. Don’t like Chihuahuas, but willing to entertain the idea of any other smaller type doggie. Or do you think we could manage a Lab? I love labs, they’re naturally slothful, and mostly even tempered too. Ok…chuck me some recommendations please. ---
**Author:** ![araminty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b5e925/32.png) [@araminty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/araminty)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2020, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-a-dog-breed-for-us/853255/2 "2020-05-06T06:06:43Z")
Retired racing greyhound! Amazing family dogs, total couch potatoes, no-maintenance coats, and you get the good feels for rescuing. Make sure you specify you need a cat-friendly one, they sometimes have high prey drive. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2020, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-a-dog-breed-for-us/853255/3 "2020-05-06T06:10:16Z")
Rat Terrier. Easy keepers. But active. Not yappy like Chihuahuas. ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2020, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-a-dog-breed-for-us/853255/4 "2020-05-06T06:14:04Z")
> [@araminty](#): > > Retired racing greyhound! Amazing family dogs, total couch potatoes, no-maintenance coats, and you get the good feels for rescuing. Make sure you specify you need a cat-friendly one, they sometimes have high prey drive. Brilliant, I’d forgotten about greyhounds even though a friend adopted a rescue with a great outcome. > [@Beckdawrek](#): > > Rat Terrier. Easy keepers. But active. Not yappy like Chihuahuas. I’m Australian, what does Rat Terrier translate to? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2020, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-a-dog-breed-for-us/853255/5 "2020-05-06T06:33:05Z")
They are a truly American breed. But, the AKC has recently added them. Maybe, Fox terrier or Jack Russell terriers are similar. I like most terriers for family dogs. ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2020, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-a-dog-breed-for-us/853255/6 "2020-05-06T06:39:10Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > They are a truly American breed. But, the AKC has recently added them. > Maybe, Fox terrier or Jack Russell terriers are similar. > I like most terriers for family dogs. Nah, Foxies and Jacks might be a bit too feisty for an apartment. Great dogs notwithstanding. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2020, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-a-dog-breed-for-us/853255/7 "2020-05-06T06:44:51Z")
I loved our Bichon Frisé. They are so wonderfully affectionate and don’t shed. She was a great dog for 14 years: intelligent, alert, and so much fun. ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2020, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-a-dog-breed-for-us/853255/8 "2020-05-06T06:55:30Z")
Forgot to mention that we live in the tropics now, so potential doggie must be able to tolerate heat and humidity. Our apartment has full climate control of course. ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2020, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-a-dog-breed-for-us/853255/9 "2020-05-06T07:10:38Z")
Dupe ---
**Author:** ![kitap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b9e5f3/32.png) [@kitap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kitap)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2020, 7:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-a-dog-breed-for-us/853255/10 "2020-05-06T07:11:29Z")
> [@araminty](#): > > Retired racing greyhound! Amazing family dogs, total couch potatoes, no-maintenance coats, and you get the good feels for rescuing. Make sure you specify you need a cat-friendly one, they sometimes have high prey drive. We stayed at a guest ranch once that had both cats and a greyhound. We almost laughed ourselves sick when one of the cats clearly taunted the dog, who ran at the cat, who ran right up the tree twenty feet away and then both lost interest. The greyhound returned to his spot and fell asleep and the cat climbed down and groomed itself. It was so obviously a routine of theirs. ---
**Author:** ![Corry\_El](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecae2f/32.png) [@Corry\_El](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corry_El)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2020, 9:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-a-dog-breed-for-us/853255/11 "2020-05-06T09:03:45Z")
If dogs are the question, ‘pit bulls’ are the answer. 🙂 At least in our experience of several. Though with cats and dogs you have to be pretty sure the particular dog gets along with cats. Same with need for space. Various individual non-small dogs are fine in apartments but the general probability declines with size. Also depends if there are shelters around and what dogs they tend to have. Here (inner NY area) a high % of shelter dogs are some kind of ‘pit bull’ mix. I don’t believe in buying dogs when there are terrific ones in shelters, but that’s a personal choice. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2020, 9:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-a-dog-breed-for-us/853255/12 "2020-05-06T09:21:49Z")
> [@Corry\_El](#): > > If dogs are the question, ‘pit bulls’ are the answer. 🙂 At least in our experience of several. Though with cats and dogs you have to be pretty sure the particular dog gets along with cats. Same with need for space. Various individual non-small dogs are fine in apartments but the general probability declines with size. Also depends if there are shelters around and what dogs they tend to have. Here (inner NY area) a high % of shelter dogs are some kind of ‘pit bull’ mix. I don’t believe in buying dogs when there are terrific ones in shelters, but that’s a personal choice. You’ve got to be fucking kidding. ---
**Author:** ![penultima\_thule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penultima_thule/32/3833_2.png) [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2020, 9:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-a-dog-breed-for-us/853255/13 "2020-05-06T09:54:10Z")
The key here is what relationship you want with the cats. Personally I’d get an Australian Terrier > **[Australian Terrier](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_Terrier)** > > The Australian Terrier is a small breed of dog of the terrier dog type. The breed was developed in Australia, although the ancestral types of dogs from which the breed descends were from Great Britain. > The Australian Terrier is a small dog with short legs, weighing around 6.5 kilograms (14 lb) and standing about 25 centimetres (9.8 in) at the withers, with a medium length shaggy harsh double coat that is not normally trimmed. Fur is shorter on the muzzle, lower legs, and feet, and there is a ... Black & tan fiesty ball of fun and independent who would either get on with the cats well if they play nice or regularly put them up a tree if they don’t … win, win. Elsewise a spaniel or a labrador if you want the cats to retain dominance. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Chao\_Goes\_Mu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_chao_goes_mu/32/3191_2.png) [@The\_Chao\_Goes\_Mu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Chao_Goes_Mu)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2020, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-a-dog-breed-for-us/853255/14 "2020-05-06T13:20:29Z")
We rescued a Black Mouth Cur which we had never heard of prior to adopting him. He’s a dream. He can run like the wind but is also a couch potato. He’s content with a daily walk and is just the sweetest guy. Ours is about 75 lbs, long and lean. He loves our cats and is very gentle with them. Excellent watch dog too. The pics in the link are a spitting image of what our boy looks like: [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black\_Mouth\_Cur](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Mouth_Cur) ---
**Author:** ![MikeF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MikeF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeF)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2020, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-a-dog-breed-for-us/853255/15 "2020-05-06T14:08:35Z")
From the same Wikipedia page: BMCs make good family dogs as long as they have at least an acre of yard which they can access throughout the day. This dog will not be happy spending the day on the couch alone. These must have access to several hours of exercise daily to avoid anxiety and depression. Doesn’t sound like an apartment dog to me. Obviously, your mileage HAS varied. ---
**Author:** ![kitap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b9e5f3/32.png) [@kitap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kitap)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2020, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-a-dog-breed-for-us/853255/16 "2020-05-06T14:13:10Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > You’ve got to be fucking kidding. Pit bills can be sweet. Someone who used to live in my apartment complex had one and one day they walked past as I was talking to my neighbor from the sidewalk. We all said hello and the pitbull walked past majestically. About 5 feet last me he just stopped, turned around then marched over to me and demanded petting while his owner looked mortified. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Chao\_Goes\_Mu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_chao_goes_mu/32/3191_2.png) [@The\_Chao\_Goes\_Mu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Chao_Goes_Mu)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2020, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-a-dog-breed-for-us/853255/17 "2020-05-06T14:22:42Z")
> [@MikeF](#): > > From the same Wikipedia page: BMCs make good family dogs as long as they have at least an acre of yard which they can access throughout the day. This dog will not be happy spending the day on the couch alone. These must have access to several hours of exercise daily to avoid anxiety and depression. Doesn’t sound like an apartment dog to me. Obviously, your mileage HAS varied. Indeed. We have 1/4 acre in our backyard and he does run around a bit back there and we chase him around to get him moving but I’ve found some other folks that have BMCs that are couch potatoes as well. He does need a daily walk and we walk for 45-60 minutes. When he was a pup we HAD to run him regularly. Since BMCs aren’t AKC their make-up can comprise of different breeds even if you get two who look identical. I suspect the breed combo may explain why some are more or less hyper than others. ---
**Author:** ![Corry\_El](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecae2f/32.png) [@Corry\_El](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corry_El)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2020, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-a-dog-breed-for-us/853255/18 "2020-05-06T14:27:44Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > You’ve got to be fucking kidding. Nope. 🙂 And especially not about getting dogs from shelters (which are virtually all mixes), not encouraging breeders to create more dogs when there are so many great unwanted ones. ---
**Author:** ![JcWoman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jcwoman/32/2889_2.png) [@JcWoman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JcWoman)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2020, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-a-dog-breed-for-us/853255/19 "2020-05-06T14:51:38Z")
> [@kitap](#): > > Pit bills can be sweet. Agreed. I live in a very dog-friendly neighborhood and nearly every home has at least one dog. All the pitties are sweet and friendly. By contrast a few people have border collies and they’re all (all the ones living here) dog-aggressive and leery of people. I would recommend greyhounds too. If there aren’t any high speed roads near your beach, that’s your daily exercise! They ADORE sand and will turn the beach into a racetrack. When they get tired 30 seconds later, they’ll joyfully dig a hole in the sand to lay in. ---
**Author:** ![filmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7993a0/32.png) [@filmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmore)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2020, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-a-dog-breed-for-us/853255/20 "2020-05-06T14:52:42Z")
> [@kambuckta](#): > > Or do you think we could manage a Lab? I love labs, they’re naturally slothful, and mostly even tempered too. Labs can have a wide range of energy levels. While they are generally very affectionate and loving, their activity level can be anywhere between “throw rug” and “tornado”. You won’t necessarily know which personality your dog will end up having, so you’d have to be prepared either way. You may end up with a lab who just wants to lie with their head in your lap or a lab who wants to play with you all day. The fact is that any breed will have a range of personalities and you won’t necessarily know which personality the dog will end up with. Is this your first dog? If so, I would recommend you check out the foster groups in your area to get a dog. Typically, the dogs live with a volunteer who can tell you a lot about the dog’s personality. Although different breeds may generally have certain personalities, each dog is different. The volunteer will have likely lived with the dog for a while and can tell you what kind of personality they have so you’ll know if it will fit with your lifestyle. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-a-dog-breed-for-us/853255.md?page=2)