What kind of dog would you recommend for us?

In My Humble Opinion
21

I don’t know where we would get a greyhound in Korea. :frowning:

CairoCarol, I have also read about Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, but they are a rare breed in Korea. They would probably be extremely expensive. Too bad, because I think they look lovely.

We might consider going to a shelter, but we do have our heart set on a puppy. (Of course, five years ago I had my heart set on getting a kitten, yet ended up with Olive, who was 2 years old when I got her.) Going to a shelter takes a lot more effort in Korea because all of them are outside the city. We don’t have a car and public transport doesn’t allow animals (although maybe if it were small enough to fit into a carrier that would be okay).

Thanks for the advice everyone. :slight_smile:

22

How about mastiff style breed like boxer or american bulldog? My heart aches for those cute freaking dopey faces. Also incorporating a dog into a cat family can take a lot of work and patience, so the vacation time off will definitely be needed.

23

The main parameters to think about are:

  1. trainability. Some breeds are low IQ, others stubborn, and some are both. Unless the dog is very small, these qualities could be hard for a novice to deal with.
  2. energy level. Size is not as important as how much exercise the dog needs to be manageable. For some breeds, you would need to take up some serious daily jogging. Do not underestimate the importance of exercise.
  3. coat. A larger heavy-coated breed is a significant grooming chore. Some breeds are routinely professionally clipped – is this something you want to spend money on?
  4. issues. Every breed has issues. Some breeds have very significant health problems, some due to their appearance, others due to inbreeding. Some breeds have propensities to be aggressive (as a novice, please avoid these breeds, for your sake) or noisy (avoid these breeds for your neighbors’ sake).
  5. size. I think this is mainly an issue of physical control. Dogs need to be controlled, via leadership, training, and management, and it can be harder for a novice to train a big dog who is capable of pulling you off your feet or knocking you down.

If you are getting a puppy, my advice is don’t get a puppy without meeting both parents. Really meet them – take them for a walk each alone and get a sense of their personalities. Personality is strongly inherited in dogs.

good luck!

24

Get a Jackabee

25

I agree with the advice to look at an animal shelter even if you’re sure you want a puppy.
Here in the USA, it is very common to find puppies at the shelter in addition to adult dogs. I suspect the same is probably true over there. Lots of people let their animals breed then can’t find homes for all the puppies/kittens so they dump them at the shelter.
In fact, Here are some puppies that Animal Rescue Korea is trying to find homes for. :slight_smile:
But even adult dogs can be very cute and small. :slight_smile: For example I don’t know exactly where you’re at, but check out this little cutie who needs a home. He’s already potty-trained to pee on a pad - which could be very convenient for an apartment dweller. Just sayin’. :slight_smile:

26

Having a dog in an apartment is doable if you are committed. I did it with my first dog in Toronto, though having a designated off leash park a short walk from my home really made things easier.

It’s also easier if there are two of you. The dog will need to get out at least three times a day, every single day, rain or shine, whether you feel like it or not - first thing in the morning, sometime during the day and last thing before bed. Two of the walks may ony have to be long enough for the dog to relieve him/herself, but there also needs to be one good walk a day to burn off energy. How long and how much will be determined by the energy level of the dog.

I would not rule out a dog that is not a tiny puppy… dogs are still very young at a year old and very trainable. Older dogs will bond as deeply to you as they will if you got them as pups. My most loyal and devoted dog was five when I got him. He was ‘my dog’ from the moment I told him he could get in the car and come home with me and fit seamlessly into my life. He walked into the house and it was like he had always lived there. Even the cat barely noticed that I had a new dog.

If you have a dog-savvy friend, take them with you to look at any dog you are considering adopting. Think about what you want from a dog and what you consider the ‘ideal’ dog. Do you want an active dog to do things with or a quiet and laid back dog? Do you want a dog that will want to be in your lap all the time or one that is not so demanding of attention? Also think about what you consider ‘cute’ in a dog. Do you like the smushy faced dogs, or pointy nose ones? Floppy ears or stand up? Smooth coat or fluffy? How much time/money do you want to devote to grooming?

Lots of things to think about, but dogs really do enrich your life. I hope you find a special one to be a part of your lives.

27

And don’t forget noise. You don’t want to get a dog that’s going to be barking in your apartment all day long.

28

I’ve been looking on that site. Unfortunately both cities are a bit too far from Seoul to make adoption feasible. :frowning:

I might try volunteering at a shelter closer to Seoul on the occasional weekend.

29

Great Danes are lovely dogs, and don’t particularly need as much exercise as you’d think. HOWEVER, they are not good dogs for small apartments. You need a larger apartment or the dog will be knocking things everywhere with its tail.

You will also require a larger vehicle, as there will be times when you have to take the dog someplace and they mostly aren’t allowed on public transportation. There is a very nice Great Dane that lives down the street from us. His people pick up his poops with three sacks. (We use one sack.)

My recommendation for a first dog would never be a puppy of any sort, though. Puppies are exceptionally high-maintenance, for months. Get yourself an older dog that’s already housebroken. Year to year and a half, they’re still young, and older dogs are still trainable. Bonus (and I don’t know if this is true in Seoul but it’s true here) is that if you go to a shelter to get this dog you will probably be saving its life. If you can find a small to midsize one of some mellow mixed breed (beagle + dachshund for instance) that would be putting your toes into the water before diving right in.

Having said that, I know some people who got a French bulldog puppy and he calmed down really quick and didn’t eat too many of their shoes.

ETA: I’m not saying that either dachshunds or beagles are necessarily “mellow” but all the dachshund/beagle crosses I have known have been

30

Search the internet on “dog breed selector quiz”, then take several different quizzes from different sources. This will find breeds suitable to the needs you define, and avoid you ending up with a dog you initially thought was cute but ends up being a pain in the rear because of some personality trait that clashes with your needs.

The breed selector quizzes factor in parameters such as size, trainability, friendliness to strangers, friendliness and compatibility with little children, friendliness to other pets, how protective you want a dog to be, size of your house/apartment, and whether you have a yard. Other factors, too.

Be sure to take several different quizzes from different sources because they don’t all factor in the same parameters. Collect all results, to give you a list of possible breeds, in descending order of compatibility. While each breed has variations in behavior, they do have tendencies they are known for.

Once you find some breeds, find breeders with excellent reputations who raise dogs to meet the standards for the breed. This will minimize the behavior variations in any dog you get (key word: minimize; not eliminate).

Even if you go to a shelter, bring the results with you. You will know which breeds are best for you. This will help in deciding among any mix-breed dogs.

My wife and I ended up with a pure-bred dog, with a breed we hadn’t considered initially, and got our puppy at 8 weeks old. She is 8 years old now and she fits our lifestyle and needs very well. We made an excellent choice.

I am not sharing what breed we ended up with, because even though we love our dog and think she’s the greatest (she is, by the way!), what fit for us is not likely to fit for you.

“Cute” looks only go so far, and when a “cute” puppy grows up and exhibits behavior patterns that are consistent with their breed but that aren’t compatible with your needs, then we have a problem. This is how many dogs end up at shelters.

If you start by going to a shelter, if the shelter even bothers to ask what your needs are, they might find the dogs they currently have available that come closest to your needs. This may result in a somewhat-compatible fit. Taking the online dog breed selector quizzes helps you find the most compatible breeds available in the world to you. Once you have that list of breeds, you’re much better equipped to go shopping.

Okay, I’ll share the breed of our dog: Chesapeake Bay Retriever. She is a great dog!!!

Good luck in your search!

31

I recommend a smallish dog that does not shed much, such as a shih-tzu or shih-tzu mixed with a bichon, maltese, or pomeranian. While these breeds are active and playful, they were not bred to have any particular “job” other than to be lovable companions, so they make ideal pets. Too often, people do not realize that a dog that was bred to do a particular task (terrriers, for example, were bred to hunt vermin) feels an internal drive to “work” and can become anxious, depressed, destructive, etc. if it is not given the opportunity to do so. This doesn’t mean they can’t be great pets, but a commitment to create “work” for your dog may not fit as easily into your lifestyle.

Small dogs are welcome in places where large dogs are not, so it will be easier to find good opportunities to socialize the dog or be permitted in apartments that have weight restrictions. Food and vet care are much cheaper and life expectancy is considerably longer. Extremely tiny dogs are likely to have health problems (or be stepped on!) so I would aim for a 12-20 lb adult weight. Many purebred dogs carry a likelihood of certain health problems, but a hybrid often gets the best of both breeds. Theoretically though, it could end up with the worst of both, so knowing the background of both parents and being able to observe them is helpful. It may look “cute” that a dog seems to move in a funny or unique way. Unfortunately, it is a sign of deformity that may result in a painful future for the dog. Many breeds are prone to hip dysplasia, back problems, etc., that worsen with age, so be careful unless you don’t mind huge vet bills and possibly unfixable problems.
Last, let the dog choose you. Some dogs will be oblivious to your presence or more interested in other things, while others are more “human-focused.” A dog that ignores you will be harder to train and less fun, plus, you already have a cat.

32

Keep in mind that certain breeds are a lot more vocal such as beagles (drive me nuts, personally!) and that smaller dogs tend to live quite a bit longer than large dogs.

33

Ys, it’s one of my breeds, but I would reccomend a Papillon. They are small, usually under 15 lbs (tho my current Pap Bunny is the giant economy size at 23 lbs… not FAT, just a LARGE Pap!) so can get the biggest part of their exercise playing fetch in your apartment. Papillons LOVE to play fetch & tug! They are highly intelligent, easy to train, and easy coat to care for. They do shed but regular brushing helps that. And their silly personalities make up for a little hair. They are not foo-foo dogs, love to go hiking and are definitely big dogs in a small package.

Oh, and they are adorably cute!

34

Bichons are terrific little dogs. The coat can be a pain if you don’t do a short clip. You can learn to clip at home so you won’t have to pay a lot for grooming. Otherwise, the grooming can add up, and if you keep the hair longer the time you spend grooming will definitely add up.

I’d tend to avoid terriers, though I love them, in an apartment. So energetic! A friend has a toy fox terrier and she’s adorable but so wound up. There’s a reason people go for pugs! :smiley:

35

Whatever you do, please please please do not neglect training, both for the dog and for yourselves as new owners.

36

Yes.

I learned that training didn’t only mean the dog was trained, but also we humans were also trained.

37

If you’re only going to walk the dog two times a day. Please get an older dog (7+ years)

Twice a day is not nearly enough for young pups.

Also, consider your own personality type with regards to personal belongings. Think to yourself how you or your BF are going to feel when you come home from work and discover your favorite pair of shoes have been chewed to shit.
Property WILL be destroyed, no matter how you try, little scrappy is going to find something to chew on that you’re quite fond of. It goes with the territory.

Good news, older dogs are less prone to do that.

38

You can puppy-proof a house, just like you can child-proof one. It’s best to do that, actually, and leave out chew toys for the pup, to help them learn what is and what isn’t appropriate to chew on.

It’s not a foregone conclusion that your shoes will be chewed up. It can be done!

39

If the dog needs to be walked more than two times a day, then we will. I admit I still have a lot of studying to do when it comes to dogs - we’re going to educate ourselves before we actually get one.

ETA - I’ve convinced my boyfriend that we should volunteer at a shelter for a bit, so maybe being around a lot of dogs will help us decide what kind of dog we might want as our own. :slight_smile:

40

That is an excellent approach. Have fun! :slight_smile: