Derek and I are going to adopt

[Guest Les]

As a lifelong Miniature Schnauzer owner........

I'll have to concur with Huey, fukamarine and Will! :7

http://www.subdimension.com/userpages/culture/les3/index/schnauz.jpg

 

Here's a pic of my first schnauzer 'Wilhelm the I' aka Billie:

http://www.subdimension.com/userpages/culture/les3/index/billie1981.jpg

 

He was a wonderful dog and I miss him to this day.

[Guest Kenny021]

OK, my 2 cents.

I had a cat (spayed female) for 20 years...recently died. I really miss her. Cats are not as demanding as dogs and don't have to go for walks early mornings and late evenings during blizzards,rainstorms, etc. Cats are more independent than dogs and can survive happily during the day when you're away or during your travels. They also are very good company.

That being said, dogs are more dependant, need more love and care from owner. I also think that dogs will provide you with more love than a cat. If you need a dog, a Jack Russell(as seen on Frasier, and the movie "My Dog Skip" would appear to be a good choice as you want a smaller, short haired dog.

I like what many guys have said about going to an animal shelter...(whereI got my cat)...they have MANY animals that need good homes and eventually, you'll find one you MUST HAVE...I wanted to take home all of them.

[Guest fukamarine]

>And although all dogs shed,

 

WRONG Poodles don't, Schnauzers don't, Airedales don't and I think most terriers don't. There are other breeds that don't shed as well, but my memory escapes me for now.

 

A dog that doesn't shed is a really big plus, not only for easy housekeeping but also to keep your clothes from being covered in hair!guests.

 

fukamarine

[Guest fukamarine]

>As for smaller breeds, I think Pugs are incredible, although

>unfortunately they have become madly popular since Men in

>Black II. They are extremely friendly (mine stops to

>schmooze with every attractive male on the streets) and

>generally easy to keep in an apartment

 

I've heard that the downside to Pugs is the medical problems associated with their breathing as caused by their "pug" noses.

 

This can get expensive and affect your enjoyment of the little critters.

 

fukamarine

[Guest fukamarine]

?But if and when I do, my own inclination would

>be towards a Corgi. I've never lived with one, though, and

>would welcome comments from anyone who has.

 

Aggresive, snarky, yappy - truly a dog from Hell. Just ask the poor servants who have to walk the Queen's herd!

 

fukamarine

[+ Charlie]

Actually, the only dogs that don't shed are hairless to begin with (and funny looking). The breeds you mention all shed somewhat, but the shed hairs become entangled in the coat rather than fall to the carpet, which is why it is important to groom them regularly. Some dogs are heavy seasonal shedders, especially the double-coated breeds like the northern Spitzes (Malamute, etc.), Chow and German Shepherd, which "blow" their coats a couple of times a year. Dogs that live in artificially controlled climates, like a Manhattan apartment, tend to shed all year round. Short haired dogs like Pugs are just as bad as longhaired dogs, and sometimes it's harder to pull all the little hairs out of fabric than the long hairs.

[Guest manrent1]

We just got a rescued Welsh Pembrooke Corgi. He's adorable and very, very smart. Not too small but not too big either. Very loving and playful, yet has been easy to crate train. He's almost a year and we got him through a regional Corgi rescue organization. http://www.corgi.com has lots of info. And besides Corgi's are the "Queens Dog" as in Elizabeth II

[Spida]

I couldn't read all the replies but I think that someone mentioned a Greyhound! I had one that was adopted after being a race dog. He was a lap dog! He was mild tempered and awesome.. However if he started to run you could never catch him.. But he was very well behaved.. If I could get a dog I would get another greyhound..

[Rick Munroe]

Wow...thanks for all the great input! I'm on the run today but will read these more carefully later. Thanks again. :*

[Guest ncm2169]

One thing you're not confused about is marketing. Some people will do anything to keep their names in the "head" lines ;-) . (Sorry, I couldn't resist) :7 .

 

I haven't the time to read all the posts...jesus, it's 31 already :-), so if this has been covered I apologize. Here's my two cents worth:

 

Cent #1: House-breaking. Use a kennel (crate, cage, "Kennelaire" is the best known brand). They're damn near failsafe. Get a good book on housebreaking and follow their instructions for kennels. After the dog is housebroken, they make a neat "house" for the dog...a place where it feels safe.

 

Cent #2: Basic Obedience Training. Not for the dog, for you. ;-) There are at least 2 things dogs need, structure and to be able to please (can you relate, Rick? }> ). Far too many dog owners mistakenly fancy themselves capable of training dogs to do the most basic things: sit, stay, come, heel. Most of those owners are dead wrong. An investment in an 8 week (one-hour per week) course is the BEST money you can spend. They teach YOU how to properly train your dog, and you work with the dog during the "classroom" intervals. A well-behaved dog is the key to (a) your pleasure in having the companion and (b) a happy dog who knows how to please its Master. :-)

 

I think you'll enjoy your choice of a pet. Besides, you won't have to shell out any dough for doggie escorts. x( Refer to the old joke:

 

Q. Why do male dogs lick their balls? :9

 

A. Because they can.

 

Enjoy! :*

[BigD]

>Rick the perfect intelligent, non shedding, in shape dog is

>a German Schnowzer (not sure of the spelling).

I had one for 11 years, named Amsel, and I loved her.

But keeping up with that grooming is a full-time job. A

schnauzer only looks like a schnauzer with the cut and

grooming. I have also had a Boston Terrier. That is my

suggestion. Boston Terriers are small, stocky, short-haired,

and have good dispositions.

[+ deej]

>>Deej said it best when he said you'll know the right dog

>>when you see him/her ... and they look at you with their

>>pleading, loveable brown eyes. Follow your heart there.

>

>That's another problem for this big-hearted person: I'll

>want to take them all home!

 

That's a problem with me too. I was somewhat innured to the effect when I had a veterinary clinic as a client, but these days going within 10 feet of a shelter or pet store is DANGEROUS. ;-)

[+ honcho]

My boyfriend's neighbor has a corgi; he's pretty true to what you said, but he sheds (a lot). It comes out in handfuls certain times of the year.

[+ honcho]

my boyfriend's dog is a welsh terrier, and has every one of the traits you describe, although he does *hate* to be left alone. Welsh Terrier seem to be a little more laid-back than Wired-haired Fox Terriers which are more common and about the same size.

 

Welsh's are not very common, though, so you won't be likely to find one via rescue; you might think about West Highland White Terriers (a.k.a. westies) which are roughly the same size as scotties, but also a little more relaxed, a little less terri(er)torial and a little more people oriented, and they're common enough that you're more likely to find one as a rescue.

 

http://rdrop.com/~honcho/gusC.jpg

[+ Charlie]

Some Pugs do have breathing problems, as well as dental problems, like all of the shortnosed breeds. They're generally healthier than the Bulldogs, however--for some reason, the Asian shortnosed breeds (Pugs, Pekinese, Japanese Chin, etc.)seem to have fewer health problems than the European ones (English and French Bulldog, Mastiff, etc.), including fewer problems with hips and legs. I had to turn down a beautiful French Bulldog puppy because my vet said it would need about $4000 worth of operations to enable it to walk normally. For the record, my Pug has never needed any medical care, and seems sturdier than I am.

[chrismac]

My mom had a poodle (Coco) for 17 years, and although he didn't shed much, we could find little afro curls here and there. Point taken - some breeds virtually don't shed at all - but all mammals shed their hair to some degree. Even elephants and humans.

[Top8]

Hi Rick,

Charlie gave a suggestion of possibly trying a greyhound, I totally agree, I've had a few. I've been around a lot of them, actually used to belong to Greyhound Pets of America, these dogs are super. Short hair, very little shedding, great personality, they are very friendly with everyone. Also, there is something in their body makeup that they don't have the regular dog odor, even after not having a bath for awhile. These guys are also very graceful, athletic and classy. Good luck guys.

[+ deej]

>He ended up being the best dog I EVER had. And the breed?

>He was a 100%, purebred, Mutt!

 

That was ours.

 

When I was very young, my parents tried several times to have a dog but the dogs kept getting hit by cars so Mom issued an edict: "NO DAMN DOGS!"

 

A few years later, when my sister was about 7 or 8, sis came home one day with this puppy cradled in her arms and said "Aren't I lucky? I got the last one!"

 

100% Mutt. Constant companion, playmate, defender, comic relief ... for NINETEEN YEARS.

 

When it was his time, Mom buried him under the peonie bush he'd been trying to kill by peeing on it every day for 19 years.

[Guest WolfXing]

I've never been much of a dog-person, so I don't have a lot of experience to share. But I adopted a dachshund puppy a few weeks ago and he is turning out to be a great dog so far (he's only 12 weeks old right now!). Full grown, he'll only be about 12-15 lbs. He has short hair, with minimal shedding or odor, and he has crate-trained easily. He wants to be right in the middle of whatever is going on and whines occasionally when he's alone, but otherwise he is very quiet. In fact, I've only heard him bark two or three times since I've had him!

 

My sister has two dachshunds and has had good luck with them, too. One thing I've read about them and have found to be true is the need to "socialize" them. My sister's older one is rather territorial and barks at new people until she gets familiar with them. Fortunately, the younger one has been around more people and other animals and is pretty laid-back. Anyway, seems to me that they're pretty good inside dogs.

 

From all the feedback here, it appears that we have a lot of pet lovers---keep us posted on what you get and how it goes! :-)

[Rick Munroe]

>A golden retriever tends to be smaller than a lab but has

>the same people qualities. Loyal, faithful, loving,

>forgiving ... just like Derek.

 

And...the same coloring! (I guess I'd be the chocolate Lab in that analogy.)

 

>Why not stop analyzing what breed you should get and go to a

>shelter?

 

Because adopting is a serious commitment (more so than many people realize, which is why so many dogs end up in shleters) and I don't want to choose a dog that does not fit into my life (e.g., one that is too overprotective of its owner, one that I might be allergic to, etc). We're definitely going to adopt a rescued dog, and there's so much information out there that we can make an informed decision beforehand.

[Rick Munroe]

>The Standard Schnauzer Club of America has a Rescue

>Committee that places abandoned or unwanted dogs.

 

I love how every breed has its own rescue organizations, and how they often place the dogs in foster care before you adopt. I'm learning so much about this...it's gonna take longer than I'd realized. As for the Schnauzer...I have a bad childhood memory of a Schnauzer in Brooklyn named Mitzi II (her owner was a big drag-queen-like woman named...you guessed it, Mitzi) so I think I can't go there. But thanks!

[Rick Munroe]

>Rick,

>since you live in NY, take a trip to the North Shore Animal

>League in Port Washington

 

Thanks...as a matter of fact, I've already registered with them, and plan to use their resources, too.

[Rick Munroe]

>Also, be aware that some dogs become real barkers,

>which will not fit well into apartment living.

 

But can't they be trained not to bark?

[Rick Munroe]

Charlie: you and I are definitely on the same page. I am currently researching purebreed rescue sites (which also have mixed breeds for adoption) and I definitely want to do this in the spring for that very reason that you mentioned. Also...we'll probably be traveling a lot before then & will want to spend as much time home training our "little one" as possible.

[Rick Munroe]

>If I could get a

>dog I would get another greyhound..

 

My friend has one & I love him (the greyhound). We'll definitely be checking them out, as well. Thanks!