Ideas of pups......

I would love to get everyone's idea of a good pup for my family, as our construction is almost done......

Let me tell you a bit about our house....

We are a family or four, two adults (well at least I am, not sure about the dh), and two kids, Jess is 8 years old and volunteers at the shelter that I do, then there's Mac he's 11 years old and well video games are everything......

I have worked fort he past 15 years with animals in vet offices, grooming, and no sell pet supplies, as well as volunteering at the Upper Credit Humane Society and the Peel Branch OSPCA (not around anymore). We live in a partial country setting, with a 2500 sq foot house on a very large lot (not acreage), yet fenced, with a 7 foot tall fence.

I am not part and partial to any breed, but dh is very sstuck on Yorkies (if you haven't already heard) and Female only, he most be jealous....:cry:
He also wants small no matter what...... oh boohoo

I am a very avid hiker and wish to have a companion on my hikes that well can keep up...

:sorry: that the post is long, but as I know some of the people on this forum are rescuers I thought I would tell you more...

Why not have two dogs? One for more active fun stuff like hiking and one tiny yapper that stays at home with your dh. :laughing:

Puppy hunting eh....:cloud9: So he wants small, and you want a dog that could hike with you. I would compromise and go medium size. Lots of smaller dogs have big dog minds and abilities...terriors...most breeds of them, from jacks to carine, spaniels, some shepperd breeds can be on the smaller side...duck trollers, poodles are athletic and smart...

Or, get an all around mutt...:cloud9: They usually have such a mizx of traits and personalities, they fit in anywhere. :thumbs up

you should take a jack russell or a beagle! it would be perfect for your environment!

Ceara that is so funny i was cracking up when i read that. :thumbs up

For me personally I would stay away from beagles unless the barking doesnt bother you. My aunt among 4 others i know have beagles and man do they bark for nothing. Jack Russel are great if you keep them active cause if you dont even for one day, you will get an extremely hyper dog.

good small to med size dog for family and in the woods would be:

French Spaniel, American Hairless Terrier, Shetland Sheepdog, Wheaten Terrier...i dont know i can go on and on and on...they are all so cute

Im also an outside person hiking, walking, biking and all so a small dog would be out of the question cause i dont see myself going in the woods looking for the mutt...Yorkies are barking dogs too...my mom had one and some of my friends have some too...not for me...

Border Collies are great with kids and loves to move. Great dogs. Im sure everyone has other ideas.

But best thing to do is go on the net and make sure you find a dog that gets along with kids with a good temperment.

Do like what i did once when a landlord asked me if i had any dogs and i said Yes I do. He said Are they big. I said NO they are small which was true just that my dobes were pups. I got the rent (many years ago) and then my pups grew. :stork-baby: :dog: :laughing:

I have had goldens for the past 30 years so my vote is a golden. :D
Seriously I hike and snowshoe in the woods with one of my dogs. He is a wonderful companion and I feel secure knowing he is with me. I don't think you could hike in the mountains with a Yorkie. They aren't built for that kind of activity. Yorkies are great little dogs but are difficult to house train.
What you might want to do is make a list of the different things you are looking for a in a dog. Ask your family to work with you to develop a list.
Determine with them who is going to be the primary caregiver. If that happens to be you then I say you shoudl have a bigger influence in the kind of pup you get.

Unless you want to carry the Yorkie in your backpack while you're hiking, it wouldn't be the best choice. :laughing:
I'm thinking a springer spaniel or a mix of that breed might be a good choice. Not a small dog, but not big either. Nice temperments and athletic.
Do some reading on different breeds and visit a few dog shows to see for yourself.....talk to the breeders, then you can look for a breeder, or a rescue dog or a mix in a shelter of the breed you prefer and you think suits your family.

Cindy

I would go with a short hair breed, if yo9u are going to be in the woods there are prickles etc. that get caught in the oat, with a short coat they are easy to brush/pick out. I vote for the Lab...:D but yes I am biased. pbp

Awesome ideas :lightbulb:

I actually found quite a few of those breeds on petfinder and in specialized rescues, plus with the sportsman show coming to town in two weeks, my dh will be able to get a taste of other breeds as I know that a lot of the rescues are there.

Plus you all have summed up for me, that a Yorkie may not be the best thing for me, it maybe for him who thinks a purse pet is okay, but I have to carry my kids things and I really don't want to carry a dog too, with some of the other breeds that all of you have said, I can get the pup it's own backpack......:D

Thank you all

If you like LOTS of white fur you could always get an American Eskimo - they love to run, are smart, LOVE TO BARK, etc. My guy is a small standard at 22 lbs. so I can pick him up. Bigger than a Yorkie obviously, but a compromise between small and large.

From a personal point of view......get a shih tzu! They love long walks, have a ton of energy to waste (ever seen a tzu have the zoomies??) and at the same time are a great lap dog for your dh! They are small dogs living in a big dog body!

The only drawback would be the grooming of a tzu....you have to be ready to brush and brush and brush.

whatever breed you get, ENJOY!!! :thumbs up