What kind of dog should we get?

[shortylickens]

This will make me sound like a hater but I'll say it anyway.
NO dog is appropriate for apartments. And 80lbs would still be too big anyway.
My apartment has a rule of 20 pounds max. (Of course, no one is following this rule, but thats just cowardly behavior on the part of the management.)

Sorry, but I spent a number of summers on a farm and I am of the opinion that only the country OR big houses with large backyards are appropriate for dogs.
Stuffing them into the limited space of an apartment with no free access to the outdoors isnt cool.

Its mean to the animal, its horribly rude to your neighbors and makes life more difficult for the apartment owners.

The only thing I could tolerate is a small dog that never barks, which I have not yet seen in my life. There seems to be an inverse relation between size and noise. If you were lucky enough to find a little one that also isnt a yapper, then I would embrace it.

As a general request, I would also like to ask that (at the very least) you people PICK UP THE POO!
Its not YOUR grass, its OUR grass. We all have to share it. Your being too lazy to take the animal an extra block over and use the dog park or trail shouldnt be our problem.

END RANT # 2 for the day.

 

[NissanGurl]

Originally posted by: SagaLore
A pug.

Seconded

They're angels when they sleep, want to be with you no matter what lies between you, will always listen, and love using you as part of the the furniture. That and they are a pretty low maintenance dog as far as exercise and space requirements

Edit: BTW, pugs don't bark that much, at least in my experience.

 

[Journer]

wieners!!!!!!!!!!!! (check my sig)

but my rents have had a sheltie for about 18 years...awesome dog

 

[MercenaryForHire]

Originally posted by: NissanGurl
NissanGurlInAHotTub.jpg

/lawnchair
/beer
/popcorn

The high school kids should be getting out on lunch break shortly, let's see how this pans out.

- M4H

 

[Quasmo]

What kind of dog should we get?

It depends on how hungry you are.

 

[NissanGurl]

Originally posted by: MercenaryForHire

Originally posted by: NissanGurl
NissanGurlInAHotTub.jpg

/lawnchair
/beer
/popcorn

The high school kids should be getting out on lunch break shortly, let's see how this pans out.

- M4H

Doh! Gotta think about it a little more when I name my pics

 

[AreaCode707]

Other suggestions for breeds? I think I've ruled out the boxer and basset, and probably the corgi too. Mutt or greyhound tops the list right now.

DANG I wish I could just go adopt a rescue Dane, but it's just not feasible right now.

 

[RossGr]

Give a thought to a Papillion. We have a big one at 25lb, he was a pretty high energy puppy but is calming down very well. They rank #8 on the intellegenge scale which is the highest ranked small dog. They are a elegant, beautiful dog well suited to indoor living.

 

[skyking]

Originally posted by: MedicBob
Standard Poodle. Very smart, doesn't shed, easy to keep up, and friendly.

My pick for a larger dog too. I've never had one but my uncle did. 'Baron' was about 65 pounds, very clean, smart, not high strung. My uncle was a huge man about 6'6" 250.
Baron was his lap dog
They can be trained to do most anything.

 

[Kelemvor]

Main thing to consider is the amount of exercise and activity certain dogs require and the amoutn of space and time it would have to get that activity if you live in an apartment and have the dog at work all day. That might be a reason to get a smaller dog than a larger one unless you'll have the ability to get it the exercise it needs.

Nothing worse than finding someone with a seriously overweight dog just because they are too lazy to take it for a walk like it needs.

 

[AreaCode707]

I went to the Humane Society today and checked out the dogs. A 9 year old Catahoula Leopard Hound caught my eye. Poor little gal got left by her owners in favor of their other pets. Nice and calm in the kennel but she seemed to be looking for her family who left her there. She perked up a lot when I took her out to play for a little while. Does anybody else know anything about this breed, particularly life expectancy?

 

[thedarkwolf]

The bigger the dog the shorter the life. Your probably looking at 12-15 average for anything between 50-80lbs. Chances of an adult dog getting adopted are pretty low. A 9 year old's chance are next to nothing. There is something wrong with people that would do that to a dog they have had for 9 years.

 

[AreaCode707]

Originally posted by: thedarkwolf
The bigger the dog the shorter the life. Your probably looking at 12-15 average for anything between 50-80lbs. Chances of an adult dog getting adopted are pretty low. A 9 year old's chance are next to nothing. There is something wrong with people that would do that to a dog they have had for 9 years.

Seriously. Our Danes have always been very short lived - 8 years is a ripe age.

 

[Maleficus]

Corgi or Dachshund

/thread

 

[AreaCode707]

Originally posted by: Maleficus
Corgi or Dachshund

/thread

I would NEVER have a dachshund. I've met too many mean ones.

 

[BoomerD]

I've known a few folks with the catahoula hounds...and like typical hound dogs...they often LOVE to howl...BUT, surprisingly, not all...some are pretty quiet. I think a lot of it is in how they're raised, and how much they're lonely. One of my neighbors has one, (both retired, husband in VERY ill health) and that dog howls like mad when the hubby has to go to the hospital. You can hear him for blocks...but when everyone's at home...not a sound.
IMO, they're not very attractive dogs. Distinctive...yes, but not at all attractive.

 

[BoomerD]

BTW, a quick googling brought these:
http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/apartment.htm
http://dogs.about.com/cs/generalcare/a/apartment_dog.htm

 

[AndrewR]

Originally posted by: HotChic

[edit 3] I went to the Humane Society today and checked out the dogs. A 9 year old Catahoula Leopard Hound caught my eye. Poor little gal got left by her owners in favor of their other pets. Nice and calm in the kennel but she seemed to be looking for her family who left her there. She perked up a lot when I took her out to play for a little while. Does anybody else know anything about this breed, particularly life expectancy?

[edit] Search first, then post...not the dog I thought it was. Could have sworn there's something called a Cuyahoga Leopard. I've only seen one, and it was an amazing looking dog.

 

[AreaCode707]

Originally posted by: BoomerD
BTW, a quick googling brought these:
http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/apartment.htm
http://dogs.about.com/cs/generalcare/a/apartment_dog.htm

Yeah, I saw both of those yesterday.

 

[AndrewR]

Keep an eye out for a Rhodesian Ridgeback mix. A female, like ours (mixed with Belgian shepherd) will fit under your weight -- Maggie is 74 lbs. This dog has a fantastic temperment. Ridgebacks are likely too heavy, though I think the females would work. Males are typically about 90 lbs from what I remember.

Definitely get a pound pup or a rescue dog! No need to pay for an animal.

 

[AreaCode707]

Originally posted by: AndrewR
Keep an eye out for a Rhodesian Ridgeback mix. A female, like ours (mixed with Belgian shepherd) will fit under your weight -- Maggie is 74 lbs. This dog has a fantastic temperment. Ridgebacks are likely too heavy, though I think the females would work. Males are typically about 90 lbs from what I remember.

Definitely get a pound pup or a rescue dog! No need to pay for an animal.

Heh, have you seen "adoption fees" lately? At minimum, without supplies or vet stuff, the dog will cost $100-200.

 

[lizardth]

If you are looking for a larger breed dog but still under 80 lbs (most of them are anyway) and that is going to be real laid back, I'd also consider looking at a borzoi.

 

[thedarkwolf]

Around here most pounds are still in the $50 range and that covers shots and spaying/nueturing.

 

[f4phantom2500]

You shouldn't rule out breeds just because of the personalities that they tend to have; you can use it as a guideline but ultimately you need to pick a dog based on how much it needs you and what kind of personality it has, again not what kind of personality dogs of the breed typically have. I've seen a lot of dogs that act unusually for their breed, so the only thing that should really keep you from even considering a dog is if it's over the weight limit or whatever.

EDIT: and, of course, things like physical traits that you don't like (lots of shedding, etc.)

 

[AndrewR]

Originally posted by: HotChic

Originally posted by: AndrewR
Keep an eye out for a Rhodesian Ridgeback mix. A female, like ours (mixed with Belgian shepherd) will fit under your weight -- Maggie is 74 lbs. This dog has a fantastic temperment. Ridgebacks are likely too heavy, though I think the females would work. Males are typically about 90 lbs from what I remember.

Definitely get a pound pup or a rescue dog! No need to pay for an animal.

Heh, have you seen "adoption fees" lately? At minimum, without supplies or vet stuff, the dog will cost $100-200.

Our dog (who is currently begging for some of my breakfast) was a little over $100 which included spaying, which was a condition for adoption. Even had that been higher, it's still preferable to paying a puppy mill, pet store, or thief (or all in one!). The pound or a rescue is the only place one should look for a dog, unless you are seriously contemplating getting a competition dog. Paying them supports what they do -- far from the excessive profit made by "breeders".