So ever since I was little I've always had small dogs, starting with a miniature dachshund:

http://e-shen.com/images/young3.jpg


Then going onto two yorkies (one we got in around 1990 but was killed by a neighborhood chow chow in around 1996 and a few months later we got another one):

http://e-shen.com/element/pismo/pismo36.jpg




Immediately before we got our first yorkie, in I think 1988 or so, we had a pair of Labs that proved to be a bit much to care for at the time and we ended up giving them away.

Anyway, I think I want a larger dog now, maybe something around 15-20 lbs... big enough to "wrassle" with but not too big to have people sized leavings.

I'm thinking of pet adoption (shelter or rescue) for this dog but I don't know what breeds to look for? Anyone have any suggestions?

We have friend's that have beagles and they are very smart dogs and good sized. Might be worth a look?

Great pics, Shen.

What breed of dog are you inclined to get? My family's first when I was growing up were a pair of copper dachsund's. Then we had a pair of lab-springers. All terrific pups.

I inherited my first Samoyed from a roommate. Lived to 14 years. And now I have Gidget and cannot imagine having any other breed. She pulls my mountain bike, hikes and loves to camp.

Can no longer bear not having a dog. They are terrific companions.

Go to your local animal shelter and you can probably find exactly what you want.

Try Pembroke Corgis. Neat sturdy very intelligent dogs. Great companions.
Other breeds to try Shelties if you can find one who isnt hyper and barky.
Aussies on the smaller side or a North American Sheperd ie Minature Aussie.
Avoid Border Collies. West Highland Terriers are neat too.

I have always preferred large dogs. It is easier to scoop a big pile than a small one.

My collie boy weighs 55lbs and my 10mo girl weighs about 45lbs. Both are performance dogs so I keep an eye of their weight.

If I ever get my farm may get a South Russian Ovcharka. Breed standard say 28 in at the withers or taller and 175lbs and up. Or maybe a couple of Marama's as guardian/flock protectors.

I second the nomination for a Corgi... herding dogs are, imo the most fun. They are smart, and you can frisbee and hike and have a blast with them.
OF COURSE if you want a cattle dog I run the rescue down here and would be happy to send you one.... the upside is that they can do your taxes for you, downside is that anything smart enough to do your taxes can also make your life a living hell. Never mind stick with the corgi.

I am partial to the cardigan corgi because I like a dog with a tail.

A miniature Aussie would also fit the bill, they are small and a blast.

The local shelter will also have all sorts of dogs, that way you can get a little bit of everything,
K

Dont forget if you want a purebred most have a breed rescue. go to akc.org and find the breed's website. They should have rescue contacts listed.

If you want a larger dog nothing beats a rough or smooth collie. Yeah I am biased.

I had a border collie mix and he was the smartest and most attentive dog I ever had. But he was around 40lbs-ish. Maybe too big for you but might be worth a look.

Good luck and Thank you for thinking of rescue pet!

Leann

I run agility with a larger "Mini" Aussie. Best dog I could ever hope to be blessed with!!

I know people in Mini Aussie rescue and I've also fostered one. Too much fun!

In that 20-30 lb size you might find some terriers that are pretty cool. I love Wheaten Terriers and I think they don't shed? But I'm not sure about that.

www.petfinder.com lets you search by breed type, age and sex (but not size, which they should offer, it would be cool).

If you adopt an adult dog you'll know exactly what size it will always be. If you get a pup you NEVER know.

My boy's parents were both under 17 inches tall and Mom weighed 20 lbs and Dad weighed 22. Ruben weighs 35 (and is lean) and is 20 inches!!

Good luck!

Look for a terrier, schnauzer or corgi mix. All are "manly" dogs who love to play and are not delicate or fussy. My sister has a schnoodle from the local shelter - great dog and bonus - non-allergenic and non-shedding. Poodles and Schnauzers are the only two non-shedding, non-smelling, non-allergenic breeds. Both are smart and playful and easy to train. They do require pro grooming though - about every 8-12 weeks (that's the price you pay for the non-shedding part). Try the shelters for mixed breeds and the local Corgi, Scottie, West Highland rescues. Just about any of the terrier breeds would be a close match to what you are looking for - as would a corgi. Just remember they are bred to be tenacious and determined and will require firm (but kind) training and rules. Beagles are easy care but are barkers, chasers and diggers and are not as people focused as some of the others listed.
And I speak from 20+ years of happy terrier experience......

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y59/inkstudios/jetsraspw.jpg

... West Highland Terriers are neat too....

I second that vote. Our Westie has been the best dog we have had in a long time (our list includes Labs, Goldens, beagles, cattle dogs and, many years ago Carin Terriers). They seem to fit your listed criteria: around 20 lbs., easy to take care of (they can be easily exercised in a house or apartment), and love to wrestle and play.

In addition they are smart, are great companions, have very cheerful disposition and are not as stubborn as the other Terriers. They also don't bark.

my mutt.
he is a rescue from Tennessee.
they brought him here to NY after Katrina.. he was a month old.

here is Tennessee. - a few months ago.. he is 95lbs now.
http://img399.imageshack.us/img399/4313/tennesseehm5.jpg

http://img187.imageshack.us/img187/9281/tennessee2ux3.jpg

robbie

If you want a little dog, why not go all the way? Get the world's smallest dog. I got mine here -- http://www.vipchihuahua.com

... I'm thinking of pet adoption (shelter or rescue) for this dog but I don't know what breeds to look for? Anyone have any suggestions?

Shelter or rescue is not a bad idea. If you use a breed rescue, they can probably advise you in great detail on the personality and temperment of the individuals they are adopting out, and chances are they will give it to you straight about the individual's good and bad, as well as health issues. To varying degrees, you are likely to be on your own with a shelter. But you've had/have dogs, so you probably know what you are looking for.

As far as breeds, my opinion is that most people adopting a dog should select first based on the behavior of the individuals they are considering. You don't (my guess) want a dog or puppy that is shy or fearful of other dogs, strangers, or new situations or objects, loud noises.... You also don't want a dog or puppy that is overly friendly or dominating. But my advice is think about the dogs you've had, the dogs you have known, and look for the behavior you want. Then narrow your choices down according to the size of the dog, grooming requirements, etc.

If you do consider purchasing a pure breed, my advice is research, research, research....and research some more (the breed and the breeder). What genetic diseases are common in the breed? Does the breeder do health screening on the breeding stock? Is the breeder working to improve the breed, or simply producing puppys to sell? Is the breeder involved in conformation or obedience (or simply producing puppys to sell)?....

I like dobermans, but that is probably way over your size limit. The good and bad about the breed depend a lot on what you want. Generally, the doberman is very intelligent, very attentive, learns very fast, and is devoted to its owner. A doberman usually picks out one person in the family, and that is their person. Owning a doberman means never going to the bathroom alone. A doberman sticks to their person like glue. They are a personal protection dog -- the only dog that man bred specically to protect him from other men -- and being at your side every minute is their job. The things that make a doberman good for its job can be a problem for some people if it isn't what they want. And about jobs, the doberman needs a one. Contrary to the common wisdom that dogs do not get bored, the doberman can get bored. So, as I said, depending on what you want, these characteristics are either good or bad depending on how you look at it. Finally on the depends-how-you-look-at-it good or bad characteristics, a good doberman is a dog that knows what it wants and will do what it takes to get it. A dobernman owner has to set bounds at the puppy stage and pay close attention to what they are doing. This is not a breed for an inexperienced owner. Since dobermans learn so easily and so quickly, they learn the bad along with the good and usually on the first lesson. And it is therefore easy to accidently reward some bad behaviors that you didn't even think were bad at the time, and next thing you know your doberman thinks he owns your bed and therefore decides when you or your spouse are allowed in it, and you're clueless that you started teaching the dog this annoying little trick when it was a baby. Of course this happens with chihuahuas and yorkies and toy poodles, too, but it isn't as big a deal when the dog weighs less than ten pounds; it is different when the dog weighs 90 pounds and he knows he can take you.

On the no-question-about-it negative side, there are numerous genetic diseases that run in the doberman breed (though fortunately a large number of them, but not all, are avoided by ethical breeders through genetic tests on the breeding stock). Personality and temperament is highly varied. Unfortunately, there are psychos. That is why it is very important to research the breeder and find one that is breading for healthy bodies and healthy minds. Dobermans need a lot of socialization when they are puppies, getting them out in public, around strangers and other dogs, children, traffic, you name it, which for most people is probably a negative.

But anyway, the best dog is the one you love and loves you back. Good luck.

P.S. So no one gets the wrong idea, here is a little doberman PR. This is Thorn, registered Pet Visitation Therapy Dog (TDI) before a visit. He has a nice side to his personality.

21005

Beagles are fun, but they are a handful. We call our little girl "Flight Risk" because an unattended open door means an afternoon (or morning, or evening, or midnight) of searching the neighborhood. She is FAST and too curious to come back when called. A little bit of the devil resides in her, too. Sometimes she eludes me and I swear she is smiling at me as if to say, "Ha ha, you are TOO slow, Jake". Great little companion, and I love her to death, but I will never have another. I nearly died the day she got loose and ran to the road. Had she been taller she would have been pink mist, but her small size saved her. The tractor-trailer she ran in front of passed directly overhead without touching a hair on her. Unless you get an invisible fence, beware the beagle.

Well, I was raised with Irish Setters but, when I got my own, I ended up with a miniature poodle. Caramel is absolutely the best dog I have ever had. The poodle breed is very smart and they don't shed. Most folks are not alergic to them and they are always willing and wanting to please!

I got Caramel from a humane society 16 years ago, and he is still going strong. I have become a poodle person, and a huge advocate for them and the various poodle rescues around.

Shen, if you haven't been there yet you should go to petfinders.com. What an awesome site. I could tell you a whole story about how we acquired Roscoe (our second miniature) but, if you go to the site and do some searches, you can fill in the blanks.

Good luck in your quest. I for one can not imagine life without my furry friends.

We have an English Bulldog and he has got to be the best dog I have ever had. He dose leave some nice size lawn burgers but when it comes to being a mans best friend he beats em all in my book. He has never once showed any sign of bad temperment and has more personality than any dog I know. I can talk to him like a person and I sware he understands me. Here are some pics of Max..

Pic 1 (http://www.sxc.hu/browse.phtml?f=view&id=110542)
Pic 2 (http://www.sxc.hu/browse.phtml?f=view&id=98204)
Pic 3 (http://www.sxc.hu/browse.phtml?f=view&id=98208)

I always see a lot of great small to medium dogs at the SoCal area shelters. Most of them are mixed breeds, which in my opinion and experience make the best dogs. Also, I've noticed that when you rescue dogs from shelters, many times they are so grateful that they become fiercely loyal and often well-behaved (because they don't want to be abandoned again). (But I will say that I've known many many pure breds that are loyal and wonderful too! :rolleyes: )

So I would say go to a few shelters, and see what you're attracted to and what you "hit it off" with. You may be surprised.

If you want to buy or rescue a pure bred, I also recommend Corgis and West Highland terriers, and Schnauzer's. Beagles are sweet, but they (like all hounds) can be very noisy (bay and howl often, etc).

also, for pure breds, Boston terriers and French Bulldogs are great. ...but I think you should go to the shelters... :D

It may be different in So Cal, but in/around Seattle, I was told by the folks at the shelter that small dogs go immediately. If you want to get one, you have to put "first choices" on anything that comes in and then meet them after their waiting period to make the choice. I spent the last year without a fuzzy person in my life, and when I finally decided it was time, I was passionately committed to rescuing a shelter dog.

I missed out on a dog because I decided to think about it over-night, and after that experience, I went to the Bellevue Humane Society (different organization than the county animal shelter) and wound up meeting Grace. She's 105lbs (and needs to lose a few), and that was about twice as much dog as I was looking to get, but based on my experience, unless you're willing to visit the shelter on an almost daily basis to check out the dogs as they come in, you may not be able to pick and choose a breed (unless you want a pit-bull; there never seems to be a shortage). Once I found her, I knew she was the right dog, even though she didn't fit my mental picture of the size/breed I was intending to get, and I chose wisely.

I love my fuzzy person so much I bought her an Element. :D

I've had three dogs in my adult life and each one was adopted. Currently, we were blessed to find a chocolate lab/c-oc-ker spaniel/whippet(?) mix that is about 21 lbs and probably the most unique dog I've ever owned. She has the coloring of a chocolate lab, but her mixed breed kept her small.

The thing about adopting is that for the most part you will end up with a dog near maturity and you've got a good handle on it's size and certainly disposition. While I understand the thinking behind pure breeds, I have to say that the random mixture of the canine gentic pool has brought me three very fine companions.

BTW, here's a pic of Pumpernickel....
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c132/bburgdorff/HPIM0445.jpg

EDITED: I didn't realize that ****er spaniel was a bad word!

I love my scotty. Very Very smart dogs.