OT: What dog am I looking for?

Here's a link to a short quiz to get you started looking. Best of luck in finding a new 'baby' for your family.

Leslie & The Furbabies in MO.--- where Golden Retrievers rule my home!

Sunny, you aren't thinking 'puppy' are you? I'd imagine any puppy would be high maintenance for a while - 7 years or so with some. For sure, you do not want a Yorkie. They're not as demanding as a JR but they come mighty close. Have you considered a Rescue? That's something of a gamble but I reckon any dog would be. Polly

Sunny, please google "Portuguese Water Dog" and read about them. They're kind, wonderful, gentle, cuddly creatures, and not too big. A friend of mine just rescued one from your neck of the woods (Couer d'Alene) 3 days ago, and he's adorable. I hope you will consider a rescue dog, they can be wonderful companions. Check out

and see what you can find. Most of the people at "breed specific" rescue orgs are very knowledgeable about the breeds they are placing. Ask lots and lots of questions. Somewhere, there's a doggy out there, waiting for you to take him/her home. Good luck.

Patti in Seattle

No puppies! I'm looking for something six months to 2 years (I really can't handle taking on an old dog, as we just went through that trauma). And a rescue dog is fine with me, except sometimes that is dodgy. A friend adopted a pound pup they said was 8 months old. He was a little thing and was chiuaua/min-pin mix. Well, he's 25 pounds now and a real mess. Probably JR rather than min-pin in there. This guy literally bounces off the walls, LOL. Anyhow, that's the sort of thing that makes me leery of rescues. But I probably will end up with one, if it's already full size and I can verify that.

Sunny

One excellent advantage to an adult rescue dog- they are fully matured and their personality is in place. All four of my furry darlings are rescues- the youngest was Hoover at eight months (Missy was only 10 weeks old but that was almost 13 years ago when I was younger and more able-bodied). With ANY breed you can find good and poor examples. Ones that fit the breed description to a 'T' and some that are oddballs and defy everything you learn about the breed. Most breeds have some type of inherited/congenital problems, too. Goldens and Chows and their hip dysplasia come to mind since that's what Simon and Hoover are dealing with.... along with me and our vet. Poms have their knees, Cockers their eyes, smooshed nose breeds have their breathing problems, etc.

Leslie & The Furbabies in MO.

There is a sort-of half-way house between rescue and puppy which you might like to consider, Sunny? That is, that sometimes a breeder will keep a puppy that he/she thinks might make a good show dog. Quite often this will not work and, for one of those minuscule show reasons, the puppy is 'sold on' to a pet home. If the breeder is an 'in the house' breeder, these dogs will be house trained and have some idea of how to behave.

As to breed: if you have already had a Lhasa Apso, you'll also be familiar with one of the other Tibetan dogs - the Shih Tzu. These seem particularly affable little souls. I have only to see one and I have a smile on my face. Tibetan Terriers are also gorgeous (they are not terriers!) The only snag (I understand) about the Tibetan breeds is that they can be difficult to train, because they *know* they are above such things!! You never see one of them doing an agility course, for instance >gg< I can just imagine, they would look at you with that 'look' and walk off to where they wanted to be!

If you were to consider getting a cross breed, do consider the characteristics of both/all the breeds involved in the cross. They might look very much more like one than the other, but the other traits will still be there.

This could be a happy search for you. I know it seems soon, but you are considering little Jojo, and that's lovely of you. . In message , Sunny writes

I second the recommendation for a Shih Tzu. We don't have dogs but a friend of ours leaves hers (Daisy) with us when she travels. Daisy goes to work with me and is well behaved, very social and just all around CUTE. There are several rescue associations that you can check. I don't remember where you are but maybe one of these is close to you

Rita L. - encouraging you to check this out.

Patti wrote:

My MIL always had a toy manchester terrier. The first one (which I only heard about and saw in pictures) looked like a tiny doberman, was very protective of her, and had that terrier hunting digging protect and provide thing going on. The last one looked nothing like the first and was a very muscular little fella, very kicked back, and would have awakened the house to a burglar with his joyful barks and bouncing to announce that company was here! I am sure that if somebody had told him there was a hamburger buried in the yard he would have sniffed it out and tried to convince mom to dig it up for him so he wouldn't have to soil his paws.

I think your best plan would be to find a grown up dog of the right size and see what he has to say for himself. Even within the same breed there are enough variences in personality to make it a crap shoot. That said you might want to check out Italian Greyhounds, a dog socialized Papillion or Miniature Schnauzer, Miniature sheepdog (might be tough to find, the autism awareness lady said these days most of them are going to families with special needs kids), or a site like

Personally so far as small dogs go I have a soft spot for basenjis, but they are so _not_ the dog you are looking for. Unless you found an elderly arthritic one with only three legs and narcolepsy.

NightMist

My vote goes to another Lhasa (I've had several) or maybe a mixed breed with Lhasa. Since you have already had one, you know the breed well. As someone else said, a Shih Tzu would also be a good choice. I've never had a Shih Tzu so I don't have first hand knowledge. The only drawback to either of these breeds is the grooming. With Coco (our first Lhasa), we kept her hair long and I bathed and groomed her every week and she went to the groomer every 4 - 6 weeks. OTOH, Suzi (the run away from home, go walk-about and get lost) Dog went to the groomer 3 or 4 times a year and had her coat cut down to about 1.5" with the tail, ears and muzzled hair kept long. MUCH easier to take care of -- LOL! I also like the fact that Lhasas don't shed, they just drop small clumps of hair that can easily be picked up -- I'm not sure if Shih Tzus are the same. Whatever you decide, PLEASE keep us posted and then let us see a photo of the new family member when s/he arrives home :-). CiaoMeow >^;;^<

PAX, Tia Mary >^;;^< (RCTQ Queen of Kitties) Angels can't show their wings on earth but nothing was ever said about their whiskers! Visit my Photo albums at

I have to put in a plug for a Bichon Frise.....we adored ours. The biggest drawback is they are a breed that should have regular grooming to keep their coat in good shape.

You want a mutt from the pound. Neutered/spayed, of course!

Sunny wrote:

Sunny, If you aren't ready for a new pup how about a refresher class with Jojo? He might enjoy the attention and having a distraction. I am not a small dog person so I really am no help there. I visited the local dog pounds and petfinders along with online rescues when I was on a dog hunt. There are good and bad there. I did have to divorce Daisy (from a rescue) because we just didn't get along but the rescue took her back and found a good home for her. The rescue dog I got 5 months ago was between 18 months and a 2 years. She has just worked out really well. Good luck on your hunt. Hope you find a good fit for you, the family and Jojo. Taria

Sunny wrote:

Sunny, I don't really have much in the way of recommendations, since I do love cockers, and they are definitely in need of maintenance for their coats -- unless, of course, you keep them clipped pretty close. But they're sweet, lovable dogs who adore pleasing people.

Other than that, my DT has a mini schnauzer, and she's also adorable and needs almost no coat care, except the occasional trip to the groomer for trimming. She doesn't shed, and she's very affectionate.

Best of luck!

Sunny- try the Pound. or a rescue shelter. i got my Cricket at the NYState Fair. She was in a litter of 7 and the runt no-one wanted. she's been with me for 13 yrs and i dread the day she isnt. she's a springer spaniel/retriever mix. best girl in the world. except she hates men! good luck in your search. and a sedative for Jojo wouldnt hurt her. she's greiving, too. amy

Sunny wrote in news:1190342714.843120.40550 @i38g2000prf.googlegroups.com:

Snipperdepippered..

Well Sunny, looks to me you need a Westy.. (West Highland White Terrier) I had one and i tell you.. the are fun , fun , FUN. They are small , convident ,funny, lively and always happy. They love people ( family and strangers ) and other dogs . mine even had a love for horses and went to greet them every time.. the horses knew him and allowed him to lick there nose..ohh he adored my cats too.. They go to sleep as soon as you leave the house and greet you when you come home like you been gone for ever.. They love attention but are also happy just to lay at your feet when you sit and watch tv.. They need grooming twice a year and don't shed.. And when trained they are the best dogs ever.. Mine died in 2000 and i still miss him..he was a clown and made me laugh all the time.. Now, i still got my Pyrenean Shepherd dog (Kyra) and she is THE best dog i ever had and ever will have( but she is not the kind of dog you are looking for..) and my Westy was her best friend , and if Kyra wasn 't this old, blind, deaf and fragile i would get another Westy without hesitation.. So Sunny.. i guess it's clear.. i'd say: Go Westy! lol

FiederEls.

When my Mom got a dog for company (after my Dad died) she got a pug. Fairly easy care, but they do have some inherent problems. Peanut went to school with Mom for a while and is very social. (She did a shop hop with us one year and loved to go into the quilt shops and visit. Loved coming to see me when I was working at the store. )

Pati, in Phx

Rita > I second the recommendation for a Shih Tzu. We don't have dogs but a

I gotta put a paw in for Airedale Terriers. We are on our second one and love them to pieces. I grew up with English Springer Spaniels, 3 of them over the course of time, and they were great family dogs with kids. Other than that, I don't have any experience with any other breed. A breed rescue outfit near you will help you find the perfect dog.

John

I hope you definitely do go to the SPCA to find a new friend - we got our darling Clancy there 12 years ago and I can swear on my own life that she has been the best sweetest dog we've every had. She has never given us a moment's problem - she's part shepherd, part doberman and part lab. She's an absolute angel and has been from the start.

corgi, a yappy chiwawa, a yappy schnawzer - I've alwas found small dogs are the biggest yappers ... and if you tie them up outdoors, it's even worse. My darling Clancy never leaves the property other than to visit *Uncle* Bob next door who loves her as much as we do. I'd definitely go for a big dog - they're quieter, you can keep them off your furniture (well most times) and we've been told they are the hardest to get adopted. Everyone thinks little when they go to the pound - little isn't always the best. Sharon (N.B.)