Pets
Dear Community,
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Recommend a dog breed
in Pets
I am hoping to get a dog. Currently DH and I have two cats, one is 4y/o and one is 1 y/o. I have wanted a dog for years and he is finally, slowly, warming up to the subject. Growing up we had larger dogs and mostly outdoor dogs. (I grew up on a farm) We currently live in a large apartment with a small yard. I want a dog that will do well in an apartment setting, that will want to be lazy with me, but will also want to go for walks regularly. DH likes Jack Russells, but I don't think that would be ideal in the apartment because they are crazy/hyper.
Is there any specific dogs you would recommend given my situation? Thanks!
EDIT: I should also say we have no children or plan on any children.
Warning
No formatter is installed for the format bbhtml
Re: Recommend a dog breed
I would recommend rescuing a dog that isn't a puppy and has maybe grown out of some of their crazy puppy stage.
Our lab sounds like he would be a good fit for you but I know some labs can be bonkers. If you go through a rescue that has dogs in foster homes you can learn exactly how they behave in a home setting. It's really great!
Dogs vary greatly even in the same breed so it's hard to suggest just one breed for you. Maybe go to an adoption event and talk to foster parents and see who tugs at your heart strings. :-)
I would probably work with a few all breed rescues and go by the shelter. Meet individual dogs and see who suits what you're looking for. Bonus is that if you go to a reputable shelter or go through a rescue that uses foster homes, they should be able to cat test for you. Rescues will have already done a lot of the potty training, etc.
My adult beagle doesn't bark and is lazy and really, really cat friendly. Like the cats can lay on him and he's cool with that. Beagles tend to be kinda low energy and very people friendly, but they can bark, so meeting specific beagles would help. Greyhounds are also pretty low energy and good cat dogs.
I would be willing to do that. Now to get DH totally on board...
Also, he said he prefers a dog with a beard (seriously? That picky?) But I think if I find one cute enough and nice enough he would be for it.
We have afew months still until we could get one (I want to wait until after our vacation in May, and take time off of work to acclimate him/her) so I am just starting my research now.
I am working on adopting a dog and live in a condo. Some of the breeds I've come across that are recommended for "shared walls" with no/small yard are Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, Cairn Terriers, Greyhounds, and Cocker Spaniels.
I've found that rescue dogs I've come across that are these breeds have indeed been characterized by their fosters as mellow, don't bark a lot, and are good in the house and recommended for apartment living or homes without a yard.
We are also considering a dog that's 4-5-6 years old, as they need exercise, but usually not 2-3 hours of strenuous exercise a day as puppies or adolescent dogs would.
- Martin Luther King Jr.
Check out www.petfinder.com and ask your husband to just come tour the shelter with you. We wound up with both of ours because we saw them in the shelter and were really drawn to their personalities. I had actually seen Molly online but wasn't sure if DH would like her, when he saw her in person he LOVED her.
I'll also add that getting them at 2 years old saved my sanity. We've fostered puppies and having adult dogs fits our lifestyle and energy levels so much better.
I think greyhounds are a good fit for a lot of people, since most retired racers are pretty chill. It sounds like they'd be a good fit for you. My guy isn't cat safe, but a lot of greys are. He loves sleeping all day but also loves his 2 daily walks and going hiking on the weekend.
If there's a greyhound rescue near you, I'd suggest going to one of their events to get a feel for the breed and getting to know the volunteers.
This stuff. Have him start perusing petfinder.com... I bet it softens him up on the topic and he can look for the beards. LOL.
LOL- I tend to agree with that. Dogs with beards are the best!
Like this guy?
Who is, BTW, available for adoption in MI, according to Petfinder.
http://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/22533393
I'd like to just put out there that mini schnauzers might be a great fit for your family.
Less energy than a jack russell terrorizer, but still hardy (ours can climb 11,000 foot mountains with ease
), they have beards (lol) and are loving, smart, are low shedders and over all great dogs. They would also fit your size requirements for you living space. I got my mini when we lived in a condo, she moved to an apartment on the beach, then has always lived in houses. She is an AMAZING traveler--and she's small enough that she can even go on planes with us..and does with frequency.
They can be barky but it's something you can work on.
There are absolutely schnauzer rescues, petfinder and I pretty frequently see them (or some mix of them) in shelters.
ETA: We also have always had cats with her--and she's done really well with them.
The best breed.. A rescued mutt!
Gwennythepooh on the Pittsburgh board has 2 rescued mini-schnauzer and they were originally apt. dogs. If you go in that direction, I am sure she can answer any questions.
We had a lab and a great dane/german shepard mix in our one bedroom apt (no yard) and they did fine. I agree that our lab sounds like a good fit but labs are all different. DH's aunt has a lab and he is CRAZY at 4. So it really depends on the dog.
I agree about looking into rescues or one of the 3 local shelters. Animal Friends also does a home-to-home adoption program which might work out well for you. We got our mix at the Humane Society and she was an awesome dog.
Rescue a greyhound! We live in a condo and she's the absolute PERFECT condo dog. They are calm, gentle, rarely bark, don't smell (literally at ALL) and are so sweet.
I would recommend doing some research about greys. You will find that people who own them absolutely love them and wouldn't own anything else. (Like us!) Retired racers are used to being handled, and do very well with a structured routine. They are very lazy, and take to their retirement very well!
It was a great compromise for us. I wanted a large dog, but DH has allergies. He has never been able to live with a pet. Never. He has no problems with our greyhound and he was amazed that he could be around her with no problems. Greyhounds MUST live indoors though because they have very little body fat, but enjoy running a few times a week in a safe, fenced area.
Some greyhounds cannot live with cats, but many have no interest in cats and the rescue groups "cat test" them before they adopt out. A good rescue group will match you according to your lifestyle.
All I can say is, I will never own anything else but a greyhound!
Here's some info from the group we used. http://www.greyhoundpetsorlando.org/aboutgreys.html
My co worker has a giant schnauzer and keeps telling me a mini would be good. I keep going back to this breed, and have found a few not too far away, but by the time we are ready it will be a whole new batch of dogs available I am sure. So I am going to just keep looking.
Also, dumb question.. what does ETA mean???!
This....I have only ever had pitbulls and mastiffs. And each of them have been very different. Our current dog is a pit/mastiff mix and he is the most gentle/lazy dog I have ever met. He would do great in an apartment setting, however, another pitbull I just fostered was very high energy (I mean they are terriers too).
My IF blog
A Shih tzu would be IDEAL for you: apartment dweller, sleeps most of the day, loves walks, has a beard, good with cats, and hair rather than fur means no "doggy" smell AND very little shedding
I have a 5-year-old male, and he's AWESOME.
Check out this rescue site for dogs available within 100 miles of Philadelphia (I guessed based on your listed location):
http://www.adoptapet.com/dog-adoption/search/100/miles/philadelphia%2C%20PA?is_family_specific=1&family_name=Shih%20Tzu&tmpl=search_dogs_111&family_id=111
I know you aren't necessarily interested in the giants but they are certainly interesting! It sounds like your coworker might be a good resource
.
If you continue to be interested in them (this applies to any breed really)--I believe that contacting a breed specific rescue in your area is still a good idea--getting to know them and them you--even if just superficially is good. Some will hold your application for you--and will keep an eye out for a dog that matches your needs. They can also be great resources for more breed information.
Here is a rescue in PA for Mini-Schnauzers.
http://schnauzerrescue.net/
Also--ETA means Edited to Add (I came back and changed my original post :)_--It's not a stupid question..just Nestjargon.
My beagles would very much disagree...