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Want to adopt a dog but still researching breeds
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Anonymous
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My hubby and I would like to adopt a dog from an animal shelter or rescue group.
We have very active cats (they love to run) already, so the dog/breed must be cat friendly. Also the breed needs to be kid friendly. We prefer lower-energy dogs (mellow, not hyper) who have lower maintenance needs in terms of walks. So labs, for example, would not be a good breed for us. And we prefer a short coat/less shedding coat (our cats are also hairless). Very important is that the dog be very affectionate, like to cuddle, a very good family dog. Any breed suggestions? We are also interested in mutts. Neither of us has ever had a dog before/didn't have one growing up so we are trying to do a lot of research on this to choose the best breed for us. |
Anonymous
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I would highly recommend adopting from Washington Animal Rescure League www.warl.org. They do a great job working with the dogs before adopting them out. They are good at finding out their personalities and letting you know which dogs are not good with youngs kids, cats, etc. We went to visit twice a week over a six week period and found a great dog for our family (they have dogs listed on their website, but they had lots more at the league). He's a terrier mix and great with my daughter. They also have dog training classes there as well. It may be tough to sort out particiular breeds since they are often mixed breeds at WARL, but I was quite surprised to see dogs that (to my untrained eye) looked like purebreds - Yorkies, St Bernards, etc.
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Anonymous
This really varies dog-to-dog, and I wouldn't rule a breed in or out for that reason. Many shelters and rescue groups will cat test dogs -just ask if the dog has been cat-tested. We have a German Shepherd who hates cats. But my neighbor has a Shepherd and three cats -and those cats rule the roost. |
Anonymous
So true! We have two German Shepherds who were raised from puppyhood with our cat. They still hate her. And she hates them. They drive me crazy chasing her around the house. They won't hurt her, but they love to chase her. And when she's had enough, she lets them know. And I'll just add that a well-trained and well-socialized German Shepherd is the greatest dog ever. They are fantastic with kids. Both of mine love to cuddle. And they are pretty laid back once they get through the very long (about 2-3 years) puppy stage. But they shed constantly. |
Anonymous
Thanks for this idea! I have not heard of this league before but I looked it up and it looks great. We will definitely check this place out. I like their matching survey, it seems very comprehensive. We are not particular to any breed or age but instead to personality characteristics, so this place seems perfect. |
Anonymous
| OP, have you been to Petfinder.com? You can do a search for pets that get along with cats, kids, other dogs, whatever. |
Anonymous
| Yes I have been to Petfinder, great resource but there are so many breeds and it's hard to know what would be a good match without help from someone knowledgeable about dogs. We are total newbies with dogs, so we need more guidance about what breeds would be best suited for our family and lifestyle. For instance we know we prefer a dog with lower maintenance exercise needs. |
Anonymous
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Maybe a Bichon Frise would be a good fit for your family?
How they are around cats probably depends a lot on socialization, so if you got one as a puppy, it probably wouldn't be a problem. Seems like they would meet a lot of your other requirements though (little shedding, pretty mellow, good for a family with kids). |
Anonymous
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If you're adopting from a shelter, I'd say the dog's past history will play a bigger role than the actual breed of the dog (especially when you're more likely to find a mutt).
I was gonna recommend a pug since they fit your low exercise/hardy/kid-friendly requirements, but they shed like crazy! If you can find a pure-bred poodle, maybe go that route? I would steer clear of lhaso-apso/poodle mixes. All of the dogs I know that are this mix are extremely neurotic. |
Anonymous
| OP here. I forgot to mention, we are only interested in adult dogs. Age 3 or above. |
Anonymous
| OP here again. We are open to any breed/age (as long as it is adult). But the must have characteristics are: adult, good with cats, good with kids, mellow (not hyper), very affectionate, low exercise needs, short coat. |
ThatSmileyFaceGuy
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Member Offline
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Bitchin Frizzies are decent tho high strung (not necessarily high energy) hypoallergenic dogs, they are also a bit on the high maintainence side. The good with cats and good with kids part depends on the individual animal, I've seen dogs fromt he same litter act as different as night and day.
Personally I think you can't go too wrong with a Heinz (mutt). Ask the shelter for a in home meeting. They will bring the dog when they do their inspection. Some hissing is to be expected from your cat, it depends on how the dog reacts to it. |
Anonymous
Ah okay - I am the one who suggested a Bichon. Still, whatever you choose then likely depend on how the dog was brought up the first 3 years in regards to how they are with cats. A short coat does NOT at all mean that the dogs will shed less. I had a friend with a Staffordshire Terrier and she was always covered with his hair. I have a PWD and one of the reasons I got interested in the breed was because it sheds very little (I had lived with a Golden Retriever before and knew I didn't want to deal with fur everywhere). There are not a lot of breeds out there that won't shed. I've heard that the Furminator works well though, so if you get a dog that sheds (and they all do), you could try that. |