Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You want a pet that you basically don’t want to provide care for? Hmm.

No, why do you get that idea?

From your OP: "Want more of an indoor dog that doesn't need a ton of exercise or maintenance."

I translated that as 'small/med size, not hyper/demanding and doesn't need specialized grooming or have a genetic predisposition to health issues', Was I wrong ?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You want a pet that you basically don’t want to provide care for? Hmm.

No, why do you get that idea?

From your OP: "Want more of an indoor dog that doesn't need a ton of exercise or maintenance."

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why do you want a dog?

My kids have wanted one for a really long time and I finally feel they are at an age that they can help be responsible for the daily care.

If your oldest is 10 it's unlikely your kids will do much to care for the dog. Dogs are a huge lifestyle adjustment and commitment, and you should not get one planning on "low maintenance." You should assume you will be the primary caregiver, and you can be pleasantly surprised if you turn out to be wrong.

We have a standard poodle whom we got as a puppy and adore, but like nearly all dogs he benefits from a lot of attention, exercise, and mental stimulation.

A low maintenance dog? OP the dog will become more maintenance over time. When your children leave the nest you will have an old high maintenance dog. Don’t expect the kids will do all the work.

Are you the OP of another thread asking for poop removal services because you've decided that you want a dog but don't want to ever bother yourself picking up its poop?

Stuffed toy.

A pug

Or 2. Or a pack of pugs

Our mutt that we got from a shelter as a puppy is about the sweetest, most loving, must fun dog anyone could ask for.

Mix of beagle, lab, maybe corgi and other stuff. She does love to go out for walks and be active, but she's not destructive when she is home.

labradoodle

low maintenance, doesn't shed, hypo-allergic - does need (salon)grooming bi-monthly though.
very chill and lovable as part of the family; and social and friendly with guests.
smart and easy to train.
no major health issues, other than some hip dysplasia from being a med to large dog.
overall great family dog.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Seriously, consider getting an adult dog from a rescue. Not only will the dog be past the high-maintenance puppy stage, but it will also allow you to weed out dogs with health issues or temperament problems. It's no fun to raise a puppy just to find out it has a devastating health or behavior problem.

Agree with this advice. We rescued a King Charles Spaniel when she was four years old, and she has been the most amazing dog. You could tell right off the bat that she was very low energy and just wanted to cuddle on your lap all day. We have had to spend a lot of money on her (she needed all her teeth removed, poor thing), but it was night and day to our other spaniel we got as a puppy. We had no idea what we were getting into and that dog is NUTS (even though the breed is generally very docile and calm).

What rescue did you use for the King Charles spaniel?

We really lucked out and got a Cav from a tiny local rescue organization in West Virginia. I found them through online searching. I have friends who have adopted through Cavalier Rescue USA, but apparently their process is really competitive. When I emailed the rescue org we used to inquire about our dog, they wanted to know a little about us, but once we said we already had a Cav they just said "sure, when can you come get her?" and that was that. Our dog was a puppy mill breeder in her past life, and she really is the best, best dog. Good luck if you are looking for one!

Anonymous wrote:You want a pet that you basically don’t want to provide care for? Hmm.

No, why do you get that idea?

Anonymous wrote:Why do you want a dog?

My kids have wanted one for a really long time and I finally feel they are at an age that they can help be responsible for the daily care.

We had a similar situation (slightly older kids) and wound up with a corgi. We also looked at Cavalier King Charles spaniels, shelties, and rescue puppies. Size was important to us, since our house is small.

Pros:
Friendly
Not too big, not too small
Trainable
Energetic but doesn't need long walks or long periods of strenuous exercise
Sturdy
Happy just to hang out with his "sheeple"
Because he's so short, it's easy to keep breakables or valuables out of his range.

Cons:
Sheds. OMG he sheds. More than you would ever think possible.
Tends to nip when he's excited. Never breaks the skin, but it can be alarming to small kids. Still trying to train this out of him.

Why do you want a dog?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Seriously, consider getting an adult dog from a rescue. Not only will the dog be past the high-maintenance puppy stage, but it will also allow you to weed out dogs with health issues or temperament problems. It's no fun to raise a puppy just to find out it has a devastating health or behavior problem.

Agree with this advice. We rescued a King Charles Spaniel when she was four years old, and she has been the most amazing dog. You could tell right off the bat that she was very low energy and just wanted to cuddle on your lap all day. We have had to spend a lot of money on her (she needed all her teeth removed, poor thing), but it was night and day to our other spaniel we got as a puppy. We had no idea what we were getting into and that dog is NUTS (even though the breed is generally very docile and calm).

What rescue did you use for the King Charles spaniel?