My cousin wants a dog....

[Ritz459]

Hello all!! Anyways, when my cousin gets an apartment, she wants to get a dog. Here are her requirements in a dog:
1. She can carry it around in a bag. (ie. take it places.)
2. It has to look good in a sweater.
3. It can keep up with her when she walks/jogs.
4. It has to be small.
5. It doesn't shed a whole bunch
6. You don't need to groom it.
7. Doesn't bark a whole bunch. (Like a Sheltie does.)

Right now she is thinking of a Miniature Pinscher. She asked me what I thought about it, and I was kinda hesitante because I know they are a pretty scrapy breed and are busy, busy, busy. What do you think about it? Is there any other breed that you would recomend? Thanks for your help!!

(I was able to talk her in to letting me help her pick out a pup when she gets one, so hopefully I will be able to steer her to a good breeder and not to a PM, BYB, or PetStore.)
(Oh, and when she was telling me about her requirements and stuff, my mom goes and plops a stuffed dog in her lap and goes, "There's your dog. It doesn't shed, bark, pee, and you can take it places." I thought that was pretty funny. )

[gaddylovesdogs]

A Bichon Frise? They don't shed much, don't bark much, small enought to fit in bag carrier, it can wear a sweater (any dog can), it can take nice walks, they're small, not much grooming......

[milo]

Hi,
How about...
Wennier dog/Miniature duchound (i think they are,)
Yorkie(but they dont really run alot)
Miniature poodle
I would say Jack Rusell but they Bark alot!!!

[Carrie]

(Oh, and when she was telling me about her requirements and stuff, my mom goes and plops a stuffed dog in her lap and goes, "There's your dog. It doesn't shed, bark, pee, and you can take it places." I thought that was pretty funny. )

I agree with your Mom on this one. Her requirements make me think she is wanting a dog for some abstract reason. Maybe I'm wrong on that.

[ChiChi]

how a about a Tibbie??? (tibetan spaniel) or even a King Charles Caviler Spaniel! you should even take her the pound or shelter! hse should think about adopting first then if she doesnt find anything she can look in the paper or something...
Hope this Helps!

[Ritz459]

I'll have to ask her why she wants a dog. I think the reason is she wants a companion that she can take everywhere with her. If/when she gets a dog, I think we will probably go to a shelter to get one.
Don't you have to clip the Bichon Frise though? Same with the Poodle. I've mentioned the Pappilon(sp?) but she thinks they are prissy-froo-froo dogs and/or they are weak and shivery little things. I think she would take care of a dog and trian it and all, but the reason I'm mostly hesitant is she is having money troubles right now and I don't really think getting a dog when you are having money troubles is the wisest thing in the world.

[ChiChi]

i suposse... but maybe like you can help her with her "money problem".. you caould be like if you get out of this money problem then we will buy the dog, but she has to get all the food and ect... so that way you kill two birds with one stone... but maybe that isnt a good thing for her... i dont kno her so i dont rele kno that much... but definately go to the pound before shelter because mostly shelters are No Kill but the pound gives them like 2 weeks then they are PTS, so go to the pound first....

[doberkim]

no, if you cant afford the dog its not a wise thing to get it. you can pay for it, but when it gets sick, what then? when money is tight again, who buys the food?

if she wants a dog, she has to be able to afford it.

above all, i find it ironic that she doesnt want a wimpy shivery dog, but she wants one tiny enough to sit in a bag, wear clothes, etc? contradiction in terms?

i suggest she pick out the stuffed animal of her choice. almost all tiny dogs, save the short/smooth coats, require intense grooming. if she treats this dog like a baby, it has the potential to be a terror.

additionally, small dogs have legs just like other dogs - 4 of them, too. they can walk. there is no need for a bag. excpet of course when she takes it for a jog?!?!?!?! because there is no way it can keep up with a human running! except how can you carry a bag that doesnt bump around....
seriously, i doubt right now that her wants are realistic!

[gaddylovesdogs]

Well, Bichons should have a professional clip every now and then.....but now that I think of it more and now that I've got more info, I don't think she should really get a dog. Maybe she should consider getting fish.

[ChiChi]

a fish isnt rele such a bad i dea... now she could get a fancy fish like a Beta or maybe an Oscar... she could get a large tank w/ not to fancy fish or w/e....

[Rip's Girl]

It sounds like she wants a fashion accessory, not a dog. If I were to write a long post on this, it would just be repeating what Kim has said. I fully agree with her. Your cousin must not know much about dogs, because small dogs are also dogs, with very big, delicate egos. too much babying and they either turn into a neurotic mess, or they get to be obnoxious. You don't see this in larger dogs as much because people don't put them in totes and carry them everywhere.
I agree with your mom. Until she learns more about dogs, she should have a stuffed one. Maybe a fish would be a good idea.... No, maybe not.. She might try to put a sweater on it..

[Carrie]

"It sounds like she wants a fashion accessory, not a dog."

That's exactly what my first gut reaction was. Exactly.

But as far as small dogs go, toy breeds are very often little yappers. There's no getting around that. She wants a tiny dog who doesn't bark a lot. Well, good luck.

As far as keeping up with a jogger, my Chihuahuas can by far outrun me. They go with my big dogs and me on hikes that are mostly up hill and anywhere from 2 to 4 miles, sometimes longer. They absolutely rip roar along the trail. They run back to see if I'm still coming along and then they go tearing up the hill again, scampering over and under logs and brush. They're better at negotiating obstacles than the big dogs. LOL. They love it and don't get any more tired than the big boy. So, size isn't much of an issue unless there's something wrong with the dog.

They also have very short coats....no grooming to speak of required.

But they are yappers at times, loud, shrill and reactive. LOL.

They would not like to be carried around in a bag. They'd hate it. They want to walk, run, investigate, see the world.

They also hate their coats. I only use them if it's below about 15 degrees when we're on our walks. They keep warm enough as long as they're exercising. When it got to 30 below zero, they'd run out to pee and run back in within about 1 minute. Their pee practically froze before it hit the ground. Not quite, but almost. We didn't walk for those days that it was so cold. Highly uncommon around here that it gets that cold.

Anyhow, it sounds like she needs to do a lot more thinking and some growing up. LOL.

[ChiChi]

I got this from www.akc.org
I am not sure if they would like to wear sweaters, but then again what dog does!?!

So you want to own a Boston Terrier?

His coat is easy to care for when it comes to grooming. A few strokes with a soft brush will keep his short, smooth coat gleaming.

He is loving and sensitive, merry and bright, at times a clown and has a deep love for his family and children.

Usually he will get along well with other family pets if introduced to them at a young age.

[Rip's Girl]

Ohh yes, Carrie is right.. As much as you work with them on it, toy breeds have the loudest, most obnoxious bark. Ripley sometimes gets together with the neighbor's min pin and they "YIP-YIP-YIP-ROOOOYIPYIPYIP" for hours. It's an ear-splitting noise, and the min pin's bark is so high that it sounds like a small child screaming at the top of their lungs.
She has set her expectations far too high. If she gets a dog now, she will only be disappointed.

[fireworksinjuly]

why are you against Min Pins...they arnt scrappy unless they are not trained properly...they are very affectionate, small enough to cary, look awesome in sweaters..pants even....healthy ones dont shed much, with good training you can teach them not to bark, but trust me with no training they will bark a LOT...and for being little they can run!