WANTED: Lap Dog

S

Stacy

Cathlete
Hi my husband and I are dog hunting and what better place to get some "real" advice and suggestions than here?! Some of the main characteristics we're looking for in a dog...

1. Small size
2. Lap dog
3. Little to no shedding (I have mild allergies)
4. Gets along well with other dogs
5. Extremely friendly, even with strangers

My husband and I both work, but can come home for lunch every day. We're also planning on getting two dogs, not necessarily the same breed so they can keep each other company.

Any suggestions????

Thanks in advance!

:) Stacy
 
I vote for Yorkshire Terrier. They don't shed, love to lay on your lap, small size. I miss my Yorkie.....;-)
 
I think Yorkies (yorkshire terriers) are great, too. I have a 6 month old tiny "teacup" chihuahua and a 6-month old "teacup" yorkie. The chihuahua may be barely two pounds and the Yorkie is probably 3 1/2. But she is so compact that she looks smaller than her weight would suggest. She LOVES to just be with you and sit on your lap. She is very smart, but very stubborn as well.

I've heard that pomeranians are fantastic little dogs, too, and I almost got one :) I just couldn't find one small enough for my chihuahua :)

Good luck :)
Sara
 
yorkie

I have a Yorkie/Silky mix. He's about 6lbs at 6 mos (not a "teacup") and would fit all of your criteria. He gets along with my mom's Westie who's also a great lapdog (but bigger). The Westie gets tired more easily though and can get annoyed when she wants to stop playing.
You need to play with a puppy a lot though- lots of energy! But then they wear out and fall asleep. If you had 2 dogs, I think they wouldn't realize you were gone as much. When I come home from work, he's been asleep all day and so wound up- and I just want to nap!

Good luck!

Warning- from what I hear, small dogs are harder to train.
 
Oh, we are just in LOVE with our little Maltese, Anieliese (Ani for short)! She's tiny. Just four pounds. The other night she was sitting on our bed, looking out the window. Her silky white coat was shining in the light of the full moon. I said something like, "Oh, look at Ani, she's practically glowing." My husband (a former . . . well, not a dog hater, but a dog-ignorer) added, "as all angels should." The big goofball!

She is our little angel, though. So much fun. A cuddly little ball of love. Imperious, but good-natured. Fun to spoil rotten, because she never gets obnoxious. My dad says she tickles him just by walking across the floor. (Of course, it's no surprise I got my love of animals from my dad.) Just a delight!

And the Maltese breed meets all your criteria for a good lap dog. Also, if you're worried about caring for the long, beautiful (and ultimately a pain-in-the-patootie) coat of the Maltese, we keep ours in a sort of modified puppy clip. She's just as adorable without the labor-intensive cascades of fur.

Oh, choose mine! Choose mine! But seriously, I'm sure that whatever type of dogs you choose, you'll love and enjoy them! And I'm so glad to hear you're getting two. I'd never have a single again. It's too much fun to watch them play together, and they keep each other from getting lonely and bored.

Shari
 
I love the Maltese- they make great lap dogs and they don't shed nor smell. My Mom has had 2 of them and each time I go to visit her I come back begging my husband to get one for our family.

Sarah
 
:D PUG definitely! They are quite costly but they are well worth the price! Actually, you can even get a pug from the pug rescue for a reasonable price! They are the friendliest, easy-going, companion dogs and they are a lot of fun! My two pugs are my best friends!
 
I second the vote for Shih Tzu!!!! I have never liked dogs, or really liked animals for that matter. In January, I quit my job. My mom got one, and the minute I held her, it was love at first sight. I was lonely during the day, talked my husband into getting one. She is black/white, and is our child together. We take her everywhere, spoil her to death, and LOVE her to pieces. She is 10 lbs., and perfect. She loves to sit beside you in the chair, or on the couch...She is our BABY!!!!
Lori
 
My parents own a Yorkie, and that dog would rather sit in a lap then on the floor. He is good friends with all their neighborhood dogs and frequently visits all of them. He also is very good with my three year old son. Plus he's very cute, weighs in at around 3 lbs I believe. Some are bigger than that, some a smaller. But I wuld recommend for sure a yorkshire terrior.

Kathy
 
Have you considered a French Bulldog? They are supposed to be extremely loving! One of my friends has one and she will never be without that bundle of love.

If you want a small dog with a big dog attitude, look into the Schipperke. The only problem with the schipperke is that they are naturally protective of their home, so you have to socialize them early-- otherwise they can be very distrustful of people that they don't know. They are naturally curious and will pop their head into the bathroom when you are sitting on the toilet!! They just want to know whats going on behind that closed door! They are also ratters, so if you have any rat or mice problems, this doggie is your bud!

Otherwise I have heard great things about the Yorkie too.
 
I absolutely love my mini dachshund, Mayzie!!!:)

She is small and I can take her most everywhere. Whether it is to visit family, or just to run errands.

She has very short hair, and barely sheds. Because of the short coat, it is very simple to keep her clean which would help with allergies for sure! Also, this breed requires no expensive grooming! Our Scottie doesn't shed either, but he needs to be taken to the groomers for regular haircuts. Most dogs who don't shed require this, and it adds up cost wise.

We also have a Scottie dog, Yancey. He is truly my husbands lap dog, and it was looking over at him, with Yancey on his lap that made me want my own baby. A friend had a dachshund, and I fell in love with her. I never would have thought of this breed, but now I would never want anything else. I come from a long line of German Sheppard lovers, so this is quite a shift for me.

The two dogs get along well with everyone, and especially each other. They are the funniest thing to watch at night. Way better than television:) They truly love each other, but know whose lap they belong on. Imagine that! Yancey sleeps next to our bed, but Mayzie sleeps right next to my side to keep warm. Very sweet on nights when my husband is at the firestation.

They are both extremely friendly, but I will say that Mayzie needs to be "introduced" to men. I am told this is not unusual with dachshunds. She is never aggressive, just shy, but once properly petted by a new visitor she doesn't forget them the next time. With kids and women, she is all kisses and wagging tail. Yancey is perfectly polite all the time, but will bark to alert us to dogs outside our fence, or if a squirrel dares to come into the yard:eek: *gasp*!

I will say that both breeds are "earth dogs". Meaning these breeds like to hunt ground things. Mice, ground squirrels, etc, so they will dig. We have plenty of safe places in our yard for them to do that, but if you have a beautiful flower bed it is fair game. I have actually scented areas of our yard where there are lots of rocks. This keeps them occupied if they are ever bored with watching for the UPS man to come by.

I will also add that they make me laugh every day. Especially Mayzie. Dachshunds are so comical looking that they are very amusing to have around. Amazing personalities. I have seen the biggest, toughest men just adore her, and it has probably been one of the most surprising parts of having her. I dress her up:p in cute sweaters, so she is really girly, and yet they are very much a "guy dog" kind of breed as well.

Hope this helps! Have fun in your search ;-)
 
>Beagle?

Beagles actually shed quite a bit. I didn't think they did but investigated the breed for a co-worker and the 3 people that I run agilty with who have beagles all said they shed moer than one would think.

Colleen
 
If you have allergies, hyou might want to try one of the poodle varieties. The breed I own, Vizslas, are great if you have allergies but don't meet your other requirements (well they think they are lap dogs but are usually 45-50 lbs).

Also check out:

www.yourpurebredpuppy.com

Colleen
 
Well, I just have to third or fourth the vote for Shih Tzu too...we've got one and she's adorable...she weighs about 3 1/2 pounds and she's 3 years old now! She was the runt of the litter...as a matter of fact all of her sibs are at least double her size, some more than that. But anyway, she is the SWEETEST dog I've ever had...I never knew much about the breed until we got her. They have the best temperament, and they are BIG-TIME lap dogs! lol...They always want to be either in your lap (mine's in my lap right now) or cuddled up next to you in some way...they're great! :)
 
I asked for recommendations on my Dobe list and a lot of people suggestd pugs:

"Anyway, the breed to get is a pug. No grooming and small, clean
and very good temperment."

Colleen
 
Please consider going to your local animal shelter and adopting a dog - or two! There are so many out there that need good homes and make wonderful pets! And I think you can't do better than a "Heinz 57"!!!
 
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