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Sad to say, me and my best friend are not working out like we had thought. Main reason being we have grown apart over the years and living together has proven that. Some things have happened and I would rather us stay friends then be uncomfortable in my own home. Chances are high she will moving soon. She has a little yorkie who I have grown rather fond of. I never really was a dog person growing up, we always had cats. For security reasons of being female and living alone and not being able to hear well I think I would like to have a dog of my own. Her little Starbux has been great company and he only barks when someone is at the door or he hears something outside. Many of you here are dog lovers so I am hoping you can give suggestions of a breed that I would like. I would prefer a small dog that does not shed and one that would be easy to house train. I will probably go to the animal shelter or search the SPCA and adopt since I do not the money to get an expensive type of dog.

Please share away any thought or ideas of searching for my new best friend...

You will probably not find much in the way of true breeds at the shelter, but you can definitely find a dog you will fall in love with. My neighbors just got a dog from the pound that is adorably cute (although still very skittish around others, I think she was probably abused). You can judge from those animals how big they will be; I've never rescued a dog that I didn't fall in love with and that didn't love me back. They were all very protective of us as well, which is what you are looking for. Since yours will be an inside dog, do look for one that will be ok indoors. (Even a mutt will still show signs of what breeds it has.) So don't get a huskie mix or something like that because it's cute, some dogs need to run..and if they can't, you can kiss your furniture goodbye, they will expend their energy on something like eating your couch.

What do you want in a dog? How much excercise can you provide? Is your yard fenced? How long will the dog be alone on a daily basis? How much dog hair are you willing to live with? Is professional grooming in your budget?

Give all of the above some serious thought...and let me know. I"m sure I can help you locate the perfect dog for you...as well as help you through the transistion period when 'fluffy' joins your home..

I'm sorry you and your carolina best friend aren't working out. OK, sarcasm turned off. Really, I'm sorry. Better y'all remain friends.

I too grew up with dogs, although we've been dog free for the last 10 years. I get my "dog fix" by visiting my inlaws . And I'm allergic to cats as most on this board know. Most dogs shed. Does hers? If not, or if not much, a Yorkie would be a good place to start. Or maybe a Yorkie mix (depending on the mix). You may not find one on your first trip to the pound/rescue. Don't get a puppy. Yes, they're all cute and trainable, but unless you're home to do all the training, they require far more time to train. An adult dog hopefully has had that and maybe doesn't have too many bad habits (OK, then why is it up for re-adoption?) and might not be quite as "high strung".

Something else to consider. Small dogs tend to be "yappers". Are your condo neighbors home all day while you are gone to work? Do they have young children/babies at home who may be sleeping, or trying to sleep? You might want to find these things out before you introduce a new source of frequent noise into the neighborhood.

Good luck and I hope you find the love and companionship that you are looking for!

You can also look in to local rescue groups. Just about every breed has a national and local rescue groups, which allows you to get a spayed/neutered purebred for a fraction of the pedigree puppy costs. In addition, most rescues are foster in homes and they will give you an honest assessment of the dog (because it is in their best interest to get the dog in the RIGHT home not just any home) Shelters only have what the owners say (and believe me they lie) to go by.

http://www.adoptapet.com/pet5271236.html

How about this guy?

I found my Merlin hound at a rescue shelter in Roanoke via petfinder.com. IIRC, the website lets you sort by location, so it gives you a chance to see what's in all the local shelters rather than having to drive to each one independently.

A dog is a great companion. I wouldn't want to be without one/several anymore.

Best of luck to you with this!

There are so many things you have to consider. I, for one, am a bulldog fan myself. They aren't yappy, they're lazy and while they need SOME exercise (all dogs do), they don't need a lot. They're also very loyal and fiercely protective of their families, and are just big enough to do some damage in that regard. On the downside, a lot of people think they're ugly (I'm in the camp that thinks they're so ugly they're cute) and they tend to be flatulent if you don't feed them just the right diet. So, in that regard, they're kind of like having a live-in boyfriend.

bjornolf wrote: So, in that regard, they're kind of like having a live-in boyfriend.

I've long thought that my next dog (which I don't want to think about for a long time) will be a bulldog, I think they are cool.



I didn't know about the flatulence, but that's ok. I will name my bulldog Fartblossom.

If you get a breed, definitely find out if there are any diseases specific to that type of dog. Neither of us knew schnauzers got bladder stones, or we'd have put Sasha on her special (read: expensive) diet before she ended up at the vet's for a week and we made several boat payments for Dr. Mireles.

My dog before Merlin was a pit bull mix (a great dog, except he didn't like men) named The Writ of Certiorari ("Cert"). I wanted my next dog to be The Writ of Mandamus ("Mandy") and then The Writ of Habeas Corpus and The Writ of Certification. Instead I got Merlin and Countess Sasha von Barketta. Sigh.

windsor wrote:http://www.adoptapet.com/pet5271236.html

How about this guy?

He's pretty! And located in Greensboro too! Good find Windsor. Sure helps when you know where to look

CameronBornAndBred wrote:

bjornolf wrote: So, in that regard, they're kind of like having a live-in boyfriend.

I've long thought that my next dog (which I don't want to think about for a long time) will be a bulldog, I think they are cool.



I didn't know about the flatulence, but that's ok. I will name my bulldog Fartblossom.

Looks just like the Bulldog beerhouse in Banner Elk that I visited last summer that went out of business last fall...

windsor wrote:http://www.adoptapet.com/pet5271236.html

How about this guy?

If I didn't already have 2 dogs, I would seriously consider this little guy.

OZZIE4DUKE wrote:

windsor wrote:http://www.adoptapet.com/pet5271236.html

How about this guy?

He's pretty! And located in Greensboro too! Good find Windsor. Sure helps when you know where to look

I do what I do. Finding dogs is one my specialties.

for the record, if I ever get a small dog...it will be one of these:

OZZIE4DUKE wrote:

CameronBornAndBred wrote:

bjornolf wrote: So, in that regard, they're kind of like having a live-in boyfriend.

I've long thought that my next dog (which I don't want to think about for a long time) will be a bulldog, I think they are cool.



I didn't know about the flatulence, but that's ok. I will name my bulldog Fartblossom.

Looks just like the Bulldog beerhouse in Banner Elk that I visited last summer that went out of business last fall...

Too much flatulence?

CameronBornAndBred wrote:So don't get a huskie mix or something like that because it's cute, some dogs need to run..and if they can't, you can kiss your furniture goodbye, they will expend their energy on something like eating your couch.

... or maybe even a box or two of pizza.

By the way, Georgia the Wonderdog is an Australian Shepherd that is energetic and hard-wired to herd. She gets a bad reputation for her pizza-eating qualities, and sometimes she gets a little stir-crazy, not unlike what CB&B has described with huskies.

Part of the deal is that she doesn't have any resident sheep to herd, so she herds us instead. While this may seem to be an annoyance, she has recently shown that she may also have some therapy dog qualities in her. We recently visited my elderly parents, and the two of us went on a walk with my father, who is slowing down a lot. During the walk, I was in the front a few strides ahead of my dad. Georgia wanted to be with me, but kept circling back to make sure my dad was keeping up with us. In some cases, she alternated walking each one of us. In some cases, she circled back to walk with him. In some cases, she slowed me down to keep my dad in pace with us. My dad REALLY appreciated her.

She also really lifted the spirits of my mom. Not a single bark. She just cuddled up, and just gave them a lot of companionship.

Do what windsor says. Seriously, she's helped us out a ton.

windsor wrote:http://www.adoptapet.com/pet5271236.html

How about this guy?

Great responses from all! Much appreciated!

Windsor, He is a cutie! A little fella like that is right up my alley...



This is the current man of the house and really would love a furry friend similar to him!

I think you should just dognap Pee Pod.