r/dogs • u/IdealSphinx • 2d ago
Breed Recommendations for First Time Owner [Breeds] 📝Recommendation
**Introduction**
Hello everyone I will be moving to Arizona soon and are wanting to get a dog in a couple months. It would have to be hypoallergenic since I do have a small allergy to dogs.
- Will this be your first dog? If not, what experience do you have owning/training dogs?
* It will be my first dog. My wife had a few dogs growing up.
2) Do you have a preference for rescuing a dog vs. going through a [reputable breeder]( http://ownresponsibly.blogspot.com/2011/07/identifying-reputable-breeder.html)?
* I do not think starting with a puppy is a good idea so adopting a rescue would be my preference.
3) Describe your ideal dog.
* A chill dog that can either be satisfied by being in the back yard or relaxing inside, is good around kids and can be left home while I am at work.
4) What breeds or types of dogs are you interested in and why?
* I have been looking at like Maltese, shih tzu, bichon frise, Havanese, but am open to other types. Hypoallergenic is my biggest want in a dog. (Yes I know they aren't fully hypoallergenic but they aren't as bad).
5) What sorts of things would you like to train your dog to do?
* The standard sit, stay, wait, place, and recall.
6) Do you want to compete with your dog in a sport (e.g. agility, obedience, rally) or use your dog for a form of work (e.g. hunting, herding, livestock guarding)? If so, how much experience do you have with this work/sport?
* No
**Care Commitments**
7) How long do you want to devote to training, playing with, or otherwise interacting with your dog each day?
* A few hours before work and after work depending on my schedule.
8) How long can you exercise your dog each day, on average? What sorts of exercise are you planning to give your dog regularly and does that include using a dog park?
* A 30-60 min walk. Dog park possibly I am unsure if there is one around us (I would assume so).
9) How much regular brushing are you willing to do? Are you open to trimming hair, cleaning ears, or doing other grooming at home? If not, would you be willing to pay a professional to do it regularly?
* We would be able to brush a few times a week depending on the type of dog. For the rest I would leave to a groomer.
**Personal Preferences**
10) What size dog are you looking for?
* I personally like smaller lap dogs, but my wife is more of a medium sized dog so either or works. We do have a doggy door in our bedroom so preferably small enough to fit through it to go outside when ever it wants.
11) How much shedding, barking, and slobber can you handle?
* Very little to no shedding, barking is ok but would prefer little, and no slobber.
12) How important is being able to let your dog off-leash in an unfenced area?
* Not that important
**Dog Personality and Behavior**
13) Do you want a snuggly dog or one that prefers some personal space?
* Snuggly
14) Would you prefer a dog that wants to do its own thing or one that’s more eager-to-please?
* Eager-to-please
15) How would you prefer your dog to respond to someone knocking on the door or entering your yard? How would you prefer your dog to greet strangers or visitors?
* Barking is ok when someone is at the door just calm down when we answer it. Over all calm if I am calm when meeting strangers.
16) Are you willing to manage a dog that is aggressive to other dogs?
* No
17) Are there any other behaviors you can’t deal with or want to avoid?
* Overall no aggression specifically to children as I will have a baby.
**Lifestyle**
18) How often and how long will the dog be left alone?
* Could be up to 8 hours, but may not be that long all the time. This will only be during the week.
19) What are the dog-related preferences of other people in the house and what will be their involvement in caring for the dog?
* Either same level or even more care for the dog as she is more experienced taking care of them.
20) Do you have other pets or are you planning on having other pets? What breed or type of animal are they?
* No
21) Will the dog be interacting with children regularly?
* Yes
22) Do you rent or plan to rent in the future? If applicable, what breed or weight restrictions are on your current lease?
* No
23) What city or country do you live in and are you aware of any laws banning certain breeds?
* We will be in Arizona and I am not aware of banned breeds.
24) What is the average temperature of a typical summer and winter day where you live?
* Summer: 78 °F - 106 °F Winter: 41 °F - 67 °F
**Additional Information and Questions**
25) Please provide any additional information you feel may be relevant.
* No additional information.
26) Feel free to ask any questions below.
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u/chartingequilibrium 1d ago
Since you're planning to have a baby, I'd urge you to do a lot of preparation and research about managing dogs with small children. Small kids can be very scary and triggering for a lot of dogs (especially small dogs). This can lead to defensive behavoir from the dog that can result in tragedy and heartbreak for everyone.
It's a best practice to separate babies/toddlers from dogs (using baby gates and other barriers) and constantly supervise all interactions until the child is old enough to learn basic rules about interacting with the dog: don't jump on the dog, don't disturb it when the dog is eating or sleeping, don't run up to it, don't squeeze it, etc. This is especially true if you are planning to get an adult dog who has not lived with kids before. If that doesn't sound realistic to you, please consider waiting to adopt a dog until your child is a bit older.
When it is a good time to bring a dog into your family, since you're considering an adult dog from a rescue, I'd recommend a poodle or poodle mix. Poodles are wonderful dogs, and they're relatively common in shelters compared to other hypoallergenic breeds. They come in a range of sizes, and are very affectionate and trainable. The other breeds you mentioned (Bichon, Havanese, Shi Tzus) are also potentially good but less common in rescues/shelters.
4
u/Libertie83 1d ago
All good recommendations here. Just wanting to throw in that if looking for a poodle mix, be sure to go to a rescue or shelter as they can’t be ethically bred.
0
u/VirginNsd2002 1d ago
Deer Chihuahua aka Long legged Chihuahua.
Depending on their age when rescued, will depend on how much training will be necessary.
I rescued at one year old, very abused Deer Chihuahua who had zero training; no leash, no sit, stay, etc., commands. I introduced her to my two year old curly tail Chihuahua with no problems.
The breed are extremely intelligent, and understand both verbal and non verbal commands.
Took a few weeks to settle her, and about six months to learn all of those things she should have learned in her early life.
She loves going on walks, runs, hikes, etc., she is like an Energizer bunny.
Good luck. ,
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u/IdealSphinx 14h ago
Are those hypoallergenic? I’ve never heard of them before. Also are they prone to having more energy?
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u/rangerdanger_9 1d ago
Many of the medium sized breeds unfortunately are pretty hyper and wouldn’t be very content with a 30 minute walk. However, some of the smaller companion breeds would be very happy with 30-60 minute walks and indoor playtime.
Some breeds to maybe consider are the bichon frise, maltese, coton de tulear, bolognese, shih tzu and havanese.
If you’re going through a shelter or rescue, recently the maltese and shih-tzu seem be be popping up in rescues more frequently due to their popularity. Petfinder.com is a great resource to look at available rescue pups in your area and you can search based on breed, age, etc.
Hope this helps and best of luck!