A Small, Calm Dog? - Page 2 - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

Elphaba · 10-07-2006, 02:18 PM

It didn't take long for some creep to dump three dogs. We took Rottie with us to take a look at them and see if he liked one of them. There was a female black lab who had recently had pups, and a yellow lab male. Both were very timid and glued to each other. A much smaller, younger dog was "protecting" the other two with aggressive barking. Guess which one Rottie liked? All three were being taken to the shelter that night, so we took a chance on the little feisty one.

AND SHE'S A KEEPER!!!!

She's a small black spaniel of some kind or more likely a mix. She is house trained and knows several obedience commands. She has calmed down completely since getting settled in here, and she and Rot are becoming good pals. She's a cuddler and followers me everywhere I go...which may earn her the name of "Shadow." She will play fetch with a ball for as long as we are willing to throw it. We think she is one year old at most, and she will be seeing the vet this week for a checkup. Hopefully, she will be very good for our granddaughter, too. I'll take her down to the beach today to see how much of a water dog she is.

Thanks again, everyone, especially those that suggested I be on the look out for a spaniel type of dog. We're in love, already.

Willravel · 10-07-2006, 02:34 PM

That's fantastic!!! It sounds like Shadow has found a good home in you guys, and you guys found a nother great companion in Shadow.

amonkie · 10-07-2006, 02:56 PM

All of our dogs have been spaniels ... glad to see you've also found a good friend

jorgelito · 10-07-2006, 06:56 PM

*sniff* I love happy endings!!! [runs off to find more tissues] I gotta get out of the Pet Forum......

I was going to suggest a Basenji - they are small, "barkless" dogs.

Sweetpea · 10-10-2006, 10:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brewmaniac

A calm quiet little dog, unless old, I'd try stuffed first. Big dog or no dog for me.

this just gave me a chuckle

As to the topic.

I have found beagles to be quite high strung in my experience.

I would suggest a Shi-Tzu for the criteria you shared. the breed is compact, less time consuming and generally a very likeable breed that's typically very sweet.

however, I would like to note that with any breed you decide on, do your research with different breeders. I have had one very wild and hyper lab and one very calm pomeranian... both the opposite of what their "typical breed characteristic" shows. It really comes down often to the personality and disposition of the individual puppy, so bear that in mind.

sweetpea

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elphaba

AND SHE'S A KEEPER!!!!

She's a small black spaniel of some kind or more likely a mix. She is house trained and knows several obedience commands.

apparently I should read the whole thread.... anyway...

congrats!

excellent

I'm so happy that this worked out so great for you!

I wish you and your new addition many happy years

sweetpea

high_jinx · 11-03-2006, 02:46 PM

i guess the issue has been settled and im late to the thread....

but no one mentioned pugs!!!

they are a great size, they're not yippy at all and i've never seen a vicious one in my life. i've also never seen dogs that have such unique and distinctive personalities from one to another.

all in all, though , grats on your shadow!

thingstodo · 11-07-2006, 03:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elphaba

It didn't take long for some creep to dump three dogs. We took Rottie with us to take a look at them and see if he liked one of them. There was a female black lab who had recently had pups, and a yellow lab male. Both were very timid and glued to each other. A much smaller, younger dog was "protecting" the other two with aggressive barking. Guess which one Rottie liked? All three were being taken to the shelter that night, so we took a chance on the little feisty one.

It's so smart to listen to your animals.

I have a poodle and when we moved a few years ago I was all worried about finding a new groomer. The current groomer said to just let our girl pick the new groomer. So we went to several new places and it was so obvious which one she liked. And she still loves the place and marches right in every time we go!

Acetylene · 11-12-2006, 07:45 PM

I have owned a Sheltie and my mother has a Shi Tzu.

The Sheltie is a working dog and needs to be given work to do. This can take the form of good obedience training; they will understand that their "job" is simply to love you and obey you, if you stimulate their minds by teaching them new things regularly.

Shelties that are hyper are shelties that are repressed. They are not given proper outlets to their desire to bark, or else they are not given a job to do; thus, they decide that their "job" is to bark at things. I gave my sheltie specific instructions about when to bark and when not to bark, so there was no confusion (simply teaching "barking is never OK" will result in an upset dog and not stop the barking). She could bark at the coffee grinder and the garage door opener.

The Sheltie is an amazing companion when taught and directed in this way. Their loyalty is boundless and their intelligence sufficient to make them a real friend, and not just a pet. They are small enough to keep exercised just by playing fetch along a long hallway or a small yard. Can you tell I loved my Sheltie?

If what you want is a friend and playmate (or dare I say Partnet?) then you want a Sheltie.

My mother's Shi Tzu is something else entirely. A Shi Tzu is NOT a working dog and has no understanding of WHY thei should obey commands. They can be convinced through extensive training but in general, while you canr ely on them to be well-MANNERED, you cannot rely on them to be obedient to commands.

This being said, they are incedible cuddlers. They are the result of thousands of years of patient Chinese breeders creating the ultimate baby substitute. Everything about them, from the way they prick their ears to the littlest wiggle of the tail, is designed to be cute beyond the definition of the word. Their joints and muscles are soft, feeling more like a cat than a dog, and they are completely comfortable held on their back or snuggled in whatever way you might want. If what you want is a cuddle companion, then you want a Shi Tzu.

Both dogs are gentle enough to be around kids, but the Shi Tzu will find them annoying if they try to play too rough. The Sheltie is excellent with the very young and those old enough to be responsible; they are like sweet nannies to infants and toddlers, and are respectful of preteens. However, the in-between can create problems, as the child tries to play and the Sheltie tries to respond; either the child will accidentally step on or hurt this small dog that looks and plays like a big dog, or the Sheltie will attempt to "herd" the child and frighten them (NEVER hurt them). This can be avoided by supervising the two of them together until they have gotten to know each other a little.

Both of these breeds suffer from excess popularity, sadly. Thus, you must do your research VERY well. Meet as many adult dogs from a breeder as you can, preferably siblings and offpsring of the parents of your potantial puppy. In Shi Tzus, watch out for stubborn and willful disobedience (little tyrants); in Shelties, watch for yappy, high-strung dogs or, in recent attempts at correcting this, lumpy fat dogs. These faults are NOT part of the breed: they are the result of poor breeding practises, and need not be tolerated.

I would heartily recommend either breed, it just depends on your intended purpose for your dog.

10-07-2006, 02:56 PM	#43 (permalink)
amonkie Drifting Administrator Location: Windy City	All of our dogs have been spaniels ... glad to see you've also found a good friend __________________ Calling from deep in the heart, from where the eyes can't see and the ears can't hear, from where the mountain trails end and only love can go... ~~~ Three Rivers Hare Krishna

11-03-2006, 02:46 PM	#46 (permalink)
high_jinx Psycho Location: venice beach, ca	i guess the issue has been settled and im late to the thread.... but no one mentioned pugs!!! they are a great size, they're not yippy at all and i've never seen a vicious one in my life. i've also never seen dogs that have such unique and distinctive personalities from one to another. all in all, though , grats on your shadow! __________________ -my phobia drowned while i was gettin down.

11-12-2006, 07:45 PM	#48 (permalink)
Acetylene Addict Location: under a rock	I have owned a Sheltie and my mother has a Shi Tzu. The Sheltie is a working dog and needs to be given work to do. This can take the form of good obedience training; they will understand that their "job" is simply to love you and obey you, if you stimulate their minds by teaching them new things regularly. Shelties that are hyper are shelties that are repressed. They are not given proper outlets to their desire to bark, or else they are not given a job to do; thus, they decide that their "job" is to bark at things. I gave my sheltie specific instructions about when to bark and when not to bark, so there was no confusion (simply teaching "barking is never OK" will result in an upset dog and not stop the barking). She could bark at the coffee grinder and the garage door opener. The Sheltie is an amazing companion when taught and directed in this way. Their loyalty is boundless and their intelligence sufficient to make them a real friend, and not just a pet. They are small enough to keep exercised just by playing fetch along a long hallway or a small yard. Can you tell I loved my Sheltie? If what you want is a friend and playmate (or dare I say Partnet?) then you want a Sheltie. My mother's Shi Tzu is something else entirely. A Shi Tzu is NOT a working dog and has no understanding of WHY thei should obey commands. They can be convinced through extensive training but in general, while you canr ely on them to be well-MANNERED, you cannot rely on them to be obedient to commands. This being said, they are incedible cuddlers. They are the result of thousands of years of patient Chinese breeders creating the ultimate baby substitute. Everything about them, from the way they prick their ears to the littlest wiggle of the tail, is designed to be cute beyond the definition of the word. Their joints and muscles are soft, feeling more like a cat than a dog, and they are completely comfortable held on their back or snuggled in whatever way you might want. If what you want is a cuddle companion, then you want a Shi Tzu. Both dogs are gentle enough to be around kids, but the Shi Tzu will find them annoying if they try to play too rough. The Sheltie is excellent with the very young and those old enough to be responsible; they are like sweet nannies to infants and toddlers, and are respectful of preteens. However, the in-between can create problems, as the child tries to play and the Sheltie tries to respond; either the child will accidentally step on or hurt this small dog that looks and plays like a big dog, or the Sheltie will attempt to "herd" the child and frighten them (NEVER hurt them). This can be avoided by supervising the two of them together until they have gotten to know each other a little. Both of these breeds suffer from excess popularity, sadly. Thus, you must do your research VERY well. Meet as many adult dogs from a breeder as you can, preferably siblings and offpsring of the parents of your potantial puppy. In Shi Tzus, watch out for stubborn and willful disobedience (little tyrants); in Shelties, watch for yappy, high-strung dogs or, in recent attempts at correcting this, lumpy fat dogs. These faults are NOT part of the breed: they are the result of poor breeding practises, and need not be tolerated. I would heartily recommend either breed, it just depends on your intended purpose for your dog. __________________ There's no justice. There's just us.

10-07-2006, 02:18 PM	#41 (permalink)
Elphaba Deja Moo Location: Olympic Peninsula, WA	It didn't take long for some creep to dump three dogs. We took Rottie with us to take a look at them and see if he liked one of them. There was a female black lab who had recently had pups, and a yellow lab male. Both were very timid and glued to each other. A much smaller, younger dog was "protecting" the other two with aggressive barking. Guess which one Rottie liked? All three were being taken to the shelter that night, so we took a chance on the little feisty one. AND SHE'S A KEEPER!!!! She's a small black spaniel of some kind or more likely a mix. She is house trained and knows several obedience commands. She has calmed down completely since getting settled in here, and she and Rot are becoming good pals. She's a cuddler and followers me everywhere I go...which may earn her the name of "Shadow." She will play fetch with a ball for as long as we are willing to throw it. We think she is one year old at most, and she will be seeing the vet this week for a checkup. Hopefully, she will be very good for our granddaughter, too. I'll take her down to the beach today to see how much of a water dog she is. Thanks again, everyone, especially those that suggested I be on the look out for a spaniel type of dog. We're in love, already.

10-07-2006, 02:34 PM	#42 (permalink)
Willravel ... a sort of licensed troubleshooter.	That's fantastic!!! It sounds like Shadow has found a good home in you guys, and you guys found a nother great companion in Shadow.

10-07-2006, 06:56 PM	#44 (permalink)
jorgelito All important elusive independent swing voter... Location: People's Republic of KKKalifornia	sniff I love happy endings!!! [runs off to find more tissues] I gotta get out of the Pet Forum...... I was going to suggest a Basenji - they are small, "barkless" dogs.