Dogs... what kind should I get for my mom?

[burn_this_city]

Get her a Shetland sheep dog. Smart, friendly, good with people, clean, and incredibly loyal.

[Kybosh]

For my serious answer, I recommend a Scottish terrier to a Cairn terrier.

[REDVAN]

We have a yorkie/shi-*tzhu that is a great dog. This is what she looked like when we got her.

[Table 5]

Originally Posted by burn_this_city

Get her a Shetland sheep dog. Smart, friendly, good with people, clean, and incredibly loyal.

Great dogs, but only do this if your mom is very active and spends a lot of time outside. Herding dogs love exercise and being busy, so having them be cooped up will make them go crazy. If your mom just wants a lap dog, I wouldn't recommend a sheltie or anything that comes from a herding background.

[DementedReality]

only good dog is a dead dog! just kidding!

i would recommend a stuffed animal though (no not a real one stuffed, a manufactured one!).

dogs ... blech! smelly, licky, barky and needy ... sounds like a great gift!

[Regulator75]

^^^ Dess, is that you?

[red sky]

Perhaps have your mom try these online matching quizes, for example:

http://www.selectsmart.com/DOG/

[FlamesGirl]

Make sure you take into account how active your mom is. Most canine behavioural problems (barking, chewing, digging, etc) are caused by too little exercise and boredom. If your mom walks/jogs for an hour a day, most breeds would be happy with that except the smaller "working" dogs, like terriers and the already mentioned shetland sheepdog who need to be kept physically AND mentally stimulated for hours a day. If your mom wants more of a lapdog, then yorkies, pugs, daschunds, bichons are probably a better bet. Keep in mind that any dog needs at least one 20 min walk a day to be mentally happy. Putting a dog in the backyard isn't good enough for exercise. The yard doesn't exercise the dog; the owner does.

Again, if you go with a rescue dog you'll have some sort of idea on the energy requirements of the specific dog. I have a young flat coat retriever cross and most retriever owners will tell you these dogs have tons of energy and need loads of walking/jogging. My dog was touted as a calm, quiet retriever and it's true; he's definitely abnormal as he's happy with a 30 min walk a day.

Check out some rescue sites and see what's available and look for exercise requirements to match up to your mom's activity level. I'm sure you'll find a small dog suitable for what you and your mom are looking for. Sometimes it takes awhile but better to research and plan what you want then to make a snap, spur of the moment decision. Too many of those snap decisions end up in shelters and rescue organizations.

[Huntingwhale]

His name is Hektor.

[burn_this_city]

Originally Posted by Table 5

Great dogs, but only do this if your mom is very active and spends a lot of time outside. Herding dogs love exercise and being busy, so having them be cooped up will make them go crazy. If your mom just wants a lap dog, I wouldn't recommend a sheltie or anything that comes from a herding background.

Our sheltie is pretty laid back. We walk him everyday but he's definitely not as energetic as a border collie.

[Ice]

Yorkies are great little dogs. I have several friends with them and they seem to be the smallest dog you can get without that irritating small dog disposition. They're smart, they like to be lap dogs but they need to be brushed every day if you keep their hair long.

I agree with the poster who said anything crossed with a Bichon Frise. I have a Bichon/Shih Tzu mix and she's a great dog. She doesn't shed and she is lovable and easy to train. She does bark if anyone gets near our fence and that can be annoying if you leave a dog outside for long periods of time.

I had a Shi Tzu when I was in college and my mom has had one, they were great dogs. The only problem with a short snouted dog is that they can snore. Shi Tzu hair is high maintenance, it mats up really easily if not brushed every day.

I personally avoid anything crossed with a poodle. I find them way too high strung. Crossing a breed with a Bichon Frise accomplishes the goal of a non-shedding dog with a way calmer disposition.

[FanIn80]

[4X4]

Take her to an adoption place. People don't choose their dogs, dogs choose their people.

[Sidney Crosby's Hat]

Originally Posted by Ice

Yorkies are great little dogs. I have several friends with them and they seem to be the smallest dog you can get without that irritating small dog disposition. They're smart, they like to be lap dogs but they need to be brushed every day if you keep their hair long.

Agreed. My mom has three and they're great. Not too yappy, easily trainable and smart. There's some good Yorkie breeders in the Calgary area too. I think that's where she got hers (and they're in Edmonton).

[Buzzard]

We've got a pair of yorkie/silky terriers. They're great little dogs, pretty smart and very entertaining. They don't shed, but like someone said, need to be regularly brushed if you let their hair grow. We just keep ours quite short. One is 12 lbs, but we didn't expect her to get more than 8, as her biggest parent was only 8. The other is barely pushing 6 lbs soaking wet. He's the ultimate lap dog. Can't get enough affection, and anytime you're ready to kick back, he's all over it. He's never met a blanket he didn't like.

They have their hyper moments every day, but I think it's because there's two of them, cuz all they do is wrestle and chase each other around for a while, then they chill out. One provokes the other, and it's on! Very entertaining, and good exercise for them. Now that they're both over a year old, I suspect this will slow down a bit. I walk them 3 miles a day and that seems to take a lot out of them for the rest of the day, although they wouldn't need that much exercise. I just do it because I can and they love getting out.

They can be a little stubborn sometimes (yorkie trait), but I find that the more you mean business and let them know who's boss, the better they'll listen...like any breed though. My wife and daughter aren't nearly as bossy with them as I am, but they listen to me much better.

(toilet)Training went pretty well, although they've had quite a few accidents, probably no more than any other breed. I think you just need to limit their space the first few months, something we were guilty of not doing.

They do like to bark when a stranger will walk by the house and startle them. I have been working pretty hard on getting them to not do that, and they seen to be catching on. Now it's more of a growl and bark under their breath kind of thing. Rabbits and squirrels really get them fired up also. So I suppose if you let them, they could be annoyingly yappy....but I'm not letting them.

Overall I'd say they'd be a good dog for someone older who wants company, and not a lot of hassle with training. They do love affection, and get VERY attached to whomever provides it. Small dogs, so exercise is minimal. I think all dogs need some though, otherwise you might have chewing or other problems. I think it benefits the dog also if you're able to have two of them. It gives them a companion when you can't be around for them, and that much more playtime which equates to exercise.

[Sly]

Originally Posted by Buzzard

We've got a pair of yorkie/silky terriers. They're great little dogs, pretty smart and very entertaining. They don't shed, but like someone said, need to be regularly brushed if you let their hair grow. We just keep ours quite short. One is 12 lbs, but we didn't expect her to get more than 8, as her biggest parent was only 8. The other is barely pushing 6 lbs soaking wet. He's the ultimate lap dog. Can't get enough affection, and anytime you're ready to kick back, he's all over it. He's never met a blanket he didn't like.

They have their hyper moments every day, but I think it's because there's two of them, cuz all they do is wrestle and chase each other around for a while, then they chill out. One provokes the other, and it's on! Very entertaining, and good exercise for them. Now that they're both over a year old, I suspect this will slow down a bit. I walk them 3 miles a day and that seems to take a lot out of them for the rest of the day, although they wouldn't need that much exercise. I just do it because I can and they love getting out.

They can be a little stubborn sometimes (yorkie trait), but I find that the more you mean business and let them know who's boss, the better they'll listen...like any breed though. My wife and daughter aren't nearly as bossy with them as I am, but they listen to me much better.

(toilet)Training went pretty well, although they've had quite a few accidents, probably no more than any other breed. I think you just need to limit their space the first few months, something we were guilty of not doing.

They do like to bark when a stranger will walk by the house and startle them. I have been working pretty hard on getting them to not do that, and they seen to be catching on. Now it's more of a growl and bark under their breath kind of thing. Rabbits and squirrels really get them fired up also. So I suppose if you let them, they could be annoyingly yappy....but I'm not letting them.

Overall I'd say they'd be a good dog for someone older who wants company, and not a lot of hassle with training. They do love affection, and get VERY attached to whomever provides it. Small dogs, so exercise is minimal. I think all dogs need some though, otherwise you might have chewing or other problems. I think it benefits the dog also if you're able to have two of them. It gives them a companion when you can't be around for them, and that much more playtime which equates to exercise.

Sounds like a good fit for mom.

I did plan to do a 'surprise gift' by buying a dog... I guess that's a bad idea.

[Kybosh]

It's good that you realize that a dog as a surprise gift is an extraordinarily bad idea. My dog (on the left at about 5 months old, now she is nearly 5 years) cost $400 initially but I estimate that I've spent about $9000-$11000 dollars since then (not to mention all the intangibles that I've put in over the years). A dog should never be a gift.

[mikey_the_redneck]

Forget about all these purse rats.......

Get your mom a good old porch mutt. Virtually maintenance free!

[Regulator75]

Originally Posted by Sly

I did plan to do a 'surprise gift' by buying a dog... I guess that's a bad idea.

Yup.

[Cowperson]

Originally Posted by Sly

Sounds like a good fit for mom.

I did plan to do a 'surprise gift' by buying a dog... I guess that's a bad idea.

Bad idea. . . . . I think the statistic is that 50% of all new dogs are surrendered within the first year, often because they were surprise gifts or they were unsuitable for the lifestyle involved.

A dog is a 10 or 15 year commitment glued to her hip. They're much more in your life than a cat as an example.

It can be a great thing but it can also tie her down. It has to fit into her lifestyle and is definitely something you should talk to her about first.

You were right to ask about what dog might best fit her lifestyle though.

In the photo below, my two Golden's earlier today on a hike up in the mountains. The one in the background was an owner surrender at one year of age. She's been with us 10.5 years. The previous owners gave her to us and later, we found through our vet, they'd gotten a small Shih-tzu that better suited their in-town lifestyle.



Cowperson