I am interested in adopting my first dog. I had dogs as a child but only one as
an adult. In my mid 20's we adopted a puppy. I could not stop it from digging
under the fence, getting out of the yard and running in the street. We'd had it
for about 5 months when it was killed by a car. I had grown so attached to the
pup and was so torn up by the experience I have never been willing to do it
again, but I've decided I need a small companion. Because it's my first time to
do this in over 40 years I have a criteria list that is probably too demanding,
but I hope to start with this and relax it later as necessary.

My situation:
I'm 70
I'm not very active, but I'm not handicapped in any way
Both my wife and I are retired
I have plenty of time to care for a dog
There is someone at home most of the day every day

I want a dog:
To live in the house
That's small but not tiny -- 12 inches and 15 pounds (plus or minus a few)
That doesn't require a lot of activity/exercise
That comes from a caring home (given up reluctantly -- unforeseen circumstances)
That's confidently house broken
That doesn't bite and is not aggressive
That has no significant behavior problems
That has no medical problems
That's no longer a puppy
That's about 1-4 years old (I want to outlive the dog)
Low activity level preferable

My breed choices: (purebred doesn't matter, but the choices were made based on
size, behavior and appearance of these breeds, so a cross with a breed that
alters these may be a problem)

o Miniature Pinscher
o Schnoodle
o Glen of Imaal Terrier
o Cavalier King Charles
o Manchester Terrier
o Beagle -- small type

I was able to get the perfect wife, so why not expect to find the perfect dog.

Jim

In rec.pets.dogs.behavior jim wrote:
To live in the house
That's small but not tiny -- 12 inches and 15 pounds (plus or minus a few)

That doesn't require a lot of activity/exercise

Depends on your definition of "a lot"

That comes from a caring home (given up reluctantly -- unforeseen
circumstances)

Oh so if it is a great dog but had a sucky owner you don't want it? Why?

That's confidently house broken

It is very common for a completely housebroken dog to need some retraining
on rehoming. It often happens even when dogs stay with their families but
move to a new home.

That doesn't bite and is not aggressive

That has no significant behavior problems

You can do a good job of tilting the odds in your favor, but I've seen
plenty of times where a dog is good at a home where someone knows how to
set rules and limits, and a big pain in the arse in another home. A lot
will have to do with how you actually handle the dog.

That has no medical problems

That excludes all dogs. You can tilt the odds in your favor depending
upon the amount of money you want to spend on pre-sceening for health
issues. But rescues can't typically afford to do x-rays, full blood
panels, thyrod screening, CERF, BAER testing. And even the most careful
breeder can't promise that a condition won't show up next month. The best
they can do is offer you a dog that is currently apparently healthy. If
you choose a well bred adult dog the odds may be a little more favorable.

That's no longer a puppy
That's about 1-4 years old (I want to outlive the dog)
Low activity level preferable

My breed choices: (purebred doesn't matter, but the choices were made based on
size, behavior and appearance of these breeds, so a cross with a breed that
alters these may be a problem)

o Miniature Pinscher - frequently require a significant amount of
manners training to prevent territorial aggression.


o Schnoodle - not a breed, lousy health testing back ground, often
barkers.

o Glen of Imaal Terrier - frequently require a significant amount of
manners training to prevent territorial aggression.


o Cavalier King Charles - more than 50% of dogs suffer from serious
heart condition. They are the only dog in your list that could truly be
considered low activity.

o Manchester Terrier - frequently require a significant amount of
manners training to prevent territorial aggression.

o Beagle -- small type - not low activity, frequent barkers. and even
the small type isn't particularly small.

I was able to get the perfect wife, so why not expect to find the perfect dog.

Depends on your ability to meet perfection half-way.

--
Diane Blackman
http://dog-play.com/
http://dogplay.com/Shop/

Why not add a poodle to your list? We are in your exact situation and have
gotten (rescued) a toy poodle, 20 months old with all the attributes you
mention and we couldn't be happier. I take him to nursing homes for people
to cuddle. Currently he is lying on my desk in front of the monitor
watching me type.


"jim" wrote in message
...
I am interested in adopting my first dog. I had dogs as a child but only
one as
an adult. In my mid 20's we adopted a puppy. I could not stop it from
digging
under the fence, getting out of the yard and running in the street. We'd
had it
for about 5 months when it was killed by a car. I had grown so attached
to the
pup and was so torn up by the experience I have never been willing to do
it
again, but I've decided I need a small companion. Because it's my first
time to
do this in over 40 years I have a criteria list that is probably too
demanding,
but I hope to start with this and relax it later as necessary.

My situation:
I'm 70
I'm not very active, but I'm not handicapped in any way
Both my wife and I are retired
I have plenty of time to care for a dog
There is someone at home most of the day every day

I want a dog:
To live in the house
That's small but not tiny -- 12 inches and 15 pounds (plus or minus a
few)
That doesn't require a lot of activity/exercise
That comes from a caring home (given up reluctantly -- unforeseen
circumstances)
That's confidently house broken
That doesn't bite and is not aggressive
That has no significant behavior problems
That has no medical problems
That's no longer a puppy
That's about 1-4 years old (I want to outlive the dog)
Low activity level preferable

My breed choices: (purebred doesn't matter, but the choices were made
based on
size, behavior and appearance of these breeds, so a cross with a breed
that
alters these may be a problem)

o Miniature Pinscher
o Schnoodle
o Glen of Imaal Terrier
o Cavalier King Charles
o Manchester Terrier
o Beagle -- small type

I was able to get the perfect wife, so why not expect to find the perfect
dog.

Jim

On Tue, 22 Feb 2005 22:22:54 GMT, "John Bennett"
wrote:

Why not add a poodle to your list? We are in your exact situation and have
gotten (rescued) a toy poodle, 20 months old with all the attributes you
mention and we couldn't be happier. I take him to nursing homes for people
to cuddle. Currently he is lying on my desk in front of the monitor
watching me type.

Low activity??? :}

It really depends on the individual dog more than the breed. My
advice would be to find breed rescue organizations with the breeds you
like, and shop the available dogs.

Though I'd be cautious of some of the dogs on that list. I've rarely
met a min pin or a manchester terrier *without* some kind of
significant behavioral issue. Usually territorial guarding or
fear-aggression.


--
Leah Roberts, Family Dog Trainer
It's A Dog's World
http://hometown.aol.com/dfrntdrums/m...age/index.html
Get Healthy, Build Your Immune System, Lose Weight
http://re-vita.net/dfrntdrums

jim wrote:
snip
My situation:
I'm 70
I'm not very active, but I'm not handicapped in any way
Both my wife and I are retired
I have plenty of time to care for a dog
There is someone at home most of the day every day

I want a dog:
To live in the house
Great. Almost any dog should live near his humans.

That's small but not tiny -- 12 inches and 15 pounds (plus or minus
a few)
Reasonable, but see below. FWIW I have known a couple of people your
age who went from having large dogs to having small dogs because they
felt they would soon no longer be able to properly care for an ill
large dog. Others love having a true lap dog.

That doesn't require a lot of activity/exercise

Reasonable, but think about whether you want lower activity in general
or lower activity in certain circumstances. I.e., do you want little
outdoor activy, but would enjoy ball chasing and tug indoors, or would
you like a companion on hikes, but want quiet time at home. Indoor and
outdoor activity levels need not be the same. If you want lower general
activity then you want an older dog. Short muzzle dogs tend to be less
active than long muzzle dogs, but many find them unattractive. Some
giant breeds and sight hounds also have reputations for being couch
potatoes

That comes from a caring home (given up reluctantly -- unforeseen
circumstances)
Why?

That's confidently house broken
There is almost always an adjustment period.

That doesn't bite and is not aggressive
Meet your dog before adoption. Be aware that heath problems can cause
changes in behavior, so future good behavior is not guaranteed, but
such changes can be corrected by appropriate treatment of the health
problem.

That has no significant behavior problems
Meet your dog before adoption. Go to obediance training.

That has no medical problems
No guarantees.

That's no longer a puppy
Reasonable

That's about 1-4 years old (I want to outlive the dog)
Odd. Most healthy small dogs live 14-16 years. Are you certain you will
live well past 80, or did you mean 10-14 years? If you want to outlive
a 1-4 year old dog then get one of the giant breeds that typically live
8-10 years.

Low activity level preferable
See above


My breed choices: (purebred doesn't matter, but the choices were
made based on
size, behavior and appearance of these breeds, so a cross with a
breed that
alters these may be a problem)

o Miniature Pinscher
o Schnoodle
o Glen of Imaal Terrier
o Cavalier King Charles
o Manchester Terrier
o Beagle -- small type

Odd choices given your preferences. All except the Cavelier King
Charles are high activity when young. The Cavelier King Charles fits
your other needs, but has serious heart problems. The English Toy
Spaniel may fit your needs, its health problems are less serious than
the Cavelier King Charles. From your other postings I wonder if you
eliminated the short muzzle breeds because of appearance (or perhaps
the minor problems associated with their breathing difficulties)?
Almost all of the low activity dog breeds in your preferred size range
have short muzzles.

I was able to get the perfect wife, so why not expect to find the
perfect dog.

Jim

"jim" wrote in message
...
I am interested in adopting my first dog. I had dogs as a child but only
one as
an adult. In my mid 20's we adopted a puppy. I could not stop it from
digging
under the fence, getting out of the yard and running in the street. We'd
had it
for about 5 months when it was killed by a car. I had grown so attached
to the
pup and was so torn up by the experience I have never been willing to do
it
again, but I've decided I need a small companion. Because it's my first
time to
do this in over 40 years I have a criteria list that is probably too
demanding,
but I hope to start with this and relax it later as necessary.

My situation:
I'm 70
I'm not very active, but I'm not handicapped in any way
Both my wife and I are retired
I have plenty of time to care for a dog
There is someone at home most of the day every day

I want a dog:
To live in the house
That's small but not tiny -- 12 inches and 15 pounds (plus or minus a
few)
That doesn't require a lot of activity/exercise
That comes from a caring home (given up reluctantly -- unforeseen
circumstances)
That's confidently house broken
That doesn't bite and is not aggressive
That has no significant behavior problems
That has no medical problems
That's no longer a puppy
That's about 1-4 years old (I want to outlive the dog)
Low activity level preferable

My breed choices: (purebred doesn't matter, but the choices were made
based on
size, behavior and appearance of these breeds, so a cross with a breed
that
alters these may be a problem)

o Miniature Pinscher
o Schnoodle
o Glen of Imaal Terrier
o Cavalier King Charles
o Manchester Terrier
o Beagle -- small type

I was able to get the perfect wife, so why not expect to find the perfect
dog.

Jim

What you are describing is a cat. None of the dogs on your list are what
anyone would describe as low energy breeds, and in fact, several are among
the most difficult to deal with because of the combination of energy level
and other instinctual behavior that needs to be managed by someone who is
more experienced with dogs than you are. Cats are already 90% of your
description without even trying. All dogs will be higher maintainence and
require training to achieve all of the qualities that you wish your
companion to have. Go to a shelter and pick out an older lap cat. Very
frequently there are owner surrenders from families of elderly people who
have been forced to give up their companions, and usually these cats are so
traumatized by a shelter situation that they don't have long before they're
put down.

Or check out the small breed dogs that are bred especially to be companions.
Like Shi Tzus, Lhasa Apsos, Bichons, Maltese and other companion breeds.
Individual temperament does vary, but in general, these are low energy
"buddy" dogs that are more suitable for a less active lifestyle. They are
also in very high demand, so a breed rescue will have their pick of homes in
which to place their animals. And, frankly, from several of your comments,
your home would probably not be high on the list of many rescues until you
educate yourself further about the realities and responsibilities of real
dog ownership and not the fantasy dog experience that you seem to want. Your
wife will also have to want a dog as well for any rescue to even remotely
consider your home. How does she feel about the extra work involved on her
part? Your family CAN have 85% of the wonderful dog that you are asking for,
but it won't be any of the breeds you're considering, and it will be a lot
more WORK than you may want to deal with at this point in your life.
Remember the toddler stage of your children? That's exactly what having a
dog is like most of the time. They need supervision and training to keep
them from turning into neurotic and surly adolescents. That's not work you
can easily or affordably hire out, or expect to have been done already.

To gain more dog experience and to help you understand and prioritize your
needs realistically, why not volunteer at a local animal shelter. You'll
get a dose of canine reality quickly, and that can help you to decide if you
want to own a dog in 24/7 reality, or just borrow one a couple of times a
week from the shelter. And the volunteering will help both you and your
community.