Best small dog for a house with 2x adult cats (preferably a breed that doesn't have a strong smell and has a non-shed or low-shed coat)

[TheThoughtPolice]

My 'profile' is as follows

*I have a good sized garden and a large house
*I live in a city
*I have 2 male adult cats - 1 timid, the other boisterous, the dog would have to be very good with them.
*I have 3 children - almost 17, 15 & 6
*I work p/t
*I would be able to take the dog for a daily main walk of around 45mins (not including popping out for toilet visits).
*Ideally it needs to be Westie/JRT sized
*A breed which enjoys games but is quite easily trained and won't chew everything in sight if left to his/her own devices for a couple of hours !

Is there such a creature ? I love the look and personalities of terriers, in particular the fox terrier but from what I have read they are not very good with cats as their instinct is to chase/kill small furry creatures

Border terriers are lovely and very intelligent or so I believe. I always wanted one as a child. Not sure about the exercise though - they might need more than 45 mins + loo visits.

Minature poodle? Jack russells and some other terriers do chase cats I think. Will have a google and come up with some ideas

A nintendog

My friend has a fox trerrier, blardy loopy! Terriers need quite a bit of exercise don't they? Used to have hounds and 1 small terrier, it used to run for miles whilst the affies strolled serenely.

For a clean non shedder, how about a Bichon Frise - far less common than Westies so hopefully not so many inherited problems.

OXO, good suggestion a minature or toy poodle. Or a wire haired dachshound.

Poodle isn't really us.

We could do endless big walks on weekends but more than 45mins - 1 hour on a week day would be pushing it for me.

thanks for the responses so far . I'll look into bichon frise and wire coated daschund.

mamag

Poodles dn't have to have those ridiculous hairdos y'know, but I can see your point.

My (intelligent, educated) friend has just bought a cockerpoo (cocker spaniel x poodle) £700 for a mongrel but it is small and non shedding. But I forbid you to buy one!

My business partner has a mini Schnauzer. I'm not a dog person, but this dog is lovely. A bit like a cat in a dog's body.

Doesn't shed. Good with people. No idea about cats!

Mini Schnau, good suggestion - I just lurve thouse eyebrows.

(I'm a big dog person, so forget that some small dogs can be cool too.)

take a look at www.petplanet.co.uk. It has really detailed breed profiles and you can fill in a questionnaire and it makes recommendations for you. It's a relaly good site - I spent hours on it when we were deciding.

Mini schauzers, are they the scuffy looking ones ? They are v cool. I don't really want a 'pretty' breed.

Thanks hatwoman, I'll check it out.

here

I do know one, she is sweet and they don't keep her stripped like some with very angular shaped fur on their heads.

Marmaduke, I'd love a choc or black lab but they are too big for us really

that's v cute, MS

Havanes, Miniature Schnauzer, Norfolk Terrier (supposed to be okay with cats),Pug?

Look at cross breeds too, I have a Border Terrier cross Lagotto Romagnollo (see here www.lagottoromagnoloclubofgb.co.uk - an accidental mating, not a designer breed so only cost £120. But hes lovely and good with other animals, doesn't shed, not too mad, and very cute and scruffy looking!Hes possibly only 1 of 8 in the country though, but worth looking at mongrels too. I do like minature schnauzers too, I know someone with 5, they're all lovely.

I have two mini schnauzers, we have a huge garden with a dog flap and they also get at least an hour walk but only every other day in the winter, more in summer. They are great dogs, don't shed and don't chase small furry things too much. The male does bark a lot at cats when he sees them through the window but when he has met them in other people's houses he's been fine. If introduced at puppies would probably be OK. Of course every dog has its own personality, mine are sister and brother but one is standoffish and one loves cuddles, one loves to play with other dogs the other is a bit of a loner, one loves stuffed toys the other only goes for balls, one will fetch and the other one has no clue at all! You can't tell just from the breed what their personality will be like, but I used petplanet to choose ours and it's been pretty accurate I'd say.

The only thing is that they do bark a fair bit, though not as much as terriers IMO (have had terriers before). They are also fab with our children. You can probably tell I'm a bit of a fan!

Marmadukescarlett, why 'no' to cockapoos?

Another vote here for border terriers. The only thing I am sure about is how they are with cats. My border is my first dog, but he is small, can be walked or not walked (I give him at a daily 45min walk but sometimes he goes all day without one). He doesn't shed much and has been very easy to train.

Maltese

I've kept terriers with cats without any problem. My lab pup is a different matter

tibetan terriewrs are gorgeous

Assumpta, I do not agree to the purpose cross-breeding of dogs as fashion accessories.

There are many, many mongrels destroyed every year whilst people are making mongrels on purpose to make money. So no just cockapoos, labradoodles, gooldendoodles, and all the opther fashionable mutts that are being created.

I know many mumsnetters have labradoodles but it is just my opinion.

(Also bear in mind that I am a hypocrite and buying a puppy rather than rescuing a dog this time round.)