Tell me your experience of your 'small breed' please

[Whitney168]

Having had a large coated breed for 30+ years, I am fancying adding a small dog to the house. with the big'uns.

I would love a Cavalier, but the more I read about the health issues, the more I am concerned.

My inclination is towards something more 'toy' than 'terrier' for temperament and outlook. There are some small terriers I like, but I have no wish to own a dog that isn't amenable to other dogs and makes walks difficult, although as I'm typing this I think that i.e. Westies I don't particularly see as an issue when out, so maybe that's unfair.

Would prefer a stable confident outgoing temperament, without being bolshy - am not keen on 'flighty' breeds.

Would happily have a wire coated Jack Russell if I could guarantee I got a nice one, but they seem to be saints or devils.

I don't really want anything that needs major grooming, have enough of that with the big dogs, but obviously clipping is an option.

I wouldn't be automatically averse to a crossbreed, but the chances of getting a responsibly bred one are so vanishingly small that I think that's probably off the table.

Breeds I've seriously considered:

• Cavalier King Charles (health concerns)
• Tibetan Spaniel (noise?)
• Lhasa Apso/Shih Tzu (would keep clipped) - no experience of them to know temperament.

Ermmmm ... what else am I missing? Tell me about your small breeds please ...

Lhasa’s are brachycephalic btw - I fostered one, he was a lovely wee thing, but had an underbite, mild breathing problems and joint problems.

Also massively clingy and a bit yappy - dead sweet and amusing, but pretty much did his own thing and real hard to train... even tried to get me to do his puzzle toys for him, rofl.

I think re size with the Glens, they’re deceptive, as you say, they’re big dogs on short legs really.

Having said that, the ones I knew years ago were a lot smaller than the ones I’ve seen recently. I don’t know enough about them to know how big the ‘old’ Glens would have been though.

Lhasa’s are brachycephalic btw

Hmmm, you're correct of course, although not as extreme as some and I admit I hadn't made the association.

(So are Cavaliers, to be pedantic with my own rules ... just doesn't seem to be the thing that actually bothers them!)

I think Westies are lovely, but would be worried about allergies and skin issues with them.

We are doing similar to you Whitney168, in that we’re going for a toy breed next time (ETT), having never had a small dog before and our dogs over the last decade being have all been large breed rescues. Based on your responses re Min Pin and IGs though, it doesn’t seem like you’d be attracted the their appearance. It’s another vulnerable breed, so not many bred each year and I am on a waiting list for 2022, so you do need to plan ahead if you’re interested in some of the vulnerable breeds. I have to admit, I love long-haired dogs, but am looking forward to a break from all the coat care. I looked into the Norfolk, but ultimately the ETT was a better fit for us. I did notice they are even more scarce than ETTs though.

@Whitney168 I have a cavalier, she is the second one I have had and she is now 3. She is a really lovely little dog but a complete princess at times, and incredibly loyal. The best thing about her is that she suits my lifestyle, she is more than happy to go for miles and miles of walks but yet also is happy enough sleeping on my knee.
Health concerns are an issue, however I got her from a reputable breeder and have seen her whole blood line and relevant checks. Her breeder is lovely and insists her pups are returned to her rather than sold on for any reason. My cavalier was my mums who sadly passed away earlier this year so I took her on, and have been around since she was a tiny pup.
The only thing I would say about the breed is they have a fondness for chasing birds, and this makes me nervous when she is off her lead in case she runs off!

I have two Cavaliers, they are brilliant. One of them is a bit yappy (huge pain in the arse if I’m being completely honest, he’s SO clingy) but they just love people and are so affectionate. They also love their walks, one of mine is so energetic he’d walk for 20 miles if you let him. Happy to snooze the day away when at home.

The health issues are a concern though, my boys are aged 5 and 6 now and the older one does have a very slight heart murmur (barely audible) but he is full of life and very fit, so we’re hoping it won’t affect him until much later in life if at all. The other has no health issues at present. You just need to be very careful where you get them from, don’t pay £3k+ for a puppy from someone who doesn’t health test. The Covid prices are crazy just now!

A few members of my family have Cairns and they are also very nice, hardy little dogs who seem to keep generally good health.

My Chihuahua is an amazing little guy, they DO need alot of training and constant reinforcement as they are feisty little devils but they are so adorable and loving. Agree its all in the breeding though and most reputable breeders scoff at the whole 'teacup craze' as its just not a real thing. Mine has no real health issues and he is 15 in January (touch wood he will still be going strong for many years yet!)

I agree though that many breeds like Chihuahuas/Pomeranians etc can be unlikeable if they are spolit/carried everywhere and treated like a human. Mine has always gone on muddy walks/plays ball and is treated like a dog (sometimes is picked up if mud/puddles are deep)

Good luck with choosing one :)

@moosemama
You have got me thinking, we had Lhasas for 16 years, and many I see now are larger and have shorter noses, so its possible people are altering the breeds?
I do think you can have the same breed with similar traits but different temperaments, many years ago we had a few Yorkies three great one was a Devil and would do the best recalls at the dog club but was my dog and used to bite any one at the first opportunity, we re homed him to a family with teenage kids at the time the lady was home all day and he had a great life.
Its all about choosing wisely and working with the dog, not every breed works for people, I really like Spaniels but it would be unfair as our lifestyle wouldn't fit and we couldn't met the dogs needs.

We have a wire haired JRT. He's almost 1. He's a lovely dog. Really good off the lead in that he stays very close but he will run up to other dogs so I do put him on the lead until I ask if it's ok for him to be off with the other dog because he's very playful and friendly and other people might not appreciate it. He loves to cuddle up. JRT are generally a hardy and healthy breed with minimal grooming needs. We brush and bath him and that's it. He loves to play ball. Some days he can be barky. Other days he doesn't bark at all. No logic to that but there we go. I have heard of some of them not being friendly with other dogs but luckily ours is. I don't know if it's personality or anything we have done. He loves people but we need to stop him from jumping up. He's about 5kg and fully grown. He's tiny and cute and just a darling dog.

Also crate trained, which was very easy, house trained very quickly. He's generally quite easy going. My brother walked him this week for the first time because we had to work and he was an angel for him. But I agree, it is a lottery.

Another vote for a Norfolk. They get on really well with a pack of larger dogs, are stoical and absolutely full of character.

Tibetan Terrier an interesting one, perhaps temperaments have improved or vary between lines? They had a reputation of being very sharp in the past.

My parents have had 3 TTs - they're funny, silly, clever, clownish dogs who love to make you laugh at them. They're sweet, loyal, highly intelligent and easy to train as long as you're kind to them. Whether they willingly do what you've trained them to do is another matter.

They want to be with you all the time which means they crave your attention and separation anxiety is practically a breed trait. They're stubborn - you could never describe them as biddable which means they can be really frustrating to train and won't just do what you want. Constantly asking "why should I". They bark a lot too, so they make good watchdogs. None of my parents ones are keen on children or strangers.

They're incredible little dogs in many ways, but if I was looking for a dog to fit into an existing pack I'm not sure I'd pick one - they need a lot of input (love, care, training, attention) and I personally think they're better off in a single dog or 2 dog household so they get the intense attention they crave.

I have a mini dachshund, she can walk for miles, loves people and other dogs, hates the rain and can be a gobshite but is the most affectionate dog I’ve had (large breeds before)

Separation anxiety going to be an interesting issue after this weird year, I think ... I work from home and although both of us regularly go out and about it's often with friends, so someone still at home a lot of the time - so dogs have always had plenty of company, but we would definitely be out together for a short while more often in a normal world than this year.

Think this is something people are really going to have to work on this year so as not to create rods for their own backs. Nothing worse for a dog than having someone with them 100% of the time then that disappearing.

We’re at home all the time but have made a point of going out and leaving ours for a couple of hours right from the start.

We cage ours a few times a day to keep her used to it, went out this morning for two hours she was fine, its routine

I have a Bichon Frise x Shih Tzu (or a shit freeze as I call him ). We didn’t get him for a designer breed, we got him from a friend. He does have a breed name of Shichon or Zuchon.

He’s a lovely dog, good temperament. Quite a solid boy at just over 12kg. Gets on great with our cats. We get him groom every 6-8wks in the summer but let him grow longer in the winter. He was incredibly easy to toilet train. Very intelligent, he prefers mental stimulation to physical activity.

(Sorry about the feet in the pic!)

My friend has a Scottish terrier and she’s just fabulous. Small but very sturdy and has a great temperament

Just found this thread which has been great as we are at the very early stages of picking a dog breed.

We are thinking about a Lakeland terrier- robust and short haired, likes to exercise a lot. Trainable too but possibly not the easiest to train. Sociable.

Has anyone got one of those? Sorry to hijack @Whitney168

Hi @Whitney168
Apologies, I haven't read through all of the responses. If not suggested already, I would go for a Cavapoo. I have two; and 11 year old and an8 year old. Both are female and both are in excellent health. They have all of the cavalier beauty and all of the poodle robustness and ability to train in equal measure!

Why not just get another big dog of you are worried about breaking a small one? I'm sure big dogs are easier temperamentally and have fewer 'small man' syndromes, and they can still be lap dogs, they just hang over the edge a bit.

@Namaste6

I have looked at crossbreeds. However, I am a 'proper dog person' (sorry if that sounds wanky, but I can't help it) - if I could 100% buy a suitable crossbreed from someone I know, who has bred from health tested parents and reared puppies well, I'd do it happily.

However, I cannot bring myself to buy any puppy that is poorly bred and reared, and farmed for money, as the vast majority of designer crosses are.

@RonaCor - I just fancy a littl'un after 30 odd years with the same breed.

When I say I'm scared of breaking a small one, I mean very small and fine boned, i.e. Yorkshire Terrier, Italian Greyhound type thing. No worries with something a bit more robust.

Anyway, after countless hours scouring adverts, I think I have to put this on hold for a while at least. The puppy buying situation is just ridiculous. I will contact some breeders, and sit patiently until I can get a well-bred puppy, if things ever settle down.

I have a border terrier, and she is amazing. Confident, loving, feisty, soppy and very clever. Ive had her 6 weeks, she comes to work with me, has fitted in really well, rings on her bell when she needs to go out and she's pretty sturdy too, I've trodden on her a few times as she does get under my feet.

The breeder I got her from has just had a litter of border-poo's. Cracking looking little dogs, never heard of that mix before. Thankfully she hadn't hoiked her prices up so I got my border for a normal amount.

We rescued Bella, a Lhasa Apso who is now eleven. She doesn't think she is a small dog and is happy to walk for miles and not bothered about the mud or the weather. When we got her she hadn't been socialised so was unhappy around other dogs but with time and patience she now has a few dogs she likes to play with and ignores the rest apart from the JR over the road who she barks and growls at (every dog I know barks and growls at the JR though)
I walk her off lead every day without any problems, she likes to keep me in sight so doesn't stray far, her recall is pretty much perfect most likely because she is very food motivated so recalls on the off chance of a treat from my pocket.
The biggest downside is the barking though, she barks at anything that moves at the front of the house. Fortunately we live on a quiet cul de sac I think she'd drive me potty otherwise