Small calm dog breeds

[RedSauceSpaghetti]

I am looking for some recommendations for small-ish dog breeds which are known to be generally calm and biddable. I have only really known terriers as small dogs and they don't tend to be that way!

We have 4 children, and my 5 year old has an acquired brain injury due to a brain tumour. She can find life difficult (she has acquired physical disabilities and some minor issues with maintaining attention and regulating her emotions), and I think she would benefit hugely from the companionship of a dog. It's something we were looking into before her diagnosis anyway, and she has recently got the all-clear so we feel now is as good a time as any to start looking. We do not plan to rush it, however.

The size stipulation is really that the dog would need to be able to travel in the car with us all, so take up no more than 1 seat's worth of space (we have a 7 seater).

I have been considering a Cavalier King Charles spaniel as they seem generally to tick most of these boxes. Are there any other breeds I should look into?

Cavaliers have all sorts of health issues. I’ve always liked corgis as a robust little dog, it might be worth going to something like discover dogs, goodwoof, or similar where you can see lots of dogs and meet their owners and find out about them.

I am sorry this has happened to your lovely child. I mean this in a kind way so please don't take what I say as being negative or passive aggressive.
You say she has minor issues regulating her emotions. I would think long and hard about inflicting behavioral issues on a little dog. Sorry to say it but feel compelled to do so
Could you find something else to do such as riding which is more of an activity with an animal rather than getting a close companion for your daughter which you may regret doing ?

@SarahSissions I had no idea events like that existed. That's a great idea, thank you. I was aware of cavs propensity toward health issues, which was one of my hesitations. I also don't think they look very nice - but I know that's largely insignificant really! I always assumed Corgis would have the same back issues as dachshunds as they also have the dwarf gene. I will look into them.

I've had Scotties and they are ace. Robust, fun, biddable (with patient training) and they are also happy to get on with things if the attention is not on them.

I have a Cairn Terrier; they are so loving and have the best temperament. We've had her since a pup and with 2 training courses is very obedient - fantastic with children.

I was also going to say a Cairn or Norfolk terrier but I also agree with a pp that horse riding would likely be great for your daughter .

@ChangedmynameagainforChristmas

Her emotional regulation is really quite minor and it's inward rather than outward. She can get very sad and frightened, but she isn't aggressive or angry or anything like that. She does throw tantrums occasionally, but she almost always takes herself away to have them. She feels a lot of shame about her inability to do 'normal' things, and on bad days she can really struggle with her self-worth (she is receiving councilling). She will not be able to ride horses due to her disability. Additionally, it is a no-go activity for a child with a hole in her skull for obvious reasons!

It is good to know there are some terrier breeds which might suit our needs. I'd more or less discounted the type but sounds like we may have options there.

We have a small, female beagle who is just the sweetest. She and my autistic + ADHD son are the best of friends, she's been a fabulous support for him. Beagles are probably a bigger breed than you were after but they are terrific family dogs. Ours is only 12 kgs so more small than medium-sized 😉. Good luck with your search!

I love cavaliers and my last one lived till 15 and was a largely healthy dog, however yes health issues are very common. Very calm in the house too.

My friend has a bichon who is a bit yappy but wonderful with children. Very easy dog, curls up on the sofa, happy with a 20 minute spin round the block or being out all day.

Most people I know with border terriers have found they are divine with little ones too.

Friend of mine has a Norfolk terrier and he's also worked as a therapy dog to some extent - I think he has done hospital visiting or similar.
Sturdy, friendly little guy.

I would also recommend a cairn terrier.

They're small, robust, healthy and good with dogs and people. They do bark at the door/postman but they're smart dogs so you could probably train a "quiet" command fairly easily if you wanted to.

I walked one everyday for years and she was fabulous. Excellent recall, great with dogs of all shapes and sizes, loveable with people of all ages too.

The calmest (in general) terriers are Norfolks and Norwiches but one is at-watch and the other vulnerable, so not easy to come by. Cairns and Border terriers are also at the good-natured and less full-on end of terrierness

Bichon frise?

I have a Havanese and she is calm, funny and robust. She is small but solid and is definitely true to her breed type in that she makes an excellent companion. Her breed is utilised as an emotional support dog and I can understand why. My girl isn't barky but does like to chat.

Tibetan Terrier!
They are hard work as puppies but I think the adult temperament is ace! (Stick to the boys!)
Best of all they love their owners and are happy to come along not worried if its a day out in the woods or the local annual fun fair.

Wow lots of suggestions. Thank you! We have a neighbour with a border terrier, who is lovely but is constantly digging their garden up which has put me off a little. I guess it will depend on the dog when it comes to digging though?

Those with a Bichon / Tibetan / Havanese, how do you find the grooming needs? We've only ever HD lurchers/great Danes so very little grooming maintenance required. I'm not averse to a daily brush/regular trip to the groomers, but not sure if these breeds need more than this?

@RedSauceSpaghetti best is to take them to the groomers. I pay around £35 every 6 weeks. If you keep ears & tail long, they need a quick brush every day.

If you are ever tempted to have them long, this will require daily brushing which can take 10 minutes or an hour depending on lots of things!

@RedSauceSpaghetti My havanese's coat is kept relatively short and that means I only have to brush her every other day. It takes me about 10-15 minutes each time. She goes to the groomers every 6-8 weeks ( every 6 weeks in summer and every 8 in winter). I find brushing her quite therapeutic but that might just be me

Believe it or not working type cocker spaniels can be calm and peaceful pets and they make great companion and /or therapy dogs. It's mostly in the training. If you're calm and quiet when raising them as a pup then that is what you get back. They are also great for taking out and about.
I'd love a cairn terrier though. Had one a few years back that we picked up from a traveller. Poor bugger died a short while after to health conditions we didn't know he had when we got him. He was a sweet little soul and I still miss him.

I'd have thought you'd be best off trying to find an adult dog rather than a pup. It is possible eg ones kept by the breeder that don't quite make the grade for show or breeding but which are fine as family pets. This would have the advantage of being housetrained, its character would have developed and also quite a lot of the breed specific issues in small dogs exhibit fairly early.

The only border terrier I know is an escape artist who uses his illicit liberty to find and kill poultry. Looks like a harmless teddy bear, of course.

@ErrolTheDragon I think you might be right. We are not in a hurry and I would much rather take the time to find the right pet for us than rush into it. I've only ever had rescues before, and only one was a puppy. He was no more lovely than the other adult dogs we adopted, though the issues are different, obviously. My only concern with getting an adult dog at the moment is the poor socialisation many 'lockdown' dogs have received, which is why I'm angling towards a puppy instead of an older dog. Though I suppose if we went for something around 5+ we should also be generally ok

We have a cavapoo - toy poodle crossed w King Charles. She looks just like a terrier (wiry straight hair). Is a total total delight. Not calm when squirrels are around tho!

I would hand Cavaliers out to anyone with any kind of anxiety or mental health issues. They're the sweetest wee dogs, and just seem to know what you need from them.

I have an 8.5kg working cocker, and she's pretty calm. It has taken a LOT of training, but given you're an experienced dog owner, that shouldn't be an issue. She is happy pottering around the kitchen and snoozing when she's not walking. Generally cockers are much healthier than cavaliers, and much less vocal than terriers. Also usually less likely to dig up your garden.

You would want to choose carefully - both dam and sire of my girl are very small, so I had a good feeling that she would also be small. There are cockers in our village who are twice her size. She also obviously requires a decent amount of exercise.

I have a wonderful little Cavalier from a breeder who health-tests her dogs and carefully out-crosses them to improve their health. My dog is playful and funny, but also calm and cuddly.

If you would like the breeder's details, just PM me.

Hi could I have your breeder details please of you don't mind. I'm still on the research stage after deciding against a lab. I do live goldens but I think they're too large. Love cavs because they seem so sweet natured. In your opinion do yiu think cavapoo breeds help breed out the potential illness of kcs? I know nothing about dog genes and know that doodles generally are disliked on mn