Best small dog breed for first timer

[Jojobalone]

i grew up with dogs but have never owned

looking for a small dog breed. Someone around at home a lot so no problem there.

any thoughts? Looking for affectionate, company and happy to walk once or twice a day

thanks

I have a Yorkie and he is perfect. (Totally biased, of course!)
Have always had giant breeds before so he was a bit of a break from tradition, but he's an utter gentleman.
Very, very bright little dog - used to be able to answer my questions as to what he was asking for... AND tidy up his toys when asked 😂 He's nearly 16 now and a bit deaf and not quite as 'with it' but still has his sense of humour and can be very funny between snoozes!
Used to take lots of vigorous exercise but equally happy to chill
Bit slower these days but has today walked 7km no problem along with a mad half hour of zoomies in the sea.
Yorkshire Terriers - 5 stars - would totally recommend 😁

We have an English Toy Terrier. Bright as a button, quick to learn and absolute cuddle-bugs. Mine loves nothing more than curling up behind or on me for as much of the day as he can possibly get away with. As Wolfiefan said, you do need to consider their original purpose, but ETTs were working terriers who were then deliberately bred on to be companion and lap dogs, which may explain them being less independent that a lot of terrier breeds.

He is our first small breed and is so easy, you can take him anywhere and having a single, short coat he’s very low maintenance.

They tend to bond strongly with their family and be a bit disinterested or aloof with strangers. Mine likes to size people up for a few minutes before he interacts with them, but is then really friendly. Being so focussed on us, he is not bothered by other dogs in the park and prefers to walk with us than bother with them.

They are still terriers though so, like most terriers, some can be a bit barky and some can dig, although we’ve not had a problem, having used management and sensible positive training to head these sorts of issues off at the pass. I agree with the pp who said you do need a particular mindset when it comes to training terriers, they are independent thinkers that need to be motivated and everything needs to be really worth their while. Positive and reward based training alongside a strong bond will reap rewards with them.

They are a vulnerable native breed and it’s such a shame, as they are lovely little dogs that make perfect companions and are so loyal and loving.

https://www.english-toy-terrier-club.com/

One of these 🙂

These!

My border terrier boy was very cuddly.

We got a terrier cross (Jack Russell cross yorkie) as a first dog.

Pros
Very clever, housetraining was easy, he picked up all the command's really quickly, we're now doing agility with him.

Extremely loyal and faithful companion, he loves us with absolute devotion.

He's around 7.5kg so easily portable, doesn't take up too much space and doesn't eat much.

Other than the odd bath and brush and a yearly hair cut there's very little grooming needs.

He's fab with people he knows, kids and lives happily with our cat.

Can take him anywhere, as long as he is with us he's happy.

He's a sturdy and robust dog, he is up for anything and loves a good adventure.

No separation anxiety, he just takes himself off to bed when left at home.

Cons
He can be a bit nervous of new people (is fine once he's decided they're okay!)

He isn't great with other dogs especially other boys. We have worked really hard at getting him to ignore other dogs and 99% of the time he is fine now but I still can't completely trust him around dogs he doesn't know.

He can be a bit barky in the garden especially if he sees a pigeon!

• - - - - - - - -

So all in all the pros massively outweigh the cons, we have put a lot of effort into socialisation and training but I think that's the case with all dogs tbh.

Terriers aren't great first time dogs

I agree King Charles spaniel is a good choice. A very easy dog to own and ideal for 1st time owners.

My cuddly lump 🥰

I've had a cuddly lap dog (Lhasa Apso) and also a Border Terrier. There are pros and cons to both. My Lhasa was a big soft shite, I could leave him for hours, he never chewed, didn't really cause me any problems. Didn't know I had him really. My Border is very very different, extremely lively, always shoving a ball in my leg, racing round the house or looking for mischief. Can't be left in the house without being put in his crate due to his inability to keep his nose out of everything. On the other hand he's much more personality than my Lhasa, is very cuddly, and just a gorgeous bundle of loveliness really. Can walk miles too. I loved them both equally. It really depends what you want.

Cairn terrier mum over here! Such a great breed, similar to borders in temperament. Very intelligent and independent but cuddles on their terms most of the time! My boy is very loyal to an embarrassing extent! When people want to say hello, he trots away over to me and I have to explain he does like people but wants to show that he only has one family. He's only small but can easily walk miles and miles but also likes a couple of short ones around the park per day. Regarding being a big dog in a small body- this is exactly the best description I have seen of a terrier. My boy is always putting the big dogs in their place and prefers to play with the bigger ones than that of his own or similar breeds. Cairns probably aren't best as a first dog to be honest as they do need quite a bit of training as usually quite immature till around the age of 7. My fella is 12 now and still loves a lovely walk and swim down the canal 😊 please Google dog charities specific to breeds as they are a great source of support and information. Best of luck

Border terrier welfare are excellent. They brought a dog to us to assess with our cat (sadly not to be!) but when we’d established we’d be looking for a pup due to him they helped us with advice on finding a good breeder and expanded on our research on what to look for temperament wise in a pup and lines, health tests etc. Not everyone can rescue but everyone can buy responsibly.

If you are considering the breed they are a good contact. They do get young dogs in.

I would have a look at the following:

Cairn terrier
Border terrier
Mini poodle
West highland terrier

Another vote for CKC Spaniels. They're great dogs, very docile and easy going. And cute too!

Terriers are hunting dogs, feisty and need a lot of exercise. Proper training too or they can be aggressive towards other dogs.

I grew up with all kinds of terriers and love their cheeky personalities! All of ours were variable with cuddles, some very affectionate, others just wanted to play and play. Great dogs but need solid training. Can be very stubborn and independent, so training them is hard work! However in my experience less likely to be a Velcro type dog or have separation anxiety, I am sure some have, but as they were bred to be independent workers, less likely.

I was thinking of a second dog and looking at terriers came across the glen of imaal terrier, they look so lovely and from what I have read have wonderful temperaments on the more mellow side for terriers and a vulnerable breed

www.countrylife.co.uk/out-and-about/dogs/glen-imaal-terriers-wilful-adorable-sadly-extremely-vulnerable-203761

Another vote for border terrier here

Jrt/ fox terrier here as first dog and she's fantastic. I'm not a dog person but love her to death.

Pretty much the same as what @Girliefriendlikespuppies said word for word.

Another vote for Havanese here. My brother has one and he is the ultimate lap dog, but can walk for hours if you want to. Hilarious little personality , thinks he's a big dog til he meets a big dog. Super friendly.
I have looked after him and he was brilliant... no prey drive unlike my beastie!
If I was after a small, cuddly dog, I'd get a Havanese!
(Looks like a drowned rat when it rains tho )

I had a King Charles Spaniel while the children were very small. Very friendly and lovely, more like a cat that likes walks, really!

Was your dog a cavalier?

im trying to understand the difference between King Charles cavalier spaniels and King Charles spaniels.

I have heard cavaliers are more prone to health problems than King Charles spaniels?

Another English Toy Terrier here, not my first dog, but my first terrier.
He's absolutely amazing, he learns very quickly, and is the most cuddly pup I've met.
He's also very expressive and transparent, so it's quite easy to read his emotional state and act accordingly.
We spend a lot of time training, mostly on recall and impulse control, and he's turning to be a rather well behaved gentleman.

Additionally, he's tiny, it's super convenient when we need to travel, when we go to cafes etc...

King Charles cavalier - lovely dogs. Border terriers are very popular at the moment and a few of my friends have them - they are great characters but can be very grumpy and are independent little buggers with minds of their own.

Tibetan Spainel or Chinese Crested first sprang to mind. But agree with the others saying a Cavalier King Charles

Terriers aren’t great for a first dog and aren’t always that affectionate

I really wouldn’t recommend a terrier if you want a cuddle lump. Lots of them aren’t. Try a Shih Tzu.

Shitzu make good first dogs. Generally easy to toilet train. Not very energetic, love a cuddle but will play for hours if you want.