Need help picking out a dog!

I am looking fora non-shedding (or extremely low shedding dog) that is hypoallergenic (or close to) and quite small. Not a "teacup" dog, but he/she needs to be relatively small. I have someone who has asthma and allergies.

I thought about getting a Bichon--but the weather is not suited for its white coat and houstraining could be a problem.

Poodle--too much grooming, and it is not suited for me.

One dog my family seems to like--well, its one of those designer mutts, is a Schnoodle. Our close friends have one and they are so sweet. But everyone seems to hate them and think they are despicable, evil dogs...any suggestions for possible breeds?

 

I think you can't go wrong with a shih tzu. Keep it in a puppy cut and you'll have minimal grooming (although it will need to go to a groomer's probably every 4-6 weeks). As for potty training--wish I had some words of wisdom there, but since I'm fighting the poop and piddle puppy battle myself at the moment all I can say to you AND me is patience, patience, patience!

 

Unless you pick a hairless dog, any "non-shedding" dog is going to require a lot of grooming. The reason dogs are non-shedding isn't because the hair doesn't fall out, it's because the coat traps the shed hair, and it will mat up something horrible. Daily brushing and frequent trips to the groomer are necessary to keep the coat in good shape and free of mats.

Some breeds don't shed a lot, and many people find they don't have allergic reactions to them. Smooth, long haired and wire haired dachshunds are examples of those breeds But it's a hit and miss situation with the allergies, and while they don't require as much grooming, they do still need some, especially the long and wire hairs. Other breeds that fall into this catagory are Papillons, Bostons, smooth fox terriers, rat terriers and Manchester terriers. But keep in mind that terriers can be hyper and varminty.

Other breeds you might concider would be a Havanese or Coton du Tulear, but they need to be brushed/combed a lot, as they're prone to matting. If you can spend the time to get the cords started properly, or if you keep it brushed and clipped short, a Puli might fit your needs. Oh, I should probably mention, you can cord a poodle, too. Once the cords are established it cuts down on the grooming conciderably as you don't brush or clip them.

As for Schnoodles, if that's what you really want, get one. No one else has to live with it, so why worry about what they think? But don't spend a fortune for a mixed breed pup. Investigate shelters and rescue organizations or find one that's an "Oops" in the local paper. And keep in mind that the coat on mixed breeds can vary a great deal. You still may end up with a dog that needs a lot of grooming.

One final word regarding mats. They hurt. If they get bad enough, the skin suffers from lack of stimulation and air which leads to hot spots, excessive dander and yeast infections.. If the mats are all over the dog, every time the dog opens his mouth or moves his front leg it pulls the hair on his butt. If you can't or won't dedicate yourself to the time and money necessary to keep the dog brushed and groomed, don't get a breed that is prone to matting.

 

I have a maltipoo and a poodle, but they do require quite alot of grooming, you will find any of the poodles and poodle mixes require grooming pretty much every day and going to be cut every 6 to 8 weeks. The poodle is an excellent little dog to house train though, they catch on very quickly as they are so smart.
Bichons I have heard are that much harder to house train.

My daughters friend has a schnoodle, she is a lovely little dog, certainly not evil, but she is quite hyper. I had a schnauzer at one time when my children were young, but he snapped at my l year old a few times, so we sold him to a couple with no children.

Most of the little dogs that dont shed do seem to have the longish hair and do need grooming, but I do it in the evening, when Im watching tv, just lay her on my lap and comb her out, its a nice bonding time for you and the dog and certainly is not a big deal if you do it all the time. Its only bad when you leave it for days and then do have to try and get those awful matts out.

 

How much would you say is too much for a designer pup?

I was searching and came across one "giant teddy bear schnoodle" for $2,000.
Would you say $800? $500?

My top choice of dog was going to be the Havanese. But I need to see these dogs in person! Well, in dog actually, but yeah. So I am going to a dog show.

 

How much is too much for a designer dog? Well, that's a difficult question to answer. A lot depends on what went into the production of the dog, be it purebred or mutt.

Did the breeder stick two dogs together and wait 9 weeks? Or have they spent time going over pedigrees to see if both parents come from sound, healthy stock? Did they avail themselves of any and all genetic screening to identify potential health risks? Are the parents CERF and/or BAER tested, are they OFA certified? Is the breeder even aware of the genetic health issues possible for the breed/breeds involved?

Dealing with small dogs, some of the health issues that are common in many small breeds are Legge/Calve/Perthes disease (a hip problem) luxating patellas (a knee problem), heart defects, kidney disease, liver shunts, deafness, allergies, hypothyroidism, epilepsy, diabetes, cherry eye, PRA (an eye condition that leads to blindness), glaucoma, and stenotic nares (nostrils too small). Some of these can be corrected surgically, some can be controlled by medication, some will lead to premature death, and all are expensive and cause suffering for the pet and the owner.

If the breeder isn't aware of the potential problems and doesn't care if they're breeding sick or unsound puppies, I'd concider fifty cents too much to pay for their puppies.

On the other hand, if the breeder knows the health background of the parents and grand parents, if they've tested both parents for things like PRA and had an orthopedic vet check knees and hips, if there's no history of diabetes, hypothyroidism or epilepsy...you get my drift...I'd be willing to spend a little more.

I would NOT be willing to spend $1,000 (or more) for a mixed breed anything. I would only be willing to spend that kind of money for a purebred dog of top show quality.

I have a dachshund from one of the top breeders in the U.S. He's extremely sound and healthy. He comes from top show lines. His temperment is above excellent and he's so smart he scares me. The only reason he was sold as a pet is because his nose is 1/4 inch too short! That's how picky his breeder is about her breeding stock. And I paid $400 dollars for him, which included the price of having him neutered before I picked him up.

I would imagine a Havanese will be a little more expensive than that due to their rarity. But keep looking until you find a breeder who is breeding to the standard, has very high standards for their blood stock and their puppy buyers, and is willing to take the dog back at any time during it's life time. Don't be afraid to ask for references, because a good breeder is going to ask you for references too.

Finding a good breeder can be time consuming and a lot of work. But it will pay off in the end.

 

Im from BC Canada, Purebred Havanese are really expensive here, I actually just was at a dog show and a breeder has some pups and they are $1,700.00. I love the Havanese the only problem I just cant justify spending that kind of money on one as they look so much like my maltipoo, some one could sell her for a Havanese as she looks so much like one. But I have read up on them and they are supposed to be lovely little dogs, great personalities, a good family dog.

 

I have been reading about the Havanese and I have fallen in love with them!

They seem to be the perfect breed--except for that little price tag.
I have seen a few with bows in their hair like Yorkies, is that allowed in the show ring?

Havaneses, being part of the Bichon family...are they hard to house train? I know Malteses are quite hard to house train.

 

There's no such thing as a non-shedding or hypoallergenic dog. Those are things advertized to lure uninformed people in. Asthma and allergics are subjective when it comes to animals. I have asthma and very bad allergies to all things with hair. Poodles have the lowest impact on me.

Any poo mix is a bit like a crap-shoot, you could end up with the half of the non-poo as the dominant traits.

I have a Pekeapoo that has a Poodle curls on her head and hat Pekenese hair for the rest of her body. Poodles don't require any more grooming than any other dog that is typically deemed "hypoallergenic". Poodles just get a bad rap because of the stupid show cuts that people insist on giving them.

Choose wisely, because this is a lifetime commitment.

I would recommend taking the allergic party along (without having taken any allergy pills) to pick out the dog to see what the reaction will be before making the commitment.