Help me pick a new pup

I am looking into finding a new pup. I have decided that I want to get a smaller breed. Here are some of the breeds I am considering:

Pekignese
Shih Tzu
Chihuahua
Brussels Griffon

There are just so many, and they are all adorable!!

This is my family situation:

I have 2 kids ages 2 1/2 and 4. I have 2 cats and my baby Zeus (Rottweiler). Both my kids and Zeus are small animal friendly. My kids know to sit next to my cats and gently pet their body, not the head or the tails. Zeus, knows to stay away from Lily as she only lets him live with us because I like him, and he wrestles with Grendal, and the majority of his roughness consists of pinning Grendal to the floor with an open mouth. We love to take Zeus for walks with the kids in the wagon, and there is plenty of room in the wagon for a little pup, should it get tired.

I would love to hear any input about any of these breeds or others (just not poodles or poodle mixes, as I really don't care for them) Help me decide what would be best for us.

 

My boss's step-mother breed brussles griffons. Up in washington I believe They are expensive. One of her dogs was in a movie with jack nicholson. Cute little guys. My neighbor has the sweetest pekingnese. Very very pretty. Beautiful long hair.

 

I really like Shih Tzus and Peekinese. My aunts Shih Tzu is a really sweetie and does really well with small children as well as other animals.

 

I would pick the Shih tzu. I have not been around the other breeds but I do know that a Shih tzu sheds hardly any hair if any. I think the Pekingnese sheds a lot, doesn't it?

 

Id definately pick a shih tzu. theyre wonderful, adorable pups. Big sweeties, and most members of the breed have an incredibly sweet disposition. Ive owned a Shih Tzu, and I have friends who have Shih Tzus and they are the greatest. They are not yappy like other toy breeds, and dont shed, except for the ocassional loose hair or two. Good luck deciding!

 

I'd get the Shih Tzu. My uncle has owned 4 of them over the years and they have all been great with young kids and other animals.

 

I like the Shih Tzu the best out of what you named .The Brussels second .They are all good dogs though,but I would consider a few others as small as your children are .Best to do research on all though .AKC has breders listed ,call a few and talk to them about the choices ..ages of children and the ones most likely to fit your lifestyle .

 

I have a pekingese now, so I have to admit that I'm really biased! I'm also going to take this opportunity to pimp this website that I've come across recently: http://www.taralon.org/ Really sweet faces IMO, and one even has an obedience title in addition to her conformation title!

He's good with small animals and patient with kids, can be trusted indoors for long hours, not a much of a chewer/barker, and learns commands quickly (highly treat motivated :roll: so bribery works wonders). Also, he doesn't show any fear of larger dogs; in fact, he nearly gave me a heart-attack at PetSmart when I looked over and found him greeting a pair of great danes. For a split second, I thought two ponies had materialized into the store. :shock:

I've heard that some pekes can be short-tempered (undersocialized, poorly-bred?) but I haven't personally experienced that. His groomer, vets, and vet techs report that he's friendly and cooperative. Though he's sometimes stubborn (like when he decides that he doesn't want to swallow his pill and instead tries to eat the cheese surrounding it, then hides the yucky tablet inside his muzzle flap.), he's never aggressive about it. Also he needs to be brushed a few times a week and tends to shed pretty constantly year-round. It's a lot less noticable if you choose to keep the coat trimmed short, brush it frequently, etc. Another possible negative is the fact that he snorts and snores, though we personally find it endearing.

That said, my friend's Shih-tzu is really sweet as well. She's more of a barker (but not an extreme one), but I don't know if that's just her and not typical of the breed. She is also more hyper indoors than my Peke is, but that might be her age (she's about 1.5 years, if I remember correctly). My dog tends to be active outdoors and sits around like a couch potato inside the house.

Good luck with the search and new pup!

 

Well, I'm still pouting over the fact that you said you don't like the poo-mixes! LOL.... But I thought I'd throw my opinion in here anyways!

I'd definitely suggest a shih tzu also. I have three friends with shih tzus and they all three have young kids and the kids do grrrrrrrreat with this breed. Out of the three people and four shih tzus only one of them is a real barker.... and it's the one that is with her brother, so I personally think she's just barkin' to p*ss him off! hehe....

GOOOOOOOD LUCK!! and keep us posted on your choice!

 

With everything everyone has said. Keep in mind that with small children you want to get a dog that is not too small and that is sturdy enough to handle them. You don't want to get a very small dog that when picked up and dropped accidently could get brain damage or something like that. Tiny toy poos,b Tiny chihuahuas. Dogs like that could be a problem. Do'nt go for what people call apple headed chihuahua's, they are really chi's with water on the brain.

 

Puttin is right there ,you want to make sure the puppy as an adult also can tolerate your children and that your children can tolerate your dog ,so call breeders and ask ..Chi is too tiny ,so are some of the others ...with small children you have to be careful and that goes for the dog and the kids .

 

I have known someone with each of the breeds you are considering and I think that it depends on what you want. All of the breeds are great as long as children and pets in the home are prepared for a small breed dog. I have a 1 lb Chihuahua and he is great with my 3, 5 and 8 yr old. They KNOW and have complete understanding on how to handle him etc. If your children arent accustimed to a small dog like a Chihuahua Id definatly go with one of the sturdier breeds. Chihuahuas are nervous dogs sometimes with strangers and in loud situations. If you decide on this breed and they are right for you they can be a JOY to own though. Jack goes EVERYWHERE with me. He is tiny enough to fit in ANYWHERE. He has a carrier that attached to me like a front baby carrier and it made for TINY TINY dogs and he rides along EVERYWHERE I do. He is awesome! Great personality, tiny heart but SO FULL of love. Only health problems Ive encountered is dandruff but I think it might be too much bathing etc going on causing that. It is a very nice breed for those wanting alot of spunk in a tiny package. They are sometimes so small though you have to be VERY carefull when walking around the house. My jack isnt yappy like some can be but he is fast and has learned to avoid being stepped on. He has never been dropped or stepped on. He is so small he cant even jump on anything or off anything. So just research each breed and decide on what you want out of this pet. The larger Chis dont come with the problems of the TINY TINY ones. Good luck in your search!!


Big Jack the Maniac

 

Well, I keep hearing so many things about the Shih Tzu, so I think I'll do a little more research on the breed. As for my kids around tiny dogs, my mom has two chihuahua, her first Tiara, is extremely small, she is 4 pounds and that she is overweight. The second one is about 10 months and 7 pounds. They never try to pick them up, because they have been explained to that we only pet animals. Under no circumstance are they to ever try to pick up an animal. They know to sit down and then call them to them in their laps if they wnat to hold them. I am not worried about them hurting a small dog like a chihuahua( I just wouldn't want so called teacup). I don't care about grooming, I have to groom my daughter on a daily basis, so why not a dog!!! I brush Zeus everyday, and give him a massage. That is part of our quiet quality time after the kids go to bed. I have been looking at these breeds on petfinder.com just to see if there are any that call out to me. Nothing yet, but I am still looking. The biggest problem about the ones on pet finder is that if they are not in a pound or a local shelter, most are in rescues, they don't want to adopt out to families with young kids. They are prefering 12 and older. I'd rather save a life first, but if I can't do that, then I'll start my search for the best breeder.

 

I too think a shih tzu is a good choice for your situation.

I have a 4 1/2 shih tzu mix-Oscar. He really doesnt look too much like a shih tzu--more like a peke mix--but I don't know what his father was.

He is a great little dog for us for many reasons.

He is not destructive--he not ruined anything--he just plays with his toys.

He sleeps a fair amount--and loves to sleep in your lap--a real snuggle bug. But he also loves to play fetch--and runs around the yard like a maniac. He is just the right activity level for us--as we are not into exercising or going for walks too much.

I dont have kids, but my 4 year neice was here for the weekend and he was great with her--he wanted to constantly be near her. and he played fetch with her as long as she was interested.

He doesnt mind a chaotic house and loves visitors. He is not a nervous type dog at all.

He is a very sturdy little dog. He has solid legs and a well muscled chest. In puppy class--he is not afraid of the dogs that are 4x his size.

He also is not yappy.

He was easily litter trained--and does okay with obedience commands

I don't know if his good personality is the shih tzu or his unknown father or the mix.

A woman in my puppy class has a shih tzu who is adorable and is very smart and having no problems with housetraining. He is great with her 4 year old and 7 year old. She said that the pup allowed her daughter to dress him up and drive him around in the doll carriage.

My mothers manicurist also has a shih tzu that is great with her kids and their German Shepherd.

If I were to get another dog--I would definitiely consider a pure bred shih tzu--or maybe a pug--i love the looks of pugs and heard they are great with kids.

Here is my pups dogster page www.dogster.com/?26076

 

My boss paid like $1500 apeice for her two griffies. Very expensive and ill healthed dogs.

 

Thought I would throw another suggestions in the mix! A Pomeranian, I have two, along with two toddlers and they all get along great. My poms adore my children and even sleep with them if I kick them out of my bed. My only problem with them has been the barking but I think since I have two it is worse. When we just had one it was not so bad.

 

Out of all the breeds you mentioned, I would choose the shih-tzu mainly for the reasons other members have mentioned!

Good luck with your search!

 

Ok, I looked at the Shih Tzu very closely. I liked what I saw and read.

Anyone know of any good breeders here in the states???

 

just thought i'd throw my 2 cents in! be cautious about breeds with the protruding eyes (like shih tzus) since you have cats -- they're more easily damaged even if they are all just play fighting/playing.

have you considered any small non-pedigree dogs? there are lots of small mutts at the shelters that would love a home! good luck in your search.

 

moose is right about dos in shelters . And Purebreeds are there as well ,but the larger ones have so many rules beacause they realy don't know how a certain purebreed or cross will act toward children and you have two young ones .Rescue is great but they don't know if they are in bred or have been abused by someone most of the time ,one reason they have such strit rules .
One note about eyes of a shih tzu ...Some people near here has one .It's eye popped out while riding in the boat with them .Vet popped it back in and had ot have stitches for while but it is true that flat face dogs can have eye problems really eaasy and breathing problems as well ...