Hello I am a new member and would like some advice on the best companion breed for me. I'm a retired 62 year old female, I am active and love long walks. I live alone in a small house with a smallish garden in a country town in the UK. I like Jack Russells but need advice on whether they would be too fiesty when my grandchildren visit. I am also thinking of the future and any dog I have will probably be with me for many years, hopefully our activlty levels will match as we both grow older. I would also like a small dog as I would love it to sit on the sofa with me in the evenings.

Thanks for any advise.
Maggie

I know you want a small dog but nothing beats a lab. They are great for going on long walks and love to cuddle at night. They are great with kids and adapt well to any environment.

Not to insult your age BUT a Lab is a handful and maybe bigger than you want to handle. If you get an older dog it may not be an issue but to start with a pup will take alot of energy and strength on your part. My parents have a rat terrior and that is a very smart good dog. Talk about a cool personality! How well they will walk with you I don't know. Now I will say a Lab or a retriever will ALSO want to be all over you on the couch. I know this because I have a Golden/Lab and he is very loving affectionate strong handful.

I hear that JRTs are very very yappy and energetic. You may want to look for a more medium-sized breed but avoid working. The medium ones tend to be more comfortable in their own fur and less yappy. And as was suggested; getting a dog that's a little older says you may get a fairly laid-back animal, a puppy might be a bit too clumsy and energetic for grandkids.

[Yogi]

as one that is very near 60 years of age, I do not recommend a terrier ie: Parson Russel (JRT). I still have Miniature Pinschers which are in fact terriers also. Terriers are high energy and therefore require a great deal of exercise.
They can also be somewhat quick to bark.
I also raise Papillons which do very will as lap dogs and can with proper training on part of the grandkids do great with them. Mine are little lap dogs that love to curl up on the chair with me in the evenings and though they can bark do so more so as a means of alerting to strangers or knock on doors. They are active but not to the degree of Terriers. They are actually a member of the Spaniel family (traditional referred to as the Continental Spaniel). They get to approx 11 inches and 8lbs. The other option is a Pomeranian. Still small and cute, though again with children, some training on both their parts would be advised.

Hello,
i saw your advert that you want a dog,but i don't know the type you want cos we have have all kind of dogs and if you want to contact us ....below is our email address........kenpets44@yahoo.com so you can get back to us there okay and sorry we will like to know where you are located and also we will like to know how many you want and the name of the dog you want.........

Thanks
We wait your swift reply..........

The best thing to do would be to scope out your local pounds. This way you can find a dog with the personality that you want. The people there will probably let you take dogs you're interested in out of their kennels to walk them/interact with them.

Plus you'll be saving a dog from euthanization.

If you do take a dog from a pound make sure you bring at least one of your grandkids. If the animal is child-aggressive, you would definitely want to make sure you know and avoid it.

Papillons are known for being somewhat bitey and aggressive, very territorial. I'd be a bit nervous about one gotten at a shelter, but if you test for things like food aggression, child aggression, things like that you may get lucky.

I have a Pomeranian. They're small and cute but high energy and they aren't fond of young children either. Heck, I'm almost twenty and my pom gets snappy with me sometimes when I pet her too much; so again you have to test for things like that before you make your choice.

I think a Border Terrier would be a good choice. I've never run into a snarly one yet. They're sturdy enough to put up with kids wrestling. They'd be great on those long strolls you say you like to take.

Another breed you might look into is the Standard Longhaired Dachshund. Great dogs, love to cuddle, sturdy but small, intelligent and easy to train, and if they don't get enough exercise they don't get crazy or destructive. They just get fat.

Thank you to everyone who replied it's good to hear from other doggy people.

I do love labs but I think they are a bit too big to have around my little house. I have been looking at miniature pinschers and english toy terriers, both breeds are very alike but the drawback is they are very expensive. I also like miniature dachshunds but wonder if they will walk as far as I like to. I can easily walk five miles at a time. Border and & Patterdale terriers also look like good little dogs.

I think a rescue dog is the answer. I will have to spend some time looking for the right balance of age, character and size.

My pomeranian can walk upwards of ten miles a day. The length of your walk shouldn't be too big a deal, despite the size of the dog. Five miles is golden for almost any breed.

I would still avoid smaller breeds, even min pins. They're just so jumpy and tend to be more aggressive than a midsize (my grandmother's Yorkie used to bite me all the time but her collie never even growled). With the amount of walking you do a day, you may even be able to take a look at an australian shepherd. Very smart, laid back, they get destructive if not exercised but my mom's border collie always did just fine on three mile walks a day.

[Yogi]

Originally Posted by Maggiev

Thank you to everyone who replied it's good to hear from other doggy people.

I do love labs but I think they are a bit too big to have around my little house. I have been looking at miniature pinschers and english toy terriers, both breeds are very alike but the drawback is they are very expensive. I also like miniature dachshunds but wonder if they will walk as far as I like to. I can easily walk five miles at a time. Border and & Patterdale terriers also look like good little dogs.

I think a rescue dog is the answer. I will have to spend some time looking for the right balance of age, character and size.

If you elect to go with either of these two (Miniature Pinscher or Toy Manchester terrier) I would stick with the Manchester. They are less prone to high energy issues as well as less likely to be aggressive. I have raised Miniature Pinschers for many years and are never a good first time dog and do not generally do well with children under 13 or 14. In addition, though both breeds are high energy, the Miniature Pinscher is far more so than the Toy Manchester. Avoiding terriers would be something to keep in mind as generally all terriers are high energy as they are the only grouping created for the sole purpose of killing other animals though primarily rats and mice. The prey instincts are very strong and Miniature Pinschers require a great deal of patience. They are extremely difficult to house train and recall can be a very difficult learning experience for both owner and dog.

[Popcorn]

Originally Posted by vetgroomer

I think a Border Terrier would be a good choice. I've never run into a snarly one yet. They're sturdy enough to put up with kids wrestling. They'd be great on those long strolls you say you like to take.

Another breed you might look into is the Standard Longhaired Dachshund. Great dogs, love to cuddle, sturdy but small, intelligent and easy to train, and if they don't get enough exercise they don't get crazy or destructive. They just get fat.

border terriers are the best little dogs, love people and children, love to please and certainly love there walks. they love nothing better than having a cuddle in the evenings with you on the sofa, or for that matter anytime of the day. They are loving and a faithful companion, but they are also a terrier and they will be constantly looking for furry things to chace in the fields, our 2 are brilliant little dogs, and i'd never have anything different now, we have also got an old jrt who is 12 and he's a smashing little chap, he's good with people and children just not very social with other dogs. borders are also very good with other dogs and are very sociable.