I am looking for a dog for my son. He is 23 years old, has Down syndrome, and is moderately hearing impaired. He cannot hear anything when he is asleep, and I want a dog that would be sensitive to this and alert my son when needed. Right now, my son has a tabby cat that is very special to him. She is very tuned in to his needs and moods. However, she is 12 years old and won't be around forever. I would like to get my son a small dog to be his companion, and I would like to get it soon so it doesn't seem like we're "replacing" his cat. Does anyone have any suggestions for the type of dog we should look for? (Also, we would like to get a rescued dog.)
Thank you.

Well how small are you talking about? I would suggest a Pit Bull. They can be very gentle dogs despite their reputation. But if you are new to dogs don't get a Pit Bull, they can be stubborn and hard to train. Spaniels are also great dogs. I don't know much about them but all the ones I have met are great. Hope this helps, good luck with your new dog.

I know I'm partial to the breed, having owned many over the years, but I'd suggest a Dachshund. In particular a standard longhaired Dachshund.

The standard Dachshunds are substantial dogs, but still small enough to fit most situations, in the 25-30 pound range. Longhaired Dachshunds tend to be calmer and more easily trained than either their smooth or wire haired cousins. They're sweet and affectionate, very intelligent, and intuitive, and seem to be able to sense when they're needed in special situations. They make excellent therapy dogs.

If a standard Dachshund is too large, then go with a longhaired miniature. They're a bit more active than the standards, but retain the sweet and affectionate nature. They're also sensitive, intuitive, intelligent, pretty easy to train, and make excellent therapy dogs.

Both sizes are inquisitive, and poke their noses into anything and everything. This trait is easily modified into alerting a sleeping individual that they need to wake up. Sometimes no training is necessary. Mine will poke me awake if anything seems out of order in the house while I'm sleeping.

Along with being inquisitive, they're a lot of fun. They have a great sense of humor, love to play, and make up games that are very entertaining.

well its easy for me to judge the dog for that if you will post its pic..

Agree with it...If we see your dog it make us easy to identify its breed ...

Originally Posted by Lyka_01

Agree with it...If we see your dog it make us easy to identify its breed ...

The OP isn't asking what breed of dog she has. She's asking what breed of dog she should get.

i saw this site before, might help: Home - Assistance Dogs International

One option you might want to look into is getting a retired guide dog for the blind. I know there happens to ba quite a large waiting list to get these dogs, they're so well trained, but i think that would be ideal for your son. If that doesn't work out, a lab, prefferably yellow, they're the most calm variety, would work well, or a Golden retriever.