which small breed of dog would suit me?

angie001

awww he looks like a cloud! he's so white! i've never seen one with fur all over! lol. cute!

emaleigh

I have to jump in here and recommend a fantastic breed. The Maltese!!

Cute adorable little fluff balls. Hypo allergenic.The breed does well in smaller spaces and is not high energy. I have two, and I have to say.... they are the sweetest gentlest cutest dogs I've ever had the pleasure of owning and I'm hooked for life. (And I'm usually a big dog person!)

They do usually cost more to buy and have grooming upkeep but I don't find them high maintance.... its actually fun (They require tons of grooming if you want them to have a full coat however, but if your not showing its not needed) I have learned to groom mine myself, I shave their bodies and legs down shorter approx every 3/4 months and I let the hair on their face grow and I style it different every time and cut the hair out of the eyes. If you get a well bred one and feed them a good diet tear stains are very minimal - they keep themselves very clean for a pure white dog.

I find mine to have the perfect energy (but they were both adults when I got them, I'm getting my first Maltese pup in the next few weeks... very excited!) They can keep up on a day hike and run with the border collies, but are more than happy to curl next to me and sleep all day on the sofa. They are very easy to train, they love to please and like to go everywhere with you.

I was told by several breeders that they are an older breed, so the majority of genetic ailments have been bred out and they are considered a very healthy breed with a life span upwards of 14 years. They used to be owned by royalty and they LOVE being loved on, they are such sucks! Which is what makes grooming them such a pleasure - they love it!

Defiantly a breed for you to consider, you won't regret it!

pawzaddict

FWIW no breed is hypoallergenic. Some breeds shed less and produce less dander so are better options for those with a slight allergy, however, a person with severe allergy to dander still cannot keep the "hypoallergenic" breeds.
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emaleigh

Hypo allergenic means less allergens in the air, usually due to a lack of undercoat. So its the correct term over non shedding. Maltese are considered hypo allergenic, I have not noticed any shedding from my two except when I brush them.

pawzaddict

Actually there is no such thing as hypoallergenic dogs The dog produces less dander (which I guess yes you can say it goes in the air) due to the type of coat it has People can still be allergic to a maltese.

emaleigh

So what would be the correct term to use? Thats confusing because I saw that on tv not a few days ago and heard the same thing from breeders. My Maltese does not seem to shed at all and so far anyone with allergies has not be effected by her... but I suppose some people with severe allergies could still be allergic or irritated.

Criosphynx

it depends...if people are allergic to the DANDER...the dog cannot be hypoallergenic...

they also all shed...there are no breeds that do not shed

so, in reality, maybe "low allergy, low shedding"? I dunno.

pawzaddict

I was just clarifying to those who dont know that hypoallergenic does not really mean hypoallergenic as people can still be allergic. Yea Low shedding is the proper term to use

angie001

well, i do suffer from dander, but at the moment i have three large dogs that produce alot of hair and dander, and am not effected too bad, but i'm really more worried about hair shedding. any toy breed dog is bound to shed less than what im used to but i want a low shedding breed for my rented property. dander can be vacuumed up but hair sticks! lol. i like maltese, but i dont know how much available time i will have for grooming and how much spare cash i will have to have it professionally done, i have been looking at black pugs, aparently they dont shed as much as the fawn ones, and the hair is short so minimal grooming.

Cali

Pugs are great but they shed A LOT.
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