[Satamanster]

Hello everyone. I'm fresh new to this forum. I need your help. My girlfriend's birthday is coming i of course, i thought about giving her a puppy as a gift.
OF COURSE, you'll understand soon, it has to be a puppy and not a grown up dog. Please help me here...
My girlfriend lives in a relatively small apartment in a building with apartments in front, above and below... You're getting there right?
Ok, so here's the deal.. i know she would love to have a dog taken from the "Local Animal Control Center" (not sure if that's how you say it right but i don't know the proper translation from Portuguese), but the fact is that I'm not sure i can count on the behavior of a mutt dog.
You sure will have the propper advice for me in relation to that.
So I've done some little research about such qualities I'm looking forward on our future "son".
- Must adapt well to live inside the apartment.
- Must be small (the place, as I said, is not that big)
- Must be very affectionate to both the owners and kids/babies, they might come somewhere in a near future.
- Extremely important: must not be such of a barker (i think our neighbors won't be very tolerant to that), the quieter, the better.
- Must be kind to both strangers and other dogs.
- Minimum health issues desired.

The owner will be available to walk him every morning on a small wall and after work time, a longer walk and play with him, but he must do fine while alone during work time (we could arrange to get him some sort of distraction or inside playground)

I've came up with some breeds and so far yorkshire seems to be on the top list but there's a big BUT to this breed, they tend to be upset with strangers and things they don't know, hence bark and bark all day... And that is something to avoid at all cost.. Again.. Neighbors.

Please help me find a good solution to give my gf the best gift i believe she ever received.
Thanks

 

[SkyfirePups]

Hello. Welcome to the forum. I have a few suggestions but first I have a few things i'd like to say. Hope you do not take offense to this, as I am only trying to help.

First and foremost I must stress that giving a puppy as a gift is very, very rarely a good idea. This is not a stuffed bear we are talking about, it's an animal that can live for a very long time. The primary owner of this puppy should be 100% involved with the decision of what will work best. Include her in the decision, don't make it for her. Also VERY important: Have a plan for who will get the dog in the event of a breakup. Understand that not all relationships last, even if you are married.

Pick a dog that will suit your current situation best. A puppy will require housetraining, lots of stimulation, lots of training, lots of socialization. LOTS of time. Sometimes it may be better to get a dog who is still young but has passed most of the puppy-stage "problems". If you are both working, a young puppy probably isn't the best idea.

My suggestion is a 1 year old mutt from the pound. At 1 year old their adult-size is basically established and you wont have to worry about ending up with a big dog. All dogs come with behaviors you may not like, you must give them all time to adjust to the new home and your way of living. There are LOTS of sweet dogs out there who would love a second chance at life. Some rescues will allow you to foster-to-adopt. That means you can basically bring the dog home and become more familiar with them. That way you can have a better idea of if the dog will really work out- if it doesn't, you can try with another puppy. Foster-To-Adopt is GREAT.

......this post is too long. lol. Good luck!!
ps; Look for a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel mix, I feel this will work well! You may be able to find a breed-specific rescue in your area to help you. Or do a search for this breed type at the "Petfinder" website.

 

[KateBren]

Puppies are a lot of work. A lot of work. They all bark to some degree, they nip, they pee and poop all over. Sure they are cute on day 1 but by day 10 you see that puppyhood is an investment to get to the final result of a well-adjusted adult dog.

I agree with the previous poster. They are best not given as a gift and even with much thought can end up being more work than you think.

It doesn't sound like your girlfriend has a lot of time and I don't know if any dogs that fit your many criteria.

An older dog could work better. Good luck!