[spotsonofbun]

Well I will always vote for poodles, but since you have a long time to decide look into the bichon family too. The Bichon frise, havanese, lowchen, coton de tulear...

These are in my experience small enough to travel easily but not as delicate as the papillon and chis. Spot (very energetic lab x bc) used to play with bichons all the time, very energetically without any problem.

The size of poodles are tricky, you can look at the KC breed standards online to see the official guidelines but in practice you have miniature poodles the size of toy poodles and reverse (although if the parents are mini the pups are reg as mini regardless of size).

You can probably find an oversized toy which would be sturdier enough you can also end up with a miniature nearly the size of a standard. Keep in mind that the size of the puppy is not always a good indicator. Askur (yorkie) was the runt he is now considered oversized as an adult. Also in my experience the little ones aren´t as delicate as people think. I know a papillon who hikes in the icelandic mountains.

what would be a bigger inconvenience? having a dog whose too small and delicate so you have to be super careful when it plays with zoey and jasper? or it being too big making public transport a bit tricky?

 

[spotsonofbun]

Askur´s best friend is an oversized labrador who he has played with since he was 11 weeks old, he regularly plays with a juvenile Rottweiler and played all weekend with a standard poodle who I might be petsitting this september (I am soo in love with that spoo).

Observing them in play I have realised that as long as all the dogs involved big and small are well socialised and have ´doggy manners´there usually isnt a problem. When the big dogs are being too rough the smaller one tells them through body language or shrieking and the big ones back off. My sister´s beagle once did a beagle howl next to askur who got really scared from it. The beagle has refused to howl near Askur ever since, even if you command him to.

Ill try to upload a video of Askur and his friend playing together its amasing to watch but at least here is a picture of the besties.

 

[spotsonofbun]

Poodles are the best, have you thought about the chinese crested? remember they come in fluffy too. I think we have a very similar criteria for breeds