Need Assistance from the many Pet owners here :)

[BrandyBSN]

I have wanted a puppy for 6 years but my landlord wont let me. In May, I will be graduating, and will be moving to a "pet friendly" condo/townhouse complex. So, I am trying to research and find a pet that will fit my lifestyle. I love cats, but I am extremely allegic to them, fish are pretty, but they dont like it when you pet them

I am looking for a small/miniture breed of puppy that doesn't have an extremely high activity level since I will be living in a fairly small home. I will be working 7pm-7am, 3 days a week. But my fiance will be home to take the puppy on a walk at night.

Any help would be appreciated :)

Thanks!

BrandyBSN

[Ortho_RN]

Hey Brandy...

I post mainly on the student board.... However before my career change I was/am a Certified Vet Tech (nurse to the animals)... I don't think a puppy would be the best choice... especially the fact that noone will be there to train the puppy not to use the house as his toilet... They need to be taken out several times a day so that they learn that outside is the potty, not inside.... Unless you want to try and get them to use the doggy litter... But I think you should check into a humane society shelter and see what kind of younger dogs they have... They have dogs from 6mos up that have already been housebroken... And that would be perfect for you and your hubby, cause I am sure he doesn't want to clean poop when he comes in.... And even though I am a fan of pure breeds.. Mutts tend to make GREAT pets and have LESS health problems...

I wonder if you would even be allergic to the hairless cat... They are ugly, but cats are 100x easy than dogs... Good luck, and if you have any other questions you can email me a [email protected] or post to me on the student board.. :)

[BrandyBSN]

A HAIRLESS CAT??? I gotta look that up! Do they look like rats? :)

[Ortho_RN]

Go to this website and check out the pics :)

http://www.prophecysphynx.com/

[BrandyBSN]

I checked on the Cornish Rex and the Sphynx. It seems that there has not be a lot of good results with allergy research. Only 10% of people with a cat allergy have had a decreased reaction to a hairless cat. Thats sad, and I know that a cat would be much easier than a dog. Thanks for the idea though!

BrandyBSN

[Furball]

I know you are looking for a small breed dog...but check out the larger breeds. They're easier to house break than little dogs, don't bark as much, aren't afraid of anything so they're less likely to bite and are lower energy. (in general, there are exceptions. My saint bernard jumps up and down with all 4's off the ground when he gets excited, yikes!)

Good luck with the pet you choose!

[JennieBSN]

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[Lausana]

I grew up with Pomeranians, they're little (last one was giant at 10lbs!) Very sweet faces and very cuddly, but ours weren't real good with kids, family was fine, but other kids always wanted to pick them up since they were little, etc. Have very distinct personalities. Also, my sister had bad allergies also, so my mom would have the Poms shaved a couple times a yr (accept in winter of course!) and it completely stopped the shedding. Plus, it was hilarious to see them run around in the summer right after getting rid of all that hair!

Schnauzers (sp?) are another good small dog, they come in different sizes, my grandparents have had 4 minatures over the years & I fell in love with them all, they live in a condo & Maddie doesn't really bark, and has trained really well without going to dog school. But she's still under 2 and demands lots of walking every day. She stays in a cage while they are at work & now she really loves her cage it is like her safe haven when she wants to ignore us and sleep!

This is starting to really make me miss pets, I'm only allowed fish or birds where I live!

[tyger9966]

If you are looking for a dog that would be a great companion, you should try the kind I have, a Boston Terrier. They are very lovable and sweet and love to play and love to learn. My dog Tiger is so smart! He knows which toy to get when I tell him (ball, rope, etc.) and he loves to sleep with us and cuddle. On the other hand, he can be very hyper. I think this is a trait of his parents, though, not all Boston Terriers are as hyper as him. My father-in-law also has one and he is the most well-behaved dog you will ever see. And they are so CUTE!!!

[tyger9966]

I forgot something else, they are incredibly easy to housebreak. My dog absolutely will not go in the house and especially not in his cage, he will hold it all day long!! It's so funny because as soon as I get home and let him out of his cage he runs to the door and starts spazzing out when I get his leash out!!

[fiestynurse]

I have a poodle/shitzu mix, named Monty. He is the most adorable dog in the world. He is my baby boy! He's a small dog that has retained that cute puppy look and he is great with the kids. He also gets along great with the cats. Although sometimes he gets a little confused and tries to get amorous with them.

[pkmom]

I read that birds dont like to be pet, but that's not true. I had a nandy conure and he loved to be pet. He's happy to just sit on your shoulder and poop while you cook, eat, watch tv, whatever. His only problem with chores was laundry, he thought it all needed to be nesting material. You can teach them to talk and I even found a website where someone potty trained hers! They have sharp beaks and the nandays are really loud. My hubby has thought about getting me a sun conure some day. they are much quieter! I love cats, I like small dogs, but I really loved my little parrot.

[moz]

We have a couple Jack Russell terriers (like Eddie on Frazier), named Tarzan and Jane. They are high energy, the male more so than Jane. We both work so we didn't spend enough time trying to get them housebroken. But, we found a stray full grown chocolate lab, and I have to agree with previous posts that big dogs may be easier to housebreak. She came to us housebroken, is excellent with our many kids, and gentle. Good luck to you, I hope you find just the right dog. :)