best dog breed...

[windorabug]

for a small apartment & a 3 year old girl?
what do you think?

[Oubliette8]

Many breeds could work. We need more info. Is there a size or weight restriction for dogs in your apartment? Breed restrictions? Some places allow all dogs, others dogs under a certain weight limit. And some restrict certain breeds (and not just the ones you might think- my old apartment banned Siberian Huskies and a few other breeds not normally listed on breed bans)

Are there allergies that could be an issue? How much grooming is acceptable? No grooming? Brushing once or twice a week? Professional grooming required?

How much exercise can you give the dog? A few walks around the block? A few hours of intense activity?

Do you have a size preference? Some large dogs are excellent for apartment living (Greyhounds, for instance, tend to do really well in apartments), but only you know if you feel you could fit a large dog in your apartment and still have room to move around. Or maybe you prefer medium size dogs, or little but not TOO little.

Have you trained a dog before? Some breeds do better with experienced owners.

What will your dog do all day? Some breeds need constant stimulation. Others are happy to nap most of the day.

What sort of energy level would you like? This is not always related to exercise- some small dogs don't necessarily require a lot of exercise outside the home, but are very high energy. Other dogs do best best with a lot of exercise, but can be sedate inside the home.

How trainable do you want the dog to be? Extremely intelligent breeds can be a challenge to live with because they make up their own fun (which may be destructive!) if they aren't being challenged. On the other hand, some breeds are notoriously hard to train- will you be ok if it takes a year or two to housebreak your pup?

Finally, what do you want to do with the dog? Do you want a dog you can trust off leash? Some breeds are more suited to that than others. Do you want to take it hiking in heavy brush? Some small breeds or dog with long coats may not be good choices. Will your dog be expected to exert itself frequently, or be exposed to high or low temperatures? Some breeds structurally cannot handle certain conditions.

Knowing some more about your requirements would make it easier to recommend a good breed.

[windorabug]

Thanks for the reply & the great questions!
I would prefer a little dog that could be my dd playmate & our friend.
No breed restrictions.
No allergies.
We do have 1 cat.
A minimal amount of grooming but I am not opposed to proffesional grooming.
I am in school 2 days a week (sitter comes to our house on school days) the rest if the time we are both at home or doing light outdoor stuff. I do not have a yard though. So outdoor time is spent at the park or exploring our neighborhood or the woods. I am no athlete!
A moderately easy to train dog would be ok I haven't had a dog since I was young & we had boxers but I had nothing to do with training.
In the summer we like to camp & travel & spend time outdoors. In the winter when it's cold we don't do as much!
Like I said above I am really looking for a small compainion & playmate that would also travel well & be lots of fun!
Thanks!
Ps I have been considering a yorkshire terrier - what do you think?

[HollyBearsMom]

I have no idea of the "best" but we had a pom in our small apartment. He was litter boxed trained, easy to groom if you keep up with the brushing and so so sweet. We took him everywhere and becuase of his size was easy to travel with. We now have a new one and he is great with our sitters 3 year old. They can be barkie but they are also easy to train not to bark and easy to train overall.

My mom always hadyorkies (again this is all anecdotal) but they were all very territorial, one person type dogs. She didn't have a single one that was good with good with kids.

[lovebug]

Originally Posted by windorabug

Ps I have been considering a yorkshire terrier - what do you think?

they are HARD to potty train!!! and even when they are 'trained' lots of them still pee when excited. they are cute, but not the best small dog for kids. they tend to be territorial and are fragile...

let me think... after taking a test using what you posted above... here is what i found
http://www1.dogbreedinfo.com/cgi-bin/dbi-search.cgi

have you thought about going to the dog shelter and see what small dog finds you? most of them are potty trained and you are able to get an older dog so it will be more accurate to what their temperament will be...