Hi everyone, I’m looking to get a dog in December this year and am trying to decide what breed to get.
I went to a dog show today and there were two stalls (unsure what they are called, the little booths people put their seats in?) of Papillons. One of them had a lot of Papillons, most of them were in their playpen and kept jumping/yapping. I know for Paps, the temperament varies quite a lot and I suspect these were more drivey and active ones? Anyways, the other Paps I met were sooo calm and friendly. One of their daughters had a girl on the small side of the standard and she is basically her daughters companion which I find adorable. They told me their dogs didn’t bark unless there was something outside and are okay with a walk if YOU want to do it, but if you didn’t they’ll just chill with you. They basically just want to follow you.
Thats the kind of temperament I want, but some people say Paps are really active? I don’t want to get a dog I can’t handle lol.
A little bit about my lifestyle:
- Three kids (14, 15, 11)
- One dog (small)
- One cat
- We can exercise for around 60 minutes a day at the park mostly off leash because I’m not a huge fan of walking on leash OR teaching tricks
- Daily training sessions and mental stimulation
- I want it to be smart enough to be able to learn how to do ‘chores’ / advanced tricks because my daughter is quite interested in dog training and would love to train the dog to organise the socks or something like that
- Playful and lively but not GIVE ME EXERCISE NOW HUMAN OR THE COUCH IS GONE
- Don't mind shedding but absolutely don’t want it to be ‘yappy’ or bark excessively
- Affectionate and cuddly is a must. Don’t mind if it’s a little dumber as long as it’s biddable and snuggly lol
- Should be okay by itself for around 6-8 hours on a normal weekday (ofc I will exercise them etc etc)
- Would prefer if we didn’t need to spend a lot on grooming each month because of budget issues
I really like the Paps, they’re pretty much our perfect dog. I know a con is that they may be difficult to house train, but I have experience with small dogs (current dog is approx 5kg) and housetraining them lol.
Other breeds on my list include:
Border Collie (show line, lower energy ones)
Golden Retriever
CKCS
Havanese
Poodle (Toy or Mini)
Advice and other breed recs is most welcomed!
