I've been thinking increasingly that a dog would be a really good idea for me for a lot of reasons: my anxiety and depression mean that leaving the house is hard without a friend, and I have diabetes type 1 diabetes and as of late hypos have begun to sneak up on me, which is scary. I've always wanted a dog, as well. However, I have some things that I am worried might be an issue - My mobility level means I can walk well enough at a slow pace, but the kind of large dog that I usually see touted as service animals - labradors and collies, for example - seem like they would either yank me off my feet at an alarming frequency, or simply have more energy than I can feasibly manage day-to-day. I've heard that small working breeds like terriers and cocker spaniels present the same problems, but are there any 'lapdog' type critters that would be reasonably low-maintence? I understand that any doge is going to want to have walkies every day, and I am not remotely against mixed breeds or adult dogs with good temperaments for starters, but ideally I need a small - 'toy' size - animal who is easily trainable and not inclined to overt noisemaking - one of my misgivings about small breeds is that stereotypical yapyapyap goes straight through my head, but if s/he's trainable enough I can soon get them to shush, right? I won't have any animal 'debarked' just for the sake of my comfort, however, and ear-cropping and tail-docking is hella illegal here, so I doubt voicebox removal is something that can be done other. Dog owners, any advice? @roach, could you tell me a bit more about Rizzo? Is he smart enough to cover parameters above?
Not a dog owner, but wanted to note from having experienced it - even having a dog debarked doesn't make them silent. They can still make plenty of noise, but it's a hideous, wheezy thing that just isn't quite as loud as a bark but is considerably more distressing. (Some people I knew who had no business owning a dog had theirs debarked because they couldn't be bothered to train it or give it up to someone who would. It was awful.)
Yeah, my parents had a poodle before I was born and had him debarked (in australia, I'm sure it must be illegal here in the UK) - he was in the ownership of my grandparents long enough for me to get to know him, and yeah, it was an awful sort of wheezing cough. I think it must have hurt him, because he didn't do it much :/
@lilacsofthedead i know that they're a big breed, but have you considered a greyhound? they don't need much exercise and have a p low activity level. (they're what i'm looking at for myself for service dog stuff, actually!) but yeah small dogs can make great buddies! the problem with people is they can push small dogs around to do what they want, so they (in general) don't put as much care into training them as they would a larger dog and the little guys can come off as worse-behaved as a result 8( are you just looking for a companion or would the dog complete tasks for you? (maybe look at a brachy breed like a french bulldog or pug if you want a lower-activity dog, they're generally a bit more sedentary? idk)
Oh hi I am a Dog Person who has a special interest in Dogs. Okay so you're looking for a companion dog? I won't lie to you, dogs are not in any sense "low maintenance". Even the most sedentary of breeds will have health issues, specific needs, and daily activity needs. As well as differing personalities that will indeed cause different levels of activity. My suggestion would be to visit shelters, and meet the dogs to see if there is one that fits what you need. Because there is so much variation in personality, trainability, and general temperament that you can't just say "oh well x breed never barks" because that isn't always the case. Any breed can be trained to do service work, smaller breeds are often used for people with gluten allergies and epilepsy to help warn. Not all dogs are suited to this work, even within the breeds that normally do them. A service dog requires a LOT of training, specialized training. It is a very, very large commitment. I don't want to discourage you, but I also want to make this reality very clear. You will have to either have someone train the dog to do the tasks you need, or you will have to spend a lot of time and hard work to train the dog. And if you've never done dog training before, it may be very very hard. If you don't have a dog suited to it, you will then in the end just have a companion who can't perform the needed tasks. Debarking is a really cruel practice and illegal in most places. It can cause chronic pain in an animal and I can't imagine having your voicebox removed would be pleasant so I'm glad you don't plan on doing that. Training can be used to teach a dog to stop barking. It takes persistence. Also for brachy breeds you will have to be very careful as the short faces can cause breathing issues and often if you get one with a really short face, they will snore loudly and wheeze as they breathe due to it. The reason a lot of them are sedentary is due to breathing issues. Dogs are great companions but not the lowest maintenance pet, and service dog training takes a lot of work.
Thanks for your input, guys! It's really useful to me :) @taxonomicAtrocity - I do love sighthounds in general, but I don't think my living conditions have room for a big pretzel dog XD Also, we always have cats in the house, and I've heard that rescue greyhounds can do poorly with anything roughly rabbit-sized and incline to flee before them. And yeah, I understand that a pomeranian is much a wolf in her head as a husky is, and would have little issue with treating any off behaviour accordingly. (I also am smol and fierce and people think just because they can shove me around I won't fight them XD) I am full prepared to train smol dog just as carefully as tol dog, dunworry. Also tbh I'm not fond of pugs and breeds that have been bred past the point of natural functionality - it seems really cruel to me to deliberately breed an animal that can't lie down and breathe at the same time, or has to have a c-section every time because puppy heads are too big. (Seriously, don't get me started on the english bulldog and cavalier king Charles and pekes and suchlike) I like dogs that can still dog, which it why I'd be happy to consider a mixed breed (I am very mixed European ancestry myself, after all) @Void Yeah I know about health issues, vet visits, and all that - I've had cats for as long as I can remember, plus other animals who have needed more medical help than anticipated - and I understand that dogs need actively exercising much more than cats do. When I say 'low maintence' I mean like slightly easier to deal with than say, a husky or a corgi or a shibe - which are all popular dogs, I know, but they're working dogs and therefore are stronger and need probably more exercise than I can feasibly manage on my hypermobile legs and cane for long distances. It does seem like a good idea to visit a shelter and talk to the workers and figure out the right individual dog for me, you're right. That's a ways off, though - I have two very elderly cats right now who I know would not appreciate the sudden application of a canine presence in their home, to put it lightly. Right now I'm just testing the waters and looking for advice. Also, the 'service dog' part of the relationship would probably just extend to learning how to go get specific things when asked - my testkit, maybe, or my cane when I've fallen over and need to lever myself upright once more. Mostly s/he would be a companion and therapy animal, I think. A friend so I don't feel so alone in the house during the day, you know?
my advice is to get an older dog, puppies are a ton of work and you don't really know what kinda personality you're gonna get. My puppy was chill for exactly 3 days, and I love her to pieces, but our energy levels are completely different. She's super active and I'm... not. She's always up for more walkies, but I can wear her out a little with hikes, long walks, and swimming. She's basically adapted to my energy level and will be chill and not get into mischief if we go on adventures, but I feel guilty about that.
i'd definitely consider maybe rescuing a senior dog if you are really limited in activity that you could offer. this of course comes with it's own issues though.. you could have to deal with some fairly severe end of life health issues, and obviously a senior friend would die within the next handful of years which might, understandably, be too depressing and offputting to consider. a toy dog or toy dog mix might be a good option also. i personally have two small dogs, one chihuahua and one lhasa apso. both are at stable weight with minimal outdoor exercise and seem to do okay just playing around the house and the occasional walk. they also aren't really strong enough to pull an adult over when i do take them for walks. however the smaller the dog the more limited it will be for some service training. a chihuahua would have a bit of a struggle picking up a cane. in general i'd consider what your maximum (and minimum) size would be based on your health and living situation. then narrow down breeds from there based on exercise requirements and trainability, and try to find those or mixes of those in a shelter or a breed specific rescue. you could go the breeder route, but puppies are a lot of work and might be a bit too much for you to handle, though that's up for you to decide. some breeders also sell off or even adopt out adult animals that they no longer wish to use for breeding or that didn't do well for showing, which on one hand might guarantee better health than a rescue would, but is also a less reliable source of adult animals.
There are some small breeds that don't do the stereotypical "yip", which might be relevant to your interests. My parents have a rat terrier, and he barks like... this random Youtube video! Feists in general and rat terriers in specific might be relevant to your interests. They seem to have a lot of sighthoundy traits in a smaller package. And rat terriers seem to be more chill and low-maintenance than Jack Russells and the like.
Seconding the older dog calls. The only dog I ever owned was an 11 year old rescued toy Manchester Terrier; she generally only barked at people when they came in the door, or when they passed by on the street, so normal dog barking. Otherwise, she was quiet. She was spry for her age, but didn't require too much activity. She was incredibly chill and enjoyed nuzzling your leg as much as she enjoyed the occasional game of tug of war (in her early days, as she got older, she lost her teeth and was less inclined to play) My boyfriend has a French Bulldog mix, who was a rescue in her own right, and she's got three legs, though that doesn't stop her from getting around! She likes the occasional tug of war and occasional walk, but she's otherwise a couch potato, and quiet for the most part unless you prompt her to bark. So maybe a Frenchie or a terrier may be in your interests. Definitely check the shelters first, that second chance you give one of those dogs could be the best decision you ever make!
@Aniseed I was thinking about breeds like lhasa apso and shi tzus, but do they have the same probelms as pugs and the like? Seriously flat-faced dogs make me uncomfortable, because I worry that they have breathing probelms. I have enough lung issues myself not to wish it on any friend/pet of mine. (Also see above with my issues with overbreeding :/) Also, in general, I've never worked at a dog shelter, but I volunteered at a cat sanctuary for years and I'm well aware of the struggles full-grown and mature animals can face getting a new home! My old ladies were rescue kittens, because when I got them I was 11 and OMG CUTE, but if I get another pet after them it will definitely be an adult. Not sure I can bear to have a really old geezer as my first dog, but anywhere between two to five years depending on the type is definitely on the table, if that makes sense. (Also I am down to deal with disablities like missing limbs and such, but my mum - the homeowner - is quite houseproud and likely wouldn't tolerate any messy health issues right off the bat, you know? It's acceptable if we've had them some years and they're just getting old, but I don't think she'd tolerate accidents all over the place all the time, you know?)
@lilacsofthedead -some- shih tzus can have faces that are about as flat as a pekingese's. some however.. don't? there is a lot of variety in shih tzu and also in lhasa apso breeding, because they have been historically and are still often interbred, so the breeds are very similar and also kind of diluted. i would say, in general, shih tzus can have problems, because even the longest of their snouts are kind of short, but not flat. combined with a long coat, they can have some trouble handling the heat, but one with a snout on the longer end of the spectrum wouldn't wheeze and gasp the way a flat faced one would, and they definitely can breathe just fine. lhasas tend to have longer noses, and even their shortest of snouts won't be as flat as a shih tzu's could be. one with a shorter snout might snore a bit, but again, shouldn't be wheezing or gasping. my lhasa apso has a snout that's on the shorter side, and the most she does is snore in certain positions where her face is squished, and is prone to reverse sneezing when startled. which sounds pretty scary, but is ultimately harmless. one thing i'd consider with them is that both breeds have continuously growing coats that require maintenance. if you let them grow them out they get matted very very quickly, otherwise you can expect to be taking them to a groomer about once every month and a half or so to get a shave down. it's worth it just for less maintenance and also keeping them cool. you'll still want to get a dematting brush to use on their ears and on their tail hair. lhasa apsos are hypoallergenic and don't shed. shih tzus do, but not as much as many other dog breeds. both breeds also need at least their ears to be checked regularly and cleared of dead hair as that can build up and cause ear infections. i'd also look at the differences between the two breeds to see what you might want to consider... lhasa apsos were originally bred to be alarm dogs believe it or not. this means that they do act like little guard dogs and might be more prone to barking. some also yodel or 'sing' instead of barking.. for me it's less of a headache than a constant yap yap yap from a tiny dog would be since at least their voices tend to be deeper and not as 'sharp' as a tiny dog's can be, but it's still loud. this can be trained away to some degree, but they will always be a bit more vigilant than many dogs. when you look into the breed you will often read about them being difficult to train.. i haven't really found that to be the case, but i think they can be different to train than a dog that would be considered easy to train. because they were bred to be guard dogs, and to be independent and not really there to please people, they have motivations outside of simply pleasing you that matter to them more. this can be alleviated a bit by seeking out a dog that it's foster or previous owner or breeder notes is more interested in people than aloof. but even a more aloof lhasa can be trained past puppyhood, it just takes more work. it also takes more food rewards, especially consistent food rewards, because that is something that they will value more than just you being pleased with them. in my experience lhasas also respond better to hand gestures or hand gestures combined with verbal commands than just with verbal commands alone. and as an end note, i have heard of a couple lhasa apsos who are actually service dogs, one for anxiety and one for autism, so that might be a plus for you. shih tzus i would think of as sort of.. diet lhasa apsos. lhasa apso light. they can be around the same size but tend to average out smaller than lhasa apsos. both are stubborn and are harder to train, but a shih tzu is easier to train than a lhasa, except in the case of housebreaking. both can be wary with strangers, but while a shih tzu is more likely to be distant yet polite, a lhasa is more likely to be on guard and avoidant unless well socialized (or bribed with treats). both are much more easily trained using food rewards, though a shih tzu has a bit more of a desire to people please than a lhasa does. the main downside to them is many do have a short face that results in health problems, while lhasa don't really. as a related side note here's an awesome video about how to train a dog to bark on cue and then using that as a stepping stone to teach a dog to be quiet on command:
