# The best small dog for apartment



## gibor365 (Apr 1, 2011)

My mother-in-law want to get small dog for apartment. Which bread would you advise?
She'd like not extremely expensive, healthy breed that smart and easy to train.


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## carverman (Nov 8, 2010)

gibor365 said:


> My mother-in-law want to get small dog for apartment. Which bread would you advise?
> She'd like not extremely expensive, healthy breed that smart and easy to train.


Just have her go to the closest SPCA (Humane Society) and pick out a dog that she would like. They are neutered and have all their current shots, rf identity chip (vets can scan them if they get lost) and can be adopted for very little.

Don't go to a puppy mill breeder or a pet store that buys them from a puppy mill.

By adopting a dog from the local Humane Society shelter, you are saving a dog's life and the dog will be very grateful to her....and ...best of all....it won't cost her hundreds or even a thousand or two for a purebred dog that sometimes has a lot of health issues and has to be taken to the vet frequently.
Vets cost a LOT of money..depending on what the medical issue may be with the puppy (purebred or not).

now, you being from the Eastern European area (Russian?) why not a Russian Wolfhound?...ok I'm kidding..those are BIG dogs! 
My brother's ex in Brampton, had a BORZOI years ago, named "Zenon"..he was a maniac..a real "piece of work" for sure.:biggrin: 
She used to show him in the "dog and pony" shows to get ribbons and prize money..which was never
enough to support him.
I remember my mom making a big pot of perogies and he got into them..ate every last one..and was so full, all he
could do was lay down on his side and wag his big tail up and down. 

www.google.ca/imgres?imgurl=https:/...dhWM&itg=1&usg=__WpDDxPoWwf8KG_s7YMJkB41_Lg0=


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## gibor365 (Apr 1, 2011)

I don't want her to take dog from Humane Society or similar organisations... They are telling that pets got checked by vet and healthy, but it's not true... My mom took kitten from Humane Society and it died after 3-4 months... same happened to my friend who took dog from Humane Society... 
It's better to pay more , but to buy dog from good breeder..

Was thinking about yorkshire terrier, they looks smart and cute


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## carverman (Nov 8, 2010)

Gibor...for "apt size dogs'..there are small (lap dogs) such as a Tshitsu..a small yappy dog.

it all depends on whether she wants "Yappy or "non-yappy", as most of the small breeds are yappy!!! 
They tend to bark their friggin' heads off as soon as someone comes to the door or rings the doorbell.


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## olivaw (Nov 21, 2010)

Animal Planet has a web based dog breed selector that may help. 

http://www.animalplanet.com/breed-selector/dog-breeds.html


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## gibor365 (Apr 1, 2011)

> They tend to bark their friggin' heads off as soon as someone comes to the door or rings the doorbell.


 No, she wants non-barking dog ...


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## NorthKC (Apr 1, 2013)

Great Danes make great apartment dogs and rarely barks and is quite content with very little exercise every day.  

I know it ain't small but 3 out of 4 is not bad! LOL


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## 1980z28 (Mar 4, 2010)

Poodle

smart,non shedding

I have a couple GSD`s but I would think it is to large for APT


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## heyjude (May 16, 2009)

gibor365 said:


> No, she wants non-barking dog ...


You mean, like a non-crying baby?


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## Just a Guy (Mar 27, 2012)

Get a stuff one. Quiet, sits and stays well, doesn't bark and doesn't make a mess. 

Gund or Stief have excellent ones, not to expensive and upkeep is non-existent.


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## gibor365 (Apr 1, 2011)

1980z28 said:


> Poodle
> 
> smart,non shedding
> 
> I have a couple GSD`s but I would think it is to large for APT


When we lived in Israel, my mother-in-law had poodle, but it was big and extremely stupid  His favorite "food" were my socks and he was barking like crazy...

As per my mother-in-law preferences filled out quiz with 15 or so questions at http://dogtime.com/quiz/dog-breed-selector#B5yXPvHpLYwwabUx.99

Got some "exotic" dogs that I've never heard of them 
Yorkipoo
Cockapoo
Basenji
Cardigan Welsh Corgi
Silky Terrier

And from another quiz at http://www.pedigree.com/all-things-...,57,65,1,11,4,40,42,19,22,28,51,36,50,30,8,15

another bunch of "excotic" breed 
English Toy Spaniel	Havanese	Japanese Chin	Affenpinscher
Brussels Griffon	Cavalier King Charles Spaniel	Chihuahua (Long Coat)	Chinese Crested

p.s. it's more difficult than select favourite stock !


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## carverman (Nov 8, 2010)

gibor365 said:


> I don't want her to take dog from Humane Society or similar organisations... They are telling that pets got checked by vet and healthy, but it's not true... My mom took kitten from Humane Society and it died after 3-4 months... same happened to my friend who took dog from Humane Society...
> It's better to pay more , but to buy dog from good breeder..


A kitten or a cat can die for many reasons. I rescued one (feral cat) that had feline kidney disease. Beautiful young cat but it died after 2 years due to kidney failure. I spent a couple thousand on him in an attempt to save him and it was still worth it, but short of a kidney transplant there was nothing I could have
done..but still, while he was with me, he was the best cat in my life.

Dogs can die of unknown cases whether you have a purebred or a mongrel. You can spend thousands on a purebred dog and it could die in puppy-hood or later on..there are no guarantees when it comes to pets and you can't just hand it back to the breeder because it gets sick either.

As they say..'your mileage may vary with pets".


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## mrPPincer (Nov 21, 2011)

Similarly re. 'your milage may vary', breed doesn't mean everything.
The family environment makes a huge difference, as does the breed.

Pekingese are a small dog, noted for their laid-backness, but not all are the same.

I have one that can be yappy when he thinks stuff is going on, just out of excitedness, his half-sister, who died a couple days ago was very quiet, but did howl at night sometimes, but her howl was not loud, she was in pain due to hip problems and died of old age.

Shih tzus are another asian breed (they were temple dogs, pekes were palace dogs), they are more well-known because they have larger litters, thus better for breeders.

They have longer legs and snouts, thus are more agile and less prone to overheating (dogs don't sweat, they cool through respiration).
My brother has a dog that is half shih tzu and half small poodle, and she's not yappy at all.
Aqain, depends on the dog.

Poodles are easy to train I've heard but aren't particularly smart, pekes are often smart, but can be perceived to be dumb, or stubborn, (well, they are stubborn I guess) because they seem to think we are there to serve them, but I have my little guy trained to listen extremely well imho, love is a big factor in it, still the odd time he seems to think he knows better, and has to go back on the leash, but doesn't seem to mind.


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## mrPPincer (Nov 21, 2011)

Terriers are an example of a smart breed, smart because they were bred to do a specific job as opposed to just being a companion dog, not to say pekes and shih tzus are dumb in comparison, just different.


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## steve41 (Apr 18, 2009)

Remember, you can have a dog's vocal chords removed. This is done in animal medical research situations.

_(God..... I can't think why I posted that!!!!)_


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## mrPPincer (Nov 21, 2011)

:dog::concern:










> _(God..... I can't think why I posted that!!!!)_


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## twa2w (Mar 5, 2016)

Yes a stuffed dog or robo-dog would work.

First your MIL should check with landlord or condo board re rules on pets, noise, poop and scoop etc. How will she deal with poop. Can she get out to walk dog two or three times a day. Or will she use floor pads. Training dogs in a high rise can be difficult.
Although I once hung a bell ovrr the door knob and trained the dog to ring it when she had to go.

Some of the dogs that come up on your pet selector sites are cross breeds. 
Yorkiepoo is cross between Yorkshire terrier and poodle
Cockapoo is cross between cocker spaniel and poodle.

These mixes are becoming quite popular. 
Ideally you get the best qualiyies of both breeds. But sometimes you get the worst.
Crossbred dogs are often much healthier as purebreds often are inbred a little especially if fairly rare. Hip dysplasia is common in purebreds, less so in crosses. But any dog can have issues.
Exotic crossbreeds attract attention so good conversation starter. So if your MIL wants to meet the old fart in 2b then ;-). 

The reason many use poodles as one of the crosses is that poodles are supposed to be non allergenic.

As far as humane dociety goes there are 3 types of dogs generally. 
First sre the people who either can't afford the pet or find them too much trouble.
The second is the ones who disvover the pet has a health issue and decide to pass the problem on. Sometimes these problems are not discovered by the vet in a basic examination.
Remember pets can't talk.
The third is where a neighbours dog jumped the fence one afternoon and people suddenly find they have a litter.
These can be ok as they are young and if you know the parentage.
You usually can't distinguish between the first two and you can never be sure how old the dog is.


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## ian (Jun 18, 2016)

How about a china dog? Makes a great pet.


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## Rusty O'Toole (Feb 1, 2012)

You need one of those special tenant dogs that never barks or shits. I don't know where they get them but every potential tenant with a dog has one.


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## Zipper (Nov 18, 2015)

The Bichon Frise would be an excellent choice.


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## mayallen (Aug 2, 2016)

A Boston Terrier is easier to train and to take care of.


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## marina628 (Dec 14, 2010)

Is your mom able to care for a dog ,even if they are small they need to be exercised and cleaned up after and I know of a few people who ended up taking their parents pets because a few years later the parents can barely care for themselves let alone a pet.We got our cat 3 years ago from humane society and it cost us $175.00 to adopt it ,it was in Etobicoke and they have 'foster homes' for their pets while they are waiting to get adopted.


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## sags (May 15, 2010)

mrPPincer said:


> :dog::concern:


What kind of dog is that ?

My son's girlfriend has one of those. It is a quiet little dog that makes no trouble at all. Really smart and obedient.

My son has a bigger dog........some kind of Australian sheep herding dog or something. It is a real goofy pain in the butt. Never listens.......too stupid.


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## SMK (Dec 10, 2015)

Went to Canadian Tire Pet Care store for the first time yesterday to look at aquarium animals, and was entertained by all the shoppers with their cats and dogs. 

Marina's post 22 is worth paying attention to. One's lifestyle, health and budget obviously should be considered carefully.


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## mrPPincer (Nov 21, 2011)

sags said:


> What kind of dog is that ?
> 
> My son's girlfriend has one of those. It is a quiet little dog that makes no trouble at all. Really smart and obedient.


Those're pugs in the photo. 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pug
I picked that image because of the look of concern on their little faces  (in response to steve's suggestion) .. 


> Remember, you can have a dog's vocal chords removed. This is done in animal medical research situations.
> 
> (God..... I can't think why I posted that!!!!)


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## agent99 (Sep 11, 2013)

This no barking guard dog might be good:

http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-52101


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## gibor365 (Apr 1, 2011)

marina628 said:


> Is your mom able to care for a dog ,even if they are small they need to be exercised and cleaned up after and I know of a few people who ended up taking their parents pets because a few years later the parents can barely care for themselves let alone a pet.We got our cat 3 years ago from humane society and it cost us $175.00 to adopt it ,it was in Etobicoke and they have 'foster homes' for their pets while they are waiting to get adopted.


It's not for my mom, but for my mother-in-law... She's 71, but much healthier than me  .... in any case , this is exactly why she wants a toy-dog...
Pug is very stupid as per 
http://petrix.com/dogint/intelligence.html

I think the optimal one will be Yorkshire Terrier, other options are: Pomeranian, Miniature Schnauzer and Papillon


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## mordko (Jan 23, 2016)

- And who will be looking after the dog when your mother-in-law passes away? Small dogs live for a long time.
- Like the others have said - Humane Society. That's where we got our dog, he is awesome.
- Dogs have been bred for decoration, to guard or to hunt. Now we are using them as friends. Breeds have been exploited stupidly and have tiny gene pools. For this reason alone mongrels are better than pure breeds - they are healthier, happier and make better companions.
- If you must have a breed, pick one that looks most like a wolf. The more looks differ from the starting point, the more ailments poor thing will have. Also it will have fewer means of communication. 
- Also make sure you pick a responsible breeder (if you have to) rather than a puppy mill. Get a referral. Make sure the puppy has been socialized from early age. You'll see that his puppies are not shy of visitors. Such a breeder won't have a "ready to go" puppy for you, but will likely ask details and provide one when it becomes available.


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## mrPPincer (Nov 21, 2011)

ok, for one, lets not be confusing obedience with intelligence, but that doesn't matter.

Do you want a yappy insane dog that _might_ be able to do tricks if trained right (pomeranian eg.).

Some breeds that do have some social intelligence are also typically stubborn about doing tricks, obeying commands etc., in my experience pekingese are typically like that, & the pug profile seems similar, but I can usually control mine in situations with a whistle communication, though that may be unusual, as not everyone has the ability to create a sense of trust and respect in a dog.

If your dog is a dumass.. maybe it's not your dog.
Also, dogs are well known to play dumb, if they are given the dumass card, they will play it every time.

Dogs vary not just by genetics, but also by who happens to own them.
Just some observations by a dog lover.


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## agent99 (Sep 11, 2013)

mrPPincer said:


> ok, for one, lets not be confusing obedience with intelligence, but that doesn't matter..


How about a Doberman PPincer?  https://www.google.ca/imgres?imgurl...dXMM&itg=1&usg=__IpcXxxB7Ex-XJJDPuL_wnYr_zmQ=


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## gibor365 (Apr 1, 2011)

> - And who will be looking after the dog when your mother-in-law passes away? Small dogs live for a long time.
> -.


 Really?! Do you think it's appropriate to ask my mother-in-law such question?! When time comes, we'll see what to do... 



> Like the others have said - Humane Society


 No way! My mom bought a kitten from them, it died after 4 months or so//// my friend bought dog from them, it died 6 months later


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## mordko (Jan 23, 2016)

1. Actually... Yes, you should raise it. Unless you are 100% certain that you are going to take the dog. 
2. Four months, six months... How is this Society's fault?


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## gibor365 (Apr 1, 2011)

mordko said:


> 1. Actually... Yes, you should raise it. Unless you are 100% certain that you are going to take the dog.
> 2. Four months, six months... How is this Society's fault?


1. You may raise it for your mother-in-law... I won't take chance  and besides, I'm not sure who gonna live longer  ... if me, sure , I'd take it or my wife's sister would take it... if it's small. much easier to find new home
2. Society sells sick animals, that's it.


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## mordko (Jan 23, 2016)

1. To be honest, she should be thinking about this herself. It's like taking a baby when you are 71. 
2. Are you sure? I mean it's possible but they do check them out. Also, when you buy a pedigree puppy, there is a good chance he will have health problems. Certain breeds, the chance is 99.99%. Again, a good breeder will tell you what health problems a particular breed is going to have.


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## sags (May 15, 2010)

mrPPincer said:


> ok, for one, lets not be confusing obedience with intelligence, but that doesn't matter.
> 
> Do you want a yappy insane dog that _might_ be able to do tricks if trained right (pomeranian eg.).
> 
> ...


Maybe the Pug was raised well, as she doesn't bark, doesn't slobber, doesn't jump on people, doesn't try to lick them, just follows people around and sits down when they do, and does what she is told with her little tail wagging. She is just calm and content as heck.

To me that would be good enough. She wouldn't have to do parlour tricks.


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## mordko (Jan 23, 2016)

Pugs are a walking illustration of human cruelty. They are designed to have breathing difficulties and a host of other problems. Their communication abilities are severely limited.


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## gibor365 (Apr 1, 2011)

mordko said:


> 1. To be honest, she should be thinking about this herself. It's like taking a baby when you are 71.
> 2. Are you sure? I mean it's possible but they do check them out. Also, when you buy a pedigree puppy, there is a good chance he will have health problems. Certain breeds, the chance is 99.99%. Again, a good breeder will tell you what health problems a particular breed is going to have.


1, She should be thinking about many things before she is doing, but .....  
2. To be honest , pretty sure .... don't think their vet checked them out, they weren't any pure breed or so, just small kitten and puppy ....
I'd prefer my MIL pay more and drive to good breeder


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## SMK (Dec 10, 2015)

Another consideration, does your mother-in-law live in a home, condo. or rental building? I think condos have no pet policies.


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## SMK (Dec 10, 2015)

mordko said:


> It's like taking a baby when you are 71.


What did you mean, the care of it or the attachment to it?

Remember the IKEA monkey? It was not treated like a friend but a son. 

The care of a dog no matter the age would not be easy for a 71 year old no matter how healthy, but there are benefits also. 

http://www.ctvnews.ca/health/dog-ownership-could-help-improve-senior-health-study-1.2870572


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## gibor365 (Apr 1, 2011)

SMK said:


> Another consideration, does your mother-in-law live in a home, condo. or rental building? I think condos have no pet policies.


Rental building where a lot of tenants have dogs .



> The care of a dog no matter the age would not be easy for a 71 year old no matter how healthy, but there are benefits also.


 I know and she should know too . She used to have poodle that died about 5 years ago ... this is why I told her (and she agreed) that dog should be a "toy dog" , that you can put in purse  .. From what I've seen Yorky (or Yorky mixes) probably would be the best choice... very very small , and pretty smart


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## gibor365 (Apr 1, 2011)

> but there are benefits also.
> 
> http://www.ctvnews.ca/health/dog-own...tudy-1.2870572


No doubt! She doesn't speak English and live in apartment building where there is no Russians or Israelis... She is also physically active, several times per week goes to gym/swimming pool, playing volleyball, ping-pong, skiing, skating....


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## mordko (Jan 23, 2016)

SMK said:


> What did you mean, the care of it or the attachment to it?
> 
> Remember the IKEA monkey? It was not treated like a friend but a son.
> 
> ...


There is that but my point was that it's not very fair to a dog with a life expectancy of 20 years.


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## pwm (Jan 19, 2012)

The best small dog for an apartment? Get a cat instead.


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## gibor365 (Apr 1, 2011)

mordko said:


> There is that but my point was that it's not very fair to a dog with a life expectancy of 20 years.


Yorky Life span: 13 – 16 years...



> Get a cat instead.


 than better to take a rat  , life span 2-3 years


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