mayday

Ageed ,BUT plse do make sure that you ask whether MVDisease AND the worst SYRINGOMYELIA has been checked in parents/breeding line; Cavaliers are all things to all men and SO adaptable,watch their weight as they can be greedyAND always have them spayed/ castrated AFTER 1 YEAR , not before ; best luck ,you won't regret having one

ktbb

Where do you go that you feel you shouldn't or couldn't take a dog? Since I want one to travel with me, I want to make sure I"m considering all aspects. Thanks

mayday

here in GB dogs are not allowed in food shops/restaurants/some beaches BUT I have a v tiny english toy spaniel [v diff to cavs in MANY WAYS] and I put her in a fabric quilted carry bag and fool em all !!

pookie ookie

Any dog will behave when well trained. I've found the so-called "yappers" to be easily trainable because they're usually devoted to one person in the family. Get that one person on board and the dog follows right along. Either that or the dog was yapping due to boredom and training eliminates boredom.

Take an airline approved carrier to the pound since size seems to be the most important criteria for you. Don't pick a dog that makes you say, "Awww, poor baby!" Don't pick the dog that jumps six feet into the air repeatedly. Even then, you will probably be surprised by a "personality change" after a couple weeks. Once the dog has settled, you'll see it's true character.

All the medical info I've received from the pound has always been wrong. Both good and bad. Take the dog to your vet within the first week. Here, if you take the dog within the first ten days of ownership, the appointment is free (I don't even want to think about who pays for that program).

In the past, I've been given dogs from "reputable breeders" as gifts. Thousands of surgical dollars later, I'll stick with pound puppies.

No dogs are hypoallergenic. Poodles and their spinoffs do not have the double coat which leaves them with something some people like to call "hair." It supposedly keeps the dander at a manageable level. While Poodles don't shed, you may find clumps of adorable curly hair here and there. Allergic folks should also avoid dog saliva and urine as they contain the allergen also. Some terriers are on the allergen okay list as well due to their grooming requirements (pulling of the coat rather than shedding). None of the preceding should matter if the dog sleeps on your pillow. Achoo!

Basically, I think you should get a dog of the right size, in good health and with a suitable temperament. The breed is irrelevant. Be sure to post pix of the cutie.

Aunt Doggie

You can tell from my Avatar which Breed is number one with me!!! POMERANIANS!!!!

I do have to deal with the "stray" hair on a plate, or clothing, but they are the MOST loving dogs I have ever met!!

The "parti" black and white is a rescue, so I am totally voting for you to go that route when you decide on a breed!

Happy Hunting!!!
:thumbup:

ktbb

all the great information here has helped me narrow my search. I'm not going for dogs that need a lot of grooming...or with really long hair - I keep my hair cut short so I don't have to worry about it, why should I expect more of a canine companion. I'm not concerned with allergies personally, but have a great-great nephew who visits a lot and he has allergies - they haven't yet spread to dogs, but why push the envelope in that perspective? (He can't even go into a room where a cat has recently been due to allergies, so that's why I"m going with a dog.)

Pound puppies, which are probably mixed breed, are the ones for me as well. I'm not a purebred and I turned out OK, so go with what I know.

Love the idea of taking the airline carrier with me when I go to the pound...and plan to do that.

Now the shopping - I am having my knee replacement surgery in the next couple of months, so planning to wait till after that to make a purchase, but will start visiting the pound and looking around at options. Thanks so much for all the input and I'll let you all know when I get my new friend and I'll post a pic at that time. Thanks again.

teacherbailey

Since my climate in Georgia is really different from Alaska...I can't recommend a small-to-medium shorthaired breed like a Beaagle. Why don't you check around your neighborood and see what breeds your neighbors have? Longhaired dogs tend to be bad shedders unless they are one of the few non-shedding breeds, but I'd hate for you to get a shorthair and him/her be miserable in the cold! I highly recommend Petfinder.com and your local shelters and rescue groups as well. Rescue groups, especially, are good at matching your needs, activity level and wants with one or more of their dogs. Additionally, rescue groups usually have volunteers who foster the dogs until adoption, and the foster parent can tell you so much more about the dog than you'll ever learn from a shelter or breed research. Just remember, too, that mixed breed dogs make really good pets too. And if you want to know their breed mix, doggie DNA testing is now available for around $60 so you can answer the inevitable question, "What is she/he?"

PuffinGin

DH and I go on at least one wilderness canoe trio longer than one week and several 3-5 day canoe trips in a year. These involve paddling and portaging in remote areas with rough terrain. Hazards for our dog would include wandering off, encounters with or chasing wild animals (bears, moose, even squirrels), ticks, insects. Many of our other vacations involve traveling by car, poking around a state or several states seeing what there is to see, doing a mixture of things from visiting parks, historic sites, museums, hiking; sometimes camping, sometimes staying in motels. We often don't have a set schedule or itinerary or reservations and finding places where a dog is accepted or is safe can be a problem. A dog's needs are simple but I think it might not find looking at birds, historic or natural sites as entertaining as we do-- if it is even allowed in. I reallly don't care for putting my dog in a kennel and leaving her/him home for more than a short time. In addition, making arrangements for dog care takes time and makes last minute get-aways more difficult. That's what I mean by problems with having and dog and being able to travel at will. I'm hoping in a few years, I'll decide I'd rather stay home more and then I'll get a dog again.

bertadel

BeBe is Cute!

bertadel

Thanks. Poodles are great! She is my first.