I'm not sure if you (Amanda) were around for CJQ, but he also had a retired greyhound and loved him until the day he passed, and beyond. I don't recall him complaining about any negative behavior traits or high-energy needs, and what others have posted here rings true for what I remember from him and what I've heard from others.

Other options (if you want a smaller dog) might be an Australian Terrier, Basset, French Bulldog, PBGV (Petit Brussels Griffon Vendeen), miniature Dachshund, or perhaps a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. They're all on the lower end of the hyper spectrum (though obviously this can vary a lot). But there are always those individual dogs that like to bark, terriers almost always want to dig, dachshunds were bred to dig, etc.

I think that turning them out into a backyard for daily exercise would be fine for these breeds, but I would invest time in teaching them to fetch, so you can sit in a chair and toss them balls to make sure they actually *do* run around. Dogs are like people, and it's the rare dog that will actually exercise even though it's "good for them" on their own. I do think it would be a problem to simply keep your dog in the backyard for hours at a time in the hopes that they'll exercise. I think it's more likely that they'll become a bit neurotic, bored and start to develop bad habits.

A cheap way to discourage digging is to bury chicken wire a few inches below the dirt line, around the fence line. Another option is to add a border of river rock at the fence line. Most dogs will not want to dig through wire or move around heavy rocks (gravel won't work). I don't know what your yard looks like so I'm not sure if this is an option for you. I just keep thinking of how heartbreaking it would be to have your loved dog dig out, get scared and run off.

And obviously you should have them wear a collar/tag/ID tag and IMO a microchip.

My 2c!

Thank you wtg and Steve for the greyhound info [and Nina! And all your other pointers too]

So much breed preference is physical appearance though temperament is critical, too. Naturally, I've heard a good deal about them from the rabbi's wife.

I just could never consider such a slender, tall dog, though. Apart from being sure they would get me rejected from most alternate (downsizing) housing, I just somehow can't consider them as a dog qua dog. To me that means cuddly and hairy among other qualities. I know many people adore them (it seems everyone has their set of ideal dogs when it comes to adopting "their" pets), so I know they have a lot going for them. Just not me.

FWIW I've found that several greyhound lovers I know also adore chihuahuas. Something in their spirits unites them to their owners I guess. Perhaps if I had more acquaintance with them and from an early age, I'd have developed somewhat the same attachment I feel about other dogs.

Don't know why, but I also don't go for Bassett hounds - which I had two of as a child. There, however, I kind of know why. They are just SO stoopid. I was never even sure they had leaned their names! (But they are practically the cutest puppies on earth.)

So no bassets for you!

You're right, dog preference is very personal. I grew up with golden retrievers and still love them. I think dogs need to be hairy, too.

Question: Do you all advising me against "high energy" dogs, think getting one past adolescence" would make a substantial difference.?

Having heard, by age three that their rambunctiousness has greatly worn off.

FWIW other breeds I'm not crazy about: dachshunds, hounds, spaniels (grew up with two of them too - likewise two pointers which were dead losses. Always running after cars, and even killing chickens (no we didn't have a fence back then).

I AM considering miniature poodles (with a "puppy cut") though they're a little smaller than I'd have preferred. (Such a difference in size between them and the standard ones).

I know they require a lot of grooming but I think I could manage that.

Starting to consider Shelties again, just to be contrary!

BTW this Nina comment was exactly what my (Corgi) son said about them:

quote:

I think that turning them out into a backyard for daily exercise would be fine for these breeds, but I would invest time in teaching them to fetch, so you can sit in a chair and toss them balls to make sure they actually *do* run around

I would be counting on frisbees!
Don't mini Aussies like to fetch?

Perhaps the solution is to get TWO dogs who could entertain each other? (Though I've always thought - at least if you start like that - they tend to be more dog-centric than devoted to their master/mistress. As reported, my second Sheltie got on well with my rabbit.

(Good idea, Nina, about the chicken wire below the chain link fence.)

Breeds have strong tendencies. Of course they can mellow with age, but a Jack Russell will be a Jack Russell no matter what.

I love pretty much all critters, but I have definite preferences when it comes to canines. Not a fan of chihuahuas. Have known three or four and they seemed like they tended to be nippy and got attached to one person.

Have to admit I'm not a big fan of most toy breeds.

Nor spaniels, hounds, terriers. Grew up with dachshunds but wouldn't get one for myself.

Poodles (especially the teacups and miniatures) are too high energy for me, too. They seem to bounce off walls and bark all the time.

Some doodles seem to channel their inner poodle more than others; it's what's made me hesitant about them, though I've met some really sweet ones, too.

I've only met a few of them, but Tibetan terriers (misnomer - they're not really terriers) seem to be pretty nice. Maybe markj can chime in. It's a breed I intend to learn more about.

Cavalier King Charles Spaniels are very sweet. I know a handful of them and to a dog they are wonderful (breaking my rule about both toy breeds and spaniels). It's a smaller breed that I would consider. But they have some health issues (heart-related), so selecting a good breeder is essential.

If you get two puppies they may bond to each other more than to you. We only got one puppy at a time and waited till it was a couple of years old before getting another. Don't mean to be a downer, but if you are worried about being able to exercise a dog and are looking to another dog to fulfill that function, I think I'd be reconsidering whether a dog is a good idea, or looking for a breed that doesn't require a lot of exercise.

We've been doing a lot of thinking about dog breeds after we lost our golden. We'd love to get another one and would likely be able to get on our breeder's waiting list for a puppy for a litter she has planned for spring. After injuring my knee, and with Mr wtg's various health issues (though things are pretty good right now) we are really wondering if it's a good idea to get a young dog. If it lasted as long as our previous dogs, I'd be 80 and hubby would be 85 when it was at end of life. We're concerned about our ability to care for an animal when we get to that stage of our lives. Heck, even right now it just snowed and we had some freezing rain. Our deck tends to get icy in those kinds of conditions. I have to admit I was more than a bit relieved not to have to try to go out there to let a dog out, or to worry about hubby risking his two new hips.

Like I said before, a lot to consider.

Basseting
Half the fun is having the proper attire.
I think starting with a full flask may be of the utmost importance.
Basseting has been mentioned on WTF before by Susan Dorris.

“long-legged overbred humans chasing short-legged overbred hounds chasing bemused hares.”

quote:

Originally posted by wtg:
If you get two puppies they may bond to each other more than to you.

That didn't happen with us. We got the German shorthair pointer and the German shepherd, each as 8 week-old puppies, three months apart. The shepherd *tolerates* the pointer ... but all she cares about are people. She was deeply bonded with my daughter ... when my daughter left for college, she transferred that bond to Mary Anna. And the pointer likes the shepherd, and most dogs, but also prefers people.

Covid makes this hard.

If I definitely wanted a low energy dog, I would go to the shelter and meet the dogs. That is what MS did, pre-covid.

There were a whole bunch of dogs at the shelter when she went there, and they all practically flung themselves at the fence when they saw a human.

Except one. He was sitting by himself in the corner, and when she went over he gave her hand one lick. She adopted him, and he is the most zen dog you could imagine. They are perfect together.

quote:

Originally posted by wtg:
If it lasted as long as our previous dogs, I'd be 80 and hubby would be 85 when it was at end of life.

Yep, that's the issue. If this new Aussie goes 13 years, Mr. Sphinx will be 74 and I'll be 72 at the end of the dog's life. And our last one needed a ton of care in the last year of its life.

Then again, deciding not to get a dog means we will probably never have another. I don't like that idea either.

I'm banking on one of the kids taking the dog if it comes to that. I am hopeful Mr. Sphinx and I will be healthy and spry, but we can't count on that.

Then again, no one can count on that.

I got a 12 year old rescue black lab two years ago and she is a perfect fit with cats and grandkids. A lovely dog. I was still working so was not home enough to have a puppy.

Big fan of poodle mixes. Check out Cockapoo and Bichon Poodle.

Jf

Late to this party, but as yet another dog person, I do have some strong opinions on what I have read here.

First of all, the whole "high energy" thing. All young dogs are boisterous, even the mellowest breeds are high energy as puppies. That is not what is meant by a high energy dog. High energy breeds stay that way until late middle age. They need jobs. They are not a good choice for a physically fragile older person. Please forget this.

I also wish to strongly dissuade you from getting a puppy. I think you may have forgotten how much work they are, especially if you hope to turn them into good citizens that are a pleasure to have around. And when they hit adolescence at 6-9 mos--well, there is a reason that this is the age most puppies end up at the shelter. They don't really outgrow this phase much before two years. That is a long time to be dealing with challenging behavior.

I really think you should contact rescue organizations to adopt an older dog. Or even go to the pound. Jasper was bar none the best dog I have ever had, and he was abandoned at the county shelter when he was 5 years old. With an older rescue dog, what you see is what you get. You'll know pretty much right away if the dog is going to be a good fit. No housebreaking, often already trained. Allow yourself to be surprised instead of picking a breed. I was not looking for a herding dog, but Jasper was his own unique soul--they all are.

Plus these dogs are harder to place, as everyone wants puppies or young dogs. They deserve a chance.

If you are looking ahead to assisted living, you want a smaller dog, but not a yappy dog. There are only a few breeds that are small but not yappy. Corgis would be a good choice, actually.

If you are set on a purebred puppy, please look into border terriers. They are calm, small, quiet, low maintenance, sweet natured, and not popular, so the breed hasn't been ruined. My vet in Missoula bred them and she always had a few as mascots hanging out at her clinic. Great dogs!

quote:

I'm not sure if you (Amanda) were around for CJQ, but he also had a retired greyhound and loved him until the day he passed, and beyond. I don't recall him complaining about any negative behavior traits or high-energy needs, and what others have posted here rings true for what I remember from him and what I've heard from others.

I had the pleasure of spending time with CJQ's greyhound--a sweet, lovely dog. I was very surprised at how low energy she was.

quote:

Question: Do you all advising me against "high energy" dogs, think getting one past adolescence" would make a substantial difference.?

No. Definitely not when you are talking about herding breeds. Our Winnie, a McNab shepherd, is six years old and still a lunatic who needs a hard run every single day. If Mr. Pique wasn't a runner, we never would have gotten her.

quote:

If I definitely wanted a low energy dog, I would go to the shelter and meet the dogs. 

Strongly agree. A breed is a tendency. Dogs are all individuals. Allow yourself to be surprised.

Let me add on to what Pique said, and also what Jack Frost said. We, as a family, are sold on poodle mixes. Not poodles, poodle mixes.

Between us and our extended family we have 6 of them. Ours happen to be poodle-retriever mixes but if you go back in the family history they’re Cockapoos, Malti- poos, Teri-poos, one Shitpoo ( my son thought this dog was as funny as a Norfolk terrier) - you name it and there is a poodle mix. Lately the trend has exploded -Sheepadoodles, Bernadoodles, Airedoodles - all commanding purebred prices for what amount to street mutts.

There is a reason for this. Poodles don’t shed and are hypoallergenic. As they were bred smaller they were bred to adapt to apartment living, which means they’re pliable enough to housebreak easily and don’t demand a lot of exercise. They’re bred to bond tightly to their owners, unlike herders and terriers, bred for a job, or Greyhounds bred to race. Mix in some poodle to ‘most any breed and you get a better house mutt than whatever breed you started with. Mixing a poodle also dilutes the high strung, yappy nature of the purebred variety.

I’m with Pique on adopting an older, housebroken dog. By 5 years old you know what you have and most rescues will let you return a dog with issues. “Hybrid vigor” Is also a thing - mutts rend to have fewer health issues than purebreds.

Down side is that because they don’t shed their coat keeps growing until they look like matted sheep. They have to be clipped every 6 months or so - more often if you don’t like to brush. Because they’re mixes, individual dogs will be very different, depending on which characteristics they picked up from each parent. The ones that end up with a flat coat will shed.

Sure I’m biased, but you don’t hunt, hike, herd or race. If what you want is a lovable house mutt I think you’d do well to find a middle aged poodle mix. You’ll never look back.

Mini Bernadoodles. The Bernese Mountain dog mixed with small poodle. Beautiful coloring. 30 pounds.

Not cheap.

https://www.crockettdoodles.com/bernedoodles

Amanda,

My mom is elderly and living alone. She has had shih-tzus for probably the last 25 years. They seem great - light enough that she can pick them up easily, not yappy, not high energy, great temperament, etc. They do need regular grooming but she generally has them cut short (not the long mop-like coat) and they seem pretty easy to take care of that way.

Maybe 5-6 years ago, my mom decided to branch out - she has always, always wanted a yorkshire terrier, and figured this might be her last chance. She got one, and while that dog is sweet, she has about 300 % more high energy than any of my mom's shih tzus ever did. She is also extremely yappy and has a definite "big dog in a small body" complex. And not sure if it is due to the breeding or what, but she also seems to have far more health problems including chronic urinary tract issues. My mom did end up getting another shih-tzu in the hope of burning off some of the yorkie's energy. Although that shih tzu is younger by a year or so, she was better behaved from the get go and now that both dogs are approaching middle-age, the yorkie is still just as high energy and annoying as ever while the shih-tzu is just a very pleasant and cuddly companion dog. You may want to look into shih-tzus. And just based on dogs I have known throughout my lifetime, as an older person just looking for a companion dog, I would probably stay far far away from anything with the word terrier in the name -- they were bred to be hyper little rodent hunters and it's hard to control that behavior.

Meet the newest member of the Sphinx family: Bruno, a 10-week old Australian Shepherd.




He's so dang cute. Fluffy, chubby, playful.

And it has been a tough 8 days. Like a newborn, he can't go longer than about five hours at night, so someone has to wake up and take him out. He knows nothing about the world -- leashes, cars, water bowls. He can create havoc with all of it.

I think we'll be OK. We have three adults working from home, so we can attend to him. And three adults is barely enough.