Looking for the best breed for our needs

By your choices it look like you really like the spitz type of dogs.[] They are mostly northern breeds and do well in colder weather. They are playful and love attention.

One you might consider is a small and hardy spitz called an American Eskimo,
More info here:http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/americaneskimo.htm


Here is a fun links about spitz type type dogs:
http://www.boxcarbailey.com/spitzbreeds.htm

You are talking hair not even remotely like your Bichon.  This is a thick double coat that will shed a pile of hair the same size as its body multiple times in a week during the coat "blow" when you are brushing them out.  You will be living with"hair" bunnies and daily vaccuming if you like your house really neat.  Invest in lint rollers and buy them in bulk.
 
Most dogs that I have met can easily learn to live with or at least peacefully exist with a resident cat(s).  Terriers, working, herding breeds are tougher in that respect but with some training and management it is well within the realm of possibility.
 
I strongly suggest you go to dog shows.  Go to the AKC website for the events search.  Go to the conformation events and ALSO to the performance events (Obedience, agility and rally).  You wont see many Finnish Spites or Buhunds since they are more rare than Kees.  You will however get a change (AFTER competition) to speak to the owners of the dogs.  If you go to the sites for the clubs sponsoring the trials or the show superintendents you can even download the judging program which tells you what time, what ring, how many dogs etc.  There is often a link right off the events page at AKC>

If you are thinking of rescuing a dog they will be tested around cats and other dogs.  My german shorthair is great around cats because her foster mom had them.  My parents had a cat who used the climb the kitchen counter and push treats off to the dog- as you can imagine that dog-a cocker spaniel loved the cat.
Good luck

The most trainable of those three breeds, for a novice, would be the Keeshond.   Once you live with a well trained dog, you tend to overlook the hair bunnies everywhere...[]   Just get a Dyson Animal vac, and have a great dog!

Umm apt and a FINKIE??? omg you've be evicted in no time for the BARKING! Northern breeds esp the smaller ones TALK and bark A LOT. Please consider that also. If you are not in a private home your neighbors will not appreciate it!
 
If you want children in the future, or think your girlfriend might, lol...I'd steer clear of the American Eskimo, personally. I've read thru many sites from breeders that say they are not the most tolerant of kids. Don't just think of now...but also 15 years down the line.
 
Yeah...I don't think you know about hair having a Bichon...that hair stays on the dog. Nordic hair stays on EVERYTHING. When they shed out even a small Northern breed can usually fill a garbage bag with hair.
 
Perhaps consider a Papillon...if you like ears up and tail up...or a Tibetan Spaniel.

ORIGINAL: mrv

You are talking hair not even remotely like your Bichon.  This is a thick double coat that will shed a pile of hair the same size as its body multiple times in a week during the coat "blow" when you are brushing them out.  You will be living with"hair" bunnies and daily vaccuming if you like your house really neat.  Invest in lint rollers and buy them in bulk.

I guess I should have been more specific. It's not the amount of shedding that matters to us, what I meant to say was that no matter how often the coat needs to be brushed we don't care, because we already have to bruch our Bichon everyday. We understand that almost every other dog breed sheds besides the Bichon, so we're prepared for that, and since we already have to brush him everyday, having another dog that requires a lot of brushing doesn't really bother us at all.
 
Thanks for the suggestions so far, I've already emailed a breeder nearby who shows Finnish Spitz, no reply yet. I'm trying to speak with as many people as possible before we decide because we know how long the waiting lists can be for some of these more rare breeds.

The Finnish Spitz is known for the barking behavior. They have been bred to do this,so, living in an apartment might not be the best situation for this dog.
 
I only mention this because I would hate for you to get evicted or having to get rid of the dog.
 
In my opinion this breed is a bad choice for your situation.

Have you considered the Schipperke?
 
[linkhttp://www.akc.org/breeds/schipperke/index.cfm]http://www.akc.org/breeds/schipperke/index.cfm[/link]
 
I like these little dogs for a lot of reasons, one of which is that they generally enjoy excellent health.

ORIGINAL: snownose

The Finnish Spitz is known for the barking behavior. They have been bred to do this,so, living in an apartment might not be the best situation for this dog.

I only mention this because I would hate for you to get evicted or having to get rid of the dog.

In my opinion this breed is a bad choice for your situation.

 
The more I've read about this breed, the less it seems like a good choice for us. Not only the barking, but also because they seem to have more of an instinct to chase small animals like cats (unlike the Keeshond). So right now it looks like the Keeshond will be our choice, it's just a matter of meeting a couple breeders, one in PA and one in NY, and deciding which we like better.

Finkies do have some prey drive but it depends on the dog. They are pretty trainable, one of the most biddable of the spitz breeds. They are used around here some for squirrel hunting. I had a guy come up to me one thinking my Maggie was purebred and asked if he could breed his male to her. [:-] He had seen her barking at birds in the backyard.

Finkies are talkers for sure. It sounds like you are going away from them anyway, but what I'd say to anyone thinking of this breed, which is really neat otherwise and one of the better kept secrets of the dog world - go to a breeder BEFORE you've decided on a puppy - a breeder with NO puppies on the ground - and listen to the noises these dogs make. They really are unearthly.

A good breeder would have some tips on keeping a Finkie in an apartment (I know people who have them in Manhatten, for instance) - having to do with keeping your dog happy (and tired) with regular walks, and training a "quiet" command. In the field they ARE trained to walk silently until asked to hunt - there's no sense having your dog 500 yards in front when you are hunting teeny little birds or squirrels with a teeny little rifle, so the dog has to give you a chance to get there. But biddability is a relative thing in any spitz! []

Maggie is normally quite quiet in the house, and I've heard on my Finkie list that this is normal for a happy, well-trained Finkie. Outside is a different matter altogether - yodeling and yapping, barking and howling, singing and humming, shrieking and howling - when she's excited, it's pretty amazing the sounds that come out of her. Our neighbors probably think we are over here torturing her. She's just running around the woods chasing stuff. [8|] Really, it's trees that trigger the barking and chasing. If you don't keep trees in your house you are not likely to have much trouble with a pup and previous residents, feline or canine. But that would be a question for experts, for sure.

Oh, and nothing can prepare you for the first puppy blow if you get any spitz breed. Take out stock in vacuum companies and Swiffer. Maggie killed THREE vacuums our first year because we had hardwoods and I refused to buy an expensive vacuum just to do a few area rugs. Three vacuums later (total worth $300, which would have purchased a Dyson) - I bought a more powerful vac which I still have.

Maggie, my first dog, taught me a lot about the value of quality vacuums, positive training (you can't train a Finkie any other way), and CRATES! And she taught me that no matter how much you invest in a dog, it's a small price to pay for a lifetime of loyalty and love and companionship. HAPPY 13th BIRTHDAY MAGGIE-DO!!!!!