Help me pick a dog

Consider an adult dog from a breed rescue or shelter.  Look for a shelter or rescue that has dogs in foster homes so you can get ideas on behavior and personality.  To make a selection of potential breeds, use a search engine and "breed selector".  Take the "test/survey" questions to get a list to consider.  Do not worry about the time it takes,,, the right dog is out there.
 
You really dont want a herding dog!!!!!

I don't think the average 13 year old should have the majority of responsibilty for a dog, or almost any pet really. This is the kind of situation where a lot of times the kid gets tired of taking care of the dog, the parents say that it was the kid's responsibility and then the dog gets dropped off at the shelter. So if your parents aren't willing to pick up the slack and/or remind your sister about what needs to be done for the dog, I don't think it's a good idea to get one at this point.

That said, for the lifestyle and dog owning experience you described, I would recommend a well bred Cocker or other smallish small sporting breed. I would have said a Golden Retriever or Lab, but with four older people I don't really recommend that. They can be rambunctious and it would be very easy for them to accidentally knock over one of your grandparents. Especially with FOUR of them, the chances are greater that one of them would be hurt.

I'd consider an adult small breed from a rescue in which the dogs have lived in foster homes before adoption (that way the foster parents know everything about the dog's habits and personality). With elderly people in the house, you want a dog who isn't going to be big enough to be able to knock someone over, even accidentally.

Take your time and also make sure that the adults in the house know that this dog is going to be everyone's responsibility at one point or another. Your sister may be taking primary responsibility, but she's too young to be able to fulfill a lot of the dog's needs (dogs are expensive!). We see a lot of posts on this site from kids who get dogs that they're parents don't really want to have anything to do with, and it can become a real mess. Dogs bark, they can sometimes be smelly, they whine, they need training (which requires absolute consistency from all members of the household), they sometimes get sick and need to be taken out to potty at 3 AM, they puke on the white rug in the formal living room. If everyone in the house wants a dog, get one. But if it's only your sister, I'd advise that she look into a pet like a guinea pig or hamster, that can live primarily in her room and be better cared for by only her.

ORIGINAL: houndlove

If everyone in the house wants a dog, get one. But if it's only your sister, I'd advise that she look into a pet like a guinea pig or hamster, that can live primarily in her room and be better cared for by only her.

All of what you said is excellent advice Houndlove. I just wanted to comment that I have 2 guinea pigs and they can be GREAT pets. One of mine actually knows his name (Smores) and they're very social creatures. They like to be held on your lap and petted. They wheek and squeak for food. Basically they have a lot of personality and can be really fun. They just aren't as much responsiblity as dogs. []

I recommend a cat. I'm 29 and its trying for me. I can't imagine being 13 with that kind of responsibility.

Wellll now.  I just got home for the weekend, and I brought up these points with my parents (that a dog is too much responsibility for a kid).  They said that if my sister does not put out enough effort to take care of the dog, then they would be willing to commit to the responsibility.  In fact, they WANT a dog to act as a watchdog.  Like I said, our plot of land is pretty big, and the reason for this is because we are in a rural-ish area.  So they said they'd either get a dog... or a gun to make it a less dangerous.  I'd prefer the dog.

Get a gun.  A dog is only a detterrent, not a failsafe.  Anybody who wants your family's things bad enough will have no qualms about going through a dog using any means they deemed necessary.

My bad, I didn't mean to describe our place as that dangerous.  It's rural-ish in that our area doesn't get cable but we're five minutes away from a road that places high in the number of accidents per year.  Not that we're in the middle of nowhere.  Now that I think of it, the University of Central Florida is about 15 minutes away, too.  We've lived here for a year and IMO I really doubt anyone would come and do anything here.                 

The dog or gun thing is kind of a joke. My grandparents were slightly averse to getting a dog, so my mother asked them to pick between a dog or a gun. But anyways the main thing is that they want a dog to add to the family and secondly prefer it to have some protection abilities for peace of mind.

Will any of these do? []
http://search.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=8586561
http://search.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=8514770
http://search.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=8574687
http://search.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=8485139
http://search.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=8600812
http://search.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=7421975
http://search.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=8195258
http://search.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=7764739
http://search.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=8461687

just a side note... i was soul care taker of fifteen dogs when i was only 8...... we had a LOT of dogs when i was growing up. my mom worked all day and was tired when she got home, my brother couldnt care less and was always visiting friends and not home... i loved my dogs .. rather.. i loved ALL dogs.. (how we got fifteen at once is another story for another day) but ever since i was a little kid i was the one feeding them, bathing them, brushing them, playing training and just basically caring about them.
i havent slacked off on it yet...
so dont underestimate the 13 year old, or any child unless you know them for sure.. my sisters and brothers? nah they shouldnt have had STUFFED animals when they were kids.... but i loved all of mine and everyone elses.
i'm sure i'm not the only one here that was this way either

The dog or gun thing is kind of a joke. My grandparents were slightly averse to getting a dog, so my mother asked them to pick between a dog or a gun. But anyways the main thing is that they want a dog to add to the family and secondly prefer it to have some protection abilities for peace of mind.

IMO, dogs aren't really great for protection unless they are professionally trained to do so.  Pretty much any dog will alert (bark when people approach), and you can reward this if you like it, but having a dog around for actual protection (aggression, biting) will often mean the dog isn't that great of a family companion.  The dogs that are great at protection work (like German Shepherds and Malinois) are basically good because they are so trainable, not because they are inherently more aggressive or protective than all other dogs.


I like the shelter collie that Spiritdogs posted.[]

With elderly people in the house, you want a dog who isn't going to be big enough to be able to knock someone over, even accidentally.

I agree!  My two pitties can knock me over and I'm a big girl!!!  How about a Basset Hound?  They don't get big, they have short fur, and they will bark if someone comes around!  The ones that I have met are pretty lazy!  But they are cute!

ORIGINAL: Liesje

The dog or gun thing is kind of a joke. My grandparents were slightly averse to getting a dog, so my mother asked them to pick between a dog or a gun. But anyways the main thing is that they want a dog to add to the family and secondly prefer it to have some protection abilities for peace of mind.

IMO, dogs aren't really great for protection unless they are professionally trained to do so.  Pretty much any dog will alert (bark when people approach), and you can reward this if you like it, but having a dog around for actual protection (aggression, biting) will often mean the dog isn't that great of a family companion.  The dogs that are great at protection work (like German Shepherds and Malinois) are basically good because they are so trainable, not because they are inherently more aggressive or protective than all other dogs.


I like the shelter collie that Spiritdogs posted.[]

Yeah, I did some more research and you're right.  At most the dog will bark to alert as a watchdog.  But I guess more important is ease of care and training.

Thanks for the links, spiritdogs, but the problem now is that my sister and my mother are intent on getting a puppy from a breeder.  I tried to bring up the pros of adopting an adult dog from a shelter but it was to no avail.  But I managed to convince them to visit a shelter and at least ask some questions.       

ORIGINAL: zhandao

Hi, my family wants to get a dog and the main person who's going to take responsibility for it is my 13 year old sister. .... So the dog has to be manageable enough for a 13 year old girl, meaning not too much grooming or training needed.

... Well, large enough that we allow someone's cows (about a dozen) to graze our land. A cow-herding breed of dog would be funny, heh. ....

I'm not sure what my sister prefers in a dog besides that it is "cute."..... My parents want a dog that can somewhat be a watchdog, but on the other hand don't want a dog that makes a lot of noise (that annoys my grandparents) so I'm not sure how that will work out. As for me, I'd prefer a dog that I can run around with outside but not so large that it's hard to manage. Perhaps small enough to lay down in my lap. I'd also prefer the dog to be more friendly than not and amusingly excitable as well.

I guess that's it. What do you recommend?

Well, first, I recommend that you think very seriously about what others have said about having a 13 yr old be the primary "manager" of this dog. It is a very very rare 13 year old that maintains interest in caring for animals through the teenage years. There's all that high school drama, and, you know, the opposite sex, and all that stuff that becomes far more interesting. Plus, in four or five years she'll be off to college too, and like you, probably won't be able to keep a dog there. So your parents may well be the owners of this dog for another decade after your sister has left the household. So, unless one of the adults is truly committed to being the dog's sole caretaker, buy a burglar alarm. It's cheaper, and doesn't need to be walked.

Having said that, if there is an adult willing to be the sole caretaker, your situation just screams corgi to me. They can be a bit barky if they are left on their own for long periods of time, but they are smart, trainable, adorable, and yes, they are cow dogs. They have a short coat that doesn't require a lot of grooming other than a quick once over once a week or so, but twice a year they will shed enough hair in a couple weeks to weave at least three new dogs. Really. It's incredible how much hair is packed onto those short little bodies, and how much can fall off their bodies over the course of a couple weeks. But other than those periodic sheds, they are pretty low maintenance. And smart, and they'll definitely let you know if anyone ventures onto the property, and did I mention that they are adorable? I'm partial to Pembroke corgis myself, but the Cardigan corgis are pretty cool too.