What kind of dog to get? Help please!

i would visit your local shelter and see what they have. you can find small dogs at the shelter, even young ones. if you arent set on a particular breed, just a type of dog you like, mixed breed dogs can often fit that bill. look for older pups ~1 yr old. you can get an idea about temperment, and they should be fully (or almost fully grown) at that point.  

King Charles Cavalier Spaniel....this dog is adorable.. id love one of these!

 am going to the shelter tomorrow.

thanks guys!! I will post an update whenever I decide
 

Congrats on deciding to visit a shelter first!

If you do decide on a King Charles Cavaleir Spaniel, please do some research on their health problems, as there are many.

cant seem to find any of these online... tho :(

maybe at shelter.. are they a hard dog to find?   the king charles 

I'll research whichever one I decide on first.

I want to make sure we will both be happy in the long run of course!  

WillR

maybe at shelter.. are they a hard dog to find?   the king charles 

I work at a shelter, and the only king charles I have seen come through there was a back yard breeder confistcation. They are rarely seen in shelters, but there are MANY in rescue. I would contact them.

I agree with the other posts, go with an older dog. With your schedule, and need for housetraining, you aren't going to want someone with as much energy as a pup.

Schnauzers are another good breed, along with poodles. Both will need grooming.

only one dog at the shelter here...  great dog but too big...

i emailed two shelters yesterday but haven't heard back at all....

I'll have to try calling tomorrow..

 ann and peter  and takemehome

I'll keep checking
 

I did a quick search on Petfinder for Stratford (it's not that far from you)

This is the what it came up with...

http://search.petfinder.com/search/search.cgi?pet.Animal=Dog&pet.Breed=&pet.Age=&pet.Size=&pet.Sex=&location=Stratford%2C+ON

stardog85

 I'd look into getting a young adult dog from a shelter - you'll have a great idea of size and will be more likely to find all the qualities you'd like, plus many may have grown up with cats so you know they'd be fine with them *and* you'll be saving a life. 

This is a great idea!  Since you work full time, trust me having a puppy, is not going to work well.  I had no idea what I was getting into w/ Misty as a small pup, potty training, especially.  I have a small Maltese, and well, she's not like a real dog...lol.  It's going to take all your time and energy and devotion to bring up puppy just right!  Think of a puppy no less than a BABY, for REAL!  So, I have to agree a slightly older dog (2yrs or older), would be perfect.  Good Luck!

ya... well i over stated teh alone time. its more like 4 hours..  cuz my girlfriend works different shifts and is home for three hours after i leave and then im back three hours after she leaves... so..

 but after searching around I am looking for something around 2 years old. currently am looking at a westie/poodle mix. seems to have a few issues with sharing and getting along with cats but hes adorable and if he can be trained to be good witht he other animals I think he'd be happy with me...  still thinking it over though.

thanks for the feedback
 

WillR

still thinking it over though.

That's always the best option. If you have any doubts about this dog being a good fit for your family, keep searching. Your perfect dog is out there somewhere! You'll find him!

Does the shelter near you have a breed-waiting list? We offer one for a $10 donation, we keep your name on file for 6 months - you can request to be notified of a certain breed, or size of dog.

just an update if anyone was paying attention to this.

The pup I was looking at adopting had some issues and needs to go to a different home for extensive training. He is not ready for release after all. So I am still looking. For all the dogs that seem to need a home in my area there arent many at all. Still only one in my shelter here ... hes too big.. ..  I shall keep looking.and will update when I find one! 

Pugs are couch potatoes, very low energy. Very loving dogs with little to no barking.  Try a pug rescue if this breed is interesting.  They are wonderful.  So ugly they are beautiful - everyone loves our girl.

 As for litter training, most dogs can hold it if crated, even young dogs in training.  I would suggest you not start that, just work on the outside training.  My Swissy never had but one poop acident from the day I brought him home.  My pug was a little different, if not watched she would sneak off in the corner, but she never went in her crate.  So if I papertrained her or not, she would have snuck off when I wasn't watching.  She dosen't like going outside in the cold and wet.  But now she hold it and go outside it just took some time.

 Good luck.

ETA:  All though ours is very healthy they need some extra care with cleaning wrinkles and special attention to their eyes.

I wish you tons of luck with your search!

I would recommend what my dog is if I knew what her breeding was - I'm guessing a Bichon type. I honestly can count on both hands how many times I've heard her bark within the last 4 months. I dont know if that is a thing of the breed - but its worth a shot.

still wishing you the best of luck! the right dog will just fall into your lap if you are patient enough, I promise! =]