Dog Community

Posted : 2/7/2007 10:07:57 AM

I have to agree with you two. Harry is the epitome of a lap dog. Perfectly content to stay in your lap 24/7. Though Beau would probably be too much for your average person looking for a lap dog. He needs constant stimulus, but is once again most happy sitting right on top of you.

Julitza

Posted : 2/7/2007 10:58:05 AM

I think you really have to take Gingerbreads personality into view. He sounds alot like my Shih Tzu (rip) Sasha. She was very good with people, but she was a submissive dog and would not have been comfortable around a dominant or pain in the butt puppy.

She got along great with my fathers pit bull but despised the Terrier Mix my sister once had.

I think with Gingerbread you should stay away from Yorkies, and other 'tougher' toys. Yorkies are terriers and can be a bit rough sometimes.

My aunt owns a Maltese, and I think they would be perfect for you. They are tiny (at 1 year old my aunts girl weigh about 6 pounds), dont shed and are very easy going dogs. The ones I have met are just dying to be in your arms. When visited my aunt she would push her head under my hand to get rubs.

My aunt also has a Yorkie and she was the picture perfect lap dog, but she was a hardy terrier, and just because of that I dont think this breed would make a good match with Mr. Bread

bunni

Posted : 2/7/2007 12:18:43 PM

I know of a breed that fits all your requirements. [

]

Xerxes

Posted : 2/7/2007 2:43:30 PM

ORIGINAL: bunni

I know of a breed that fits all your requirements. []

Bunni, I was just gonna say the same thing.

Tamara, I would suggest that you stay away from Pekingnese-though I love them-they are very strong-willed and will take over. Besides that they come equipped to do their job, and they take great delight and pride in doing so. (They are alarm dogs.)

Luvntzus

Posted : 2/7/2007 3:17:14 PM

Thank you all for the awesome advice!!

Papillons and Dachshunds are adorable, but not really "my" kind of dogs, they're both a bit spunky for me. Same with Yorkies; terriers are not for me. [

] lol

Jultiza- That's an excellent point about Gingerbread's personality. He is very submissive and passive, and gets bullied easily. I think the Maltese could be great for us. Everything I've read about the breed is that they're very gentle and of course the individual dog's personality is very important.

Ed- I agree with you about the Pekingese; too strong willed for us.

Bunni- I have considered Toy Poodles and I really do like them. I've read that they're more interested in their humans than other dogs. Would you say that's true in your experience? One thing I'm not sure about is if they have more energy than would be good for my lifestyle.

I actually have researched Chihuahuas a little and what turned me off of them was something I read on a breeder's website [&:]:

Are they nervous, high-strung dogs?... Yes, they are high-strung dogs. I define "high-strung" as follows: barks easily, does not adapt easily to change in environment, is suspicious of strangers and will growl at them, and flips in circles and jumps around when excited (like when you come home after a five-minute absence, for instance).However, with the person that they have bonded with they do not display most of these characteristics; infact, they display radically different personalities. Chihuahuas are truly the "Jekyll-and-Hyde" of dog breeds: your friends will see the worst side of them and never believe you when you tell them that your Chihuahua is really a gentle, sweet-natured dog.

bunni

Posted : 2/7/2007 4:46:09 PM

Bunni- I have considered Toy Poodles and I really do like them. I've read that they're more interested in their humans than other dogs. Would you say that's true in your experience? One thing I'm not sure about is if they have more energy than would be good for my lifestyle.

Poodles are definitely more interested in their humans than in anything else. They are really not high energy dogs. The "high strung" concept is just not true. Poodles are incredibly adaptable. It's one of the things I like best about them. I send them to old ladies with sedentary lives and to homes with 12 year olds who want to throw a ball 500 times. I always say that a poodle is the only dog who can go hunting in the afternoon and host a coctail party at night.

For fun, see my page "Are poodles hyper?" [linkhttp://poodlejunction.com/photo-essays/hyper.htm]http://poodlejunction.com/photo-essays/hyper.htm[/link]

micksmom

Posted : 2/7/2007 4:53:23 PM

How about a Chinese Crested? The ones I've met have played with the puppies at class, but really preferred sitting in my lap while I was doing paper work. They actually seemed to melt into me, and moved as I moved. Their owner (the trainer) says they are more clingy than she is used to (she also has Yorkies and a Pembroke Corgi).

Luvntzus

Posted : 2/7/2007 5:03:12 PM

Bunni- That photo essay is too cute!! I absolutely love the last pic with all the Poodles on the couch and the babies on the rug.

I always say that a poodle is the only dog who can go hunting in the afternoon and host a coctail party at night.

LOL!

I'm just stuck trying to decide which would be best for me, a Poodle, Maltese, or another Shih Tzu. They're all cute, but I love the way Shih Tzu look the most, they're little Ewoks! Maltese have the most upkeep with tear staining. Poodles seem the most versatile with their personality. All three breeds can be good lapdogs... Decisions, decisions.[8|]

Luvntzus

Posted : 2/7/2007 5:05:11 PM

ORIGINAL: micksmom

How about a Chinese Crested? The ones I've met have played with the puppies at class, but really preferred sitting in my lap while I was doing paper work. They actually seemed to melt into me, and moved as I moved. Their owner (the trainer) says they are more clingy than she is used to (she also has Yorkies and a Pembroke Corgi).

Hi Micksmom, we were posting at the same time. I did briefly consider a Chinese Crested, but one thing I read about them is that they're the most emotionally needy, clingy breed in dogdom. I think that would be too much of a good thing.

lorib

Posted : 2/7/2007 11:22:37 PM

How about a Pug?

Xebby

Posted : 2/7/2007 11:35:08 PM

Well, if I had to toss in my vote it would be for a poodle, seems like you could never go wrong with a poodle[

]

(Especially after looking at bunni's photo albums[

])

Luvntzus

Posted : 2/8/2007 9:47:55 AM

Pugs are adorable; I'm not sure that they're lap dogs though and I definitely want a non-shedding breed.

Thanks for your vote Xebby. I'm putting another check in the Poodle column! lol I'm still stuck evenly between the Maltese, Toy Poodle, and Shih Tzu. [&:]

Scout in Canada

Posted : 2/8/2007 10:07:31 AM

Are toy poodles very stable? I thought toys often had issues. The only toy poodle I've met was a nervous wreck, jumpy, and scared of everything.

Luvntzus

Posted : 2/8/2007 10:23:57 AM

ORIGINAL: Scout in Canada

Are toy poodles very stable? I thought toys often had issues. The only toy poodle I've met was a nervous wreck, jumpy, and scared of everything.

That's a good point. I'm sure they're not all like that, but I have read that certain lines can be more timid and high strung. I think I'd probably feel better going with a breed like the Maltese or Shih Tzu that's known for not being the typical yappy, snappy little dog. I also want a quiet dog and from what I've heard, Poodles can be pretty yappy. I know training does play a part, but so do genetics...

tiffy

Posted : 2/8/2007 1:34:17 PM

My grandmas Maltese, Puff, is the ultimate lap dog. Tootsie, my corgi is also a lap dog,m but she weighs 20 lbs.[

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