Help!

    • Bronze

    Help!

    hey,
    My husband and myself are thinking of buying a dog, we currently live in a decent sized apartment but with no garden, we thought it would be best to go for a smaller dog. We found a dog, a weeranian im a bit unsure about the breed, i got some useful information on the internet on the breed, to find out its temprement and everything. But still feel a little scared. I'm used to large dogs like labradors and such, that like alot of affection and attention. Does anyone on here own ar has previously owned a weeranian. Or even a pomeranion, i am fully aware of the tempraments of westies after owning one myself, but ive heard poeranions can be difficult to look after, very unaffectionate and yappy. I just wondered if anyone has had any real experience with this breed, thanks very much!
    jen
    • Gold Top Dog
    Is a weeranian a pomeranian mix of some sort?
    • Gold Top Dog
    • Gold Top Dog
    I've no specific info -- I'm assuming by what you said that it is a westie/pom mix?  (I hate the designer dog weird names - it's confusing and not at all helpful).
     
    Just be incredibly aware -- both westies and poms have TONS of breed-related health problems.  The idea of the hybrid dogs (besides money) is to elminate health problems but you've got two breeds there with a TON of problsm.  Westies are skin problems on 4 feet -- they've been completely overbred for that white coat and the skin problems can be horrific.  Poms have eye problems and patellar problems etc.  - they've been problematic because of the skull shape to get that cute pointy nose and delicate legs. 
     
    Neither breed is known to be easy to handle -- westies have a huge energy drive and given that this dog won't have much exercise room that would be a show-stopper for me on it's own.  Both breeds are very independant -- affectionate, yes, but they both have the same "my way or the highway" type of personality that would require a strong, knowledgeable human hand and a LOT of training.
    • Gold Top Dog
    I don't think that you need to be limited to a small breed dog, especially if you have reservations about it. Just because you live in an apartment doesn't need to mean that you could not have a med-large breed dog that is suitable for apartment living.

    Im sure that other people will be along with recommendations.

    Also,
    Take note of what callie critturs said, and be wary of designer dog breeders. I recommend checking out your local shelter, or if you decide on a breed, contact breed specific resuces.
    • Gold Top Dog
    Hi and welcome to the forum and bless you for doing your research first :)
     
    I too was looking for a small dog very recently.    What I ended up doing was adopting a miniature poodle from a local rescue organization.  I found my baby on [linkhttp://www.petfinder.com/]http://www.petfinder.com/[/link]
     
    If you go there you can put in your zipcode, and then put in if you want a male, female (or either), and the size of dog you're looking for and the age range.   I put in small female and got lots of hits.   It only took me two weeks to find my little one - and she was only 8 months old.  Sometimes it take patience to get a small dog, but since you're already comfortable looking for a mixed breed this might open up some options for you - and save a life in the process.
     
    Just something to consider.
    • Gold Top Dog
    I would second the idea that you might look at a shelter dog. Also, and perhaps even better, you could work with a rescue organization who would be able to help you find a dog who fits your needs very well.

    There is no such breed as a "weeranian," by the way. That's just a fancy word for a mutt, a mixed breed. Anyone trying to sell you on spending a lot of money on a mutt is ripping you off.

    Please don't buy a dog online, or from a byb, or puppymill! There are so many dogs who need homes that it would be a real shame to let them die and give money to someone who is breeding puppies who will then die in shelters (this is quite often the case).

    There is a lot of information on this forum about why one should adopt a dog, rather than buying one from a "designer" dog "breeder." Callie is right, that particular mix could be a real problem!

    I am glad that you are researching this before getting a dog. Keep working on it and asking questions. We are glad to help!

    I like big dogs too, by the way. What about a basset hound? I see them in rescue a lot!
    • Gold Top Dog
    [Deleted by Admins]
    • Gold Top Dog
    Please just go to your local animal shelter or petfinder.com. I found a lovely austrialian shepard/border collie mix there. But I don't call him a cutesy name like an "austrialian collie." Designer breeds are a passing phase (we hope...).

    JMHO [8|]
    • Gold Top Dog
    I lived out of apartments for 10+ years and owned a Siberian Husky the entire time. As long as you give them plenty of exercise outdoors, dogs do fine in apartments. Do some research in your area and find out where the nature trails are and the dog parks, etc.  You might be surprised and it will get you out of the house (big bonus imo!)  Think about this really hard and get what you are most comfortable with instead of what you think you should get. In the end, you might be unhappy with a small dog if you really want a larger dog deep down.
    • Gold Top Dog
    I haven't read everyone's responses so sorry if someone has mentioned this.  I am bringing home a pomeranian very soon and have done tons of reading about them so I know at least a bit about poms.  I know they need their teeth brushed regularly because they are very prone to gum disease and loss of teeth if not cared for properly.  I have spent a lot of time with the pom I'm bringing home and he seems quite affectionate and not too yappy.  I can't speak for all poms and when breeding these two dogs, you just don't know what characteristics will come out.

    Good luck with your new puppy and keep us posted  [:)]