That's it- I wanna LITTLE dog! Spin off!

jennie_c_d

A smaller Beagle could be really great for you. They're pretty healthy, sturdy dogs, and LOVE activities where there are plenty of smells. That's the best one I can think of that's healthy, sturdy, and plays well with others, as a rule.

Ditto.  One great thing about most beagles is that they've got plenty of stamina, but they don't have to get tons of exercise to stay sane.

You need a "Casey dog".

A small, brown short haired mutt. :)

I seriously love having under-20 pounders. I think they are the perfect size! Big enough to be tough, little enough to carry. Nuff said, LOL.

 a good friend has a Welsh Terrier and he is a tough little guy at 20lbs - superb temperament and very active

My secret hearts desire is a black Pug...ONLY black. I might have one someday but try getting someone to sell you a Pug when you own and breed Beagles...LMBO.

shamrockmommy

All 3 of my dogs are small, but for the type of dog you are looking for.... Gobie is an oversized minpin, 13" tall, 14lbs. He is super TOUGH (even at 13+ yrs now), sturdy, can go jog or hike or boating, camping and much more. He has been like having a big dog personality wise anyway.  We always joke if he were a big dog he'd be a very gamey pibble!

Agreed!

When I first adopted Penny, I had no idea what I was getting into. I figured I was getting a docile, petite little dog that would be a great first dog. Umm, nope. I soon learned alllll about the Min Pin way. They really are "King of Toys" when it comes to personality. They have a BIG personality to go with their tiny bodies. Penny will be 6 years old this month, but you'd never know. She acts 6 months old. She's very strong, active and 'spicy' for her size. She can pull a 12 year old on a bike! She's better than any big dog I know at guarding the house. No one wants to mess with her when they see or hear her. She is very territorial, as mentioned, but she's never ever biten a vistor. Ever. She has more bark than bite. Owning a Min Pin is like owning a 100 lb dog in a 10lb body, really. It's something I like about her, because I'm the opposite, I want big dogs. I like that she can keep up with me wherever I go. Unlike my Chihuahua, who is slow walking and follows behind me, Penny is way ahead of the game and wants to go go go. She's also EXTREMELY prey driven. I wouldn't doubt that'd she kill a rabbit or something of the like, if she caught one. But again, that's part of their terrier background and what they were bred to do. I also like that we can play fetch, tug of war, go bike riding, etc with no problem. She's also the most affectionate, cuddly dog. She really attaches herself to people and loves to sleep under the covers with you. A lovebug for sure. I never knew how much of a big dog she behaved like till I got Daisy. It's amazing. Daisy can't keep up on walks, can't jump on or off furniture, while Penny FLIES on and off, etc. Owning a Min Pin really is an experience, but I've enjoyed it so far.

ETA: Penny is a gem with house training. She doesn't go in the house and asks to go out. The only time she marked was when we first adopted her, when she was young and when she marked our new house when we moved. Other than that, she very rarely has accidents and can go hours with out having to go out. I have no worries at all when we leave the house, she's great indoors. No marking, chewing, etc.

I'm biased but I have to put in a good word for paps overall even though they're not exactly what you want.  They're just in my opinion the most awesome breed ever.  I can't get enough of them.  I've known so many and almost every one I'd steal easily, lol.

They're smaller generally though 10 lbs is within standard and in rescue they're often much bigger (I know a 22 lb'er).  They don't have short hair but their grooming is ridiculously easy, they shouldn't even count as a longhaired dog really (they have a single coat).  Nothing at all like a cocker spanie grooming wise.  But they have the best personality.  Super dog friendly usually and they ADORE people.  They're also considered by many to be the most intelligent of toy breeds (ranked 8 or 9 all breed).  I don't know how much stock I put into those rankings, but I can say they're the smartest dogs I've personally ever owned- big, small, or medium.  They amaze me daily with the things they can come up with. They're super biddable and very athletic dogs.  You can train them for just about anything and they tend to do very well- agility, flyball, obedience, therapy work, service dog work...  they love any chance to use their brains.  They're also hilariously funny.  They're lively and they have the best sense of humor ever.  Mine are up for anything. We go for 2 hour walks regularly and they'd be up for more if I was lol.  The breed's often called the big dog in disguise because they are truly not a little dog in mind or heart.  Their other nickname is the border collie of the toy group and I think that one is pretty apt too. 

 Oh and they're one of the worst potato chip breeds out there.  I don't know many pap people that manage to have just one for long.  *glances at signature*  I'm still not sure how I ended up with FIVE, lol.

BlackLabbie

The only thing I really don't like is the grooming- $100 +tip every 2 months is crazy, but it's worth it. I don't think I'll ever own a breed that needs this much grooming again. I love Apollo's short fur.

Well, just look at my name, you know that i am going to suggest that the grooming is a small price to pay for the sheer brillance of poodles. I had a Lab, and he was my heart dog, but the thought of all those pounds of Lab and those first couple of years ..... oh no not again!!

Both my dogs are rough tough little dogs. They are super friendly and do ok with other dogs. They are capable of doing a wide range of dog sports. They cuddle well, and are very keen on thier owners. They really give the old heart strings a good tweak.

I would go for Papillions next.

A friend of mine shows Lowchen and she has been trying to talk me into one for years!  They sound as smart and athletic as a poodle but affectionate, clean and sweet as well.

THat will be my next small dog. 

 I don't like grooming dogs, but I find papillon fur to be super low-maintenance. I brush Rascal maybe once a week? The only tough parts are occasionally combing the tail/ears to keep them from tangling. And a quick once-over every now and then to help with shedding (which is minimal). I bathe him once a month, ish, which is easy to do in the sink. And then I trim his toenails, and snip off his extra fuzzy toe-tufts with scissors. A "full grooming" takes maybe an hour, and that's including the bath, blow-drying him after the bath, and doing the feet/toenails.

My only complaint with papillons for outdoor adventures is that the long fluffy tail can be a leaf/dirt magnet when out hiking! Sometimes I braid Rascal's to keep it clean. (I know, how embarrassing!) Or I spray it with a dirt-repellent, like Show Sheen. But even when it gets dirty, it only takes a few minutes to brush it clean again before we get home.

As far as energy and desire to be out adventuring, I've found papillons to be wonderful. They have tons of energy and love to do outdoorsy stuff, but also have a great "off" switch and are quite happy to chill on the couch or sleep in the backseat of a car.

Maybe once you've narrowed it down and you have a couple of choices in mind, start visiting your local shelters and see if you can't rescue a dog, possibly a mix of the breeds that you like. I agree with Erica - a little Casey dog sounds like a perfect fit! :)

I love my Shih tu and Llhasa Apso, they have the sweetest personalities, and while they don't really shed, grooming is huge unless you keep them shaved and what's the point of having that breed of dog if you're going to keep it shaved??? (a personal peeve of mine). They highlighted Havanese on the show last night and I love the breed, but they showcased a dog who's owner had it shaved down so much that it looked like a shaved poodle...... it didn't even resemble a Havanese. I thought is was such a shame. Sorta got off topic - sorry! :)

  The life expectancy on Cavaliers is lower than some other breeds, but they're pretty good. They're the biggest of the toys. You aren't supposed to get the hair cut, but I do have to run a brush over Luke's hair every day. Nothing much, just 2-3 minutes worth of grooming. If I took him into areas with lots of brush, I might have to give it a little bit more time to get the junk out of his hair.  I don't think his hair has grown to it's full length yet though. I was him here in the bath tub once every 2-4 weeks.  I usually take him for about a mile a day, maybe two, not consecutively though. So far, he did manage almost 2 consecutive miles through the park last week. It wasn't too big a deal to pick him up for a little bit though. Last I checked, probably around a month ago, he was about 12lbs. I think he's a little bigger now though, because I went away the other week (for all of about 36 hours) and I came back, and he was noticeably bigger. He'll be around 15lbs though when he's through growing. He gets along with everyone, and every dog. I can slide his crate into my car no problem, if I wanna go somewhere, I just pop him in the crate, and we're off.

How about a Smooth Fox terrier? They can keep up on long hikes, have the big dog 'tude and like to hang out with nearly everyone. A bitch will be about 12-15 lbs with the dogs a bit larger.

I'm gonna agree with a small Beagle. A Beagle would be great for you because they are dogs who always love something to do. And they arent HUGEE shedders, but you get some hair. A brushing every 3-ish days should be good enough. Great dogs :)

I used to be a big dog person until I started working with dogs and realized how much easier small dogs are. Everything costs less for them, they're easier to take places, everything for them is smaller, etc.

Boston Terriers are low maintenance small dogs. Other ideas: Brussels Griffon, Dachshund, Chihuahua, Japanese Chin and Pug.