[Hootman92]

Hi everyone, im looking for breed that will match me. I am 17 and have always wanted my own dog. My mom has a dog but it's getting old and like I said I would love to have my own. Some of the important things are I live in a townhouse, I have a small yard but a big park only a minute walk away and I have a job which means I will have to be gone for a little while during the day. I want a dog that doesnt shed that much,is loyal to me,obedient,friendly with other people and animals,can be left alone for a little while,fairly easy to train,doesnt need that much grooming,wont be destructive,not too expensive,doesnt have bad health problems, and I can give it as much as 2 hours of exercise each day. If anyone knows a breed that would match me pretty well that would be GREAT if you could tell me. Thank you : )

[skelaki]

First of all, unless your entire family is on board with getting a dog I recommend you wait until you are finished with school and have your own place. There are going to be so many changes over the next 5 years or so that it might be unfair to the dog to get one right now. I totally understand wanting a dog but you have to think of the animal.

That said, I would take several of the breed selection quizzes such as the ones on the Animal Planet, k9 Country, Purina, etc. websites. See if the same breed/breeds keep coming up over and over. They're far from infallible and just because a breed does not come up doesn't mean necessarily that it would be a bad match. But they might give you a general idea of where to start your research. Once you have a breed or breeds in mind, start researching those breeds. Read everything online and in books you can find on the breed/s that interest you. Go to some dog shows and talk to the people there. Go to the National Breed Club sites and get information from them. Take a lot of time before deciding on a breed. Also, go to your local shelter and check out the dogs there. Volunteer at the shelter to learn more about the dogs and their care as well as why people turn in their dogs. The more you educate yourself the better.

Much of your criteria has to do with the training you do rather than particular breeds. I would not recommend a puppy. One possibility you might check into are retired racing Greyhounds. Except for not wanting to do much grooming, a Standard or Miniature Poodle or Tibetan Terrier could work.

But, please think long and hard before getting anything. A dog is a commitment for as long as 20 years (one of my mother's dogs lived to be 23).

[PappyMom]

A Papillon <3.

I want a dog that doesnt shed that much,is loyal to me,obedient,friendly with other people and animals,can be left alone for a little while,fairly easy to train,doesnt need that much grooming,wont be destructive,not too expensive,doesnt have bad health problems, and I can give it as much as 2 hours of exercise each day.

They shed, but not alot, the most fur I've ever found was when they shed their puppy coat.

They are extremely loyal little velcro dogs..very obedient and smart..actually they are the #7 smartest dog breed.

They don't need much grooming at all, since they are single coated. Kind of wash and wear dogs.

Price depends on where you get it from..Roxy came from a great breedeer and was only $600...Paps are everywhere though, and you may even want to consider rescuing one.

They have no serious health issues besides luxatin patellas, which can be easily avoided by purchasing from a reputable breeder.

They do great in apartments and with small yards. 2 hours of full-on excercise would be great, but remember that every dog is going to need mental stimulation and some sort of play within the house as well.

[Darkmoon]

Welcome to the forum Hootman92!

First of all, at the age of 17, most shelters won't adopt to you because between 17 and 25, you are going to have a LOT of changes in your life. Between completing high school, going on to college, and the moving on to your career, it's a lot in those years. Heck even if you skip college, a LOT happens in these years. You need to remember these years are called the "party" years fr a reason. I think most of us spent at least 1 year of our life (for men, many more) drinking the nights away with friends. Also, don't forgot about DATING! Yay Dating. When you fall in love for the first time and want to spend every waking moment with the person of your dreams...

Then there are the $ cost. Vet bills ($200 for a yearly for my vet and thats pretty cheap), e-vet bills (Because your dog will ALWAYS come down sick on evenings or Sundays. It NEVER fails), Dog food bills (A good quality food will run you $40 a month +), toys, and so forth.

Then there is Apartment shopping in which you'll have to pay an extra fee for having a pet, and depending on the breed of dog, may have to look REALLY hard for a apartment that will accept it. Pet fee's can be a HUGE Pet depost (Normally $250+) to a monthly fee ($25 to $100 extra a month) or both!

If all that is OK with you, Most shelters won't adopt to people under 25, but there is an exception to every rule. An older dog (1year +) is great for someone your age. Check out Petfinder.com and see what smaller dogs they have at the shelter. Stay away from any of the Bully breeds just for ease of finding housing. Pit Bulls (Which are a smaller breed ranging from 25lbs to 60lbs), Akita, Dobermans, Chows, Rotties all are on a "Dangerous breed" list and should be avoided for ease of finding apartments.

As for breed, that is something in the end you'll have to figure out. I never pictured myself as Pit Bull Owner until I fell in love with my dog. Yorkies, Maltese's, shitz-tzu's, Bulldogs, Mini Pins all of these dogs are great small dogs. Start looking into the breeds and what will mesh well with your personality.

[Hootman92]

Thank you to all that have answered. I am for sure ready for a dog and my mom said she would get the dog if I had to be a certain age. As for school I have worked very hard my freshman and sophmore year so I graduated last spring already. As for college im not going because I already have an amazing job of repairing guitars and I can't get fired since im my own boss and I make great great money so im not going. I know this is supposed to be my party years but honestly I am very lonely all the time and dont have many friends because I already graduated high school so they kinda forgot about me and to have a companion with me and something I can take care of means the world to me. I tried the quizes and I will get a breed look it up and find out it actually doesnt fit my life style or my wantings so I dont really know where to turn to now but thank you for everything.

[Laurelin]

I want to echo what Darkmoon has said. IT can be very hard to rent with a dog in college. To make things easier for you, I'd recommend staying 35 lbs or under and staying away from typically banned breeds (pit bulls, rotties, etc). Even then expect to pay a pet deposit and/or pet rent. Dogs are expensive.

I think many breeds could fit for you based on what you've said.

[marsha=whitie]

Look around your local shelters to find the dog that's right for you if you're not set on a certain breed. They have all shapes and sizes, and you can basically pick the dog thats compatible with your energy level and whatnot. Rescue workers should be more than willing to help you find the right dog for you. Good luck!