[Rescued]

With hattie being the smallest dog we've ever owned, I'm starting to like smaller dogs. My next dog will definitely be a lab, but in the far future I may own a small dog (on purpose, hattie just sort of fell into my lap).

I know the on-purpose mutts are controversial because there is almost always a breed already out there that fufills whatever niche the designer dogs are trying to fill.

Are there any breeds in the 15-35 lb range that fufill all the things below?:
-not wirehaired or curly coated (as in no to poodle/schnauzer coat types, but length in terms of a golden or an aussie would be okay, as would all the shorthaired breeds. I dont care about shedding)
-not terriers or hounds
-not brachycephalic (bulldogs, pugs, frenchies are definite no's)

This is why I've never gotten a small dog. I really am not a huge fan of the terrier or hound personalities (i like off leash reliable and more biddable dogs IN GENERAL). I had looked into spaniels like the CKCS and Cocker but the health problems scare me. I'm pretty sure anything in the toy category is too small, I would never want a dog under 10 lbs.

(and I would never go about attempting to create a new breed, the title just made sense. I know there has to be one out there.)

 

[boxerlover876]

At first I thought it was another one of those threads...thank goodness it's not.

My sister wants a small dog so I've looked around a lot. What personality are you looking for and what do you want out of it?

 

[kafkabeetle]

Papillons come to mind. I might have more for you in a minute because those are roughly the same. Though I've got no issue with terriers so I have to think on it for a minute to find breeds that aren't terriers, lol.

Here's a bigger list: Corgi, Chihuahua, Cocker spaniel, Italian greyhound, min pin, Pomeranian, Shiba inu, miniature American Eskimo dog.

A lot of these breeds are technically smaller than you want, but if you look in rescue there are frequently oversized individuals that should suit your needs pretty well.

 

[Rescued]

Sporting/working breed type personality in general. I've honestly never owned a small breed dog so I don't know what its "really" like, (therefore all the following statements are sweeping generalizations, feel free to correct me but I'm not trying to offend anyone) but I'm not a big fan of the toy breed aloofness.

on the far ends of the spectrum, I would be fine with anything from (again, these are generalizations) a rottie to a lab to an aussie. I was looking into the non-sporting group (eskies, shibas, finkies) but honestly don't know if they would be too "stubborn" for my liking.

 

[Shell]

Corgi?
Klee Kai?
Shiba Inu?
Min Pin?
Miniature American Shepherd?
Basenji?

 

[kafkabeetle]

Honestly, a corgi sounds perfect to me.

 

[Rescued]

Corgi?
Miniature American Shepherd?

these are the mini aussies, right? are they really becoming a legit breed now?

I forgot about corgis. They are adorable and perfect in terms of the coat I like. Do the short legs impede them at all in terms of exercise? I know they were developed as a herding breed, but still. Could you go hiking with one?

 

[ChaosIsAWeim]

Hmm don't know why (probably my head cold talking lol), but the Kooikerhondje came to mind first, so I thought I would put it out there. It's a small dutch spaniel breed, but there are some breeders in the US (it's on the AKC FSS list).

I will have to do some more thinking though.

 

[boxerlover876]

I've heard Italian greyhounds are like little greyhounds. They are just bred down. They might be worth looking into. They do still have that chase drive though. They are very trainable though.

I second Corgis. Those dogs are so trainable and they are sturdy.

 

[Shell]

these are the mini aussies, right? are they really becoming a legit breed now?

I forgot about corgis. They are adorable and perfect in terms of the coat I like. Do the short legs impede them at all in terms of exercise? I know they were developed as a herding breed, but still. Could you go hiking with one?

Yes on the Mini Aussies/American Shepherds.

Well, I've been trail riding on Thoroughbreds with corgis coming along so I figure they could do a decent hike.

 

[petpeeve]

I believe Corgis can be prone to IVDD. Wouldn't discount them totally though, just because of that.

Perhaps a Sheltie would be a good fit ?
ie: intelligent, biddable, energetic and .... NOT a hound lol

 

[BellaPup]

After your first description, I thought Corgi as well. They have a big-dog appearance and personality with short legs. I've never met an unhappy Corgi. Most Corgi owners I know have two or more - a "once you pop...." kinda thing.
I also recently met a Schipperke of new neighbors up the road, what a great, beautiful dog he is (they were actually amazed when I knew what breed he was...lol).
I'll have to think of more...it's late....but sounds like you are on the same mind-set I am for my next dog - when years and years and years from now Bella leaves me (added so I don't jinx anything)

 

[cshellenberger]

Sheltie, Any of the Medium Spitz breeds or Chinese Cresteds (there are varieties that are coated). Most all the smooth coated breeds would be a terrier or hounds (including the sighthounds).

 

[hanksimon]

There is a miniature Golden .... I don't recall what the 'designer' name is. That might be worth a look...
And there is a Boxer - Boston Terrier mix: a mini boxer.

 

[BuggLover]

I don't actually have any other breeds to add but I found dogtime's dogfinder matchup to be really helpful when I was researching different breeds. After you do the survey you get a list of the top 5 breeds for you, but you also get a huge list of other breeds that would be suitable. I found it to be a good starting point to narrow down my search.
http://dogtime.com/matchup/start

 

[Amaryllis]

What about a beagle? Small but sturdy, bred to chase game all day, extremely human/dog friendly and very food motivated, which makes clicker training easier. (Hounds tend to be more independent thinkers, but beagles aren't the worst of the hounds for that.)

 

[CJ-Neo's Mom]

A Shetland Sheepdog.... you didn't mention the kind of coat they have... it's neither wiry nor curly...

 

[gingerkid]

There is a miniature Golden .... I don't recall what the 'designer' name is. That might be worth a look...

Aren't they just called minature goldens? From what I've seen, they're generally Golden/small spaniel crosses (sometimes with other breeds mixed in, e.g. from mixed a spaniel parent).

To OP: If you're not looking for a "specific" breed, you'll probably find some really great small mixed-breed mutts in a shelter or rescue. There were two shiba-inu/rough collie siblings that came into the shelter where I volunteer. They were both awesome, and would've made the perfect gateway "small" dog, as evidenced by the fact that my small-dog hating fiance tried to adopt one (but she was already being adopted by the time he got to the shelter). They were about 14" at the shoulder and ~15lbs... the girl looked like a fox with a long coat (so cute!). Anyway, you just never know what is going to come in to a shelter, so its worth keeping an eye out even if you're looking for something very specific.

 

[Gally]

Corgis are relatively durable dogs. They are prone to some back issues but the risk is greatly reduced when acquiring from health tested parents and when the dog is kept lean and in good physical shape.

All the corgis I know love hiking and doing as much physically activity as you have time for. Gally loves agility and excels in training. Corgis are intelligent but also easily trained.

 

[Amaryllis]

There is a miniature Golden .... I don't recall what the 'designer' name is. That might be worth a look...
And there is a Boxer - Boston Terrier mix: a mini boxer.

What, this:

There's a surprising amount of beagle in that.