Puggle

[Tandem mama]

Dh and I were talking about what type of dog would be best for our family when we are he is ready for one. I'm totally wanting one. Buuuut he doesn't.

We were discussing our small home with no fenced in yard and a requirement that a human always accompany a dog outside. This eliminates several breeds due to weather (I'm not it on going out for long periods in the snow. Uck) so a dog with high running/exercise needs wouldn't be good. We had one and I tried to take her out and exercise her. It wasn't a good fit (she was nervous! And lives with fil because she snapped at a friend's baby) so we won't do a big breed. :no a small breed would have enough space inside to run around. Cuppycake is a rough kid. More rough than sunshine was at this age. So I don't think a chihuahua or other really small, fragile dog would be good.

This brought us to puggles. My dad has one. She's fat and sturdy. She can handle some rough petting and she has a really good disposition if somewhat lick happy. She's a ninja licker. She has a very happy and slightly oblivious personality. She's slightly unintelligent. But we love her for it.


Are these typical puggle traits or is this just a better with kids than normal one? Her biggest problem is accidentally running them over. But the girls don't mind. What are some downfalls to a puggle? We have 1100 sq ft. And plan on more kids.

[SilverMoon]

From what I've seen and heard, that's a rare Puggle. They were the 'in' dogs a couple years ago and glutted the rescues around here. What I've seen is they're the combination of the worst traits of both breeds. Of course, that's what I've seen. Maybe there are more great Puggles out there, even owned by some on this board :shrug

[domesticzookeeper]

The problem with "designer" breeds is that there's generally far less accountability than there would be with a reputable and responsible breeder. A reputable breeder is going to know the lineage of your puppy going back several generations on both sides. That's important. Health problems are not the only things that dogs inherit. And since no reputable breeder would EVER allow a puppy to be used in some fad crossbreeding experiment, what are you left with?

Designer dogs are one step above rescued dogs in terms of temperment and predictable behavior. Not that rescued dogs are a bad idea, but if you're looking for some assurance of temperment, I'd look beyond the breeder who put two dogs together for the sake of a portmanteau :shifty As Silver Moon said, your pup could end up combining the WORST traits of his or her parents.

Mutts can be wonderful, wonderful dogs, but not every one of them is pure gold ;) :shrug3 Sounds like your dad got really lucky. I personally prefer to rely on a solid history and predictability. YMMV.

[Tandem mama]

Thanks for that input. We got our dog on a whim at a shelter and she just didn't fit our family right. She loves my girls but is terrified of other children, she requires a lot of free running without a leash. The busy neighborhood we live in made her nervous. And her brother attacked his teenaged owner. For hugging him. Which, combined with we snapping at a baby made us regime her to the inlaws. Fil is a perfect fit for her. He's retired and diabetic and she makes him take her to the state land where she will not go more than 20 feet away. She gets to use her hunting and tracking skills some with him. She has a big backyard that is fenced in, in a quiet neighborhood. It's perfect for her.

We don't want to have to rehome another dog and we aren't looking to get another for a few more years, anyway. But I do want one eventually and I want to start doing the research now.

I am afraid most small dogs aren't sturdy enough for cuppycake and a large dog isn't great for our neighborhood/home.

[kiloyd]

I just laugh everytime I hear of these "new" breeds that are really mixes! :giggle:giggle

I know Beagles can be good with children. I don't know that much about Pugs, I think they are low key.

But since it is a mix breed, I think it is a great choice.

[Tandem mama]

I thinks beagle would be sturdy enough for cuppycake for sure. I just cannot stand their bark. I suppose I could end up with a puggle who barks like that lol. I'm not set on a puggle, I just know my parent's puggle is a great companion for my girls. :)

[BabyMonsterMommy]

SILs puggle is demon spawn. I don't hate any living thing, but my feelings toward this creature border hate. He's nervous, yippy, nippy, and aggressive. He barks and howls incessantly and does not tolerate other dogs. He's eaten at least 4 pairs of GLASSES, an infinite number of binkies, houseplants, tubes of diaper cream, etc ad nauseum. He barks, growls, and nips at the children, but they do nothing because they spent $$$$ on him, training, a specialty vet, and all the special food and med he needs to keep him from completely falling apart.

It could just be him, but I'm never getting one.

When I was little we had a maltese. He was so sweet and gentle and calm. He was my favorite animal so far.

[Tandem mama]

My aunt had an awesome toy poodle but I've been told she was lucky. Apparently most are yippy?

My parents' dog is extremely dumb. If we throw a ball up in the air, she looks right and left-never up. She ninja licks us as she walks by. She is so happy all the time her while body wags. She jumps some, but if they'd work with her, she'd stop. She doesn't really follow commands at all but they don't work with her. When she sits, her butt touches the ground then she is immediately back up. She doesn't do any other command lol. But she's suuuuper sweet and lovey. She is probably the happiest dog I've ever met.

[Zooey]

My aunt had an awesome toy poodle but I've been told she was lucky. Apparently most are yippy?

My parents' dog is extremely dumb. If we throw a ball up in the air, she looks right and left-never up. She ninja licks us as she walks by. She is so happy all the time her while body wags. She jumps some, but if they'd work with her, she'd stop. She doesn't really follow commands at all but they don't work with her. When she sits, her butt touches the ground then she is immediately back up. She doesn't do any other command lol. But she's suuuuper sweet and lovey. She is probably the happiest dog I've ever met.
I really like pugs, but they are, IMHO, (sorry, but it's true) :shrug3dumb as dirt.... I have only met one puggle, & it was cute as anything, but I have no idea how they would be with a small child.

[Tandem mama]

I really like pugs, but they are, IMHO, (sorry, but it's true) :shrug3dumb as dirt.... I have only met one puggle, & it was cute as anything, but I have no idea how they would be with a small child.

In this dog, pebbles is her name, her stupidity is a very endearing trait. It's part of what is so lovable about her.

[Sonata]

"Intelligence" or "dumb-ness" in a dog really isn't a positive or negative trait. They both have ups and downs; it's not like your dog is going to take calculus. BOTH extremes can be much harder to train. "My" breed (sheltie) is extremely intelligent, and there are CERTAINLY days when I'm :doh:doh:dohand wished for a little more "I'll go along with whatever you say!"

What you are really looking for is energy level and comfort with different people, especially small ones. I am with PP who suggest getting a purebred from a good breeder; that is absolutely your best way of having a good sense for how the dog will turn out. I would not do a "designer mix." :no Too unpredictable.

I am not thinking off the top of my head of something specific for you, although I'll keep thinking. However, I would encourage you to think outside the "small breed" box. Some larger dogs are much lower energy that small dogs. In general, small breeds tend to be less confident with children (for obvious reasons; they're at more risk). Not that this is the right choice, but as an example, greyhounds match a lot of your criteria: they are very loving, often not nervous at all, and require only a small amount of exercise.

Another idea is to think of dogs in their "groups" the way the AKC does. So the entire herding group is out for you; way too high energy. Probably the same with retrievers, but what about sight hounds? Some setters and larger spaniels are super mellow.

[JustMandy]

We chose a pug because of a lot of the reasons you listed. We wanted a laid back, lazy dog who wasn't high needs. Our Bruce is a goofy guy who can take the kids' roughness and really can't have much exerciser.

I recommend going through a breed rescue. Those dogs are usually fostered and have a great history (they know who's good with kids, who barks, who needs more care etc). It can be a little pricey compared to rescues and the adoption process can be a bit...thorough. But the benefits of choosing a dog with more information is worth is.

We tried having 4 or 5 dogs and Bruce (from a pug rescue) was the only one that stuck.

[Sonata]

I agree with the breed rescue, although there can be different ways of doing it.

We just got our "foster" dog from the breeder where we bought our puppy. She always says, if anyone can't keep their dogs, they can always come back to her, and sometimes she also has show dogs that don't show well and are ready to be pets. So I'm on her email list, and she sends out notices when she gets adult dogs in, what they are like, what kind of home they need, etc. From her, the adults are free. And, they can always go back if they don't work out, no judgement..... this boy is on trial for us, to see if he will adapt to a busy, kid-y household. He's doing great -- you would not have guessed it from what he was acting like when we first got him!!!

[Tandem mama]

I have a friend who got greyhounds from a rescue that had them meet in the dogs foster home, then in a neutral place, then in their home. Then they did a weekend visit so they could sort of test the waters

[SilverMoon]

When I was looking for the right kind of dog for us I used a couple books. The first one I don't remember the name, but it had a chapter on each of the AKC breeds as well as the nitty gritty details we need to know like how much it eats in a week, grooming needs, adult size/weight, temperament, watch-dog vs guard dog, family dog vs 1-person dog, etc. It was phenomenal and helped me narrow down the kind of dog I wanted.
Then, because I couldn't afford a pure-bred, I read Brian Kilcommon's book, Mutts. (http://www.amazon.com/Mutts-Americas-Dogs-Brian-Kilcommons/dp/0446519499) It went through many possible mixes and what you could expect

My best friend has a little dog mix: poodle/cairn terrier. He looks like an Ewok, is a sturdy little guy, and is able to play and tumble with their other dogs (a yellow lab and a Great Pyreneese/mix) without problems. She's had Frankie since her youngest was around 3 (I think?).

[Sonata]

I second using books like that.

How about a corgi? I've known a couple of them who were GREAT family dogs. Definitely sturdy. I don't know about exercise level, but I don't think it's that high. Unless being smart is a deal-killer for you:giggle...

[SilverMoon]

Ooh, Corgi! :melting

[Tandem mama]

I don't mind smart dogs.

[SnowWhite]

I recommend going through a breed rescue. Those dogs are usually fostered and have a great history (they know who's good with kids, who barks, who needs more care etc). It can be a little pricey compared to rescues and the adoption process can be a bit...thorough. But the benefits of choosing a dog with more information is worth is.

We tried having 4 or 5 dogs and Bruce (from a pug rescue) was the only one that stuck.

I want to send this!!! All 3 of my dogs are from the breed rescue. And, I used to volunteer and foster with them, before my kids. Adopting an older dog from a breeder is a great idea too. You know so much about the dog's temperament with their options. And, with the reputable breeder option, you know that the dog is well bred, well cared for, and probably already trained. :)