Low Maintenance Small Dog Breeds

People often ask me which dogs are the least trouble.   Here is a list of what I consider to be the most low maintenance of all the dog breeds.  

American Water Spaniel ,This is a hardy, healthy dog. It is expensive but you are paying for the great personality. It is good with children. This sturdy medium sized dog is hard to find but the expense of paying for the breed is made up by the fact that it is one of the hardiest and healthiest breeds that exists. This makes it a good investment. It is smaller so it can live in an apartment. The breed is good with dogs, cats and children but it does require vigorous exercise to work off excess energy.

Bedlington Terrier -This unusual looking dog is considered to be brighter and calmer than most terrier breeds. It is of a small to medium size that makes it ideal for an apartment or condo dweller. It is also a good family dog because it can be so easily trained. It also sheds less hair than many other types of dogs.

Bichon Frise -This small but sturdy little dog is similar to a toy dog but it is much stronger and sturdier.   It is friendly with both other pets and peopleIts short gnarly coat never sheds so it is one of the better breeds for allergy sufferers. It does not tend to incessantly yap as much as other small watchdogs.

Brussels Griffon -This unique toy breed is stronger and sturdier than most tiny dogs. The dog resembles a tiny terrier. It is a spunky eager little dog that is easy to train and keenly intelligent. He is easy to carry and does not need a lot of exercise.

Cesky TerrierThis friendly little dog is long bodied and short legged. It has a silky coat that doesn’t shed much. It does not need much exercise and has a relaxed and positive attitude towards family members and other pets.This uncommon breed suits both rural and urban situations but is happiest when other pets and people are around.

Coton de Tulear -This strong, small dog is one of the hardiest of the toy breeds. It has a long soft coat that doesn’t shed so it is ideal for allergy sufferers. It is not as timid and shaky as other toy breeds and is polite with people and other animals.The Coton de Tulear is one of the better investments, as it is a very healthy breed. It also lives a long time. It is best for single people and apartment dwellers as its small size can easily make it the victim of thoughtless children or larger pets.This massive dog has a short easy to maintain coat and is calm and quiet indoors. Despite its size it needs only moderate exercise.It is one of the most good-natured of the larger dogs and makes an excellent watchdog and personal guardian.It is best suited to owners without families who need a large quiet dog to protect them.

Low Chen -This small elegant dog is one of the easiest to train and is very healthy and long-lived. He has a fun but also sensible personality that makes him ideal to take anywhere. He is very polite with other animals and strangers. This friendly little dog doesn’t need a lot of exercise and is ideal for apartment dwellers. The fact that it is so easily trained also makes it an ideal family pet and an easier pet to take with you on the road if your lifestyle involves a lot of travel.  

Dog Companionship Issues

Getting a dog for companionship seems like a great reason to own a dog and many canines do live up to their reputation as being ,man’s best friend,.   However it is important to realize that dogs are not a substitute for human companionship.   Many people spoil a dog to death or lose control over its training because they start projecting the qualities of a human on the animal’s personality.    Mistaking a dog for being a human is the number one reason why pets end up being overweight, overly dominant or submissive and aggressive to strangers. They are fed human food, encouraged to sleep on beds just like human children and never chastised as puppies for biting, nipping and growling.   An unhealthy emotional reliance on your pet can also lead to all kinds of behavioral and psychological problems for your dog such as possessiveness, submissive urination and separation anxiety.   It is also not good for you to develop a codependency with your pet. You may develop anger or resentment issues over a dog that you can’t control or take misbehavior personally.  Although it is a great idea to think of your pet as one of the family, he should not become the master of your domain.   To make sure that your dog is psychologically healthy and well behaved be prepared to withhold your tendencies to coddle him or her as a puppy. This includes denying the puppy food when he leaps up at the table and being too enthusiastic when greeting him or her when you come home.    An inability to establish healthy boundaries between you, the human and your dog, the pet can lead to problems that are so serious that the dog has to be put down. At the very least a dog that is treated like a human may have to take obedience lessons so that he treats humans with respect  Sometimes you can acquire a pet so that other pets in your home will not be lonely. . This is a fantastic idea. Just keep in mind that your costs of owning a pet will be double , including food and veterinarian bills.  Of course it is important to choose dogs that are peaceful and make easy friends with other dogs. It would be a bad idea to combine a Yorkshire Terrier with a Rotweiller for example, as the Rottie may perceive it as food. You are much better off to pair that Yorkie with a Dachshund who is very sociable with other animals.   However just because an animal is small does not mean it is more sociable.   Jack Russell Terriers have been known to kill other pets simply because they are jealous of the attention they are getting from the owner.  Whether you are getting a dog because you feel that you need companionship or because you feel like your other pets do the key to success is balance. Keep your expectations realistic and don’t try to turn your dog into your boyfriend or expect a dog that chases cats to become your kitty’s best buddy.