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Junior Member
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Last Login: 7/20/2008 10:48:14 AM
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My boyfriend and I have been together for almost a year. We are already anticipating which pets we will have when we get our own place. We both love cats and ferrets; his problem is with dogs. He was attacked by a half-wolf when he was young, and never really got over it. As a result, most dogs are guilty until proven innocent with him; though if he does meet a family dog that is not too boisterous, he grows to like it. All the same, he prefers smaller dogs, as they present less danger. I love most breeds. My only problem with small dogs is that many of them are yappy, territorial, and just downright annoying.
So those are the first two requirements: relatively small, and calmer than most toy breeds. This makes things difficult enough.
The other day, we passed two Italian Greyhound puppies in a pet store. We thought they were the cutest things ever, and I proceeded to read up on them. The size seems appropriate enough, but the profile here doesn't really say if they are prone to barking or hyperness. If they're anything like standard Greyhounds, I'm sure they can be quite energetic. What I need to know is if they are calm when there are no provocations.
The ferret issue complicates things quite a bit. This is another reason we need a small dog: even a good-natured large dog might accidentally kill a ferret. We also need a dog that does not have the instinct to prey on such small animals. I worry that Italian Greyhounds might indeed have this instinct, but I don't know. I know standard greyhounds will chase fuzzies if they have been trained to race, but I don't know if they will otherwise.
We will probably also have a cat.
So basically, we need a small, relatively calm dog that can get along well with cats and ferrets, or at least learn to avoid the former. I do not want to have to hide my pets away from each other.
I once had a chihuahua and a cat that got along quite nicely; they'd play tag and hide-and-seek, and my cat even took to grooming the dog. I'd like to see my ferret bond just as well with my other pets.
I should say this, though: I love most animals tremendously, but small animals have a bit of an edge on me. I never imagined not having a dog, but I might sooner give up having one than I would give up a ferret.
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DogChannel.com Moderator
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| Hey there, Other members here may be able to suggest a few dog breeds that might be suitable, but I wanted to contribute my two cents.  I would say that a small dog might be less compatible with a ferret, as many small breeds were originally bred to hunt badgers or other small animals. I know my mini Dachshund goes crazy if he sees a rabbit or other small furry guy. Hope that helps!
-DogMod 
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Supreme Being
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how about a shetland sheepdog. I think they are the best! of course I do own 3 of them  my shelties have been around cats, ferrets, rabbits, hampsters. they do fine with them they would even play with the ferret. the key is early socialization the learned at a young age that the small animals were mine and not to be hurt. of course they are herding dogs so they were not bred to hunt but to herd the animals which they love to do 
 shelties rule!!!
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Supreme Being
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| Hi there First things first, make sure you go to and research reputable breeders. You should get a dog from a person with experience and genuine love for the breed they are working with. This means proper health testing, only a few litters here and there (puppies are work) and some sort of showing. My thoughts that come to mind personally are a Shih Tzu, a Pekeignese, a Hananese, a Lowchen or a Pug. Keep in mind though that the first four require some degree of grooming. Best of luck on your search!
Amy Can. Ch. Kamann's Over the Rainbow "Bo" (Miniature Poodle) Cindeross Silver Slippers "Gidget" (Miniature Poodle)
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Senior Member
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My first suggestion would be a Golden Retriever. Now they come in 2 different sizes the "normal" and the "X-Large" as I like to call it. They are one of the calmer breeds and gentle. Personally, I wouldn't suggest a little dog like a Chihuahua because they can be as vicious as a regular sized dog. I have met some big dogs for example "Great Danes" or "Boxers" who looks big and scary but really gentle. I have met little poodles that will bit you just to look at you. The best that I can tell you is look in a shelter, they have some purebreds and they are gentle and kind because most of them have been abused most of their life and they just want to be loved. I hope that gives you a little insight on my thoughts. Everyone has their own. Good luck in finding a dog!
----------- Sandy my 1 year old labrador-----------
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Supreme Being
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PudelGrl (7/9/2008)
a Shih Tzu, a Pekeignese, a Hananese, a Lowchen or a Pug. Keep in mind though that the first four require some degree of grooming. Hehehehe I'm sure you meant Havanese not Hananese.lol. But hey these sounds like great options for someone like you. Also try googling for dog quizzes that will help narrow down what kind of dogs that are suitable for you situation, then do research on those with the link that pudelgrl gave you: akc .org
-Steven______________________________________________________________________________________  
 The Best Dog I Know: Junior
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Supreme Being
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dogsRme (7/10/2008)
My first suggestion would be a Golden Retriever. Now they come in 2 different sizes the "normal" and the "X-Large" as I like to call it. They are one of the calmer breeds and gentle. Personally, I wouldn't suggest a little dog like a Chihuahua because they can be as vicious as a regular sized dog. I have met some big dogs for example "Great Danes" or "Boxers" who looks big and scary but really gentle. I have met little poodles that will bit you just to look at you. The best that I can tell you is look in a shelter, they have some purebreds and they are gentle and kind because most of them have been abused most of their life and they just want to be loved. I hope that gives you a little insight on my thoughts. Everyone has their own. Good luck in finding a dog! The key to having a non-agressive dog is both from breeding and how you raise it. I have met many agressive dogs of small sizes as well, but the key is that the owners babied them and treated them like small children. My dogs may both be less than 15 lbs, but they wouldn't hurt a fly, they key is I raised them no different than I would a large dog. As well, Goldren retrievers do not come in more than one size if you go to a reputable breeder. In most breeds, the standard states a fairly specific size, if people are advertising their dogs as "rare" and they are simply out of the breed standard, they are simply trying to trick you out of your money. And thanks for correcting the typo Junior.... every so often my "englilish" (hehehe) skills get a little wacky :-P.
Amy Can. Ch. Kamann's Over the Rainbow "Bo" (Miniature Poodle) Cindeross Silver Slippers "Gidget" (Miniature Poodle)
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