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The 2 dogs I have had in my life that I can remember well is Sparky a "little" 135 lb mutt I had as a child. And Shaianne is my present 77lb lard butt greyhound!!!
If I got a small dog it would be a
-corgi
or
-black or red cocker spaniel
or
-black pug
or
-maltese (they are very sweet)
I have never had a small dog...but intend to get an Alaskan Klee Kai sometime in the next few years.
As far as the lifetime trend of dog sizes issue, I had an Akita when I was young. (I was 5 or 6 years old when we had to rehome her, my dad got laid off, and my mom didn't work, and there were 5 of us kids...we couldn't afford to keep her...we were barely able to afford to feed the humans!)
That was the only time I had a dog in my childhood...she was a big dog. We always had cats after that. When I got married, about 2 years ago, my husband had a 5 year old huge GSD, Scarf (who we still have...only he's 7 now)...he weighs 120lbs in the winter, and slims down to about 105 in the heat of the summer. In the next 14 months, we aquired 2 more puppies, a male GSD Chewey, whose grown into a 90 lb dog, and Pharlap, our husky/GSD/Malamute mix (DOTD June 13, 2000), who is now pushing the 100lb mark, and is only 1 year old!
So, I guess I've 'always' owned BIG dogs, but as you can see, most of my dog 'ownership' has just been in the past 2 years. But mine have definitely given me a good crash course in dealing with dogs. (and transforming my backyard into a military compound).....
My husband on the other hand, has had dogs all of his life...of varying sizes...the smallest I think being a cocker spaniel though...nothing VERY small.
My parents, after I moved out, got a dachshund, and got into dachsie rescue...and now have FIVE... They are sweet, but not my thing. (Although, Harley, one of their fosters, has my heart...he has distemper tremors, and shakes all the time...I'd love to give him a forever home, but Scott isn't keen on the idea, AT ALL, since Harley likes to mark all of his territory, INDOORS!!...)
In general, I like the size of small dogs...much easier to walk them without being pulled over, dragged across and asphalt street, through a ditch, and into somebody's raked pile of autumn leaves, and losing a shoe in the process...(yes, that has happened to me...the first time I ever tried to walk Scarf...I have since learned the blessings of a Halti collar!)
But, the personality of most little dogs I've met is not what I would look for in a companion animal for myself. But after I discovered the Klee Kai...I'm in love!! Tiny dogs, with the personality of a husky!! So, Klee Kai is on my wishlist for when I get a little dog!
:eek: :p
[ August 28, 2001: Message edited by: Ewoodward ]
[ August 28, 2001: Message edited by: Ewoodward ]
Speaking of small dogs...this past weekend at the performance group Graham and I belong to, there was a special treat...someone in the group whom I had never met before has a rare breed called the mini australian shepherd. She was the cutest little thing, not much bigger then a pomeranian. She was a tri, and her little docked bottom was cute, kinda funny looking too. Is anyone familiar with this breed? I had heard of them but had only seen one once at a rare breed show many, many years ago...and I never got a chance to see the dog really run since it was a conformation dog. This weekend I was able to see what the little mini aussie could do on the agility course. She FLEW! She had a super temperment, too.
mt favorite dog is min pin and I have a minpin