One of my friend's sister (I don't want to name her, so we'll call her Jane here) has recently moved into her own house and wants to add a dog to the family. The problem is, she's a very superficial person who chooses a dog because she thinks it's cute, and has done no actual research on any dog breeds. She recently saw a Weimaraner puppy and has now decided she wants one because she loves it's color and thinks it has a cute face. However, I know these are very active dogs who need a lot of attention and lots of training. Jane is the sort of person who wants an affectionate dog that she can cuddle, look after and pamper, but she has no interest whatsoever in training it. She also is quite active, but she and her boyfriend have jobs, so she says there might be days where she can't walk her dog. She is planning on having kids in the next few years.
I know that Weimaraners can be great family dogs, with the right amount of exercise and appropriate training. But an untrained, under-stimulated, under-exercised Weimaraner... wouldn't that be a danger to her kids (and her house and possessions)?
Personally I don't know why she's even getting a dog if she's not prepared to attend to it's needs, but she's stubborn, and I can't change her mind, neither can anyone. However she is open to a different breed choice, if we can give her valid arguments. The problem with Jane is that she is very superficial, as I said. She loves pretty things, so she wants a purebred puppy. Therefore no shelter dogs (even though I've told her that a shelter is a great place for adopting). No, for her it has to be a puppy. (She's a bit like an adult version of the child who sees a barbie in a shop window and immediately she HAS to have it).
This is going to seem really weird, but I'll write down a list of criteria that are important for her in choosing a breed:
1) She doesn't like small dogs, so medium to large in size.
2) She doesn't like dogs that bark excessively.
3) She's not interested in doing any training, so she's looking for a breed that's naturally pretty mild-mannered and not too rambunctious.
4) She likes elegant dogs (superficial, as I said), like the Weimaraner, so any sort of breed that's sleek and graceful.
5) She doesn't like longhaired dogs.
6) She needs a breed that doesn't need a lot of exercise, up to an hour a day.
7) She has two cats.
8) She and her boyfriend both work, so she needs a breed that isn't too prone to separation anxiety.
9) She has a collection of expensive shoes and designer stuff so she wants a dog that won't become too destructive.
That's about it. Any suggestions are welcome. Obviously no dog is perfect, but can you think of a breed that would do well with a person like this? I'm trying to get her interested in training, but a part from sit and down, she doesn't really care. I'm really annoyed at her, because she does not understand the commitment of owning a dog, she just wants a cute dog. I don't think she should own a dog, but since we can't change her mind, we might as well try and find a breed that's better suited to her, for her own sake, but especially for the dog's!
My friend owns a Belgian Tervueren and I have a Golden, both are very well trained and happy, so hopefully she might change her mind about training one day thanks to them
Thank you to everyone who answers!
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