Well, I'm with Karen -- let's all play nicely. One breed I haven't seen mentioned is the Maltese. It is a lovely small dog with quite a bit of coat, BUT, it sounds as though Grandma wouldn't necessarily have a problem with that and sometimes grooming a dog can be very relaxing for the dog and the groomer. They are very small, not much larger than the Chihuahua and very bright doggies. They are great lap dogs and not as prissy as they appear at the shows.

P.S. My mother, who breeds and shows Border Terriers is 72 and it keeps her quite active and going strong. She has a few health problems (arthritis and such), but working with the dogs (she has 4) and doing the grooming and showing makes her seem much younger. She even does flyball and agility with the terriers! By the way, she didn't even get into showing dogs until she was in her 50's and started with Vizslas. When she decided they were too big to handle easily, she opted for the Borders.

The key to any breed being a good companion is training and socialization and consistency. I hope your grandmother finds what she wants, HowieDawn. Let us know.

[This message has been edited by ktreva52 (edited December 11, 2000).]