There are definitely good small dogs. We have a one year old Cockalier (yes, strange name I know, but it is an actual AKC breed) who's amazing. It's half cocker spaniel, half cavalier king charles. She's adorable, a huge cuddler, and extremely smart. We have two other Goldens as well, one 6 mo. old and one 14 yr old. We had the 14 yr olds mother as well but she passed when she was 15, which was a couple years ago. Goldens are the absolute best breed, IMO. Smart, playful, loving, they don't bark excessively, great with kids, great with the elderly, easy to train, etc. They're great with other pets too, we have two cats currently as well, but we've had a rabbit and guinea pigs in the house before and they love them. Sorry for babbling, but when it comes down to it, I believe that any dog can be a great dog if owners take the time to train and nurture them. And if you do get a dog, make sure you post pics! I think the dog lovers on this board need to step up our game because these cat lovers are showing us up!
You should do a temperament test when looking at puppies, if you choose to adopt a puppy rather than an older dog (This has some good suggestions for when assessing a pup : Puppy Temperament Test). Puppies that allow you to play with their paws/roll them over, etc. without them growling are generally less aggressive and better family dogs (though as with anything in life, there can be exceptions). Also take into account what kind of dog fits your family energy wise (do you have a big backyard for exercise and want someone to go on runs with you/herd animals or do you want a lap dog that just wants to sit next to you all day and be pet? high energy vs. low energy dogs), size wise (again how big is your yard?), pack wise (is it a breed that needs a companion dog to be happy/be kept calm?) and cleaning wise (does the dog shed a lot, have long fur that needs to be groomed often, wrinkles or floppy ears that need to be cleaned routinely?).
I have a cocker spaniel(Levi). Levi is 5 years old and we've had him since he was a puppy, and he isn't potty trained. We've tried for years and sent him to obedience school and away for a week with some lady who "works magic" on dogs who aren't.. If you were thinking about getting a cocker spaniel i wouldn't recommend it for training. They're sweet dogs and love meeting new people, but they are EXTREMELY hyper and hard to train. Maybe its just from my experiences with them, because i've had two and my grandparents have had one, but they don't really calm down.. ever. haha
My family has had a shizzu for over 14 years and he has been the best dog ever! He sleeps all day and he doesn't chew on anything or cause much trouble except during storms. He's super sweet and stays at home fine alone during the weekends of we need to leave him
Plus he has separation anxiety a bit because he follows my mom EVERYWHERE. I have a feeling this is only Romeo (my little guy) because we didn't do too good (correct grammar?) of a job training him.
Oh my...One of my friends just got a 2013 BMW Z4 convertiable for her 16th birthday. First of all, how is that safe for a 16 year old, and secondly.... why would you spend that much on your teenagers first car if she already totaled your Lexus...
