Which Puppy Breed Should We Get?
Filed under Care & Training Q&As
We have narrowed it down between:
A chihuahua, an italian greyhound, and a papillon.
We have done extensive research on all three breeds. We know that chihuahuas and papillons can be yappy and that italian greyhounds can be difficult to housebreak, but also know that both can be overcome with the proper socialization and training.
We live in an apartment, however it is on the first floor with a walkout patio. We do live in a location with cold winters.
We are not enthusiastic about paper training/litter box training and would prefer to do the outside method. However, we are open to it.
What would you reccomend?
Related Papillon Training & Care posts:
I would recommend a dachshund, they are cute, lovable, and not very barky when you train the properly. They aren’t a hassle, and are easy to potty train them when you use the proper training and method. Sachshunds are also very palyful and can keep you company, and especially love to go on walks and are very easy to get along with. Good luck finding a dog!
I would go with the Papillon, with it’s longer hair, it’ll be better suited to the winters than the other shorter haired breeds.
Paper training/litter box training are a thing of the past, if you consider the better method of training…http://www.dog-names-and-more.com/Crate-…
It would be easier to do with a smaller breed.
Hope This Helps
I LOVE my Italian Greyhound.
I would not trade him for ANYTHING.
If you have researched the breed and fully understand the negatives, go for it!!!
Just a word of advice, start from day 1 with going potty outside. Paper/litter training will just teach him that going inside is “OK”.
I agree with Singer and would have a dacshund way before the other yappy nippy three. They are sturdy, friendly and have a delightful nature. My mothers partner has a male black and tan and he is fantastic with kids, affectionate and clever. Check them out before making any decisions. Good luck
Training a dog is probably a lot easier than trying to make it stop barking. I would go for the greyhound for your neighbors’ sake since you live in an apartment and they might start complaining about the noise of yappy dogs.
i would say chihuahua just because they are so tiny and wouldnt take up too much space and wouldnt do as much damage. all little dogs are Really hyper and nippy though( i have a yorkie) maybe the bigger of the dogd would be more gentle and mellow as they age
All of those dogs are high maintenance. I’d suggest a chihuahua, only because I have one, but they’re really stubborn and REALLY hard to housebreak. I’ve had mine since june and she’s STILL not housebroken AND she’s a year old.
Chihuahuas are too protective and small,Italian Greyhounds are to skittish , A Papillon is just right , except a little yappy and grooming can be a handful.
i think a papillon because they have long fur and Chihuahuas have short hair and so do greyhounds and you said you have cold winters
i would say a chihuahua because they won’t take up a lot of space
They are all small dogs, so apartment life would be okay for any of the three. However, the Greyhound and the Chihuahua would get colder faster than the Papillon would based on the thicker coat of the Papillon.
And that’s good that you are considering all those things, but it is very important to think about the temperament of the dog as an adult. There are so many families who love a particular breed when it’s a puppy and find it “oh so cute” but when it grows they want to give it away because they realize that the dog is different than what was expected and sadly, the Internet is full of classifieds of people giving up their 2 year old dogs because “they just don’t have time for him/her” or some other excuse. Plan your choice on the adult dog that it will end up as.
I think it is most important to match the breed with the personalities of the family. When dogs are just puppies, they are usually all hyper and playful, but think about the general personality of the dog when it is an adult.
For example: If your family is active and enjoys a hyper, playful, affectionate dog then a good choice would be a Papillon.
But if your family would enjoy a quieter, calm dog, an Italian Greyhound might be the way to go.
And if your family would not mind a dog that tends to be a little anxious or nervous but still loyal and sweet (if raised properly) then a chihuahua would be a good choice.
I think it depends on what you want. I have a pap in an apartment, and it’s interesting, but it works.
Paps bark some, we’ve had no complaints though, she’s pretty quiet most the time. One of my parents’ papillons is silent- she ‘s only barked a couple times in over the year they’ve had her. The thing to realize with papillons is that they are going to be much higher energy than the other two. This is not a lapdog type dog, but a breed that needs things to do. They really are a delight though and I enjoy them so much. (We’ve had 6 over the years) They are just the most amazing dogs and so loving and funny. I enjoy them because though they are small, they don’t act it at all. They’re very very smart as well- it’s almost scary how bright they are. They seem a lot more social than other toy breeds and are just all around very good dogs to have. They need to be with people a lot of the time, they crave attention. They also need exercise and training to be good dogs.
Just fyi, though, papillons have a longer coat, but it’s still a single coat. They get cold somewhat easily too. If you keep them inside, it shouldn’t be a problem. We use a nice doggy coat for long outdoor walks in the winter.
I would go with the Papillon. They’re not that bad too deal with grooming wise. Just brush them everyday, making sure there are no mats, or tangles. It shouldn’t be too cold for a Papillon.
I advise you to go to a papillon rescue, or PETFINDER.COM, and put the breed type in there, and you might just find a Papillon that NEEDS a home.
Even if it’s not a young young puppy, you might get a half trained one, or if you’re dead set on getting a puppy, you might get lucky and find one on there!
And also, be advised, you might want to wait until after Christmas, because all of the breeders go nuts and breed their dogs, and sometimes the demand doesn’t meet the supply, and rescue groups end up with the dogs OR people buy them as gifts for people who don’t want them and they end up at rescue groups, OR people buy the dog not realizing how much work they are, “because they’re just so cute,” and they end up getting rid of them..
Chihuahuas aren’t that bad, but they’re not that social…
I’m not a fan of them..