[TNoldman]

Thank you for the comments so far. We definitely want a small dog and will look for a “rescue” situation. Protection is not an issue as we are generally well armed. A dog to bark at potential problems is good. We are not looking to raise the next dog from a pup.

Thanks. keep those breed suggestions coming! How about Chugs or Shih Tzu’s?

[NonLinear]

Pomeranian.

We have our 2nd and 3rd ones now. All three have been great dogs. Very smart, very aware, very loving. Nothing can sneak up on us either.

[Nickname]

Cavalier King Charles Spaniels are supposedly nice, small-breed dogs.

[atomic_dog]

For your consideration:

1.) Rat Terrier - fiercely loyal and will accept more than one master. Often and accurately described as a "Jack Russel Terrier with an off switch." Goes after vermin like a guided missile.

2.)Schnauzer-Poodle (Schnoodle) Mix - We were not thinking of one but took her in to save her from the pound and have never regretted doing so. Best dog I have ever seen with small children - takes childish mistreatment with a lick and comes back for more. Does not shed but needs to be clipped 2x a year. Smart, affectionate and easily trained - *NEVER* goes in the house.

[43north]

We have a little rescue female Shih-Tzu/Bichon cross. I call her Shih-Tzu for brains because at age two she is still having “accidents” in the house. She’s very loving and has daily rasslin’ matches with our Maine coon cat. We also have a pure bred male Bichon (also a rescue) who is wonderfully smart but he cocks his leg on everything. Neither of these guys shed but they do need professional grooming about every 6-8 weeks.

In addition to those two we have a 12 year old male black lab and a 9 year old female yellow lab (also rescues). They are pretty low maintenance but they shed like crazy. Next big dog will be a Labra- or Golden Doodle. All of the personality w/o the shedding.

[sheana]

We have a Boston Terrier mutt we adopted. Great dog. shes not high energy which is nice since she lives with 2 old people. She is perfectly happy to take a 2 hr nap next to me.
Daughter has 2 shih tzus. They’re not bad dogs but I did notice that the first one got better after they got the 2nd one. Til then she was just a pita.

[AnAmericanMother]

Look at the Boykin Spaniel. South Carolina state dog. Most are 25-30 pounds, though there's a good deal of variation and you can get them larger or smaller. They were not AKC registered until quite recently - you want one that's registered on the "Blue Pages" with the Boykin Spaniel Society.

History of the Boykin Spaniel

Have less of a "spaniel" personality than most spaniels, but still soft and biddable -- but they are not a frou-frou dog. Excellent hunters and retrievers.

You need to be careful about the breeder - I can recommend a good one.