Poodle, clean and no allergies.
Toy Rat Terrier {Feist}. They weigh about 10 pounds or less. They look something like a Chihuahua but have a lot friendlier disposition and lack the Chihuahua nervousness. Their fast learners, very good watch dogs, and believe it or not can jump up into a vehicle.
I have had and know of several breeds of dogs. I now have a Chihuahua, fiercely loyal must be in the same room with me and will not take his eyes off me. He is social, which is unusual but grieves when I leave the house. That’s the nature of Chihuahua’s...some are shaky and barky...mine isn’t. Now incorporating the same assets as the Chihuahua, non shedding, non allergenic, is the toy Fox Terrier. I had two...both near perfect dogs...no shaky/no barky smart and easy to travel with.
Goldens of course are the BEST dog ever but! I do like Scottish Terriers and my daughter has a toy. She is smart, personality plus but needs grooming to stay cute.
Have you looked into the Havanese? from Havana, Cuba. They are smart little fluff balls. For little guys you can’t beat the toy poodle or the toy fox terrier.
Move up a little in weight and get a lightweight (breed size classification) Boston Terrier. A loving smaller dog that isn’t a wimpy purse dog.
I’m partial to mixed dogs. I had a Latza-poo growing up that was an awesome dog, Fun name too. If your looking for something smaller but smart I’d go with that. Right now the wife has a morky, which is ok, bit of a bark machine, and tends to need way too much attention, which is perfect for her. I also have a wonderful Australian Shepard / Fox Hound mix. Which I’d have to say has been my most favorite dog ever.
Good luck on your search.
We like our chihuahuas for that small animal fix. One of them is a total couch potato. He can stay in all day/night without needing to be let out. But once out, he has been holding that bladder.
The other one bounces off of the walls, very very active. He doesn’t like to be too long without being able to go outside to relieve the bladder. We have a dog door, so he has access to the outside all he needs.
They do tend to mark territory a lot more than other dogs, but pee pads might help with that if you will be away for extended periods.
When we are home, they are attached at the hip, never out of site.
Jack Russells, and any similar rat terrier make great pets, are smart, loyal, clean for the most part, and make good company.
I have an older sister who is house-bound. She is very happy with her rescue Bichon. Best of luck to you, FRiend.
Pug or Boston Terrier would be the perfect small dog.
This is going to be difficult, once you have owned a Golden other dogs do not measure up. Understand the concerns of raising a Golden puppy, but there are rescue adult Goldens out there who’s temperament maybe a better match then a puppy.
I would suggest a miniature schnauzer. Small enough for an rv (or your lap), but big enough defender personality to scare away any intruder (or give you time to get the shotgun)!! LOL They’re great dogs... I have 2 and both would defend me to their death :-) Good luck with your search.
All kidding aside, I would stick with the cats.
As far as small dogs, there seem to be many nice ones. But I would definitely look for smooth-haired types. Poodles may not shed, but they need to be groomed. Too much effort if you are traveling.
Hard to think, though. So many. Generally I would avoid small terriers because they can be a handful, but they may be the widest choices given more smooth-haired varieties.
OOoo ooo someone posted a photo! Pugs could be great, maybe?
We have two Havanese. Incredible dogs!!! We have always had labs until 7 years ago. These dogs are so smart, easy to train, and they don’t bark much or shed. My male is a better swimmer then my sister’s retriever. They are very friendly with other dogs and children. Our neighborhood has fallen in love with our dogs. There are now 9 havanese in our small neighborhood (most are related in some way). Our house is in front to the school bus stop so the children would play with our pups everyday, before and after school.
Go to the shelter.
There is a dog there for you.
That is my advice.
As much as I love my Yorkies and would not give them up for the world, if you are going to be on the road 4 months out of the year I wouldn’t get a breed with a high-maintenance coat where you would have to learn to groom and clip or find a groomer on the road. I would go with something lower maintenance such as a JRT or a rat terrier. (I can’t imagine having anything other than a terrier, I just love their spunk).
I grew up with a Dachshund and it was adorable. She put up with five children and was a total ham - showoff. She got along with everyone. She was quite spoiled. She was quite empathic. If you were sad, she was sad. The opposite was true as well. She smiled. She was smart. All the kids wanted her to sleep with them and it was as if she knew this and rotated herself each night to a different kid’s bed. She was sensitive to prayer moving to the lap of anyone praying. She traveled a lot with the family in a car, long distances. Since she chased squirrels, she had to be leashed outside the car.
We had no other animals so I don’t know if she’d get along with them or not. I think she would as long as she was not abused. She spend her wild side of life chasing squirrels she never caught. She lived to be 17. : )
I had a larger male Yorkie once. kept him short cut in puppy cut. Small dog big heart and lovable. Keep him with you, take him everywhere and introduce him to many and you wont have a yappy or diffiulct dog.
Big hearted dog in small package.
We rescued our dog from Petfinders in Utah, 7 years ago.
A very nice pet.
He is a Maltese / Shih Tzu
He looks just like this one.
http://all-puppies.com/12-shih-tzu-maltese-mix-puppies-photos.html/brown-shih-tzu-maltese-mix-puppies
We have also had a cocka-poo that was a great dog, got her from the Detroit Animal Shelter.
We rescued a Chihuahua puppy off the street about 6 years ago and I can tell you they are just great little dogs. Loyal, smart, loving, great big personalities and great watch dogs. Ours is 10lbs of cute.