Small Dog Breeds

Small dog breeds such as Chihuahuas, Yorkshire Terriers (Yorkies), Pekingese, Shih tzus, Maltese, and toy poodles make excellent pets.

My husband and I will soon be moving into our own home - we're currently renting a small apartment. We're both dog lovers and, unfortunately, we've been living without a dog for the past 4 years - our apartment lease forbids pets except for fish. And although we love our goldfish, they just aren't the same as having a pet dog. Have you ever tried to pet a goldfish or train him to fetch a toy?

There is a small problem though, we can't agree on the type of dog to get when we move. My husband greatly desires a big breed of dog such as Golden Retriever, German Shepherd or Labrador. But I've always preferred the small dogs such as Chihuahuas, Yorkshire Terriers and Maltese.

My sister has two Chihuahuas and I think they're ideal. They're perfectly content to sit in your lap while you're watching television and they love to be carried around like a baby doll - and they don't weigh much more than a baby doll. My family had a Yorkshire Terrier (Yorkie) when I was growing up and I absolutely adored her. She was the ideal size to keep indoors and wouldn't pull your arms out of their sockets when you took her for walks.

We also plan to get a cat when we move (we love cats almost as much as dogs). So I believe that a small dog wouldn't terrorize a cat as much as a large dog would. At least that's one of the arguments I'm using with my husband on why we'll be better off getting one of the small dog breeds.

Space won't be much of an issue - we'll have a fenced in yard. So we'll have plenty of room for a large dog breed, but we'll have to bring the dog inside at night. I just don't like the idea of a big dog running around all over my house and messing things up - knocking things over, dirtying up the floors, and tearing up the furniture. Don't get me wrong, I love all dogs - big and small. I just prefer a small dog.

Although getting two dogs is an option - a small dog and a large dog, we don't really want the added veterinary expense of two dogs and a cat right now. I believe we'll end up with one of the small dog breeds. When it comes to winning arguments, my husband has a lot to learn.