The world’s smallest dog breed might be tiny in size, but it’s a popular dog breed that can make an ideal family pet.

This dog breed comes in two types - smooth coat and long coat.

Chihuahua - The Lively and Affectionate Companion

The Chihuahua is a playful, lively, and affectionate dog that requires minimal exercise.

Some dog trainers do not recommend the Chihuahua for families with small children and, as with any dog, children should be supervised and not left alone with a Chihuahua.

They make ideal city dogs and adapt well to apartments and condos and can be litter-box trained, if necessary.

Their small size also makes them an ideal pet to dress up in dog clothes and carry in a stylish dog carrier.

Smooth coated Chihuahuas require little grooming, while the long coats need more regular, although moderate, grooming - about once a week.

Chihuahua Training

The Chihuahua can be protective of its owner and its tiny body can pack a punch if it nips or bites. It can be aggressive and intimidating - especially towards strangers - unless properly trained and socialized.

These dog behavior problems can usually be corrected with Chihuahua Training to which this breed responds well.

Life expectancy ranges from 12 to 18 years and the Chihuahua is prone to several health problems including knee, eye, and heart problems.

Interestingly, the Pet Insurance division of a United Kingdom insurance company recently revealed the results of a survey that indicated that the Chihuahua was one of the most expensive dogs to keep over its average lifespan of 13 years when taking into account food, grooming, boarding, veterinary bills, dog clothing, dog beds, and dog accessories.

Buy from a reputable breeder and check for health concerns.

Since veterinarian fees can be very expensive for any dog and your dog’s health is always important, consider getting a free quote on dog and pet health insurance for your Chihuahua.

Companionability, adaptability to city living, and attentiveness are a plus. Over- protectiveness and potential health problems could be a minus.

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What Dog Breed Is Best For Me

To make it easier for you to find information on the different dog breeds when you’re asking yourself, “What Is The Right Dog For Me?” I’ve created a separate page entitled What Dog Breed Is Best For Me which lists all the dog breeds discussed in this series.

If you’re getting a new puppy or dog, don’t forget to request my two FREE Guides - Cool, Clever, Popular Puppy and Dog Names and The Puppy and Dog Owner’s Guide To Potty Training and Housetraining.

In our continuing series, “What Dog Breed Is Best For Me?” we’ll talk about another small dog breed that is bright, responds well to training, and makes a wonderful companion.

Maltese - The Companionable Small Dog

The beautiful, non-shedding white coat of the Maltese - which needs daily grooming - is its distinguishing characteristic and is good news for dog allergy sufferers who want a wonderful dog as a close companion.

But it’s not only its gorgeous coat that sets the Maltese apart from other dog breeds. It is the Maltese’s good natured temperament, intelligence, and playfulness that make it a good choice as a family pet (even though it displays a reserved attitude towards strangers.)

The Maltese is a small dog breed that can adapt to small or large living situations. It fits in well with apartment or condo-style living as well as large houses in the city or country. It has minimal exercise requirements although, like any dog, responds well to regular exercise.

This dog breed can be housetrained and paper trained.

What distinguishes the Maltese from many other dog breeds is its need to be with its owner. This breed is definitely not suitable for those with a busy lifestyle who are rarely home or who don’t have time to give their Maltese time and attention.

Maltese House Training and Dog Obedience Training

Like all dogs, the Maltese responds very positively to housetraining and positive dog behavior training. (Don’t forget to sign up for The Puppy and Dog Owner’s Guide To Potty Training and Housetraining. And check out my list of Cool and Popular Puppy and Dog Names.)

It can have a tendency to bark a lot which could become a dog behavior problem if not properly trained.

The Maltese has a life expectancy of approximately 13 years and potential health problems include teeth and gum problems, kneecap dislocation, eye and hearing problems.

Good temperament, easy to train, and non-shedding coat are a plus. Daily grooming, potential health problems, and need for companionship could be a minus.

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Here are two more things you should consider when asking the question, “What Dog Breed Is Best For Me?”

1. Dog Breed Traits

Do you want a dog that has a high, medium, or low energy level?

Consider your own energy level. Do you like going for long walks and are you active outdoors year round? If so, a dog that likes lots of exercise might be a good fit.

A Border Collie is very active and needs a lot of exercise. The Golden Retriever is an active dog, too. A Maltese or a Chihuahua, on the other hand, are less active.

The higher your dog’s energy level, the more you have to ensure it gets lots of exercise and is kept busy otherwise it will get bored and could develop dog behavior problems.

2. Dog Training

Not only is it helpful to know how quickly a dog will respond to training, you should ask yourself how much time you want to devote to training.

Also consider whether you have the patience for training a puppy or dog, especially if it has dog behavior problems like chewing or barking.

The Golden Retriever, responds well to Golden Retriever Training and is easy to train.

The Chihuahua and Pekingese, are two dog breeds that train quickly.

Some dog breeds, like the Bichon Frise, take a little longer to train because it doesn’t take much to distract them.

If you have an adorable Bichon Frise, take a look at Bichon Frise Training for specialized training of this breed.

Also keep in mind your own time constraints. If your day is busy and you don’t have much spare time, you don’t want a puppy or dog that takes a lot of time and attention to train.

In the next part of the series, “What Dog Breed Is Best For Me” I’ll discuss another dog breed which might make a good pet for you.

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In part two of my series, “What Dog Breed Is Best For Me”
I discussed the Golden Labrador, an amiable family dog.

In this article, I’ll talk about a toy dog, the Bichon Frise.

Bichon Frise - The Lively Toy Dog

Cute and fluffy are the first things that come to mind when you see a Bichon Frise because of its small size and gorgeous white coat. If that’s not enough to fall in love with, then its affectionate personality will win you over.

The Bichon Frise is another good family pet that likes to be involved in family activities.

It’s a happy, lively, extroverted, sometimes noisy toy dog breed that demands lots of attention, likes to be the center of attention, and gets along well with people and other pets.

The Bichon Frise is a higher maintenance breed than some other dog breeds and needs frequent grooming. Its beautiful white silky coat, which is its distinguishing characteristic, needs regular attention with brushing, combing, and bathing to maintain its color and natural curliness. And a trip to the pet groomer or home clipping is required at least every several weeks, if not more frequently.

Because of its size and temperament, the Bichon Frise makes an ideal pet for a wide range of living situations - from small living quarters, such as an apartment or condo, to a house.

The Bichon Frise is a high energy dog that responds well to frequent exercise. Although regular exercise is recommended for most - if not all - dogs, the Bichon Frise can adapt to a less intense exercise schedule.

The Bichon Frise has a life span ranging from 12 - 15 years (slightly longer than that of the Golden Retriever). It’s a pretty hardy breed although it’s prone to heart and eye problems and hip malformation.

Bichon Frise Dog Obedience Training

The Bichon Frise is very intelligent. Because of its lively personality it’s slower to housetrain but does respond well to dog obedience training.

Temperament, intelligence, adaptability, and trainability are a plus. Grooming and need for lots of attention could be a minus depending upon your budget and schedule.

As always, do your due diligence before buying or getting a puppy or dog and buy from a reputable dog breeder.

My List of Cool, Clever, Popular, Unique Puppy and Dog Names has many suggestions for naming a Bichon Frise puppy or dog.

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In my first part of the “What Dog Breed Is Best For Me” series, I provided you with a number of things to consider when you ask yourself what the best breed of dog is for you.

In this segment and future segments, I’ll give you general information about dog breeds for you to consider as well as information about some of the best family dog breeds.

Selecting a dog breed that is best for you is a personal choice based on a number of considerations some of which we discussed in What Dog Breed Is Best For Me - Part I.

It’s also recommended you do any necessary due diligence about a specific dog or dog breed you are considering before buying or getting a puppy or dog.

Golden Retriever - The Amiable Family Dog

The Golden Retriever has a lot going for it as a family pet and amiable companion.

With its gentle disposition and friendly, outgoing attitude it makes a wonderful dog for a family.

The Golden Retriever is a rambunctious large dog with an easy-going temperament who needs a lot of exercise (year round) and room to run around to burn off energy. It’s the perfect dog if you like to go for long walks every day.

It’s a sociable dog, willing to please, and good with children (although you should always keep an eye on young children around any dog). It’s the type of dog that needs to be included in your family activities. That means that if you’re going somewhere, it will want to go with you.

The Goldie needs regular grooming - its coat picks up soil, mud, twigs, and other debris from the outdoors. A word of caution if you have allergies - it will leave hair on your clothes and carpet since it sheds quite a lot.

Golden Retriever Training

The Golden Retriever is intelligent, learns quickly, and responds very well to Golden Retriever obedience training which should be started early. It gets along well with other pets and has few dog behavior problems.

The Goldie has a life span ranging from 10-13 years so your children will have a loyal, playful, and affectionate companion for many years. It’s prone to hip malformation (known as hip dysplasia in dogs), cataracts (common problem with this breed), skin allergies, and other ailments which will result in veterinarian bills.

Temperament, intelligence, and trainability are a plus. Shedding (if you have dog allergies) and potential medical issues are a minus. Buy from a reputable breeder to ensure a good temperament and check for hip and eye problems.

My FREE List of Cool, Popular, Unique Puppy and Dog Names will give you ideas on what to name your Golden Retriever.

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If you’re considering getting a puppy or dog, then you’re probably asking yourself, “What dog breed is best for me?”

In this three part series, we’ll discuss how to determine what is the best breed of dog for you as well as the best family dog breeds.

In determining what the best dog breed is for you, here are 7 things to consider:

(1) What is your schedule like?

Do you have the time to devote to your puppy or dog for exercise and dog obedience training?

Remember also, dogs are very sociable and they need human interaction. So it’s important that you’re around your dog quite a lot - particularly when you first bring it home.

Also keep in mind that puppies will need lots of bathroom breaks in the beginning.

So it’s wise to be around to train it to “go” outside otherwise you’ll be investing in a lot of dog urine removers .

(2) Does your household already have other pets?

If your household has other pets, will a new puppy or dog fit in well with them?

(3) What is your budget?

A new puppy or dog requires care which costs money.

You’ll have to provide shelter, food, medical attention, and grooming.

Do you have the budget to cover those costs, especially if you had an expensive veterinarian bill from an emergency?

(4) What are your living arrangements?

Do you live alone, with your spouse or partner, with roommates, or with your family?

Do you live in a house, a condo, a townhouse, or an apartment?

If you’re allowed to have pets in your condo, townhouse, or apartment, are there any restrictions on the size of dog you can have? Small dogs are usually a better choice for a condo or an apartment.

(5) Are you an outdoors type of person?

Dogs need exercise. So consider whether you like to get out and exercise and go for walks.

(6) What’s your personality like?

Puppies and dogs require housetraining and dog behavior training.

That means you have to have patience, compassion, and good judgment.

7. What age are your children, if you’re considering a puppy or dog for your children? Some dogs are good with children. Others aren’t. And some dog breeds tolerate smaller children better.

Here are some other considerations as you ask yourself, “What dog breed is best for me.”

1. Do you have a preference for a toy, small, or large dog?
2. Are you looking for a dog that is a loyal, loving house companion or do you want a watchdog?
3. Are you looking for a dog that doesn’t require a lot of professional grooming?
4. Are you looking for a dog that interacts well with children of all ages?
5. Are you looking for a dog that barks a lot or only occasionally?
6. Are you looking for a dog that is good natured and has a gentle temperament?
7. Are you looking for a dog that trains quickly and will respond well to dog obedience training?
8. Are you looking for a dog that will live a relatively long time?
9. Are you looking for a dog that has few medical problems?
10. Do you have allergies?

As you can see, when you ask, “What dog breed is best for me?” there are a number of considerations before choosing your puppy or dog.

If you’re considering getting a puppy or dog, be sure to pick up my FREE List of Cool, Clever, Popular, Unique Puppy and Dog Names.

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