what is best dog for us

[bass_n_bob]

We lost our two dogs to old age in the past 3 years. Our yellow lab was my best friend in the whole world and our rescue dog helped change my life. Now we are both retired and are looking to get a smaller dog - maybe. DW likes the King Charles Spaniel but I'm concerned about separation anxiety and yipping when we leave the camper. A smaller dog would probably be best for us at this time. Appreciate your thoughts.
THX

[Crowe]

Please adopt from a reputable rescue rather than buy.

And I will respectfully request once again that the bullying to adopt a dog be stopped.

OP, take whatever route you are comfortable with but PLEASE investigate any breeder thoroughly, ensure they are reputable and the dog is not coming from a puppy mill.

[xteacher]

I agree with picking a breed on the smaller side. We board our boxer when we go camping (he's too big for our tiny camper, and he's large dog aggressive on leash), but we take our two little dogs with us (7 and 11 lb.). A dog 20 lb. or less would be my preference. Please adopt from a reputable rescue rather than buy.

[OutdoorPhotogra]

I'm going to add another opinion to consider shih tzu. It wasn't my choice but we were given a shih tzu three years ago and he has been a great dog. Not as trainable as our boxer but obviously way more calm. He rarely barks, likes attention but isn't needy, Will play fetch with a toy for a five minutes before he gets bored.

[MFinCA]

gmw photos wrote:
For me, I wanted a "clean" dog that does not have doggy odor, and one with a lot of personality. I have a Schipperke, and she is a perfect fit for me. A great travel dog, she loves to go in "her" camper. Again, " for me" I would not consider any other breed.

Austin is the 3rd schipperke we have had as a family member and each one has loved to RV. He sits in the TT and watches out the window when we are camping. They do shed a lot twice a year, but no beauty salon treatment for him.

[gmw_photos]

For me, I wanted a "clean" dog that does not have doggy odor, and one with a lot of personality. I have a Schipperke, and she is a perfect fit for me. A great travel dog, she loves to go in "her" camper. Again, " for me" I would not consider any other breed.

[colliehauler]

You can go to Petfinder.com and see pictures of thousands of dogs that need a home. You can find any breed you want.

[Code2High]

[Pawz4me]

bass n bob wrote:
To answer the questions from Pawz4me- probably prefer under 25 lbs so the dog can be carried on an airplane. Shedding - less is better. Grooming would be professional. Exercise - walks and retrieving a ball. Calm is a must. Yes we have young children around.

I think the Boston Terrier suggestion is a good one for your situation. They do shed a bit, but it's not horrible. Havanese or Bichons would also probably be a good fit.

Also consider Shih Tzus. They tend to be calm and laid back, and most sources list them as the least barky of the small dogs. We have one (obtained from a top breeder) and he only barks when he plays, and not often even then.

I would avoid herding breeds. IME they often don't do well around young children. They tend to want to herd them, which often involves nipping at heels.

[Mr__Camper]

We've only ever had rescue dogs. Get them used to your routine at home. I used a digital recorder at home to record any anxiety by them from quick trips to long ones when we couldn't take them. Just like you have to socialize a new dog to the family you have to get them ready to go for rides, camping trips and anything else that comes up. Tipper and Polar have passed but they still travel with us. We take the urns with their photo on the front with us. When we put the RV in the driveway Pasha and Ginger pick some, actually all, of their toys by the door to take with them. We also leave music on when we have to go somewhere when they can't go and found out that they like soothing music (no vocals) on and they stay quiet.

[Crowe]

To answer the questions from Pawz4me- probably prefer under 25 lbs so the dog can be carried on an airplane. Shedding - less is better.

Look at a Havanese.

[dspencer]

We are very partial to the Boston Terrier breed. We have 4 of them and they are a great dog, very smart and good temperament. We love the breed.

Like others has said by all means rescue don't shop. We rescued 2 of ours and they are the best. We take 2 of them camping one of the 2 camping dogs is a rescue and he is a great little camper. While camping they never ever bark and ours never pay any attention to other dogs.

[Deb_and_Ed_M]

I'm kind of partial to the herding breeds - they are super-smart, but also high-energy. They also tend to stick around - if someone leaves the gate open, the worst thing my dogs will do is wander around to the opposite door to see if anyone is there? My current 2 dogs are Aussie-poos - the poodle cross tends to slow them down a bit and makes them friendlier.

But 2 smaller breeds that I've learned to love: Bichons and Shih Tzus. They seem friendly, intelligent, and loveable. Great companion dogs!

If you go the rescue route - if you're not well-versed on dog conformation or traits, take a friend who is. Because I've seen WAY too many rescues who are labeled as some pretty improbable mixes - and any idiot can see that they're pitbull crosses. I'm not saying that pits can't be great dogs - but there's extra liability that comes with owning a bully-breed. You might not be welcome in some RV parks; or your homeowner's insurance might not cover you?

[bass_n_bob]

thanks for all the responses. One of our last 2 dogs was a rescue dog. I would love to find one that would work for us and have tried. Most of the dogs in kennels here are pit bulls or pit bull mixes. Can't go for that.
To answer the questions from Pawz4me- probably prefer under 25 lbs so the dog can be carried on an airplane. Shedding - less is better. Grooming would be professional. Exercise - walks and retrieving a ball. Calm is a must. Yes we have young children around.
THX

[NAUTIQUE]

I've always been a big dog guy!
My old buddies were a Shepard/Husky mix in the 80+lb range & then a Springer, that I thought would be a medium size dog, but turned out to be the "moose" of the litter at about 70lbs.

After losing the Springer a couple years ago, I finally talked the wife into getting another dog.
We too wanted to go the smaller route and we were going to get a mini-Aussie, but a special situation arose and we adopted a 8 month old mini-Dachshund.
While I originally had no interest in the Dachsies, after a couple months I'm now converted! :B

What characters these little guys are! And sooo smart!
He was house-broken pretty quick (a little stubborn!) and rings the doggie-door-bell to go out now.
As far as barking it's all about training. First taught him to "speak" & then rolled that into "shush".
Great little pups!