what kind of DOG should i get ???

I can give you a user report on a Lhasa Apso if you like

Very loyal, very stoic, but sometimes very noisy - ie an excellent watch dog and that might not suit in an apartment situation as she is very keen to inspect and report on any noises she hears outside my house. Gets on well with cats (mine grew up with cats). I keep her clipped short because of the warm weather here but the long haired variety require much grooming.

Naturally I love her to bits

Buy this book. It's a great starting point as it lists temperment, compatibility with children, exercise and grooming needs and the like.

ASPCA Guide to Dogs

Good luck!

Oh, by all means, get a poodle! They're so darling! ANd they fit just fine in your house----and in your lap! I wouldn't have any other kind.

mmm, maybe specify that you're not recommending a standard poodle, Poodlz.

Definitely not lap size.

You're right, eBeth! I'm so bad about details, you know? I meant a toy poodle!

This website may be helpful. It enables you to choose a dog based on many parameters:

http://www.petnet.com.au/dogs/dogselectapet.html

This is one of the dogs that the site chose for me, based on my answers:

http://www.petnet.com.au/dogs/D190.html

It is the breed that I had as a kid, and one of the breeds that I love!

This website gets a little more involved in a dog's personality traits.

http://www.glowdog.com/bestdog/

Again, the good old Boston Terrier came up mear the top for me!

Hmmm, corgis seem to have a blank for trainablility! (Heh)

Consider a mature dog from the local animal shelter. Four out of five adult dogs never find homes and are put to sleep.

Pacco barks in agreement.

Er, but don't get a corgi for an apartment...

Greyhound....definitely a Greyhound.

Calm, quiet, elegant and wonderful temperament. Just like me.

A normal day for a Greyhound would be wake, walk (long or short walk, it doesnt mind) eat, sleep, sleep, sleep, wake, walk, eat, sleep.....

I have heard the Greyhound described as a "40mph Couch Potato", and that is about right.

About the most serene dog that I have ever encountered.

Get a rescue dog, or get a dog from an humane society shelter. Rescue dogs can be difficult, as they came from abusive homes or homes in which they were neglected. But dogs which have been abandoned at animal shelters can be perfectly good companions. Most reputable shelters will let you "test drive" the dog by taking them out for brief periods and then returning them to the shelter.

Rescue dogs and shelter dogs need homes as much as, if not more than, dogs from "puppy farms." In the long run, shelter dogs can prove to be much better companions than the puppies from the farms which inbreed their animals to provide the latest stylish mutt to the vain would-be dog owner. If you get a dog, it's not about whether or not they are a popular breed, it's about the relationship of love and loyalty between you and the animal. Help out an animal who needs your help.

It was the other way round with me, Set. My dog helped ME out!
Long hospitalisation and recovery led to me getting into a semi vegetative state at home. My old dog had died about a year before, and my wife decided it was a good time for me to have another friend.

We went to a Rescue, and saw many dogs that were yapping or excitable.
Now, normally I would have taken such a dog, as I would have felt the urge to turn its life around and make it a happy secure member of the family, as I had with my previous two.
But this time, I was only about 50% recovered, and we looked for something a bit quieter.
This scrawny mutt of a greyhound came across to us, wagging its tail and licking my hand through the fence. It immediately leant against the fence, and enjoyed a quiet fuss from us for a few minutes.
SHE chose US !! I'm positive of that, and we have been inseperable for a few years now.
Speaking to other owners of "retired" Greyhounds, she is nothing out of the ordinary, and she certainly helped me through my recovery, by forcing me to get out of the house on gentle Country walks.
In return, we have "fed her up" (stick thin, when we got her, no muscle on the legs at all, and spine clearly showing) and spoilt her rotten.

.
(typical pose.....yes, she HAS taken over the two seater Couch)

She is a beauty, for sure! But goodness, she'd NEVER fit in my little ole lap, LOL! And she probably doesn't like to cuddle. And yes, isn't it wonderful the way a dog can help heal? It would be such FUN to train seeing-eye dogs!

Funny Phoenix - I got the Boston Terrier as a choice also. Also funny or perhaps very good is that I got this dog too. http://www.petnet.com.au/dogs/D169.html

My husband and I were actually considering getting this breed in a few years. At least we know what breed should work with our family.

The odd thing is the glowdog rated this particular breed as not being very good with children, however, any where else I have looked on this breed it said it is very protective of children. Odd that this website states differently. Also I came up with a list of other dogs.

I have to put in a plug here for the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. They're great apartment dogs...small (about 15-18 lbs.), very calm temperament, definitely lap dogs. Very soft, very gentle, very loving. And beautiful. We went to the AKC site and filled out their questionnaire, and it was one of their top picks for us. We got our "Liam" a little over two months ago, and he's been a doll.

Here's a good picture of some of them.

I agree! We got our dog from a rescue center, and he's
the sweetest thing anyone can have. Well behaved and
non destructive, just darling, isn't he?

I got my two cats from a shelter also. Many shelters have the history of the pet and could steer you towards one that would fit you the best.

Linkat- The thing that I love about Bostons is that they have the liveliness and feistiness of a much larger dog, without the problems associated with a large breed, like space and cost of feeding.

Bostons have a lot of "moxie", a trait that I admire in both humans and animals.