Posted by Dinah on September 12, 2011, at 10:20:07
In reply to Re: Thanks, posted by Solstice on September 11, 2011, at 13:52:36
Yes, but dogs want to bring their carcasses right inside. :)
Sighthounds are extremely clean, and in my experience not at all hard to housebreak except for Italian Greyhounds. The problem with IG's is that they don't like to get wet or dirty, so an inside piddle pad greatly increases the chances of compliance.
Different dogs have different degrees of smelly. It's not even hair length, since a Papillon with a proper coat is very easy to care for, and has very little body oil. While sheepdogs are built to repel rain, and you'd have to bathe them pretty often to strip them of their natural protection. In fact, most of the small spaniels don't smell overmuch with regular bathing, although some of the coats tangle. Since I don't smell all that pleasant either without regular bathing, I see nothing at all amiss with that. :)
Still, sighthounds are fastidious little creatures, and don't at all like being dirty. My whippet was very very clean. Although we always laughed that she served as a thermometer. If she braced herself at the door and didn't want to go further, you knew it was cold outside. But they aren't all all that doglike. Many are more catlike. Maybe you could look into retired racing greyhounds or whippets. I truly loved my sighthounds. I think if I were a dog, I'd likely be a sighthound.
If you want something more the traditional "dog", you might want to look at a Cavalier. They do shed, but shouldn't smell that much with regular grooming. They're typical "dog" in temperament, but are pretty easygoing and not terribly difficult to own. They also are not all that lively in temperament though they are perfectly happy being active with their owners. Puppies can of course be mischievous and any dog needs to be housetrained. But they're very easy dogs in general.
poster:Dinah
thread:995638
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20110910/msgs/996540.html