January 12, 2010: What Kind of Dog to Get?

Dear Sunshine,

My mom and dad said we can FINALLY get a dog!  So we are trying to decide which breed to get.  We think we may get a Goldendoodle, poodle, Westie, Yorkie, Bichon Frise, or a Shih-Tzu.  We need one that does not shed like Rosie in Mud-Puddle Poodle (my favorite book that you have written so far).  Which breed do you think we should get?  I need a true answer!

Love, your TRUE number 1 fan,
Grace

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Hi Grace!

What a great question!  And CONGRATULATIONS on getting a dog!  That is so awesome, and that dog is so lucky!  I hope when you get him or her, you'll send me a photo for my Friends gallery.  :-)  Those are all GREAT breeds to choose from, too -- I think you'll be very happy with any of them, so this is a fun decision you get to make!

Of course, I'm totally biased in favor of poodles and poodle mixes, because I think we're terribly smart and easy to train.  ;-)  The one thing to think about is what breed the poodle is mixed with, though, because sometimes the kind of fur you end up with is unpredictable -- a goldendoodle might shed more like a golden retriever than a poodle, for instance. 

Plus they're bigger than the other dogs you listed, so it's important to think about what size dog you want, too!  Big dogs can be really sweet (we love the goldendoodles we know!) and sometimes quieter than small dogs, but small dogs do have a couple of advantages...for instance, it's much easier to give a small dog a bath, and frequent baths can be helpful for anyone in your house with allergies, and to keep down shedding.  (Not that I would ever shed, of course!)  ;-)

Small dogs are also hilarious -- we love Yorkies' expressive ears, Shih-tzus' friendly faces, Bichons' fluffy playfulness, and Westies' bright-eyed sweetness (Tui had a Westie in high school who was just a ridiculously sweet dog).

We're also big fans of Petfinder as a great way to find a good dog who needs a welcoming home; you can search by breed and/or size and find dogs close to your area.  That's where Maui and Oliver came from, and they're both very good dogs (when they're not annoying my fur off, anyway!). 


Maui:  Did someone say good dog?  I'm a good dog!  Me!  I am!  I'm very very good!  Come over here and let me lick your ears so I can prove it!
Oliver:  Uh, yeah, me too!  I'm a good dog, too.  Yup. 
Sunshine:  [dubious face]

The best thing you can do is go meet a few puppies to decide which one is best for you.  Even more important than the breed is the puppy's personality.  Is he or she friendly?  Happy?  Playful?  You want a dog who's not too aggressive and not too shy, who wags his tail when he sees you, and who's been taken good care of in her foster home or shelter or wherever she's spending her puppyhood.

And then if you spend time on training them and exercising them and playing with them and loving them, you should end up with a wonderful dog no matter what breed they are!

(although I still think poodles are the best...)  ;-) 

Good luck!  I hope you have lots of fun finding the perfect dog for you.  And thank you for reading the Pet Trouble books!  Hooray!

Happy tails,
Sunshine!  :-)