Thank you for the kind replies. I was truly blessed to have this little dog.
Now to find another that doesn't SHED. ^-^
Thank you all again......
I got one word for you ...
poodle! I got my first poodle when I rescued one through an adoption agency back in the 80s. I, like you, was looking to get a dog that didn't shed, so I put the word out to various animal adoption organizations. Within a couple of days I got a call that a miniature poodle had been picked up from the mean streets of Galveston and that if I was interested, I should get down there because poodles are always in demand.
She was a mess when I first got her. She'd obviously been on the street quite a while. She was quite skinny. Her hair was matted to the skin and had to be shaved to almost bald. Of course her hair grew back, and OMG, she was gorgeous! It turned out to be a match made in heaven. She was about 11 lbs., athletic, a squirrel chaser extraordinaire (see trophy below), brilliant and gobs of fun. I had found my breed!
Since then I've become a self-appointed poodle ambassador, largely because they so frequently get unfairly dissed by so-called dog lovers. I've heard all the stereotypical arguments against them, and I have an answer for all of them.
Here are a few of their selling points:
1. They don't shed.
2. They're hypoallergenic for almost everyone who has allergies to dogs. There are a few exceptions.
3. They come in all sizes and colors.
4. They are the 2nd most intelligent breed, falling in behind border collies which are #1.
5. They don’t shed.
6. Standards are able to be trained as hunting dogs. Especially good in water.
7. They're quick learners when it comes to housebreaking (at least all mine were).
8. You do NOT have to make them wear those goofy poufy hairdos that you see in dog shows. No poodle owner I know does that, opting instead for the basic puppy cut.
9. They don't shed.
10. They’re not yappy unless you allow them to be. I’ve never allowed my dogs to bark incessantly – only when there’s a noise or someone at the door. If a dog is yappy (big or small), it’s more a statement about the owner than the dog.
11. Have I mentioned that they don't shed?
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