Hey everyone!

As some of you know I have my delightful male puppy Noah(Great Pyrenees/Giant Alaskan Malamute mix...he's not even a year old and he's already like 26 1/2 inches tall!)that's being trained for service work.
Well I'm getting a second puppy! Also due to be a service dog. She however will be taking on the PTSD/Panic Disorder tasks and my medicine/insomnia/nightmares tasks, while Noah does the mobility, and guide/seeing eye related tasks.

I came to the realization that while Noah is a very bright boy, bogging him down with four different types of service dog task trees wouldn't be good for him. So I asked my Fianc if I could get a small/toy/miniature breed girl dog to do the psychological related tasks so that Noah only has to learn the physical related tasks. The two will be shown/taught that they are a team that help me(Momma). He said that I could, BUT I have to do all the prep work BEFORE she comes home! I'm trying to get some donations as I'm planning on getting her by or on my next birthday(February 3rd).

However I have run across a little problem...and it's this...what breed or breed mix should I get!?

I NEED my little lady to:

Weigh no more than 25lbs when she's fully grown, with 10-18lbs being in the ideal range, seeing as I may at times need to carry her.


I'm thinking of a King Charles Caviler Spaniel or a mix, maybe a poodle mix(but I have a bad history with poodles...but that may have just been their owners fault or they may have just been rude ill tempered dogs).

I'm open to suggestions for breeds. ^.^ Name suggestions would be helpful too! I'm looking for Mythical/Enchanting/Legendary/Fairy type names for her. ^.^


IF however you have other help to offer PM me.


Thanks for reading.

Wolf


List of Recommended Breeds

Cairn Terrier - 13-17lbs, 9-12in tall(female stats)

Alaskan Klee Kai -
Toy: Up to 13 tall, and about 8-10
Miniature: 13-15 inches tall, and 15lbs
Standard: 15-17 1/2 in tall, and 23lbs

Poodle:
Toy:
Miniature:

******zu:


Havanese:


West Highland Terrier:

I would suggest a Lab and German shepherd mix, since their super smart, and they do well preforming tasks like sit, lay down and many others (my dog doesn't see a point in fetch because she knows your just gonna throw it again. She also walks over to you when you say "sit" or "lay down" and we didn't even teach her that) I'm not very knoledgable on smaller dogs, so Good Luck!

Oh I know they are great! However I'm looking to get a small/toy/miniature breed dog.

Plus Noah is already going to be something like 29-35 inches tall and 120lbs when he's done growing...having two huge dogs in the apartment wouldn't work right now.

I think a cairn terrier would be perfectly suited to your tasks.
The Cairn Terrier is one of the oldest of the terrier breeds, originating in the Scottish Highlands and recognized as one of Scotland's earliest working dogs. The breed is commonly used for hunting and burrowing prey among the cairns.
Hypoallergenic: Yes
Life span: 12 to 15 years
Higher classification: Dog
Temperament: Fearless, Hardy, Intelligent, Loyal
Weight: Male: 13.217.6 lbs , Female: 13.217.6 lbs
Height: Male: 1013 inches , Female: 912 inches
As a puppy:

Full grown:
A closely related breed would be the Westland Highland Terrier or aka Westie


And here is my own Cairn Terrier that I got from a shelter 3 yrs ago:(His name is Moby and he is awesome)

Very cute! I will add to my list of possible breeds.

Is it just me or would a Cairn/Spaneil mix be adorable?!

I did some research, and while most PTSD programs use retrievers and such, poodles are also used. A collie would also make a great choice.

Honestly I'm gonna probably stick my foot in it, but why don't you check your local small dog rescues and shelter's for small dogs? The plus of a shelter dog is you can specify WHY you want her, they may have one who already alerts. Psychological alerting is in alot of ways based on luck (will the dog pick up on the cues) and the dog and you. I have an Alaskan Klee Kai and he alerts before my body gives out, my mom has had -2- that alert to her diabetes problems.

The reason I suggest hitting a shelter, is most of the vets PTSD alert dogs are actually from shelters. a GOOD shelter can help you find a dog that has the right temperament for you, and one that is good with other dogs. :)

(Point of reference) AKK's come in 3 sizes
Height and Weight

A Full-Coated AKK
It is intended that the Alaskan Klee Kai remain a small to medium-sized dog. Height is measured from the withers to the ground. An Alaskan Klee Kai should not appear heavy or too thin. Weight should be proportionate to height.

Toy Variety: Up to and including 13 in (33 cm)

Miniature Variety: Over 13 in (33 cm) and up to and including 15 in (38 cm).

Standard Variety: Over 15 in (38 cm) up to and including 17 in (43 cm).

Serious Fault: Over 17 in (43 cm) up to and including 17 12 in (44 cm).

Eliminating Fault: Over 17 12 in (44 cm) in height.


http://www.huggablehuskies.com/#!about-akk/c1ns7 This is the lady I got my dog from, he was a pup she had brought in to become a breeder for her, however he overgrew! LOL he was SUPPOSED to stop at 17 inches.. yea he's 23 XD

I love Collies, sadly they are over the 25lbs limit I have in place. A poodle however is in the weight limit so long as it's a toy or miniature poodle.

I would check my local shelter, but there's only one shelter here in my town so it's not very big, and not many options to pick from. There are times when they don't even have any puppies or small young dogs at all.

While breeding two different breeds of dog together may give them positive traits, It more often than not gives them more of the negative traits than the good ones.

Some species have, say joint problems; others, breathing problems.
So if one parent had breathing problems and the other joint problems - the pup would most likely have both problems.

Personally, I would ALWAYS reccommend a purebred.

Hmmm...
I'll have to think about breeds.
The only breed that comes immidiatly to mind is rare and VARY expensive. Getting a good one would almost certainly mean importing.

Probably doesn't help that it's 4 minutes to midnight here.