Need an adorable and low maintenance dog.. Plz advise on which one..

You need to be sure your parents WANT a dog. If they will be the primary caregivers, they should be the ones to decide on the breed. I really discourage gifting dogs, since it is a very personal choice. Here are some pointers I think may help, once you are sure a dog is a good choice. 1)is there any reason why they can't have a dog? Health?Apartment dwellers? Cost? can they pay for shots and regular worming medication? 2)coat types vary A LOT, can they afford regular grooming? If not, are they willing and able to comb out the pet regularly? some excellent small breeds: mini schnauzer - low shed coat, good for people with sensitivities - not too tiny, has some substance - coat needs to be groomed for best appearance, but is not excessively difficult to keep. 12-15 pounds Shihtzu-great personality for people who are home a lot and who don't do a lot of outdoor activities. -very affectionate. Low shed, but needs regular brushing and grooming. 7-18 pounds - can range a lot in size and coat type try to get a look at both parents for a better idea of final appearance - watch for excessively short nose - face can get very dirty and smelly poodle-can be great dog for lonely person - very attached to its people,can be nervous and excitable. - coat needs regular grooming I don't recommend poms or mini eskimos - often have temperment problems - heavy shedding coat cockers 15-18 pounds - very heavy coat and needs to be well looked after terriers-very independant and can be willful - fox terrier has a great low maintenance coat. - doesn't tangle easily but does need to be shaped and groomed professially - not too big a dog. any of the curly coated terriers are a good choice from a grooming perspective. Westies and Scotties, wheatens need much more care malties - tiny dog, but with very easily matting coat. llasa apso - coat can be long, but doesn't matt as easily as a maltie - tend to quite a healthy breed If you want an easier coat that doesn't shed a lot, look for wiry, harsh coat such as a norfolk terrier Hope this is of some help.

a Jack Russel or a Border Collie.. Both r small and live a long time.. Easy to train, need alot of afection..

I think Mutts make the best dogs! Go to a shelter, bring your parents and let them pick out a dog that suits them. Statistically they have less medical problems. For low maintenance pick one with short hair that wont require as much grooming. My first few dogs were mutts and they were the best!

A lot of the small terrier-type breeds are short-haired; however, many of them are quite hyper, so you'd have to choose carefully. Dachshunds are great dogs with fabulous personalities and short hair. They are very loyal and usually get attached to one person and stick by them until they die. I had a couple of them growing up. I've seen other people mention pugs, which is also a good choice. They've got some great personalities as well. By low-maintenance, are you talking about the hair, or low-maintenance in the time required to care for a dog? Because dogs, in general, are not low-maintenance pets. They require a lot of attention and care. Much more than cats. Would they consider a hairless cat (called a Sphinx)?

i have a shitzu and it is adorable. the way their face looks so grumpy is very cute to me. however, maintaining it is expensive because of its long fur. it requires frequent trimming of it and costs will eventually add up! so if i can advice on an adorable and low maintenance dog, i would suggest a chihuahua?

I agree with gypsywoman. Go with a mixed breed, they are usually much better genetically speaking than the pure breeds, which tend to be inbred, causing many diseases and personality disorders! My suggestion is to go to your local SPCA/ASPCA and pick out a dog from there...take your parents so they can pick out the dog themselves. That is assuming they want one and can physically take care of it. Dogs do tend to need lots of attention especially at the beginning when they find themselves in a new place, new smells, new people...its a bit scary for them, so they need lots of reassurance and discipline.

Pugs are a really great dog to have. They are very sweet, cute, have a very short coat. They can be excitable when they are puppies but its in a cute way, they just love to play. The only thing to worry about pugs is that they get heat exhaustion when walking our playing in the hot sun, other than that they are a easy breed of dog. My uncle used to have 2 pugs so thats where i get my knowledge from.

Will you be buying a pure bred dog, or adopting a homeless one? Also, do your parents have any experience with raising/training a dog, or will this be a new or fairly new experience? (I'm assuming that you know for certain that they really WANT a dog -- make certain of that before you go any further. Also make certain you know the types they like/don't like. I could recommend the perfect dog for them and yet if they don't like the look or something, it won't be perfect after all.) For small dogs, the Shih Tzu is a very sweet natured, easy to work with dog, in most cases. (All dogs are individuals so even within a breed there are differences). They look like Lhasa Apso, which is usually a little bigger, but still a small dog. The Lhasa can be quite a temperamental handful, but the Shih Tzu is generally much calmer and easier to work with. The Shih Tzu has a long constantly growing coat, which is their main drawback. But if your parents are able to pay for grooming every month or two, it is no problem to keep the dog in a "puppy cut", which is short and soft and non shedding. Letting it remain long can be quite a hassle of constant brushing, washing, etc. I'm writing on the assumption that they don't have a lot of experience, and don't want or need a particularly protective dog -- let me know if that's not the case. The terriers, along with the Lhasa and Chihuahua, can be very territorial and hard to manage for newbies, especially older people who aren't as active and tend to want to baby the dog. they usually have nice short coats, but not the sweetest temperament if their owner doesn't know how to work with them (wonderful, wonderful dogs with the right person) Boston Terriers are sort of medium on the temperament scale. They can be protective and feisty, but they are less likely to give housetraining trouble or bite their owners, etc. Some lesser known breeds that would be great: Tibetan Spaniel (NOT the Tibetan Terrier) is an adorable small dog, with a very easy going temperament, loves people, other pets, and can be good with kids if the kids are very well behaved (any small dog can be at risk with small kids who are often accidentally too rough and can easily injure the dog). It's harder to find this breed, but it's an excellent breed if you can find one. They have medium coats. Their tails and backs of their legs can need some attention or they will get very tangled/dirty, but the rest of the coat is fairly care free. Also, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is one of the great lesser know dogs. They have a coat similar to the Tibetan Spaniel, but they are usually just a tiny bit smaller. They are loving, friendly and easy to work with. I offer FREE pet care and training, as well as selection, help on my pets forum, and others are welcome to give their advice as well as ask their questions, or just chat about their wonderful pets. It's totally free, except for a couple of very severe problems that I might charge a consultation fee for. But generally, any problem or question you could ask if free to get a full answer. I just set up the forum, so it's brand new. All you have to do is register. After almost 30 yrs of pet care, training & behavior, and pet rescue work, my goal in starting this site is to help keep more pets in their homes and not in shelters or on the streets. This is NOT a referral link, or link to a pay for service site. It's just my own site where I can help people with their pets. http://yourpetsperspective.com or directly to the forum, http://puppieskittensdogscats.com AJ

Well I have a shih Tzu, they are small to medium - my Cody is about 20 lbs and if you comb his hair once a day he will be low maintenace. I use to take him to be groomed every 6 months when he was younger. I now groom him myself. My Cody is cute, and likes to follow me where ever I am and sit at my feet. I'm very happy with him. Good Luck in your decision. By the way they are very good watch dogs too.

An all American Mutt. I have always found Mutts tend to be less inbred , easy of nature, loyal, and with less of 'pure" breeds inherited medical issues. Geram- Shpards and Labs - hip dysplasia, cockers - ear troubles, boston terriors - breathing issues, etc.etc. etc. Above all make sure the bonding is there. Environment, nurturing, love are the most inportant.

It really all depends on what kind of dog your parents like. I have 2 dogs, weighing about 15 lbs each. One is a bichon and the other a pomeranian. You probably shuld find what kind of dog your parents like. You may like a certain breed, but they don't. I really couldn't tell you what to get as there are so many to choose from. Some big, some little and some medium sized. It really just depends on what size they really like. People have different personalities, so you need to find one that will fit them. You wouldn't want to get them one that they can't handle. Dogs have personalities too, so they need one that matches theirs. I hope that this has helped you. Have a good day, and happy mylotting.

Try these: -Dachshund -Pugs -Pombroke Welsh -Cardigan Welsh -Boston Terreier They are small, no much fur, and easy to train.

If you are looking for a smaller dog, I would definitely recommend a Shichon. They're a newer breed, so you would have to search on the internet for a breeder, but they are smart, loving little dogs that are great for people with allergies. They don't shed much, so they don't require a lot of grooming or haircuts like many breeds.

our dog is a dutch hound.. she is a maintenance dog for me.. just bring her to the veterinarian once every 6 months.. and she eats anything you give to her.. her hair is not that long so you can see if she has ticks or flea.. and she is also a good guard in our house..