My votes are for a well bred Pap, Pom, or a Cavalier. MY first choice would be the Cav, but I think you said somewhere that Grandma wasn’t interested in them 
I adore a Papillon, and I’ve known some nice Poms as well (My grandma used to breed them). They can make excellent companions for the elderly. At agility there is a woman who used to breed Paps; she’s 87 and running 3 of her dogs at Masters level. Maybe your Grandma would be interested in a sport?
[QUOTE=Rhyadawn;7767824]
My votes are for a well bred Pap, Pom, or a Cavalier. MY first choice would be the Cav, but I think you said somewhere that Grandma wasn’t interested in them
I adore a Papillon, and I’ve known some nice Poms as well (My grandma used to breed them). They can make excellent companions for the elderly. At agility there is a woman who used to breed Paps; she’s 87 and running 3 of her dogs at Masters level. Maybe your Grandma would be interested in a sport?[/QUOTE]
In the dog performance world, obedience and agility, it is a running joke that, when we are too old to do much, our last dogs, decades ago, we said shelties, now they will be papillons.
EVERYONE loves those little spunky, smart and sweet dogs.
I still think it may be best if your parents go without preconceived ideas on any one breed, sex, age, color, etc.
Stick with the real necessity of size, then see what breeds and mixtures they find under those size parameters and let them surprise themselves with which one individual is the one they fall in love with.
I’ve got an iggy with a lovely outgoing personality, so they are out there, but I agree that they are likely not a good fit here. Not only are they pretty fragile when it comes to broken legs, but they are too tall to fit under an airline seat. I love my two, but I won’t be getting another one. Too fragile.
[QUOTE=Bicoastal;7751865]
Yep, I read that part. I’m thinking a stockier toy. I have some friends who fit a fat Shiba under the seat! :eek: Several competitive agility handlers manage to get their Shelties through, too. If they can fit those breeds, a bigger Toy must fit.
Some airlines are getting very picky and if the dog cannot stand up and turn around in the carrier, they will not let the dog under the seat! I know people get away with a lot form time to time, but it is not worth getting caught and turned around at check in!!!
if she does not want to deal with any shedding, there are AHT’s American Hairless Terriers. ( a rat terrier originally) i have 3 rescue AHT’s. AMazing dogs, decaffinated compared to JRT’s, which i had for many years. But not the dog aggression that JRT’s tend to have.
Can the terriers with cats around. Pomeranian ?
http://image.shutterstock.com/display_pic_with_logo/607489/607489,1330787434,1/stock-photo-portrait-of-fox-face-pomeranian-dog-in-studio-light-96616750.jpg
Gramps was a large dog man, he used to breed GSDs. We had a Dobie, a Dalmatian, a yellow Lab - once we had kids to manage I got him hooked on JRTs - me looking for a low maintenance breed type, he downsized real well! He loves the scruffy little rascals.
Then I got a wild hair up my ass and went and got myself a Papillon puppy. Well she’s the Queen of the household. 
and has full run of the farm. We’re smitten. What a lovely breed.
My tips - the smaller breeds have smaller bladders so yes you need to keep them crated when left alone until they get old enough to be able to totally housebreak.
And the paps, the males are cuddlier. The females can be a bit more aloof. Get the clown of the litter and you will never lack for entertainment! The pap loves to play with the kittens!
I may butcher the spelling but how about a Schipperke ? I have only known one and observed another at an obedience trial that won my heart. But am intrigued by them and love the look. They have the pointy nose and big dog “outline”.
My friend’s schipperke was a great farm dog, rode on her carriage, was not a barker and medium energy. Don’t know if he was the exception or the rule.
But in thinking of a breed I would be willing to downsize to if the time ever comes (and I have herding breeds) so far it is the schipperke or the border terrier. The latter I have known a couple from Agility class and liked. Supposed to be on the less terrier-like end of the spectrum.
I used to work adoptions at a shelter in Southern California. One thing we saw quite often with Chihuahuas is that they tend to “claim” one person and defend them from others in the family. A mix might be different, depending on what what characteristics that particular dog inherited.
Also - schipperkes tend to distrust things that change - of the handful I knew, they would get excited and bark if you moved things around in the room. Not sure how well they travel but something to keep in mind. Plus they are black. All of my dogs have been black, but as I get older, I find that I trip over them as they sleep in the hall - I simply don’t see them in the shadows.
Bichons are great - they get along with cats, never meet people that aren’t their friends, love traveling with their people. They don’t drop much hair and feel nice to pet, whether they are clipped short or left a little longer. I’ve also met paps with similar qualities but they can also be opinionated. The Bichons were bred to be outgoing and social companions.
Good luck!
I adopted one last November. He was a puppy mill rescue, so he is socially inept, but he is so cool. We named him Stickey because he feels like a rubber eraser when you pet him. I would get another one in an instant.
I like him so much, I made him a facebook page.
https://www.facebook.com/StickeytheAmericanHairless?ref=aymt_homepage_panel
[QUOTE=Nezzy;7768310]
if she does not want to deal with any shedding, there are AHT’s American Hairless Terriers. ( a rat terrier originally) i have 3 rescue AHT’s. AMazing dogs, decaffinated compared to JRT’s, which i had for many years. But not the dog aggression that JRT’s tend to have.[/QUOTE]
I have met a lot of wonderful Havanese dogs. Not a short faced breed, though don’t have a fox like look to them either.
A friend of mine had a papillon that was fabulous.
My parents have two miniature dachshunds and I would definitely recommend them for a situation like this one. The second one was a bit difficult to house train but if you got an adult that might not be an issue. They are playful lap dogs that travel well, do great in the heat, and theirs have always been good with their (admittedly giant) cat.
I’m going to go off script here and say get him an apple headed or classic Siamese. They give back plenty and even will fetch. Some people even call them dogs in a cat body.
[QUOTE=Paks;7774644]
I’m going to go off script here and say get him an apple headed or classic Siamese. They give back plenty and even will fetch. Some people even call them dogs in a cat body.[/QUOTE]
Don’t forget one requirement is a pet that will regularly and often travel with them, in the airplane.
That would be hard with a cat.
[QUOTE=Bluey;7774667]
Don’t forget one requirement is a pet that will regularly and often travel with them, in the airplane.
That would be hard with a cat.[/QUOTE]Hmm not really I’ve traveled with a Siamese both cross country in a car and on planes.
The Siamese I had used to fetch, swim in the bathtub, and go on leashed walks all over the city with me. He really was a dog in a cat’s body 
[QUOTE=Paks;7774644]
I’m going to go off script here and say get him an apple headed or classic Siamese. They give back plenty and even will fetch. Some people even call them dogs in a cat body.[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=Paks;7774787]
Hmm not really I’ve traveled with a Siamese both cross country in a car and on planes.[/QUOTE]
If you are retired and going here and there and playing tourist, I think a dog can work, a cat, maybe not so much, not without sooner or later maybe losing your cat.
Not that it can’t be done, but that is not how best to manage most cats.
Our half siamese also went with us and our dogs on evening walks, but we kept having to wait for her to catch up, she get tired and then outrun us on our way back, smart critter.
[QUOTE=Arizona DQ;7768271]
[QUOTE=Bicoastal;7751865]Yep, I read that part. I’m thinking a stockier toy. I have some friends who fit a fat Shiba under the seat! :eek: Several competitive agility handlers manage to get their Shelties through, too. If they can fit those breeds, a bigger Toy must fit.
Some airlines are getting very picky and if the dog cannot stand up and turn around in the carrier, they will not let the dog under the seat! I know people get away with a lot form time to time, but it is not worth getting caught and turned around at check in!!![/QUOTE]
I was reading through these posts and the comment about the Shiba concerned me too. I have an 11 lb havanese that can look much bigger/smaller depending on her current length of hair and have been told before that she was too big to fly, so I really wouldn’t recommend pushing the size limits! Unfortunately you never really know how big a mixed breed will get, so getting a full-grown mix is probably safer than a puppy.
It sounds like you’ve gotten a lot of good recommendations but I thought I would throw in my biased opinion. I love my havanese and my mom loved mine so much that she bought her parents one and they adore her. They’re absolutely adorable, very sociable (I have two cats and that works just fine) very cuddly and don’t have any real energy needs although they do really enjoy their walks. I just have to make sure she gets a hair cut before flying but she absolutely loves traveling!
My parents and sister also have coton de tulear’s and despite the ridiculously prissy names they’re awesome dogs - one negative I would say is they take longer than average to housebreak - we have not had these issues with the havaneses.
I’ll put in another miniature poodle vote. They’re sturdy enough dogs that if they get tripped over/stepped on/whacked with canes/walkers in the future they won’t really be injured (ask my minis how many times a day my not small husband steps on them…). My two would love nothing more than to be attached to a human 24/7. Both are total lovebugs. They love doing whatever the humans are doing. If we are out in the yard, they are out in the yard. They like going for walks (though they rarely get to these days). They love playing tug or fetch, but are happy to just chill out if you don’t want to play. Currently I’m laying on the couch and have my feet resting on my standard, the female mini is curled up like a cat on the back of the couch over the standard and the male mini is curled up on the floor right where my hand might drop to pet him.
Contact breeders too. I know several poodle breeders in my area (Indy) that will keep a dog, show it and then find it a good home once they’re done if they’re not interested in keeping that dog to breed. Males especially are rehomed. If you’re interested in talking to a mini breeder, let me know. I can get contact info for a few.
A mini is big enough that it would likely have to go in the cargo area, not under the seat, but there are several airlines that do that frequently. I know Delta does it a bunch.
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