Cast your puppy vote today!

I love puppies and we’ve finally agreed to get a friend for Buddy. But in this family everyone has very different opinions about what kind of puppy we should get. After lots of walking around and petting dogs, we’ve found a few pups here that maybe we could all get behind. Also, Buddy’s getting old and we were thinking that he should have a companion in his golden years and he could help teach it the ways of the house. This post is about the 4 breeds we all love, and we need 🫵 to help us decide. At the end, I hope you’ll help us by voting in the comments about which one is your very favorite!

The four types of pups we’ve agreed are in the running are: Shiba Inu (including sub-category Mame Shiba), long haired Dachshund, Pomeranian, and good ole mutt. Below you’ll find pictures of each of them, followed by general characteristics so you can help us decide on the best pooch!

The Shiba inu

Yuzu, the Shiba.

Shibas are one of the oldest Japanese dog breeds, dating back to 300 BC. They were first bred for hunting small creatures in the mountains of the Chubu region. Today, there are also so-called “Mame” Shibas, which means bean Shiba (everything small in Japan is called a bean). Mame Shibas are much smaller and more mellow and chill than full size Shibas, but sadly almost impossible to find in the US. Even if you do find one, you often can’t be sure it actually is a Mame Shiba — it seems like lots of Mame Shibas out there are really just runt Shibas…and how could you even tell? A lot of people also think that breeding Mame Shibas is cruel and abusive because Shiba Inu’s are meant to be biggish feisty hunters. But I don’t get this, because people are basically saying it’s bad to make them nicer, but isn’t that how every breed is made?

Physical description: Even real-sized Shibas are small, with the biggest boys reaching only 16.5 inches tall. They have a luscious double coat, and males typically reach 23 pounds while females are usually around 17 pounds. Mame Shibas are generally 11 inches tall and 10 pounds. 

Good with other pets: Shibas can be good with other pets, but they have a high prey drive, so it really depends on the specific dog. Some do well with cats (we have three!), while others need to be trained while they're still puppies to behave well. Mame Shibas are generally a bit better and social around other pets compared to normal Shibas, but they technically are still Shiba Inus, so it depends.

Playfulness: Shiba Inus are extremely playful, often when you don't want them to be. But again, it just depends on the specific dog. Mame Shibas are quite playful as well, while keeping a puppy-like curiosity even when they’re old. 

Loyalty and Friendliness: Shiba Inus are about as loyal and protective as you can get, so it can sometimes be hard for them to meet people and other dogs without being hostile. Mame Shibas can also be aloof but are generally sweeter and friendlier.

Annoyingness: Shiba Inus are in the middle of my personal Barky Scale™: not too much barking to get mad at, but enough to sometimes be annoying. Mame Shibas are not excessively barky like other dogs of their size, but that doesn’t mean they don’t bark at all.

The Long-haired Dachshund

Little Dachshund.

Dachshunds are from the middle ages in Germany, originally bred for hunting badgers in their tiny badger holes. In German, the name translates to "badger dog” — now you know.

Physical description: The generic Dachshund looks like a romping sausage, but we're going for the beautiful long-haired Dachshund. Their silky coat is pleasing to the touch and the eyes. They average 8-9 inches tall, while a miniature Dachshund is a mere 5-6 inches tall. 16-32 pounds is standard, while miniatures can be under 11 pounds, fully grown.

Good with other pets: Dachshunds are usually great with other pets, especially if introduced early (like most dogs).

Playfulness: Dachshunds are very playful, spunky and smart, enjoying tracking things and puzzle toys.

Loyalty and Friendliness: Dachshunds are sometimes described as the "velcro dog" because of their immense love for their owner. They will follow them anywhere. But while they are very friendly around their family and close friends, they can be reserved around strangers (but not aggressive).

Annoyingness: In general, Dachshunds can be annoying because of their stubbornness and frequent barking. But depending on the dog you get, this could be completely different. Dachshunds have an unusually deep bark for their small size, and they love to let you know when they see something suspicious.

The Pomeranian

Mari, the Pompom.

Pomeranians hail from the Pomerania region in present-day Northwest Poland. They have sled dog ancestry and were bred down to be small friends. The Pomeranian's popularity skyrocketed in the late 19th century because Queen Victoria loved them so dearly, and was actually responsible for breeding them so small.

Physical description: Pomeranians have an extremely thick double coat, like a Shiba, and need regular grooming. A double coat means they have a thick inner coat for insulation (heat and cold) and a courser outer coat to keep out dirt and water. On average, Pomeranians are 6-7 inches tall and 3-7 pounds (so wee!).

Good with other pets: Pomeranians are generally very good with other pets. Because of their small size, however, they tend to act bigger than they are. This means you have to supervise these fearless little hounds when they are with other dogs so they don’t get hurt. In our case we might have to worry about our 3 cats ganging up on the Pommy pup! 

Playfulness: Pomeranians are playful, alert, intelligent, and easy to train, making them ideal dogs in many categories.

Loyalty and Friendliness: Even though they are small, their natural alertness makes them act like “big dogs”, keeping close watch over their beloved family. Despite being lively and friendly to their families, though, they can be aloof around strangers.

Annoyingness: Pomeranians have some guard dog in them, so they feel it’s their duty to barkily protect their family against perceived danger (like your friends). Poms are vocal singing hounds, scoring pretty high on the Barky Scale™.

The Mutt

Buddy, the Dog.

Since “mutt” is a pretty generic term, I can’t go into specifics about their temperament. I will say that our family has only ever had mutts, for several reasons. First, mutts are generally healthier than purebreds, avoiding genetic diseases and issues that only purebred dogs can get. There are also so many mutts in the world that need homes, so its hard to think that people are making more dogs (breeders) when there are so many already. They’re also MUCH cheaper (sometimes free). One downside, though, you don’t know what their parents are like or what they are going to be like when they are grown. Anyway, because we’ve had mutts for so long we’ve been thinking about trying something new.

 I've taken all the info from the pup characteristics and put it into two charts so you can     quickly compare and contrast to find the best one on the go. I've averaged out the mutt to     2.5/5, because theres no way to tell. The first is the Barky scale™ that compares how Barky™ they are. The second will help you compare all the dogs side-by-side.

Breed characteristics

GUESS WHAT! IT'S TIME TO VOTE! CAST YOUR VOTE INTO THE BOX (blog comments) BEFORE THE MONTH OF MAY IS UP! YOU WILL HELP US DECIDE WHAT KIND OF PUFFY HOUND TO GET WHEN WE RETURN!🐶