I found this website, but Mrs. Mike would be better to say if what is here is true or not, but it appears from this post that the short/smooth coated ones are not a problem for people with allergies.

http://www.thedachshundnetwork.com/doxown.htm

http://www.drna.org/

Doxie rescue website.

Thank you for the links, Casey! I found this site that lists a few breeds The American Kennel Club suggests do well with people with allergies because they usually produce less dander: http://www.akc.org/about/faq_allergies.cfm Based on the minimal research I’ve done, Bichon Frise looks like a nice breed. I've also considered rescuing a greyhound.

Oh, please think a lot before you rescue a greyhound and do your homework... my DH's aunt had two (still has one) and while they definitely need to be rescued there is a LOT OF CARE (emotional, not physical) that goes into taking care of them... they have often been abused, they are very timid, but they do NEED TO RUN.

It is bred into them and even though they will lay calmly in your apt., they do need to get out and run and that doesn't mean just down the street on a leash.

The Bichon Frise is the breed of lap dog that I was talking about a friend really liking, and I believe it was ok to be left alone for periods of time also, but I have no direct experience with them... perhaps they have a rescue site also or maybe you could get one that is a Bichon mix.

Poodles are really smart and good companions, but they can be hyper and do better if they have some activities. They don't really need a lot of exercise, but something that keeps their mind occupied is good. They are really good at learning tricks.

Dachs don't chew or bark unless they feel like someone might be at or in your house. They might bite other people if the dog feels that you or he/she is threatened in any way. The worst thing about them, though, is that they will go on the rug if they don't get to go out really often.

A lot of what is said about dachs looks right. The only thing I would contradict is that dachs don't like to be a lone. They love it when you're home, but they are OK being alone too. They mostly just sleep all day until you come home, but they definitely do not destroy things when left alone.

You’re right about the greyhound. I just like the idea of rescuing a dog that will almost certainly be put to death after he or she has been used for all of its life. However, you make good points, and regardless of the breed we choose, I know the responsible thing to do is complete a lot of research. I know someone who owns a Bichon Frise, so I might try to get into contact with her as I’m sure she’d be more than willing to give me advice.

This may sound selfish, but I really wish there was something where a person could take a dog home for a few days to try to get a feel for it. Even breeds that are known to have a certain temperament may not be what a person is looking for. I’m really worried about getting a dog and then not it not being a match for us. What is a person supposed to do in this situation? It's not either the owner nor the dogs fault if they don't mesh, you know what I mean?

ETA: I just want to make it clear I know no dog is going to be perfect. I don’t want to sound like a brat making up a list of demands for the breed. However, I just really want for both my DH and I to be happy, and especially the dog. We want to treat the dog as it wants to be treated, but of course there are certain things we want and don’t want, too.

I was hoping this would help prepare us for a baby in the next few years, but at least with a baby you don’t have to choose anything expect the name! You just get what you get and you’re happy with it. There are just too many choices and “what ifs” when it come to choosing a dog!

I believe some shelters will allow you to return a dog if it doesn't work out, as heartbreaking as that sounds.

My nephew brought home a rescue dog and discovered that it would NOT work with their cats.... it tried to kill the cats, so they had to return it to the shelter....

If you go through a certified breed rescue - they spend more time making sure YOU are ok for the dog than the other way around. Before we got our male, we looked into the Aussie rescue because we loved our Aussie mix so much we considered getting a second one... they wanted us to fill out a questionaire, come to our house and see if we had the space/temperment etc for the dog...

We didn't end up doing that because we discovered that the purebred dogs weren't having as much problem being placed, so we decided to go back to the shelter where we got our female and get another mix breed herding dog from there because we knew they put their dogs down if they didn't get rescued within a short period of time....I don't know of any purebred rescue that does that, so we felt we were truly "saving" a dog when we got it from the shelter....

good luck in your search - pets truly add so much to your lives.

You’re so right, and that’s why we want one! It would be great if we could find a breeder or rescue group that would let us return/exchange the dog if it didn’t work out. This would be a worst case scenario and not something we would plan on happening, but lets face it, it happens. Unfortunately, I believe in situations where the dog and owner aren’t right for each other, deplorable things like animal abuse, neglect and even desertion are all too common. I, of course, would never condone or engage in such behaviors, but I’d rather see a dog get returned and possibly adopted by a better suited family than have any of these things happen to it.

My SIL has a Bichon Frise and they are typically VERY hyper dogs. I dislike her very much. Jumps on everyone and nips at our 3 yr old DD and they call it "kissing" her.