Fibromyalgia Support Group

Thanks for all the comments. I do need to look for a somewhat hypoallergentiv dog. my brother has two rat terrirers that he got from rescue and he is fostering another. I do though want a puppy. my boyfriend is almost always with me and doesn't have fibro but does also have depression and anxiety so he can really be there physicall for what I can't do for the puppu when I am not feeling well. Comb, walk etc. My brother in law has a small dog that needs regular hair cuts and he does his dogs. Both small. I am going to ask him if he would teach me and my boyfriend how to trim the dog or pay him to do it at alower price. Hi is completely disabled and an artist and he does an excellent job on this dogs. I will think about the breeder thing though I know some people have gotten mixed breeds that were fine. When I was young we has a blacklab, english spaniel mix and she lived to be 18 years old. I donot really want a toy dog. something at least that ends up to be the size of a cat. I had a 12lb cat and I did not mind it being that big. 6 to 8 pounds is good too. I am not taking lightly. my boyfriend has had a mixed 12 pound poodle. He didn't know what other kind of dog she was. But she lived to be 14yrs old. I will look on rescus sites but I just don't want to get a dog with social and uncuddliness. this happens alot when dogs or cats get abused. I had acat for ten years and it was very unfriendly. My mother gave it to me because it had been abused. I wish I had never taken her because she was not happy withme. She lived out another three or four years with a woman with two other cats and was happy. I will look at a poodle, but since my boyfriend is helping me and will be paying for half the puppy he really fell in love with a therapy dog at the hospital that was half maltise. Maybe we could find out where they got there dog. Nice friendly dog. Thanks for the Happy Birthdays. None of my siblings that is 4 called me or sent me a card on my birthday so they mean alot to me. Will take all into consideration. Remember I have help. So a puppy and training is ok but if I am able to get the dog and I have training issues I am sure I will call on you guys as experts! I don't plan on shipping a puppy in because I would like to see where they live and what there temperment is before I promise to take one. I am trying to talk my boyfriend to driving to a breeder if we can. No airport dog for me.

I have a small maltese 4 lb. He is my second one. I love the breed and they love their owners. When I am going through a bad lupus flare he is right there with me. I too live in an apartment and had to pay $400 but it was well worth it.

Hi AirS,

I have a toy poodle that weighs about 10 pounds. Poodles love their humans, are hypo-allergenic, and are very intelligent. I get mine groomed every 6 to 8 weeks at $45 a pop. They do require more extensive grooming than many other breeds, but they don't shed and are clean animals. My Cannoli was a gift, but I would check with my local Humane Society for a puppy. It will change your life for the better; when I don't want to move, Cannoli sees to it that I do. Good luck, and I hope that the perfect match happens for you soon.

Choose Hope,
hurtin'

please be careful. there are a ton of puppy mills out there and that is where you are going to find mixed breed small dogs with some serious health issues down the road. rescue dogs are not necessarily abused dogs. all of my dogs but one are rescues and right now i have a big ole lab cuddling up at my elbow and another one at my feet. they were a year old and 2 years old when i adopted them. but please...please....be aware of puppy mills and breeders that do not do clearances on their pups. it will only bring you heartache down the road. i wouldn't give anything for my dogs....they are my heart and soul and get me through every single day.

I pray that you find a little dog. It will be a blessing. I have two little dachshunds, one short hair, one long. The long hair does not shed like a poodle and the short hair is so short, hardly any at all. They are very entertaining too!

Like PammyAnn i also have two doxies - short haired Male and long haired Female - no shedding issues and her hair is not so long that it needs to be groomed professionally - I just have to come her ears every day.
I love them - they are snugly dogs and love to get under the covers - they lay along my left leg (where the flare ups and a majority of the pain is normally). He weighs 14 lbs and she weighs 9 lbs.

good luck in your search.

I'm not going to offer any advice as you've gotten so much really good input already that I have nothing to add.

I just want to put in my vote for small dogs being wonderful for fibro people. My baby is 20 lbs so a bit bigger than you're looking for but she's such a sweet little girl and she curls up with me when I lie down at night and stays until I'm asleep or almost, then gets herself comfy to sleep. I have trouble sleeping without her. My hubby is an awesome guy but isn't a snuggler - so I sleep better without HIM than without HER LOL

She always seems to know when I need a snuggle and will push herself up against me until it's like she's nearly under my skin and put her head in my lap. All she wants from me is love - and a scritch behind the ears - and a whole lot of belly rubs :)

I look forward to hearing about your new "baby" once you find your perfect companion!

don't worry about the cost. i've had my little poodle for 14 years. pro=rate it. if it's more than $1.00 a day i'd be surprised. cheapest medicine there is. and best loved one. doesn't argue with me and is always glad when i'm home. he's my second poodle,mini, and i wouldn't want to live without one. so smart and funny. it's really a wonderful relationship.

I had a maltese who just died July 1st. She was just shy of 15 yrs. What a wonderful breed!! The little one in my avatar is her (5.6 lbs). The bigger one is my toy poodle (12lbs). Poodles are also a great breed! They are both great companion dogs. The toy poodle gets very glued to you, always by your side!! I still have mine and I am so thankful! They are both high maintenance though, groomed every 4-6 wks and upkeep in between. They are both a bit pricey too. I got them both as puppies and they were so much fun, but at the same time puppies can be a lot of work, so if you're not up to it adopt an older dog. I am 40 and had a hysterectomy due to Ovarian cancer, so I can never have kids. Well my dogs HAVE been my kids!!! It has been devastating to me to loose my little baby maltese.

Hope you feel better and if you have any questions about the breeds, I'll try to answer them. Just ask on this discussion or you can send me a private message.

Hugs, Donna

By the way, poodles don't shed. Both dogs are hypoallergenic.