My parents are (very apprehensively) looking at getting a small dog. The pup will need to live alongside my GSD but we definitely want a smaller 'lap dog' type breed (it is my Mum, not myself.) Nando my GSD gets plenty of exercise and ideally I'd like something that could take as much exercise as him, or at least be energetic enough to play with him as he can be feisty, but obviously something that is sturdy enough to take a tumble with him.

My Mum has looked at Lhasa Apsos, Miniture Poodles, Shih Tzus but generally we're quite open to any breed of these sizes, nothing much bigger than a show cocker spaniel.

I don't know many people with a smaller and larger breeds so thought I would ask here for your recommendations.

Josh

Yorkshire Terrier.

I know a lot of people with this combination, and bizarrely it works really well.

My best friends parents always had both until the last GSD died when the GSD was not replaced and they were left with just the Yorkie.

Until then they always had both several years apart, so sometimes the elder was the Yorkie sometimes the GSD.

My obedience training friend has GSD's and a foster failure Yorkie, the only one she ahs to watch with him is the farm bred very high prey drive Collie of her sons.

My friend often looked after the Yorkie GSD pair for her parents and she was great with her four Dobermans, lorded it over all of them .

I dob't think ANY smaller breed is sturdy enough to take a tumble with a GSD -other than possibly a Staffie! How does Nando play with smaller dogs? I notice with my Malinois (who of course live with MUCH smaller dogs) that the sensible ones know how to play. They will lay down and let the small dog jump all over them, they will be really gentle -but they will never play in the same way as they would with a dog of the same size. It's quite amazing really, just HOW they know. We have Penny who will drag Rona, her Malinois cousin, by the scruff of her neck, literally drag her around (Penny weighs almost 30 kgs now at 13 months), yet at the same time she can lie on the floor with a little papillon puppy smaller than a kitten, and not hurt it.  But I never allow unsupervised play. I never allow little and large to be alone together, and never offlead together unless the Mali is a fully mature adult that I know is really sensible -that to me means 5 years upwards.

Then there are other dogs who DON'T understand how to play with a much smaller one, and end up unintentionally hurting the other dog.

The reason for why I got my first Cavalier many years ago now, was that my best friend at home in Sweden, who was a dog trainer, had a Cavalier and a GSD. They were the best of friends and BOTH were Swedish obedience Champions!

Nando is great with smaller dogs. In particular puppies, but smaller dogs of any age he is great with. When I say 'take a tumble' I just mean a breed which isn't delicate. For example I love min pins and bedlingtons, but I feel both of these wouldn't be much good IF Nando did knock them over or whatever by accident.

We would LOVE a yorkshire terrier- but my childhood dog growing up was a YT and he was the centre of my Mum's universe. We would never be able to have another YT after him- he was one in a million and I think we'd always be comparing the new puppy to our Buster.

What experience do people have of tibetan terriers with larger breeds?

Jack Russell everytime, I've had that combination and so have a few others I know, works well, they are hardy little things and full of energy, well able to keep up with a larger more energetic dog and look after themselves

I'd probably look towards your terriers in this instance if you want a sturdy small dog, someone has mentioned the JRT and there are many other terriers, maybe a Border?

We're not big fans of JRTs. I like the look of borders but I'd want something a bit more biddable as my Mum isn't the most dog savvy of people when it comes to training.

I don't know if they have been typical of the breed but I know a few Borders who either live with or walk/play with large dogs, they seem fairly robust and also one of the most 'biddable' of the terrorist breeds. I wonder if there are 'show' and 'working' types like many other breeds?
They also seem very 'up for a cuddle' and of a size that you can easily pick up to remove from a 'situation, - not like a Shepherd :-D
Just re-read earlier posts, the 4 breeds you mention are all fairly 'grooming-intensive' would mum be happy to take this aspect on for the next umpteen years?

I have Boston Terriers alongside my Malinois. I find they work very well. they are sturdy enough to stand up to the odd bump that may happen. They have a strong personality so arent easily bullied by a larger dog. They have a fabulous temperament. Love every one, especially children. They are active enough to go on long walks but are equally happy sitting on your knee by the fire. Mine are very active and love doing agility so the shorter nose does not cause them any problems.

I had a Gsd with Staffies for many years, and they made a very good trio, but I'm guessing a Staff wouldn't be your mums cup of tea.
I've also known Borders and JRT's that lived very well with GSD's, when I just had my GSD, before the arrival of the Staffies, one of his best friends was a Lowchen, he and Leo used to have a blast in the park, and Leo could certainly keep up with him.
I'm not a small dog person, but I'd be very tempted by a Lowchen, The ones I've met have all been wee charmers .

We both LOVE staffs we really do but they're not for us. I am allergic to their fur although my Mum's friend has one that I am fine with. I also worry that people will go even further to avoid us on walks than they already do with my big GSD!

Grooming isn't a problem as in the past we've had a Yorkie, a cairn x Lancashire heeler who was very much grooming intensive, and a lab x poodle who also had a difficult coat.

I love the look of borders so I do wonder if they do have 'show' types that are a little more ploddy.

If I had my way we'd have a standard poodle (or miniature) or maybe even a tibettan terrier.

Border Terriers should be a working terrier, but their temperament is supposed to be much more social than most, not sharp, as they were supposed to run with hounds and so a quarrelsome dog would be unsuitable.

They are a great breed, and seem to fit in well with larger dogs, many people in my breed have owned both.  They aren't overly active (would never think of them as hyper) and hard work in that way at all.

I know some good Border breeders and my friends Mum had a retired bitch from one of her friends, when the last Yorkie died (of the GSD Yorkie pair).  She needed a robust small dog that was going to cope with visiting grandchildren/great grandchildren.

When her main carer (friends Dad) died she came to live with my friend for her last few years who died only recently, she got on well with my friends Doberman, and of course her children, not being as reactive as some breeds.

I know a few Pugs, Frenchies and Bostons which are robust with strong working breeds and do keep up with them readily.
Just wondering about a Spanish Water Dog, I honestly think they are great family dogs.

I have a min poodle and would say its probably not robust enough alongside a gsd.

I've just been on a course with a couple of Spanish and their owners who are pretty well plugged into the breed.  Having seen their dogs & hearing about the others they have at home I wouldn't think these would be as good a choice as a Border.  They are quite guardy and their coat needs a fair amount of care - they seem quite a complex breed and there aren't many available in the UK.  

I second the Border suggestion -  perhaps a Cairn?   I walk with a couple of Norfolks and they are very sweet - fairly strong-willed, but I think that goes a bit with the terrier territory.

My limited experience of Cairns from grooming is that they are among the 'sharpest' of terriers, in fact I avoid doing that breed altogether now I have plenty of clients! So I wouldn't recommend them, although I daresay there are nice natured ones, perhaps I've just been unlucky. However I would be another one to recommend the Border terrier, the ones I know from grooming and my dog clubs seem very nice, relatively easy going for a terrier, and very trainable. You'll need to find a groomer to handstrip ideally or learn to do him yourself.

That is my other question- we would probably be looking for a bitch as Nando can be a bit too bossy around young males. Is there a big difference in size between bitches and dogs in BTs?

I've seen a bit of a difference, the bitches I've met look a little lighter and daintier, but not to any great degree.

try  a corgi of either breed they are tough enought to live with the gsds the body weight is between 15 to 20 kilos so not really a small dog a medium sized dog on little legs, their coats and characters are very similiar to the gsds a lot of people in corgis have gone down from gsds to corgis as they got older, it is a standing joke in the breed that they are chopped off gsds, and like the gsds they are a herder and drover breed only not sheep cows but they will work sheep, and yes i did change from gsds to corgis as the old gsds died off got more corgis and yes they love to be lap dogs just be careful of temperament when looking for pups just like gsds

I'd say a corgi was a fair bit bigger than a cocker, if that's the upper size limit tbh.

Quite a lot of GSD people have Cavaliers alongside their GSDs & have done so for many years

Modern Corgis(especially the Pembrokeshires)are too short on the leg & deep in the body to be suitable to"run"alongside GSDs

I look after a few Tibetan terriers and they are all very feisty!! The two I walk in particular chase cars, joggers and have killed sheep (not whilst with me!).... However equally I had a friend who bred them and competed with success in obedience, as far as I recall they were nice dogs, and a friend had one from this line who was quite fiery but very manageable. The two I dogsit.... One hates my munsterlander who comes with me but he is clever enough to know that and avoids her, the other likes him and plays well with him. None have been particularly healthy, two have had cruciate repairs. Think you just have to research the lines you would get along with heavily if you decide they are for you, as you would with any breed! I have to say, I grew up with whippets alongside bigger dogs and they're much tougher than they seem. I do like border terriers, like the look of schnauzers too but no idea what they're like :)

How about a Vallhund. If I ever have another dog that is what I want. No more Great Danes and although a sheepdog would fit in they are too busy for me now.
Louise

Flat coat and pom/chi of course :)

Seriously generally speaking pom or chi arnt that robust physically although Mia keeps up with the others no problem and Whispa is very gentle with her. My sister rescue yorkie who is not a small yorkie is managing with Echo gsd who is quite gentle too but really finds her a bot too much to play with in the way he wants to and would with a smaller dog
A cavalier sounds  like a good idea fairly robust but lap dog sized.

We need claire to come along here she knows and breeds borders

Hellooooo :)

My Borders live very amicably with the Flatcoat and labrador, Merlin grew up very close to a Mali and Chilli grew up close to a GSD (Mali and GSD a friends dogs). Brogan ....well, she's Brogan lol. They are sturdy enough to take a bit of rough housing (obviously not as tiny puppies) and if reared correctly are very much as biddable. PM me or facebook me if you need any help :)

yay there you are :)

I probably sound very fussy but I've never liked cavaliers :/ I have met some lovely cavs, don't get me wrong, but they're just not for me (and my family say the same.) I do like the cavaliers x poodles that you see about but I would obviously never buy one.

I think we have actually decided that now is not the right time for a second dog.. :( As my living situation isn't permanent at the minute and I may have to move away within the next few months, we're going to see how that pans out before making a decision but it would be nice to hvae a look and research into some breeds, too.

Interesting info about the TTs health, I hadn't really looked into their health that much (which was my priority when I looked for my GSD's breeder as I thought them a bit of a 'sickly' breed.)

Claire I'll send you a message over as and when I think of a few questions about BTs!

Josh

Finnish Lapphund ?  Not too big, would keep up with a GSD just need a thorough brush through about once a week. More often when moulting.