I would contact Special Pals which is a non-profit organization located in Katy. It used to be in Houston, and over the years, I've known several people that have gotten pets there.

If you can find an older dog that just needs a good home, is already trained, likes kids, you will be better off than trying to find a young puppy that you will need to train.

Also the terriers are quite the little runners, so think before you get a terrier. They are very cute, but lots of work. My mom, daughter, sister, and best friend all have them, and they are cute, but be prepared for keeping a close eye on them.

i'm quite far from katy, maby an hour or more

i've been searching my local shelters and such

my sister used to have a terrier, many years ago

she still tells stories about that dogs roaming ways

the neighbor has two evil terriers, they bark day in
and day out, and cause general headaches

the local children can't even walk within 30 feet of that
yard, and they go nuts, barking so strongly that their
feet come off the ground

snarling and showing their teeth

no, terriers aren't for me

tesa

I'm a Schnauzer fan, myself, & the Schnauzer mixes I've met have all been lovely dogs.

You might look at the Schnauzer Rescue Board (I think that's it; if you can't find it, post here & I'll see if I can find it).

I'd be very hesitant to get a dog w/o a fence. That said as long as you take them on walks you can have an "apartment dog" breed. It's strange what makes a good apartment dog. Greyhounds are said to be good!
I had a corgi mix for an apartment dog. I have big ole house dogs now. They really just go out to potty. I got to force them to exercise just like the DH (J/K)
Popular choices are chihuahuas,Dachsunds,Pekingese,Min pin,Pomeranian, Pug,Shih Tzu are a few. There are about 50 of them.
As for the snapping,snarling Terriers SHAME ON THE OWNERS!!!!
I've probably seen every darn kind of dog! I've seen mean Shih Tzus. I've seen loving Pitbull breeds. I've seen calm Collies and hyper Brishon Frises. When I got my Corgi mix he snapped at my DH and I exactly ONE time. With proper training he was so mellow and lovely he got invititations to people's houses for Christmas!
The owner is 100% responsible for letting the dog know in no uncertain terms what is and what is not acceptable behavior. Human aggression is NOT on that list! Unless it's a protection trained animal under command period! (climbing off soapbox) PJ

yea, apartment breed, thats what i should be looking for

corgi, hum, i hear they are good dogs, and not too little

i'll have to check that out

i'm taking the wait and see aproach

i honestly think god will provide the right pet for the
girls

i'm looking around, and i've mentioned my search to a few
friends, but i'm not out there searching shelters every
day

i think, when the time is right, the right dog will
find us, but a little networking never hurts

i have a friend who has a friend who works for a no kill
foster program, and is keeping her eyes out for a dog
that will meet our needs

keep your fingers crossed

tesa

Good luck, Tesa. I'm looking too, but not finding much either.

I too have heard Corgis were good house dogs with medium exercise needs. Some dogs require more exercise than others as you probably already know. Schnauzers or schnauzer mixes are terrific too. I have one. Poodles can be good indoor family dogs as well. By the way, poodles & schnauzers don't shed, but do require periodic grooming.

I know you said you didn't want a terrier, but a coworker of mine, after much research, got a Yorkshire Terrier for her two girls who are in 3rd and 1st grade. This dog, apparently, has really worked out for them. I'm not a Yorkie fan, myself, but they are nuts for him and they took their time doing research for a small dog.

Corgis are so cute w/ their stumpy little legs! I've met several and they all seemed to be happy, laid back little dudes.

Schnauzers are cute, but bossy little beasts! The clinic where I volunteered had one and her nickname was the 'general' b/c she would march herself all over the clinic all day long and bark at anything she thought was out of order! That was funny and cute. My SIL has one too, and her's bit me out of nowhere. Not funny or cute. Since then has bitten several other people, but they just don't have the heart to put it down. Completely irresponsible IMO, but they live out of state so I stay out of it.

PJ is right, no matter what breed you get, sign up for classes and get the dog and YOURSELF and your kids trained w/ the dog. I think a lot of people adopt dogs who are already trained, but the new owners don't understand the signals or how to communicate commands to the dog, so it all falls apart rather quickly.

One of my co-workers once told me how her big lab kept jumping up on her 9 yo daughter and that was making her little girl scared of dogs. So she wanted to get rid of the lab and get a smaller breed dog. I asked her if the lab had ever been to a training class. NO (of course not). I told her the smaller breed dog would still jump if it were not trained either, and she wouldn't be solving her problem as much as just trading one for another. I suggested signing up the lab and the daughter for training, so the girl could learn to control the dog. That would give her confidence and teach the dog to respect her. I hope they did that. I never heard back from her.

Good luck w/ your search. It's hard looking w/ a rescue group when you're on the outskirts of everything. Have you checked to see if your immediate county has a shelter? A lot of smaller towns and counties have a tiny little shelter...ususally completely unheard of and anything that ends up there doesn't have much hope of finding a home.

I wish you were in the Ft. Worth area. I know of a man who needs to go into an assisted living home and has to part with his pets. He has a black lab mix. She's a 4 yr. old female which looks like a lab, but smaller, around 35 lbs. She's a good, playful dog and is housebroken. I need to find a home for her today or she'll go to a shelter.
Robin

I hope you find a home for her, Robin, it is so sad when these things happen.

I'm in the Waxahachie (DFW area) and heading down to Plantersville Monday. Labs are wonderful with kids and she sounds like such a good match. I'd be happy to be a puppy taxi.

Dolly

That's sweet of you Dolly!
I just reread your post tesa and the funny thing is, this dog is a mix, looks like a lab, but smaller and my daughter and I think she's either a lab/border collie mix or a lab/blue heeler mix. She's all black, just has some black on her tongue, which labs don't and she is smaller than a lab. She's a sweet dog. We took her in around 8:30 last night because her owner is moving today. I told him I'd find her a good home so she didn't have to go to a shelter. She slept in our bedroom with our chocolate lab. No accidents in the house. I took her for a walk today and she loved it. The man who owned her was disabled and couldn't take her for walks.

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:1310672}}

Good news Carrie and Dolly. I did find a good home for this dog, today! Hope you find the perfect fit for your family soon tesa. You're wise to look for a smaller dog since your property isn't fenced in yet. Good luck.

That is wonderful news, sowngrow, I am so happy for that wonderful little animal .... I looked at the photo and wanted to take her myself. She looks like such a sweetheart. Wish all little animals could be so fortunate.

What a cutie!!! Glad to hear she has a good home. Tessa, I'm sure the right match will come along for you and your family.