Papillons are renowned for being good little agility dogs. I agree with the suggestions of poodles too. JRTs are pretty good but you would have to be firm when it came to cats.

Thank you - I'd just begun to look at Papillons, having heard the same from a friend. Hadn't ever thought of myself as a 'toy dog' person, but they seem relatively free of inherited diseases - all I'd have to do is find someone who tests for PRA, mitral valve disease and can recognise patellar luxation.

still considering the PJRT and the working cocker.

and

on the larger side, was talking to someone yesterday who said the ideal 'non-collie' small (ish) breed was a Pyrenean Sheepdog - anyone know anything about them?

thanks, all

no rush on this, and it's fun exploring

e

Pyrenean sheepdogs are lovely and very intelligent - possibly sometimes a little too much for their own good! they do however require careful training as they can be a little sharp. They are also quite rare and you should expect a severe grilling from any breeder you approached and to wait for quite a long time.

As to other breeds, both my breeds are good at agility - the mittels being slightly more trainable than the vallhunds (who sometimes look at you gone out when you try to make them do the round twice when they did it right the first time.)

Mittels? Vallhunds?

argh - will go and look

and - agility question - are Pyr Sheepdogs counted as collies for competition or can they run in ABC classes?

e (who has been watching vids of agility Papillons and is impressed, but not at all sure she's a 'toy dog' person)

I'm almost positive Pyrennean Sheepdogs can run in ABC classes, it's only border collies, working sheepdogs (if you class them as different!) and their mixes that can't.

Don't let not being a toy dog person put you off! We had Golden Retrievers for years, and we got our Cavalier and are totally hooked! It's nice to have a dog that can sit on your lap and actually fit.

I wold suggest a miniature poodle too . I have a miniature poodle pup along with my whippets and lurcher and I can honestly say she is a proper little dog in every way .
She looks like a soft toy who happens to be alive ! But take her out on a walk and she is into everything in fact the way she covers the ground is like a little spaniel . My dogs are all elderly aged between 12 and 15 and she has fitted in better than I could ever have hoped for .
She is the easiest dog I have ever trained and a joy to have

Hmmm....

but they're so *small* !

and in the days when I used to be a vet, I got so very tired of cleaning the decaying teeth on elderly poodles. They always seemed to have a battery of illnesses - but perhaps breeders are doing serious health checks now?

am trying to imagine myself with a poodle....

or a Parson JRT

the latter, I have to say, is easier, but maybe I just need to meet some more poodles...

will go and find some!

e

Portuguese Podengos look as if they should be good little agility dogs aswell. They are still quite new to the UK. They look fun little dogs

Breeders are doing health checks and as for the teeth , I know that can be a problem so I am working on the basis of prevention being better than cure.
Even my husband who was not terribly impressed about me getting a poodle thinks she is great

Ooooooo

Podengos looks cracking!

anyone know about their health issues?

would be immensely worried about a gene pool so small (300) but they might be healthy enough not to worry yet...

thank you!

e