Greyhounds. You might have a hard time getting puppies, everyone I know who has greyhounds adopted a retired racer. But those dogs are ridiculous chill and if you do go the retired racer route they come pretty much pre trained. You'll still probably have to train them on like just general how to live in a house type stuff, but they will already be crate trained, muzzle trained, most likely leash trained, and sometimes recall even (mine had arguably perfect recall to a thing called a squacker, it's a weird tubular accordion looking thing, but when you press the ends together it makes a really loud and specific sound). My greys needed barely any additional training. Sure they had their weird misbehavior quirks but they were overall just very chill dogs and well behaved, whether from the training they got while racing or just from naturally being really calm. Plus they only need like a 20 minute walk per day, and like once a week theyd get a 5 minute burst of zoomies. And then they go back inside for nap time. I think it's possible they are THE laziest dog breed. They're also generally a bit aloof, so I like to describe their temperament as oversized cat. Mine were aloof by dog standards but were very loving in their own way.

Extra hard breed example - working breed like husky, German shepherd dog, border collie.

Less hard breed example - a lapdog or companion breed. Like a shih tzu, pug, chihuahua, Maltese, bichon frise, cavalier King Charles spaniel, Pekingese, etc.

Are these puppies going to be easy? No. Are they going to be less hard than a border collie puppy? Yes.

Edit: like I already said, puppies are NOT easy.

I don't know about calm or low maintenance per se but this is my personal experience and opinion.

I personally think smaller breed dogs are easiest for dog owners, particularly first time dog owners. This is because while they still need to be trained like every other dog (certain things like separation anxiety, aggression, leash training, etc. can still very much be an issue), there are some things that never crop up. Also smaller dogs usually tend to mature mentally and physically faster than larger dogs.

I had to train my dog to walk well on a leash. But it was much easier because even fully grown, she's 12 lbs and no matter how much she tugs, she's not gonna dislocate my shoulder like a 50 lb puppy will. I don't have to worry about her counter surfing because she can't reach. I still had to train her not to jump on people but people are a little more forgiving because she can't knock them down.

I would say that potty training was probably the hardest because she had a smaller bladder but I could carry her in the elevator to her pee spot so she wouldn't make a mistake there.

In case of an emergency, I can physically lift/carry her out of danger.

I love medium/large dogs but I personally would never own one because a) I live in a high-rise apartment and b) I'm like 100 lbs soaking wet and the one time I tried to walk a friend's German Shepard, I thought I dislocated my shoulder.

Puppies are difficult. They bite everything, including you, and they need to be taught everything, including where to go to the bathroom.

If you really do not want to deal with the difficult puppy stage, adopt or rescue a young adult dog and skip the velociraptor stage all together

Yes this is why medium/large dogs totally fall under the same category as kids for me. Love them when they're somebody else's and I can give them back when they decide to act up. :P

I wish I could tell you it get easier but uh.. my two year old mini daschund says otherwise. Or he would, if he could stop barking and chasing birds and ripping stuffing out of everything for long enough 😂 but also, agree!

I grew up with Cavelier King Charles and they were gorgeous dogs- much easier but honestly a bit too laid back if anything. The loyalty and passion of a daschie is much harder but I don't think I'd ever go back. And you'd never catch me even attempting a harder breed because I've got my hands full as is ha.

Tell that to my whippet who is currently crying at me as he doesn’t want to be in the bedroom alone and I’m not done watching tv upstairs. Males can be very very needy doggos! Females are apparently a bit more aloof.

He is my first dog and I would recommend them fully to a first dog owner. Quiet, cuddly and goofy as hell!

Chinese Cresteds are bred as companions for housebound people. Mine likes a walk but doesn’t really care if she misses one. Very entertaining dogs as well. No real health issues.

Chihuahuas are honestly great little dogs. Mine is a cuddly little couch potato for the most part. As a breed, they don’t usually have lots of health problems most of the time—occasional knee issues and heart defects are the biggest worries. They are prone to getting fat, and do get behavioral problems if not properly trained and socialized. Mine has a few issues as I inherited her from my in-laws, but we’ve been working on training them out of her. Her last play date with my brothers puppy went really well! My dog wasn’t the one swearing this time!

She does need roughly three mile a week in walks for the mental stimulation of smelling the outside world, but that’s really not very much compared to breeds that can run literal marathons every day without tiring.

"Companion breeds" is the term you're looking for.

Dogs that were bred to patiently sit in someone's lap.

My dog is a mutt, but he's got more Pekingese than anything else, and he is 100% happy to sleep and look out the window all day if nothing's going on.

I had a Chihuahua once that was like this, too. However my MIL's new chi mix is driving her crazy with too much energy.

I think it's really more about the dog than the breed, though. Find a shelter that knows their dogs well and don't be afraid to tell them the truth about the kind of dog that would be best for you.

Grey hounds have an extreme chase response, and if they get loose, will chase cars, possibly get hurt. otherwise, they have a couch potato reputation.

Perhaps consider an older kitty! They may have lower energy levels but may need other health care a young cat doesn't need

Goldfish

Cat

plants lol

Pet Rock. Low maintenance, but they don’t live very long.

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If young adult means 18-30 years, then I’d assume you’d have a 9-5 job, so you might have to get a dog walker or bring your dog to daycare. I would recommend, if you match the above, a

French bulldog English bulldog Italian greyhound Greyhound

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Any breed 6 years old or older.

I recommend a hamster.

Fill out the breed questionnaire linked by the AutoMod. Until then, a cat is my recommendation. They're lower maintenance than any dog.

Please can we stop saying cats you are setting people up for failure and cats getting ended up rehomed. Sure some cats are genuinely independent, quiet and calm but that is not the majority. They require a bunch of playtime and stimulation (especially when you only have one). They can also he super destructive especially when their need for stimulation is not met. The only cats that would be truely ‘low maintenance ’ would be much older cats who then require tons more vet visits and check ins so even then it’s high maintenance maintenance . And this is the case with younger cats to! They can get into anything eat it, chew it and then bam it’s a vet visit and bill. If you genuinely believe they are a low maintenance animal then you’ve A. Never had one B. Are neglecting your cat even if you don’t realise or (incredibly rarely) C. And you genuinely do have a low maintenance cat which isn’t the norm if you are actually giving them the life the deserve. If you can’t handle a fish honestly you’re probably just not a pet person or right now you have to many other responsibilities to take on another living creature who relies solely on you and that’s fine!!

Nothing with a cage is low maintenance.

Cats. You have a litter box to clean and it will cost more for vet bills. Always the chance the cat ends up having a frustrating medical problem. But aside from that all you have to do is put out food and water and they’re chilling.

You would not catch me with a rodent or fish. The effort to reward ratio is way off.

well, my cat is not low maintenance. He is very vocal and will let you know what he needs.. attention 24h a day and cuddles , and playtime and a strict scedule, and going outside in the yard , also picky eater and not a playfull cat with toys, but playfull outside with leaves and bugs etc.

but I love him and he is my everything...

Animals (and plants) are living things and as such, are never low maintenance.

Honestly? A low maintenance dog probably isn’t in a rescue or shelter unless it’s old (not what you want), with health issues (also not what you want), or its owner died/has money problems (possible but not exactly common).

As others have said, breed matters most when you’re getting a new pup from a breeder. In shelters and rescues, most dogs are mixed or the rescue has no clue. They aren’t spending money and time to gene test them all. So your best bet is just to find one you click with.

Be aware that the way a dog acts in the rescue may be different at home. So you may have a rescue saying the dog is great with cats, only to find out it’s not true in your home. Or you may find out that the dog is predisposed to health issues, due to having badly bred parents, that the rescue didn’t know about (because they don’t know its parents, was a stray, etc)

Easy-going, low maintenance, well behaved, well-bred to be healthy dogs are not commonly ending up in rescues, so if you are dead set on adopting, your best bet is to foster a bunch and see which one fits your home.

Personally I find your list of requirements will not be well- met by adopting. So the other route is to relax some of them. Can your wife commit to exercising a dog more? Then maybe you can adopt some young energetic ones. Can you commit to training classes? Then you can adopt some dogs that aren’t fully trained yet (which will be pretty much all of the dogs in a shelter).

Breeds I would recommend against, are pit mixes and any terrier mixes, as you have cats and the risk with prey drive is just not worth it. Also no probably to cattle dogs - high exercise and mental stimulation needed. There are probably some friendly lab mixes that could work and are chill, but you would need to foster them to find out how chill.

Best bet is to find the small chihuahua-type mixes with NO TERRIER mixed in. Common enough in shelters but you’d need to train many of them.

Have you considered rescuing a greyhound or whippet? Whippets live longer due to their smaller size, but greyhounds are easily found for rescue per my understanding and there are greyhound-specific rescue organizations you could look into. Both are very easy-going dogs with low energy needs and reasonable lifespans. I agree with other posters that it's tough to find a rescue dog that fits these specific criteria, but this is one avenue that seems pretty feasible.

I almost never comment on these posts, as the breeds I have experience with are not suitable for most, but it might be a good fit here...are you familiar with Great Pyrenees? They are not as long-lived as you might be hoping for (average of 10-12 years), but they tend to be significantly healthier than most giant breeds. They don’t need a huge space and they are ranked extremely low on the “energy levels” criteria.

The are a Livestock Guardian breed that has gained popularity as pets. They tend to be wary of strangers but they are usually not aggressive, unless they are protecting their “herd” or property from another dog. This is not a guaranteed trait; mine is thrilled when anyone comes to our house and new people are warmly greeted. They do roam so a fenced yard would be necessary and most pyrenees rescue groups require them.

They are excellent with small animals, including cats, and children. Some slobber (mine doesn’t at all). They do shed a lot and require weekly brushing. They bark a lot but you mentioned that might be a bonus.

If you’re 100% set on adopting, it’s kind of hard to give out specific breeds as this could actually (unnecessarily) narrow your search. I would just go to the shelter (or research nearby ones) and see if you can find an older dog who doesn’t have cat-related prey drive in their description (if the shelter works through a foster system, try to find a dog who lived with cats in foster and got along with them). Typically older dogs won’t have as many exercise requirements as young pups.

> getting a dog is making a down payment on heartbreak

An incredibly bleak stance, but I understand where you're coming from. It's also important to mention that, even if the breed has a longer life expectancy on average, that doesn't mean yours will. Going through a shelter, where background info is often scarce, may decrease these odds considerably, too.

A small, companion mix (Havanese, Lhasa, Cavalier, etc) may be your best bet.

Aquatic Snails

Hamster. They don't need to be held or walked. Just provide food and water and clean the pine shavings in the bottom of the terrarium every now and then.

They're fun to watch and entertain themselves, but if you find you're a more active pet owner than you anticipated, they're also potentially cuddly and love to run around in a hamster ball.

Hamsters were the only pets I succeeded at as a small child.

They're also great practice for a cat when you're ready for about three steps higher maintenance for a lot more affection and entertainment.

A Pet Rock.

A rock

Every pet is, well, maybe not high maintenance, but not low maintenance either. Lowest you’ll get is just maintenance. Even a goldfish will require maintenance.

If you want a pet, you have to make sure you’ve got what it takes in time, money and commitment. Goldfish often die quickly because people who get them have no clue they can live over 20 years and don’t know how to care for them. Boy, if fish could scream.

If you’re asking specifically for low-maintenance pets, then it’s worth reconsidering your choice to get a pet in the first place.

Honestly, it sounds like you're looking for a cat. Yheyre the only animals, outside of another dog, that you can actually leave alone with a dog outside of a cage and not worry too much. I'd highly reccomend adopting a mature cat.

Honestly cats are fairly low maintenance, and a cat is more likely to actually keep your dog company than a hamster or something.

Definitely do your research first but the first thing into my head was a ferret. This can be a hit or miss for people but man are they funny animals.

Rabbits are a lot more work than people realize and can be very skittish. Their personalities can vary widely but overall they are prey animals and can have heart attacks very easily which can kill them. Also. If thinking about a rabbit be sure to do a ton of research and make sure you find a good exotic animal vet for it bc most dog/cat vets don't know a ton about rabbits. I say all this as a mom to a 10 year old rabbit (Sir George Hoppington) and a 11 month old dog (Kringle). Our two get along very well but we did a ton of searching for the right kind of dog and lucked out (?) With the fact that Kringle was super sick when we got him so he just laid on the couch for the first few weeks and got used to the bunny hopping around the living room. All this to say: Research a ton, Rabbits are more work and effort to be taken care of PROPERLY than people tend to think, and find a great vet if you do get a bunny

Guinea pigs are social herding animals that need to be kept in pairs or groups to prevent depression. They require a massive ammount of space with adequate ventilation because they are prone to respiratory issues. Due to this, they also need appropriate/special bedding that has a high rate of absorption and it needs to be changed often. I find myself doing a cage scrub down and a washing machine load of fleece every 3 days. They need their nails trimmed and access to hay 24/7 to file their teeth down since they never stop growing. They also need to be fed an array of greens and veggies because they dont make their own vitamin C. Guinea pigs are a ton of work and I'm not sure that I would trust a dog around them, could you get a smaller dog as a friend? That way your big doggo can have another doggy companion without having to worry about the space in your apartment. (:

Id recommend a rabbit over a guinea pig. Once litter trained they arent too messy, and maintenance isnt too bad. Clean out their litter pan every few days, spot clean their enclosure, make sure they ALWAYS have access to hay, and of course food and water. I find them more personable than say a guinea pig, mine love more than anything hanging out on my lap or near me. Since they are prey animals i do recommend spending a lot of time with them when theyre young or they can be a little skittish of people. Just make sure if you do get a rabbit that they get spayed/neutered because otherwise they have a high chance of getting reproductive cancer when they get older. (I lost my first rabbit to that before i had any idea of it)

If rabbits arent your choice, theres also chinchillas or even rats, rats are a surprisingly good pet, they are very social so make sure to get more than just 1. Anyways, just do your research and pick what works best for you. Good luck pet hunting!

I have two doods and it’s great, but I used to live with my dog and a pittie mix and it’s an outstanding combo.

Look into Schnauzers. Very low shed, & the medium size would probably be just what you want. They're smart & cute too.

We got another doodle (Irish setter poodle mix) and it's worth it! We want all the doods lol

Please look at my profile page. They are step bother/sister 2 years apart. The best thing we did for our first dog was to get him a dog. It also makes things easier in many ways for the reasons you are looking for.

Since you're already thinking about it, do it! I think they'll have a blast and you'll enjoy the ride! I they do, and we are!

I have two Doods (goldendoodle and a border collie/goldendoodle mix) whom are both 3 and absolute besties. Highly recommend.