My wife and I have French Bulldogs so that is where most of my limited expertise comes from but here are a couple points to ponder. We show our dogs so they are all pure bred. Pure Bred dogs tend to have some more problems than other mixed breeds. If you are going to buy a pure bred dog I would highly suggest that you get one from a reputable breeder. To do otherwise could possibly set you up to get a dog with serious health problems. I could tell you stories but they would take too long right now. Of course, if you want to hear them, let me know and I will tell you about one of our first dogs. Of course, French Bulldogs weigh about 25-28 pounds so they are not an option.
A rescue dog is always a great way to go but you have to be ready to deal with some significant problems. Rescue dogs are rarely problem free. They were either abused by their owners or they have other problems that made them unsuitable to be placed in a house. You will probably have to spend a lot of time working with them. My wife’s folks have a rescue Boxer that is absolutely adorable but she requires a lot of TLC. Not all bad but good to know going in.
From my observations at dog shows, the Chinese Crested is a very nervous dog and probably only second to the Italian Greyhound for being skittish. If I had to guess, most of them looked like they weighed more than 12 pounds but I am not sure about that. I have no idea about the Xolo.
Look at what you want the dog for. Is it supposed to be a companion dog or a playmate for your child? Is there going to be someone home all day with the dog or is it expected to spend the days alone? How much exercise can you give the dog? These questions will start to frame for you what the correct type of dog would be for your family and your living situation and hopefully prevent you from making a less than optimal decision.
As far as the potty training goes: it somewhat depends on the breed. It also depends on how closely you can watch them and be their Daddy or Mommy and teach them the right thing to do. We train our dogs to go to the door and then look at us if they need to go out. Having an older dog that already knows the ropes and can teach the younger ones is a huge benefit. Other than that it can take a couple months and a lot of “accidents” before they learn. Of course you can always teach your dog to use a box full of kitty litter – really. In your case it might not be such a bad option.
I would not suggest taking them out in the middle of the night do their business. Bend the dog to your schedule and take them out before you go to bed and then first thing in the morning. Also, have a cage that they sleep in. Every. Single. Night. No exceptions. You are the boss. Be the boss. They will adapt very nicely and be happy about it.
