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In light of everything that has happened lately with my house being broken into, we are strongly considering getting a dog. It wouldn't necessarily be for protection but more to alert us when people are coming to the house.
We want a small one that doesn't shed a ton and isn't too hyper. Little A and I are trying to sell Mr. A on a poodle but it's not going so well.
A friend has suggested a mini dachshund which we are going to look into.
Any suggestions for other breeds? It obviously has to be good with children. We'll be getting it through a shelter.
Get a smallish mixed breed from the shelter! I am sure you can find some kind of poodle mix.
I love shih tzus if you're looking for a smaller dog!
Look at the adorable-ness!
Both DH and I grew up with a shih tzu and both of our family's dogs are great with kids.
I do not reccommend a dachshund - they aren't good with children. Please don't take this the wrong way, but maybe a more medium sized dog like a lab or golden retriever would be better with your daughter. Is she rough with her toys at all? Smallish dogs can be really delicate and can be injured easily. If she is gentle with things disregard that.
Edit: or a standard poodle! (Instead of a toy poodle) They do not shed, are gentle dogs, easily trainable, and very intelligent. If you were still going for a poodle.
I don't have much knowledge about small breeds, so I can't really recommend one for your situation. There are a couple dog breed selector tools that you can use to help get you started. You answer a few questions about your lifestyle and what you would like in a dog, and they recommend breeds that mostly closely match your answers. Then, you have a narrowed-down list you can use to start researching breeds you're interested in.
http://animal.discovery.com/breed-selector/dog-breeds.html
http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/search.htm
Do keep in mind that smaller dogs and kids are not always a good match. I am not saying it never works, but responsible breeders and some shelters/rescue groups are more cautious about letting small dogs go to homes with young kids. Something to keep in mind as you start your search.
@GoldfishPie: I agree. A lab or golden retriever mix would be a good choice for safety and for playing with kids. Labs do shed a lot, so perhaps a labradoodle mix? If you want a smaller dog, spaniels are another good choice.
@SoontobeMrsA: Is there a particular reason you want to go with a smaller breed? One that fits that criteria, but is a larger dog might be a labradoodle?
No offense to those that have smaller dogs, but I find that they're more tempermental and typically do not do well with children. I find that the larger breeds are more forgiving of children and are better at protecting their families and the house.
I'm pretty sure bulldogs are also really good with kids.
(more adorable pictures - as all dog threads should contain adorable-ness)
We don't have a large house and have a rather small yard so i'd worry a big dog would be unhappy here :( I also want a dog that I and eventually Little A can walk. I'm not looking for a dog that will attack someone who breaks in. More just let us know someone is coming.
The poodle we are currently looking at grew up with a family of small children and slept in the little girl's bed so we know it is good with kids.
Oh! and we also don't want a dog that will be big enough to knock Little A over. She is not rough but can be a bit unobservant.
You may want to look at a sheltie, they do have longer hair but they are slightly larger than a typical small dog and much more intelligent, they are often used as therapy dogs because they are so trainable and less hyper than other small dogs. They will bark at intruders but will not be as yappy as some other dogs.
and they are super cute! look at petfinder.com or a reputable breeder
I love Scottish Terrier dogs. They are small but sturdy, great with children (gentle!) and will alert you when someone is at the door. We had them growing up. They are great watchdogs, very loyal to their family.
@SoontobeMrsA: Awe so cute! Another idea if you decide against the poodle would be a beagle. They are super friendly, great with kids, great alert dogs, and generally healthy dogs. I like that they are just as great as lap dogs as walking companions.
I am so sorry to hear what you are going through as well. I think that getting a dog is a fantastic idea.
I would do a poodle mix at a shelter - cockerspaniel / poodle cross tend to be very docile and can help with the shedding problem (potentially)
Plus, look at these babies. How can you resist? Ultimately, do what you think is best for your family but still... so cute!!
@mannellal: do beagles tend to be very hyper? My sister had a super hyper one,
I've always wanted a beagle so adorable! I also second beagles. I have 2 labs and while I love boys to pieces i dont recommend them for your situation. They are big, roudy and shed like a mother effer. I have to sweep hair everyday and they get brushed and groomed frequently. Labs are good with kids but they can be rough in the puppy stages bc of how playful they are. My 2 labs are strong and 100 lbs each and I have trouble walking them and they need plenty of room.
I love that you are going through a shelter! I just wanted to say once you find a breed make sure their needs fit your lifestyle. We have 3 dogs 2 cats a chicken and a turkey..oh and a hamster!
Our 2 beagles are the biggest lazy-bones around! now, they were both adults when we adopted them but they are perfectly happy to lay around all day. we say they are hyper when they run around for more than 30 seconds. They are very good with kids, patient, not human-aggressive, and very aware of what is going on outside. Love them!
They love sun naps! Do these look like hyper dogs to you?? lol
Since I have seen you post about your daughter who has mild autism, I would do some research and see what types of dogs can be good therapy dogs, that way maybe he can do double duty, also those types of dogs tend to do much better with children. My much younger (9 years old) brother in law is not high functioning and has autism which is partially why we chose an aussiedoodle, half australian shepherd half poodle, because they are good therapy dogs, and we want her to visit his family with us, they also don't shed much, and are very smart. She is a mini so she will be about 20lbs and about 15in tall, so not too small. Also, most anything mixed with poodle are going to be low/ no shed.
Good luck on your search and I'm sure you will love having a dog!
Yorkies and Schnauzers don't shed... and Schnorkies are the best combo! I may be biased though because of my baby. Also, she has a very protective instinct and will bark at anything she feels is dangerous... which we are working on breaking her from.
Our Schnorkie, Arwen.
I have a beagle and she is the greatest! However, she tends to be very disobedient if she does not get enough exercise. Especially in the first year. Now she is 5 and she can be quite lazy but when she does need her exercise she will let you know, and know, and know LOL. Another thing is she is crazy obsessed with food. She has broken into our cupboards and eaten boxes of cereal, loaves of bread and even a bag of flour. YES flour. BUT, she is very smart and very very loveable! Good luck!
We have a cocker spaniel and a mini-dachshund. I can only speak of our two, but both are wonderful with our 2 boys. (6 and 2)
Of both, I would recommend the cocker though. She was so so so easy to potty train, sheds very little, and is the perfect size. She is small enough not to knock them down, but big enough that she can also hip-check them and get away if they get too rough with her. She lets them sit on her and pull her ears, and when she's had enough she'll roll over and push them off.
The doxie was a beating to potty train.. (she STILL has accidents and is a submissive pee-er) and I always have to watch her to make sure the boys don't hurt her. She's so tiny it's hard for her to defend herself, and even though they have good intentions, they don't realize how rough they can be. Especially when rolling around with her or playing tug.
Good luck!
I second bulldogs!! I have a french bulldog who shed lightly, sleeps (and snores) most of the day away, alerts us by one small bark when someone is at the door, and is OBSESSED with kids.
I mean OBSESSED. She is so cute. When she sees a little kid she'll run up to them but somehow knows not to jump on them and just licks their hands. Little kids love her too.
We are strongly considering getting another frenchie, they have the best personalities.
Here's my little girl Olive!
We have a puggle (pug and beagle) She is amazing with the little guy. He pokes her in her eyes, pulls her ears, and tries to ride her even though he weighs 3 times as much as her. She weighs about 15lbs but is stocky and not so little. She just sits there and takes it. She also is really protective. She's too small to do any damage, but her bark is strong. She's cautious of strangers touching the little guy too, which is great. Plus they tend to be very laid back. She just likes to stay close and will just lie around all day. Her energy level is good for busy people. Here she is:
Time and again, I see Cairn Terriers recommended on dog forums for families. They aren't teeny, tiny yappers, but they are small.
The basics: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cairn_Terrier
The breed club: http://www.cairnterrier.org/
From the breed club page: "Today the Cairn Terrier in America is a sensible, confident little dog, independent but friendly with everyone he meets. He may be found in an apartment, suburban home, or on a farm. Alert, intelligent and long-lived, the Cairn tends to remain active and playful well into his teen years, endearing him to children."
we have a shih tzu- yorkie mix. He is the best dog, pretty low maintenance (sometimes I think he thinks he is a cat). BUT when we take him for walks or to the dog park he could run around for hours. He's about 8 pounds. He is good with kids and other dogs. I grew up with a border terrier and she was also great, a little bigger about 15 pounds. Both dogs were great at alerting us when people were at the door. Both dogs were/are not yippy and just give a few barks to let us know something is going on.
What about a puggle (pug/beagle mix)? There are a surprisingly large amount in local shelters.
Schnauzers are great. We've always had minis growing up. They don't shed and definitely alarm when there's intruders. Being since we've had them always growing up, they're great with kids!
@SoontobeMrsA: I find that beagles can be as hyper as any puppy up until age 2 but puppies are hyper (but I think their cuteness makes up for it :)). Now that my girls are older (3 and 9) they are the laziest things. My younger one will still go for walks and play with her toys but she spends a lot of time cuddled on the couch with me.
@Mrs.KMM: Oh my god those puppies are perfect. My only issue with shihtzus is that they are such a mixed bag- there are cute ones and not so cute ones.
@KateByDesign: I am obsessed with Frenchie bellies. I have no clue why. They are adorable!
@SoontobeMrsA: I have a purebred beagle and he is awesome with kids and the laziest thing ever. They definitely alert for noises and such, so they do make pretty good guarddogs as well as family pets. Our beagle is a little snuggly, lapdog. Plus, they don't shed really terribly, they don't need grooming or even regular baths. They are really smart and generally even-tempered.
I also know several people who have owned beagle mutts. DH grew up with a beagle/dauschund mix.
I don't know about puggles, but I know every pug I've ever met has been hyper and high-strung.
I would also recommend labs. They are the BEST dogs. We got a black lab puppy when I was 4-5 and he was probably the best pet I could have ever asked for growing up. I was inconsolable when we had to put him down. The best part about adopting a black lab is that black dogs have a hard time getting adopted from shelters so most never get a forever family. :( My dog that I left at home with my parents is a big, black belgian shepherd mix and we adopted her the night before she was scheduled to be euthanized.
I have had two shih tzus and a cocker spaniel. The cocker spaniel lived outside, but he was great. Fun to play with but always alert.
The first shih tzu I had was super loving, kind and gentle. She lived to be 17.
The one I have now is completely opposite. She's 3 now and still pretty active, but she keeps me on my toes, and she does NOT shed at all. ever.
She is protective. She barks at everyone that comes over. She's very nice and harmless, but doesn't let her guard down until she gets to smell the visitor.
AND she's a cutie!
My best advice if you're going with a shelter would be to visit frequently and just see which dog you "click" with... then you can research that breed a bit further to see if that dog will work for you. I think any kind of poodle mix would be good, shih-tzu's are excellent family dogs. I wouldn't recommend a terrier or anything like that. Good luck on your search, you'll know when you meet the right one :)
@zippylef: I would love a lab but Mr A and I feel like it'd be unfair to the dog given how small our yard is :( I also grew up with them and loved them.
@mwitter80: We actually just found a puggle at our local shelter :) I have a call in to go visit her.
I think a Puggle would be a great fit. They have enough energy to be playful and "doggy" but aren't too hyper, and definitely not too big. They seem to have gentle personalities. I also think a Boston Terrier or French Bulldog would work well too. Poodles are hit or miss, but that's why resucing is a great option - you can get some information about that dog's specific temperament.
Mixed breed dogs, especially shelter dogs, tend to be gentler in my opinion, partly because I think they sense that you've "saved them." I see a lot of very sweet pit-lab mixes at the dog park. Once dogs are 2 years old or so they don't need as much exercize, so a short walk twice a day with maybe a long play session or walk on weekends should be fine. Whatever dog you get should be leash trained (and it's not too hard) so I wouldn't worry about your daughter being able to walk them.
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