I'm thinking about getting a dog? Which one is best?

Question

I have a 4 month old daughter and want to get a dog. Something small and who's good with kids. Any suggestions? What kind of dog do you have?

Answer 1

you may want to wait a little bit before getting a dog.. BUT toy poodles, matlese, shih tzu's, and golden retrievers are awesome dogs with children.. I know golden retrievers aren't a small breed dog, but they are very gentle, obedient and are wonderful wonderful family dogs.. I think that would be my top choice with one so young in the family, if I had children thats what I would get. Its almost like having a baby sitter around.. Just make sure that whatever you buy ISN"T a puppy.. they scratch, jump, and tackle anything they can. doesn't matter the breed.. With an infant you want something already trained or easily trained.. Something like a sheltie is also good.. They are small, obediant and easy to train... But the downside is they are a herding breed and will most likely try to keep your baby right where she wants it.. and that is not something you train them to do, it is in their blood and sadly for the most part can not be taught not to do it. Whatever you choose, make sure its a safe decision with the youngin' around...

Answer 2

Preferrably, if it isn't very urgent I'd wait until your daughter is a little bit older. We've have two young dogs, one a year and a half or so and one just slightly under a year old. Both of which, we raised from young pups.

Puppies have a tendency to teeth, and enjoy chewing. This could be bad, since your daughter is so young. But if there is a breed that doesn't chew much as a pup that would most likely be your best bet.

A high energy, and high maintenence breed would not be a good idea. Such as a Jack Russell Terrier for example. A tea cup Chihuahua may be good for you because of how small they are, maybe.

I apologise for not being very good at answering this..

-Tara

Answer 3

Currently, I do not think you should get a puppy with a 4 month old daughter because puppies like to bite on things, and it's just not a good time. Maybe getting a trained older dog will be best. :) And also know that dogs and puppies take a lot of work, so becareful. Also, kids tend to grab dogs fur, so they will bite back. Think carefully!

But, I do suggesting a big dog such as a Golden Retriever or Cocker Spaniel. They can tolderate kids better than bulldogs and suck. Definetly a bigger, kinder dog.

Answer 4

I think the best thing for you to do is research online the different breeds and the pros/cons of all of them. Some breeds are prone to different health problems, and some breeds are very active and require lots of excercise/playtime. Since you have a small child, you may not be able to spend as much time with an active dog (terriers for example), which will make the dog turn to bad behaviors (like chewing things it shouldn't) to get attention. It's not the dogs fault, just how they are. You may also want to consider an older dog so you don't have to go through the puppy training phase. You local shelter should be able to help you find a great fit for you home. Good luck!

Answer 5

I would go to the shelter (with your daughter) and see if any dogs catch your eye. It might take several visits, and ask the attendants if you can spend some time with the dog in the "visiting" area. See how it reacts to your baby. I would go with some kind of an easy going dog, maybe a smallish golden retriever or lab mix (with SHORT hair!). And make sure you "be the mom" when your daughter gets old enough to start pulling on ears, tails, etc. and tell her that's not cool.

Answer 6

I agree that small dogs or puppies are not good mixes with little children. Consider adopting a retired racing greyhound instead. They are a med./lrg. sized dog but have very laid back personalities. Greyhounds are nicknamed the '45mph couch potato' because they sleep 18-20 hours per day. Adopting older dogs means that you already know what the dog's personality is like, and your local adoption group will have prescreened the dog to see how well it does with small children. For more information about the breed and a list of local adoption organizations go to www.greyhoundpets.org

Answer 7

I have a Yorkie that is 5 months older than my daughter. They get along fine. I also have a Boston Terrier (just got her in March). The Yorkie gets along with my daughter better. I guess because he has been there since I brought her home. He used to sit under her swing or wherever she was at the time and "guard" her. Don't dare get near her and me not acknowledge your presence first! I would go for the Yorkie, but get one while your baby is still young, so they can grow up together. OR you could check the local shelters, sure there is a dog just waiting for someone like you and a loving family to go home with.

Answer 8

well i have a golden retriever and they are very good with kids and they are smart and easy to train but they are very crazy as puppies and they bite allot before they grow up if you get a golden get one that is at least 3 years old. also with small children don't get a small dog because they are nippy and not a patient as bigger dogs. you should also not get a very big dog because they are more likely to accidentally hurt your daughter because of their size. something like a beagle or a shelty might be good but like all puppies they too will be hard to handle. i suggest you go to dog finder . com and take the dog for me quiz it will match you with a dog that is right for your lifestyle, but remember a puppy might be hard with a young child so maybe get a older dog.

Answer 9

Def. don't get a yappy small dog, seriously. For now you need a calm dog, I would def. go with a beagle, those are one of the calmest dogs there is, even as puppys, a beagle or basset hound. They dont get very big at all and are companion dogs. Labs are too hyper, but are very smart otherwise I would suggest that.

Answer 10

West Highland White Terrier