Best indoor dog for senior citizen and child?

Question

I live in an apartment with an elderly (70) mom who is home bound and a 6 yr old, so looking for suggestions on a small to medium-sized gentle and sensitive dog that would be good for companionship to both.

Answer 1

Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, ENGLISH Cocker Spaniels (NOT American!) and Pekingese are great dogs and don't need much exercise - just a long daily walk. They are small, sweet and quiet.

I'd also suggest reading some really good books on training. Try not to do it randomly - there are a lot of bad books out there also! These are some of my favorites and you can get them on Amazon.com
What All Good Dogs Should Know - Volhard
Good Owners, Great Dogs - Brian Kilcommins
Dog Tricks : Eighty-Eight Challenging Activities for Your Dog from World-Class Trainers by Haggerty and Benjamin
Don't Shoot the Dog - Pryor
Training Your Dog: The Step by Step Method - Volhard
Dog Problems - Benjamin
Cesar's Way - Cesar Millan

Also, watch the Dog Whisperer on the National Geographic Channel. Cesar Millan is the best trainer I've ever seen on TV.

Whatever breed of puppy you decide on DON'T go to a pet shop or buy one off the internet!!!! You'll pay top dollar for what is usually a poor quality puppy mill dog. And you'll be supporting one of the cruelest industries in the country. The breeding animals are kept in deplorable conditions. They probably haven't been vaccinated against contagious diseases or tested for any health or temperament problems or genetic diseases - that costs money and cuts into their profits. A female is often bred every time she comes into heat. When her poor little body can't take it any more, she is often clubbed in the head and tossed into a dumpster or an open ditch. Most puppy mills ship their pups to pet stores at wholesale prices and many pups die before they even get there. These "breeders" have figured out that they can use the internet to ship a dog directly to the customer and thus make more money by cutting out the middleman. If you buy a dog from out of state, good luck getting your money back if there's something wrong with the pup. These people count on you becoming instantly attached to the poor little guy and being willing to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars at the vet to treat whatever is wrong with him.

Find a good breeder by going to www.akc.org or talking to people at dog shows. You can also find info about the breed clubs on the akc site - they probably have a rescue group where you can get an older dog for less money.

Find a breed rescue organization by going to www.akc.org - you can get an older dog for less money. Be VERY careful about getting a shelter dog with children that young. You are often adopting someone else's problem dog. And people often lie about the dog's temperament, hoping he'll get a new home that can deal with him.

Answer 2

I hate to say this, but it's really more about the individual dog than the breed. Except in the case of Jack Russels/Parson Russels terriers; every single one is super hyper.

If you don't mind a long daily walk and a medium sized dog, I know (from personal experience and friends' experiences) that Australian Shepherds can be fabulous with both the elderly and the kiddos. They are family dogs, very protective, intuitive, intelligent, loving, but also quite active. They need mental and physical stimulation. They make amazing agility dogs, which is something even your 6 year old could do with the dog.

Set on the small dogs? Carin Terriers (like Toto from Wizard of Oz) are small, sturdy, and family friendly. They're not as hyper as other terriers, but do require attention and stimulation.

Another suggestion: think about adopting an adult dog from the Humane Society or pound. An adult will have mellowed out a bit, you'll be able to tell their energy level, intelligence, and friendliness right away. Any good shelter will know if a dog is kid and elderly friendly. Most people don't think of adult dogs, and so many of them are just perfect for a family situation.

To browse shelters in your area, go to www.petfinder.com

I found both of my dogs there.

Answer 3

A little on the large scale, but Iwould suggest a Greyhound (especially from the Greyhound rescue). They rescue racing dogs who are retired. Don't think they'll be high energy, they're not. They're big cats.

My wife's grandfather had two befor he died and loved those two dogs more than life itself. They were great in his house, easy to walk, and very sweet.

If that's too big, think about a shetland sheepdog (sheltie). They're sweet.

But, one thing, most smaller dogs have more energy (higher metabolism), so some will require more attention and play.

Other suggestions would be a pug or a corgi.

Whatever you do, do not get any terrier breed, they can be nippy and a little agressive at times.

Answer 4

Do not get a Jack Russell!! They are extremely hyper and require plenty of exercise. Definitely not good for a home bound elderly person.
Maybe something like a miniature schnauzer, poodle, or border collie. They are calmer. Good with children and wouldn't mind being in the house.
Do some research before you decide.

Good Luck!

Answer 5

Consider a Bichon Frise! They were bred to be lap dogs and looove sitting in your lap and having their hair brushed. They are soo cute and cuddly. To find a good match go to smallpawsrescue.org and locate a rescued animal from a puppy mill that desperately needs love and attention! They will guide you on a perfect match. Some are afraid of men and some are afraid of children - some are elderly and some have spent their whole lives in cages and have never had a chance to get the love and attention they so deserve.

Answer 6

Dont get a jack russel they have a super high energy level. I would suggest a Shih Tzu the role of companion and house pet is the sole purpose of the Shih tzu very good people dogs also, Papillion, Pembrooke or Cardigan welsh Corgi, Pomeranian, Miniature/standard american eskimo dog, West highland white terrier, Cairn terrier, Shetland sheepdog, Miniature poodle, Bichon Frise, Coton de Tulear, Havanese, Maltese or Yorkshire terrier. All of these breeds are small to medium, and are very people oriented dogs requiring little exercise because of thier size, all are excellent with children and most were bred specifically for human companionship with the most notable ones being the Shih Tzu, Pomeranian and the Papillion. All of these dogs are ideally adapted to a low level of activity and most require only a short walk in order to meet thier requirements because of thier size. Also these dogs are all known for thier great personality and spunk and many of them are trained for the elderly as seizure alert dogs, hearing alert dogs and Physical assistance dogs. Most require considerable grooming but thier small size makes it an easy task. All have very high trainability.



I advise against any breeds like beagle or jack russel terrier because they have high energy requirements and need lots of outdoor time. Also I would advise you not to get a Cocker spaniel as they are not generally very good with children and are prone to Rage syndrome.

Answer 7

Poodles are great dogs for the elderly and children. They are smart, train easily and in general aren't hyper. Check your local humane society also.. you might find a smaller older dog that's already trained and gotten over it's hyper puppy energy stage lol. Good luck =)

Answer 8

Adopt a old small breed dog at the animal shelter. They need a home badly and adult dogs, especially older once make great pet.

Answer 9

Go here for an awesome dog training program http://OnlineDogTraining.enle.info/?L4aJ

Since it is obvious that you do not have a clue about obedience training, your services should be for free. You cannot train even an adult dog for 8 hours a day. About the most that can be done at any one time is 10 - 20 minutes and that is with an adult dog and not a puppy. The attention span on this baby is extremely short and training session should be no more than 10 minutes and twice a day. Additionally, there isn t going to be much learned if you will only be training for 5 days. Obedience training is cumulative and is done over a much longer period of at least several weeks to several months.
What you can charge is determined by your experience, reputation, and accomplishments and in a case like this, should also include guaranteed expectations. Just working with dogs over several years, is not the experience that is necessary to be a dog trainer. There are too many people who are putting that title to their name and fleecing the public. Don t be one of them.

Answer 10

Definately a toy poodle..I have 2 right now and 3 puppies. They do not shed, smell and are hypoallergenic. They do not need alot of excercise and are easily potty trained.