Which dog breed(small breed) is best with children?

Question

my parents and I (14 yrs), and my 3 younger siblings 11 yrs, 7 yrs, and 2 yrs,we want a dog so i did a test on yahoo and they said the bichon frise is the best but they dont meet our standards with children, my sister and i wanted a scottish terrier but they need grooming aswell as the bichon frise, we want a young puppy that is easy to handle, and we dont want a dog that will grow to be more than 10 inches. we have a rabbit, and my 2 yr old sister always likes to bother him and play with him(chasing), and she sometimes hurts him, but since he is gentle he only nibbles at her and doesnt bite.

But arent beagles rabbit hunters? because we have a rabbit.

Answer 1

Try contacting your local shelter about getting a small mutt. Providing that you carefully train the dog to know where it stands in the pecking order there shouldn't be a problem with you siblings. Make sure that you never hand feed the dog, don't feed the dog until all family members have finished eating, and don't allow the dog to eat in the same room as you.

Answer 2

beagle is a big NO i have 1 and its nice but any beagle if a kid is ruff naturaly snapps back and it mite chase the rabbit yes. Are other dog is a teacup yorkshire terrier and they are all sweet with kids and they are only about 8-10 inches tall, not alot of grooming, they dont shed, only needs a bath 1 ever 1-3 months, it barks a lil' but u can train if u dont want that. It will grow somewhat long hair but if u give it a hair cut every 5-6 months it will stay short. also Jack russles are great dogs they know how to be gentle and they can also play with the older kids. it does shed but its not alot of grooming (as much as a beagle) and can stay inside or outside. They tend to get a lil' barky and a lil' peppy but they r good dogs too. also if u just want a family play dog then try a small mut or rescue from ur local shelter there always the sweetest dogs. Just happy to have a home.

hope u find a good dog.u can e-mail me at [e-mail]

Answer 3

I'm going to give you an answer that no one else has yet. The beagle is good with kids, yes, but needs a ton of exercise. My suggestion is great with kids, will get it's needed amount of exercise indoors playing with your kids, and won't eat your rabbit. Go for a shih tzu. They only get to be about 10" tall, and weigh around 11 pounds. The one downside is that you will have to do the grooming bit, but they are awesome with kids, (as with any breed, children must be taught to respect the dog, and not terrorize or frighten it) and if they play well, you'll have a great companion for your children for years to come. However, you do need to teach your 2 year old sister that an animal is not a toy to be chased, that is a predatory behavior where a dog (any dog) is concerned, and is just asking for trouble. Your sister should not be allowed to play with the dog unsupervised either. Also, just because small dogs are small, does not mean that they are territorial, like someone said on the previous answers. With all new dog owners though, I do recommend a crate for the dog. The crate is a place where the dog can go and relax, away from the kids, if the dog feels like it needs a break from a busy pack of children. To help with crating your dog, buy a box of Alpo snaps (dog treats) and give your dog half of an Alpo snap (they break in half really easy) each time you put it in its crate. I do this with all of my guys, along with the command "Who wants to go to bed?" All of the dogs run to their crates and bang the doors open with their feet, go in and sit down and wait patiently for their cookie. Good luck!

Answer 4

Below are links to dog breed selectors. You answer some questions about your lifestyle, what size dog you want, and if you want it to shed and it tells you what breed of dog will do the best with you. Try them all because they may give slightly different breeds and ask slightly different questions.

http://selectsmart.com/DOG/
http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/search.htm
http://www.showdog.com/Breeds/breedselector.aspx http://www.purinaone.com/dogcare_breed_selector.asp

As for the rabbit. It is going to be hard to get a dog that won't have intrest in the rabbit... I would jsut introduce the puppy to the rabbit under close supervision as soon as you can.

Answer 5

I have a pitbull. it is the 4th one i've had in my life. I also have a 4 year old daughter, and numerous of her friends come to play at my house. The pitbull is one of the best dogs a family can have. It's a shame that people have given them bad names. But If you need to buy one properly from a breeder and not off the corner.research the breeder, get around the parents of the puppy, then when if you get one, make sure to take it to the vet, train it, and also socialize it. but NEVER TRAIN ONE TO FIGHT. Pitbulls are very very affectionate dogs.I would never have any other breed. Another benifit depending on where you live they also make excellent guard dogs.

Answer 6

I would get as big of a dog as your situation will allow. We have a golden retriever that is absolutely the best with kids (if I could clone her and know we would get the same temperment back, we would do it in a heartbeat). She rarely ever barks. We have neighbors who have small dogs and they snap and bark at kids and other dogs. Its almost like the small dogs have a Napolean complex.

My wife's parents had a beagle that was very sweet too.

Answer 7

I have a 2 year old chihuahua that weighs 3.5lbs!! She is great with kids. She's small and loves to cuddle. I think a Chihuahua would be great. Some people say that they are ankle nippers and bark alot, but that depends on how you raise them. I never thought that I would own a chihuahua until I saw one at my mom's work and fell in love with them instantly. They are so sweet and friendly. A little timid at times, but great pets. Especially if you want an indoor dog. Plus their fast, so if they wanna get away from your little sister, they can.

Answer 8

Actually small breed dogs don't do well with children. They tend to be more territorial and have a short patience span for being annoyed. I would guess that any small dog would bite your sister if she were to treat it like your rabbit. You should really look into something a little bit bigger.

Answer 9

Definitely, Beagle.

Answer 10

All tiny dogs are irritable with children. Big dogs like labs are much better. But the beagle is a good compromise.