I want to get my 3 year old a dog for christmas, what would u say was the best child friendly dog?

Question

4 the ppl saying hes to young for a dog obviously its for the whole house but he loves dogs & be a good pressie, & 4 smart *** it will be me & his dad who look after it.

Answer 1

I know its a big dog but we have a black lab. My 2 1/2 year old loves him. The dog is soo patient with him.

Answer 2

Alot of the Suggestions in the other answers are great. I think your 3 year old will be great with a dog. There has never been a time in my life that i haven't had a dog. When i was really little we always had Labs, and continued to have them until i graduated high school. They are excellent. Super smart and great with kids. I also had Dobermans when i was real young (younger than 5) My sister and me use to ride around on their backs. (only suggest if know the breed) Springer Spaniels are an excellent choice also. but my favorite dog of my child hood was my West Highland Terrier. I actually have one now also. Only you know your child. Research and find a dog that you think would be great!! Good Luck. If all else fails get a Lab!!

Answer 3

Any dog can be child friendly if you learn the traits and characteristics of the dog and respect them. I do not recommend a dog or any other animal at Christmas time due to the business of the holiday. Bringing an animal into a home can be very stressful for them at that time of year because of all the activity, strange sounds from toys, children, music etc. Please wait and don't label the dog as the childs because a child no matter the age can't be fully responsible for the animal but should play a role in caring for the dog.

Answer 4

Haven't read all the replies, but in case it hasn't been mentioned Christmas is a terrible time to get a dog. There is too much hustle and bustle, chaos, people coming and going. All the commotion is hard on the pup that's just left the only environment he's known, and it's hard for you to establish a routine right away. Reputable breeders WILL NOT sell a puppy for Christmas. If you want it to be a "Christmas gift" for your child (really for the family), then put the accessories under the tree with a "gift certificate" for a pup in the near future, when things are calmer.

Answer 5

Well it depends on what you are looking for in a dog and how much time you have to devote to it. Obviously you don't expect the 3 year old to take care of it lol. We have 2 Bichon Frise puppies. They are 9 mo. and 6 mo. old. They love people and they love attention and most of all they adore children. They do require regular grooming. They are non-shedding and hypo-allergenic which is a plus. They don't get real big (about 10 to 15 lbs.) But they do need to be combed and trimmed and you have to pluck their ears. So be realistic. If you search on yahoo pets, they you can fill out a questioniarre and they will give you tips on what dog is best for you. Good luck!

Answer 6

No, probable no longer a solid concept. till the canine has been around childrens, it would probable be unsafe. pondering canine "age" 7x speedier, he isn't 4 years previous. he's 28. A canine it truly is that previous mentally will probable no longer artwork properly with a three-12 months previous that has the mentality of a three-12 months previous. And a German Sheperd is a extensive canine. you baby may well be intimidated by using it. needless to say, no longer all canine fall under the common standards. If he grew to become right into a coach canine, then he may well be extra effective knowledgeable, yet i might take some precautions. do no longer enable the youngsters or the canine meet immediatly, in case you do pick to take him in. Have him on a leash, at a distance, and don't enable the youngsters rush him. enable him get gentle interior the enviroment and then have them mindset with warning. If the canine gets demanding, then he's plenty extra in all probability to chew. save an eye fixed out for indications of aggression interior the canine while he's around the baby, because of the fact your 3-12 months previous probable won't observe them. it is your call, and that i think of looking after pets in pick of properties is impressive particularly of throwing them interior the line or basically a kennel. basically use warning and learn up on the breed till now you totally settle on.

Answer 7

First things first. Are YOU prepared to take sole charge of the care of this dog, for it's whole life (about 15yrs) because there is NO WAY your child could ever be expected to!! YOU are the adult, and even as your child gets older, you are ultimately responsible for it's welfare. Dogs need feeding, walking (regardless of the weather or how tired you are), training, grooming and veterinary care. Taking on a dog costs a lot of time and money.

Secondly, Christmas is probably the worst time of all to get a dog of any description. A new dog, whether rescue or puppy will need time to adjust to it's new home. For this, it needs to get used to your home as it is normally. There's so much going on at Christmas time, especially when you have children. This will be stressful for the dog, and you may well be storing up problems for later - for your family as well as the dog.

I'm not saying "don't get a dog". Dogs and children can be great friends. Dogs are great confidantes (they never reveal your secrets!). Dog ownership can teach a child a lot, about responsibility, and yes - about handling grief when the dog finally dies.

But please, whatever dog you get, whatever breed, whatever age. Give A LOT of thought as to whether you are prepared for the responsibility, and if you do decide to get a dog, wait until the fuss of Christmas has died down.

Answer 8

When my daughter was 3 she was afraid of dogs and then we dog-sat a Maltese dog for our friends. She fell in love with that dog, and the dog had such a calm nature and was so sweet. If you want to get her a dog that's really okay, just be prepared for the fact that 3 year olds aren't old enough to care for a dog, although you can have him/her use a scoop to fill the dog food bowl, then as your child gets older add on more responsibilities regarding the dog.

Here's a pic of a maltese, they are adorable dogs:
http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/images8/MALTESE_03_Gizmo_playing_10.JPG
Or you could consider going to a shelter and getting a nice calm dog from there that your whole family can enjoy. It will be rewarding and you'll save a life!

Answer 9

ok i will answer the best child friendly dog bit, as i am not sure about the xmas dog bit.
i would say a female staffordshire bull terrier, boy sbt's tend to be a bit boisterous. other breeds like yorkies, jack russels etc are too yappy and need stimulation all the time. a fem (yes, ***** i know) spaniel is another good choice. do some more research, check out some shelters, why not foster a child friendly dog until xmas? then review?

Answer 10

There is no specific breed of dog that is "child friendly". Dogs are individuals; some tollerate children, others do not.

Rather than looking for a specific breed of dog, focus on personality and the compatibility of the dog with your lifestyle and family unit. (You don't want to bring an untrained puppy into your home, for example, if you're going to be gone to work for 8 hours a day.)

If you're going to get a dog that is going to be around a 3-year-old child, we recommend that you look to your local shelters to see if you can find an OLDER dog that has already proven itself compatible with small children. Most shelters screen for this factor now. Putting a puppy in with a child as young as yours can be dangerous, because pups have no experience in this area, and will often react on pure instinct (i.e., fleeing or biting) if confronted with a child who pinches, squeezes or grabs at them.

Christmas is actually one of the WORST times to bring a dog into your home. The new dog not only has to deal with a new environment, but also has to deal with decorations (which can be fatal of chewed on or swallowed) and the chaos of strangers (your family members and friends) gathering in your home. If you MUST get a dog for your child at Christmas we recommend that you put a card in your child's stocking which indicates that after the holiday you'll all be going out together to find a new pet for it. This gives the child the joy of anticipation and a family outing, while it protects the adopted dog from being bombarded with your holiday festivities.

((When we have people ask for dogs on the holidays, we give them photos of the dogs to wrap as gifts for the intended recipient, then have the recipient come to the shelter after the holiday to pick up the dog.))

When it comes to dogs our motto is: Don't buy while shelter dogs die.

Answer 11

Haven't you seen the posters " a dog is not just for christmas"
think very hard on this decision, having a 3 year old is hard work enough without the added poo, wee, and the never ending cycle of ruined toys, furniture, shoes, ect. If you are adamant most large breeds are fantastic, BUT like all animals they all have to be treated right and trained which in itself takes up much time.