What breed of a toy dog would be the most compatiable with a 7 year old girl who loves to play with animals?

Question

My daughter is 7 and loves to play with animals (ex. wraping in blankets and treating like a baby ect.) We are thinking of getting a small pet for her but are unsure of a breed that is tolerant of small children and that our landlord will allow they have to be under 20lbs/

Answer 1

if your daughter is like most children and can sometimes be a little rough with dogs, i would recommend stoic breeds like a french bulldog. they are clean, wonderful with kids, clownish, and still tough. the females range on average just around 20 pounds, but i've met some petite ones were more on the 15-18 side.

but if you want something even smaller and you're sure your daughter will be gentle, i've become a big fan of cavalier king charles spaniels. they are tiny fluffy dogs, with that happy and loving spaniel personality. they adore children and they are always up for an adventure. as companion dogs, they were bred completely as lapdogs, and are very suited to the kind of attention your daughter would want to give.

with any breed however, be sure to go to a reputable breeder. you can find more information on google about what that entails. i say this because since the pup will be for your small child, you don't want the risk of temperament problems or parasites and you also don't want to break her heart with any life-threatening genetic diseases. also, a good breeder will take the time to help you pick the perfect puppy with the personality that you're looking for. they have the best eye for seeing individual characteristics in what seems to be for other people, a pile of equally cute and lovable puppies.

Answer 2

Many toy breeds and small dogs in general can have a very feisty termperment and be very intolerant of being treated roughly. I would look on www.petfinder.org for an adult animal that has calmed down and used to being handled like that. Puppies are too high strung for a child anyway and being treated like that as a puppy would not be good for them. There are many very tolerant small dogs out there. The greatest advantage of getting an adult dog is someone has assessed their personality. With a puppy one can only speculate on the behavior which is individual for each animal. I have rescued small dogs who people said bit children when treated in this way so be careful that you pick a tolerant laid back dog and/or teach your daughter when to give the dog some space.
Try www.petfinder.org or search the internet for small breed rescue in your area. Good Luck :)

Answer 3

Although their not a toy dog I reccomend a yorkie! The Yorkshire Terrier seems oblivious of its small size. It is ever eager for adventure and trouble. This little dog is highly energetic, brave, loyal and clever. Affectionate with its master, but sometimes suspicious of strangers. It can be aggressive to strange dogs and small animals. In other words, it has true Terrier heritage. They do best with older, considerate children. Yorkies are easy to train, although they can sometimes be stubborn. The breed is demanding and dependant and needs a lot of human attention. The Yorkie is an excellent watchdog, defending its territory in no uncertain manner. They can get snappish if surprised, frightened or over-teased, but are usually very sweet and loving. They can be difficult to housebreak. These little dogs should not be over-protected, for they may become neurotic. The Yorkie likes to bark, but it can easily be taught not to do so.

Other toy dogs include:
Affenpinscher
Brussels Griffon
Cav. King Charles Spaniel
Chihuahua
Chinese Crested
English Toy Spaniel
Italian Greyhound
Japanese Chin
Maltese
Miniature Pinscher
Papillon
Pekingese
Pomeranian
Pug
Shih Tzu
Silky Terrier
Toy Manchester Terrier
Toy Poodle
Yorkshire Terrier

I would check out http://www.glowdog.com/bestdog/ you can browse dogs by lots of different categories that fit your lifestyle and needs.

Answer 4

Well, I was going to say a collie, but since you can only have a 20 lb. dog! Woops! Full size collies and shelties (miniature collies) have different temperaments, so I would not recommend a sheltie. However, if you ever decide to move, collies are EXCELLENT with kids and peopl ein general. They are very sweet and gentle, and put up with a lot.
Whatever you end up getting, start training it as soon as you get it- obedience school is important. Also, while it is eating, go up to it and pet it and take its food away and give it back and all that (make sure YOU do this, not your child). That way if kids ever bother it while it's eating, it will be used to it by then and you can train your dog to not growl or snap or anything when you're training it.

Answer 5

Miniature Poodle. They are the smartest and sweetest of all the dog breeds. They are very tolerant of little children that poke in their eyes, ears, mouth, etc. They are such great companions, they love their humans more than anything. I say miniature rather than the toy size because many "toy" sizes turn out to be "teacup" or "tiny toy" which are sickly, inbred dogs that are NOT akc regconized. I have a toy poodle, who is very large. She weighs about 11lbs and doesnt have an ounce of fat on her, she's just big. But I'm glad it turned out that way. Contact breeders and tell them you want your poodle to be from 7lbs to 12lbs in adulthood, either a large toy or a small miniature. Oh, and a great plus your landlord will love, poodles do not shed. They don't have to have that funny haircut either, keeping them in a puppy/kennel type cut is the cutest. See what I mean
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b94/ChelzTHB91/laceyizzie2.jpg

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b94/ChelzTHB91/lacey1.jpg


My favorite thing is she is 3 years old and still looks puppy-like. Dispite some grey hairs, she always will. I don't know where you are located but my breeder is in Northern VA. Even if this is too far for you, check out her site and maybe email her for a breeder closer to you.
http://www.stoneyhollow.com/id22.html

Good Luck!!

Answer 6

Do a pet a favour and go to the local animal shelter.
When you get there you will find the most lovable smaller dog's.
Let your daughter pick one out, let her walk with the dog and see how they get along.
That is the only best way to tell what dog would be the best.
Because even a dog with all his papers and the name of being a purebred... doesn't mean they won't bite.
There are so many dog't in the world and all the breeder's want to sell you one so they all will tell you how good they are.
But the only one that is importend here is your little girl, and how she connects with a dog.
And dog's in a shelter had all of their shot's and they are healthy.
Give one of them a chance to have a happy home.

Answer 7

First try one of the fake ones to see how she adjusts... Try the ones by Furreal friends which are really cute. When she is ready for the real thing I would say a mini-goldendoodle hands down. They look like little teddy bears and are great with kids. They are a mixed breed but so wonderful and intelligent. One word of caution with small breeds are the grooming requirements which will require more money for upkeep.

Answer 8

There are many small dogs good with children.

Bolognese are excellent companies for kids. They're fluffy and white so kids love them. They're patient and very well mannered. Though some pups tend to be nippy, but it is easily managed and easily trained out of them.

Boston Terrier are great too! But they have tons of energy and might be too much of a handful for the average family. They're very intelligent though.

Cavalier King Charles Spaniel are adorable and affectionate. However, they do tend to be pretty expensive..

Welsh Corgi's make good pets for kids, however since they are herding dogs they will nips the heels of running children. It isn't agressive, but it can be annoying.

Toy Poodle are very intelligent and playful as well as affectionate. They take very well to children if introduced to them as puppies. Plus, they're cute!

Most terriers also make good choices for kids but tehy have lots of energy and need tons of attention.

Answer 9

Personally I like Bichon Frise, a little bigger than a toy poodle with a calm temperament, soft fluffy hair and don't shed, but they will need hair cuts. Yorkies can be a little more dramatic, but also a good choice, don't shed much and a puppy cut is easy to maintain. Getting a pup is usually better when you have kids because then the pup grows up being handled and is more likely to accept being dressed up.

Answer 10

Corgis are the best small dogs they have get temperments and are adorable. They are very hardy dog and are great with kids. The King Charles Cavaliers are also excellent loving small dogs.