We have a five year old who desperately wants a puppy, Can anybody suggest a good small dog that is child friendly?
2006-12-10 08:39:38 · 25 answers · asked by Mandi_Moo 2 in Pets ➔ Dogs
Mutts make the best dogs. go to the humane society and save one's life.
2006-12-10 08:42:14 · answer #1 · answered by spackler 6 · 4⤊ 0⤋
Ok now I don't want to be rude to anyone but some of these breeds that are being suggested are ones that I would absolutely stay away from. Okay I am not going to lecture you but do think through the whole think before you adopt a dog - too many dogs end up in the shelter because of people that don't. I would stay away from terriers because even though they may not intend to hurt a chld they could because they just have so much energy! Also a chihuahua is not a good desicion because even though many of them grow up to be wonderful family dogs it takes A LOT of training and socialization to get them to that point -- at least judging from the 5 I have had in my life-time. Also chihuahuas and some types of terriers can take up to 1 year , or sometimes more, to get housebroken. I don't think that you would want to put up with this --I know that I wouldn't. Now this is my suggestion: A miniature (or toy) australian shepherd. Great with kids , very protective. Mine was housebroken in two days believe it or not. This breed , though, is not perfect for everyone so i would go to http://www.mascaonline.org/Faq.htm and navigate other pages of the site to. This site is all about this breed ( also known as the North American Shepherd). Good Luck!
P.S. Chihuahua is not spelt Chiwawa guys -- just thought you should now. But I am not a good speller so I shouldn't be talking.
2006-12-10 09:23:14 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Tea Cup Chihuahua
Shih Tzu
Cocker Spaniel
Scottish Terrier
2006-12-10 08:45:38 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
firstly it should be a FAMILY PET - NEVER call a pet a childs pet and never infer to the child that they own the pet.. so many problems can be avoided this way - especially a 5 year old who in no way can understand LIFETIME commitment and cannot really be expected to understand OWNERSHIP - and what if something happens and "her" pet dies....
ok adult dogs are a better bet for this age of child - puppies are VERY crazy - teething (will destroy kids toys) jumping, biting.... this will turn a kid of that age right off and even may scare them...
Soft Mouthed Breeds (golden retreivers) are noted for being safest with kids
Lower intelligent Breeds (shih tzu) are the most easy going (as opposed to intelligent breeds like Border Collies who will need ALOT of mental simulation or will be destructive)
Terrier Breeds (yorkie, jack russell) are intelligent AND bred to hunt and kill.. these dogs are VERY mouth oriented and will bite... and will be nervey - terriers = terrors
Spitz Breeds (poms, am eskimos) are noted for being nervous around kids
Toys Breeds (chihuahua) should be avoided as kids can really easily hurt them or cause their eyes to pop out...
get an adult dog who has been around kids and is known to be safe - check your local SPCA.. or other facility..
for sure the dog MUST go to Obedience lessons - this is for basic socialization...
2006-12-10 08:48:00 · answer #4 · answered by CF_ 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
s/he is too young. of course they want a puppy. all 5 year olds want a puppy. raise your child and wait until s/he gets older. too many puppies get thrown away to shelters, etc because people want a cute little dog for a child. that child will not be able to care for it at all, and then the responsibility goes to you and your spouse. believe me, a puppy is just like a child, except for the diaper thing.
definatly research your decision.
2006-12-10 08:53:35 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Basset Hounds or dauchsunds are so laid back and sociable, it would be a good breed for a small child. They could grow together. Very small breeds are kind of sensitive and a child might hurt them accidently and get nipped. That might make them afraid of dogs. These dogs I mentioned and retriever/lab mixes are great with kids.
2006-12-10 08:45:42 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have a jack russell. They are about 5 pounds as puppies and don't get more than about 15 pounds. They are very child friendly and love playing with kids or other dogs. They are so much fun!
2006-12-10 08:42:56 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
Yorkshire Terrier for a small dog. Labradors and Golden Retrievers are GREAT family dogs but they get kinda big to medium.
2006-12-10 08:47:19 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
do not get a chiwawa they are nice but sometimes kids can be to ruff with them maybe a golden retrieve or beagle they are cute and it is almost impossible to be ruff with them oh or a Saint Bernard, but they get a little big. hope that helped
2006-12-10 08:58:37 · answer #9 · answered by sherry h 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Get a Jack Russell Terrier! They're smart, loyal, but a little hyper. I have one myself and he's great! If you're thinking of a calmer, cute dog, I'd prefer a beagle. Calm and Collective. :D Good luck!
2006-12-10 08:41:47 · answer #10 · answered by Astrojaxx 1 · 1⤊ 2⤋
One like mine, who adores kids. I don´t know which is the word in English, in Spanish is "Caniche toy" (the kind of dog that looks like a sheep, but the tiny one, because there are 3 "sizes" of those dogs).
Mine is like my little baby, he loves to play with kids, specially when I take him for a walk along the beach and find a group of kids playing with a ball for example!!
He is always tender and never bites.
I deeply recomend it!
2006-12-10 08:44:19 · answer #11 · answered by monvana 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋