2006-12-16 17:17:15 · 37 answers · asked by Augustus 1 in Pets ➔ Dogs
I really don't think a 6 year old boy would be interested in devoting 10-15+ years of his life to a dog he didn't ask for.
If it were a FAMILY dog, I would suggest a Shetland Sheepdog, Labrador Retriever, Golden Retriever, Collie, Dalamtian or a MUTT.
Do NOT get a toy/miniature/small breed as your son knows no better than to pick it up and play rough with it. Not only could your son injure/hurt the small dog, he could even kill it.
Even go to your local shelter and consider adopting a puppy or an older dog. They are MUCH cheaper and they are all just as loving as a puppy would be.
2006-12-16 17:25:19 · answer #1 · answered by Elena 5 · 2⤊ 1⤋
If you are sure you are ready for the committment that is owning a dog, and recognise that the dog is going to be YOUR responsibility and not your son's, and also realise that your son might lose interest in the dog and then you will have to be it's sole carer.
I hope you aren't looking for the puppy for Christmas, because that is the worst time to buy one.
I own three dogs, of which one is a Beagle. I can highly recommend a Beagle for a family with small children. They are a great small to medium size, they are excellent with kids, very playful and not too active. A large breed dog like a labrador might be too big for your son if he is only six.
You might also like to look at the Animal Planet dog breed selector, it is one of the best I have ever seen on the net and is very extensive.
http://animal.discovery.com/breedselector/dogselectorindex.do
2006-12-16 17:45:07 · answer #2 · answered by husky87 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
one million) No a two and five 12 months historical are too younger to have a small breed puppy, any well small puppy breeder could no longer promote you a doggy if in case you have very babies. two) You have a hectic agenda, how on the earth do you assume you are going to be equipped to appropriately socialize, condo instruct/crate instruct, obedience instruct it, feed it, and mostly care for this doggy with an entire time activity and 2 young children? A dog is rather like an additional youngster you recognize. Are you relatively in a position for that? I do not believe so from you are query. I could propose you wait till you are youngsters are just a little older and can be equipped to support out with the doggy. Right now the doggy could be utterly you are accountability no longer the youngster's.
2016-09-03 15:59:40 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Why does your 6 year old son NEED a puppy? A Puppy? And the best BREED to BUY?
I'm not trying to jump on you but this is such a vague question. No 6 year old is going to know what to do to train a young puppy. No young child like that will. Ultimately, the care of the dog is going to be 99% on you.
I wouldn't recommend small breeds for the simple fact of them being "more fragile." In my opinion they are harder to housetrain (small bladders!) and get really yappy. Not to mention, because of their size, a lot of small breeds get away with MURDER because they are little. They tend to get really protective of their families too, especially if not properly socialized with other people and dogs.
Large breeds also get big FAST! I've heard of labs ranging in size from anywhere between 70 and 100lbs. How much does your son weigh? I have an almost adult american pit bull terrier. She's weighing in at 53lbs. Our 7 year old probably weighs a little more than she does. In rough and tumble play, she could easily knock him over.
I'm biased and love pit bulls and think they are GREAT family dogs.But, they are NOT for every household. It takes a lot of persistence and patience to train dogs of this breed. They can be so STUBBORN!
Something vital for ANY breed of dog is teaching it that mouthing people is not permissable. And it's also VERY important that children are NEVER left unsupervised while playing with dogs. Kids don't know the signs dogs will show when enough is enough. And again, kids do not instinctively know how to treat animals.
Check out your shelters and save a life! You will essentially pay less going this route because you will get the dog with its shots (maybe not ALL of them if its a young puppy) AND it will already be fixed before you take it home. Say you bought a puppy (which could get to $150 for some backyard bred one with no papers); well you still have to continue with the other 2 to three sets of puppy shots to make sure your puppy will live (parvo and distemper kill fast and those are things you can't look around and see if its a possibility) and you have to fork out more money to get the dog fixed.
Shelter dogs are the best in my opinion. All in one place, you have a variety of breeds and mixes to choose from. All different personalities to choose from. And with the adult dogs, there are no surprises in their personalities like their could be with getting a puppy.
I would check your shelters after Christmas. Actually, after the new year. There will be a lot of dogs in the shelter. Christmas pets usually don't make it very long in their new home because people weren't thinking when they made the decision on the pet. "Oh this would be great for Timmy for Christmas! He would love a new puppy! Everyone loves puppies!" Well everyone loves puppies until they realize how much work it really takes to raise one. So after Christmas, and after the new year, the new puppy euphoria has worn off and the pups get dumped at the shelter. Just because people didn't research and think through their decision on a new pet. It's sad really.
I wish you luck though!
2006-12-17 00:58:50 · answer #4 · answered by LpYrBby 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you adopt an adult mixed breed dog from the shelter it will be eternally grateful to you and your son, and make an incredible pet. I would not recommend a small dog for any child under 12, nor would I recommend a puppy because you have your hands full already with a six year old, the last thing you need is a pup, and your son doesn't have a clue about training a pup.
2006-12-16 17:37:35 · answer #5 · answered by kldt7 2 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Labs and Goldens are best for any kids! You do not want to go with a smaller breed. A 6 year old could easily get too hyped up and hurt a smaller dog. A Lab or Golden can handle anything they dish out just about unless it's jumping on them. lol I have a Lab and 3 boys and my Mom has a Golden, I know how great both of them are!!
Just wanted to add after reading one of the responses here, obviously the poster doesn't know anything about Labs. Yes they can be high energy, almost all dogs can be but a 6 year old will need a dog that can keep up. And they also can easily figure out when it's time to play and when it's time to be calm. Labs are EXTREMELY smart which is why police, FBI, and disabled people use them for work. They are NOT hard to housebreak at all if done correctly. It took my Lab maybe 3 weeks to catch on completely which is good since she was so young when she came home. They do shed but it's not bad at all. Especially if you brush them once a week. Just some more FYI about this wonderful breed. =) Here's a link to some great info about them:
http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/labrador.htm
2006-12-16 17:21:43 · answer #6 · answered by MasLoozinIt76 6 · 2⤊ 2⤋
You don't really need a puppy for a 6 year old child.
But you will want a larger breed dog. Like a lab. Trouble is they have so much energy. They will tear ypur house up and theya re not easy to house break. You don't want it stuck out side all th etime , I mane wha tgood would it be for your son if thedog has to live apart from him and the family?
Golden Retriever is a good breed for children but the hair it bad!
Small breed are all too delicate for a child that age.
Beagles but they are loud, bark a lot and eat a ton not to mentino hard to house break.
Boxers are pretty hyper active.
Border Collies but they are a hair problem too.
I have an idea for you. Go to the animal shelter and adopt a dong in need of a home. Let your son pick one of a medium size. GEt one who is at least 3 months old or it will chew on your son with it s sharp puppy teeth and you will hdave a child that will hate its pet.
2006-12-16 17:25:26 · answer #7 · answered by raredawn 4 · 4⤊ 3⤋
The best puppy for your son is the puppy that matches the energy levels of your son the best.
You also need to research different breeds to see whether or not you can commit to the choosen breed in regards to grooming & exercise etc.
2006-12-16 18:06:03 · answer #8 · answered by Sas 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
thr all a good breed,it depends on the health of the puppy.even better is 2 go 2 a pound n save a street dog of mixed breed.that way he can choose 4 himself.jus remember,they need a lot of love n training.n entertaining as puppies get bored n strt chewing...a sml dog is easier in the house,but a lrger dog wil keep up w/ him wen his riding his bike...
2006-12-16 17:37:37 · answer #9 · answered by kasa 1 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Border Terrier.they aren't as laid back as some other breeds,but they aren't quite as energetic as the Jack Russel or similar breeds.
they're very easy to train,house break, and are extremely loving dogs.HOWEVER, if u ever get rough with them or angry and punish
them because they didn't do the trick u wanted them to, they will completely shut down on u.they won't do a single thing u ask them to.some times u have to treat dogs like humans.Border Terriers grow to about 15 inches,beagle size.
2006-12-16 18:31:00 · answer #10 · answered by merry xmas 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋