What breed of dog should I get?

Question

I have 2 young children and would love to get a house dog, it must be a small dog, doesn't bark much, isn't expensive to keep, doesn't shed much hair and doesn't require lots of exercise and its an absolute must that it gets on with children, i really dont know what to go for

toph you said 'Reconsider you thoughts for a dog, stop spoiling your children and wait until you can afford a dog and your children can take care of themselves. '

I can spoil my children if I want, its my money I will spend it how I like, I can afford a dog I just dont want to spend all my money on it and lastly I will always be taking care of my children as long as there is blood running through my body, i didn't ask you how I should run my life I asked what dog I should get, dont know why you bothered answering!!!

Answer 1

I think you sohuld get a king charles spaniel becos they r little they r cute and cheap 2 look after and ive gt 1 so i should kno...she is so cute and is a quiet dog

Answer 2

I would disagree with most posters here. Labradors and Terriers need a lot of exercise. Your best bet is a greyhound. Contrary to what you may think they don't need much exercise - a 15 minute walk morning and evening is all they need. The rest of the time they will sleep because racing dogs are used to spending 22 hours a day in their kennel.
As you may have seen on the news thousands of greyhounds are destroyed every year when they can no longer race. Greyhounds make great pets and love people and children, although care is needed if you have any cats or rodents.
Greyhounds also have smooth hair and moult very little.
My dog only barks when she's about to gon on her long Saturday walk to somewhere new (highlight of the week) or if she smells foxes behind the garden fence.

Answer 3

To be honest, every breed has its good points and possible bad points. I think the most important thing really is to find a dog trainer in your area that does house visits and get them to come and see which ever dog you choose right from when it's a small puppy. They can then advise you what to do if it barks, how to introduce the children, how to house train so that there isn't a lot of mess around (health issues for the children including toxicara canis which can cause visual impairment in humans and is transported in the poo). As long as you set out the rules right from the beginning and the puppy knows its boundaries, there shouldn't be any problems at all, whatever breed you get.

Answer 4

What will you do if the dog becomes sick and turns out to be more expensive than you imagined? What if the breed typically gets along well with children but the individual dog doesn't?

You should consider obedience school for the dog = money
Good vet care = money
Handing the dog over to the ASPCA when you no longer want him = money.

Reconsider you thoughts for a dog, stop spoiling your children and wait until you can afford a dog and your children can take care of themselves.

Answer 5

I think it is an individiual decision, but I don't think you can beat a Black Labroador. THey are so great with children, have a sweet personality, are smart, are not barkers, and shed very little (due to short coat). If you have ever watched Dog Whisperer, you know how he feels about all dogs. They can all be trained for obedience which is essential to do, and you must be the pack leader...let the dog know from day one who is the boss. This is done by remaining calm in every instance. These dogs need to be taken for a walk daily. The lessons I have learned from him are exercise, discipline and then affection, in that order. You can't beat it...it works. Good luck with your dog hunting. Maybe a rescue Lab who already has been house trained would be a good option too.

Answer 6

A stuffed toy. You don't want it to do anything that a dog will naturally do, and all dogs have the potential to be extremely expensive. There is no telling what might happen to it and the vet bills it will incur. Routine care is expensive enough, adding up to around $1000 per dog per yr. You'll have to spend $500 of that in the first month buying everything a new dog will need (crate, vaccinations, collar and leash, tags, bowls, food, toys, chews....the list goes on, not to mention the dog itself).

Answer 7

Miniature schnauzer ie. the grey dog in 'lady and the tramp' (the schnauzer is the tramp, to give you a clear idea!). I have had mine for nearly 3 years now and never once regret my choice. My two kids are completely safe around him as our pet has managed to adapt to our quite hectic family. We live in a flat, we are away from home most of the day and yet, our VROUM has never once done anything bad/destructive/messy in our home nor annoyed the neighbours with barking. He doesn't shed his hair but i do get him groomed regularly to keep up with the fun haircut ie. eyebrows and moustache/beard.
VROUM is the second miniature schnauzer we have got since we got married and he's the second pleasure with NO TROUBLE at all.
Hope you find the pet that will be a great addition to your family.

Answer 8

The closest dog I can think of to your requirements is a Bichon Frise. They are small, don't shed any hair, don't need a lot of exercise and don't like getting their feet wet.The only thing is they can be a bit snappy but you get that with a lot of small dogs - they are fine if you treat them properly.
I would like to add that I'm not recommending this breed because it is my own personal favourite. My dog is a springer spaniel - absolutely lovely but would not meet with your requirements.

Answer 9

Toy or miniature poodle would be great, they can be kept as house dogs, don't shed hair at all (good for people with allergies) and are very loving and friendly and have tons of energy to play but won't need loads of walks.

I've had two little poodles and they were both lovely, Both sadly passed on now but I miss them so much and would love another poodle when my baby son is older.

Downside is they need regular grooming every 6 weeks or so.

Answer 10

I would say don't get a dog at all.Dogs bark, they cost money, to feed, groom etc, they all need exercise and you can't guarantee that they will be good with kids, why don't you wait until your kids are older or get a different sort of pet, like a guinea pig or something small.
By the way, I love dogs I have 3 of my own!

Answer 11

A cardboard cut out?
No seriously I think you will be hard pushed to find a small dog that doesn't like the sound of his own voice. I currently have a westie and a cairn terrier. Both are great with the kids unfortunately both like the sound of their own voices and I am sure think they are in a competition when they start!

ps before the kids I kept Chow Chows but they eat unsuspecting children!