Hi, What is the best dog for a four yr. old that also travells well and doesn't destroy the house. Thanks!

Question

"XOXO":Silverwolf2006

Answer 1

When our little girls was 3....Santa brought her a little West Highland White Terrier......She has been a wonderful pet for her. this dog has been dressed in clothing just about daily...and if I were to average it out...with all the outfits this poor animal has changed into on some days.....it probably would average out to be daily. The most important thing is to find a good breeder. some breeders that I spoke with would not sell to me because they kept saying that this breed did not get along well with children.....I found that not to be true.....but the breeders that I spoke with were breeding for show....we only wanted a pet. But anyway.....she is a wonderful pet....very loving and protective. I would not get a huge dog. Oh yeah...because Westies are natural hunters.....they have this musty smell...well ours does....and they like to chase squirrels and bunnies.....I have washed this dog in the dark on several occasions because of rabbit chases.

Answer 2

First I would like to talk about destroying the house. Although some dogs may be better suited than others for your house, and may do less damage in your home because of the layout etc., which we don't know anything about, all dogs will at some point make a mess of some kind. I always tell people that the best dogs for them when it comes to whether the dog spit up on the sofa of had an accident on the Persian rug, is the one that has that expression that makes its owner love him no matter what. Those dogs, are he ones that never get tossed in the garage, those dogs are the ones with the best homes. So, although there are breeds that are less messy, it is just as important that you choose the dog breed that you are attracted to and will love. Dogs live a long time and are something that individuals who are going to care for them should choose. As far as children, they grow and they change and you will be caring for the dog not your child. Breeds are different and so are children. Some 4 year olds are little delicate girls that an active dog might jump on and push over and scare while other children are rambunctious and need a dog that is sturdy. If you would like to tell us more about your home, and your child by clicking the edit or add to question link that would help. Meanwhile you can get a much better idea what direction you would like to go in by starting with reading the AKC descriptions of breeds, and/or going to a local dog show and spending the whole day watching the breeds you are interested in. The links below are for the breed descriptions and a list of shows all over the country.

Answer 3

No dog travels well and doesn't destroy the house. It's all in the training. If you're a good trainer, and you properly socialize them to riding in a car, then the dog will be able to travel and be loose in the house without a problem. All dogs require training to become well mannered.

Small dogs are not a good idea with small children. Small children can sometimes hurt small dogs without intending to do so. I would suggest a larger dog such as a lab or golden who are more tolerant of small children. Make sure that your child is taught to treat dogs properly and not pull hair or hurt the dog. A dog and child should never be left alone together - you should always have someone supervising.

Answer 4

A stuffed one - Webkinz are cute! No, seriously...think about a short haired golden retriever. They are relatively easy to train and do not tend to get as frisky as labs. They need plenty of exercise, at least an hour a day. Goldens are patient and gentle with children: in fact, they have a need to be around people and are quite social dogs. Most dogs will travel well if you start them out early enough for them to become accustomed to being on the road. Give your dog enough exercise & he won't wreck the house (it's a great way to get kids to pick up after themselves). THIS IS IMPORTANT whatever dog you get you must "train" your child as much as you will have to train the puppy (perhaps even more).

Answer 5

terriers are not calm by any means, labs slobber, lasa's r hairy. Id suggest a rodesian ridgeback they r probably the best of them all next would be a doberman......thats right doberman.....they both r the greatest pertectors instinctively and brilliant and motherly. I unfortunately worked in a shelter for a while while in college and i learned the mannerisms and hystory. I have seen children abuse (sad to say) these types of dogs and more often than not the dog allows this. Then again i feel children should be taught to respect the "wild" in any animal and it could turn on u if pushed too far. As with any dog its the dog and how u treat it and train it. I had a boston terrier who tore up the hose little by little (not as bad as it seems but lots in the long term) yet loved my niece and would "give ME some business" when i would get after her for misbehaving.......like pulling on his ears. Funny.

Answer 6

your child is too young for a dog sad to say as most children that age don't know how to properly pet a dog gently, plus they will want to be tugging on the tail and taking the dog's toys away, and the dog may very likely give the child a light nip to warn them and the nip will be such a shock to the child that the child will scream bloody murder, so please wait until the child is 6-7 and is more fully able to understand what to and not to do to a dog as they can't really understand what not to do with a dog at the age of 4.

Answer 7

Black labs make the best pets for children. They are gentle, obedient and loyal. They also love to travel any where you go. Plus they are not aggressive and love being out with the family. Only downfall, they are big. One more thing even though labs are wonderful with children, if you mistreat and abuse a dog, they will have social problems.

Answer 8

Most labs make great dogs for children. My family has a 6 year old and we have a chocolate lab. It has never acted out tword the child yet.

Answer 9

We had great luck with our black lab...they are gentle giants!
Labs make great family dogs, they do get big though (ours is 98 lbs now full grown) so make sure you have plenty of space. All puppies chew so provide chew toys to end his boredom and you won't have much of a problem. Labs are also laid back and not high strung. I love my lab...my youngest son was 4 when we got our black lab.

Answer 10

A nice little Pound Puppy stuffed animal.