what breed of dog should we get for my 2 year old daughter? we also have another baby on the way.?

Question

we were thinking of a bulldog, english bulldog, or a bull terrier.

we love boxers, but just moved into a appartment. so somthing under 45 pounds, and a good family dog.

Answer 1

Congrats! I think you should get an American Eskimo. They are very cute and absolutely love small children. Here's a picture I found on the Internet of two adorable American Eskimos. Good Luck with your puppy!

http://www.pets.ca/breedprofiles/a/americaneskimo-miniature/a8.jpg

Answer 2

Here I go again with probably with the most unpopular answer you are going to get. Why not the "Nanny Dog", the American Pit Bull Terrier?
They may be a little bigger then you want, Mine is 55 pounds.
She absolutely loves everyone. I did not do a lot of training her so she is bad mannered. She wants to jump on everyone for attention, except for kids. When kids come over she just wiggles around them.
When my daughter brought my grandson, one month old, and sat him on the floor Honey went over and gave him a sniff and lay on the floor next to him. She stayed on the floor next to him for over an hour, she would not move. Now the baby is a year old. When they come for a visit the Pit will go over to the baby and put head in his hand so he can play with her ears while she licks his toes.

Soapbox on:
Petey in the Our Gang movies was a Pit Bull. Tiege of Buster Brown fame was a Pit Bull. From the 20s to the 50s the Pit Bull was the most popular family dog in the country.
OK, I am sure you have read about all the Pit Bull attacks from dogs that were not raised properly. The thing that bugs me about the media reports is they just say Pit Bull and do not say which of the breeds of the ones that are considered Pits. I would bet that they not an APBT. More than likely they are the American Staffordshire Terrier or the Staffordshire Bull Terrier.
Soapbox Off:

Other people have already said this. A Beagle is a great dog.
Usually in the 20 to 25 pound range. But of course I got a mutant that really grew big and weights in at 40 pounds. Great with everyone. Some people say they howl a lot. Mine is the last one to bark or howl when there is a noise outside or someone comes to the door. But when he follows the other dogs lead you can really hear that hound bay.

No mater what you decide on, have fun.

Here is a site that might help you decide.

http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/children.htm

Answer 3

What do some of the people who have answered think a couple that have a dog but no kids then end up having a baby should do with their dog,obviously get rid of it.Look around you at all the families with kids of all ages from newborns,toddlers etc...and they have dogs.Yes toddlers can be a little heavy handed and some toddlers can be rough(if you have a child like this,I wouldn't advise a dog at this stage)Most dogs if they grow up from a young pup with small children will love that child and tolerate the odd cuddle thats actually a squeeze.If all the people who had dogs that bit their toddlers we would never have them as pets.I had dogs before my kids were born and even as tiny babies,I can remember my little girl would whizz around in her baby walker and grab at the dogs(we had german shepherds)the dogs never so much as batted an eyelid.I eventually had four kids and acquired a malamute along with the shepherds and I can honestly say I've never had an instance where I thought the dogs might bite one of the kids.My kids are older now,the youngest is 4 and both kids and dogs have wonderful relationships.I still don't leave my 4 year old unsupervised if he's playing with the dogs,he's very gentle but once I caught him trying to put lego in one of my dogs ears.Research on the internet as many dogs are wonderful with kids,Labs,retreivers,german shepherds,king charles spaniel,irish setters,viszla's,shih Tzu all are known to be exteremely tolerant and they are just a few,as long as you train your pup,give him adequate exercise and supervise your child stroking your dog it will be fine.If possible try and read or do a course in dog psychology/behaviour as this will help you understand your dogs body language and many dog bites could be avoided if people knew more about their dogs behaviour.

Answer 4

A rescue!! Visit your local pound and look online. I mention this mainly because these dogs are temperament tested before being put up for adoption, you will be able to know right away if the dog will be ok with your 2 year old. 2 year olds will pull fur, sit on the dog, get in its food and water, probably hit it (for attention, they don't know any better). Your new baby will do this too when its big enough. You want a dog that will be able to handle this kind of rough treatment without retaliation.

Do NOT get a puppy!!! Yes, a puppy could learn to deal with your daughter, but most likely will see what she does as a game, and when puppies play games, they play with teeth. A pup will chase her as she walks, because she can't get away from him and when she tries, he'll chase her and likely knock her down. Then he'll be all over her with big tongue and slobbery kisses and paws with claws that will hurt. A puppy will get bigger than her very fast too. Your daughter could form a very negative attitude towards dogs this way.

Answer 5

I know you probably don't want to hear this, but you should wait at least a few years. We have a seven year old daughter,and got a 9 wk old beagle spaniel mix from the humane society two months ago. Puppies are very nippy and playfull, of course they can be trained, but will it be a lot of work. I was surprised how much work a puppy can be! A bigger, older dog would be OK, but with little ones you don't really know what the dog's personality will be,and it could be dangerous.
Anyway...my husband and I are doing most of the work with the dog, although my daughter does feed her.
You will have your hands full with a newborn, why make it more hectic?

Answer 6

That's easy....none!
A two yr old does not have capability to understand the responsibility. You next child may be allergic ...why put an animal through that. It gets used to a home then taken to a rescue, shelter- or worse. Do the dog a favor and don't take it home to a 2 yr old child. We in the rescue world already have seen this thousands of times.

You don't know what it's like to hear them howling and crying for hrs and days because they've been dropped off from their home of 4 or more years and left. It is heartbreaking. Please don't do it..If you don't believe me - go to my website and see. Read some of the stories.

In my county if an 'owner' turns in a dog to the SPCA - it is walked into the back room on a lead and euthanized on the spot - usually the owners know this and are not even out to their cars before their ex-pet is dead.

Answer 7

well, honestly, I don't think the dog will be for your 2 yr old. Is she going to feed it, walk it and care for it? No? Then the dog is for you, not her. I would suggest that if you are having another baby, maybe you should wait until after the baby is born because then the dog would be able to get used to both children at the same time, instead of the 2 yr old now, then a baby later. Dogs do get jealous, it might act out. I would suggest that you do some research about what kind of dogs are least aggresive toward children. Its so sad to hear about kids getting bit and hurt by family dogs.

Answer 8

With a 2 year old AND another baby on the way? I recommend NO dog. You're not going to have time for it and "no time" is one of the reasons a lot of dogs end up in shelters. Why don't you wait until the children are a bit older? I would never have a dog around a two year old child. Not for the child's safety but for the DOG'S safety. Two year olds grab and squeeze and pull anything they can - they don't know how to be gentle with an animal.

Answer 9

I hate to tell you this, but kids on the way and very young children are two of the most common reason for poor family pets being dumped on kill shelters all over the country every year. Please re-think your idea. Dogs are great for a family, but ONLY if you have the time to train, care for them, play with them, and supervise your children around them. Don't be the reason another poor animal is put to sleep in a shelter. Wait until the kids are old enough to care for pets responsibly and you have the room to own dogs.

eadmon says it all!

Answer 10

Bull dogs can be really hyper if you get a puppy so you have to be with them constantly when they're near children. I have a friend who has one and the puppy loves to tackle his little girls. She's only playing, but she doesn't realize her own strength. Take a look at some of the smaller breed dogs. I've always liked Cavalier King Charles Spaniels. They're adorable, are only small-medium when full grown, friendly, smart and not overly hyper. They look like a small cross between a cocker spaniel and a springer spaniel.

Answer 11

Dogs are A LOT of work, and require time, training and daily walks.

Please make sure you have the time and commitment before you take a dog home. It seems like you will have your hands full with a toddler and a newborn.

If you really want a dog, go to petfinder.com

They have a variety of rescue, as well as pure bred dogs available. You might want to consider an older adult dog that is already house trained.