What kind of dog would be best for my family? How to prepare for the new puppy? OUR FIRST DOG!?

Question

My family is adopting a puppy this November. (Thnksgvng wknd, so that we can devote most of our time to help the puppy adjust)
In our family we have two parents, one who is at home for most of the day. There is a teenage daughter, who can help with the new addition, and a 10 year old boy who is autistic.
Since he is autistic, we need a dog that is tolerant and very good with kids. He is afraid of dogs who would chase him and bark at him. If they are gentle and docile, he will grow to love them and play with them gently.
We prefer it be easy to train, with minimal grooming requirements because we have carpeting. We do not mind a little shedding, but we dont want it to be taken to get prof. groomed.
Our house has a big, fenced, yard, and we can devote 1 hour plus a day to just playing and excersising with the dog. We of course consider time for taking it out to do its "buisness" and time to feed it, take it to the vet, etc.
What breed would be best for us?

THIS WOULD NOT FIT IN THE QUESTION DETAILS =)
Any helpful tips for first time owners would be greatly appreciated. (Training and housebreaking, specifically.)
We are a responsible family who has done our homework and researched about training our dog and what we will need for it.
All its toys, puppy food, crate, bed, etc. will be stationed in the house prior to the puppy's arrival.
We feel it's a very good idea to ask questions from experienced owners, who can tell us things books and articles can't.

*I UNDERSTAND this is a long and tedious question. Thanks for all the help and answers =)*

OTHER:
No other pets in the house, besides a fish, which should not be a problem.
Dog should be okay with strangers, as our family is a big one and there is lots of company that comes in and out.

Answer 1

I actualy think the very best breed for you would be a golden retriever. They are very people-oriented, sweet, gentle and tolerant and they are also large enough to handle some rough handling from your son if that should occur. They are very intelligent and easy to train because they want to please people so much. They are also a breed that does not bark much. They do shed and you will need to groom frequently, but I think that is a small trade-off for all the positive traits.

Answer 2

Doesn't sound like a puppy is what you are looking for, try looking for a older dog over 1 years old. Any breed of dog that you get as a puppy will bite, pee on the carpet, chase, and bark until they are taught the proper manners, getting a older dog you basically get what you see, try finding one that is already trained and has a gentle temperment. I just added a bullmastiff to our family we got him when he was 6 months old, i have 3 younger children and he is sooooo gentle and quiet, he was already taught the basic commands and has been housebroken already so from previous experience with puppies this dog has been so great not having to go through the housebreaking phase, that is the hardest especially since my husband and I work...... try looking up dog breed selectors they may help narrow down your search on what breed would suit your family. http://www.k9country.com/perl/dogBreed.pl is one dog breed selector or Iam's website has one. Good Luck here are a few stuff off the internet

Learn which type of dog breed would best suit you and your kids.
Some breeds are naturally more aggressive or high-strung than others. Breeds such as Labradors and golden retrievers are known to be more even-tempered and will do well with children. Most toy-sized and touch-and-noise-sensitive dogs are not suitable for young children.

Along with all the different breeds come different dog traits. A dogs behaviour should also be a major factor in your decision, for instance: Is the dog very energetic? If so it will require a lot of walking. If the dog is short haired it will need to be indoors in most colder climates etc..etc... There are many other things to consider as well.

Say if you have children then you are going to want a dog that is not known to be aggressive,probably should not be too hyper especially if you have toddlers. If a dog is too energetic you may run the risk of it knocking your child to the ground, or if the dog is very playful (especially a puppy) it may try and paw at your child causing painful scratches

Answer 3

Golden Retrievers are great however they do shed. Labs are good too but also shed. You could look into a poodle mix, they don't shed hardly at all. Or even a poodle, there are several sizes. You don't have to get them prof groomed, you can get a pair of shears at WalMart or your local pet store. It depends on what size dog you are wanting. You could also go with an Australian Shepherd, they too shed a bit but are excellent dogs. If you are rescuing then I would go with a little bit older dog that is calmer. They do have a tendency to nip and herd their humans but some out grow this. German Shepherds can be great dogs! They do shed a bit (all dogs do shed some but with proper grooming that can be cut down; poodles even shed but it is extremely little) If you are going for a smaller dog a Shih Tzu might be good. You can again clip their hair youself and they hardly shed. They are small but hardy.

As for training, crate training is the way to go!! It helps teach the pup or dog to hold it. As for toys, make sure you have at least 5 toys to start with and only give a couple at a time and then rotate the toys every couple weeks. This keeps the toys "new" in the animal's eyes. Get a good training book or even enroll in a training class. That is usually a fun experience for all involved.

If you have more questions and would like to please feel free to e-mail me. This is all I can think of off the top of my head but it these don't fit then let me know and I can get you more options!

Good luck!

Answer 4

I have a pitbull, and a four year old daughter. Pit Bulls excel with special-needs children, especially after some good training. Look up Therapy Dogs on the web and check out how many pits they have! A note about the ignorance surrounding this breed: I have had pit bulls my whole life, and the only biting, anti social pits I have ever seen have been ones abused TERRIBLY, or chained in a yard his whole life. The media hype against these dogs exactly resembles the hype against Dobermans, the "scary" dog of the 70s. The anti-Doberman crew said that their brains were so small that when they "swelled" the dog went crazy. The truth was, criminal-types were attracted to Dobies, same as they like pits now! Soon the media will move on. But in the mean time, the pit bull is a short hair, highly intellegent, trainable, medium-sized dog who loves nothing more than being a part of your "pack"! These dogs have excelled at anything they are tasked to do, from being narcotic-sniffing dogs (number 1 dog for this in the nation is currently a pit), therapy dogs who bring joy to hospital bound people, battlefield dogs recovering wounded soldiers, or simply a child's patient, energetic best buddy! The only thing is, pits need excersize, so if you aren't into daily walks, you should probably get a lap-dog type (though your pit will likey think she isa lap dog too!). I would research the American Pit Bull Terrier if I were you They are clean, smart, and the best friend you could ever want. As for training tips, your local library should have wonderful books on the subject. I like Cesar Milan's work (Cesar's Way) and his show the Dog Whisperer, as these techniques work best for us, and they are based on nature, not training a dog for some fancy shmancy show! No offense to dog show types! If you look into adopting or purchasing a pit bull, you will never go to another breed!

Answer 5

LadyJ and Smile are correct about the pit bulls. They are excellent therapy dogs, and since you sound so well prepared and responsible it would be great if you would rescue one! So many people hate them and mistreat them. Some are more active than others, but they make perfect house dogs--I've never had an easier dog to house break. Pits can play all day, or sit quietly by your side; they seem to be as aware of your moods as Lassie! The most important thing for Pits is socialization; if you want it to get along with cats, make sure it gets to know them as a puppy. And let it meet as many people and other dogs as you can. Goldens and labs are really nice too.

Answer 6

I have never had bad results with a young lab. Kudos for rescuing! Any dog that is young and has never been abused will do well in your home, especially with the fenced in yard. I would not get anything too small and nervous though, as I am sure you want it to be a family dog and some smalelr breeds are possesive of one person. Labs and retrievers are very loyal and loving dogs, they train well and learn quick. My best advice is to crate train, that way he/she will always have a place to go for her own downtime or if you have company over. Be consistent in all aspects of training and make sure all family members know the routine (i.e. mom cant give table scraps to Fido and expect dad not to...) Also have everyone in the family be involved in the training and clean-up. Invest in baby gates to close off rooms for the pup to be secure in if you cannot watch him closely. Buy toys too to keep him busy, I recommend Nylabone and Kong toys for the chew-happy pup. Also find a good vet, they will be key in your dogs life. Good luck and have fun!

Answer 7

Don't listen to the people who say you can't keep a dog outside, dogs are not human, they were wild animals not that long ago - do you think dogs always slept in warm houses? Why do you think they have hairy coats? OF COURSE you can keep a dog outside. Just make sure you never let it inside from day one and there won't be any problems. Mine is allowed in to only part of the house and only when we're at home, but she sleeps outside. My neighbours' two border collies are outside dogs and they bark too, but my puppy never barks unless she sees me getting her leash ready for her walk, so yours won't necessarily follow the bad example either! Good luck and I hope your sons love their new pet - but I'd echo what others have said - it will be YOU doing all the work so please make sure you're completely committed to looking after this animal as well.

Answer 8

Not because I have one, but I would say a golden retriever. They are great family dogs and love kids. But it also depends on what size of dog you want. A Lab is good too. They are both dedicated family dogs as long as you treat them right and give them the love they need. I have a 4 month old retriever and he is just a love. He just wants to play and sit with you and for you to pet him. Good luck with your puppy hunting. Hope this helps.

Answer 9

happy i can put my knowledge of dogs to use!!! Ok to start with you need a calm dog so NO HERDING BREEDS!!No yorkies, no collies, no akiras, etc. I recommend retrievers - golden, labrador, chesapeake bay, etc. Beagles are also very good house dogs but they are stubborn and hard to train, sweet hearts nonetheless. Ok finally what i'm about to say may seem weird but THIS IS TRUE pitbulls are very affectionate and playful dogs, depengin how u train them they are good wth kids.

Answer 10

I rescued a black lab and she is the best dog ever! Very sweet, is nice to the kitties, doesn't need much for grooming.