What Kind of Dog?

PUGS! I have 2 and they are great with Shelby. They are such buds. Colorado Pug Rescue has lots to adopt. Sometime getting an older dog is better because they are potty trained and already used to being around babies.

First off what every type of dog you get, never leave it alone with out your supervision. Many things can happen; children can get hurt and dog get euthanized. Any and all dogs can only take so much of getting tugged, pulled and poked at. I have seen to many dogs being brought into my work because they have snapped and it wasn't their entire fault.
As far as what kind of dog, since you have a small yard I would suggest a small to medium breed dog. Then you need to decide if you want or need an allergy free breed. If so you need a poodle. If not your choices are wide open. Next choice do you want to have a dog that needs to go to a groomer or one that has short hair and does not. Activity level? Jack Russell’s have a high activity level and love to run. A Shih Tzu don't have as high of an activity level. You could get a Min. Grey Hound; they have short hair and are very friendly (but can be shy). If you can tell me all different choices you like I can help you out.
Hope this helps!
D.

Hi, we have a 4 month and friends with kids that visist us as well. We have 2 golden retrievers and love watching our little girl learn how to pet the dogs. They are both extremely gentle around her and have not shown any jealous traits towards our little girl.

you don't want something that is long haired, it can harm the kids when it sheds and cause breathing problems. you want a dog that is like a daschund, or beagle. you don't want a dog that is mean and bad tempered, and might get jealous of the new baby if you have luck with #2. and plus they do well in small spaces. my husband and i were living in an apartment when i got pregnant, and well, my husband kind of feeling jealous of a new baby coming, wanted a companion, so we got a daschund puppy and he did so well in the apartment for the short time that we were living there before we moved into a house, and he was so well temepered with the baby. my son kind of pulls on his tail and pulls on his skin, but we adjusted him to it before my son was born. when we played with him we made it a point to pull on his gently and everything.

if you have any more questions about dogs, let me know. and i wish you luck with #2 and chosing a good dog for you and your family!

We have a lab and he is great with our daughter and even our newborn son as well. He plays well with her and doesn't bark and has never snipped at anyone and he is almost two. She used to pull on his ears and tail and he would never do anything, but lick her. He pulls my daughter on the sled when we go sledding and the even play tag, it's kind of funny. We actually have puppies that will be ready to go home the first part of April. Let me know if you have any questions about labs. Also, I do know that Weimerheimers are not good with children.

I have a 2 1/2 yr old and we have a chocolate lab, and he is wonderful with her, and has been since she was born. I also have several other friends with Labs and they love them to. I would highly recommend it! Good luck!

I would suggest waiting until the the youngest child (after you have him/her)is at least 5 or six years old. All dogs will bite if provoked and that can mean a toddler just crawling over to get in the dog bowl because he is defending his territory. Toddlers also like to pull tails and fur, sit on them like trying to ride the grocery store horse. My now 4yr old was bitten when he was just crawling too close to the dog bowl by own dog (we got the dog when my bigger kids were about 7 and 8yrs old and my little one wasn't even thought of). He also got bit because he was teasing another dog at the dog park. I heard lately on the news that most dog bites happen to children under like age 12. As far as breeds go, mixed breeds I think are usually not as high strung. Lab mix, Border Collie mix, go to the kennel and visit them when the time is right.
b

Hi, I think that cocker spaniels are good dogs for kids, they do need to be brushed so that their hair does not mat around the ears, and Australian Sheperds are dependable.

Also, you might want to check with the dumb friends league (humane society)they have very nice pets.

I recently signed up for freecycle.com/Parker, and there were a couple of dogs there, that have to be given to good homes. One was a Border Collie, the other a Basset Hound? Anyway I wish you the best in finding the right pet.

C.

Hey C.!
You sure did get a lot of advice on the dog issue. I wanted to add my two cents real quick. First on what dog not to get. We have two miniature dachshunds (the hot dogs, a term I hate but that is what people call them) and although they are wonderful pets they are NOT good dogs for little kids. As we all know kids are not always gentle and a Doxxie has terrible back issues. The pressure from just one heavy pat can injure them and possibly paralyze them for life. This then leads to huge vet bills. Little ones also enjoy throwing food and watching the dogs run for it, added weight leads to back issues. Also these tenacious little creatures were breed for hunting, badgers. This causes issues when your little ones get older and wants a hamster or other small rodent. The Doxxie has such strong hunting genes that even the most docile dog sees a rodent and off they go, trust me 5 hours of chasing one is no fun! These dogs are great with teens who want to enter “earth dog” competitions but from a mom who is always running after her 20 month old telling him no no no be gentle I would stay far away from this breed especially if you are planning on having another baby!
What to get? I was raised in a family who breed dogs and there are good and bad in ALL breeds. My suggestion is to take a look at www,akc.org and read about the different breeds. Also they are cross breeding many dogs now giving the best of each dog into one cute mix! This is a great time to check out the ASPCA and the humane society since we are far enough away from Christmas that those “cute” puppies haave lost their charm and people have given them up. Good luck

i agree with those who said to wait until you're youngest is a little older before you get a dog...i also agree to stay away from "herding" dogs...and i wholeheartedly agree with adopting a shelter dog, why get a designer/pure bred (inbred???) when there are thousands of homeless pets out there waiting for a good home...most any shelter or rescue service can tell you if their dog is good with kids, other dogs and cats and often times they're already house trained and with two little ones, let's face it..you're not going to have a lot of time or energy to devote to house training a puppy..if you do, you're my hero, ha ha. but whichever type of dog you get, it goes without saying you should supervise any interaction with your kids..especially since they're so young...and if you've a small backyard, i would suggest a small to medium sized breed..good luck!

I have a 9 month old and we have a small back yard as well. We picked up a Pomarainian/Caren Terrier mix... he's great with my daughter and is all around a good dog as well.

With a small backyard you might want a smaller dog, but not a high-activity terrier like a Jack Russell - I've heard too many horror stories about them. The "best" dogs are rescue dogs, so take your 2.5 yr old with you to the shelter and test out the dogs that appeal to you as much as possible. In the Denver area we're lucky to have many wonderful shelters, many of them with "purebreds" of many different breeds if that's what you want. Beware of all pet stores that actually sell puppies- they come from puppy mills which are inhumane, illegal in most states, and the dogs are inbred and disease-ridden. Beagles and Labs are known for being great with children and well-mannered, but you can always find them at shelters or with the breed rescue groups. My 16 mo old 'ella loved our aussie shepherd mix- unfortunately he passed away last fall, and we are also thinking about what sort of dog to get next, in a few more months. So that's why i responded. Have fun!

Labs are the best dogs for family and kids we have a golden and seriously she is the best dog we have ever had she minds everything you say she goes to the dooe when she needs to go to the bathroom. We have had pitbulls,a diatsun,beegle and out of all of them the lab is the best behaved and very easy to train dog.

Hi C.,

I would strongly suggest that you do not get any type of herding breed. They are wonderful dogs and very loyal, but they are bred to chase and bite. We have an Austrian Cattle dog and we love her, but she gets excited easily and she is likes to "herd" people. She is fine with older kids, but too busy for little kids.

We have Mastiff/Great Danes also and they are amazing with kids. They are very mild mannered and my 18 mon old son sits on them all the time. The are not aggressive around their food at all and very tolerant of busy fingers. They are completly happy to be inside laying at your feet or outside chasing a stick. The only drawback I have found is that they are BIG :) Our male is 145lbs, but I would never get another type of dog.

I have a 16 month old a little boy as well as an almost 11 year old Brittany. They are absolutely wonderful with one another.

I have had my share of dogs in the past and I can honestly same that our Brittany is the best dog I have ever owned.

Rusty, the Brittany, helps me wake my son up every morning. When Rusty is grumpy he lets my son know. He is patient when Wade is crawling on him but Wade also knows when to leave Rusty alone.

I feel that you not only need to find the right breed for you and your family but you have to be very specific when teaching your kids how and when to play with the dog.

Good luck with your search! :)

HI, my name is Amber. My daughter will turn 3 in two weeks. I am a dog groomer and grew up with a mother who raised dogs. Here are my suggestions: For a dog with little upkeep I suggest a daschund (wiener dog).
They don't tend to bite, they come in many varieties so I suggest the smooth coat. Beagles are also great choices but they can bark a lot. A lab is a great choice if you like bigger dogs and they can do ok in a small back yard as long as you walk them occasionally.

I do not suggest a chihuahua, they tend to bite as do poms. If you come across a dog and would like some input on it let me know.

Hi C.!

In my experience, Boxers are some of the best dogs with kids. They are a medium to large breed dog, but they are so gentle and loving. My boxer just loves babies!!! I have known several people who have boxers, and they are so tolerant, of kids poking and pulling, and of other dogs as well. They do fine with small backyards, however it is a good excuse to get out for a walk with the family to walk the dog. I could go on for ages, we will always have at least one boxer in our family, they are just so wonderful!!! Good Luck!

H.

Hey C., I have two little dogs, we have a toy poodle and mini schnauzer. I think that our schnauzer is the best with little ones, they are really sweet and gentle. Lily (the mini schnauzer) loves my daughter Jamie, lily is very protective of her and always concerned about her. When Jamie wakes up from a nap, Lily will go and keep her company until I get there. Lily lets Jamie pull on her and hold on to her, my daughter is 7 months old and doesn't know how to be "gentle" with Lily yet and no matter what she does to Lily she never shows aggression or any negative interaction. The poodle is more tempramental, he gets irritated easy, so I don't think that a poodle is the best choice. But from my experience schnauzers are super dogs all around, they are smart, easy to train, loyal and good with little spaces. They do have a lot of energy so they love walks and playing but they do know how to be calm and quiet. If you have any questions I would be happy to answer them.
Talk to ya later

Maeg