Good dog for toddler
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Anonymous
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We have been thinking about adopting a dog for a while now. Our main concern is that our 2 1/2 year old DD has not grown up around dogs thus far. She likes them, but we are concerned about impulsivity. For instance, if she perceives the dog trying to take a toy or get in her way, she may swipe at the dog, and the dog in turn may bite. I have seen her do this at my MIL's house with her dog.
Should we wait until she is older? Is there a paticular dog that might be best? We've determined that she needs a calm, probably older dog. She doesn't do well with really jumpy or loud dogs. We also need one who minimally sheds bc my husband has a slight allergy. Additionally, we live in a townhouse and both work (me part-time), so a larger dog that needs to be walked a lot is out... Ideas? |
Anonymous
Yes, you should wait until she is older. |
Anonymous
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And then get a Cavapoo (half Poodle, half Cavalier King Charles Spaniel).
Very sweet, loving, gentle dogs. They love being around people and are playful but small and manageable. Also very low to non-shedding. Ours hardly sheds at all. My DH and DD have slight allergies and we've had our Cavapoo for over a year now and no problems whatsoever. And they are the cutest dogs you'll ever see! |
Anonymous
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Opposite opinion here: get a medium sized dog, probably a nice shepherd mix, from the shelter. A medium sized dog isn't so threatened by a child's activity, and one a year or year and a half old is adaptable.
It isn't that difficult to teach a child to respect the dog. |
Anonymous
| We went down to WARL (Washington Animal Rescue League) with our toddlers. They showed us dogs who were proven to get along with kids...and we interacted with several for a while. We now have a wonderful dog (beagle) who is great with kids. I highly recommend this route. |
Anonymous
| OP here. Thanks for the helpful responses, I will definitely consider these. |
Anonymous
| You may have to go the puppy from a breeder route. 1) You'll have more control over socializing the dog from the beginning 2) Most pounds and many rescue organizations will be reluctant to place a dog with a family with small children.... Poodle-Golden retriever mixes typically do well with small children. |
Anonymous
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A lot of rescues are wary of families with children under 5.
My best advice is to wait. |
Anonymous
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Op, please dont go to a breeder.
Check out www.petfinder.com. You put in your zip code and they list dogs in shelters and rescue groups in your area. We found a yellow lab puppy ( 10 mos) before we had a baby. He is now almost 2 and we have an 8 mo baby. He is wonderful with her. A little jumpy when he gets excited but he lays next to her when she plays, she can lay on him in our bed and play with his ears, hes wonderful. I would consider a lab mix from a rescue, maybe one mixed with a smaller dog so its not too big. |
Anonymous
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Get a pug! Mid Atlantic pug rescue. http://www.midatlanticpugrescue.org/
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Anonymous
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If you rescue, wait until the child is older, 6 or so.
Otherwise, get a puppy from a breeder. Nothing wrong with a breeder dog as long as you do your homework on the breeder and ensure that they are reputable and honestly care for the dog after placement. A reputable breeder will make you sign a contract and will take the dog back if it does not work out. |
Anonymous
| My advice is to wait. We got our dog when DD was 4 and it was too young -- it was hard for her not to try to carry the dog around, pull on her too much, etc. |
Anonymous
| Check out petfinder, a lot of fosters test the dogs to see if they are good with kids, cats, and other dogs. |