Can’t lose small breed for a kid

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We have a Blue Russian cat. Very dog like, plays fetch, very affectionate with everyone and you don't have to pick up pooops.

So how do you clean the litter box then?

Why do cat people always talk about how dog like their cats are? I've never heard a dog person talk about how cat like their dog is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For those who have been asking, my daughter is 10. She’s a pretty quiet, low key kid. The first dog we tried was an American Eskimo, miniature. The dog began to get aggressive with my daughter as she approached puberty. My vet said she thought she was left in a cage and neglected before we got her. I rehomed her with a dog rehabilitation behaviorist.

The second dog was my mom’s. The dog became part of the family when my mom moved in. Mom moved in because she was diagnosed with a terminal illness. The dog was half corgi, half Jack Russell terrier. My mom adopted her as a puppy from the shelter. Things were great for three months then the dog began getting aggressive toward my daughter. My uncle came and got the dog after the third unprovoked attack on my daughter.

I do feel like both dogs saw my daughter as bottom of the pecking order because she is small and quiet. She still really wants a dog. She watches Lucky Dog all the time. She had watched the show and learned how to train the last dog. I feel like it’s unfair to her. She was very involved with the dog.

Corgis are one person dogs. Know what breed you are getting. ALso, know that this pack stuff is outdated nonsense based on wolves, and even there it has been disproven. Learn more about dogs before you get one.

If you read the post without prejudice you would have noticed that the dog was chosen by my mother. She and the dog moved in when she was diagnosed with terminal cancer.

[Anonymous]

OP, I am sorry that some posters are being unkind (and also not reading your posts carefully).

The second dog was your mother's dog that you cared for along with your mom when she had advanced cancer. An uncle took that dog because he didn't match your family.
This is NOT the same thing as casually adopting and re-homing a pet.

Your posts demonstrate that you are thoughtful and that you are researching what is best.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hi OP, thanks for providing additional information. I am sorry about the difficulties that you have gone through and understand your motivation for trying again! The bond between a kid and their dog can be beautiful!

I highly recommend a lab puppy from a good breeder. (I think yellow labs are the cutest!) Labs are good with all family members. They will fetch all day with a kid even if someone else usually walks or feeds them. They aren’t exclusive and have good personalities. As another poster said, they are popular for a reason!

You could look for a litter predicted to be on the smaller side of the standard range. Obviously, no labs are small, but some are larger than others.

If you get a lab puppy and your daughter does the training classes with the pup then I see this going well. Best wishes!

P.S. Labs do need a lot of exercise. Think at least 45 min in the morning, mid-day walk, and 45 min in the evening.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Cavaliers have great temperament. Goldens are also great with kids.

we have a golden and a cavapoo (cavalier + poodle). both are great dogs. the cavapoo is a complete lap dog, very smart, learns lots of tricks. plus - no shedding. we always had big dogs and now are sold on cavapoos. just so sweet, patient with kids, smart. def recommend.

the golden just goes where the food is.

[Anonymous]

As someone who grew up with and loves them, do NOT get a Westie. They don't love kids and can be snappy with them, and are typically one person/aloof dogs. We did have ONE particularly sweet Westie who loved everyone, but she was an exception.

[Anonymous]

We had labs that loved the whole family, even if they knew I was their favorite because I'm mom. You've tried a dog twice and rehomed. The more a dog is rehomed, the more likely it will have behavior issues and end up euthanized. Maybe get her a kitten?

[Anonymous]

Some small dogs are very individual person bonded. Maltese, for example.

If you want small, I'd recommend a pug (except the breathing issues are terrible), cavapoo, cavalier (but heart issues), or something of that nature. A good rescue foster can also identify which dogs are snuggle bugs that like kids, and which dogs are the type that want a single human in charge.

Also let your daughter do as much care as she can, and regularly give the dog treats. My youngest is one of the primary treat-givers for our dog -- she likes to do tricks with him, so he knows when she calls him over, it's treat time!

[Anonymous]

Cavalier King Charles Spaniel would be my rec. And get it from a reputable breeder, as a puppy. Rescuing dogs is great but it's also very challenging and you can't risk having a bad fit again - not fair to your daughter or the dog.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Cavalier King Charles Spaniel would be my rec. And get it from a reputable breeder, as a puppy. Rescuing dogs is great but it's also very challenging and you can't risk having a bad fit again - not fair to your daughter or the dog.

PP- just adding, thsi is my small dog rec - but agree with PPs that you can't go wrong with a Lab either. We grew up with them and they were always most bonded to our Mom (who did all the work!) but they loved every family member (and random stranger, tbh). Just great personalities for a family dog

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Cavalier King Charles Spaniel would be my rec. And get it from a reputable breeder, as a puppy. Rescuing dogs is great but it's also very challenging and you can't risk having a bad fit again - not fair to your daughter or the dog.

+1 I'm a big dog person (I have Goldens) but I think if I were to get a small dog I would get a Cavalier and would also recommend them to OP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For those who have been asking, my daughter is 10. She’s a pretty quiet, low key kid. The first dog we tried was an American Eskimo, miniature. The dog began to get aggressive with my daughter as she approached puberty. My vet said she thought she was left in a cage and neglected before we got her. I rehomed her with a dog rehabilitation behaviorist.

The second dog was my mom’s. The dog became part of the family when my mom moved in. Mom moved in because she was diagnosed with a terminal illness. The dog was half corgi, half Jack Russell terrier. My mom adopted her as a puppy from the shelter. Things were great for three months then the dog began getting aggressive toward my daughter. My uncle came and got the dog after the third unprovoked attack on my daughter.

I do feel like both dogs saw my daughter as bottom of the pecking order because she is small and quiet. She still really wants a dog. She watches Lucky Dog all the time. She had watched the show and learned how to train the last dog. I feel like it’s unfair to her. She was very involved with the dog.

Corgis are one person dogs. Know what breed you are getting. ALso, know that this pack stuff is outdated nonsense based on wolves, and even there it has been disproven. Learn more about dogs before you get one.

If you read the post without prejudice you would have noticed that the dog was chosen by my mother. She and the dog moved in when she was diagnosed with terminal cancer.

I did. I'm telling you that for your third dog.

[Anonymous]

I don't know anything about American Eskimo dogs, but I do know that corgis are usually not particularly friendly and will nip/herd and that jack russells are just little jerks so I'm not surprised that dog wasn't a great fit.

Here's the AKC best family dog list - might be a good place to start https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/lifestyle/best-family-dogs/. More importantly, you probably need to get a puppy and raise it in the family. It's so much more work than getting an adult dog, but the best way to get a good fit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We have a Blue Russian cat. Very dog like, plays fetch, very affectionate with everyone and you don't have to pick up pooops.

You don't scoop their poop?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have a Blue Russian cat. Very dog like, plays fetch, very affectionate with everyone and you don't have to pick up pooops.

So how do you clean the litter box then?

Why do cat people always talk about how dog like their cats are? I've never heard a dog person talk about how cat like their dog is.

Some dogs are very catlike. Shibas for example are the first ones that come to mind, and I've heard their owners talking about how catlike they are. Our dog is a mix but we sometimes talk about how catlike she is - she cleans herself and has caught chipmunks and quite a few birds in the yard. She also herds the kids. She's a mix of everything.

We also had a doglike cat who would walk on a leash and would happily play fetch for hours.