Check out petfinder, a lot of fosters test the dogs to see if they are good with kids, cats, and other dogs.

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.

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.

Get a pug! Mid Atlantic pug rescue. http://www.midatlanticpugrescue.org/

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.

A lot of rescues are wary of families with children under 5.
My best advice is to wait.

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.

OP here. Thanks for the helpful responses, I will definitely consider these.

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.

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.

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 wrote: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?

Yes, you should wait until she is older.

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?