I feel I have to chime in since we just adopted our second dog 5 weeks ago. We've had a yorkie (rescued) for 9 years and though she's great with our 4 yr. old, she can be nippy with guests - but we love her. We talked and talked about getting a second dog, mostly because my son wanted his "own" dog so we toyed with the idea for a long time. I'm on a list serve for "urgent" dogs, dogs on death row at shelters across the US. I finally contacted a particular shelter in GA (we're in N. VA) that was in the process of destroying the dogs that no one had spoken for and inquired about a small mixed dog. That particular dog was going to a rescue, so I inquired about a hound mix with a sweet face and was told he was to be destroyed the very next day, so before asking my husband, I offered to take him. They arranged transport and 3 days later, he was in VA. He is the most sweetest, loving, funny dogs I have ever been around! He came to us filthy, not neutered, but full of life and love. He's so gentle with our son, who continues to hang on him, tries to ride him, and never gives him a free moment - when I think of him being destroyed because no one wanted him, my heart breaks. He buries his bones in my vegetable garden, tears up our recycling, but offers his food to our yorkie before he eats, and will entertain my son for hours on end.

There are so many great family dogs sitting in shelters, especially rural shelters, and because they're mixes, or black, they're overlooked and ultimately destroyed. We couldn't have asked for a better family dog, in both temperment and personality. We are completely in love and feel so fortunate that he found us.

There are some shelters that only have a 10% adoption rate, only because they're rural and have no other outlets for rescue.

Anonymous wrote:I think your best course of action is to go to a rescue group, take the kids, and look for an adult dog. You don't know how a puppy is going to grow up, but with an adult dog, you know their personality. The rescue people will also be able to tell you if a dog has historically been good or bad with kids (some love kids, some don't). And then you allow the kids to interact with the dog to see how it does with your kids.

We have a lab. She is one of the few that doesn't love kids, but she has learned to tolerate our son (there was a time where we she was not so tolerant). No breed is a given kid lover.

Best idea ever. Our dog is a rescue - 1/2 beagle 1/2 golden retriever. Riddled with anxiety when we got him but has turned out to be the best dog ever. Responsible breeding is an oxymoron in my opinion. Any type of dog you want can be found at a shelter or a breed-specific rescue.

We have a Portuguese Water Dog (PWD, or portie). I know a few people asked/mentioned them on this thread.

Our PWD is three years old, and we have a one-year-old child.

The good: non-shedding, extremely affectionate, fun personality. Seriously, I KNOW my dog has a sense of humor. I love him so much and can't imagine my life without him.

The bad: I wouldn't recommend for first-timers with a dog. PWDs are high energy and require a fair amount of exercise. Non-shedding = grooming bills (my dog's haircut costs 2x as much as mine!). Especially when they are young, they are very mouthy dogs. There were very few pieces of furniture in my house that our PWD didn't sink his teeth into the first year I had him.

We have had some issues with biting, but he was not fixed until about 6 months ago. Since then, he's calmed down.

He also barks a lot. He's a pretty good guard dog, always alert to the neighborhood noises. This, of course, is both good and bad (he woke us up 2-3 times last night and can't stand it when the neighbor is revving his engine).

PWDs are also very jumpy dogs. We had to work hard to train ours not to jump on us in greeting every time we came home. In general, you need to devote some time to training them. They are smart dogs but need direction.

I haven't read this whole thread carefully so forgive me if someone already said this, but there are two types of Labs: english, and american. The english lab is typically smaller and "squatter," for lack of a better word. So they don't take up as much space as the typical big, tall, American Lab. We adopted a lab from Labrador Retriever Rescue, and he's been fantastic. He was 5 when we adopted him, about 7 years ago, and we never regretted adopting an older dog. He's an english lab, so he just seems smaller than other labs, even though he's around 85 pounds. We adopted him before we had kids so we didn't worry about that as much, but we did want a lab that was calm and gentle, and that's exactly what we found, so when we did have our first baby, we were very confident that he would be fine. Good luck to you!!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Jack Russells can be mischievous. If you are considering a terrier, look at mini Schnauzers. They are not the brightest, but not too dumb. They will bark, but tend to be quite healthy.

NOT a schnauzer. I have known several schnauzers, and the all did not like children. One ran across a room to bite a child that wasn't paying any attention to the dog whatsoever. The dog had never been mistreated by a child. We looked into it and were told that schnauzers are known for not liking children. Another schnauzer we had would bark at children whenever they entered the room.

Completely depends on the dog! I have a mini schnauzer and he has spent a lot of time around kids. Has NEVER nipped or bitten anyone. Sweetest dog ever. Toddler niece has hand fed dog kibble and he loved it. Was so gentle with her.

Lucky Dog is a nice local rescue organization. We got a lab-mix from them (very nice dog -- about 50 pounds). Their application process was very easy. They bring a lot of dogs from shelters in the South and foster them here. They brought the dog to our house so he could meet the children.
I know OP said they didn't want a big dog, but I have usually found the energy level inversely proportional to the size.

Anonymous wrote:Hands-down, GOLDEN RETRIEVERS! IF more people had their personalities then the world would be a better place.

I noticed this is an old thread but just had to comment--you're so right! We have two shelties and a beagle that we adore, but any time I see a wonderful golden "jogging" in the park or playing with kids in the neighborhood, I can't help but smile (actually, grin--probably looking silly!) They're such terrific dogs but a bit too large for our home, so I support their local rescue group.

Hands-down, GOLDEN RETRIEVERS! IF more people had their personalities then the world would be a better place.

In general terriers and hounds are hard to train.

Anonymous wrote:Jack Russells can be mischievous. If you are considering a terrier, look at mini Schnauzers. They are not the brightest, but not too dumb. They will bark, but tend to be quite healthy.

NOT a schnauzer. I have known several schnauzers, and the all did not like children. One ran across a room to bite a child that wasn't paying any attention to the dog whatsoever. The dog had never been mistreated by a child. We looked into it and were told that schnauzers are known for not liking children. Another schnauzer we had would bark at children whenever they entered the room.

Mini-Schnauzer or Schnoodle? Which would you choose?

I think your best course of action is to go to a rescue group, take the kids, and look for an adult dog. You don't know how a puppy is going to grow up, but with an adult dog, you know their personality. The rescue people will also be able to tell you if a dog has historically been good or bad with kids (some love kids, some don't). And then you allow the kids to interact with the dog to see how it does with your kids.

We have a lab. She is one of the few that doesn't love kids, but she has learned to tolerate our son (there was a time where we she was not so tolerant). No breed is a given kid lover.

Anonymous wrote:

Jack Russell Terriers ARE NOT GOOD DOGS FOR CHILDREN.

Not true. Some Jack Russells aren't good with kids, just like some poodles aren't and even some labs aren't. I have a Jack Russell and she's very good with my curious toddler.

Agree with the PPs who said you should spend some time with different dogs at a rescue group or shelter and find one who is suited for your family.

We adopted our Jack Russell Terrier from Washington Animal Rescue League, and I recommend them very highly. They evaluate each dog's personality and behavior and help you find the right pet for your family. I didn't think I would fall in love with a JRT (wanted a beagle or springer spaniel), but she's absolutely perfect for our family.

Good luck to everyone looking to adopt dogs!

Obviously there are exceptions in every breed but a lab or a poodle is more likely to be calm and gentle around children than a Jack Russell is.

Jack Russell Terriers ARE NOT GOOD DOGS FOR CHILDREN.

Not true. Some Jack Russells aren't good with kids, just like some poodles aren't and even some labs aren't. I have a Jack Russell and she's very good with my curious toddler.

Agree with the PPs who said you should spend some time with different dogs at a rescue group or shelter and find one who is suited for your family.

We adopted our Jack Russell Terrier from Washington Animal Rescue League, and I recommend them very highly. They evaluate each dog's personality and behavior and help you find the right pet for your family. I didn't think I would fall in love with a JRT (wanted a beagle or springer spaniel), but she's absolutely perfect for our family.

Good luck to everyone looking to adopt dogs!

What about a malti-poo? We live in a small home in Georgetown.