small puppies good w/ kids

[jordansmom]

Hey Everyone,

Not sure which topic this went under but since it is for Jordan, I'll place it here. We are moving next week from the home where Jordan has lived all of her life. She has been asking for a puppy and we could not have one here. So we want to get one for her to help with the transition of the move. My question is which puppies are the best for children w/ downs syndrome? Is there even one to fit this category? Haven't decided if it will be an indoor/outdoor pet, yet. Open to any and all suggestions.

Thanks!

Angie

[Ericsmomma]

Angie,
We have a small female Shiutzu(not sure of spelling), and she is great with Eric. I know alot of people would say that a small dog is not good with kids, but "RIZZO" is very patient and loving. I also like the fact that she doesn't shed, is hypo-allergetic, and is very smart. Also, she doesn't need alot of room, so if your space is limited, they are a good breed. They don't require alot of exercize either. One drawback is they need frequent grooming and brushing. But thats a small price to pay for such a loving friend. Good Luck!! Dolly

[didmyheartgood]

Hi Angie..

I had to respond to this one. We have a Blue Heeler. I know that is not your typical "house dog" and they are known to be very protective and rowdy. The funny thing about our dog is that she doesn't like Cade (non ds)very much. She has never actually bitten him, but curls her lips every time he walks by. Cade has been caught teasing her and I guess this is why there is such a personality clash.

The point I am making, is Brace(ds) can lay all over this dog, pull her ears, take her chew bones away and this dog just loves him. She is very protective of Brace and takes whatever he decides to dish out to her. I wonder if she can sense that Brace has some special issues, and is more patient with him??? She has been very good for Brace. They run, play and cuddle, even though this is not a "cuddly" breed of dog.

Also, our neighbors have a Scottie dog and Brace loves Molly too. To tell you the truth, I haven't met a dog that Brace doesn't like. Or a dog that doesn't like Brace. ;D ... I think animals are wonderful therapy for any kid............Kim

[Emilysmom]

Angie: We now have a daschund, and she is the most perfect dog in the world!!! She is so much fun, but has a quiet/sweet side too. She adores Emily, and the feeling is mutual. She is only about 13 lbs, so Emily can carry her around the house.
A few years ago, we had a beagle and she was also really good with all our kids. The only thing bad about her was that beagles are hunters, and our dog would follow a scent and would do anything to follow it......she dug so so many holes under our fence, and eventually ran away. We never found her again and that was hard on all of us. The new dog stays VERY close to home......she prefers to stay on our laps!!!

Actually, I think almost any breed would be great if you got the dog as a puppy. They would just grow up knowing what to expect from each family member. I always wanted a yorkie, but decided the boys needed a little more of a "rough and tumble dog"......and LOL this little daschund is the the dog for us!!!

Susan

[Pat]

Angie, We raise English Springer Spanials. If you like medium size dogs, they're great with kids. A neighbors kids climed the fence, went into the welping pen w/ puppies hours old and the dog did nothing to her. I did though ;D I bit!!! They like to play outside and lay at your feet inside. I have 7 puppies right now. They're so cute. I always wish I could keep them all!

[meghans_mom]

there are a couple of websites that have dog personality/family personality websites.
Not only should you look at Is this dog good with children, typically? But is your family active or not-so-active? Do you have a lot of time for grooming or can you take the dog for grooming often if needed (both costly and time consuming)
Are you home enough to train a puppy (housebreaking, good puppy manners, etc)
Are the dogs noisy (as beagles or poms can be) or do they tend to chase animals (retreiver dogs, cairn terriers)
What health problems are prevalent in XX breed that you pick? (poodles and goldren retreivers, for example have a high prevalence of hip displasia, which can be plaguing to a dog in it's later years)
A really great idea might be an older dog - a year old, or whatever...one that is already house broken and you pretty much know it's temperment.
With a puppy it can go either way, if there was overly bad breeding, etc -- if the child tugs on it too much (like I did when I was a kid...had a dog for 14 years that hated me!) it may end up not liking the child or getting skittish.
Anyways,,,whatever dog you do end up getting..look into a rescue, or adoption and DO NOT BUY FROM A PET STORE! Most puppys at a pet store come from puppy mills...not only do you not know what you're getting health-wise and temperment wise, you're supporting puppy mills w./ your purchase - which mostly are not nice places for breeding dogs to live.
If you're interested in the websites i mentioned or can't find them - give me a shout...
hope this helps some (and hope i'm not too preachy...it's just i work w/ animal rescue and to see all those abandoned animals breaks my heart so i like to see the right family with the right dog)
laurie

[justinsmom]

Laurie, I know what you mean about the pet stores. My sister is a vet tech and is forever getting calls to a pet store. We have always gotten our dogs from a shelter, except with our oldest dog she's a pure bred sheperd but only because we got it from my sister, for some reason after thinking about a pure bred compared to our shelter dogs I don't know it may be just us but for some reason the shelter dogs have always had that extra something too it's like they know we saved them and went out of their way to be the BESTEST dog ever .

[meghans_mom]

Jackie - thanks...i think i tend to be a little too passionate with this stuff and can come off sounding a little nutters :-D
Actually, our current dog - Quincy, the cairn terrier - came from a pet store...but we didn't buy him, we adopted him from a family who bought him and then decided a few days later they couldn't keep him (lucky for us). However, he is a mill dog and not the healthiest little guy in the world...
I totally agree w/ you about shelter dogs giving that something a little bit extra - because they're so happy to finally be *home* with their family! laurie

[DevensMom]

I have 2 dogs , boxer and great dane .
really the main thing that you have to focus on is the temperament of the breed and the possible health issue in the future.
as stated above do not buy from a pet store , go to a breeder , you can see the puppies interacte with one another and that will tell you which one might be the best fit for you and your life/family style .also the breeder should be able to help you on your choice.
My boxer is the most friendly dog , he loves everyone but is mostly my hubby dog ,when my great dane is a ladies dog he is protective of me and like woman more so then man ,if Deven bugs him he just moves to another part of the house when the boxer will just take the "abuse" time and time again . Deven will pull on his lips ,his ears (they are not cropped) give him kisses which the boxer will happily return slober and all, yep he is a lover and can be high strong sometimes (that is part of the breed).
It is really a personal choice on size and breed.
good luck

[Chris]

My dog is half yorkie-half shi tsu. He is about the size of a medium cat. He doesn't shed but we do have to get him groom about every other month. I would not recommend a yorkie or yorkie mix for small children. Oliver is very protective of Sarah and the rest of the family but I don't trust him alone in the same room with any child. He has bit several children, although he didn't break the skin, it is still scary.

It is interesting that my dog will sleep at Sarah's door when she takes a nap. He always stays in the same room that she is playing in but he won't let her touch him.

Actually, we have the best cat in the world. He LOVES all children and will let them pull at his tail and sit on him. He purrs the entire time.

I think animals are wonderful for kids. Good luck!

Chris

[AnnieC]

We have a golden retriever & a welsh corgie. They are wonderful with the kids, very gentle.


good luck!!

[jordansmom]

Hey Guys!

Thanks for coming through for us. Guess we will hit the website that was mentioned. I do know one thing for sure, the pet store I had planned on purchasing from is not going to happen. I just called our local shelter and got the hours they are opened!

Thanks again,

Angie ;D

[Jenn]

;D
Look into a pekignese....We have one and Courtney loves her.. Zsa Zsa is great and takes a beating.....and never snaps!
We also have a Pekapoo who is great...she yaps alot though....Zsa is always drawn to Courtney and is very protective of her. All the kids in the neighborhood want the dog.
Good Luck!

[SuziF]

As I recall from discussion back awhile ago, I think there are a bunch of us on here with Retreivers & Labs.They seem to be incredibly tolerant & loyal dogs.
~We had an English Springer too & though they were both great dogs the Springer sometimes was a bouncer ~ as in you'd swear she was spring loaded

[ashleysmom]

This isn a GREAT topic for me. I love when a puppy issue comes up. I breed small breed dogs. I have 1 large Akita who is awsome with the kids.
I think my puppies are excellent PT for Ashley. They keep her well stimulated.
I think getting a puppy is a great idea. If you need any suggesstions please dont hesitate to email me.
Good luck