Which Breed is good for apts and young children?

[MissyC]

I think the title says it all, thanks so much!!

[Mordy]

http://www.k9country.com/perl/dogBreed.pl

great tool, give it a whirl!

[pitbulliest]

I think you have to look at your situation...do your children know how to interact with dogs or pets in general properly? At the shelter where I work, we are very hesitant to adopting to people with children under the age of 7, because of the whole "eye poking tail pulling" issue...just make sure you educate your kids on how to properly socialize with a dog and to respect its "down time"...they need respect and their own space.....

Alot of people will also get pets "for their kids"..and expect their children to take care of it, take it out for walks...etc..unfortunately (very unfortunately)...people with children that haven't been taught to value pets/animals will get bored and neglect the animal..this is one of the main reasons we get people bringing in their dogs, cats, especially rabbits and other small domestics...because the parents never had the time to begin with, and expected their 10 year old to take everything into their own hands..not gonna happen..

Anyways, I'm not judging you, but I thought it was an important point to bring up, even for anyone else that was wondering...hope you find an animal that best suits your family....

[bubbatd]

A rescued golden retriever !

[darkchild16]

a adopted greyhound but just like with all dogs they have to be supervised with children.
but mine lets my 8mth old neice climb all over him poke him what ever she wants and just gives you this look like ill put up with this as long as you want me too. but dont think all dogs will be like this. Hope this helps

[MissyC]

thanks for the opinions, I have a 17 month old daughter, I am already in the process of getting a Corgi....I was just curious about other breeds. The pet is NOT for my daughter, this puppy is for me.
Yes I know the puppy will take alot of work, and I am a stay at home mother who is more then willing to take the time to love the puppy, :) Also I can closely supervise both her and the pup.

I was originally considering a Daschund but I read they are very delicate so I opted to not get one while my daughter is still small.

Anyone have opinions on the basset hound??
thanks!

[chloesowner]

Hound dogs. They are really sweet and gentle.

[Fuzz Puppy]

Hounds are sweet and gentle, but some can be noisy. It depends on the breed and dog.

[Mordy]

dachshunds aren't really delicate - at least the standard sized ones. :)

[IlUvMyAnImAlZ05]

I recommend Siberian huskies,labs,retrievers,vizslas,boxers.
More!
Good luck!
Mandy

[Bowowee]

Beagles and Shih Tzus are the best breed for children. They are very friendly and playful.

[nedim]

Whatever happenned to Captain Corgi, Missy?

[BigDog2191]

Miniature dachshunds. Preferably an older one from a shelter. My brother has one and it's a wonderful apartment dog.

[norskgra]

I would recommend a Norwegian Elkhound.

[MissyC]

In March I'll be getting Captain Corgi and I can't wait!!! We're just looking at the other breeds out there.....I like to learn as much as I can about the different breeds :)

[LabLover]

how about a lab?? they are wonderful for children.

[bubbatd]

Missy...if you've decided why waste our input ??? You can find out about breeds on the breed sites !

[MissyC]

why do you feel your opinion would be a waste? I did decide but I like to see what other people chose from experience. Why would you take it so negatively for someone to love dogs and see what type of animal others in the living situation as me would choose???

[pitbulliest]

Beagles and Shih Tzus are the best breed for children. They are very friendly and playful.

There is no "best breed" for children..it depends on the child, the dog, the household environment, the overall situation....
If anyone is thinking of getting a dog, research is the number one key...look at your lifestyle and decide what kind of dog would best suit your needs....there are many wonderful breeds out there that make awesome family pets...but all of them have different characteristics and even different needs...its whether or not you are willing to take care of those needs 100 percent that determines if you are ready or not for a pet...

anywho...I feel like I'm preaching to the choir here...:rolleyes:

[bubbatd]

Missy...sorry if you took it the wrong way...I took your first post as wanting to know what type dog to look for....not that you wanted to learn about different breeds. Pitt...I consider a Golden a children's dog.

[Fuzz Puppy]

See if the dog is good in apartments first I say. Some dogs are and some aren't. Good luck with your corgi.

[pitbulliest]

I don't consider any dog a children's dog without proper assessment of the dog and of the entire environment/lifestyle of the family...

Some goldens will love children, some won't be able to stand them...just like some pits are animal aggressive, and some aren't...

I guess opinions vary..and that's fine..as long as people know what they're doing...

[Kaleigh'sAdrienne]

Basset Hounds.. all they do is sleep :D

[BlackDog]

Guys this lady has a 17 year old daughter and you're talking about her like she's 5. Chances are she'll be out of the house and in college in a year anyway. Not that she doesn't have to get along with the dog while she's still there but come on. She's 17. Did I miss something? Does she have two childern and ones little? I find this all very weird.

[BlackDog]

Oh!!! 17 month old daughter. Got ya! Sorry!!! ::Blushes profusely::

[bubbatd]

Sorry....all my Goldens over almost 60 years of owning them have loved children ,,,, it goes with the breeding.

[frenchboxer]

Boxers are also renowned for being wonderful with kids - I can vouch for that, but as for living in an apartment, I don't think I would own a Boxer if I lived in an apartment.

[corykins22]

i agree grammy, i have always heard goldens are great with kids. we had one when i was little, we grew up together, she was great.
Missy, i just read that chinese cresteds are great for apartments, im not sure how they are with kids though. i think they are cute, but they are high maintenence with the skin care. but they have moderate activity levels and are small so that would be a good for apartment life. also, maybe you should buy the Dog Bible, its a great book. it has a bunch of different sections. health care, puppy care, breeds, activities you can do with your dog, info on different competitions, careers, and stuff like that.
and, i would get some reading material on the corgi before you get it, so you have something thats specific to your dog. i have heard that corgis are very energetic.
good luck with everything! :)

[yoko]

i don't know... if i were you i'd wait a little bit. i have a great dog who gets a long with kids. but i wouldn't leave her alone with one. with having a small child and a dog there's going to be a time when they'll be alone and i don't think that's a good idea. all it would take would be for you to not be there and your child to rub the dog the wrong way. like if you are busy in the other room and your child gets to the dog. what happens if your dog reacts in a not good way? i'm not saying you'd leave the kid like that but all it takes is a phone call or a small chore that you think will only take a minute. i'd wait until your kid was older because you have a lot to go through with your baby right now and a puppy will take a lot of attention you might need for your kid away or visa versa

[casablanca1]

One thing to keep in mind - although the large breeds are supposed to often be great with kids, they're too large for children to walk safely. I see too many children walking Newfies, Bernese Mt. Dogs, Great Danes, Mastiffs, GSDs, etc. The child has no more than a token presence on the leash, which is dangerous for the child, who could be yanked to the ground and hurt, the child's dog, who could be hurt or killed running free, and everyone else in the world, who might be the target of the child's large pet. Walking the dog is usually a big thing for kids, so their pets should not be large or powerful breeds.

[pitbulliest]

no kids should be walking dogs, period.....

its common sense...

[bubbatd]

Depends on the age of the child and the breed of the dog. My Mother at 92 walked my Bubba.

[EliNHunter]

And I was five years old and walked our Rufus. Of course, I ended up out on the highway and Rufus stood there and stopped traffic in both directions until Mom came, but that's another story... ;)
p.s. she didn't know we had taken off...

[bubbatd]

She still strays!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!