I want a small to medium sized dog, need opinions.

[snowball22]

Inspired by the Cocker Spaniel thread and a thread about beagles. We want to get a dog for our kids but are clueless to what type to get. We want a small to medium, sized dog. We were thinking of a beagle but decided against it because of the hounding and the chance the dog will escape and never come back. Then we were thinking of a cocker spaniel but after reading the latest thread I am starting to doubt that choice also. Anyone know of a good for kids type of small to medium sized dog? We just don't want a large dog because it will mainly be a house dog. Thanks everyone!!!!!

[Serena]

Animal Planet Dog Breed Selector (http://animal.discovery.com/guides/dogs/selector/selector.jsp)

[RoutemanDan]

Cairn Terrier. They are small but not fragile and hardly ever bark.when they do bark it's a bark and not a yip.And they love kids!

[LindaR]

There's lots to consider...........short haired, long haired? Some are harder to housetrain than others. Terriers tend to be diggers, the sporting breed tend to be kid tolerant................see where I'm going with this?

Make a list of what the "perfect" dog would be for you and then start your research.

Don't completely rule out large dogs because it would be inside alot. Some of them are really laid back and mellow inside.

All dogs need some outside exercise time.

One of my dogs is a German Shepherd who spends all day inside while we are gone. She gets about 30 minutes of ball time each day to rid her of pent up energy and she is wonderful inside. Tiny dogs may not be able to handle young kids (I also have a toy poodle) because they are more delicate.

[CookieGVB]

I've always wanted a Pembroke Corgi.

I've had a mini poodle, and he was great, but of course temperaments vary. This one thought he was a german shepherd, so he wasn't "yappy" like some are. :p

Good luck in your choice.

[Lynn CC]

I can't tell you what small dog to get, but I can give you some advice on what kind not to get.
We love our Miniture Pincher. She's very cute and cuddly, but she can't be trusted with any kids. She just doesn't like them. She's 8 now and the older she gets the worse she gets, even with adults.
She is confined to one room, she has always gotten into a lot of mischief, and she has accidents all the time. We take her out every hour but sometimes she still doesn't make it through the night.

They are VERY cute dogs, but I wouldn't get another.

[janette]

Once you decide on a breed you can use petfinder.org to find pets available. Most shelters are listed there.

We just got a Bichon Frise, they are pretty limited to adopt so we ended up going to a breeder but so far he's an adorable pet.

[Beauty]

Okay I'm not going to say don't get a Pomeranian because maybe not all are like ours...but she never ever ever ever shuts up. As I'm sitting here typing she as at the window barking at NOTHING! There is nothing out there....I swear she barks at the leaves falling. She is so hyper and never calms down. We love her but goodness...LOL!

Now I have 2 shih-tzus and besides the grooming they are both the sweetest dogs! Well behaved, quiet (as if they would have time to bark with the Pom), loving.

[sudiequ]

I love Shih Tzu's :Pinkbounc mainly because they do not shed!! Our first dog did nipp when you got to close to her food :rolleyes: . Our current dog has never bitten anyone and we've had her for 4 years, so i guess it depends on their breeding. Good luck in your search!

[sudiequ]

I love Shih Tzu's :Pinkbounc mainly because they do not shed!! Our first dog did nipp when you got to close to her food :rolleyes: . Our current dog has never bitten anyone and we've had her for 4 years, so i guess it depends on their breeding. Good luck in your search!

[becka]

Toy or Minature Poodle

I would probably recommend the mini size since they are a little larger (12ish pounds) and can handle more rough play with kids.

They are great social dogs that are intelligent and they don't shed. :) Plus they are great with kids.

[SPAGo 98]

jack russell. :)

[londonpenguin]

Like Janette suggested (above), get on to PetFinder (http://www.petfinder.org) and look at shelters in your area. You may just find the perfect dog that way, without getting your heart set on, say, a Westie. We found both our cats through PetFinder and are very pleased to have had the opportunity to give a home (make that "pampered, cushy, spoiled existence") to two abandoned kitkats! Whatever you decide to do, don't rush into anything just because you want a dog "today."

[NoodlesTheRabbit]

We got a Bichon Frise this summer, and she is a wonderful pet!! She does not shed, which is great...no pet hair on anything. Bichons have a very pleasant disposition too...they are also not prone to very many health problems as some breeds are. The disadvantage is that she has to be groomed at least every 4-5 weeks. Her fur gets knotted very easily and she starts to look too shaggy.

So far, she is pretty reliably trained to pee outside. She goes to the door and barks.

She is really a happy dog, never nips or growls. She barks every now and then when she sees a stranger or a rabbit, etc.

[NoodlesTheRabbit]

From the AKC information on Bichons:


The Bichon Frise is a small, sturdy, white powder puff of a dog whose merry temperament is evidenced by his plumed tail carried jauntily over the back and his dark-eyed inquisitive expression.

[SilverLily]

Shelties! They have a ton of hair, but they are sweet, intelligent, playful, and very loyal.

[skuttle]

We have a yorkie and a pembroke corgi.

I wouldn't suggest a yorkie simply because they are hard to train and bark all the time! Plus, you need to have them groomed regularly. It costs us about $25/month to have Maggie groomed. I love Maggie, our Yorkie, but I think she'd be a handfull w/ kids...plus I'd be scared the kids would hurt her since she's only 6 pounds.

I would definately suggest a corgi! Milo, our pembroke corgi, is a GREAT dog! He's about 25 pounds, sturdy, and not overly playful. He was super easy to train...he scratches at the door when he needs to use the bathroom, he goes to his kennel when we tell him to and he doesn't whine about it, he plays fetch and tug-of-war. He's great. The only grooming he needs is a bath and clip his nails...we do that ourselves. The only draw backs I can think of are that corgis shed...about twice a year they shed A LOT, but the rest of the time isn't too bad. Also, corgis are herding dogs so when we first got Milo he would nip at our feet, trying to herd us.

[BWVDenise]

Well, I can tell you that Wheatens don't shed, are very playful, and love attention. Now, they are NOT supposed to be barkers, but no one told that to mine:rolleyes: . He barks constantly!:o

[regi]

i've always had dachshunds and i love them. they are the sweetest dogs. and they are great watch dogs. they have a very loud bark that makes them sound much bigger than they are. good luck with whatever you choose.

[cleo]

There's an excellent book titled The Perfect Match: a dog buyer's guide. by Chris Walkowicz. It covers any breed you might run across, giving information on things like protection, energy, how it is with children and other pets, shedding and grooming, health issues, and what sort of family makes a good or bad match. It also gives a picture of each breed as well as listing sizes and colors.

I spent months researching the perfect dog for our family. If that woman hadn't come along and pulled out the most darling collie pup I'd ever seen, I'm sure I would have actaully found my family's perfect match! ;)

[fireplug]

You do not want an Alaskan Malamute

Ours is wonderful and a joy to have but he goes about 33 inches tall and 135lbs. sohe will not qualify as "small to medium" size;)


Steve

[Steffi]

My husband recently, against my various protests, adopted a drooling mutt from the Humane Society. That was about 3 months ago, and even me, not being a dog fan at all, has to love this guy! (The dog, that is.) He is very, very easy-going & eager to please. He only peed in the house once, on his first day here. And he has learned a whole bunch of tricks with very little coaching. We've never had to discipline him, other than a stern NO....and even that makes him very apologetic. He really is a great dog...some type of cattle-dog mix...I'd suggest a drooling mutt:) :)

[MerryPoppins]

We've had the best luck with our mutt and our bichons. Both have had good tempers, been great with our kids and not nippy.

[candykisses]

I like Bichons. I had one for 14 yrs. Very sociable, smart, loyal and loved kids. Tolerated alot of abuse when my boys were toddlers and would turn around and give them a kiss. On more than one occassion when my husband would fall out of his wheelchair Albert would stay by his side . The downside is they take daily grooming, but if the hair is cut short instead of a 'show coat' it is managable.

Now I have a Sheltie and love him. All the same characteristics as the Bichon. Very easily trained. Loves to play. Doesn't shed alot and doesn't mat. The main problem;) is Magoo thinks he is a person and loves beds and couches.

[MadMadamMim]

We have a Keeshond, they're great with kids and very 'family' oriented dogs...

[Desnik]

I have a Yorkie and she is the best dog we've ever had!(I've had a shih-tzu, Lhasa-apso, and a Lab) She is so quiet! You wouldn't even know she was in the house! But when the door bell rings she's like a little attack dog!! We laugh at her because she is so tough(when a stranger is around) for a little peanut of a dog LOL! She is wonderful with our DD (4yo) and with my nephews and 1yo neice. She doesn't shed and we keep her hair short(a puppy cut)so the grooming is minimal, once a month but only about $20. She is so smart and was the easiest dog for us to train. When we went looking for a dog we researched alot and didn't buy on impulse. We sat with her and just knew by her temperment she was a perfect match for us. Her name is ToTo and she is our 2nd little princess! Good luck in finding the perfect match for your family;)

[luv2nascar]

We love our Boston Terrier (black & white dog)
he is rather small for his breed only 15 pounds
I would say 20-25 is more average
very good temperment & great with kids
he is perfect for us
loves to play fetch and run but also loves to lay on the couch & sleep
He does not bark much & heres the best part
does not need grooming like some other small dogs
They have very short hair with little shedding
We love him and will probably never have another breed of dog
good luck finding a dog that suits your family

[ugadog99]

We LOVE our dachshunds. Right now there are six doxies between my dad and our family. They are great with kids, very protective, and very loving. They don't shed and they don't smell, either. Of course, I have only had dachshunds so I guess I am a little partial. :D

[bsnyder]

Another vote for Bichons!

These are just the greatest little dogs! And the AKC information that Noodles posted fits our Gibson to a tee!

[fklhou]

we hve several bearded collies (aka beardies) and would recommend them for a family with children. Beardies are members of the herding group which means that they are very very smart. Beardies are still considered a medium size dog even though males may get up to 50 pounds and females are 35 to 40 pounds. This mean that the dog is big enough that a child can hang on it and not hurt or upset the dog.

Our beardies are great with the kids. Our first beardie once herder our then four year dauaghter from the front yard back to the front door. Every one of our beardies are great with children including small children.

Beardies are very smart and each of our beardies have a distinct and different personality. There is a story on the beardie bb about someone who showed a beardie who to push the lever to dispense ice on the front door of their fridge. The beardie liked the trick so much that they people came back home to kitchen full of ice.

Good luck with your choice.

[pajamommy]

I would definately suggest a corgi! Milo, our pembroke corgi, is a GREAT dog! He's about 25 pounds, sturdy, and not overly playful. He was super easy to train...he scratches at the door when he needs to use the bathroom, he goes to his kennel when we tell him to and he doesn't whine about it, he plays fetch and tug-of-war. He's great. The only grooming he needs is a bath and clip his nails...we do that ourselves. The only draw backs I can think of are that corgis shed...about twice a year they shed A LOT, but the rest of the time isn't too bad. Also, corgis are herding dogs so when we first got Milo he would nip at our feet, trying to herd us.

I agree with skuttle on this one, lol! We, too have a Pembroke corgi, and she could have just described our dog!! She's a great dog, very easy to train, loves to play with the kids and is like a little mother to them. She does do the shedding thing twice a year, but also is not too bad the rest of the time with the shedding. Good luck with your choice, let us know what you decide!

[Nutsy]

It is a personal choice when it comes to buying a pet. You need to find something to fit your lifestyle.

Are you prepared to groom your dog on a regular basis or just once a week? Are you able to excercise you dog regularly or just sometimes? Is your dog going to be home alone all day while eveyone is out to work or school?

Lots of things to think about....

Good luck in your selection:D

[AZKathy]

Originally posted by Beauty
Okay I'm not going to say don't get a Pomeranian because maybe not all are like ours...but she never ever ever ever shuts up. As I'm sitting here typing she as at the window barking at NOTHING! There is nothing out there....I swear she barks at the leaves falling. She is so hyper and never calms down. We love her but goodness...LOL!

Now I have 2 shih-tzus and besides the grooming they are both the sweetest dogs! Well behaved, quiet (as if they would have time to bark with the Pom), loving.

Oh wow! We just got a pom and she is a little over four months old and she is just a doll! She rarely barks except when playing with the kids and when she wants out of her crate in the morning. Our loud dog is our Australian Cattle Dog...she will bark at the wind! Anyhoo, I just love our pomeranian and I just love that cute widdo adorable face of hers!!!! We named her "Tink". (our cattle dog is Belle)...we have Tink..er..Belle with both dogs.

[CarlaKay]

Medium sized dogs go to about 50 lbs. When we had small children, we were told to consider a medium to large dog because the larger the dog, the less likely they are to resort to biting or other aggressive behaviors to handle kids. Relatively speaking a larger dog will find it easier to just get up and walk away from the kids when he needs a time out rather than having to bite or snap to assert himself. Also, size is not determinative of whether a dog is good indoors or not. Some larger dogs are relative couch potatoes, while others need a lot of room.

We own bearded collies, petit basset griffon vendeens (PBGVs) and a border collie. Often with herding dogs, the males are a little more docile. Our first bearded collie decided I wasn't babysitting well enough when I turned to get a towel to get the one year old out of the tub. The four month old dog jumped into the tub and sat behind the kid so she couldn't fall. When the same daughter picked up the dogs foreleg by the hairs (it had to hurt) and I fussed at her, the dog just looked at me like, "we're playing, leave us alone." Our kids could crawl in and out of the dogs crates, it never mattered. Beardies are easily trainable.
They are long-haired dogs, but if they aren't shown, their hair is often trimmed short.

PBGVs are indestructible 35 pound french rabbit hounds. They love kids and they can be indoor/outdoor dogs. They are amazingly outgoing. They are not particularly good obedience dogs, but they are fun to live with.

People have recommended great resources. After narrowing it down to about three choices, go to a local dog show. You should be able to see the breed and talk to some breeders and owners.
Once you pick a breed, contact the breed rescue group (find the parent breed club on the American Kennel Club website www.akc.org if you're interested in rescuing a pure bred or nearly so specimen of the breed. The parent club website will have breeder references also.