Family pet

[erom816]

I have a three year old and I live in an apartment. We would love to have a dog, but dont know which breed would be best! Does anyone have any reccomendations?

[pitbullgrl]

it depends, what exactly are you looking for in a dog?

[Dax]

A lot depends on your lifestyle and level of activity. I'm a great fan of mutts. You can pick a young adult that is good with kids without all the housebreaking. Poodle mixes will not shed and make clean up easier. A shelter or humane society would be a great place to start.

[CowGirlUp1833]

Originally Posted by DaxAriel's Toy

A lot depends on your lifestyle and level of activity. I'm a great fan of mutts. You can pick a young adult that is good with kids without all the housebreaking. Poodle mixes will not shed and make clean up easier. A shelter or humane society would be a great place to start.

I agree...its hard with such a young child. I would also reccomend getting an kid-friendly dog from the shelter. House training a pup in an apartment is no fun, I can attest to that. One other thought, sometimes a larger dog can inadvertantly hurt a child while playing. My dane mix, as sweet and gentle as she is, once broke my step childs colar bone. She ran by chasing a frisbee and he attempted to catch her..... but 80 lbs vs. 40 lbs wasn't a fair match and he got knocked down quite hard. Same goes for a very small dog with a young child that doesn't yet know how to be gentle all the time...so keep those things in mind when choosing a dog. Just a thought.

[Moo]

How much time/effort are you willing to spend...

Training?
Grooming?
Excercising?

[erom816]

Daily walks and playing in the house with my daughter would be the amount of exercise I could offer. I dont mind brushing I had a chow/shiba mix when I lived with my parents so I'am use to it, I perfer a dog who is easy to train. And something that wont disterb the neighboors with constant barking. I basically just want a dog that can become part of our family. I have been considering a Havanese or Havanese Mix.

[eXile]

You should also take a look at the local shelter because they tend to already be fully vaccinated, spayed or neutered, have some obedience under their belt and are matured by time. Not old but an adult. Dealing with a baby and a puppy could be a nightmare. Just something to consider.

[Moo]

With a young child, you have to think both ways. You want a dog who won't be too much of a hassle with the kid...

So you might want a pup, so you know that it won't end up child aggressive.
On the other hand, you might want an adult, because with a child, you don't have as much time to train and deal with puppy antics.

And big or small?
A big dog could accidentally hurt a child, but a child could very easily accidentally hurt a small dog.
Havaneses are pretty adaptable little animals. But they could do with alot of excercise despite their size, and if you intend on getting a puppy/young dog, I've heard that puppy training, including housebreaking can be a bit of a long, drawn out process.

[*chihuahuagirl*]

I would say a chihuahua. But, sense you have a child I wouldnt recemend it. Because chihuahuas can be aggessive. Mabie a dachshund. (wennie dog). You can also go to the shelters and find a dog that fits your lifestyle.


This is a dachshund:




Well hope you find a good pet!

[boomer]

I have found a wonderful apartment dog. It is a MI-KI. They are a rare breed and cost is high, but worth every dollar. They bark very seldom, require very little exercise,easy to litter box train, enjoy walks, and laying in a sunny spot. They love people, other dogs, They come in 2 types of coats, long and short. The long takes a lot of grooming.They weigh less than 10 pounds.