What SMALL dog breeds would you reccommend for young children?

We have a 2 and a half year old who is dog crazy. We have decided to treat her to a puppy. Which SMALL breeds are best with young children and are NOT prone to lots of health problems? Thanks :)in regards to the concern with my daughters age, she has experience handling small dogs (my mums) and is very gentle with them so i am not concerned about that really :)wolves???? rhinos????? I dont really get ure humour!

cats

i would never give a pet to a child under 5 years old. especially a small dog who are notorious for being nervous.

jack russel !!!!!!!!

jack russel, cant go wrong! or maybe even a miniture jack russel (not joking)border terriers are sweet good natured dogs as well, face like an otter. i got one.

Yorkshire Terrier, Iv got one and she's lovely and has never once snapped at my 2yr old daughter even after her pulling her hair or dragging her off the sofa or bashing her with her toys.

give her a stuffed animal, she's too young!

i would suggest visiting your local animal shelter and adopting a pup that is over the teething stage. when it comes to health, it all depends on where you buy and who your breeder is. a lot of health disorders that small dogs experience are simply due to inexperienced and faulty breeding.puppies are absolute land-sharks and it's terribly sad watching people get rid of puppies because of snapping/chewing/etc when it's perfectly natural. not saying you would, but it happens quite often.i hope you find the perfect dog for your family. please do consider adopting.

You should check out this site, when you see a dog that looks like it has a good description - Research it!http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/329746/small_breeds_of_dogs_thats_good_with.html?cat=25http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/343411/20_of_the_best_dog_breeds_for_homes.htmlhttp://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=ArVRavcfq6WounBwcPo00wrty6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20100205015543AA71nDc&show=7#profile-info-HXdpxWVMaaSmaller dogs arent really the best for small children.

Rhino

My honest opinion is 2.5 is still too soon to bring a puppy into the house. Children of this age cannot separate a live puppy from a toy and can pull ears, tails and make a puppy's life a misery - with respect, and not knowing your children, or you. Of course, it can be done, but it would be far better to wait until your child is over 5 years.

You might have a problem finding a good breeder that will sell a puppy to someone with a child that young. I never would. My age cut-off is 4 for girls and 5 for boys. A 2 1/2 year old is not capable of knowing how to pick up and carry a puppy correctly, and as all puppies bite and nip, the child would drop it immediately. You can't possibly monitor the child every time child and puppy are together and kids will be kids. Puppies are cute and cuddly, children want to pick them up, and puppies can easily get hurt, especially the puppies of the smaller breeds. Why not get a puppy size stuffed dog and work with your child to show them how to hold and carry it, and wait until she is 4 before actually getting a pup?

mongrels are the best ones

I would go to shelter and get a small to medium dog that has been raised with kids. A dog that is 3-4 years old would be good. Young puppies and kids really don't mix.

Wolfs.

Westies!! . Westies are spunky little white dogs who don't have the neurotic behaviour typical of small dogs. Maltese or maltese cross. Generally, these a good tempered little dogs. Not quite as fun as the westie but friendly.Cocker spaniel. They're a medium sized dogs but a real push overs. I used to have one and they are the cutest, funniest things. Warning though, they get fat easy. Great with kids.Careful with small dogs though, as they are often nasty, nippy and neurotic. I would have breeds with high energy levels (like jack russels) as they can be too excitable for infants, and definitely don't get chihuahuas and the like. When buying your dog, make sure the breeder is good. Check the temperament of the parents (if possible) as the pups will most likely be like this. Make sure the pups have been getting lots of stimulation (toys), exercise (a large play area) and socialisation (play with other dogs or people) so they're happy, well-tempered dogs and not shy, scared and unsociable. When picking your pup, check which ones come up to you and want to play (good) and which run and hide (bad). Nipping is normal for pups, they'll grow out of it with training and time. However, most dogs no matter how shy will become friendly and warm with a loving family and tender care. After picking a pup talk to the breeder about what food to give it, and other general care.Enjoy your new pup and best of luck!!Almost forgot. Another reason for a good breeder is that they often selectively breed their dogs. That means they pick happy, healthy dogs and breed them together. This produces dogs with good personalities and with as few genetic problems as possible. The pup will cost more but trust me, a happy healthy dog with little or no stressful vet trips is worth the money. And don't make your pup exercise too heavily (going for jogs, jumping an obstacle course, etc) coz this may damage growing bones. Hope I haven't scared you out of a pup...nah, it'll bring so much joy =)

There is plenty of advice given on this site:http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/item/427TBH, you don't choose a breed for a toddler, you choose a breed for yourselves, bearing in mind that it has to live with your child. Nearly all breeds can live well with children - especially if they come from a caring breeder who breeds for temperament and the new owner takes the time to train the puppy and the child.I would never get a dog from rescue if I had a young child. Some rescues (especially breed rescues) are fine and assess a dog's temperament well, others do not and since people are rarely homest about why they are giving up their dog, it's a big risk if you later find out that the dog cannot tolerate young children.For every reply you get saying get xxxx breed, they are wonderful with children, you'll have another one saying don't get xxxx breed because they are terrible with children! Personally, I'd go for a Cairn Terrier!http://www.midlandctc.co.uk/singlepage/puppypage.htm

I personally own two Yorkies. The female is 4 lbs and is going on 10 yrs old! The male is 3 yrs old and is 12 lbs (much bigger). Sometimes when you buy a small dog from where ever, they will tell you the dog is small because most of the litters have been small. Every now and then one is a little bigger. Just keep that in mind they cannot guarantee you a teeny tiny dog. It is impossible. That is how I ended up with my 12 pound dog. But I love him to death. Remember also any dog under 20 pounds is considered small. Terriers are fun animals because the are small, their coats are like human hair. Their disposition is usually very good. They are sweet animals and cute. Puppies love to go for walks and run in the yard. They are protective of the family not in a mean way, they bark at strangers, etc. (at least in my case my male has bark of a much bigger dog). They are quiet in quiet house, young puppies of this breed don't mind being poked at. The won't usually snap if you pull their tail or pull their ears (stuff kids do). I got my 10 yr old dog when my niece was 3. This breed will stay by your side and follow everywhere in the house. They love being a part of the family and want to know what is going on at all times. Also, if you have never had a small dog in your house remember that they are there, they tend to get stepped on sometimes because they are always right next to you. You will get used to this in about a month of having a dog in the house. People say small dogs yap, not true. It is how they are raised. My dogs bark when someone comes to the door or I come home. Little dogs are great because they eat very little. I feed them Iams which is more expensive but because they eat so little, the better food saves on vet bills later on because it is more nutritious for the dog. As long as any dog you choose is loved, fed well (never table food) and taken the vet every year, you will have a friend for life with very little health problems. I would say any Terrier or Chihuahua would make a great pet. Remember, the initial expense of the dog, crate training, food is about $18 a bag which lasts a month, month and half, tags and license where live, vet bills for shots run about $200 a year. Also, when you decide on your dog PetSmart has obedience classes which help the dog sit stay and come when called. I thought it was not necessary. My first dog did not go. My 2nd dog went and he is more sociable with others and other animals because of it. Over all the love the dog will give you will outweigh any cost. You can also look on line for the breed you like and it will tell you the temperament and if it is good for children. Smaller dogs are better because children are small. They can grow up together. Little dogs can live up to 15 yrs if taken care of. I wish you well.

It's a very bad idea to get a dog for a child that young. They are too young to be able to respect animals as living creatures, children treat animals like toys. Until the child is older it would be better to get it a toy instead, you can get ones that move and act like dogs so it will teach them, and no harm comes to a living animal.Besides, because of the way children treat dogs it is very likely the dog will bite if irritated enough, are you willing to take that risk?

We always had Large dogs when my children were small and had no problems - you probably find that a Lab would probably have some of the best temperaments for any dog breed - same with Great danes - they are very loving and Goofy - what a laugh but with small breeds - depends on how much you want to spend and how much time you have for grooming - At present I have a Tibetan Terrier (from a rescue centre) and he is a very docile dog though at times can be very vocal. The breed is very intelligent and needs stimulation, only one known health issue (eyes) by from a reputable breeder recommended by the various Tibetan Terrier Clubs (links below) .An alternative breed would be the Keehond - beautiful and protective of his pack ensuring no harm come to his pack - this dog looks like a mixture between a Pomeranian and a Husky but is small - will need loads of groomingAlternatively go to the dog's trust website and ask them the question (or better still talk to them) because there are some lovely mixes that are small and have beautiful temperament + they might need rescuing as well.