Getting a dog, any advice?

Mike Hoxbig

Mike Hoxbig

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The time has arrived for us to get a dog, moreso to keep the kid company. We have no plans for another kid and he's lonely and frustrated because we're too old to run around with him.

Which are the best hypoallergenic child-friendly breeds? It's going to be an indoor dog, so preferably smallish breeds.

Also which are the best pet insurances? I have no experience with these, they didn't really exist when we were growing up. Would like something that's hassle-free when it's time to claim.
 
Medipet is good, using them..

As for kid friendly breeds, my American lab is amazing.. not very fussed about getting pet a little too hard by the little ones and loves the attention, very playful..

Not the smallest breed, though I can't think of any small breeds that I would consider child friendly..
 
Longhaired dachshund!

They are loveable / loyal to a fault and don't require much exorcise so do well indoors.

They have a long lifespan for dogs (had one that made it to 17) so keep that in mind as they are long term commitment.
 
No better dogs with kids than a Boxer. But they come with their own bag of problems if you cannot handle naughty/playful/active dogs.
Also very few small dogs are actually kid friendly, bigger dogs like Labrador, golden retriever and Boxers are way better options. Bigger dogs is just sometime a bit of a problem for kids under 3 as they can bump them over while playing.
Also its nice to have 2 dogs that will keep each other busy when you not there to entertain them. If you only get 1 dog you need to play and walk with the dog every day, not only the first month.
Big dogs actually make great house dogs. They only naughty till they 2 years old then they relax and is a pleasure inside the home, just lying down, where as smaller dogs tend to be nervous, running around and like to bark the whole day at nothing. The above exclude Boxers as they are naughty and very active until they die.
 
Brawler said:
Get a rescue sure but this statement is a bit dangerous.
Some can be absolute psychopaths and you don't really know what you getting until you have it. Unlike when getting a Labrador you know exactly what you getting.
Click to expand...

I suppose so. Our last rescue was very defensive of our family so never mixed well with others. But the two we have now are the friendliest mutts you will ever come across.
 
Brawler said:
Get a rescue sure but this statement is a bit dangerous.
Some can be absolute psychopaths and you don't really know what you getting until you have it. Unlike when getting a Labrador you know exactly what you getting.
Click to expand...
Yes, you never know how that rescue was treated and its a bit dangerous if you have small kids, except if the rescue is still a puppy.
We mostly adopt and I was very cautious the first few months with the adopted dogs, with the kids as you never know. It was Boxers however and I have never met an aggressive(towards kids) Boxer, but still was cautious as some people treat dogs very badly.
 
We got Yorkies because of an asthmatic family member and these pups are hypoallergenic. They don't have fur, but hair. So they don't shed.

They're loving, very intelligent, and both responded well to puppy school. I'm crazy about the breed now

Known medical issues: Knees, and teeth . Dotsure has been quite good, but we're starting to investigate better options after 3 years.
 
Spizz said:
Get a rescue dog. They’ll love you and your kids forever.
Click to expand...
They would have been my first choice if I didn't have a kid. I have no idea what their background is and how safe it will be. I want a dog that's going to grow in personality with the kid, so rescues are unfortunately out...
 
Jean Claude Vaaldamme said:
No better dogs with kids than a Boxer. But they come with their own bag of problems if you cannot handle naughty/playful/active dogs.
Also very few small dogs are actually kid friendly, bigger dogs like Labrador, golden retriever and Boxers are way better options. Bigger dogs is just sometime a bit of a problem for kids under 3 as they can bump them over while playing.
Also its nice to have 2 dogs that will keep each other busy when you not there to entertain them. If you only get 1 dog you need to play and walk with the dog every day, not only the first month.
Big dogs actually make great house dogs. They only naughty till they 2 years old then they relax and is a pleasure inside the home, just lying down, where as smaller dogs tend to be nervous, running around and like to bark the whole day at nothing. The above exclude Boxers as they are naughty and very active until they die.
Click to expand...
I wouldn't have minded some of the medium breeds but I can't have too much hair around the house because of my allergies.

The breeds I was thinking of are Yorkies, Havanese and Westies. Maltese while hypoallergenic, seem to be more unpredictable with kids...
 
Mike Hoxbig said:
They would have been my first choice if I didn't have a kid. I have no idea what their background is and how safe it will be. I want a dog that's going to grow in personality with the kid, so rescues are unfortunately out...
Click to expand...

Sure, I get that. But you can get puppies who have just left their mothers milk and that’s what we tried for. So we got our two at really young age. One living in a yard in the location at about 8 weeks old, the other from a foster home also about 8 weeks old. Maybe worth a chat with the folks at the local shelter ;)

But otherwise, I’ll second the suggestion of a lab or a boxer.
 
Mike Hoxbig said:
I wouldn't have minded some of the medium breeds but I can't have too much hair around the house because of my allergies.

The breeds I was thinking of are Yorkies, Havanese and Westies. Maltese while hypoallergenic, seem to be more unpredictable with kids...
Click to expand...
I've never really associated smaller dogs as good friends for kids - they don't seem to play & have fun nearly as well as bigger dogs. Might also just be because I grew up with bigger dogs.
 
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