DOGS!

[DoulaMama]

So, who owns a dog? We had to put our sweet, old Golden R. to sleep last Fall and although life has been easier(no poop to clean, travel without worry or setting up doggie babysitting etc)my kids are desperate for another pooch. They wander over to our neighbor's houses just to play with their dogs and talk about missing Cairo:( So, we are on the hunt for the perfect rescue dog. I've found a sweet little Maltese that's apparently fantastic with children. I'm just unsure about breed etc as the only dogs my hubby and I have ever owned have been either Golden R. or Labs and I would really like a smaller breed. If you have dogs(and kids!) what would you suggest?? xoxo

[Glittergirl]

We Love our miniature poodle! I've always owned big dogs--german shepherd, shepherd mixes, etc. but I have to say there is something wonderful about a dog that doesn't shed and is small enough that dropping him off at a friend or families to watch is not imposing. He's not super small so he is perfect for families with small kids. My parents own one of those tiny tiny 3 pound yorkies which are not good for families with little kids cause they can easily get hurt. But our little guy is like 16-20 pounds and super laid back, smart--took him a week to be house trained, and just easy going with all the kids that come and go in our house. Dh is allergic to cats and dogs so having a non-shed dog is also perfect for him and no hair to get all over the place. I think as long as we have small kids and all, I'm going to stick to smaller size dogs. It used to be such a hassle to go out of town when we had our big dog. I had to find someone who had a nice sized yard, I would have to hope he wouldn't destroy or dig or chew in their home, and boarding was always an issue cause I felt guilty about having to do that. Although I have to say, I have never been as emotionally attached to any dog other than my beloved german shepherd that died 6 years ago.....I wish you luck! I'm sure you will find the perfect tempered dog to suit your family!!!!

[DoulaMama]

I have heard so many great things about poodles:) Smart, great with family and even tempered:) I've been searching for a poodle X and there are somany cute combos! Maltipoo's look so adorable and I like that they are a bit bigger because of the poodle. I totally hear you about trying to find someone to watch your dog! Ugh that was so hard with our last dog. He had really strong urine as well, so he would leave horrible pee spots on the lawn :( Yech. He was also 100lbs which is huge for a Golden, plus he had the temperament of a collie! LOL He would not stop! I just can't handle that again. I need a laid back pooch, doesn't need constant exercise and can just chill with my kids-or run around the back yard with them:) My DH is also slightly allergic to dogs(more so cats) so it would be awesome to find a non-shedding dog:) Thanks for your input GG!! xoxo

[nuthinbutpink]

If and I do mean IF we get another dog, it will be a pound puppy who is house trained. I just don't want to house break another animal. It's worse than a child! Any mutt is fine by me if they have a good temperment!

[DoulaMama]

If and I do mean IF we get another dog, it will be a pound puppy who is house trained. I just don't want to house break another animal. It's worse than a child! Any mutt is fine by me if they have a good temperment!

Yup....this is what I want too. House trained, small, good temperament. I really don't want to be house breaking a new puppy while nursing a newborn.....

For those of you that have had a puppy(I've never had one)how long does it take to house train them. I'm looking at 6mos old dog that is mostly house trained...but I'm a little wary.

[Glittergirl]

Ours was about 3 months old....last puppy of the litter so they were really trying to get rid of it...it wasn't a breeder or anything, just a family whos dog had puppies and they needed to get rid of them. That was the blessing cause he was living with them and was house trained in their house already. We crate trained ours, it was wonderful! DM I totally get having a smaller dog that doesn't need constant exercise! Our shepherd had to go for RUNS every night or he would start digging in the yard! we didn't have kids back then so we would take him out jogging every night for an hour....we could never do that with kids now LOL!

[awi3rd]

We also have a miniature poodle. Well, actually he is my IL's dog, but he is staying with us for a while. He has the BEST temperament and barely ever barks, which is more than I can say for his sister (She's smaller, but not quite as small as a toy poodle). He is very tolerant of my 3 boys--ages 6, 4, and 8 mo and has never even come close to biting or nipping. He is VERY laid back--he just lays around all day, and he's very affectionate. I've also heard that Boston Terriers are good with kids, and I think Beagles are but they are a bit louder and more stubborn/difficult to train. Animal Planet has a good breed quiz that you could try. Just google it and pick the things that are/aren't important to you and they'll give you a list of breeds that will work for you. :)

[Cinss]

I have a Shih Tzu x Poodle, got him as a puppy (8 weeks old) and had him house trained in 2 weeks. When my daughter came along 2 years later he adapted really well, curious about the newborn but very gentle. These kinds of dogs are great because they have non shedding coats, and are easy to train because they are smart. Then when my daughter was 10 months old we got another puppy, a Stafordshire Terrior. We keep him outside most of the time so didnt really have to house train him. He has grown up with my daughter so is very sweet and loving towards her.

[TTC5]

So sorry your fur baby has passed over :(

We have a black labrador he is around 18 months old now.

[LolaInLove]

Aw, I am sorry to hear about your Golden, DM. I have a 12 year old Golden who is on her last leg, but she is hanging on well. She was my first dog, and I would lay my DD1 on her and she would literally "watch" her. So amazing. She is my first baby, really. But huge, of course, and a ton of energy as a younger dog.

You could look up some good sites, there are several. Here is one: http://www.dog-obedience-training-review.com/best-dog-breed-for-children.html See that poodle on there! I would definitely go for a smaller dog, we have a couple more rescues now, and they are huge lab mixes so we have 3 big dogs now! It's like a herd, lol. Anyway, a friend has a Boston Terrier and he is amazing with her son. I am not a breed-buyer though, I'm a pound puppy or rescue kind of owner, but with allergies involved, it may be worth it to buy a bred puppy that is in the "hypoallergenic" camp.

[Wanting a daughter]

Have you thought about a cocker spaniel. Great for kids and have that soft fur so won't make you itch if that's the kind of allergy DH has.
We lost our girl this year too. Only 2 1/2 years old. Completely broke my heart. We have been looking for another rescue dog for a couple of months now and actually wnet and met 2 today. One is a nearly 7 yr old English Pointer (same breed as our last girl) who is so gentle and calm. She didn't seem phased by my boys antics at all. The other is a German Short haired pointer X Staffy who is 10 months old. Completely gorgeous but a bit of a mad puppy still. She seemed to be very loving but would probably knock the boys over a bit, which they can handle, and lick them to death.
I just can't make up my mind. I actually think they would both be great dogs. The older one would be easier now but we wouldn't get as long with her. The younger one would be more hard work but we would have her most of her life.
What to do...???? Suggestions????