Architectural Designs

What are some good small dog breeds to have in a house with small kids?

I have a 2 year old, and although I don't plan on getting a dog right now, we may in the future. She would be older but we will have more kids so there's possibility of having smaller toddlers/babies in the house. We teach our kids to behave and be gentle around animals but I'd like to know what kind of small dog would be good in a family household?

Public Comments

1. french bulldog or boston terrier
2. I have a Chinese Crested dog who loves kids and is not hyper or unruly. Plus she does not shed (she is hairless) and loves to snuggle.
3. pug =]
4. We have a large family and we have a shih tzu and a pekingese they are both very good with all the kids they like to play both they are gental and very sweet. The weigh about 8 to 11 pounds
5. pomeranian. pug. miniture poodle.
6. Depends on how small you want to go. Very small toy breeds are not a good mix with little kids and can be hurt by rough toddlers, especially when they are puppies. I'd look at your local shelter for an adult dog, preferably one that has lived successfully with kids before and look for dogs that are on the "larger" size of small (20 lbs or so).
7. and olde boston bulldogge
8. I had a Maltese and this breed is exceedingly intelligent and good with children, very friendly dogs, you fall in love with them immediately! If seeking a small breed please take care that a toddler does not realize that he/she may hurt them inadvertently. Shelter dogs that are mature (not puppies) make excellent children dogs...adopt if you can. There way too many homeless dogs that are full of love to give...
9. chihuahua
10. malteses are really cute and they're really gentle around kids
11. Most rescues will not adopt small dogs to familys with small children you should really rescue a dog do not buy one from a puppy store those dogs come from puppy mills where they mistreat them and they could be sick every time you buy you are just feed this biusness don't get a small dog until your kids are older or make sure they are very careful with the dog as far as small breeds go I wouldn't get one yet but you could get a Golden Retriever or a Lab
12. Any dog that is not a terrier type-they tend to be a little more hyper/aggressive with small kids. Have the family spend sometime at a shelter before you decide on any one breed so the kids can see what dogs are all about and how to properly be around them:>)
13. I have 2 recommendations for you: the Rat Terrier and the West Highland White Terrier. Both dogs come in small sizes (I don't mean toy). Both dogs are tough (ie: not easily hurt like an Italian Greyhound or Chihuahua). Both breeds love to play and are good with kids. Neither breed is skittish around young children. Both breeds are remarkably good about the accidental rough play they may get from young children. A normal-sized Westie is about the same size as a standard Rat Terrier. 1. Rat Terriers: lots of breed books and websites don't mention them because they weren't recognized as a breed by AKC until 2007. Short-haired (therefore less to shed), very smart and athletic but unlike many other terriers, they have an "off" switch. Great at tricks. All dogs love to be around people but especially ratties. A very good indoor dog as long as they get exercise during the day. Comes in 4 sizes (toy, miniature, standard and decker--which is bigger than you want). All muscle and tendon so they look athletic and are tough little dogs. Not great for cold weather climates because of their short-hair. 2. Westies: double-coat and longer hair than a rattie (some people like that, others don't). In a hot-weather climate you'd probably want to cut some of that coat off. This breed is also a bit of a "digger" so you'll need to make sure your backyard has some provisions to prevent a westie from digging under the fence or uprooting all your flowers.
14. There are really no small dogs safe enough for a child under 7yrs they are just to fragile but a medium dog like the Swedish Shepperd. They tend to be very gentle and only get to about 20lbs. Beagle would be a very good dog they must sleep inside but would not get much more than 20lbs. The pinscher tends to be a very gentle dog and they only weigh 18lbs. Charles Spaniel will make a great dog very child friendly is it an indoor dog but the won't get much bigger than 13lbs. This is only a few of the many possibilities.
15. I have a four year old Bichon Frise male and a one year old Shih Tzu female. Both are wonderful with kids and do work at the local nursing homes. The Bichon is a little more thin boned, but taller and weighs a few pounds more than the Shih Tzu. Although every dog is different, not every Shih Tzu is good with kids, they need to be socialized at a young age, every dog needs proper socialization to become a well rounded adult dog. You should go to the akc's website and look up dogs in the toy or non sporting group(toy might be too small but than again a Shih Tzu is in the toy group so)if you want a full bred this should be helpful, even if you are going to get a mix bred from a shelter taking a look wouldn't hurt, you could get an idea of what kind of mix you would be looking for. I hope this helped and good luck.
16. from my experience, chi and poms are not good, beagles are good