Need help picking Breed?

ORIGINAL: Candy1999

Pugs are so cute, my friend owns one and it totally get along with my toddler, that's why I am considering one. He is always running around snuffling and snores when he sleeps, he is so cute, so I have been in contact with one and know what they come with, but not sure if that is the breed i want yet??? The only thing is my husband and I go to work during the day, but when I get a new puppy I am planning on taking a week off to help the puppy adjust, I work only 5 minutes away from my house, I go home everyday during my lunch break to ick up my baby from the babysitter cause she lives next door who is also my sister in law, and also a pet sitter and a groomer, she has a terrier (don't know what kind is a cross anyway) and a shepard cross, of her own and my daugher loves to play with her dogs especially her terrier, who is so patient with her, of course we are always there to supervise. So when we do get a new puppy, there will be someone to check up on it all the time.

 
Candy1999,
 
If a pug is something you are considering.. please be careful!!! they are very popular with the puppymillers.. a pug pup should NEVER have outward turned budging eyes.. this is a genetic disorder causing mental retardation... Never buy from a breeder who doesn't warn you on the massive amounts of genetic issues ie breathing this breed has.  I would never consider any pug from anyone who doesn't genetically test for hips, eyes, ect... and i would ask for the family history in regards to PDE and other diseases. Always purchase from a breeder who stands behind their pups with a minimum 1 year health guarentee. Never purchase a pug from a breeder who ships via Airplane!!!! PUgs don't fly well with the flat face, they can not tolerate heat or cold, and many die in flight. Pugs can be transported via ground in AC, this is how i travel with mine.
 

I have 2 Boston Terriers and they were raised with children. My 2 year old niece lives with us and they do fine with her. While Bostons are small dogs, they are "sturdy" dogs compared to smaller breeds like Chihuahua's. They also range in size from 10 to 25lbs. It also depends on the children. My son and niece know how to behave around the dogs and we properly supervise the interactions. Bostons can be high energy. My female is way more energetic than my male. That's not to say that females are more energetic than males... that's just how *my* female is. Because Bostons are a brachycephalic breed, they cannot tolerate heat and cold well. Health issues in the breed are Luxating Patellas, Juvenile Cateracts and deafness. If you go the breeder route, it's best to find a responsible breeder who OFA's, CERF's and if available BAER tests their breeding dogs.

I will also put in a plug for my breed.
 
Beagles and (well socialized) children are a natural mix really. An older one can be a great fit...I just retired a 5 y/o bitch into a home with 4 girls ranging ages 3-9 or so and she's doing wonderfully there. They are small...even the 15" are usually under 30lbs, sturdy and not easily hurt of tripped over, mine do not tend to be mouthy or resource guarders...relatively healthy when you take the time to research your breeder, forgiving of training and handling mistakes, tolerant and even partial to children...active when called upon to be...but happy to lie on the couch as well. They are amenable to cats, other dogs etc so "adding on" later isn't usually a big worry.
 
They will bark if left alone outdoors for hours...dig, same thing...shed a bit...and need someone to look after their ears and make sure they are NOT overfed and become overweight. Puppies have a lot of energy...show line dogs don't tend to be quite as active or prey driven...older dogs generally range from totally sedate, to cheerily active.
 
Watch for epilepsy, thyroid issues, HD, dwarfism, cherry eye...those are the main things. Find a good breeder that does some health testing, showing or field work, cares about the dogs temperament and not just their looks or hunting ability...and you have a good start.
 
Beagles are also on the affordable side if that's an issue..rescues often charge less than $200 for fully vet checked and cleared, vaccinated, often housebroken or crate trained, young adults or even pups...breeders range from $400-800 for well bred and health guaranteed pet puppies, retired Ch's are often even less than that provide you pass all the tests lol!.
 
The search is a lot of work but it's also fun.....enjoy it! And PM me if you'd like further info on my breed, breeders in your area, or rescue contacts.

Did you look on Petfinder?  Not all the animal rescue groups are shelters - many are just networks of people who care for foster dogs in their homes.  check out this awesome little guy I found with less than a minute of browsing: [linkhttp://tinyurl.com/s3ra5]http://tinyurl.com/s3ra5[/link]  A lab the size of a beagle - and great with anything!  This dog is fostered privately through a small local organization.

Try it for your area!

[linkhttp://www.petfinder.org/]http://www.petfinder.org[/link]

these are 2 small dog breeds that i like....
italian greyhound
miniature pinscher

neither requires a great deal of grooming, they dont shed excessively, and their exercise demands are relatively low. as long as they are allowed to play in the house they dont necessarily need to be walked everyday. i have read that both breeds can be difficult to potty train though.

medium sized pit bulls (~50lbs) make great family pets. they are very loyal dogs, and despite their bad rap are rarely human aggressive. there are literally thousands of these wonderful dogs needing homes all across the US. check out these links for more info...
[linkhttp://www.pbrc.net/home.html]http://www.pbrc.net/home.html[/link]
[linkhttp://www.badrap.org/rescue/]http://www.badrap.org/rescue/[/link]

beagles are great little dogs. i would love to have one someday. they can be known to howl though. these little guys are often dumped by hunters if they are found to be inadequate for hunting purposes.

siberian huskies are another dog that i would consider to be a medium sized dog. they are generally friendly to everyone! they do shed quite a bit and need tons of exercise. for these reasons many can be found at rescues and shelters, very often even purebred sibes.
[linkhttp://www.siberianrescue.com/]http://www.siberianrescue.com/[/link]

again my [sm=2cents.gif]

edit: sorry i was typing when you posted that you dont want to consider a pit bull, please ignore the above (unless you want to reconsider owning such a wonderful dog!).

Thanks for the info. on the ug, Boston Terrier and Beagle I really didnt think of Beagles! I'm doing a lot of reading, after work I have to go home and discuss this with my husband. We don't live in a area that is prone to hot weather, when it does get hot we do have an air conditioner, we live in BC so the weather doesn't get to hot. The price of a puppy is no concern to us, both my husband and I are willing to pay whatever cost for the breed we choose from a good breeder of course. The more I read upon some of these breeds the more harder the choice is....... They all have great characteristics!!!

ORIGINAL: AlwaysPugged
Candy1999,

If a pug is something you are considering.. please be careful!!! they are very popular with the puppymillers.. a pug pup should NEVER have outward turned budging eyes.. this is a genetic disorder causing mental retardation... Never buy from a breeder who doesn't warn you on the massive amounts of genetic issues ie breathing this breed has.  I would never consider any pug from anyone who doesn't genetically test for hips, eyes, ect... and i would ask for the family history in regards to PDE and other diseases. Always purchase from a breeder who stands behind their pups with a minimum 1 year health guarentee. Never purchase a pug from a breeder who ships via Airplane!!!! PUgs don't fly well with the flat face, they can not tolerate heat or cold, and many die in flight. Pugs can be transported via ground in AC, this is how i travel with mine.

i would also like to add that english bulldogs can have many of the same health issues as pugs. (ie. breathing problems, sensitive to cold/heat, and skin infections)

I can't look on pet finder, I am actually at work [] looking around on the net [] ha ha ha and working at the same time[] but that website is blocked in our office, i'll have to try at home! thanks!

Don't let the size of the dog fool you. SOME small dogs can be super hyperactive, extremely sensitive and snappy around small children. When we were looking for a dog, I was so sure that I wanted a small dog too but then after doing some research, we decided that it's not so much the breed or size but the temperament of the dog that I would like to focus on. I spent weeks browsing through Petfinder.com and found Ginger. She's a medium size dog and is 1.5 years old. I found her through a good shelter that worked through foster homes. Ginger's foster mom was able to give me a very good evaluation of her and she was everything she said she would be. She came house-broken, crate-trained and even understood some basic commands. So I didn't have to spend so much time and effort training her. I have a 15 month old son and Ginger is WONDERFUL around him. She is not hyper, does no jump or push my son over. She is very gentle and will just watch him play from a distance or if he goes near her, she will just give him kisses and walk around him. I don't think there's anything as the "best" breed for families with young children. There are some that do better with young children like Labs, Golden Retrievers, etc. But then again, there are hyper ones (especially puppies). So, it all depends on the individual dog. A good shelter will try their best to match you with the right dog. Prepare a list of questions to ask the shelter and give them a list of your requirements as well. Good luck!

I hope it is ok if I put my two cents in!  First off, I think that going to a shelter is a wonderful idea.  If you are still looking into smaller breeds I would go with an Italian Greyhound, they are so wonderful with kids.  My sister has one and he is wonderful with our niece and all other children and dogs.  I think that a corgi is a great dog as well, what about a dauschaund?  If you want to go for a large dog I think that golden retrievers are great, I grew up with them myself. Also, Shephards are very wonderful, if you want to get a larger dog. 

Hm, I just have to pipe up and say I would not mix an Iggy with two toddler/preschool aged kids, and I doubt most breeders or rescuers would consent to such a thing. They're just too delicate, and the OP has a 1 year old... even the gentlest toddler sometimes squeezes too hard or falls over - not a good situation for an IG, esp a puppy.

medium sized pit bulls (~50lbs) make great family pets. they are very loyal dogs, and despite their bad rap are rarely human aggressive.

 
We took in a pit bull from a friend who could no longer care for him.  He has changed our lives for the better.  I know you said you don't want to own a pit bull, but I could go on and on about the great characteristics of this breed.  They are WONDERFUL with children, very loyal, loving dogs, and so desperately need to be loved!  They are medium sized dogs, and are just an absolute joy!!!!!
 
I know you said you didn't want one, but forgive me,.... I have to root for the breed!

The Italian Greyhound looks so fragile, I just looked them up, someone mentioned the Minature Pincher, I know someone that owned one of those and it was really feisty and had a total mind of their own, I just read up on them, plus when my relative had one it also looked so fragile, the pitbulls I just don't think I could handle a breed like that not that it is bad but I know they need someone that could be firm with them yet gentle cause they like to be the boss, which i just read, and they are strong willed. I am reading up on the corgi at the moment. So much to look up, I hope we make the right decision in the end. I know when you get a puppy there is a lot of training that goes into it, I do have the patience to train a puppy, I have trained my mother's shitzu when i was living with them before I had my children, and my aunty with her maltese. I sort of want to start off with a puppy but I'm not the only one making the decision, I still have to talk to my husband and the both of us have to make a decision. We still do want to say in the medium size range or smaller, but nothing that is fragile like the chihuahua. I plan on visiting different breeders to narrow our decision to see the dogs up close to see the size and ask more questions. My daughter has been around many dogs and we keep showing her the right way act around them, we even dog sat for our neighbour a few times to see how my daughter would handle having one of our own, so we are taking the proper steps in order to own a dog, we aren't just jumping into it or just going by how cute a dog is. Thank YOU everyone for your input it is greatly appreciated!!

i would also like to add that english bulldogs can have many of the same health issues as pugs. (ie. breathing problems, sensitive to cold/heat, and skin infections)

 
French bulldogs too.... all of these problems just adds to the cost of the dog, when you factor in vet visits...

ORIGINAL: ak408201

I hope it is ok if I put my two cents in!  First off, I think that going to a shelter is a wonderful idea.  If you are still looking into smaller breeds I would go with an Italian Greyhound, they are so wonderful with kids.  My sister has one and he is wonderful with our niece and all other children and dogs.  I think that a corgi is a great dog as well, what about a dauschaund?  If you want to go for a large dog I think that golden retrievers are great, I grew up with them myself. Also, Shephards are very wonderful, if you want to get a larger dog. 

 
One of my good friends breeds wiener dogs dachunds and she will not sell them ever to families with kids under 10 years of age. She says they are too snippy. I know her dachs have bitten my teen when she is moving too fast, or they feel threatened.