Help choosing breed of dog

[sabraham]

hi everyone, looking to get a dog this christmas for my daughter who is 12 yrs old. i have had a look on the internet which breed would be best for us and the more i look the more i get confused.

im trying to find a small dog that is quite laid back likes to sit on your lap etc is low shedding and doesnt bark all the time. i know i cant get a dog that will have all of these traits exactly but what breeds should i be looking at? Should i go for a predigree or a cross breed?

thanks
stephen

hi everyone, looking to get a dog this christmas for my daughter who is 12 yrs old. i have had a look on the internet which breed would be best for us and the more i look the more i get confused.

im trying to find a small dog that is quite laid back likes to sit on your lap etc is low shedding and doesnt bark all the time. i know i cant get a dog that will have all of these traits exactly but what breeds should i be looking at? Should i go for a predigree or a cross breed?

thanks
stephen

hi everyone, looking to get a dog this christmas for my daughter who is 12 yrs old. i have had a look on the internet which breed would be best for us and the more i look the more i get confused.

im trying to find a small dog that is quite laid back likes to sit on your lap etc is low shedding and doesnt bark all the time. i know i cant get a dog that will have all of these traits exactly but what breeds should i be looking at? Should i go for a predigree or a cross breed?

thanks
stephen

hi everyone, looking to get a dog this christmas for my daughter who is 12 yrs old. i have had a look on the internet which breed would be best for us and the more i look the more i get confused.

im trying to find a small dog that is quite laid back likes to sit on your lap etc is low shedding and doesnt bark all the time. i know i cant get a dog that will have all of these traits exactly but what breeds should i be looking at? Should i go for a predigree or a cross breed?

thanks
stephen

 

[Biker John]

First, in my opinion Christmas is the wrong time to get a pup especially when children are around, to much noise and excitement. A pedigree should give you more idea how the pup will grow up like both physically and mentally, a cross is basically anybody's guess. As to breed their are loads best idea is to visit a large show and chat to owners about the ones that interest you. I would say that putting effort in before you get one will pay big off later.

 

[gypsysmum]

I agree that Christmas is not the time to introduce a puppy. Responsible breeders will not home a puppy at Christmas.

I would avoid Terriers as they are full of "character" and so can be quite a challenge to train etc. The toy breeds would be best for you I would think.

If you go to the Kennel Club website they have a section where you can put in all the characteristics you are looking for and then it comes up with suitable breeds.

There are lots of designer crossbreeds of toy dogs at the moment. They are given names like cockerpoo, which is a cross between a cocker spaniel and a poodle. As long as you research both breeds there is nothing wrong with them as pets. For a child's pet I would not go too small like a Chihuahua as they need to be able to cope with a child's boisterous behaviour.

Be aware that all breeders will tell you that their particular breed is wonderful with children, easy to train, lovely nature etc etc. Do your research. Watch out for Puppy Farms where they breed lots of puppies. They hide the fact, sometimes, by offering to meet in motorway services. ALWAYS see the puppies with their mother, preferably in a home environment. You want an 8 week old puppy that has been reared in a home environment, preferably with children around at least some of the time.

Good Luck

 

[4PawsandClaws.co.uk]

Agree with the above give your daughter a picture of a puppy for Christmas so she knows what she is getting and can get excited but please don't buy one for Christmas it's a very stressful time and especially for the dog, it's very stressful when they are first separated from their mother and litter mates and they need time to settle and adjust