I do have small children and a rabbit already in the house. I just need some tips on small dog breeds.
Small dogs are generally NOT good with kids – they are fragile and tend to be snotty, hard to housebreak and bark a lot. The exceptions are Cavalier King Charles Spaniels (VERY expensive!) and English Cocker Spaniels (NOT the American Cocker). Of course, you can find a great dog in any breed, but you have to be prepared for the negatives.
Find a good breeder referral by going to www.akc.org or talking to people at dog shows. http://www.akc.org/breederinfo/breeder_search.cfm
You can also find info about the breed clubs on the akc site – they probably have a rescue group where you can get an older dog for less money.
http://www.akc.org/breeds/rescue.cfm
The best breeders will be members of their breed club, promoting healthy dogs with great temperaments. They should ask you a bunch of questions to make sure their puppy will be getting a good home. If all a "breeder" seems to care about is whether your check will clear, you can be sure he won't care a week later when the pup is dying from distemper or parvo and you want your money back.
Whatever you do, DON'T go to a pet shop, a flea market or buy one sight-unseen off the Internet!!!! You'll pay top dollar for what is usually a poor quality puppy mill dog that is often sick and may have falsified registration papers. And you'll be supporting one of the cruelest industries in the country. http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=cruelty_puppymills
I don't know how maltese and yorkies are with kids, but Shih tzus are good with kids if you get them when they're puppies and make sure your kids don't grab their faces. They're all good inside pets, but you should see how the individual pup responds to kids and other animals before buying.
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They are all good indoor dogs. They will all be good with your kids and your other pets if you get a young pup and put her through obedience training to give her the proper dicipline and manners needed to be well socialized. Any dog is WORK so just be willing to put in the time and effort and any of these breeds will become a loving member of your family.
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any dog can do well with children, it just depends on the dogs the temperment. I would look at http://www.petfinder.org and see if you find a dog you can adopt
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Those dogs can be barkers, so if you decide to go that way make sure to train them while young and make sure the kids are gentle with them since the dogs are so small they could get hurt easily or bite out of fear.
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all of them are but a yorkie they will not stop barking but if you want a good small breed for inside you have to get a chuaiua and trane it not to be skidesh
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Yorkies are wonderful with kids depending on the age of your children,don't get a very small Yorkie as children can hurt them ie.falling on them or dropping them.i have 2 yorkies and they both weigh about 7 lbs a piece so go for a med dog instead of a mini dog…hope this helps
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yorkies are horrible little dogs
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Shih Tzus are the least barky of the 3, great with kids and even with other animals.
They are all good indoor types but you need to check the temperment when you choose one.
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My co worker's shih tzu has major allergy problems, needs special food.
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Small dogs are generally NOT good with kids – they are fragile and tend to be snotty, hard to housebreak and bark a lot. The exceptions are Cavalier King Charles Spaniels (VERY expensive!) and English Cocker Spaniels (NOT the American Cocker). Of course, you can find a great dog in any breed, but you have to be prepared for the negatives.
Find a good breeder referral by going to http://www.akc.org or talking to people at dog shows. http://www.akc.org/breederinfo/breeder_search.cfm
You can also find info about the breed clubs on the akc site – they probably have a rescue group where you can get an older dog for less money.
http://www.akc.org/breeds/rescue.cfm
The best breeders will be members of their breed club, promoting healthy dogs with great temperaments. They should ask you a bunch of questions to make sure their puppy will be getting a good home. If all a "breeder" seems to care about is whether your check will clear, you can be sure he won't care a week later when the pup is dying from distemper or parvo and you want your money back.
Whatever you do, DON'T go to a pet shop, a flea market or buy one sight-unseen off the Internet!!!! You'll pay top dollar for what is usually a poor quality puppy mill dog that is often sick and may have falsified registration papers. And you'll be supporting one of the cruelest industries in the country. http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=cruelty_puppymills
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28 years professional trainer
My husband and I spent months researching dogs before we got our two (yorktese's) and we hired a dog trainer to work with them.
Any small or toy dog is not a good option for small children because of the damage a child can do by squeezing, throwing or dropping the dog. Not to mention that the dog can be afraid of a rough child and bite them.
We grew up with a Lhasa and it was a great dog. But they are a bit more sturdy than the toy breeds. I raised my son (now 19) with a yellow lab who was the best dog of all dogs.
Also, I agree with everyone that yorkies are very barky dogs. And it can be difficult to train them to stop.
But good luck with whatever you get.
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I have 2 shih tzu's in the house and they are very good with kids and with other animals..I wouldn't have want any other kind in my house..
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I have a Maltese….he's 8 now.
He's not too thrilled with children…I don't know if that's because he realizes how small he is (5lbs) and children could hurt him if they're not careful. He moves away from them and either hides or gets somewhere they can't fit. LOL
He's very rarely barks….usually only when a stranger comes to the door. He doesn't shed. He loves to be loved. He could be a wonderful little dog for an older child but I'm don't think he'd be good with small children.
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