Finding a perfect dog

Question
hi
First of all, thank you so much for helping me.
I had been looking for a perfect dog for our family for a while.
Howeveer, with the lack of knowlodge I have over dogs, I afraid I will make
the wrong decision. So thank you so much for any advise.

My husband and I are expecting our first baby in about half a year and this
doggy will be our first dog for both of us.
We currently live in a 2 beds house with a small back yard with no fance.
Our ideal dog will be with little shedding, not very active, good with children,
easy to train, watch the house and after all good health.
We had been considering adopting a Corgi. However, we heard corgi could be
dememding and since this is first dog we ever have. We afraid we will not be
able to train it will.
I also considered Sausage dog. But I heard they have to exercise a lot, due to
their hunting nature. We afraid we won't have enough time for him once the
baby arrived.

so I really out of clude with what dog is good for us now.

I know there are no such a thing as the "Perfect" dog in every espect. But we
are hoping to find one that fits our living situation the most.

any suggestion will be very appreciated.
Thank you so much

Answer
Cindy, any dog you get is going to have to be walked and exercised and trained, all of which can take up a good portion of your time each day. A walk should last at least 30-45 minutes, and exercise is separate from the walk. Because you have a small yard with no fence, you might find it more difficult to play fetch games and such in your yard, so taking the dog to an area that IS fenced might be a better option as far as exercise goes. Training is ongoing, and requires at least 30 minutes, broken up into short, 5-10 minute sessions throughout the day. Every day.

If you want my honest opinion, I think you need to hold off on getting a dog until your baby is at least a few years old and you can devote more time to training and walking and exercising a dog. I do not think that adding a dog to the family right now is a good idea because I believe that you will be overwhelmed with the needs of the dog and the new baby when it does arrive (congratulations, by the way!).

When you DO get a dog, I would recommend an older (by older, I mean more than 3-4 years of age) dog, which you should be able to easily find in a rescue or shelter near you. Older dogs are often already at least partially trained as far as obedience commands, and are usually already housebroken as well. Older dogs do not have as much energy as younger dogs, and - although they will still need a daily walk and daily playtime with you - generally are more laid back and 'lazy' around the house. All dogs shed, with the exception of maybe poodles, and I've heard that Maltese do not shed as well, but I do not know how true that is. When adopting an older dog, you already know the dog's temperament as well. The shelter or rescue group should be able to tell you if the dog is good with children and other animals, too.

I would highly recommend fencing your back yard, for the safety of your new little one as well as for a future dog.

PLEASE keep me in mind when you do decide to add a furry friend to your family. I will do all that I can to help you find just the right dog!