choosing the right dog breed

Question
i am looking for a small dog that is not aggressive and is good with children.
Preferably a dog that is not high maintenance and is not hyper. Hope you can
help. Jillian


Answer
Hi Jillian,

It would be a shame to rule out any particular breed of dog because of a very generalized breed description.
It helps if you judge a dog as an individual, not by the breed standard. Within any breed, there are individuals who are energetic, and placid. Hard-headed dogs, and sweet-natured ones. Serious examples, and good-natured goofballs. Introverted dogs, and dogs who love everyone.

If the breed's expected behavior is negative (for example, a tendency to be over-energetic and stubborn), it's a pleasant surprise when an individual puppy turns out NOT to have those tendencies. For example, there are Jack Russell Terriers who are calm and obedient.
You can push things in this direction by deliberately looking for parents whose temperaments are NOT typical for their breed. Look for Jack Russell Terrier parents who are NOT too active, who DON'T chase everything that moves, who DO what their owner says, and you'll have a better chance of getting a JRT puppy who is easier to raise and train than the "typical" Jack Russell.

If the breed's expected behavior was positive (for example, a happy pleasant disposition) it's very disappointing when an individual puppy turns out NOT to have those tendencies. There are plenty of shy Golden Retrievers, and aggressive ones, too.

You can help avoid this by not acquiring any purebred puppy unless you can see both parents. A dog who turns out non-typical for his breed very often had at least one PARENT who was non-typical. Or you can eliminate all uncertainty by simply acquiring an adult dog. You can already see an adult's temperament and behavior, so you don't have to worry about whether or not he'll grow up with the traits you want.

But since you asked, here are some small breeds that are usually very good with kids:

Boston Terriers
Bichon Frise
Beagles
English Bulldogs
Pugs
Cairn Terriers

Breeds best with older, conscientious children:
Papillion
Yorkshire Terrier
Westie (West Highland White Terrier)
Norfolk Terrier
Norwich Terrier
Schipperke
Miniature Schnauzer
Long-haired Dachshund
Wired-haired Dachshund

You can read about the breeds I've selected here:
http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/abc.htm

You can browse adoptable dogs (of all breeds and mixes) at:

http://www.petfinder.com/
Try the "Quick Pet Search" on the left side of the Pet Finder home page.

You might also try one of these free dog breed selectors. By providing information on the kind of traits you'd like in a dog, specific breeds will be recommended.

http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/search.htm
http://us.iams.com/iams/en_US/jsp/IAMS_Page.jsp?pageID=DBS

Besides purebred dog breeds, a mixed breed dog might work very well for you. Many times, because of bad breeding a purebred dog can have personality defects, such as being high strung or timid. Mixed breed dogs are often calmer, and healthier than their purebred cousins because they have not undergone generations of interbreeding. Mixed breed dogs are every bit as loving as pedigreed dogs, and make wonderful pets. At the Pet Finder website you can browse dogs just by size, if you prefer.

I hope I've been a help.
Best of luck,

Patti