What Kind of Puppy to Get for My Children for Xmas?

Definitely adopt a puppy from a shelter!!!! There are soooooooooooooo many amazing dogs/cats there that need homes. We adopted both our dog and cat from there and they are the best pets ever.... Good luck in your search! (PS if your looking for a pure bred, you can certainly find them in the shelters or there rescue breed name)
PS remember when adopting a puppy you will have the responsibility of potty training that puppy (in the beginning they need to be walked about every 3 hours), and the chewing phase (if you have small children they normally go right for there toys).... When we adopted our dog we decided to get one that was already potty trained and over the chewing phase (my son at that time was 2 and I didn't want the responsibility of having to do those 2 things), so we adopted one that was 3 years old.. BEST DECISION EVER. So you might want to leave that option open :0)

Dear Lisa,
I wholeheartedly agree with all the advice you received so far!!!

Last month, we adopted an adorable 8-week old chocolate lab puppy from Broward County Humaine Society. It is a wonderful shelter! The fee was $135, it includes spay/neuter surgery, vet exam, shots, carrier, and a bag of food; also support/education hotline, and free follow-up vet care for 2 weeks (which we ended up needing, because the puppy developed kennel cough).

They had many wonderful dogs and puppies of all shapes and sizes! Definitely worth a trip. From Boynton Beach it took us about 45 min. You can take I-95 or the Turnpike to Griffin road exit. Check them out on the web at www.humanebroward.com. We also visited Peggy Adams in WPB and Tristate Humaine Society in Boca, also good shelters. You can view all of the avaiable animals on their websites, however the pictures alone often do not do them justice.

As far as choosing a small dog, I also love Shih Tzus! I have never had one myself, but have met many Shih Tzus, and they all were incredibly smart, and had a wonderful mellow temperament. The counselors at the shelter are very informative, and will answer your questions about any particular breed. Keep an open mind: sometimes your dog will choose you! (as it happened in our case).

Good luck in welcoming another life into your home!
BTW: although raising a puppy is certainly demanding, it is not as hard as raising a baby!

Let us know how it goes!

M.

Hi! We have a dog, and 3 cats..and they certainly make our house a home. That is awesome that you are open to getting a dog. This will really bring your kids some joy! I am not too familiar with small dogs, so I can't give you advice there...but before you go and drop a ton of cash on a pure bred from a breeder, please look on www.petfinder.com . It is an awesome website that searches all local shelters for you. You simply type in the type of dog, and age you are looking for, and they will show you photos and usually bios of animals to fit your match. They are nationwide, but you just plug in your zip code, and you will be astonished to see how many homeless pets need a home, even locally. You can certainly find a purebred that way...and never mind saving a life..it will be MUCH less expensive. You can also browse Craigslist. Sadly people give their pets away there every day. My girlfriend was wanting a king charles spaniel..which is quite an expensive dog. She was also like me...wanting to break the breeding cylce. She found a family that simply wanted to give theirs up..and now she has an awesome dog! Good luck!! A. :)

I would highly recommend a Shih Tzu or even a Lhasp Apso. I have had both throughout my life, my Shih Tzu will be ten on Christmas and is amazing with children, my son is three and I would never think twice about leaving them alone together or my dog retaliating for all the torture my son puts him through(lol). He has never once shown any sign of a problem, he was crate rained which I highly recommend. He does not shed and lives inside. If you are truly ready for another dog(child), then I would look for a Shih Tzu. If you have never had a dog, it is a lot of work when you have children, it is like having another child that wants your attention! Good Luck with your decision and I hope you have a lot of patience, because training a puppy and kids stressful. L.

wiener dogs(Dachshund) do not shed. my sis has three boys 4 ,2 and 3 months it is great with them. I prefer the smaller black ones I think they are cuter, just my prefrence, my aunt has one, her second, and has five