Need you help: dog as birthday gift for my daughter

[jeff_qu]

Although I love dogs, unfortunately, my parents have never allowed me to have one. Now, I want to buy a dog as a birthday gift for my 2 years old daughter. Obviously, my daughter loves dogs too cause everytime she saw one, she just can not walk away from the dog. I know nothing about dogs. Anybody can help me to choose one?

[BlackArcher101]

This sounds all to familiar to the "I bought a dog as a gift, but in the end it wasn't for us, so we either dropped it off at the pound or ditched it" routine.

She's going to take care of this dog at 2 years of age? If not, how would this be fair to others who take care of it but she takes all the advantages of having fun with it.

[Thaco]

Originally posted by BlackArcher101
This sounds all to familiar to the "I bought a dog as a gift, but in the end it wasn't for us, so we either dropped it off at the pound or ditched it" routine.

She's going to take care of this dog at 2 years of age? If not, how would this be fair to others who take care of it but she takes all the advantages of having fun with it.


atleast this guy is asking for advice BEFORE buying one.


and the kid is 2 years old, he obviously does not expect a 2 year old to care for it... you're obviously not a parent, parents make a lot of sacrifices for children, caring for a dog would be one of the easiest things you'd do as a parent, especially if it makes your kid happy.

[AE92_TreunoSC]

Well a 2 year old and a new puppy would be a handful to take care of, I would suggest visiting an animal shelter and letting the child interact with a dog that is a little older and mature.

Plus you can give a neglected a dog a good home too :)

[jeff_qu]

I am not going to let my 2 year old daughter take care of the dog. I think she is too young for that.



Originally posted by BlackArcher101
This sounds all to familiar to the "I bought a dog as a gift, but in the end it wasn't for us, so we either dropped it off at the pound or ditched it" routine.

She's going to take care of this dog at 2 years of age? If not, how would this be fair to others who take care of it but she takes all the advantages of having fun with it.

[jeff_qu]

Thank you very much for the nice word, Thaco.
I am thinking to buy a puppy, but it seems that is not a good idea? Any thoughts?


Originally posted by Thaco



atleast this guy is asking for advice BEFORE buying one.


and the kid is 2 years old, he obviously does not expect a 2 year old to care for it... you're obviously not a parent, parents make a lot of sacrifices for children, caring for a dog would be one of the easiest things you'd do as a parent, especially if it makes your kid happy.

[gatorade]

golden retreiver

[three.eighteen.]

werd to the golden retriever, very well behaved/easily trainable and good with children

[KRyn]

You really need to do some research on what kind of dog will fit in with your life style. Do you have a huge back yard and the ability to walk this dog often? Or are you to busy to walk the dog everyday and take it to the dog park on the weekends? Some dogs need a lot more attention than others, some dogs need to go outside and run around while others are perfectly happy sleeping around the house all day... Just some things to think about.

[A790]

Originally posted by AE92_TreunoSC
Well a 2 year old and a new puppy would be a handful to take care of, I would suggest visiting an animal shelter and letting the child interact with a dog that is a little older and mature.

Plus you can give a neglected a dog a good home too :)
None of the puppy BS, generally well mannered, and will love you from the moment you walk in until the moment you take them home.

QFT x 1 billion.

[old&slow]

Get a small dog.
We have a Shitzu Havanese cross.
With my niece and nephew he is awesome.
They love him and he loves them.
The nephew can be real rough as he's only 2.5 but the dog has never once even as much as growled....you need a well behaved smallish dog!

[Kritafo]

you should just make sure you get a dog that has a proven track record for behavior. There are many sites that you can go and plug in some info and it selects breeds and choices
http://animal.discovery.com/breedselector/dogselector.do

Just keep in mind all the costs that are associated with a dog, and consider waiting for find a good breeder.

There are lots of rescue dogs, and the SPCA will ask if the dog is a gift, and you will not be able to get a dog if you say the dog is a gift.

[BenC]

lab.
very intelligent and easy to train
very well mannered towards people
hyper at times, and they grow fast!
but i love mine to death

[lilmira]

Do some research definitely. It will be like taking care of a baby at the beginning. The bright side is that it doesn't take very long to train a puppy if you take the time to do it properly.

But you really have to be prepared for the worst. No matter how good a dog is, there will be time when it does something really stupid to piss you off. Would you be able take it?

So if you like to have a dog and you are willing to take care of it for it's entire life then go for it. If you are thinking about getting a dog for your 2yo daughter, you should wait awhile until she learns about responsibility.

[Toms-SC]

Do some research, but some books! Don't be stupid!

[InLoveWitRSX]

i have a border coly and a lab mixed and he's great, very flexible to situations, I got him when he was like a week old and I didn't even have to train him, I remember the first time we were in the van with him and he had to go to the bathroom and he just groaned (which meant he had to pee) and we let him go on the grass and from that moment on he only pissed on the grass never inside the house or anything.

[CivicTunr]

i have a labradoodle, great dog very fun loving dog, loves to play with other dogs as well, and learned very fast.

[Heff]

What is your family's lifestyle outside of work?

Do you have a stay-home parent in the house? If not, will you be able to have someone home for 3-6 weeks when you first get the puppy?
Do you like to be outside as a family and go for walks or hikes?
Do you have more than one child? Will you have more than one child?
Are you assertive people?

In terms of dog, give a brief description of the sort of activities you see yourself and your dog doing on a regular basis.

Which of these personality factors do you feel are most important for your dog to have?

Personality, Intelligence, Trainability, Gentleness, Active, Passive, Energetic, Relaxed, Laid-back.

[Konj]

get her a pitbull or rottweiler
they will get along just fine

[mekeni]

If I were you, I would start with a small dog, one that doesn't need a big yard.

We have a Husky and that dog is hyper, needs a lot of exercise/walking.

[Xtrema]

Find out if your kid is allegic. Dogs will bring in a lot of dust/dirt. Then the hair and dander may cause problem with some allergy sufferers. Short hair breeds or Shih Zhu would be best for allergic people.

[Super_Geo]

Originally posted by Toms-SC
Do some research, but some books! Don't be stupid!

Nice. ;)

[A790]

Originally posted by mekeni
If I were you, I would start with a small dog, one that doesn't need a big yard.

We have a Husky and that dog is hyper, needs a lot of exercise/walking.
LOL Husky's are outdoor dogs for sure. I used to have a bunch when I lived on an acreage.

[Kona9]

Research research research!

Peoples points of views on a place like Beyond are not going to help you. There has been some good advice posted so far, but it all comes down to you, your lifestyle, housing, etc. People will post their own breed of dogs as that is what they know. Of course I am going to post that a Boston Terrier is a good choice as my boy is an amazing dog, but not for everyone would it be the best dog.

Think of a dog much like a child. They aren't Tamagochi (sp) electronic toys you can accidentally forget about and replace batteries when it is cool to play again. Your dog relies on you for it's life and quality there of.

If you can help it at all...PLEASE go for a breeder, or SPCA/Rescue situation. Do NOT buy dogs from a pet store if you can at all help it!!

[TheOneAndOnly]

i'd suggest an american eskimo, b/c i've had one all my life..well 11 till now.

and she's put up with all my bullshit from then. great with kids, genearly she's hyper, but around a todler, she settles down, and lets it do what ever it wants with her....

but IMO a dog is a dog, and depends soley on the owner, and how the woner nurtures the dog.

big ups 2 the pound.

fuck the stores.

[reiRei]

if you have a baby, DON"T get a puppy.. My first dog was 4 years old, and after her, we finally got a puppy.. having a puppy is like taking care of another baby, and that could prove difficult...

[4lti7ude]

Well your kids probably going to get really attached to a dog if you do buy one, and just remember that they dont live as long as people so think about what your gonna do when that dog dies. Cause i remember when my cat died when i was a kid and it killed a bit of me inside...

[clem24]

The question is... Do *you* want a dog? This is not going to be your daughter's dog. She's 2 years old. Like any other 2 year old with something new, she'll be interested in it for 10 minutes, and that's it. She's not old enough to handle the responsibility of a dog. She can neither walk it, feed it, or take it to the vet if something goes wrong.

This dog is going to be YOURS. Do you have time to train it? Are you even interested in training? Do you mind accidents in the house? Do you have the time to walk it at least 2 - 3 times a day, even if it's +50 or -20? Do you have a fenced yard? Have you even done your research into what goes into training? Can you afford to take it to the vet if something happens? Is there someone that can watch the dog when you're on vacation? Is the WHOLE family committed to dog ownership? Are you going to bath it when it's dirty? Brush it? Wipe it's feet when it comes into the house because it's mucky outside? Do you find wet dog smell revolting? Etc... etc... etc... Before even THINKING about a breed of dog, you should ask yourself if you really want a dog.

Playing with someone else's dog is one thing, but owning your own dog is another. Am I trying the scare the shit out of you in regards to dog ownership? YOU BET! If you easily answer most of the questions above without any hesitation, *and* you've done your research, *and* *you and you only, want a dog* then you are ready for a dog. Otherwise, just play with your friends dog.

Believe me. In the first 3 days of dog ownership, you will get stressed out and bring the dog to the dog pound. Dogs are very rewarding and you get more out of it than you put into it, but if you put in nothing, then you'll get nothing. And not all dogs are perfect angels. You might luck out and get one that has the perfect personality. Or you may get one that does not respond to any kind of training and goes around and bites the neighborhood kids. You need to be prepared for both.

As with everyone on here, I am actually very happy that you posed the question before buying the dog. Please do your research. And if you do get a dog, please go to a qualified breeder. Do not buy from a pet store. Period.

[Benny]

Damn guys, it's a serious issue and all but caring for a dog isn't rocket science.

[jsn]

^^

No one said it was rocket science but taking care of a dog, especiall a puppy, takes ALOT of time and effort, especially for the first few months when you're trying to potty train the dog.
Golden retreivers/labradors would be a safe bet if you're looking for a midsized dog. Their temperment can't be beat. But as mentioned before, they can be fairly hyper at times. Bichon Shitzu's are a pretty good choice if you're looking for a smaller dog, but they take a little more effort to keep clean as they have longer hair that may drag on the ground. Just my two cents... do your research, theres tons of other dogs that would probably fit the bill.

[lelalong]

Just don't go and buy one from a pet store. Those dogs are aching for attention and can have behavioural issues. I suggest looking through buysell.com and go for the small ads with family raised dogs. You can meet the mommy and daddy dog to see what the pup will be like in the future. Dogs from a good family are more likely to have less anxiety issues. I got my mutt (maltese/Schnauzer/poodle) from a great family in Rocky Mountain House. She's great with all dogs and people. Pet stores can give you immediate dog satisfaction but this is a 15-20 year investment...take the time and find the right one.

[clem24]

Welp one of the issues with pet store dogs is that they tend to be harder to house train. Dogs are clean by nature/instinct. But pet store dogs are taught to soil their sleeping area, which makes them infinitely harder to house train. On the other hand, I do know plenty of great dogs bought from pet stores, but that does not mean I condone it. Do consider going to the dog pound and adopting, but be ready for the fact that they may have behavioural issues and may need more patience.