What's a good dog breed for a smallish house with 4 to 9 year olds?

[funchick]

I'm being pestered almost daily by my kids to get a pet.
I've no idea how it will work as our garden is about 30 foot square and we live in a terraced house.
Are there are any breeds which are possibles without upsetting the dear thing?
I know I'll end up walking it with hubbie until the eldest grows.

Greyhound.

Whippet.

We have a new build terraced house, which though not small, is hardly a mansion, with a (typical for new build) small garden, we also have two ds's aged 7 and 4. We have a whippet and a whippet x greyhound.

Whippets and greyhounds fold up really small, so they don't take up nearly as much room as you might think and they don't need a lot of exercise, ours get 3 x 30-40 min walks a day, but if we don't have time (or if it is raining), they will happily drop one of these. In fact, if it is raining, our whippet will very quickly try to run back into the house and won't want to walk at all - perfect with young children!

Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, hands down.

You realise most people are just going to come and give you their breed of dog, don't you?

Except me

No, honestly I do not own a greyhound. I foster them and they are wonderful, wonderful, calm dogs. Who do fold up small and are very good and gentle with all people, including children. They don't need anywhere near as much exercise as you'd think, but equally will walk for miles if that is what you want. They detest 'weather'. Mild and dry is the only kind of weather they cope well with, anything else has them heading for their sofa (they will get on the furniture, you cannot stop this. Keeping a greyhound, or indeed any sighthound, off of the furniture, should be a crime imo)

They don't shed a lot and they're not really very demanding. Two 20 minute walks a day and they'll spend the rest of their day upside down on your sofa legs in the air.

Whippets are very similar, but smaller and ime, slightly more excitable than a Grey, although that could just be the ones I have met. They're still good dogs for families, though.

Whenever I hear spaniel I immediately think "hard work, excessive exercise, training and grooming needs" although to be perfectly fair I have never owned or looked after any kind of spaniel, this is just the impression I get of the ones in the park.

We have a lab - great with kids.
For your space I would go Border Terrier.

I'd go for a whippet or whippet X and that's not because that's what I have . I have a terrier and they are definitely an acquired taste.

D0oinMe:

I didn't! I just gave a dream breed instead....

I'd go for a whippet too. I have one and incidentally have 4 year old and 9 year old DC. I also have a Chinese crested hairless dog and 2 cats and they all get along really well.

The first time we met a whippet properly we watched it tearing around like a lunatic and all agreed that they are just too bouncy and crazy for us. 3 months later we collected ours . They're great dogs, fantastic with the children and really chilled out and lazy around the house (apart from the relentless bin raiding)

I'd love a greyhound but I Like my dogs to be able to let themselves in and out of the back door via their small dog flap, any dog over whippet size would need a bigger dog flap. A friend of mine had her house burgled and the burglar climbed through their Labrador sized dog flap so this would worry me a lot.

Let me fulfil expectations by urging the claims of the French bulldog. Frenchies don't have bad feet or asthma; they are happy, affectionate, fun-loving, and healthy, and though they love walks and games, they don't need exercise. They have very short coats and don't shed. They like strangers and get on well with other pets. They have very big generous hearts, though they are small dogs (small enough for a dog flap), and they rarely bark. And they are utterly adorable :)

whippet cos that's wot I got when my son was 4 She's still perfect & he's now 8. I do have one caveat - sighthound pups are FAST so perhaps go for a young adult rescue instead of an 8 week old cutie? Young adult rescue whippet is ideal for lively children who are kind natured and believe a hug and a petting on a cold winters night is the holy grail. Ideal too for bone idle Mums who don't want dog hairs all over the furniture, yapping disturbing the neighbours, to trek 5 miles 2x a day in the february rain, groomers bills etc,etc.

Or my other choices on my orginal breed shortlist when I was looking.

bedlington terrier/whippet X -wonderful family dogs for the more active family. Often only available as pups. (Not a lurcher mix that often ends up in rescue due to their suitability as family pets!)
King Charles spaniel for calm temperment - do get from properly health tested stock only though.
english spaniel for the duracell family - lovely natures but need lots & lots of walking, ideal for outdoorsy types. Not for the houseproud.
staff - great allrounder when properly trained
bichon frise - every single example of these I've ever met would be ideal for a small home and kind kids. fun to train but need additional grooming. many tears have a few right now.

Our whippet was 12 months old when he came to us. He was out of the chest puppy phase, he was house trained, but still young. He thinks he is one of the dc and follows them everywhere, he also tries to lick them dry after bath. He doesn't require lots of grooming (but still has a sleek and glossy black coat), he doesn't need masses of food (he only weighs 13kg) and then there are the shopping opportunities for collars and new coats.....

Stupid phone, it should read "chewy puppy phase" not chest puppy!

Well I was rushing on here to shout 'whippet' but I see my work is done for me . See OP, they are that good we go round evangelising about them. We've had ours 9 months now, from a puppy and (as a non dog liking person) he is fabulous. Good natured, friendly, great with children (mine are 12,10 and 5 but we also spend most of our time with my friend and her family 7,5, and 3). He has one good walk a day where he runs like the wind, one short walk and the rest of the day he is either keeping my feet warm or sleeping on my knee. I adore him, I think whippet's must be the easiest breed of dog, all they want from life is a quick run, food and cuddles.

My whippet x never had a chewy puppy phase. My Dad's two yo whippet is still chewing things.

If you want a particular characteristic in a dog, such as calm, non chewer, patient with children etc. you are better off going to a rescue where the dogs are grown up and have been assessed. Puppies are complete unknown quantity. You can gain a vague idea of what they're like by breed characteristics, but all dogs are different, even within the same breed group and there are always those who break the rules completely.

Cavalier King Charles Spaniel - wonderful dogs, perfect in fact!!!

There are some good websites where you put in your needs/wishes (size, trainability, amount of walking, coat shedding, good with children) and they will suggest breeds that suit your lifestyle.

The main thing is to think about how much time you realistically have for walking (even in the dark of winter when it's freezing), how much you think you could stick to being firm, calm and consistent with training (not always easy with an excitable dog!) and how lively a dog you'd like.

There are so many dogs that can be great with children aged 4-9, provided you get the right breed for you to cope with.

We have a labrador / bernese mountain dog cross and I love the temperament, but then I'm biased!

We've got a Shih Tzu and he's been fabulous. He's great with the kids, happy to play but doesn't need tonnes of exercise and doesn't shed. He's also very trainable. We live in a terraced house too and have a tiny garden and three kids.
He does need grooming daily but it doesn't take long.

I'm biased too but would say Cairn terrier. I grew up with them (and a westie, who wasn't as good with kids), they're easy to train, lots of fun and fab with kids. Mine is two now and DTs are one and they love each other! He gets a 40 minute walk during the week and out for a long run on Saturdays and Sundays.

Cavalier, small affectionate and great with children. Not destructive. Loves any walk be it long or short. Great all rounder family pet

I'm another advocate of the cavalier king Charles - fantastic wee doggies. Don't need much exercise, brilliant with children, very even tempered and non destructive, easily crate trained if you want to, also easily toilet trained. Just make sure you buy from a reputable breeder who wants to vet your home, and don't overfeed, as they will just keep on eating and get a bit overweight :) just like me

Older rescue staffie. They don't shed much and generally after age 3 they Aren't total loons. They are happy being walked of happy being couch potatoes. They also love to play with kids. And I do mean play with them.

We are the proud owners of a miniature poodle puppy. Years of wanting one and years of owning other breeds but put off by the grooming. He is absolutely gorgeous and the grooming is not as onerous as I thought and they literally dont shed (well maybe the odd hair like humans). We've had everything from big gun dogs: pointers both German and English (which I love but just don't have the time/lifestyle/space for anymore) whippets (boring IMO) to Cavaliers and although I do prefer the poodle, cavaliers are genuine easy little dogs which would meet you criteria although I understand they have significant health problems and you do have to be careful.

Staffys are great with children, my older one cuddles up next to mine all the time, however staffy pups are bonkers. They really are.

However, older, well trained staffys make lovely lovely family pets.

Yes tantrum, totally agree, kids+ loony staffy pup+not much space is a recipie for carnage! Mine is now 18 months and is still as mad as a box of
frogs. I don't mind as we have loads of space for her to do wall of death in the garden and she is unbelievable with the kids, but I can imagine many people would find them very hard work at this age. They do mostly eventually settle down into fantastic family dogs though, and there are so many in rescues its tragic :0(

Bichon Frisee the best and funniest dogs ever! And the cutest too! Little fluffy white dogs with a big hearth!!!