Dog for a family with 5 year old child

[Lynsey5]

Hi all. We are family of 3.. me, OH and our 4 year old daughter. We are looking to get a dog once my daughter is 5 years old. I would like a dog that will help my mental health and that will be good friends with my daughter. My daughter is a calm girl and listens us if we tell her to not touch a dogs back etc.. We have family that have yappy jack russells and a chihuahua. My daughter doesn't like those dogs. She will tolerate them but she tells me she wants a calm dog that does not bark all the time. When she pat the chihuahua a few times in the past it did growl at her which didn't help so now she just either ignores those dogs or keeps her distance where possible.

Anyways me and OH work full time. I work 4 days a week. 2 days of them i work from home. Once we have a dog the dog will go to doggy daycare when i go to the office 2 days a week. I love the look of a poodle and i read great things about them but not sure if it is right for us still. I read they a prone to seperation anxiety and they can be yappy too. Below is what i am looking for in a dog. Is there such breed that meet my criteria do you think?

1- not a yappy dog
2 - calmer the better. I don't want my daughter to get grief when the dog is a puppy.
3- minimal shedding
4- i don't like short haired dogs. I need a dog that has a bit of hair on them
5- minimal drooling
6- fantastic with kids
7- i don't mind grooming. I am touchy feely so i would probably enjoy grooming to be honest.
8- i don't want a strong dog that is capable of killing a child if it loses it. The news of dogs that attack children scare me . I want my daughter's friends to come to our house without being scared or getting growled at. Also that will be my first dog so i want to know that even if i read the dog's language wrong one day noone will get serious harm.
9- I am a novice owner but i want to take the dog to puppy classes, obidience classes etc. I love the idea of agility too. I want to go to all kinds of classes with the dog. I want teach lots of tricks to the dog as well. I am hoping we will be best mates.

We can provide the dog with 1 to 1,5 hours a day of exercise. We live near countryside so we can do off lead walks daily.

I narrowed it down to miniature poodle and miniature schnauser based on my criteria. I like bichon frise too but they seem to be difficult to toilet train also prone to seperation anxiety ?

What do you guys think ? Am i being realistic on my expectations and do the breeds i picked sound right?

Thanks for reading !

I think poodles can be a bit yappy and snappy, although very intelligent. Poodle crossed with a calm breed brings the best of both.

i don't want a strong dog that is capable of killing a child if it loses it. The news of dogs that attack children scare me

Any dog is capable of this.

Poodles were traditionally working dogs and can be high energy, they also benefit from regular professional grooming. Any dog can suffer from separation anxiety and all dogs need toilet trained.

I don't want my daughter to get grief when the dog is a puppy.

Also, all puppies are bitey sharks and after owning labs for over 20 years I’ve never met a calm puppy, labs or other breeds.

Poodles and schnauzers both need clipping every couple of months. It is possible to learn to do it yourself.

Schnauzers can be a bit noisy but with loads of training and sufficient attention, they are fine.
Presumably you are thinking mini poodle.

I would like a dog that will help my mental health and that will be good friends with my daughter.

Based on all of your requirements I am thinking that there might be other ways you can fulfil these desires that might be more suitable than getting a puppy.

All puppies will bite and yapping/barking is a training thing really…
With the exception of shedding a CKCS sounds as close as you’ll get to the above but if you don’t want puppy grief you don’t want a dog!!

It's all a bit the moon on a stick.

You have very high requirements, there is no way that poor puppy will satisfy all that. I'm sorry, but you are not ready for the reality of having a puppy.

Goldendoodle. But all puppies bite.

You will never find a puppy to tick all those boxes. Sorry.

Cavachon?

Not a small dog op. Neurotic. More nippy. Any size can kill. A larger, comfy, soppy dog is what you want.
Airedales can be fabulous with children. Don't shed.
Otherwise a well-bred lab or a springer spaniel - don't let them on the sofa so they know their place!

King Charles cavalier. Although all puppies bite

Think you are going to struggle tbh.

Most dogs shed. It's not always possible either to tell which dogs will be calm though some breeds are calmer than others I agree but a lot depends on personality.

All dogs are going to be a bit of a handful when a pup and biting is par for the course.

I think you need to lower your expectations somewhat.

I know a lot of dogs but none that would tick all your boxes.

1. Any dog can be yappy if you fail to train it properly.
2. All puppies are nightmares and jump, bark, bite etc. Again, calmness is generally a taught behaviour rather than inherent.
3. Again a behaviour you need to teach.
4. Any dog can kill or injure a child, as an owner why would you be letting children behave innapropriately towards/around a dog?
5. The good citizen award is brilliant.

How old will the dog be when you put them in doggy daycare?

Labrador, ticks most of your boxes

Would you consider rehoming an adult dog?

@PoinsettaPrincess

I don't want my daughter to get grief when the dog is a puppy.

Also, all puppies are bitey sharks and after owning labs for over 20 years I’ve never met a calm puppy, labs or other breeds.

Absolutely this. I have a lovely lab who's super with the children and an all round wonderful dog. Bitey shark as a puppy it's what they do.

I have a Saint Bernard who is very calm around children. Yes, she's big, but she is not aggressive. Very docile creature.

Agree with others though, doesn't matter what breed you go for, they are land sharks as puppies 😂

Yeah don’t get a puppy if you don’t want your mental health going downhill. They are incredibly difficult and pretty much every person I know (including myself!) has regretted getting a puppy at some point. Obviously people love their dogs but the first few months are tough.

You have to be so clear as to what it entails. All puppies bite, jump, get excited, pee everywhere etc. It’s hard work for a good few months if not a year, and then depending on what breed you get they may not even calm down then.

I would rescue an adult dog, after you’ve done a LOT more research.

I think you need to lower your expectations and decide if a dog is really for you. They do change your lifestyle significantly and you may find it frustrating to constantly be mopping up wee, stopping pip chasing, lack of sleep - I’m not sure to begin with mental health will improve!

We have a CKCS and there were months when he was bitey and annoying (plus slow to housetraining).

If you do research CKCS please please go to a reputable breeder (you always should anyway) but CKCS suffer with horrible health conditions that can be minimised / removed with careful vetting.

The other option is wait a bit longer and get a lazy retired greyhound. They are very low maintenance!

Poodles are great and don't shed any hair at all

Get a low shedding, very sociable breed cat! Reading your list, am not sure if a dog is for you.

Shitzu, I don't know if mine was typical of the breed but he was a total lovebug, endlessly tolerant of crawling babies and toddlers. Had a doggy door so could be left for a few hours without any problems. He barked at people coming to the door but otherwise wasn't a yappy dog. Was chewy as a puppy though. Did well at puppy school and my trainer said agility wasn't out of the question as my dog was very food orientated but we never got round to trying it

Honestly, I think your expectations are way, way off.

All puppies bite, toilet on the floor, chew things they shouldn't do and will jump, nip and scratch at your daughter, no matter how much she listens or how calm the puppy is.

Doggy daycare for a very young puppy is generally not a good idea unless you pick one with a dedicated puppy area that knows to enforce very regular naps and down time.

There is no such thing as a calm puppy! They are hard hard work - sleepless nights, getting up at 2am to take them to the toilet, up for the day at 5-6am - they need constant supervision so they don't destroy your house. Many of them cry and howl when you leave them alone for the first time.

I think you need to massively adjust your expectations of dog ownership tbh.

Many thanks to every one for taking time to respond . I don't have experience with dogs so i very appreciate you sharing your insight.

I had a cat before and he was my world. I would love to have a cat again and my daughter likes cats . Unfortunately our niece is allergic to cats . I worry if we had a cat even being near my niece might trigger her allergies so thats the end of that.

From reading all the comments waiting another 10 years and then getting a retired dog might be the way to go for us. Or even waiting for retirement and then get a dog .

One question regarding CKCS .. are not all of them prune to health problems? Or would i be able to find a breeder that does breed healthy dogs ? Also with regards to shedding i take it they shed a lot. Would i be able to manage to have a house not completely covered with hair if i hoover daily? Also do they like getting brushed ? I used to have a cat that did shed a lot and you do get used to it but it is nice not waking up in the middle of the night with hair in your mouth .