Kid-friendly small dog breed recommendations needed – Milton Neighbors give advice

In a recent (and popular!) post, a Milton Neighbor asked for help regarding a potential new pet for the family:

Members of the Milton Neighbors Facebook group responded with advice on potential dog breeds for this family:

“Looking for recommendations for a kid-friendly small dog breed. Ideally, one that doesn’t bark too much (or shed too much?)… 😂. I’ve never had a dog, but my kids are begging for one! Trying to figure out if we can make it work!”

Check out the excellent advice from Milton Neighbors and let us know in the comments if you have additional advice!

“Frenchie! The best. Small and great with kids.”

“Mini bernedoodle.”

“Second mini bernedoodle!”

“Mini golden doodles are the best.”

“Zuchon”

“Dachshund aka doxie. The regular ones have short hair, they are really sweet, they are not barky, but when they do its awesome… they can’t keep it up for long. My sister, sister in law, cousin, and friend have 1 or 2 each.”

“I have a Cavachon (cavalier King Charles mixed with a Bischon) and it is such a sweet breed, very good with kids and she weighs about 14lbs”

“Second Cavachons.”

“Goldendoodles are known to be wonderful with kids!”

“King Charles Cavaliers. Very sweet, loving, soft fur & believe they don’t shed much.”

“…it depends on the demeanor of the children. Cavaliers are the most loving dogs, but they are not to be manhandled. they also shed extensively.”

“Toy goldendoodle! Seriously they are the best!”

“I have a sweet small labradoodle who is a trained therapy dog. We have done work in the infant and toddler room at the children’s museum and with children at the elementary school where I work. She is smart and loves kids. She came from Highland Beach Labradoodles and they were amazing to work with!”

“Shih Tzus are great people friendly dogs. They don’t bark much at all. No shedding becuase they are hair dogs but downside to that is frequent brushing and haircuts. It’s a small breed. Mine is just 10 pounds, an Imperial, but standard breed is about 16-18 pounds. This is my first dog and relatively easy to care for.”

“American Bullies are honestly such amazing family dogs. Super mellow, always napping, let’s the kids pull on every inch of him and just lays there, rarely barks and minimal shedding! Honestly can’t say enough good things about this breed.”

“Mini bernedoodles. 💗 They top out at 30ish lb, depending on the parents.”

“I have a cavapoo (king charles spaniel/poodle). Both my daughters have allergies. It is my second of this mix. Ive had male (25lb) and currently have a female (15lbs). They are great dogs. Dont shed or bark to much. Most dogs bark a bit. But…it will be your dog. Don’t fool yourself in thinking the kids will care for it. You have to be ok with the daily walks, poop picking up etc. If you don’t want to do the care, don’t get the dog!”

“I have two morkies (yorkshire terrier/maltese mix). They don’t shed and are hypoallergenic. Great with the kids. They’re small – one is 9lbs, the other is 15lbs. Low maintenance too!”

” I love my morkie! He loves everyone, especially kids.”

“Any mini doodle.”

“I had West Highland Terriers growing up. They were so smart and loving and always very patient with me. They have hair so they don’t shed much and often don’t trigger allergies.”

“I have a Maltipoo- all eight pounds of her. Her demeanor is delightful and she just loves us. She has hair, not fur. But does bark at some passers by.”

“Yorkie or a shitzu.”

“Dachshunds don’t shed a whole lot and typically have a great temperament. With any dog (even those within the same breed), you can never predict what their personality may be, so training and socializing are the key most important things you can do regardless of breed type. This is ESPECIALLY important if you want the dog to be good around any and all kids (yours and friends).”

“If you don’t have time to train, there are great rescue groups in the area that can help you find a dog (not a puppy) that they’re already aware of temperament and behavior around kids.”

“Cavapoos”

“English Bulldog!!”

“Frenchie !!”

“Maltipoo is the best! Sweet and home bound!”

“I have a shitzu she hypoallergenic she never sheds and she is a very quiet dog and is amazing with kids I have grandkids she lets them do whatever haha shes very gentle 🙂 and loves people”

“We had 2 dashunds & they were great with my grandkids. Easy to train, no shedding . Very friendly. we had a male & female.”

“My cockapoo was so smart, cuddly, and became trained as a therapy dog. He was amazing. I’d have him back in a second if I could!”

“Go on petfinder. There are so many dogs in shelters. You can change your preferences to “puppy/young” “non shedding” “good with kids” as some examples”

“Adopt A Stray Rescue gives profiles on all their pups, they’ll say if they’re in a foster with kids & descriptions on their temperament & personality. We have gotten both of our babies there & about a dozen of my friends have as well. Amazing rescue.”

“Cocker spaniels”

“Cockapoo or cavapoo”

“I’ve had three labs …when my children were young and three dachshund when my children were living elsewhere. I loved them all. About to pick up an other dachshund in March…can’t wait. They are protective and loving and do not shed.”

“Sad to see this long list of “designer crossbreeds” that are essentially mutts. Please consider looking into a reputable rescue that knows dog breeds. There’s Live and Let Live Farm in NH or “Buddy Dog” in Sudbury. There are many others though now is not a good time for a puppy, for you nor availability in shelter.”

“West Highland Terriers”

“Yorkiepoo”

“Look up dogs with a “silky” coat. Pappillons for instance. That is a very low shed coat but it is also.not like a poodles or terriers in that you have to get it groomed every 3 months. My dog is a mixed breed but doesn’t seem to shed. He has a silky coat…basically all.guard hairs and no fluffy undercoat. Beware of doodle mixes though.. they are adorable but most have nightmare coats. The combination of the poodle fur and a a normal double coat of fur is very unpredictable. They still shed a bit but also mat horribly and can be very hard to keep up with even with grooming. Poodles and purebred non shedding dogs this doesn’t happen.”

“I vote for a hound though. They are funny easy going dogs and at least the redbone does not shed nor need to be brushed much or groomed.nor do they yap and bark constantly like some dogs breed do.”

“Bichon. Great dogs.”

“Shih tsu dont bark much, don’t shed and are good with kids.”

“Bishons Frise. We never had dogs and we have two. They don’t shed but need to be combed frequently as not to mat.
They are super social. You can travel on a plane with them as well if you keep them under 20 pounds, travel on the “T” and are very active for children. Our Popcorn and Fenway are well behaved but we trained them from the beginning. They are the best.”

“Westies!!!”

“I’ve been a dog owner most of my life and my sister and one niece are both vets. So I know a lot of dogs. Currently I am owned by a rescue Cockapoo. These dogs are “Velcro-y” and need to be touching their person at all times. It’s sweet when you’re cuddled up reading but a pain when you’re making dinner. But they don’t shed. They do, however, require a trip to the groomer every 6-8 weeks. And good groomers book at least that far in advance

Every Dachshund I’ve ever known was an “inappropriate eliminator” meaning they did their business wherever they wanted to: sofas, their beds, your beds…Cavalier King Charles spaniels are also needy and require daily grooming maintenance. Sweet but can be overbreed.

Chihuahuas are noisy and nippy.

Labradors and Goldens are sweet and well mannered but shed a lot. They can have many, expensive  health problems.

The more you know about a specific breeder the better. You can spend thousands on a “well-bred” dog and still end up with a lemon. I personally spent more than $10k over her lifetime on the health issues of my Black lab who came from a reputable breeder.There are

millions of good dogs in this country who are abandoned In shelters because they didn’t meet the owners’ requirements. Know yourself and your family and identify your expectations. Is your yard fenced? Who can let the dog out in the middle of the day when everyone is at school or work? Does the dog need a play group for socializing? If it doesn’t shed who takes the dog to the groomer? (My groomer charges $65/visit plus tip.) Do you have a vet lined up? (Many vets weren’t taking new clients for most of 2021-2022.)

I’m not saying don’t do it. I love dogs. Dogs make our lives better! I’m saying ‘Know your family’s needs and expectations.’

(Best kid-friendly dogs I’ve seen have been rescued, including a 100lb Doberman that definitely does not shed. ”

….or add your recommendations! ✅