Just bought a house. Want to get a good inside dog...

[gardener34]

I would get the puppy (from a reputable breeder of course!!) that way a puppy can adjust to your schedule a little easier than an older dog and can get used to a kid from the very beginning. 4yo child is not too young to begin taking care of a dog. I would NOT get a teeny tiny breed tho.

Some breed rescue groups are funny about adopting out to families with small kids. A reputable breeder might be as well, so be prepared to be asked some questions esp, if you have never owned a dog before.

Housebreaking is easier if you crate train. Personally I think shih tzus are adorable and I really like those black and white ones. And go to obedience training, your dog will love it, this is something you can do as a family, learning commands, etc.

[#Littledog]

In response to the age of your child, I read from a dog-expert's website that it's best to get a dog when the youngest child in the family is 7 years. So your son will still have that lovely childhood experience of coming home and having a dog to love, maybe wait until he's a little older? Trust me, you won't regret it, especially if you're considering a puppy.

[Sachacat1]

Please use due diligence and do some research before you get your dog. Here's a very helpful article from petfinder.com, a website where you can also look for pets to adopt:
Things to Consider Before You Adopt a Dog: Before You Adopt a Dog: Before You Adopt

A great book for advice on how to housebreak your puppy is called "How to Housebreak Your Dog in 7 Days", by Shirlee Kalstone, $7.99 and only 86 pages, it has all the great advice which is all you need, that's what I used for housebreaking my dogs.

I agree with another poster, don't get a dog that is too small, since your child is still little. My daughter's teacher has a small dachshound mix that was trampled on while her 7 year old was walking it and now the dog is not able to put the hind leg down. So, you see, lots of harm could come to a small dog like that.

As far as leaving the puppy alone, there will definitely be a lot of messes to clean up. Young puppies have not yet developed their sphincter muscles, so they really cannot control themselves and cannot hold in for long periods of time like an older dog can. Only when the puppy is about 4 months old that muscle is finished developing, but by then it must have been taught good habits. You need to establish a routine for housebreaking, and dogs will want to eliminate 20-30 minutes after each feeding. You could get this pet playpen, which is the one I use, and line it with newspaper or puppy training pads: Amazon.com: Iris CI-604 Indoor/Outdoor Plastic Pet Pen, 4 Panels: Pet Supplies

If you can adopt would be best. Try and stay away from pet shops, most puppies from there come from puppy mills, which is a horrible place, very inhumane, and they don't make very good pets, they have lots of behavior and health problems because of where they came from. An adopted pet is sure to be a grateful and loyal pet, much more healthy, especially if it's a mixed breed. Purebreds tend to have more health problems.

A great place to leave your dog for the times when you will be out of the house is a dog sitting place, called PetLovers central. But I think the puppy must have all the vaccines and be spayed or neutered, before you can drop it off there for petsitting. They even have webcams that allows you to see your dog over the internet. They are in Boca Raton, on Federal Hwy and Hidden Valley Blvd: PetLover Central :: Premier Doggy Daycare Home Page

Also, before you get a dog, you might want to watch a few episodes of a show on Animal Planet called "dogs101", it has an overview of several breeds, pros/cons, care, etc.: Dogs 101 : Animal Planet

Good luck and congratulations on your new house!

[MeinGlanzendMotorrad]

I was raised by my grandparents, and got a puppy when I was a year and a half old. My grandpa had just retired (Well, from his main job. He still had a part time job just to keep busy) so he raised him, cared for him, and did just about everything for him until I was 6-7 and really "got" what responsibility to a dog was.

I was at the library after school when I was 13 and got a call that they were rushing my dog to the vet because he couldn't stand up anymore. He died at the vet's during the night.

Don't get a dog when your kid is so young. Losing your best friend you grew up with when you're still in your childhood isn't a feeling you want to give him for life.

[foxywench]

i do agree that loosing a life long frined while your still a child is painfull, but thats no reason not to get a dog.

teach child that life is an amazing prescous and short thing for all living beings...
as one little boy said "dogs dont have to live as long because they already know how to live well"

my parents had our first dog before i was born, we lost him when i was 5 to cancer, my next dog, a cocker spaneil joined our family only months after our sheperd left, she lived to a ripe old age of 12 before passing in her sleep, i was 17, my brother 16 and my sister 10...it was sad, it was painfull and we all supported eachother while we mourned her passing...but not one of us would have changed our lives with her just to protect ourselves from the pain...it hurt, but we celebrated her life and accepted that her passing was a part of that life...

i couldnt be without a dog.
my sister literally learnt to walk with the aid of that dog...
and i personally thank my parents for allowing pets in our lives even from a very young age.

do you bubble wrap the kid and wait till hes old enough that hell have moved out by the time the dog is elderly...or do you share your lives with a k9 companion now and teach the child how short but wonderfull life is and that things pass when their time comes and it hurts those they leave behind but that is the grand circle of life and that we should celebrate the life, remember the good and when were ready let go and move on...

[LookinForMayberry]

First, all dogs are inside dogs, so you have a lot of options to choose from, but I would suggest since you are already working parents that you consider adopting a mature, trained dog that will be patient with a youngster and is not going to have issues with being alone.

I suggest going to Petfinder and searching for a medium to small adult dog that has no issues with kids and is house-broken. Get to know what adoption shelters there are in your area and talk with one of their counselors about your needs and the features you have to offer a forever friend.

My beagle-cocker spaniel loves children, but he's been socialized to them since I brought him home from the rescue team. I've heard that spaniels can be nippy, so it's probably the beagle in him.

There are no perfect dogs, only dogs that want to be perfect if you just show them how -- with loving patience.

If you don't have the amount of time for the dog that you would have for a second child, consider waiting until you do have more time.