Best breed of dog to get

Hi. Just would like some thoughts. Friend cares for he4 daughter who is confined to a motorised wheelchair with spina bifida. She would like to get her a dog for a little bit of companionship. But what to get!!!! Any replies would be appreciated.

Well few questions.
What size, energy level, hair type, and will it be a indoor or outdoor pet?

Is there time for training a puppy?

Is there a lean toward a tiny lap dog or a large guardian companion?

The 2008 winner of the Crufts Friends for Life was a Hungarian Wirehaired Vizsla the constant companion of a young lady with cerebral palsy

If you're going for a larger breed, retrievers are great, so are beagles, however they're more of a medium size breed.

Retrievers are often used as companion dogs around here. I know of some places that actually train their dogs to be companion dogs, so maybe try looking for a place that specializes in companion dogs. Good luck!

I would think it may come down to the dog not breed. You hear of so many breeds that are companions to special needs children, ranging from St. Bernard's to Staffies to Rottweiler's to Pugs.

The rescue once had a young Rottie for adoption. He was adopted by a family and he instantly bonded to the son (he had PTSD), and helped him tremendously. This dog was not a trained service dog or anything. Some dogs just have the instinct in them while others not so much

Are they looking for a puppy or adult dog? Sometimes going to a shelter and meeting each dog and seeing their reaction or contacting rescues with a detailed description of what they are looking for can help narrow it down.

My Anatolian cross is a perfect candidate for this type of thing. I do not have special needs per say, but I can tell that he has a very strong motherly instinct and is very in tune with my emotions and such. He has a way of making things ok.

Thanks for all the replies. They are thinking of a golden retriever actually. Leaning towards a puppy. I did think of the shelters. I will keep you all posted. Its my girls 4th birthday today. Sorry ... just couldnt resist saying tjat!

Happy Birthday to her.

just IMHO but I'm thinking perhaps a loveable adult mutt might be your best bet. I have a special needs kid too and that's a lot of work in itself, adding a puppy to the mix is going to be double the work.

Adult dogs can have a lot going for them if you find the right personality. They might already be housebroken and leash trained. They might already know some basic commands. And what you see is what you get.

You might not know a puppies true personality for quite some time but an easygoing, placid adult is probably going to stay just as easygoing. I also feel that adult dogs are more attached, more devoted in general.

They know what it's like to be uncertain about food and a home, they'll show their gratitude for the rest of their lives I would definitely tell you to consider an adult over a pup. Our Callie trails my daughter and sleeps with her too and he was about a year when we adopted him.

I agree with comments about maybe looking for an adult dog and looking around until you find one where there is a connection between your friends daughter and the dog - as you can see the breed isn't necesarily important just the temperament. Labs and retrievers are traditionally thought of in this sense but if you google Crufts friends for life you can see that a huge variety of breeds make fantastic companions it seems to be just something special in some dogs that make them ideal in this situation.

PS Happy 4th birthday to the little lady !

Happy 4th birthday to your girl Ginge!

There is also a big difference in having a dog around if you are using a manual wheelchair, as in the picture posted by Joedee, as against having a dog when using an electric/motorised chair, which is a lot heavier and can cause a lot more damage to even a large dog.

On more than a few times I ran over my Little One's tail or a paw when reversing and did not know she was flonked behind me. It did not hurt her or even seem to bother her when I was in my manual chair. Once I got my first electric chair she soon learned to shift quickly once she heard the sound of it being switched on.

I already had my electric chair when I adopted Pereg, and whether she learned from LO or not, she instinctively moved out of the way as soon as she heard that little beep-beep.