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There are several different breeds of smaller dogs that are known and noted for being good in a family situation. A question that you want to ask yourself is; "How actively involved will you and your children be able to be with this new dog?" This is important considering smaller breeds are active dogs, and need exercise if they are to be cooped up in the house while the children are at school and the parents are at work. You also need to consider the maintenance level of specific breeds, some need to be groomed more than others, and some shed more as well.

In my research I found the following dog breeds (and there are more than I felt compelled to list) that are good with kids and the basic characteristics for that specific breed:
Boston Terrier; Noted for being good with kids and suitable for most any type of lifestyle, intelligent, and they should only weight, at the most, 25lbs. Boston Terriers have short, fine hair, and are easy to groom.

Jack Russell Terrier; This breed is recommended for the more active lifestyle, intelligent, lively, they do require a lot of attention, can be aggressive if not trained properly, tolerable of children. The Jack's coat is short and smooth, broken, or rough, easy to groom.

Maltese; This is a good, small protective breed of dogs. Maltese do have long silky hair and are considered "high maintenance" when it comes to grooming. Children must be supervised due to the fragile nature of this breed.

Shih Tzu; This is a good natured, non-aggressive, friendly dog. Due to their long coat they require daily brushing, but a plus is that they are non-shedding. Children should be supervised, this breed is also fragile, but a good choice.

Bichon Frise; Known to be good with kids and other animals, intelligent, easy to train, and lively. Plus this is also a non-shedding breed.

Dachshund; These little "wieners" are good with family members, but have been know to show aggression towards children outside of their "pack". They make watch dogs, but may have problems learning to use the bathroom outside. They come in short-hair and long-hair varieties, even as a miniature. Grooming should be considered low maintenance and shedding is minimal.

Skye Terrier; A Scottish based breed, that is known to be fearless, good-tempered, and loyal, he is friendly those he knows and cautious with strangers. This breed is also double coated, meaning that it has an undercoat, and a second coat which is its outer coat. The under coat is short, soft, and wooly,

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