What are your recommendations for a small breed that does not shed and does well with children?

I picked these 3 breeds....from own personal experience!

1. Poodle. I have two poodles. They love my young nieces and nephews. They are "affectionate" towards them. whenever my niece and nephews come over....that are all over them. Poodles loves children.

2. Brittany Spaniel: I have owned 1 Brittany before I owned poodles. They are very good with children as well. I was 11 years old when I got my first Brittany and she just the best playmate and best friend you could ever have.

3, German Shepherd. My aunt had a german shepherd. when i was a toddler....I just loved her. I remembered when I slept over my aunts...she would have lied next to me on the floor...."babysitting" and protecting me during the night. German shepherds are a great babysitter and protector of a young infant and toddler.

Before i answer, I must add a disclaimer: any dog can be great with children, and even if the breed standard says the breed is not, you will find people who tell you differently. I am sharing personal experience of the most common breeds I saw turned into the shelter when I worked there for not being great with kids. I know these are generalizations and I am not trying to start any type of fight. However, these are the ones I saw with the most issues. With a very young child in the house, I would stay away from the the smallest of the small breeds, like chihuahuas, poms and Yorkies, as these little dogs can often learn that being picked up incorrectly hurts so they nip in response and then get put down. They learn to nip before being hurt and will become reactive to children. Dachshunds tend to have back issues, sometimes caused by children picking them up incorrectly or being dropped. They are top of the list for bites. I am not a fan of min pins around kids, just because they are so energetic and strong willed. I am not crazy about Lhasas and pekes with kids either, just because neither one is especially patient. Now for breeds I do like with kids, miniature (not toy) poodles tend to have a fun sense of humor and are trainable. My first choice would probably be a bichon, as they are usually sweet and biddable dogs. Cavalier King Charles spaniels are great, but have lots of health problems. I like Italian Greyhounds, but they are very fragile, so if this is a look you like, possibly consider a whippet instead. Beagles have a great personality and love kids, but they can be barky and difficult to train or call off a scent. Some cocker spaniels are great with kids, as would be a cockapoo or other small poodle mix. I love Havanese, and they love to learn tricks. Shi Tzus are pretty nice, but can be stubborn and lazy. Honestly, make a list of what all you want out of a dog and then go meet some to see if one clicks. Be patient and don't settle.

I would recommend a Boston Terrier, they do shed, not a lot though, and have a short coat that requires minimal grooming. As far as little dogs and kids go Bostons are the best. They are an active but not overly energetic dog that is intelligent and really friendly, which makes them really versatile in training. They are also very tolerant of kids and love attention. Being a Brachycephalic breed, they are not the healthiest, and epilepsy seems to inflict Bostons more than some other breeds but they still have a fairly long average life expectancy and if you get them from a reputable shelter or breeder you can find a happy healthy pup. I would recommend straying from "colored" Bostons as that is typically an indication of irresponsible breeding and inbreeding for genetic mutations and those dogs tend to experience far more health and behavioral issues.

Havanese or Poodle would be a perfect fit

It sounds like you're not necessarily looking for a hypo-allergenic dog, but a shed-free / little-shed dog. As Margaret noted, most hypo-allergenic dogs will need grooming which can be quite costly.

Big dogs can be just as, if not more, tolerant of kids than little dogs. It is their personality and trainability that you are looking for. Training is essential for any dog in a household with kids - both training for the dogs and teaching the kids to be respectful of the dog.

Look for a short-haired dog with a great personality: Boston Terrier (my favorite!), Boxer, Bulldog, Pitbull (they have a bad rap, but they can be just as friendly and gentle as a lab), etc.

Any of the above breeds are good, as long as you actively teach your children how to treat dogs (no ear pulling, pushing, poking ect) While these are friendly breeds, as a rule no child should be left alone with a dog. Gotta keep kids and dogs safe :)

Havanese hands down. Very friendly dog and perfect with kids..

I have severe allergies and have successfully owned the following "hypoallergenic" breeds: Mini Poodle, ShihTzu, Mini Schnauzer, and currently Havanese. Our Havanese are wonderful with our grandbaby and grandtoddlers. They love being part of the family. They don't shed and can be kept short. They prefer the sofa to the floor for family time. We show ours so keep them in full coat which requires frequent brushing. Havanese are small but sturdy little dogs. They don't require a lot of exercise but will have fun romping with your childen or going on walks. They are little clowns, not barkers, and will steal your heart.

I would absolutely recommend a Maltese. As they do not shed, they need to be groomed (I do it myself, then take her in for a cleanup every 3 months or so), but very sweet natured (my daughters used to put doll dresses on ours.) The only medical issues are the need for dental cleanings (typical with small dogs) and I've heard they sometimes have knee cap issues (although ours has not.) Very adaptable and a great traveler as we have lived in both Hawaii and Germany as well as the US mainland.

Shih Tzu, Yorkie, or Lhasa Apso mix breeds are good. They do have to be groomed though; however, no shedding. There are less medical problems with mix breeds. Have a good personality and are also so cute!